(14,814) Steps 4-6

A/N: This encompasses the first part of Step 6, the rest will be in the next chapter.

[Transporting User: Xan Kim to The Fourth Step.]

Name: Xan Kim

Title: [Successor of 14,814 Steps (4)] (Upgradeable)

Level: 1 (/4)

Class: N/A

Might: 4 (7) +

Mobility: 4 (8) +

Mind: 4 (6) +

Magic: 4 (7) +

Matrix Points: 2

Traits: [Inheritance], [Succession]

Powers: [Self-Healing] Level 1, [Unkillable] Level 1

Skills: [Improvised Fighting] Level 1

The screen broke me out of my thoughts, and I inspected the new entry. I saw that I could assign the “Matrix Points” wherever I wanted, but my stats would still all be locked at 4, so there wasn’t really a point in it.

I took a moment to look around before looking into the other stuff I didn’t understand, and it’s a good thing I did, else I might have been outright impaled by the goblin standing next to me.

[The Fourth Step: Survive the Horde]

I was in a village, in the middle of the forest. It looked medieval, but I suppose that makes more sense than the sci-fi city I’d been in for my second step.

Anyways, back to the goblin. It was trying to stab me, it really was, but it was missing a leg, so I could just… take a step back. The poor little guy was getting so angry about it, literally frothing at the mouth. Or… does he have rabies? That would make a lot of sense, actually.

On the next thrust, I grab the spear from his hands and smack him in the face with the butt of it. I might be weaker than average, but I’m still more than strong enough to overpower this infant-shaped monster.

It proves trivial to slay him with his own weapon.

After that, I step closer to the center of the village, the sounds of battle reaching my ears. Metal clashes, doors are smashed, and the wails of the dying echo out, some human, others not.

A pair of goblins round the corner and cackle at the sight of me, rushing forward with crude daggers.

They might be a bit faster than I currently am, but the reach a polearm provides once more proves useful. The first goblin tries to weave around my spear, but I’m working with an angle, which allows me to make larger motions more quickly.

A simple step backwards and reroute of my hands and he rushes straight towards my edge. A jab to the stomach and he’s finished, his tiny body proving easy to fully pierce with the sharp blade of this crude spear. I do my best to ignore the blood and entrails that spill out of him as he falls to the ground, his voice joining the chorus of the fallen.

His companion hesitates, looking at the body of his friend, but then fury consumes the logic within him and he rushes me.

This time, I'm not able to get a quick and easy kill, but I manage to kick him when he's close enough. I'd always wondered how far a child would fly if you punted them with all your might. Turns out you can get a couple feet out of it.

He tries to recover, but I smack him down with the shaft of my spear and raise it high before plunging it into his prone form, piercing his back right where the heart would be in a human.

He doesn't rise again.

Quickly, I lower myself and try to sneak along, making my way closer and closer to where the fighting is going on.

It's only when I reach the town square that I realize how bad the situation is.

Initially, I'd assumed that all the goblins would be as easy to kill as the ones I'd fought. I was wrong. The small green goblins were the majority, yes, but there were also large, red-skinned ones.

[Hobgoblin | Level 6]

That specific hobgoblin was the leader, and he was kitted out with actual armor and carried real sword, not just scrap gear. He was giving orders to the larger hobgoblins while the small green goblins hopped about causing chaos.

I backed away from the scene, feeling like a coward, but knowing that I wouldn't be able to handle that mess.

A few more goblins found their ends on my blade, giving me only small cuts and bruises that [Self-Healing] quickly erases, but for the most part I just hid in a wrecked building. It had already been ransacked and destroyed, so it wasn't checked on again. Eventually, I got the notification I'd been waiting for.

[Quest Complete!]

Discretion is the greater part of valor, and knowing your weaknesses is one of the most significant strengths one can have.

Please choose a reward:

1. Trait: [Silent]
2. Power: [Invisibility]
3. Skill: [Stealth]

I quickly examine my options, hoping to get away from this place of death as soon as possible.

[Silent]: Have you ever been called out for farting in class, or burping too loudly on a plane? No longer! All sounds, scents, and impressions you create unintentionally will be suppressed.

[Invisibility]: I think we all know what you're going to use this one for, you perv. Drain your Magic to allow light to pass through your body. May be extended to objects you are in contact with at a higher mana cost.

[Stealth]: The archetypal Skill of thieves, rogues, and hunters of all kinds. You will gain an instinctive knowledge of how to move in order to reduce your impact on the environment and visibility.

Now that middle one's just offensive. I am not like that!

