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/Huff... Huff.../
The last floor of the tower looked like an arena, and guarding it was a single creature, the final challenge for all beginner players.
The place it rested upon was like an open arena, with the ceiling having been broken...
Or to be more precise, the tower had snapped in two a long time ago.
Perhaps due to natural causes, or maybe due to the hand of man... It didn't matter right now...
Because something had taken this place as its nest.
The ground was broken in multiple places with many claw and burn marks covering every nook and cranny of the room.
The bones of many creatures littered the ground, and the smell of this place was downright awful, likely due to the rotting flesh and manure produced by what became of its prey's bodies...
"This is problematic."
In the middle of this arena, resting on the ground was a very ugly and menacing creature with a frame similar to that of a large, muscular Bull.
And behind it was his target, the last treasure chest of the Tutorial tower…
Inside it were a few items he would like to get.
The bull-like creature had 2 pairs of legs that ended in a pair of scally feet like the ones of a lizard, together with long claws that dug into the rock beneath it.
A tail that looked like a mace, and its body was rather fat but its legs had a few muscles, they looked simple, but they packed a punch.
There was a single curved horn on its head in a helix shape pointing forward, it glowed red, giving the creature a very intimidating and even borderline demonic appearance.
/HUFF!/
/HUFF!/
As it exhaled, hot steam left its nostrils… Its fur was black as charcoal and its skin was gray with some spots of red light emanating from within its body.
Red like the one of a heated forge...
It was about 2M tall and 3.5M long… It was a unit of a creature… At least on Earth.
(Image)
And Dale knew exactly what it was.
"The first Raid monster… It took 60-ish Level 5 players to beat it if I remember correctly…"
'So far so good, the chests contained the same loot as the Beta, and the Boss monster also looks the same.'
'Apart from a few minor changes that were due to chance, I say the Developers didn't change anything about the Tutorial Tower.'
He looked above its head and saw a few lines of words there, and albeit he had to squint his eyes to properly read what was there he still could despite being a dozen meters away from it.
[Ignition Bovine 💀]
(I think the skull emoji is goofy, but I can keep it if fits... Well, I still changed it anyway later down the line for the sake of simplicity)
Next to its name was a Skull, and crossing the skulls were several white bones like those of a pirate flag.
2 bones to be precise.
"..."
It may not say much, but this already told a lot to Dale.
'This game uses a different method to rank its monsters, instead of giving the monsters, Levels, they have danger thresholds.'
'A single bone means that the creature has a threshold from Level 0 to 10, meaning that players in this range should be capable of dispatching it. While 2 bones are 11 to 20 and so on.'
'There can also be half bones, indicating a Monster's danger rank is around 5 Levels above the predetermined number of bones... In this monster case, if it had a half bone, its danger rank could be either 20 to 25, or 25 to 30.'
'To determine that, you need to look at the bone's position, if it's up, then you round it up, if it's down, the contrary.'
'There are also Ranks for monsters, and this is given by the type of skull in the middle of the bones... But that is a bit more complex.'
'For example, the white Skull used on this monster indicates it's a normal monster, so players within its level gap should be capable enough to take it down alone.'
'It's funny since such a basic mob is more than strong enough to become a raid monster for a group of Low-level players.'
'This means the Ignition Bovine is a low-rank monster meant for Level 11 to 20 players to take on.'
'But since it's within the tutorial area, players have limited levels and hence, it can function as a Raid Boss to some extent.'
'This doesn't mean it's unbeatable, it can be taken down with a proper strategy… And a lot of items if necessary.'
"It was the only 'Raid Boss' in the Beta, so over half of the players participated in its execution, even me…"
'Jelly wasn't there though, he had other... "Priorities"...'
"However, I am sure it's not the case now…"
'I can think of many places where they would've definitely added one...'
