Loot or Die
The platforms began to descend slowly, and honestly, I would walk faster than they were progressing to the ground. I looked around and saw other players equally confused. They were in the same tattered rags as me, but soon a few nearby individuals shone a bright yellow, as various armor and equipment flickered into existence. It was clear that they were far better geared than I was at this point. A pang of jealousy radiated in my heart as I desperately searched for a way to catch up. "Armor!" I shouted, to no avail, "Light armor!" still nothing, "Leather?" I asked, "Give me anything for fuck sake!" I pleaded and still nothing happened.
I peered off to gaze at the nearest captives, or I figured they were captives, as I certainly was. I could faintly make out their nameplates, but not their names. Below the names seemed to be their designated classes. The words were shaped like classes, and I thought I saw a Rogue directly to my left. Wait, classes?! How the hell did they get a class and I was stuck here with some shitty daggers?
I pulled out my daggers saying fuck all to this world and tested the barrier which had seemed to deactivate around me. Reaching around, not sure if I should trust what I was sensing, I was now sure that nothing kept me from escaping. Well, nothing except for the massive drop that would be instant death to anyone who leaped off.
"This thing is moving too slowly," I muttered as I eyeballed the piles of shimmering items off in the distance. "Jackpot! That must be how I can gear up!" I cheered as I worked my way to the edge of the platform. Falling to my knees, I moved closer and lifted myself down, testing the pillar and finding grips that would hold my weight. I began to descend the pillar, using my dingy daggers to dig into areas that weren't quite accessible to my grip. The platform was somewhat forgiving and my daggers sank in without much effort.
A few times while holding my blade, I would slide down a fair distance before the blades snagged and stopped my drop. It felt like hours, but I was quickly approaching the ground-- the top of the platform where I had begun was still slowly dropping, but was a significant distance above. I spared a moment to look around and saw other players copying my methods. I knew I had to move faster, but just as I began to pick up my pace, I nearly slipped, all the while watching as several other players plummeted to their deaths, splattering on the ground.
15 players have been defeated.
ShadowStrike was defeated by Shadowstrike.
IronKnight was defeated by IronKnight.
BlazeHunter was defeated by BlazeHunter.
VoidWalker was defeated by VoidWalker.
The messages continued, announcing each player that had been defeated by themselves, likely a response to the unintentionally suicidal fall. It was then that I understood the gravity of my situation. I wasn't sure what the rules were for death, but I also wasn't eager to find out myself. I'd just have to see if those players respawned at some point. I thought I was moving at a crawl, but as I looked around, it appeared other players had begun moving even slower than I was, some merely hung to dear life in a place as the platform continued its methodic march downward.
Eventually, I found myself maybe four stories above the ground and felt a surge of confidence. I quickened my pace and nearly immediately lost my grip. I began to plunge down toward the earth, my life flashing before my eyes. I lunged my daggers forward and they dug into the platform, altering my descent to an abrupt stop about 30 feet above the ground, but the sudden stop ripped my hands from my lifelines. My paltry 8 strength did nothing to save me--my noodle arms as they were called--and it was as though I was trying to hold the weight of a dozen men on my back as I struggled to find purchase.
I fell fast to the earth, flailing around like a lunatic, my eyes glancing over my sad excuse for hitpoints. "Twelve hit points? That's all I have?" were my final words before slamming into the earth.
"10 points of blunt damage", the voice declared. Was that it? Was I going to die here?!
Damage mitigated by "Adept Acrobat" 2 health points. Remaining HP: 2 hit points.
"Oh thank god", I coughed out, shaking as I rose to my feet, my body beaten and bruised. I quickly regained my focus as I recalled the loot awaiting me. "I gotta get moving, now!" I rushed forward, stumbling with every step, the goal clear in my mind. I glanced around again, the closest player I could see was still far higher up than I had been when I fell and I knew things would work out if I kept pressing forward.
I passed by various items, "common, uncommon, rare", but ignored each one. If I was going to start off in this world, I would need the best of the best. It was only out of reflexes that I reached down and grabbed a rare vial of red liquid, likely a health potion.
[Low Quality Potion Acquired.]
Even a lower-quality potion would do me favors, provided this was like any other game I played. I uncorked it and downed the contents.
[Health Points Restored.]
[Total Health: 7/11]
Dashing through the field I leaped over piles of swords, bows, and armor, none of it felt right and that bright golden glow ahead beckoned me like nothing ever had before. I took a moment to glance behind me and the first of the adventurers I could see was finally touching ground making their way toward me, toward the center of the loot pile. I faced forward and picked up the pace, the pile ahead of me dominating the horizon and glittering in all its splendor.
At full speed I collided with the pile, rolling up and over, landing on the opposite side with a thud.
Two points of blunt damage. Total HP remaining: 5.
