Encounter
The wailing graveyard still looks terribly gloomy. Despite the sun's morning glory it did not change the eerie atmosphere of the place.
And currently Zarius couldn't help but once again realized that this is the reality.
'Im actually inside the game' he thought, still making him shudder from the uncertainty and fear he feels towards this situation.
Looking around, even in this desolate forest he could see life, and rich ecosystem that the game didn't display.
He once saw a line of ants crawling back to their hill, a butterfly, frog and even more countless animals, even those which he doesn't recognize are active in this place.
'The game definitely didn't show this' he thought. 'Even though its very much detailed, it's not to this degree' he added.
'Anyway base on my shadow, I should be heading south. And if my geography is not shit I should probably come across a river and I'll just follow it to the east.' he recalled.
He was even tempted to look at the sun multiple times and the only thing stopping him is the instilled fear the sun game him.
'shit, I think I got PTSD from the sun' he shivered as he remember those brief moment he was exposed to sunlight.
Although he got exposed for only around 1 second or so.. the pain he felt felt like an eternity.
While walking he also realized how sharper his senses have become. He could feel the small animals from the trees jumping from branches to branches, or some smaller one crawling around the forest's floor.
He could see farther than he used to aswell because from his previous life his eyes have degraded after a constant abuse from his gaming. But he knows for a fact that he could see better than an average person would.
'Right.. I also have to get used to this sense of mine.. No.. I have to master it' Zarius thought.
'Because ingame, I could see my enemies before they could attack me, and from my understanding of the game, that would be my avatars sense in play.'
'And its the game that automatically converts it... One of the example of this would be the beastmen. Because back then I was wondering why I could see a wider and farther than the other race could...and now that im inside the game I finally know why.' he guessed.
'Now this just makes it more so important that I master my sense.. Because I wouldn't live long if i cant sense enemies that are sneaking behind me.'
And after that realization he began trying to spread out his sense as much as he could. Feeling every animals scattering away, every birds watching him from the trees, and every rustle of the leaves.
And it wasn't even long before he began feeling sick and tired. Though what's strange was the fact that his body don't feel tired at all, its his mind that feels sluggish and slow.
'Is... this mental... fatigue? Damn..' he groaned as his brain kept taking in more and more information.
It was painful yes, but at the same time amazing. This is the first time he felt as secure as he have since arriving here.
But it wasn't even long before he retracted his sense because of how painful his head is getting.
He grumbles as he painfully held his head as he walks shakily. 'I'll find a way out of this shit.. Maybe I can do something about the 'information overload' I'm experiencing.
He didn't give up yet. Instead, he began experimenting about what he could do to lessen the burden.
This first thing he did was to try and lessen the radius as to how far his sense goes. But no matter how he tried he couldn't control it to 'zoom in' or to get smaller, his radius stays the same maybe around 20 meters of radius around him.
No matter what he did he couldn't shrink the distance on it. So he just gave that up. But at this point he was so tired that he was forced to stop his walk.
Walking into one of the nearby tree he then went into its shade before dropping his coat and sitting and leaning back to the tree trunk and sighing.
'what else should I do??' he closed his eyes to relax a bit.
'shutting one of my sense is not a good idea too. I can't even control the distance and I want to shut it off completely? And wearing ear plugs or a blindfold wouldn't do it either.' he sighed and looked up hopelessly.
Thats when he saw something that lit made his entire face lit up. On one of the branches over him, a small bat could be seen hanging and sleeping peacefully.
'THAT'S IT! HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THAT??' He yelled inwardly.
Before quickly putting his idea into practice. Breathing in deeply he quickly went into focus, concentrating and suddenly making his sense spread out before quickly retracting it.
He remained for a while before breaking info a smile. 'it work!!' he clench his fist in excitement.
What he did was making his sense pulse out like a beat and quickly retracting it to not overwhelmed his mind.. but since he made it pulse from the start he basically have already sensed everything in a quick moment.. but for him thats enough to realize there's around 23 bats on this tree alone.
Looking up at the bat he smiled. "Since it's basically from you guys I'll call it Echolocation and not some fancy names." He said to the bat out loud. Then suddenly he heard something.
[Ding!]
[You have learned a skill!]
[You have named the skill!]
[You have met the requirements!]
[Obtained: [Echolocation] skill!]
'Ohh! Niicee!' he gasped in surprise
'Would this mean I could just-'
[You have activated [Echolocation]!]
Pausing for a bit he smiled once again. 'Now I don't really have to concentrate on making it pulse! I just have to will the skill to activate!' he giggled as he realized something.
'wouldn't this be my cheat ability? The help of the game system?' he smiled.
'so this is like what those main character felt! No wonder most of them became an asshole.. i mean this is only what I have but im already feeling a bit arrogant' he scratched his head.
'I should probably keep my arrogance in check.. or i wouldn't last long here' he thought as he went back to the memories of him getting arrogant when he was playing only to die horribly... One of the when he played as the Draconic race.
'uhh that playthrough was such a waste.. I could have gotten farther if I just didn't try to conquer the western kingdom Algriea head on.. im such an idiot'
'anyway, we should head out and continue with our shit' he sighed before getting up as he have recovered a little from the mental fatigue he have earlier.
Walking to the edge of the shade he took his coat and draped it over him again before making his way to the south again.
This time while walking he would occasionally activate [Echolocation] to check if he's still safe while looking around suspiciously.
He then proceeded to do the same thing over and over for almost half an hour. He have walk far into the south that the willow trees are getting more and more denser and more numerous.
And after stepping into it with some hesitation he then began scanning the entire place more frequently. And he began walking in a slower pace.
