The hunters and the hunted
"Oooh..."
"What he make now?"
"Maybe he make me for me..."
"What?! Me ask too!"
"Hush up already." A small circle of several kobold sat around my workspace as I built. While some of the tribe had become curious about my bow, they mostly left me alone. However, after making the boar armor, they had all become fascinated with my work, sitting around and watching me craft. Asking me what I was making next, and if I could make something for them. They all quieted down at my words, either not wanting to disturb me or hoping to get into my good graces, maybe both.
When I first started crafting, my fingers felt unusual and rather foreign to me. However, after reaching 12 Dexterity, they began to move more naturally. Crafting Lv. 4 probably helped as well. I set out to make more arrows, but a bit different this time. Making the usual shaft, I opted to make the arrowheads separately this time. Pouring more sky sap on a sun-heated rock, waited until it barely started to solidify before molding it with my fingers. Shaping the sap to a point, I made two small sharp curves extending outward near the middle of the arrowhead, adding two more slightly larger ones at the end. With four small hooks, it took on a rather twisted appearance, very clearly meant to torment and cause as much damage to a wound as possible. Lastly, I applied a thin coat of sky sap to the wooden shaft of the arrow to increase its durability.
"Phew." I lay back on the ground of my scrap tent. "I'm gonna need to find a faster way to make these." After molding five more arrowheads with sky sap, and covering the arrows with them, my fingers were sticky and stiff with the stuff. Some of it hardened. "Cleaner way too..."
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Savage Kobold Arrow: Attack: 4
Durability 1/1 Quality: Good
+ May cause bleeding damage
- Arrowhead breaks upon single-use.
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The attack power increased due to the quality and sharpness of the arrows. The downside was the arrowheads were too thin. This not only meant that it'd break easily, but hard targets like the bones and armor weren't feasible. That being said, the bleed effect was really good.
"With these bleed arrows, I think I'm finally ready..." Wiping the sweat off of my face, I stood up, and stretched. Hearing a few pops coming out of my back from having sat down so long. "Huh, deja vu. Seems like whether it's this life or my old one, I'm constantly having to work hard."
Slinging the bow over my back I began towards the gates of the settlement. Several other kobold following me there.
"You bring food again yes?"
"Glad Marek hunt while Rakuta rest."
"Kill many beasts, tribe prosper.
Ignoring the many voices around me at the gates, I turned around before leaving. Through the large hut, I could see the chief quietly watching me as I left.
"He's still wary of me..." Since I first came to the kobold settlement, Amon has been watching me. He initially ignored me when I came back, but these past few days as I started to kill more, he started to pay attention. And I think I know the reason why.
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Name: Marek Antos
Lv. 8
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It's my level. I'm confident no one but me can see the statuses, but Amon probably has a gut feeling my strength is going to match his soon enough. I wonder if he thinks I'm going to try and overthrow him? He and I will have to talk later.
Turning back to the gates, I left the settlement with a few kobold behind me wishing me a good hunt. Aside from hunting these past few days, I had been thinking about how to kill the more powerful beasts in these woods. My level limit, is only 20 and I can't rely on my strength alone to kill these things. The answer?
Traps. Granted I could only make relatively simple ones, but the monsters here aren't exactly overflowing with intelligence, so it should be fine.
It has taken time, but I had taken mud from the river and continuously laid it out on the ground to make a short path, about three feet wide and ten feet long. Making sure the path was extra slippery and at the end of it, a nasty surprise.
Climbing the tree by the stream once more, I waited. Luck seemed to be smiling on me today as I only had to wait 10 minutes before I heard a rustling in the bushes.
Stonehoof Stag: Lv. 15
HP: 62/62
A large buck walked out of the clearing. Leisurely turning it's head to survey the area, and make sure it was safe. Jeez, this one is ever bigger than the last one. Large tan horns sprouted from it's head curving into several jagged points.
As it bent down to drink, I began to tense up. This was it! Grabbing one of my barbed arrows, I got into position to fire. However, my body refused to work properly. My breath was ragged, I could feel my heart going into overdrive, causing my hands to tremble. I had witnessed first hand just how fierce one of these things were.
Once I started this fight, either that monster would die, or I would. There would be no second chances, no escape, no mercy.
