Chapter 8: Ambush

Starting the next day with my usual routine of washing up and enjoying a simple yet delicious breakfast, I prepared myself for another day in the world of Clash of Blades.

After logging in, I found myself still inside the Inn I went to 2 days ago, sitting on my bed.

I checked my status screen for a moment and decided I should fetch some quests as I needed money, and relying solely on monster drops for 1 BC each wasn't the greatest option to earn it.

Leaving the Inn, I opened my map and saw three blue question marks in different areas of the village.

The system informed me that those were quest indicators, but hidden quests wouldn't be visible on a map either.

Following that, I made my way towards the first location inside the Tavern I had previously been to.

Inside, I quickly spotted a male elf wearing some sort of archer clothing sitting at the bar. He seemed to be the NPC who had a quest to offer.

I approached him and took a seat next to him, then spoke, "Excuse me, Sir? You look like someone who could use a helping hand, am I right?"

He turned his head towards me, revealing a big scar across the left side of his face, with one of his eyes closed, probably heavily injured.

After sizing me up, he said, "You are right. I came here to find someone to help me with a personal matter. My name is Aluin, and I am an elf from a village far away from here. You see, I was wandering deep inside the big forest to the north of the Vendall Plains when I was suddenly attacked by a group of Orcs. They gave me this unsightly scar but, most importantly, they stole my bow. That bow is a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. I am looking for a brave adventurer to retrieve it for me and take care of these orcs. I promise you a reward proportionate to the danger of this request if you succeed in retrieving it for me."

I thought about it for a few moments: Orcs are likely opponents I ain't supposed to face at my current level, So the chance to die is pretty high. On the other hand, there doesn't seem to be any time limit for this quest, meaning I can complete it whenever I please.

"Okay Aluin, I will gladly accept your request! Don't worry, I will bring your precious bow back to you as soon as possible."

*Quest Obtained: Retrieve Alduins Bow*

"Thank you, young man. I hope I will hear good news from you soon!" He then puts his attention back to the drink in front of him, which signals to me that the conversation is over.

After the conversation, I left the tavern and continued my questing.

Walking to the opposite side of the village, I noticed a young boy sitting on a bench, seemingly crying.

I approached him to ask what was wrong.

After a short talk, I realized he was the NPC I was looking for.

His request was a lot simpler than Aluin's.

A strong gust of wind had blown his hat, which was a gift from his mother, onto a neighbouring house's roof, and he asked me to retrieve it for him.

With a smile, I assured him that I'd help and made my way to the house in question.

Using my Haste skill, I used the walls in a small alley between two houses to jump up to the roof.

Carefully walking across, I managed to retrieve the hat caught on the chimney.

The boy was fascinated by my quick and agile movements, and he burst into tears of happiness when I gave him back his cherished hat.

His mother heard the commotion and came out, learning how I had helped her son.

She was grateful and asked me to wait for a moment as she went inside.

Shortly after, she returned with a black leather coat, saying it was a token of her gratitude and that my current clothes weren't providing enough protection for an adventurer.

I gladly accepted the gift and bid farewell to the lovely family.

In my inventory, I checked out the coat I just got:

Black Leather Coat (Grade E): Def +3, Endurance +1

Compared to my Beginner Armor, it provided triple the defence and an extra stat point, which was amazing to have early in the game.

Happy with my reward, I ventured to the only part of the village I hadn't explored yet, seeking my third and final quest for the time being.

This time, it was a quick and simple task to deliver some items for an old man to his daughter who worked at the tavern.

I finished it quickly and obtained 30 BC as a reward.

Having completed everything possible in Vendall, I decided to head back to the Plains area for my final quest.

On the way, I took care of several goblins and red slimes, earning 26 BC and 212 exp, reaching Level 6 (27/290 Exp) as a result.

I put my stat point into intelligence and eventually reached the big forest Aluin had mentioned at the end of the Plains.

Feeling a bit tired, I rested for a moment in an open area of the forest.

Then suddenly, a weird feeling washed over me, as if warning me of incoming danger.

Unfortunately, I realized it too late, because my body felt exhausted.

The next thing I saw was a sharp blade coming out of my chest. (-35 HP)

*coughing blood*

"Oh my oh my! This guy didn't die in a single strike I guess he's a tank or something."

"As if that would change the unavoidable outcome, he inhaled the poisonous mist already, it's surprising that he didn't lose consciousness yet haha!"

Turning around, holding my pierced chest, I saw a group of at least 4 or 5 players with far better equipment approaching me.

One of them held a longsword with blood on its edge, likely the person who had struck me.

The others appeared to be a Paladin, a Mage, an Archer, and the last one likely a Fighter as he didn't hold any weapon.

With only 7 HP left, I knew I was in grave danger and used Haste to try to escape.

However, due to the poison I had been exposed to, my body felt numb, and I could only manage to walk instead of running.

"Look at the prey trying to escape from the pack of wolves! Sorry, but your efforts are in vain, a newbie like you is not going to escape that easily. Lyn, would you be so kind to finish this for me?"

"It's my pleasure, Team Leader!", a devilish grin went over her face as she aimed at her prey and shot an arrow towards me that went straight through my heart (-7 HP).

*thud* My body fell to the ground, and I felt myself losing consciousness.

A Notification appeared *User has died, Respawn cooldown 30 minutes, lost 25% of exp (5)*

*Forcefully logging out the player...*

Devilish Shadow

Titles:

Happy Helper

Hard Worker, Overcomer of Hardships

Goblin Slayer

Lv. 6

Hp 0/42

Stat Overview:

Strength: 11 Atk=32

Vitality: 7 Hp=42

Endurance: 7+1 Def=28

Agility: 13+2 Spd=30

Intelligence: 6 Mana=24

Stamina: 32

Stat points: 0

Skills:

Active:

Haste(E)

Immo Strike(E+)

Passive:

Dagger Mastery (E+)

Sixth Sense (E-)

Dual Wielding (F)

Exp: 22/290

Equipment:

2x Rusty Iron Dagger (Atk+10, Agi+2)

Black Leather Coat (Def+3, End+1)

Adventurers Cap(Def+1)

Accessories:

—

BC: 112