I already have two Powers that drain my Magic, and [Silent] feels like it's a more passive version of [Stealth]. The only thing [Stealth] does that [Silent] doesn't is make me harder to see, but [Silent] means that I won't even have to try to be sneaky, it'll just sorta happen.

I poke [Silent] and am swiftly moved to my next Step.

[Transporting User: Xan Kim to The Fifth Step.]

Name: Xan Kim

Title: [Successor of 14,814 Steps (5)] (Upgradeable)

Level: 1 (/5)

Class: N/A

Might: 5 (7) +

Mobility: 5 (8) +

Mind: 5 (6) +

Magic: 5 (7) +

Matrix Points: 2

Traits: [Inheritance], [Succession], [Silent]

Powers: [Self-Healing] Level 1, [Unkillable] Level 1

Skills: [Improvised Fighting] Level 2

I'm in another forest now. Luckily, I still have my spear, else–

[The Fifth Step: Hunt the Jaygeroas]

What the frick is a jaygeroas? And how am I meant to– nevermind, giant trail of ash, got it.

[Silent] mutes the sounds of my breath and footsteps as I walk through the woods, following the still-smoking trail of this “jaygeroas.”

The forest is completely silent, as though it's been completely suppressed by the presence of this apex predator. It feels… wrong, somehow, for a forest of all places to be this quiet. Not even I am making any sounds. It makes it all seem fake, somehow.

It doesn't take long for me to find the jaygeroas. The monster is lounging on a particularly large rock.

[Jaygeroas | Level 5]

It doesn't notice my approach, likely thanks to my new trait, so I take a moment to inspect it.

It somewhat resembles a cross between a wolf and a tiger, but its body seems almost plant-like, its green fur seeming strangely organic and alive. At the same time, it seems to be in a state of constant smoldering, heat radiating off it in waves.

Thank goodness I still have this spear. I do not want to get close to that thing.

I continue to approach [Silent]ly, maneuvering to ensure that I approach from its blind spot. Luckily, its lazy posture makes it especially easy to predict its movements and line up an attack.

Repeating what is probably the only attack I really know how to do, I thrust the spear downwards into the body of the jaygeroas.

The blade sinks a couple inches deep into the beast’s matter, then stops as a scream seems to emanate from every part of its body. A few follicles of fur rush towards the spear and begin wrapping around it, but I yank it free before it can be captured.

Just a moment later, the monster is fully upright, glaring at me with its flaming eyes and dripping green… What's it called? Phloem? Or is it just chlorophyll?

My consideration is cut short as the jaygeroas breathes fire at me.

I do my best to roll out of the way, but my side is still singed, my left arm getting completely charred.

For a bare instant it goes slack, the burns on my skin making it extremely painful to move it. It's completely unbearable, and I can feel my skin carbonizing and popping. Then [Unkillable] kicks in, and it's all gone.

The jaygeroas hacks out a lungful of smoke, and I rush in to capitalize on its moment of weakness. It's prepared, though, and swipes at me to buy itself some room.

The paw catches me off guard, smashing into me mid-lunge. I'm thrown to the ground, spear knocked out of my hands. I hear a crunch in my right arm from my impact with the ground, but [Unkillable] allows me to ignore the injury and push forward as though I were in peak condition.

I rush to grab my spear, getting my hands on it just in time for the jaygeroas to pounce on me, smoke curling around its huge fangs.

I orient the spear point between myself and the beast, catching it in the chest as it descends upon me.

*SNAP*

*Shhhh!*

The tip of my spear snaps off inside the jaygeroas and it makes a sound of pain landing somewhere between a cat's hiss and the rustling of leaves. It backs off, inspecting me warily.

I let out a breath of relief, then cringe at the state of my spear. Now I'll just have to hope that this monstrosity dies before I do.

With that in mind, I feel out my Magic reserves, wincing again when I find that they're already half empty.

I'll have to finish this quickly, then.

The jaygeroas notices my distraction and lunges for me, but rather than back off, I follow suit, dashing inwards and carefully aiming the broken end of my spear. My opponent realizes what I'm doing too late to stop me, and I jab my staff down it's throat.

This won't be enough to kill it, but–

*FSHEEEW*

I'm blown backwards by an eruption of flame that escapes the body of my opponent, tearing itself to shreds as a bomb detonates inside of it.

[Quest Complete!]

Expect the unexpected.

Please choose a reward:

1. Trait: [Photosynthesis]
2. Power: [Fire Breath]
3. Skill: [Tracking]

I reduce the flow of magic to [Unkillable] until the pain is a dull ache, then turn on [Self-Healing] while looking over my options.

