First Perk

In front of Raven, two screens appeared.

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Quest Completed!

Quest: Kill the local Goblin King

Expected difficulty: Moderate

Reward: Perk [Strengthen Poison]

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Notice

Perk [Strengthen Poison] has been upgraded to [Poison Aura] due to the game launch event.

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Raven and Rainheart turned towards each other.

Rainheart cocked his head. "Huh. Did we really... kill him that easily?"

Raven shrugged. "Guess so. I mean, we flooded his base with poisonous smoke. We really shouldn't be surprised.

Rainheart looked back towards the cave. "Honestly, I didn't expect our plan to work so well. I thought the goblin king could have at least made it out of the cave, even if he was wounded."

Raven stood up, dusting himself off. "Me too. Actually, I was hoping he would. I wanted a final battle; this is too anticlimactic."

"Damn, you're right! That would've been so cool and heroic, but instead we used chemical warfare..." Rainheart frowned. "Now that I think about it, that was a pretty brutal strategy, and I agreed to it so easily! I am beginning to question my heroic status."

Raven snorted. "What a strange thing to worry about; as if running them through with a spear would've been any less brutal. Well, if it helps, just think of this as pest control. Anyways, more importantly..." Raven concentrated on his new perk, and then a screen appeared in front of him.

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Perk: Poison Aura

Rank: Rare

Your aura takes on a toxic, parasitic nature. It influences your abilities in a variety of ways.

Rankup Quest: Aura Core Formation

Form an Aura core with poisonous qualities.

Rewards: Perk upgrade

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Raven studied the description of his perk thoughtfully.

'It has a bit of a vague description. I am going to guess it can strengthen poison, at least, since that is what it upgraded from. I wonder if I should put my last TP into aura?'

Raven looked at Rainheart, who was concentrating on the space just in front of him. "Do you know what the ranks mean?"

"Huh? Yeah, before launch the devs said a little about that. There are 7: plain, basic, common, rare, supreme, legendary, and mythical. Equipment, spells, and perks follow that ranking. Did you also get a rare perk?"

"Yeah, I got 'Poison Aura'. This may shock you, but apparently it makes my aura poisonous. What did you get?"

"I got 'Burning Soul', it apparently boosts any Supernatural Abilities I develop with fire."

"Supernatural Abilities... those are related to the Disciplines, right?"

Rainheart nodded. "You can learn them if you put 4 or more TP into a Discipline. That's probably why it costs 2 TP to raise a Discipline from 3 to 4. You have to be careful, though, as they are lost when you die."

Raven summoned his status screen.

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Name: Raven

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Talent Points: 1

DISCIPLINES:

Melee: 0

Ranged: 3

Spell: 0

Physique: 3

Aura: 0

Roguery: 3

Utility: 0

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Perks: [Poisonous Aura]

Spells:

Supernatural Abilities:

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Ardor: Tier 0

Aura Core: Tier 0

Body: Tier 0

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Raven stared at his status screen, contemplating. "Rainheart, do you know how to get more TP?"

"You get some when you rank up your Ardor, but that isn't gonna happen anytime soon. I think you can get them as quest rewards. I know you can earn perks when you accomplish something noteworthy, so maybe you can earn TP as well?" Rainheart sighed. "Yeah, I probably should've spent my TP more carefully. I won't be able to get any Supernatural Abilities for a while."

Raven smirked. "And you were bragging about how quickly you built your character..."

Rainheart looked back towards the cave. "Well, the quest said there was loot in there, but I say we come back later. Personally, I don't want to die from breathing in poisonous smoke."

Rainheart turned back towards Raven. "Anyways, let's head back to the village. It has a restpoint, so we can leave the game when we want."

Raven agreed. "Yeah, let's go."

***

As they walked through the dark forest, the trees cast long, dark shadows that seemed to move and writhe, twisting and contorting in the pale moonlight as strong gusts of wind descended upon the forest.

Raven held his bow at the ready, eyes darting from side to side, scanning for any monsters or ambushes. His cloak whipped and snapped in the wind, and the only sounds were the soft crunch of leaves beneath their feet and the occasional hoot of an owl.

Rainheart, however, was less wary. "Yeah, this game is pretty brutal, but it's also super fun! Dude, my body has been pure adrenaline all day long!" Turning towards Raven, Rainheart asked, "So, how about you? How you like the game? Having fun?"

Still scanning his surroundings, Raven thought over the question. "Well... the game has certainly been engaging. It felt good when our plan succeeded, as well. Fun, though?" Raven shrugged. "It's the same as ever, I suppose."

Rainheart frowned, waiting a moment before responding. "I have been pretty selfish, haven't I? Today, I dragged you along to do whatever I wanted. Honestly, I didn't think about your feelings." Rainheart suddenly pointed towards Raven, striking a dramatic pose. "That's why, I have made my Decision! What we do next will be whatever YOU want! I won't rest until you have some goddamn fun!"

Raven smiled, bowing eloquently. "Why thank you, most noblest of heroes. Your grace and valor know no bounds."

Rainheart grinned. "Oh, of course! Honestly, I can't believe I even questioned the integrity of my heroic spirit earlier... how foolish of me, I am obviously the best!"

As they resumed the trek towards the village, Raven's mind drifted off. 'I really did get roped into that goblin quest, huh. I always seem to get dragged along by someone else; someone confident in what they want. Why is it so hard, to discover something I want to do?'

***

Eventually, after a few hours, the duo exited the forest. Locating a road, they followed it towards the village. Not long after, it was dawn. The sun drove away the darkness, illuminating the rolling fields. As the two approached the village, they noticed a crowd gathering.

Rainheart grinned, pumping his fist into the air. "Look, the villagers are waiting for us! Let's go tell them the good news."