Chapter 50: Loot, Level Up, and Leaving the Fen
Drake stood amidst the murky water, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The Deep One Guardian's massive body lay submerged nearby, sending ripples across the stagnant pool. He was exhausted, injured, and his health was dangerously low, but he had survived. He had faced a powerful foe and emerged victorious.
He stumbled towards the edge of the pool, collapsing onto the muddy bank. He needed to rest, to recover, to let the natural healing properties of the surrounding area (though significantly less potent than the druid grove) begin to work their magic.
Before he could fully succumb to exhaustion, however, he remembered the most important rule of adventuring: always loot the bodies. He forced himself back to his feet and waded back into the shallow water surrounding the fallen Guardian.
He activated *Harvest*, focusing on the creature's tough hide, sharp claws, and the strange, glowing trident it had wielded.
*Notification: "Harvest Successful. Acquired: 5 x Deep One Hide, 10 x Deep One Claws, 1 x Deep One Trident."*
He examined the trident. It was made of some dark, otherworldly metal, and it pulsed with a faint, cold energy.
*Notification: "Item Acquired: Deep One Trident. Properties: Enhances Water Magic. Grants minor resistance to Cold damage."*
"Not bad," Drake muttered, hefting the trident. It was surprisingly light for its size. "Might come in handy if I ever decide to take up water polo. Though I'm more of a land-based chaos enthusiast, personally."
He stored the trident and the other harvested materials in his inventory. Then, remembering the fallen Deep One Warriors, he waded back to where they had sunk. He harvested them as well, acquiring more hides and claws.
*Notification: "Harvest Successful. Acquired: 15 x Deep One Hide, 30 x Deep One Claws."*
With the looting complete, Drake finally allowed himself to rest. He dragged himself back to the muddy bank and collapsed onto the soft ground, closing his eyes.
After a few hours of much-needed rest, Drake felt his health had recovered enough to check his status. He opened the Codex.
* Level: 4
* Experience: 3700/5000
* Strength: 25
* Dexterity: 19
* Constitution: 29
* Intelligence: 14
* Wisdom: 7
* Charisma: 14
* Luck: 5
* Health: 75/100
*Skills:*
* Observe (Level 2)
* Sense Magic (Level 3)
* Street Fighting (Level 5)
* Harvest (Level 3)
* Seal Analysis (Basic)
* Shadow Cloak (Level 4)
* Shadow Strike (Level 5)
* Void Step (Level 1)
* Void Embrace (Level 1)
He did some quick mental calculations. He had gained a significant amount of experience from the Deep One encounters, enough to…
*Notification: "Level Up! Drake has reached Level 5!"*
*Notification: "Stat Points Available: 5"*
*Notification: "Skill Points Available: 1"*
"Yes!" Drake exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "Level up! Now we're talking! Time to become even more ridiculously overpowered!"
He allocated his stat points, putting 3 into Strength and 2 into Dexterity.
*Notification: "Stat Points Allocated: Strength +3. Current Strength: 28."*
*Notification: "Stat Points Allocated: Dexterity +2. Current Dexterity: 21."*
He then considered his skill points. He had several skills he could improve, but he decided to focus on his Shadow Cloak, as it had saved his life on multiple occasions.
*Notification: "Skill Point Allocated: Shadow Cloak (Level 5). Effect: Increased duration and reduced mana cost."*
He felt a surge of power as his connection to the shadows deepened. He could now maintain the Shadow Cloak for longer periods and use it more efficiently.
He checked his updated status again.
* Level: 5
* Experience: 3700/6000
* Strength: 28
* Dexterity: 21
* Constitution: 29
* Intelligence: 14
* Wisdom: 7
* Charisma: 14
* Luck: 5
* Health: 75/100
*Skills:*
* Observe (Level 2)
* Sense Magic (Level 3)
* Street Fighting (Level 5)
* Harvest (Level 3)
* Seal Analysis (Basic)
* Shadow Cloak (Level 5)
* Shadow Strike (Level 5)
* Void Step (Level 1)
* Void Embrace (Level 1)
He felt much better now, both physically and mentally. He had survived another dangerous encounter, gained valuable experience, and become stronger. He was ready to leave the Shadowfen behind and move on to his next adventure. And he still had that 1000 gold reward waiting for him back in Oakhaven.
He retrieved Clunky and began the journey back towards the edge of the swamp, leaving the Deep Ones and their murky domain behind. He had a feeling he hadn't seen the last of the strange and dangerous creatures of Atheria, but for now, he was content to move on, to explore new lands, and to continue his chaotic journey.