[Photosynthesis]: Eat the sun! Wait, that sounded cooler than it was supposed to… Drastically increases your Magic regeneration based on how much sunlight your body is exposed to.

[Fire Breath]: Have you ever wanted to be a dragon? Step right up and find out what it feels like to be burned from the inside out! Drain your Magic at a prodigious rate to expel flames from your mouth. Does not directly harm the user.

[Tracking]: Ever lost your keys or credit card? If so, you'll know the value of this Skill. Guides you and helps you know what to look for while tracking or hunting.

[Fire Breath] immediately appeals to me, but I already have two Powers that demand a lot of Magic, so I can't afford to use it. If I could take [Photosynthesis] at the same time, then it might have been great, but I can't, so yeah.

[Tracking] appears to be the worst of the choices at first glance, but I wouldn't have been able to find the jaygeroas if it hadn't left such an obvious trail. I might need to do something like this again, and there would be no guarantee that it would be so simple.

I take [Tracking], letting the other options vanish.

[Transporting User: Xan Kim to The Sixth Step.]

Name: Xan Kim

Title: [Successor of 14,814 Steps (6)] (Upgradeable)

Level: 2 (/6)

Class: N/A

Might: 6 (7) +

Mobility: 6 (8) +

Mind: 6 +

Magic: 6 (7) +

Matrix Points: 4

Traits: [Inheritance], [Succession], [Silent]

Powers: [Self-Healing] Level 2, [Unkillable] Level 2

Skills: [Improvised Fighting] Level 3, [Tracking] Level 1

Music fills my ears, and my eyes catch on a musician playing a tune atop a table. Her ears are pointed, and her guitar is oddly curved and bent at the head.

Wait, is that… She’s one of those Tolkien elves, and that’s a… lute? Or is it called a lyre? Whatever, it doesn’t matter.

I’m in a fantasy tavern.

[The Sixth Step: Finish the Story]

A large man steps into my line of sight, plopping himself down across the table with a thud.

“So you’re the one, eh?” He grunts, looking me up and down. He has a strange accent, halfway between Russian and Irish, and his voice is deep, rough, and strong.

“The one?” Does he know something about my… situation?

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” he said, waving away my question. “Look, all you need to know is that my group and I–” he gestures at a group of three individuals standing near the entrance to the tavern– “are looking to take on a quest to hunt a wyvern in the area, but we need an extra member to qualify for the mission. Are you up for it?”

I glance back at the quest prompt, sigh, and nod. Hopefully I won't have to do much.

“Wonderful!” He cheers, throwing a thumbs-up at his party members. “Now, you’re looking pretty poorly equipped. I could get you some gear, but you’d have to accept that as your payment for the mission. We’ll provide supplies and rations, but you must swear to me that you’ll stick with us.”

I think it over, then acquiesce, “I can agree to that. Unless you mistreat me. If, on the course of this quest, I feel like I’m in danger because of your actions and not in spite of them, I’ll be leaving. Does that sound fair?”

“Aye. The name’s Randun. I’m party leader, and I fight up front, with my sword. You?” He stands up, moving around the table to extend a hand.

I stand before returning the gesture, shaking his massive hand. His grip is tight, not because he’s squeezing hard but just because his hands are so huge and muscular. “I’m Xan. I… I don’t really know how I fight. I guess I’m a tank? As in, the guy that stands up front and takes all the hits. Though that’s more based on my abilities than any actual fighting style.”

Randun looks me up and down, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you a bit… small for that?”

“Well… yeah. I was just talking about the magic I use.”

“So you’re a mage, then?” He’s even more confused now. “What kind of wizard wants to get hit?”

I just shrug. “I mean, I don’t really want to be hit, I just have a couple Powers that help me not die if I am.”

“We’ll see. Let’s get you some armor, then. Probably something lighter, unless you have experience wearing anything heavier? Who am I kidding, look at ya! Let’s get you some gear..”

Randun hauls me over to his party, where I’m fussed over and considered up and down, then dragged out into the snow. It seems the city we’re in was founded atop a mountain, but luckily I didn’t have to suffer the cold for long. The healer in the party, a female elf– seriously, the only more stereotypical thing would be if she used a bow– threw a blanket over me straight away. Instantly, magically, I began to feel warmer.

We soon arrive at our destination, and I’m pulled into an armory. Instantly, the snow that had been stuck all over my body evaporates into steam, and I’m able to hand the blanket back to the healer– Enricha– along with my thanks.

Randun continues to pull me around by the arm until we stand in front of a man at a desk. His arms are as thick as my legs, and his right eye is covered by a brown eye patch.

“Kelsh, we’ve got a new one!” Randun grins at him.