With a burst of willpower, I opened my jaws, clamping down on my arm hard enough to draw blood. My HP decreased by a noticeable amount, but the pain helped to bring me some much needed focus.
'I can do this!'
Steeling myself, I drew back the bow, aiming at the back of the creature's neck before firing. As the arrow flew toward the target, I didn't bother waiting to see what would happen. Already having another arrow aimed towards the body this time and firing. The instant I fired my second arrow, the first one pierced the back of the Stag's neck causing it to cry out in confusion. As it quickly stood up, the second barbed arrow pierced it's side causing it more pain.
*URRRAAAAAAAAH*
The monster let out a deep low bray that almost sounded like a roar.
Stonehoof Stag: Lv. 15
HP: 46/62
I dropped down from the tree, hitting the ground, and immediately took off sprinting. The beast quickly locked it's attention on me, hearing the thud, and immediately shot forward.
FAST!
This creature was unbelievably quick! I had already gotten a head start, but the beast was already halfway to reaching me!
Not wasting any time, I quickly led the monster to my target, making sure to avoid the muddy path I had set up.
The creature bellowed once, more mere moments away from seizing the object of it's hatred. However the second the stag stepping onto the slick muddy path, it's body wobbled, slipping forward with impressive momentum, unable to stop. At the end of the path was a tree. On it's trunk was glued several sharp wooden stakes reinforced with sky sap.
A loud crunching sound followed as the Stonehoof Stag slammed into the spiked tree trap, the stakes stabbing into it's body before hitting the ground.
*URRRAAAAAAAAH*
*URRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH*
The stag bellowed pitifully, desperately jerking it's legs and trying to stand up to no avail. Blood poured out of it's injuries as it thrashed around trying to get to it's feet.
Stonehoof Stag: Lv. 15
HP: 7/62
"Ugh...why do I have to feel so bad for this murder beast." This creature had nearly caved my head in. I have no doubt, that taking a single one of this things attacks would have killed me. Yet now that it lay at my mercy I started to feel bad as if this was some sweet little Bambi.
Catching my breath, I pulled out my bow, knocking an arrow to try and put it out of it's misery. "I'm sorry." The arrow caught the creature in the throat, it's head falling to the ground as it's bray became a whisper.
Stonehoof Stag: Lv. 15
HP: 2/62
"I'm so sorry..." One final arrow pierced its throat, and the Stonehoof Stag's HP bottomed out.
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You have acquired additional Survivor's Experience
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up! x8
Trap Mastery has been acquired
Trap Mastery has become Lv. 3
Archery has become Lv. 5
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Countless alerts rang out in my mind, almost giving me a headache. My level immediately jumped up by a whopping 10 whole levels becoming 18! Wait, that much?! And what the heck is 'Survivor's Experience'?
"Survivor's Experience."
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Survivor's Experience
Additional experience gained from defeating a creature or being far more powerful
than yourself. The experience gained increases by 50%.
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"So that's why I leveled up so much!" The sorrow I felt from earlier was immediately washed away, replaced by a feeling of ecstasy. "Ha...ha ha ha! YES!" I jumped and pumped my fist triumphantly. "Who's a survivor?! In your face Bambi!"
As giddy as I was, it wasn't long before I remembered I was in a dangerous forest. "Okay, first thing's first." I grabbed the stag by the antlers and began to drag it into the bushes to hide. It was annoying, but I managed to sneak it in some foliage a good deal away from the stream and throw dirt on the pools of blood to hide them.
"Status."
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STATUS
Name: Marek Antos
Species: Kobold
Level: 18/20 Progress to level 19: 22%
HP: 18/23 Strength: 19
Agility: 20 Resistance: 19
Endurance: 18 Dexterity: 17
Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 9
Available points: 10
Element: N/A
Skills: Provoke Lv. 3, Archery Lv. 5, Crafting Lv. 5, Trap Mastery Lv. 3
Abilities: God tongue, Hard scales Lv. 2
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My stats had practically DOUBLED after killing the stag! And on top of that, now I have 10 whole status points! Even though I haven't invested any points into strength, it should be roughly as much as a level 9 kobold if they put everything into strength. At this rate, I really might be the most powerful kobold in the settlement!
"Speaking of the kobold settlement, I should go tell them about the stag I killed." Begining to push myself to my feet, I was struck by an odd question. "Do I really have to tell them?"