Exploration

----- Day 8 -----

The village of Olysehil is a simple one. A basic wooden palisade surrounds it's perimeter and separates it from the rest of the forest, with the exception being atop a Sharp rocky incline. Into this formation is built a single home, in which the matriarch resides. Starting at that point, a level dirt path extends through the village directly to the other side, where a lone gateway stands. Winding paths break off at varying intervals from the main, on one side, throughout the agricultural district, and on the other, the housing district. I assume the barrier was created far larger than the village itself in order to make room for expansion. Yes, the nymphs are a very simple race, not particularly inclined towards adventure or discovery. Not prone to disease, and with great natural talent for magic, out of harms reach through the barrier, there seems to be very little need for technological advancement.

Like hell. If this is still a game the village is gonna f*cking burn.

"Alaya, where you going?"

"Just off to ask the elder a few questions. Here's hoping she won't bite my head off."

"Ah, elder not like you, elder scary, elder not worthy elder!"

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[Quest obtained: Crush the bigot!]

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Oi system... The heck is this?

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[Crush the bigot!: Your fellow villagers are unhappy with the elder's methods. Remove her from power!

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Rewards:

Title: Kingslayer I - +10% to all stats when facing opponents of higher societal rank

Skill: Minor Terraforming

+5 END

+3 SPD]

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Very well. I was just going to abandon this village, but if I must complete this quest, I will do it to the best of my ability.

"Alcinoe, you know I feel exactly the same way, but let's face it, she was appointed as elder, and that gives her a lot of power over the decisions in the village."

Wandering off before she can reply, I strike up conversations with a few of the older folk, making more of an effort to leave an impact on the few second rank individuals, most importantly of whom were Galateia and Endeis, a naiad and the sole dryad of the village, both of whom supported the elder - Tyriphe, her name is, in the claim to her power. It might not be fair play to act this way with the sole purpose of destroying some of their relations, but as Sun Tzu once said, 'All warfare is based on deception'.

I formulate my plan for quest completion.

Step 1: Seeds of dissent. Make it obvious that his reign isn't entirely stable, but only subtly. Mentioning that he was appointed goes a long way to that end, since he needed support to establish control, and lack thereof will help bring him down.

Step 2: Paint a portrait of victimisation. Already accomplished to some extent through helping around the village, through the elder's innate dislike towards me I can create the impression he is acting unreasonably towards me and evoke sympathy, and by proxy, support. Follow up by goading her into rash action, and capitalise. Repeat.

Step 3: Replacement. Our caretaker, soon to rank up, is loving towards all, and that image is reinforced by the fact the stereotype of her new form as an Alseid. Doing this will leave me with none of the responsibilities of being a leader, and with her personality, I will still have her backing should I need it.

Step 4: Profit.

----- Day 11 -----

Yes, I did in fact call it. Off on my nightly routine killing rabbits (and one more snake), I meet a human. Clad in chainmail, with a decent steel sword and a helmet to match. Upon seeing me, his eyes widen and he immediately lunges forward with a heavy vertical strike, which I barely dodged through swift backpedalling. Thrusting out a half-strength mana pulse at his side he gets blasted a good few feet away before crashing down and losing his sword. Charging at him, I mana pulse directly at his head to knock him out, before driving the blade clean through his neck... I had to knock him out first because it's a little difficult to carry a blade that's as large as you.

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[Level Up! 6-8!]

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[STR: 5 - 6!]

[END: 26 - 29!]

[WIS: 49 - 55!]

[INT: 31 - 32.5!]

[SPD: 20 - 21!]

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[Ability gained: Adaptable - Racial penalties for location negated]

[Ability gained: Weapon Mastery (Swords (Minor))]

[Skill gained: Cleave - A powerful vertical thrust, +150% power]

[Trait gained: Merciless]

[Trait gained: Wise - +5 influence with beings of lower WIS]

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[Free stat points: 10]

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DAMNIT! There goes a good level of planned stat raises. Well, I guess that confirms at least two things. If you level up more than once at a time, the 'effort' stat increases are replicated as well as possible, but the basic point assignment reverts to +1 all. Not happy about that. Stupid strength stat. But on a more important note, I should get back to the village and warn everyone… Yeah… Or I could just run… What to do, what to do… Actually, I will go back after getting my mana back, even though I know this is where the burning village cutscene is going to play out.

