In a reversal of roles, it was now Aldrich that charged the Striker, sprinting at the monster before it could build up speed for its own charge. He determined that the only way for the Striker to escape its situation was to charge Aldrich and force him to dodge, thereby giving it a clean getaway path.
By charging first, Aldrich removed that option, though this was far riskier for his own personal safety. Regardless, he wanted the EXP and undead from the Striker. The Striker snapped at Aldrich when he got close, managing to close its jaws around his shoulder. Because Aldrich had not leveled his vitality, the durability of his body was still similar, and the Striker, even as a E-class monster, had bite force capable of tearing apart metal. Aldrich felt his shoulder bones shattering and his flesh tearing like paper, but he held the Striker off with his arms while Adam and Elaine pounced on its back, tearing the Variant away and throwing it to the ground. “Do me a favor and kill this thing,” said Aldrich as he held his mangled shoulder. Adam and Elaine began to bite and claw at the Striker, wrestling it into the ground where it had no escape. The Striker turned and managed to bite Adam’s head, cracking his skull, and Aldrich reacted by throwing out a precisely aimed, powerful kick at the base of the Striker’s neck, breaking the bone supporting it. The Striker fell down, limp and dead. >> [Striker defeated! +10 EXP] [EXP Bar: 0/30 > 10/30] >> “Sorry, Adam,” said Aldrich as he saw the huge tooth marks dug into his former friend’s skull. “But you’ll be patched up soon with my [Anti-Life Shell]. Plus, like you said, it’s not like you’re missing out with that face of yours.” Aldrich did not know why he talked to his friends as if they were still alive. He felt a twinge of hurt when he saw them as zombies. He thought he was immune to loss, and though he definitely was cold to it, there was still a part of him that grieved and tried to hold on to the memories of the two that had been his only friends in this unfair world. Or maybe Aldrich was just going crazy. Perhaps a side effect of being Undead. Speaking of – Aldrich inspected his damaged shoulder and moved it around. There was no pain, and despite the fact that tendons and bone and muscle had been torn to shreds, he could still move it with no issues. He truly was an Undead now, and this, he was not familiar with. In Elden World, player characters could choose from a wide variety of races, but being an Undead was not one of them. He had no idea how his character would progress or whether he could evolve from being a basic Undead to something like a Lich. Aldrich’s thoughts were broken by Adam and Elaine tearing chunks from the dead Strikers and eating the raw, bloody meat. “I know you guys are hungry, but I need a mostly intact corpse to raise,” said Aldrich. Adam and Elaine stopped chewing and stood up with grunts, swaying as they awaited further commands. Aldrich’s current mana was at 2/15, and [Raise Undead Rank 1] cost 4 mana, so he needed at the very least 8 mana to cast two of it. He needed to rest and recharge. In Elden World, mana regeneration mechanics were such that there was no in combat mana regeneration. Mages therefore had to rest out of combat to slowly regain their mana, though this would take quite some time. A full recharge on mana took several hours at the minimum. As a result, mages generally had to rely on using consumables to recharge their mana, specifically using an item called the [Restorative Flask]. Every single player started out with a [Restorative Flask] and it was the only basic item that stuck with the player all the way from level 1 to 100. The item had a set number of charges which could be set for either healing health or restoring mana. Melee characters used skills that had a charge based system and not spells that consumed mana, so they could set all the charges on their flask for healing. Mages, however, had to generally set aside around half of their charges for mana. This was the tradeoff for being a mage who was generally safer with ranged abilities. The only issue was that right now, Aldrich did not have the [Restorative Flask] on him. Normally, it was given to the player at the beginning of the game when they entered a space known as the Nexus which was a central hub that housed the fast travel system where players could teleport to various saved locations. As if to answer Aldrich’s worries, however, a message popped up in his vision. >> New Quest: Access the Nexus Quest Difficulty: 1 Description: Access the Nexus using the [Sign Stone] item. Rewards: +10 EXP +100 Coins >> Coins, huh. In Elden World, coins were the main currency of the game. Even though there were no blacksmiths or artificers in the real world, the Nexus did have a shop system that Aldrich could use coins for. The only issue was that it seemed that real life Variants did not drop coins, meaning the only way he could farm them was through completing quests. Aldrich switched over to his tab where he saw the [Sign Stone] deposited. He selected it and manifested it. A small, crystalline black rock appeared in his hand, humming with a warmth that made it feel almost alive. Aldrich knew what to do. [Sign Stones] could be used to imbue an area with a Gate Sign that players could access to reach the safety of the Nexus to refill their [Restorative Flask] and run from dangers. [Sign Stones] were incredibly rare items granted by completing difficult Trial Quests accessible through the Nexus, but Aldrich could not be picky with how he used this one. He needed to get to the Nexus soon and all things considered, using the [Sign Stone] in this forest that nobody ever investigated was not that bad of an idea. Aldrich knelt down and placed the stone onto the forest floor. It flashed with a white glow for a second before dissolving