Sho’s Been Stolen
Arlo felt numb. Even his constantly leveling as he and Blacky traveled west wasn't helping. He had to get stronger, strong enough to save Sho this time around.
He sat on Blacky's back as they were traveling with his bow out. An assassin with a bow, very deadly. He shot an arrow through an eye of a jaguar looking monster.
[Congrats on reaching level 15]
Name: Arlo
Race: Demon
Class: Assassin
Subclass1: Ranger
Unique skill: Absorb Friendship
[Skill 1: Duplicate]
[Assassin skill: Stealth level 14][Active requires 10 mana to activate]
[Assassin skill: Dagger level 15][Passive grows with level]
Title: ????
Level: 15
EXP 360/1500
Mana: 1100/1500
Energy 15/15
HP: 500/1500
It still was nowhere near enough. Sho had been taken as decent level (D) demon. Arlo was now an average ranked (E) right below him. Power was essential.
"Detour" Arlo said to Blacky seeing another group of eight jaguar beasts a little to their left on the plains. He raised his bow and started drawing back his first arrow.
Briinnnng, Brinnng, Briinnnng,
Two beasts down,
Briiinnng, Brinnnng, Briiiinnng, down go the rest.
[Congratulations on reacting level 16]
Still not enough. He wanted to be at least level 25 before hitting the southern part of the demon kingdom. The monsters there were on a totally different level from these level 10-15 beasts. Even now he could only take these down because of Blacky's speed and his long range attacks.
Arlo killed off another 18 jaguar-ma-things he had stopped using their actual names because he had no idea how to pronounce Jarcetyaiger.
[Congratulations on reacting level 18]
Of course that was when the boss of the plains are showed up. Arlo looked up at it. Two things he had learned, one each area of 5-10 miles was home to a group of beasts, sometimes with exceptions, and two if you killed them off their commander would show up. Third, yep, new third, they were terrifying.
[Elite Jarcetyaiger level 27]
Arlo was oh so very thankful for Blacky's size manipulation and speed. Only problem was when they came across something faster than him. Which unfortunately this commander jaguar fit the bill.
"Maybe we should only attack slow things from now on," Arlo whispered. Blacky nodded his head rapidly as the two watched the jaguar slowly stalking toward them.
"You should probably shoot now" said Blacky.
"You sure it won't just leave us alone?"
"We just destroyed its family of course it's going to eat us alive."
Arlo drew back three arrows steadying his aim with a deep breath.
BRIIINGGGGGGG,
[HP 2700/2700] -> [HP 2000/2700]
The monster howled in rage and leapt up from its crouch. Blacky ran nimbly away but it was gaining on him. Arlo drew back more arrows releasing them.
[HP 1700/2700]
Then the jaguar caught up to them. Its paw lashed out slicing at Blacky's side. The wolf howled in rage as he lost his balance sending Arlo flying off.
[Black Opal HP 1400/1800]
The wolf turned taking on the largest size it could and attempted to lash the side of the jaguar. He missed and got smacked again. The jaguar sunk its teeth into Blacky's tail making him whine.
[Black Opal HP 1000/1800]
Arlo got up from the ground and took aim smacking the jaguar with another few arrows
[Elite Jarcetyaiger 1200/2700]
[Black Opal 800/1800]
"Hey Blacky hide for a bit." Arlo yelled at his wolf scared to see him injured any further. He didn't know if companions had energy stats but he doubted it, and was definitely not going to test it. The wolf obeyed shrinking to a tiny size among the grass and leaving the jaguar to look on in confusion.
The jaguar then turned to Arlo with a bit of blood dripping from its teeth. It let out a hiss and launched toward him. Arlo stuffed its flying body with two more arrows before shifting to his shadow dagger.
"Stealth." He growled disappearing from sight. He slashed the dagger across the side of the beast and it roared lashing out in his general direction. A claw caught his side tearing a gash into his skin.
[Arlo HP 1600/1800 energy 9/15]
[Elite Jarcetyaiger 800/2700]
Unlike a video game these fights were way too real. Why wasn't there a pain setting? Arlo grimaced as he grabbed his side. Injuries took way too long to heal. I guess that made it five things he had learned. Forth being everything hurt, fifth the energy stat was sort of a mix between extra lives and energy. If it ran out you couldn't do a thing except die. It would also decrease with longer battles.
He slipped to the side of the jaguar and stabbed it in the side of the head.
[Elite Jarcetyaiger 400/2700]
The jaguar hissed as it swung a large paw hitting nothing. It glowered and its fur started glowing with a reddish gleam. It looked much meaner. The system chose to be helpful and a notification appeared
[Elite Jarcetyaiger has used the skill Rage Boost, all its attack stats are now doubled]
YARMOAN! It shrieked lashing out again. Arlo's mana ran out and he hissed at his bad luck. The jaguar's eyes immediately latched onto him. The two collided full on. Its paws slamming into Arlo as Arlo sliced at its chest.
[Arlo HP 700/1800 energy 9/15]
[Elite Jarcetyaiger 100/2700]
Arlo tumbled through the tall grass from the impact. He rolled getting back to his feet. The jaguar crouched and then launched itself at him again. This time Arlo stabbed it through and eye and it fell to the ground unmoving.
[Level up 19]
[Level up 20]
Arlo sighed. Progress hurt. But progress was still progress. He winced looking at his side. He needed to find some of that healing cream stuff Sho had used.
"Come on out Blacky!" Arlo called and the wolf reappeared in the side of a small pony. He jogged over to Arlo and licked his face. Arlo giggled and scratched him behind the ears. Then he stepped over his back and Blacky grew into a full horse and started moving again.
Only level 20, and by tonight they should reach Jakala which was a border town between the east and south districts. Five levels between here and there, this could prove difficult. Thankfully the system recovered his HP with his level ups, but energy that was such a tricky stat. Oh well at least it had increased to 15 when he hit level 10. Maybe he'd get more every ten levels.
Arlo eyed the sky. The sun was just about 4pm maybe? It was a little hard to see through what Arlo had started to refer to as the demon haze. Three more hours. He'd probably end up at only level 22 at this rate. The southern district required level 25 because the beasts were stronger.
He pulled his bow back into his hands and stored his close range dagger. It was time to get to work.
"Hold on Sho I'm coming" Arlo whispered to himself as he looked across the plains. Just keep hanging on. Don't go doing something stupid that will get you killed. Arlo clenched his eyes shut for a second. If only he hadn't run away, would that have managed to change anything? Maybe he could have invited Sho to come with him. He did say he was from there didn't he.
Well thinking of past what ifs wouldn't fix the now. He turned toward the next group of monsters. It was a pack of 13 antelope looking deer. He glanced at their tags.
[Derralopa level 11]
"Oooh I've seen these before," said Blacky "They are surprisingly slow because of their huge hooves. But they are extremely deadly if you get hit."
"Okay so long ranged attacks." Replied Arlo steadying his bow. He launched five arrows fast destroying five of them. They shrieked and fell to the ground. The rest of the group bunched together. That was when from the middle of the group a giant one rose up.
Its antlers or horns maybe, were as long as swords. They stuck out like they were made for dicing up people with too much self confidence.
[Elite Derralopa level 25]
"You're sure they are slow even the elite ones?" Arlo asked.
"I can outrun them easy." Blacky replied.
Arlo gaped in surprise as it started lumbering toward them. It really was quite slow, especially compared to the jaguars.
"Just watch that you don't get hit." Said Blacky. "They could kill you with one shot."
Arlo gulped a little at that. He had just noticed its hooves which were like hammers lined with spikes. They were definitely very very very deadly.