'But it doesn't matter, besides, this monster... I am not afraid of it, because…'
[Player: DareDevil (Dale Houston) Attainments: None
Level:3 (13.4%)
Class: None
Character Status:
Strength: 56(63); Constitution: 56(63); Dexterity: 56(63); Mental Power: 31(38); Reflexes: 31(38); Mana: 6(13)
Skills:
Slot 1-> Spear Technique 1.5-Star (Neutral)
Slot 2-> Close quarters Combat 0.5-Star (Neutral)
Slot 3-> Stable Emotions 0.5-Star (Passive)
Slot 4-> Spatial Awareness 0-Star (Passive)
Slot 5-> Fighting Spirit 0-Star (Active)
Current Effects:
+5 All Stats
Lost Wanderer Set -> +2 All Stats; Healing Effectiveness and Speed increased by 10% and 25%; Weather conditions do not hinder you.
Inventory(+)
('+' means he can open it to reveal more options)
]
'I Leveled up twice when I finished the second trial and thanks to all of the extra treasure chests, I completed the Rare Lost Wanderer Set that gives several boosts when you are within a ruin.'
'I also got a nice spear to use, although it is only passable at most as it has no special options.'
'What matters were the items and the money I got from the chests… Although they aren't useful right now.'
'I don't really want to test the efficacy of a healing potion mid-battle after getting hit by that fucking beast.'
'Because I was in a rush, I wasn't able to see exactly how both the healing and consumable systems got reworked, but I have an inkling as to how it has changed...'
'If everything is realism, then a potion won't immediately recover my HP right?... Not that I have any.'
"And lastly, my stats are like those of a Level 60 player… If a player was to walk around naked and do nothing apart from leveling up…"
'If a base Level 60 player cannot kill a Level 20 mob with his bare hands, then something is wrong...'
"So to be precise, it's those of a perfectly naked Level 60 player with no items… But it's enough to rock!" He said as he grasped his spear tightly
'Time to kill! I'll finish this damn tower before other players even have the right to step foot into this game!'
[Time until Tutorial initiation, -31 Minutes, 15 seconds]
…
/Step step step...!/
/JUMP!/
Dale ran around the corridor and jumped, making his way to the monster through the air as he swung his spear with great agility.
/Shaaa.../
"...!"
As Dale cut the air above the monster with his spear, the creature's ears suddenly perked up as it got up and moved its head…
/SPLURGE!/
"WIIIIKKK!"
"URG!"
'I missed, I knew it, I should've just charged forward... Fancy movements aren't for me.'
Dale penetrated the monster's neck, but he failed in taking it out in a single blow, making the monster scream in pain!
Its cries were extremely loud, making Dale associate this Bull with a damn pig! It made him feel as if his ears were being torn apart!
However, he did not lose his composure as within the blink of an eye, he took out his emergency dagger from his chest holster and plunged it into his neck!
/CUT!/
"WIIIIKKK!"
/Splurge!/
/Splurge!/
"MUUUUUUUU!"
/CUT!!/
His knife moved up and down, again and again as the creature tried to shake him off relentlessly!
/BAM!/
Even when the Bull crashed against the walls, Dale did not let go, his sturdy body was showing itself now.
It wouldn't be crushed that easily.
/THUD!/
"Muuu... uuu..."
The Bull eventually collapsed to the ground, bleeding and breathing heavily.
"Haa... Haa..."
'How... Gruesome.'
/Tss.../
Seeing this and feeling its boiling blood on his skin made Dale realize this was a game unlike any before it…
But was this even a game for him?
[DING]
[You've slain the Ignition Bovine]
[You've finished a Solo Raid flawlessly!]
[You've completed the Tutorial Tower alone and flawlessly!]
[As a reward, all stats +15 during the remainder of the tutorial(Overwrites the previous Buff)]
[Rewards have been maximized]
[You've acquired, Ignition Horn Spear, Blazing Bull Set]
[You've acquired, Blazing Pelt x1, 4 Hoofs, 10Kg of flesh…]
[650% Experience points]
[You have Leveled Up]
[You have Leveled Up]
[All Stats +4]
[Player has achieved the Tutorial's zone Max Level, all extra Experience points shall be turned into game currency]
[1000 XP -> 1 Zulls of Wood]
(N1)
[You gained 23 Zulls of Wood]
[Would you like to leave your name in the Hall of Fame?]
