Max and Snickers stood in front of a giant sign that said:
"THE END OF KING'S ROAD"
"What does it mean by that?" Max asked. "Isn't the King's Road all the way across the country?"
"Nope," Snickers responded. "Do you know how much mana would it take to protect the whole country? This is also pretty good what they managed to protect. From now on we are on our own."
"I don't like that," Max admitted.
They went under the sign, following just the road now, a road with no name and no protection. While going under the sign, Max touched it with his hand, in a way saying goodbye.
"It's gonna get tougher from now on," Max said looking into the distance.
And he was right, all the way to the end of the King's Road both of them knew that they were safe if they followed the road. Now they could follow the road all they wanted, danger loomed everywhere around them, and with Max's curse, who knew what would attack them.
"Before we continue," Max began. "I need to tell you something Snickers."
"Sure, what?"
"There's something you don't know about me…"
"Don't tell me you fell in love with me?" Snickers giggled.
"No, ew," Max laughed. "You remember that monster on the mountain?"
"Yes, we were lucky to survive that."
"Well, from now on I don't know what could happen, there could be more monsters like that, and maybe even worse."
"You don't have to tell me that, I already know it."
"Well, I can't guarantee that we'll get to the Kingsport whole, we could also get there in pieces, or not at all."
"I already know that you don't have to worry about it. We'll just keep following the main road, stay away from the dark areas because everyone knows that's where monsters hang out, and we'll be safe."
"The problem is, that they are hunting me…"
"Yes, you're the hero and all that nonsense. We get attacked once by some Demon Lord member and you think you're famous or something. Get down from that high horse," Snickers started laughing again, unlike Max who had difficulties telling him about his curse.
"I'm cursed," he just spat it out, the easiest method of telling something you have problems with. "I am cursed, Snickers."
"Cursed with what? That ugly face of yours?"
"This is no time for jokes, idiot. I am cursed, I did something. Accidentally! And I got cursed, now monsters sense me and get aggressive when I'm close to them. That's why that day that monster on the mountain attacked us."
It was a difficult thing to say because saying it was like admitting to killing his friends. He left that part out of course, but it didn't make it any easier for him. Max was afraid if Snickers decided to leave his side, that would mean he would continue his journey all alone. Snickers was his best friend, not only in this world but in every world.
"So if you decide to leave, I'll understand it," Max ended his explanation with that sentence, waiting for a response.
"Nah, it is okay. I don't have anywhere to be. Let's go now, we need to find a nice camping spot for the night, the sun is already setting down."
"Y-yeah. Let's go. And thank you for being such a good friend."
"Snickers never leaves his friends hanging."
They rushed down the road, while danger awaited.
Max sat by the fire, an old scroll in his hand, yellow from all the dust and years it spent somewhere on a shelf. He tried learning it the quick-hero way, where the spell he read gets learned automatically, but it didn't work. An error kept popping out: "Level 55 needed to learn this spell." He was level 15 now. Killing Lea, and the mayor who technically died of his own hand, gave him so much XP he passed 10 levels, and now he sat there trying to learn this spell, and thinking where to put his skill points.
Name: Max
Class: Mage
Level: 15
HP: 115
Mana: 150
Spells:
Fireball (Level 2):
Description: Launches a fiery projectile towards a target, dealing 25 fire damage on impact.
Mana Cost: 20 mana
Additional Effects: Targets hit may suffer from burning effect, dealing 15 fire damage per turn for 10 seconds unless extinguished.
Ice Lance (Level 1):
Description: Summons a shard of ice that pierces through enemies, dealing 30 ice damage and slowing their movement for 3 seconds.
Mana Cost: 15 mana
Shield Spell (Level 2):
Description: Creates a resilient barrier around the caster, providing enhanced protection against physical and magical attacks.
Mana Cost: 30 mana
Healing Light (Level 1):
Description: Emits a gentle glow that heals the caster or an ally for 30 HP.
Mana Cost: 25 mana
Teleport (Level 1):
Description: Instantly transports the caster to a nearby location within 10 meters.
Mana Cost: 40 mana
Attributes:
Vigor: 105 (increased by 5 points)
Increases HP
Increases Fire and Poison Resistance
Increases Immunity
Mind: 115 (increased by 5 points)
Increases MP (Mana Points)
Increases Focus Resistance
Endurance: 95
Increases Stamina
Increases Robustness
Increases Equip Load
Strength: 80
Increases Physical Defense
Increases Physical Damage
Dexterity: 75
Increases Physical Damage
Shortens Casting Time
Softens Fall Damage
Intelligence: 105
Provides access to more Sorceries
Increases Magic Damage
Increases Magic Defense
Faith: 60
Provides access to more Incantations
Increases Magic Damage
Arcane: 55
Increases item Discovery
Increases Death and Holy Resistance
Allows use of certain Sorceries and Incantations
He needed to learn new spells and upgrade these he already knew somehow so it takes less mana for him to cast. If the mayor managed to hold on for 5 more minutes he would be dead, because he had no mana to cast any spells.
"I hate this!" he threw the scroll away from him. He jumped up and started walking in circles. "My mana pool is so low, I can't fight long!"
"Think about that tomorrow, or at least be quiet, I'm trying to sleep!" Snickers yelled at Max.
"How can you be so calm, shouldn't you help me figure out how to upgrade my mana?!"
"Why? We just switch, I take the enemy while you… whatever you do. And then we switch again."
"It isn't perfect, but it could work," Max thought as he picked up the scroll and sat down again, trying to learn this unknown spell.