“Ahh, brother!” Kelsh slowly pulls himself from the desk, his huge form rising up and up… and then sinking until his head is just above his table. “You need to come and visit more often, it gets lonely here, all by my lonesome.”

His accent is much thicker than Randun’s, but his height is so distracting to me that I barely notice it. His eyes caught on mine, and he rumbled, “Never seen a dwarf, laddie?”

I shake my head, looking away. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have stared.”

“Yer fine, kid. I don’t mind your curiosity. It’s a good thing, in fact.” He grins, moving around the desk and reaching way up to clap Randun on the shoulder. “Well, let’s get you some actual protection, eh?”

The pair lead the way through rows of supplies, arrows, weapons of all kinds, and all sorts of armor and armor accessories. Eventually, they stop amidst rows and rows of what look like really thick, long, stuffy shirts.

“Ever worn armor before, kid?” Kelsh whispers to me.

I shake my head, and he moves to stand beside me, inspecting the armor.

“Good armor is the key to your survival out there,” he mutters, “treat it well and you live. Allow it to fall apart, and so will you.” His single eye moves to look at me, burning a bright, intense blue. “In battle, your equipment is as good and important a companion as any. Learn to love your armor, and you’ll survive almost anything.”

The light in his eye calms, and he begins pulling gear from the shelves in a flurry.

“Um, what’s he doing?” I point at the odd dwarf and raise an eyebrow at Randun.

“Bah, don’t worry too much about it. That eye of his is potent. He’ll find the best equipment for ya, just be patient.”

A handful of minutes later, Kelsh stands before me with his arms full of stuff. “This is the first real gear you’ll ever wear, yes? Someday, you will need to replace it, but that’s no excuse to treat it poorly.” He pulls a rag and a bottle of clear liquid from a bundle, holding them out for me to see.

“Use this to clean the blade of your weapon every week, and then again after every battle. Don’t worry about running out of cleaning fluid, I packed enough for a solid year, provided you don’t get in too many fights, and there’s a note that you can hand off to any apothecary or alchemist to have them reproduce it. You don’t need as much as you think you do, trust me.”

The bundle is lowered to the floor, and Kelsh pulls out one of those odd shirts. “This is gambeson. You’ll be wearing it under this.” He pulled another piece of armor out. This one was more leather, but it had studs in it and– “Brigandine. It’s got metal plates in it to help deflect attacks. Together, these should protect you from most attacks, so long as you’re not completely overpowered. There’s a brush in there to clean it off. Do it dry, it’s better for the leather.

“Oh, and don’t forget to wear this.” He slaps a leather helmet down on top of the pack. “Your head is your most vulnerable point. Don’t lose it,” he finally finishes. I stare at him in shock. Then I turn to Randun to look at him, too. Was he seriously going to pay for all of this? Oh no… That grin of his grin is answer enough.

“How… How can I repay you for all of this?”

Randun just shrugs. “We made a deal. Come on the quest, and remember us when you’re a top-tier adventurer, okay?”

I continued to stare at him, but nodded slowly.

“Oh, my bad, I forgot to show ya this little beauty,” Kelsh interrupts, pulling a simple yet beautiful steel glaive from beneath the pack. Its blade is etched with a fractal pattern of lines, and its luster is so fine that everything else seems to fade away as I focus on it.

He slowly hands it to me, eying me carefully. “Weapons, like armor, must be carefully protected and maintained. They are tools of war, yes, and they are extremely tough, but you’ll burn through that durability far too swiftly if you’re careless with your blade.”

I hold the weapon in my hand, completely in awe. It’s so clean and beautiful, the light that reflects off of it seems to glow.

“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she? She’s never seen combat before, so be careful with her, ease her into it. Still, I think you’ll be a good match.” Kelsh eyes the glaive like a proud father. “Her name’s Nadir. She’ll be there for you in the darkest moment, when you need her the most.”

His blue eye seems to burn with intensity again as he looks at Nadir, and he smiles. “Yes, yes, do treat her well.” He looks up at Randun. “I think we’re done here. You’ll show them out?”

“Of course, brother.” Randun’s voice seemed solemn, filled with reverence and respect. “What’s the total?”

Kelsh waves his hand. “Don’t pay me. Nadir’s been lonely for far too long. Finding a good match for her is enough.”

…Why are these two so generous?!

“Goodbye, brother.” Randun gives him a nod as he turns to exit the shop. The rest of us turn to follow, but I look back at the last minute to see Kelsh eying the glaive he gave me with his one eye.

“Goodbye…” He whispers, barely loud enough for me to hear.