The Thief walked along the path, amidst the forest that was teeming with life. Birds' chirps could be heard and a squirrel jumped from one branch to another. It looked as if this path had been once been heavily used, as there were still signs of carriage tracks, the ground heavily disfigured from the frequent coming and going of the man-made vehicles. Alas, now the path was once again becoming a part of nature, as various shrubs and grasses had begun to sprout all over, removing the marks of civilization.
All of a sudden, the forest grew quiet, the calls of the animals disappearing completely. Losing its background noise, the forest was now eerily frightening.
Raphael grew wary, looking around himself with a bit of nervousness, his eyes darting left and right. The unfamiliar creaks and howls of the forest and its inhabitants were unnerving, but their absence was worse. Even for someone who had spent a decade exploring Origo, abrupt changes like these would have an unpleasant effect.
'I really wish this sort of guttural fear would finally disappear. It's not like I've never been in a forest, and even if there is something, this is a low level zone…'
As he walked along the path, he could see a behemoth in the distance. It was a gigantic oak tree, smack down in the middle of the path. Its diameter was between twenty-five and thirty meters. In the middle of the tree, somebody had carved out a small tunnel. With forbearing, Raphael approached it. He went to either side of the oak tree, looking for a way to go around it.
The left side was all roots that were hanging in the air, the land underneath having crumbled and eroded despite them. The right side could theoretically be an option, but only if one had the nimbleness to climb the steep cliffs that bordered it. That would require a minimum of 20 points in Agility, something Raphael could not have at his current measly Level 0.
"Why did such a giant tree have to pop up in the middle of nowhere…, oh well, down the rabbit-hole it is." Raphael mused, before making up his mind. He could not afford to lose time, as he was already three days behind. Putting the forest's stillness aside, he did not like the idea of having to go through the tree, as it was an easy spot to be ambushed in. Thieves were at their worst when they were cornered, but choosing to go around would waste precious time. Moreso, it was impossible to do so on the left side, while the right side would take him at least an hour's worth of scaling rocks.
Glancing at the flimsy vines that had begun to cover the entrance to the tunnel, Raphael composed himself. He took out his dagger from its sheath and swung, cutting through the parasitic plants.
Snap!
A two-meter-long vine fell to the ground, a clean cut visible on one end.
With a few more swings the entrance was cleared. He walked into the pitch-black tunnel, trying to adapt to the lack of light. The air was damp and carried the aroma of decay. The loose branches and leaves that littered the uneven ground crunched underneath his feet. He walked at a brisk, but moderate pace, as he was afraid of falling down and hurting himself. Although his body would recover, if he were to twist an ankle that would be a minimum of 15 minutes wasted in recovery.
As he reached the middle of the tunnel, its end in sight, he Raphael calmed down a little bit.
"Gotta stop being so paranoid." he told himself, loosening his right hand's grip. His knuckles had gone white from exertion, as he had been unknowingly clutching his dagger's handle like a lifeline.
Suddenly, Raphael heard a deep grunt in the distance behind him. The sound of hooves, trampling on the leaves and branches, reached his ears as he turned his head. He count faintly make out the shape of a monster. It was madly dashing towards him, its beady crimson eyes glowing in the darkness.
As adrenaline rushed through his body, Raphael faced about and started running for his life as he called up his Character Information window. All three free Attribute points were placed into Agility, as his finger clicked on the plus sign next to it. His movement speed changed, receiving a small boost as it went from 3.15 to 3.24.
His instincts taking over, Raphael did not even consider for a second using these points for anything else. His choice had been governed by the primal fear of death. When all else was said and done, speed was what was most important to Thieves. It could raise the speed of their attacks and the fluidity with which they used their weapons. Nothing was more important to a close-combat class than feeling their weapons as if they were an extension of their body.
While each point only awarded a 1% bonus to a player's movement speed, it would also improve the level of control players had over their bodies. Raphael felt his body turn lighter, every fiber of his being swiftly responding to his command.
Rushing forward, the exit grew closer, but Raphael could feel the monster nearing him.
'Damn, damn, damn it all to hell! I knew it was a trap!'
As the monster's grunts grew louder, the hairs on his neck stood up. His heart rate climbed higher, the oxygen he inhaled infusing itself into his bloodstream. The veins on his neck were visibly throbbing.
Desperately, Raphael utilized every bit of energy he could muster, as he frantically ran towards the exit that was just as clogged with vines as the entrance. A frown appeared on his face, which was covered in sweat. Tightening the grip on his dagger, Raphael steeled his resolve as the light grew nearer. The distance between him and the monster was now less than a couple of meters, but the exit was within his grasp. Finally, as he reached the exit, his dagger swung horizontally and his body emerged from the musky tunnel, a colossal pair of tusks mere centimeters away from his back.
Just as the beast was about to pierce his rear, the Thief abruptly changed directions towards a tree he saw in his peripheral vision. It was a fairly young tree, but it was leaning to one side. Flustered, the monster almost slipped, its hooves eating up the ground as it tried to get back on course. The gap between the two had opened to about a meter, as Raphael neared the tree.
His legs nimbly connected with side of the tree, as he shifted his forward momentum and used it to propel himself upwards with two hasty steps. Just as the beast's head was about to make contact, Raphael managed to step upwards twice more, before arching his back and flipping backwards in the air. He managed to land on his feet, a few meters away, but his knees buckled as he made contact with the ground, pain blossoming through his legs as he rolled.
'Stupid level! If I had 30 more points, my body would have handled that easily.' Raphael agonized, as he raised his head and looked at the monster. It was lying next to the remnants of the leaning tree, almost knocked out from the impact.
[Aged Wild Boar]
(Uncommon Beast)
Level 1
HP 115/115