[...]
...
Dale was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer amount of notifications, so he quickly read through it all as he made his way to the chest.
He had no time to waste.
"I Leveled up, got a bit of money, and many items… What a good day!"
'Though, flawlessly?... Did I not take any damage?... Well... How embarrassing...'
'For the Bull I mean.'
But Dale did not equip any of his items yet, he still had one last treasure to open…
"Hehe… I want something good!" He said with a perverted expression
'There was only one chest in the Beta, so I have no idea of its entire loot pool... But hopefully, everything I need comes.'
'Though I wouldn't refuse more!'
/CHING!/
"Wowww..."
Golden light was released from the chest as he opened it, almost burning his eyes as he raised his hands to protect them.
[You've acquired the Broken inscribed blade]
[You've acquired, Ruins Explorer Set]
[You've acquired, Basic First Aid Kit x3]
[You've acquired…]
[...]
"Ahhh my ears! Please! Make these noises lower in volume…" He complained as he went through the notifications just so they would shut up
"Jeez..."
'I need to go over some configurations later…'
"But hey… Phew..."
"So many items… And I got the set I wanted, great."
'From here on, it's just profit.'
'This set is an upgrade to the one I am currently using, unlike the other Set that can drop in any secret chest in the tutorial, this one can only drop here…'
'And as you already imagine, one single chest that does not guarantee all pieces...'
'There is only one small chance of getting everything at once.'
"However, this was surely not my luck..."
"If I didn't get everything, I would've had to buy the rest from that secret NPC… But thankfully all rewards are maximized."
'That was something I was considering, but the NPC's prices were too absurd, this set was supposed to aid me, not be a time waster.'
'I also got many consumables, a surprise, but a welcomed one to be sure.'
After going through his rewards, he grabbed the last one with some surprise and confusion.
"But what is this blade?... These inscriptions… It's certainly not a normal item." He said as he pulled the sword closer to his face
'We were either unlucky in the Beta or it was meant to be part of a quest or it's an item that was only meant to drop on the main game…'
/Shine!/
Dale took out his previous reward, the knife, and like magic, the two items shone and fused together as if attracted to each other.
/FUSE!/
"Why is everything so damn shiny..." He complained as he waited for the process to end
And the result...
[Ruin Guardian Glyph Blade (Unique)
Rating: 3.5-Stars
+10 all Stats while in a ruin
Gives the temporary Skills, Glyph Activation 2-Star (Active); Glyph Ignition 3-Star (Active) while the sword is equipped.
Set Bonus -> [Locked]
Requirements: Strength: 25; Dexterity: 25; Mana: 10
Description: Long ago the Paxus Knight Army stood guard over the Capital of Pil-Iros with their Glyphed weapons and armor gloriously under the setting sun.
]
As Dale read the impressive stats of the sword, his jaw dropped.
"Haha… And those sly developers said there was no connection to the previous game…"
He took a step back from the chest, allowing it to vanish as he pondered deeply.
"It makes a lot more sense now, this can't be simply some sort of massive Easter Egg…"
'Perhaps both games do share the same Universe!'
Dale smiled in wonder.
"Well, it could be since this is an initial area that won't be revisited in the future, so they might just be having some fun at the expense of their own promises…"
"But this seems like quite a lot of work for 'fun'... You don't see such levels of detail for meaningless things in games anymore."
'However, in the case it isn't just that… Then it would open many possibilities…'
"Welp, at least I found out my weapon for the next few hours... Or days."
'Its passive Stat Boost alone is enough to make this weapon out-performance everything else I had in mind...'
[DING!]
"Hm?"
[Server A-0001 is opening!]
Just when he thought he was done with the Tower, the system shared with him a 'Great' piece of news.
"! Haaa… So it has started."
