I try to continue meditating, but the rumbling in my stomach prevents me from concentrating. I get up, take a drink of water, grab my dagger and go out to explore in search of some food. I get to the center fairly quickly, but, unfortunately, there are no rats in that area at that time.
After looking around carefully, I head along the right wall into the next hallway. I carefully advance down the corridor, which stretches for about twelve meters before leading into another room. Again I can hear the sound of water before I can see anything.
As I reach the end of the hallway and see inside the room, I am surprised to find a small stream dividing it in two. On the other side of the stream, I see mounds of dirt and what appear to be mushrooms. Seeing nothing moving, I enter the room slowly and cautiously.
As I approach the stream, I notice a small bridge crossing it, leading to a path between the mounds of dirt. I stop at the edge of the stream to get a better look. The stream enters through the right wall and flows to the left, away from my room. I wonder if this is the water source in my room. Examining the stone walls and arches where the water flows, it is obvious that this stream was here when the room was built, and whoever designed this place incorporated it into the design.
Looking at the mounds of dirt, I doubt they were here originally, but from here I can see lots of mushrooms growing on them. So I cross the stream, ignoring the bridge, to examine them more closely. I see five different types of mushrooms, so I decide to pick two of each type to test them.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, you've acquired the craft skill of herb collecting!
√ Herb gathering.
√ Level 1
- Intelligence+1.
- You can gather common herbs and plants.
I take the mushrooms and carefully return to my room. Then, I sit down and place the mushrooms in pairs in front of me. I pick one from the first pair and eat it.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.
- You've been poisoned! You've taken 10 points of damage! HP: 85/146
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, you've acquired the passive ability Poison Resistance!
√ Poison Resistance
√ Level 1
- End +1
- You take 5% less poison damage.
Huh? I've taken damage, but I don't feel bad or anything. Then I try one of the next type of mushroom. Um, it doesn't taste bad and it's not poisonous, what a relief! I set the other mushroom of that type aside and try one of the third type.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- You've been poisoned, you've taken 20 points of damage! HP: 65/146
"Ugh Blergh!!!"
I have to wait a while until my stomach calms down before I try the next type of mushroom.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- You've been poisoned! You've taken 5 points of damage! HP: 60/146
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, the Poison Resistance skill has advanced to level 2!
√ Poison Resistance
√ Level 2
- End +2
- You take 10% less poison damage.
Well, that one wasn't too bad. Now for the last one. I taste the last type of mushroom and discover that not only is it not poisonous, but it's actually delicious. So I take the two non-poisonous types and memorize what they look like before I eat them. Then I meditate for the next two hours until my stomach growls stop me again.
HP: 80/147
I carefully return to the mushroom room to collect more. I remember hearing that, if you only pick half of something, it will grow back faster. I only pick half of the edible mushrooms.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, the Herb Gathering skill has advanced to level 2!
√ Herb Gathering
√ Level 2
- Intelligence +2.
- You can collect common herbs and plants.
As I'm trying to figure out how to carry the pile of mushrooms, I hear footsteps in the hallway. I quickly run to the wall next to the opening and get ready.
'Activate stealth!'
MP: 30/50
I wait patiently as the footsteps grow louder. From the sound, there seems to be only one person, so I draw my dagger and prepare to attack. As soon as I see the goblin enter the room....
'Sneak attack!'
MP: 25/50
I activate the skill and stab the goblin in the throat, killing it instantly.
Killing the goblin.
- Objective: Kill goblins 2/20
Although I kill the goblin silently, its fall makes quite a bit of noise due to the pot helmet it's wearing and the bucket it was carrying. I freeze, waiting to see if anyone else comes to investigate the noise. A few minutes pass before I relax. I pick up the bucket and fill it with all the mushrooms I collected.
I return to the goblin and remove his helmet, a sheathed dagger and another rope belt. Then, carrying everything in one arm, I reach down with the other and grab the goblin's ankle. I drag him back into the pit room and toss his corpse next to that of the first goblin. I take one last look around before returning to my room with my prizes.
The helmet is of poor quality and too small for me, but I think I can use it as a pot for the time being. The dagger, when I pull it out of the sheath, is rusty and dull, as I expected, but I can fix it. So I set about polishing off the rust and using the brick to sharpen it.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, the Repair skill has advanced to level 2!
√ Repair
√ Level 2.
- Strength +2, Intelligence +2.
- You can repair some common items.
Now that some time has passed, I decide to go find some more rats to eat.
MP: 5/50
When I return to the well room, I find six rats devouring the goblin I left there, so I grab a dagger in each hand and sneak up on them. I then sneak attack one rat with my right hand while, at the same time, throwing the dagger in my left hand at a second rat.
MP: 0/50
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, you have acquired the active skill Dagger Throw!
√ Dagger Throwing
√ Level 1
- MP cost 5
- You can throw a dagger with speed and accuracy. Hit +1, Damage +2
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, the Sneak Attack skill has advanced to level 2!
√ Sneak Attack
√ Level 2
- MP cost 5
- Attacking from stealth deals 10% more damage.
Ugh, why do I suddenly feel dizzy, is it because my MP reached zero? I pick up the two rat corpses and stagger slowly back to my room, where I immediately sit and meditate for an hour.
HP: 90/147
MP: 10/50
I feel much better. Okay, so MP going to zero is bad, got it! I want to try making soup instead of just eating the meat, but I can't figure out how to keep the helmet over the fire with what I have.
Then I remember the bones in the well room and, although it's a bit morbid, I think I can use them and learn the scrimshaw technique while I'm at it. I'm really glad I've been obsessed with fantasy movies, anime and manga, otherwise I'd have no idea how any of this works!
I return to the well room and, after checking that the coast is clear, proceed to gather some leg bones and a skull before returning to my room. First I use the three leg bones to make a simple tripod to hold the helmet.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.
- Congratulations, you have acquired the craft skill Ivory carving!
√ Ivory carving
√ Level 1
- Agility +1.
- You can carve normal bones and turn them into basic items.
I then fill the helmet halfway with water and place it on the tripod, lighting a small fire underneath. I cut about half of the mushrooms and add them to the water. While waiting for it to boil, I carefully skin the two rats and scrape and stretch the skins.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, the Skinning skill has progressed to level 3!
√ Skinning
√ Level 3
- Agility +3
- You can skin normal animals from small to large.
I then proceed to remove the meat from the rats and brown it before adding it to the pot. While the pot is boiling, I carefully carve myself a bone spoon. Unfortunately, by the time the soup is ready, I've used up what I had left of the wood.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, the Cooking skill has advanced to level 2!
√ Cooking
√ Level 2
- Intelligence +2
- You can cook basic foods.
I eat about a quarter of the soup before I get my fill. Then I go out to the collapse and dig a hole behind the wall, taking all the debris left behind by the rats and burying it. I have to keep things clean, I don't want to smell rotten or catch a disease. I go back to the room and sit and meditate for the next eight hours instead of sleeping.
HP: 147/147
MP: 50/50
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩
- Congratulations, the Meditation skill has advanced to level 4!
√ Meditation
√ Level 4
- Physical +4
- A skill for recovery. HP 10/hour, MP 15/hour