*Screams can be heard, roaring flames engulf the village*

Now then, please tell me she's still alive. Nope… Not there… Ew, don't wanna know what went on there… Ah, there she is… Old lady Tyriphe. The village elder. Looks like she's bleeding out. Not that I mind or anything, my job just got a lot easier.

"H-help… m-me…"

…

…

…

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[Level Up! 8-9!]

[STR: 6-7!]

[END: 29-33!]

[WIS: 55]

[INT: 32.5]

[SPD: 21-23!]

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[Ability gained: Regeneration]

[Ability gained: Aura of Growth]

[Skill gained: Healing Hands]

[Skill gained: Nature's Command]

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[Free stat points: 15]

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[Quest completed - Crush the bigot!]

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[END: 33 - 38!]

[SPD - 23 - 26!]

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[Title gained: Kingslayer]

[Skill gained: Minor Terraforming]

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[Hidden requirements: Unfulfilled]

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There were hidden conditions?! Tch. Wonder what I missed out on… Oh well, game set match I guess, onward to the second level… And please dear system don't let this be a nightmare difficulty world type. Ah, bloody adrenalin, just let me think!

One, two, five. As I turn back the way I came I see five soldiers clad in what appears to be toughened leather, with round, concave shields. Standard V formation, now's probably a good time to work out how terraforming works.

I raise my hands straight in front of me, palms facing each other, and the soldiers begin to charge.

Flicking my hands upwards, two walls of stone raise up on either side of the soldiers, and once my hands slam together, the soldiers are nothing but a bloody paste in between. Feeling for my reserves, I find that just those few actions cost me 70% of all my mana, so I flee the village as quickly as possible. Along the way I do encounter one more soldier, but I just block him off with a stonewall and continue.

Notifications ping through my head, but I can't collect my thoughts enough to properly sort through them.

It's only after I've left the village and go to rest in a tree that I realise how stupid I've been…

I forgot to spend my stat points.

----- Day 12 -----

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[Level Up! 9-10!]

[Level Up! 10-11!]

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[STR: 7]

[END: 35-37!]

[WIS: 58-61!]

[INT: 35.5-38.5!]

[SPD: 23]

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[Free Stat Points: 25]

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[END: 50]

[Trait gained: Durable - DMG from all sources -10%]

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[INT: 50]

[Trait gained: Genius - Skill Mastery +20%]

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[Skill mastery discovered, skill progress - shown]

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Why am I here, honestly? For the first few days I just revelled in the fact that I'd been brought to a new world, but the answer to the question 'how' can't simply be 'magic' right? There has to be a logical explanation. Currently, the only answer that I can come up with is that I was kidnapped at night for experimentation with highly advanced virtual reality technology, and considering the fact that the last hour or so has been full of cliches, I can't really think of it as anything other than a game. An incredibly well designed game, granted, but at the end of the day a game is a game, which means I don't have to feel any regret or remorse at killing anything, because they're simply NPCs.

This is the only thing going through my head as I stride purposefully towards the barrier. Along the way, I practice manipulating vines and other such plant life, along with the earth it grows in, to better understand my current most adaptable techniques. Both ground-based, I have no feasible method of striking an airborne opponent. However, I can hide myself underground by manipulating the earth, and give myself breathing holes by threading thin vines through my earthen container, so I should at the very least be able to flee from battles I can't win.

A ripple across the surface… and I exit the barrier.

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[Name: Alaya]

[Level: 11]

[Species: Nymph]

[Focus: Learning]

[Titles: Reincarnator [EX++], Kingslayer I [C - 0%]]

[Abilities: Adaptable [D-], Aura of Growth [B--], Lesser Leg Strength [F+], Regeneration [C-], Weapons Mastery (Swords [E])]

[Skills: Cleave [E - 0%], Evasion [E - 20%], Healing Hands [E - 0%], Mana Pulse [E - 27%], Minor Terraforming [D - 43%], Nature's Command [D - 54%, Swift Strike [E - 0%]

[Traits: Durable [D], Genius [D], Merciless [D], All Return to the Cycle [U], Wise [D]]

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[Stats]

[STR: 7]

[END: 50]

[WIS: 61]

[INT: 50.5]

[SPD: 23]

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[Free stat points: 0]

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Traits are the defining characteristics of a personality or key features which define who they are. When I state that something or someone is merciless, it MEANS that they are merciless.

Question - should I start ranking the skills/abilities and things, having a sort of levelling system for that? It could get confusing otherwise.