'Welcome to Azimuth... Everyone.'
Holding a shining silver sword in one hand and a red spear in another, Dale looked at the sun on the horizon with a smile as he made his way to the edge of the tower, jumping out into the world beyond.
…
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Notes
N1 -> The Mc can both see XP as in percentage or numerical value, but for the sake of simplicity, I'll mostly use percentages unless extremely necessary.
---
Here are something that will be very useful for the future, I do plan on making a Terminology chapter with all of these little things in there eventually:
Rarity Grades: Normal -> Special -> Slightly Rare -> Rare -> Very Rare -> Unique
---
Now, for some item descriptions:
[Ignition Horn Spear (Slightly Rare)
+1 to Strength; +1 to Dexterity
+3 to all stats in Hot areas
Gives the temporary Skill, Flaming strike 1-Star (Active)
Set Bonus -> Ignite Earth, all steps will leave behind a small area of hot steam that will cause burns to your enemies; Slight increase to Fire resistance; +1 to all stats in Hot areas
Description: Horn of an Ignition Bovine repurposed into a spear, it is of high quality and hence, it has captured the essence of its previous holder.
]
[Blazing Bull Set (Slightly Rare)
+2 to Strength; +3 to Constitution; +1 to Mana
Set Bonus -> Ignite Earth, all steps will leave behind a small pool of hot steam that will cause burns to your enemies; Slight increase to Fire resistance; +1 to all stats in Hot areas
Description: Light armor made from a mixture of an Ignition Bovine Skin and Bones, it is of high quality and hence, it has captured the essence of its previous holder.
]
[Lost Wanderer Set (Special)
+2 to all Stats
Set Bonus -> Healing Effectiveness and Speed increased by 10% and 25%; Weather conditions do not hinder you.
Description: Cloth armor with a thick cape made from an unknown leathery material, it has weathered over the decades, and now, it's only a shadow of its former self.
]
[Ruins Explorer Set (Rare)
+5 to all Stats
Gives the temporary Skill, Explorer Sense 2-Star (Passive)
Set Bonus -> Healing Effectiveness increased by 50%; Extreme weather conditions give you +1 to +5 to all Stats depending on the degree of severity of it; Weather conditions do not hinder you.
Description: If you wish to explore a Ruin, you better be prepared for it, traps and monsters litter these forgotten grounds. A simple injury may lead to a lost limb, make sure to properly take care of yourself.
]
[Ruin Guardian Glyph Blade (Unique)
Rating: 3.5-Stars
+10 all Stats while in a ruin
Gives the temporary Skills, Glyph Activation 2-Star (Active); Glyph Ignition 3-Star (Active) while the sword is equipped.
Set Bonus -> [Locked]
Requirements: Strength: 25; Dexterity: 25; Mana: 10
Description: Long ago the Paxus Knight Army stood guard over the Capital of Pil-Iros with their Glyphed weapons and armor gloriously under the setting sun.
]
[Player: DareDevil (Dale Houston) Attainments: None
Level:5 (0%)
Class: None
Character Status:
Strength: 60(90); Constitution: 60(90); Dexterity: 60(90); Mental Power: 35(65); Reflexes: 35(65); Mana: 10(40)
Skills:
Slot 1-> Spear Technique 1.5-Star (Neutral)
Slot 2-> Close quarters Combat 0.5-Star (Neutral)
Slot 3-> Stable Emotions 0.5-Star (Passive)
Slot 4-> Spatial Awareness 0-Star (Passive)
Slot 5-> Fighting Spirit 0-Star (Active)
Temporary Skills: Glyph Activation 2-Star (Active); Glyph Ignition 3-Star (Active); Explorer Sense 2-Star (Passive)
Current Effects:
+15 All Stats (Temporary Bonus until the end of the Tutorial)
Ruins Explorer Set -> +5 to all Stats; Healing effectiveness…
Ruin's Guardian Glyph Blade -> +10 to all Stats while in a ruin
Inventory (+)
]
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Thank you for reading.