into the dirt, etching out a spiral shaped sigil. It continued to glow brightly, but when Aldrich moved away, the glow faded, and the sigil turned invisible, ensuring that it would be completely secret. Aldrich wondered if anyone else could access the sign. In Elden World, only players who were chosen to save the world could access signs and the Nexus, so he figured that other than himself, nobody else could trigger it. Which meant that Aldrich now had his own personal pocket dimension that he could hop into where nobody else could chase him or threaten him. Aldrich tapped the sign and a selection message appeared in front of him. [Access the Nexus?] Aldrich immediately projected his consent, and the sign flashed with a blinding burst of light, enveloping him before drenching his vision in pure darkness. The darkness quickly faded, revealing the familiar environment of the Nexus. The Nexus was a circular, temple-like room fashioned out of muted grey stone. It was sizable, easily the size of a two-story home and just as tall. At the center of the Nexus, there was a large basin of water swirling in a gentle spiral current standing atop a pillar engraved with carvings of armored fighters wielding blades and robed mages holding staffs. One half of the water glowed a bright gold, indicating liquid that restored health, and the other half glowed blue, indicating liquid that restored mana. Twelve large pillars dotted the walls of the Nexus, supporting a domed ceiling dotted with large, glowing white and gold crystals that emitted light that approximated sunlight. Each of these pillars housed double stone doors at their bases, and through these pillars, a player could access Trial Quests of various difficulty. Trial Quests were tailored for the individual player’s class and clearing them were pre-requisites to maximizing and unlocking the abilities of one’s class. Aldrich heard groans behind him, and he realized that Adam and Elaine had followed him here. Made sense, considering that they were counted as his units. “So, how’s the Nexus in real life, Adam? Though you’ve probably seen it too many times for it to be a surprise anymore,’ said Aldrich. Anytime a player died, they revived at the Nexus, though Aldrich had no idea if he could actually respawn. Until Aldrich got confirmation he could, he would assume that he only had one life to spare. Adam and Elaine both just stared blankly ahead, their minds long gone. Aldrich sighed before he walked over to the basin. It was elevated on a platform, so he had to climb some stairs to get to it. As he approached, he knew what would happen: light from above would descent on the basin and the player and the goddess Amara, the creator of the Nexus, would materialize and float down, granting the player their [Restorative Flask] and telling them of their purpose to save Eldenia, the setting of Elden World, from the great threat known as the Howling Dark. But what happened was entirely out of Aldrich’s expectations. No goddess appeared. Instead, when he reached the basin, strange, pixelated boxes started to cluster in front of him. He immediately stepped back, wary. The boxes looked like graphical distortions, like glitches in the game, and when they faded away, it was not a beautiful, golden haired and golden eyed goddess that stared back at him, but a pixelated black stick figure. “Welcome Host,” said the stick figure in a gender neutral voice underlined with a hint of static.
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Combat Evaluation Hunting
“Who are you?” said Aldrich as he narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the pixelated black stick figure. It was a little eerie staring into the plain circle that was its face, as it was impossible to discern any emotion from the being.“I am known as the System,” said the stick figure.“Where is the goddess Amara?” said Aldrich.The stick figure ignored Aldrich as if it were an NPC that could only answer certain pre-programmed prompts and questions.“Here in the Nexus, you will find a safe haven where great warriors like yourselves may find rest. The Nexus is connected to all parts of Eldenia where its Sign has been carved, and so through the Nexus, you may help all parts of the realm,” said the stick figure.Aldrich realized that the stick figure, or rather, the System as it called itself, was speaking the exact same dialogue prompt as the goddess Amara would have. In essence, it was the goddess Amara, just…different.Aldrich wondered whether it was some kind of placeholder for Amara
Combat Evaluation A Crucial Hint
Aldrich then distributed his stat points. He reviewed to himself how exactly the stats worked.Strength was a measure of physical power.Agility was a measure of physical speed and coordination.Vitality measured the total health pool and the durability bonuses a character got from wearing armor. Every point in vitality raised total health by 3.Magic raised the mana pool and was the scaling stat for most spells. Every point in magic raised total the total mana pool by 3.Attunement was a stat that indicated how many skills, spells, or units a player could have at any given moment of time. Every five points in attunement allowed a player to attune an additional spell, skill, or unit.High levels of attunement were also required to even begin to access summoning stronger units.For fighter type classes, attunement increased the refresh rate of the skill charges they could use per day, but this was not really relevant for Aldrich who used spells that costed mana.Perception increased ac
Combat Evaluation Catching a Ghost
