What I thought were a couple of hours later I managed to meditate most likely due to the assistance of the skill, that deduction came from the fact that I recently tried and it was definitively not that easy. With my shoulder feeling quite better confirmed by my Vitae bar that was at around 90% I felt good enough to venture outside and so I did with nothing except my swimming trunks a magical cloak and my magical staff, I went through the Cabin door revealed the sounds of wave crashing, and a windy almost chilly sensation envelope my skin, as for my sight it confirmed that this place was indeed quite close to the sea, under grey clouds with a beach in sight at around a couple of kilometers away through an irregular terrain and the cabin itself around a receding forest with a wall of trees to both as far as the eye could see. I took a deep breath smelling the saltiness of the nearby sea and it was then that increasingly familiar letters reappeared.
Quest started: Dawn of the precursor.
The arrival of the system is meant to raise everyone to achieve their full potential, however that can’t be without trials and tribulations, will you become a beacon for people to flock to or will your light be snuffed out before the great arrival.
Objective survive 3 months, time remaining 2 months, 29 days, 23 hours and 59 minutes remaining.
Rewards: Precursor title.
As it was the case previously after finishing reading the letters began to fade out. With the book in the right hand the expected explanation began to appear which to be honest wasn't that useful since it mentioned the expected “You can access your quest by thinking about it” what was useful were the parts that mentioned the system generated missions are only regular during the introductory face, and that even if the mission didn’t mentioned it was my duty to grow stronger in this period and to achieve that, other than the previously stated the most important snippet of information read.
This place is a pseudo-dungeon, while it is similar to a dungeon in the fact that they are contained in and cut off from the rest of real space, and it will spawn monsters it won’t spawn loot or bosses, and this in particular was provided gracefully by the ancients. Long may they reign!
Putting aside that the text didn’t elaborated on the identities of the ancients, the fact that there were monsters was quite alarming? Exciting? I wasn’t quite sure overstimulated as I was by the whole situation but I wasn’t going to stand around doing nothing worse of all I was getting quite hungry and even with my sheltered cabin I still needed water and food to survive and so I decided to try my luck in the open terrain of the beach instead of the closed and honestly a bit creepy woods.
It took me around almost an hour to reach the beach, starting my way journey through the patchy grass that extended from the cabin only receding to sand after climbing back to the lower hill where the beach was located, with no monsters in sight the only complication was based on the terrain going downhill from the cabin was a bit slippery, combined with the uphill part of the trip took a bit over an hour and a half, I was tempted to meditate for a while but decided to look for food first, my first idea was to try fishing but that wasn’t really viable without a fishing road nor the materials to spark a fire, or even the guarantee that fishes existed in this place, feeling pretty dumb I scanned the beach letting a sigh of relief sign a palm with coconuts included, that could serve to solve the issue for the day. It would be better with vodka, but that wasn′t a priority at the moment, that left the issue on how to collect said coconuts, that’s when arcane shot came into mind, the description said it could be casted with or without a catalyst, economizing arcana I choose the first option aiming at the palm tree and focus on the skill, it responded and I felt a tug starting on my heart that manifested at the tip of the staff as a blue glowing orb similar in size to a marble appeared for a moment before shooting out like a bullet making one of the coconut explodes while dislodging 2 others. My grin grew wide with the newly acquired power and I celebrated feeling so self-absorbed that I almost fail to notice the figure rising nearby the palm from the sand. As soon as I did my smile disappeared while the figure continued to grow to the size of a “Vocho” (Volkswagen type I) and the form of a lobster, the ability inspect activated showing me something akin to a label in the top of the monster Shore Aragosta lv.2, as soon as I finished reading and fueled by instinct I prepare another bolt which to be fair blew out a chunk but that didn't deter the creature I shot two more times and it was the fourth that finally managed to take it down the creature collapsing centimeters away from me, ignoring the fact the fact that I almost pissed myself and that almost all of my arcana was spent finishing what I thought was a basic enemy gave me a sober moment. So I sat dawn staring face to face to the first creature I’ve ever killed and sigh after waiting a bit of time to meditate, which I managed due to the aid of the ability, and with my arcana topped off which took around 20 minutes, I stood up and collected the coconuts putting them away in the interdimensional pouch, for a moment I thought of just calling it quits taking my coconuts and whole up in the cabin until I was hungry again, but the letters in a form of a notification that I managed to ignore gave me the push I needed to continue.
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55 Experience acquired Level up
While it didn’t specifically say how much I needed to level up, I opened my status screens and there it was.