This persist for an hour this time because of his slow pace.. and soon he could hear and smell the river. It was just ahead to the clearing. He could hear the rushing water.
But he also sensed other thing. The strong smell of a rotting corpse. It made him gagged a couple of times.. but surprisingly he managed not to throw up. It's like his body is stopping him from doing it.
"I could probably go around that thing.. but I have to get used fighting monsters from now on, the earlier the better." He clenched his teeth hard as he steel himself to move forward.
And not even long, he heard a low growl it sounded as if whatever made that noise was choking on some liquid. And soon he saw the source of the noice.
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The Weeping Graveyard is called this way because of another thing.. Its because this place is a frequent place for the undead to rise from.
The victims of this forest are also more likely to turn into an undead themselves. That's why there's even more number of undead in here.
And with an increasing number. More adventurer or mercenary are sent here to take care of this.. and even more chance for people to die. And more chance for undead to be born.
And thats exactly what he is seeing here.
In front of Zarius. A lone undead stands. More exactly a-
"Husk.." Zarius mumbles out.
The Husk then turned its head into his direction. And soon he watched the Husk to dash into his direction with a surprising speed unexpected for a rotting corpse.
Recalling back to his time as a gamer he tried to remember anything about the Husk.
'A husk. Nothing but a normal corpse. But the thing is this corpse is being controlled by an evil spirit that is born from resentment and negative emotion.' he thought as he unconsciously took a couple of step back.
'looking at its body. The host probably died from bleeding. The absence of monsters around, and injuries explains this.. did he escape from something only to died? Must be why he turned into a Husk' Zarius reasoned as he observed the corpse.
The corpse were intact, almost no injury other than a deep stab on his side. His tattered cloth was also stained with deep dried blood.
'its here!' he readied himself as the Husk approached 5 meters in front of him.
And with a swift attack it lunges into him with its sharp claw. Along with a sharp shreak.
And once again Zarius was surprised about his boys capability as he easily leaned to the side and avoided it's strikes.
'With the spirit controlling it using the dead brain. It has a gleaming weakness. Just get rid of the head and the spirit wont have the power to control it anymore' he thought and with a twist of his body he lunch a punch of his own aiming it to the Husk head.
But it's not that easy.
The undead spirit may have instinctively dodge his punch, though its not something he didn't expect. And he watched as the undead twist its body, making its bone creak loudly and once again it unleashed a wild slash with its claw.
'Im a vampire.. let's make use of our power' he thought as his eyes squint in focus. And with a precise move Zarius cought the undead's arm and he pulled it close to him at the same time punch its head with his other arm.
With the momentum of getting pulled and an opposite momentum of his punch a resounding crash could be heard as the brittle rotting skull of the corpse shatters, sending disgusting rotting brain just all over the place.
The smell was so bad he grimaced and was forced to cover his nose with the opposite of his elbow. Using his coats fabric to close off his sense of smell
"EWWW ITS IN MY KNUCKLES!" He screamed. Not even showing any surprised to his strength. Because even if its rotting the skull was fairly new. So its not that easy to shatter.
But he didn't find it surprising.. almost as if it's natural. Whats more.. he felt a hidden glee in destroying that skull with a punch.
"I should get this washed in the river." He said as he turned around and started walking.
[Ding!]
[You have killed an undead(Husk)]
[You have gain 5 exp!]
'nice, my first win!' he chuckled. 'now let's find a part of the river that is shaded by a tree' he thought before he began walking along the trees shades.
Until he found the place he was looking for and promptly washing his entire body in it.. as he realized the rotting smell has clinged into his body, particularly his fist.
Turning his head to the east his eyes followed along the side of a river.. 'Its should be somewhere along the coast.'
He recalled a small port in this river.
In the kingdom of Marias it's used as an alternative trading zone and trade routes.
"Im almost there.. " he mumbles as he feels equally excited and terrified.. the former because he can finally see other people.. and to see the dungeon portal in person, and he's also excited to experience the adventure this world could offer him.
And as for the latter, he just felt a bit scared since if anyone found out what he is, he's pretty much fucked.
He even considered living outside and away from civilization. But he tried that from his playthrough before.. and it didn't end well.
"I gotta use the city's resources and establishment to grow.. whats more, major city like this are the only place that have a portal to the dungeon." He thought.
Although there are unowned portals around the continent. Those portals remained unowned for a reason. Its because its either guarded by another hostile race, or is in a dangerous or even dead zone.
"So this is probably the best choice in the early game." He slumped down on the river. Currently he's waiting for his clothes to dry in the sun. How did he hand them?
Well he didn't he laid it on the ground where a bit of its part is in the shadows he threw it outside the shadows while keeping a hold of its end. And placing it on the ground so he could just pull on the part that aren't exposed to avoid burning.
'i feel like im cooking some food for some reason' he giggled under the shade.
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==================|
[Name: Noiren Van Helsing]
| Lvl= 1. Exp( 5/50)
[Race: Vampire]
|
[Stats]===|
Str : 6 (+6) = 12
Spd : 7 (+6) = 13
Agi : 4 (+6) = 10
Per : 5 (+5) = 10
Con : 4 (+1) = 5
Dex : 6 (+6) = 12
Cha : 8 (+6) = 14
========|
|
[Skill]
| > [Regeneration]
> [Immortality]
> [Echolocation]
=================|
Note: the enclosed number besides his stats is the bonus his race gives.. and the number without the parenthesis is how would the stats of his avatar look like without the any bonus.. or in short, his base stats. Ill clean it up next chapter..