I audibly gasped in horror. If I hadn't drunk that potion I would have nearly killed myself in my greed, but it was all worth it, as I crouched before the pile of life-changing gear sitting before me. "What is this stuff?" I asked as I poured over every piece I could find. I stumbled into the pile of legendary loot at the center, my body screaming in pain as I was having trouble focusing on my limited health pool. My adrenaline surged as I questioned the contents once more. "Someone tell me what all this crap is!" I bellowed. In response, my vision blurred for a moment before the items revealed their identities to me.
[Indentification Activiated]
Loot Identification
Nightstalker's Leather Armor
Type: Armor (Chest) Rarity: Legendary… Extremely suitable for your build.
Whispering Cloak
Type: Armor (Cloak) Rarity: Legendary... Extremely suitable for your build.
Boots of Silent Steps
Type: Armor (Feet) Rarity: Legendary… Extremely suitable for your build.
Thieves' Ring
Type: Accessory Rarity: Legendary… Extremely suitable for your build.
Sorcerer's Robes
Type: Armor (Chest) Rarity: Legendary... Not suitable for your build.
Paladin's Helm
Type: Armor (Head) Rarity: Legendary… Not suitable for your build.
Hunter's Crossbow
Type: Weapon (Ranged) Rarity: Legendary... Potentially suitable for your build.
Main-Hand Dagger: "Shadowfang"
Type: Weapon (Dagger) Rarity: Legendary... Extremely suitable for your build.
"Good lord, so much of this is perfect for me", I cheered to myself as a crossbow bolt launched over my shoulder. I turned back to see the player I had collided withholding the legendary weapon in her hands. She began to reload and a moment of terror struck my heart. I dived behind a small pile of items and grasped the weapons in my hands.
Sweating bullets, I looked around only to see another player dashing towards me holding a mace in his hands. His class declared him a wizard, but he swung wide at me with the Epic weapon he had picked up. I dipped below his strike and used my new daggers to jab him in the gut, once, twice, and the third I placed in his neck, causing him to crumple to my feet before he could so much as land a single blow.
I was blown away by my speed and accuracy. "Equipt all items relevant to my build," I shouted into the air, hoping that was how things worked. I checked my stats and the familiar voice notified me.
[Congratulations, you have defeated "PhoenixFlare". Level up. You are now level two. Please allocate your stats.]
I quickly threw the 4 points into the constitution skill, scared of dying so early in the game.
[Your stats are as follows:]
Strength: 8
Agility: 20 + 10 (Nightstalker's Leather Armor) + 6 (Boots of the Silent Steps) + 5 (Thieves Ring) + 12 (Shadowfang Daggers) for a total of 53 Agility.
Constitution: 16, your health has increased by 4. Your total present health is 9 HP. Undamaged health is 16.
Intellect: 12
Wisdom: 11
Charisma: 12
You have earned the title of "Player Killer", your actions in the game have caused the death of another player, but with it, you have restored health due to your dagger's passive effect and gained +5 Agility for your quick resolution to combat. Current Agility is 58. The current health pool is 7 HP. Continue to slay adventures for further rewards! Best of luck to you!
"I gained 2 HP from killing him? Wait, that means he had at least 40 HP?!" I gasped, taking in this knowledge.
"How did he have so much more than me?", I asked while identifying his corpse.
Pheonix was identified as a mage class, a glass cannon of sorts, so none of this made any sense. How was I less than half of the health of a mage? Did I fumble my stats that badly?. According to my damage, I should have taken him out in a single strike, but his resistance must have prevented that, so what was he wearing? Was it class-appropriate? I didn't have time to think, I had greater concerns, mainly the psycho woman wielding my legendary crossbow, a weapon that was likely to drop me to nothing in a single strike, as I was sure my stats would not negate enough damage to survive a hit.
Shaking behind the pool of loot, I tried to identify something that would help. I picked up a chest plate I couldn't use and it immediately sent me beyond my encumbrance level.
"This strength stat is going to be the death of me" I shouted, discarding the expensive Epic-level plate I had picked up and instead went after a potion.
"Advanced potion of healing", the item roared in my mind as I identified it. It also sent me over the limit of my encumbrance level so I downed it quickly. It restored my health to full, sitting at a solid 16 HP, I took this time to flee again.
[Current Health: 16/16]
I fled with no direction in mind, just trying to survive another day. As I fled, the earth below me grew frigid, ice crunching at my feet. I ignored the sound and pressed forward, bolts flying around me as the female archer took more shots at me. A bolt spiked through my shoulder, causing 8 damage and sending me down to 8, a lot of damage but a great deal higher than I previously had.
Fleeing into the forest, I ran into two more opponents. They were cowering behind a fern, geared in rare items but wounded and weak. I struck quickly, driving my dagger into the spine of one, and the kidney of the other. Health trickled into me and it was clear that even when below the minimum HP required for my vampirism trait, I still gained at least 1 hp for each kill. I found myself at 10 out of 16 hp and moved forward, grabbing what I could from their bodies before moving toward the frozen wasteland.
[Level Up! You are now level 3. Four skill points are available. Present HP 10/16. Congratulations.]
"Put them into Agility! Now!" I bellowed.
[Base Agility has increased to 29. Effective Agility with gear bonuses is now 62/62.]