Name: Roberto B. (System enhanced Human)
Level: 2
Class: Mage
Vitae: 91/100
Arcana 14/14 (+2 Wood Catalyst)
Stamina 88/100
Strength 7
Dexterity 5
Endurance 7
Intelligence 8
Evocation 10 (Regeneration +20% percent Cloak of minor Arcana regeneration)
Perception 6
+3 free points
Affinities: (None)
Abilities: Inspect (Tier 11 G), Regenerative Meditation (Tier 11 A), Arcane shot (Tier 11 A).
Noticing that leveling up didn’t automatically make me regenerate my vitae or arcana was important, but the free points were more useful, thinking of enhancing my most useful attributes I put 2 into Arcana and 1 into evocation, which caused a tangible sensation around my chest that can be only be described as feeling powerful and intoxicating, and convincing myself that it was the best to do I continue with my hunt of coconuts and lobsters.
After prodding around I noticed that the system called Aragostas emerged only nearby palms which I realized after wasting a couple of minutes and two arcane shots which were in turn promptly recovered, I shot at a second palm that was located around 80 meters from the first one, this time I was farther away and the Aragosta took only 3 shots to take down the reward in the form of experiences was also diminished with more than half now 25, after collecting the coconuts and meditating to recover the missing arcana I fell into a rhythm go to a palm shoot down the coconuts, fight the Aragosta meditate, repeat this lasted for a couple of hours justifying the extermination of lobsters as grinding for levels. When the light began grow dim I decided to call it quits having defeated another 5 of those creatures the last two giving only 15 experience after growing to level 3, and thus my trip back to the cabin began with just the sound of waves as company, I was thinking that “fighting” as a mage felt detached, compared to the close quarters that I was used to in BJJ, memories of my first competition flooded my mind and I was transported back to that expo, the shitty blue and red tatami the only protection against the concrete floor, I was a nervous wreck, my coach was missing, and my only support came in the form of a classmate who also happened to be a white belt, when I heard my name being called I almost threw up but I carried on, closing my eyes for a moment I could still see my opponent a tall lanky guy, the memories of the bout however were quite jumbled I remember managing shooting a double leg takedown, and gaining side control, other than I remember that I won due to points, the feeling after the fight being absolutely spent, fearing my heart might escape my chest, later I went to win a second match with a kimura (Joint lock focused on the elbow and shoulder) and then lost my third match fight due to points earning me a cheap bronze medal. Even today with almost half a decade in experience any friendly roll or match sparked a fire that contrasted to the cold usage of arcane shot, I was almost at the top started the way back up hill to the cabin when a rustle brought me back to the present my eyes shooting up I manage to distinguish three small humanoid figures racing towards me, I managed to prepare and release one arcane shot point blank towards the first of the creatures who exploded bathing me in warm blood, this didn’t stopped its two companions, one of them charge at me causing a sharp pain in my arm we rolled back and I lost my catalyst, with survival in mind my hand lit up blue cutting through the diminishing light and even before we finish rolling the creature exploded with the arcane shot. When I managed to roll to a stop and stood back up my right forearm was burning with pain caused by a short and crude blade still stuck despite the tumultuous fall, ignoring the rule that you shouldn’t unstabbed yourself until you receive medical attention I grasped the blade as the third and last creature keep advancing towards me, this time with a bit more caution that his fallen comrades. Identify finally activated revealing the name Paleling Level 1. The creature was around 1.20 meters tall and looked emaciated with only a loin cloth covering his frame, the body was compact with thin long arms that ended in 3 long fingers and a thumb, taking the time to check up my bars I noticed that 20% of my Vitae was missing, I got a case of tunnel vision and fire two more arcane shots which failed to hit the little shit, I tried a third one but a cold pain rose from my chest only wisps managed to form around my fingers but no arcane shot, this served as an invitation to the creature who resumed a sprint and lunged at me I took my chances catching his wrist rolling ending with the Paleling pinned to the ground his blade fell but I kept mine so I plunged it on the chest of the creature, it’s only response was a silent gasp, then wet coughs, then nothing. I didn’t notice the notifications that announced the 10 experience that each of the creatures gave, when I did, I finally stood up, collected my staff and one of the blades of the creatures and sprinted the rest of the way back to the cabin. Reaching the top I heard rustling from the woods and that served to quicken my pace, the sound fading as soon as I closed the door. The hunger disappeared but since I continued bleeding I lost another 5% percent of Vitae, with survival in mind I sat down and meditated which came hard for the first time, but when I finally managed to I did so until I fell asleep.