Aldrich entered the Nexus with his small undead entourage behind him. Gold and blue sparkles of energy danced around him, completely restoring his health and mana to full.[HP: 33/33][Mana: 66/66]What he first did was go to the Wellspring – the platform and basin of ornately carved white marble where the waters of life spiraled – and refilled his restorative flask. When he saw that the clear, crystalline flask was filled with gleaming gold and blue liquid, he capped it with a diadem shaped golden stopper.>>Restorative Flask charges: 0/3 > 3/3>>After this, Aldrich spotted the stick figure entity standing behind a large work table of ashen stone where various smithing tools such as a hammer, anvil, and the orange light of a lit forge surrounded it. It had an ornately carved bronze hammer in its hand and it whacked away repeatedly at nothing, mimicking the idle motion of Sindri the smithing god.Aldrich leaped several meters down and landed right in front of the stick figure.“Oh,
Combat Evaluation [BONUS] Catching a Ghost II
Adam and Elaine grunted at Aldrich because that was all their zombified vocal chords were capable of.Light enveloped the group, blinding away the Nexus and teleporting Aldrich back to the forest. He checked his wristwatch.10:10 P.M.Barely any time had passed.Good. Aldrich needed some time to get ready.He materialized the [Staff of Stilling Pollen] in his hands. It looked like a two-meter-long bamboo shoot that split off into three branches at the crown. A yellow, seed-like bulb the size of a baseball drooped from each branch, and the surface of each seed was scattered with tiny hairs and bright yellow pollen.Each of these bulbs had a cast of [Pollen Cloud] embedded within them, making them noxious gas grenades that could be remotely detonated.A near perfect tool for what Aldrich wanted to do –==“Stop me here,” said Ghost from the comfortably cushioned backseat of a commercial hovercar. He was the only passenger in a car that had enough seating space to fit in six, and he abus
Combat Evaluation Vengeance
Aldrich felt a strange feeling looking down at Ghost like this. The whole concept of looking down: this was entirely new to him.But he could not deny that it felt right. No, it was right.It was just.Yes, this was justice.Justice with consequences that this world lacked. Justice backed by actions, not idealism. Justice that Aldrich would make real.Justice he would rain down on all those deserving with vengeance.This was the first drop of that rain. That storm of vengeance and righteous purpose that Aldrich could now make real with his powers.As he looked down at Ghost, a screen flashed in front of him.A quest.[New quest: VENGEANCE obtained]The tab of his interface flashed with an indicator, and he mentally tabbed over to it. He raised a brow slightly, noting that the way the quest looked was…different. The words detailing it were colored in bright, bloody red, and their font looked like disheveled scratches. Distinctively sinister in appearance.VENGEANCE [ACTIVE]Difficul
Combat Evaluation Chosen Undead
Aldrich closed his eyes and sighed as he looked up to the pale moon above. Glowing waves of green energy flowed around him as he leveled up, wrapping him in an aura of power born from Ghost’s suffering.He heard the sounds of ravenous chewing, flesh tearing, and bones crunching as Adam and Elaine finally had their fill of Ghost. Their fill of vengeance. He let them eat up Ghost’s corpse to nothingness as a well deserved reward for their suffering, and also because Ghost had dropped a Soul.Aldrich would use the Soul and craft something out of it. If it retained Ghost’s powers, then an item, perhaps a cloak that could activate Phase, was going to be far, far more useful than a dumb zombie that could not reliably use the reflex and thinking intensive Phase power.In the meanwhile, Aldrich stabilized his newfound power by distributing his stat points. He started to invest more heavily into Attunement now as he had obtained the [Tome of Dark Arts Rank 2].The [Tome of the Dark Arts] were
Combat Evaluation valera
After what felt like an eternity, Valera finally put Aldrich down. She took off her bucket-like black great helm, finally exposing her face, and knelt into the grass before Aldrich. Her face was deathly pale just like Aldrich’s, showcasing that she was an Undead just like him.More specifically, a hybrid between Dullahan and Vampire. Her features reflected this. Her sharp, ferocious eyes possessed black sclera and the pupils centered within them were a bloody, glowing crimson red.Her hair was dark black and styled in a rough, messy bob cut that went down ever so slightly to her neck. Her bangs concentrated on one side of her face, forming a sort of veil of hair that obscured her left eye.Her lips were notably black, as would her claws be if Aldrich remembered her correctly.“You look as good as ever,” said Aldrich. In proper fantasy game manner, Valera was modeled to be stunningly beautiful, and real life did even more justice to her looks than what rendered graphics, no matter how
Combat Evaluation [BONUS] Getting Ready
"We have to leave this place soon,” said Aldrich. He gave a lingering look at the Sign he had inscribed. He could not stay here even if it meant abandoning the Sign and the safety of the Nexus.There would be investigations about Ghost’s death soon enough, and this part of the Variant forest was shallow enough that search parties would roam here.For the next several days at least, Aldrich needed to vacate this place.That meant no easy access to the Nexus.No quick refills on his [Restoration Flask] and access to crafting.Not until he got another Sign which he would get upon completing the first Trial Quest.“You three,” Aldrich clapped his hands and commanded the Strikers. “Scatter some of Ghost’s remains here and there. Litter this place with your tracks and claw marks.”Like this, Aldrich could ensure that anybody that found this place and Ghost’s remains would just think he had died to Variants. There would be no additional line of investigation past that.Beyond that, Aldrich h