Chương 14: Chapter 13- To the Victors Go the Spoils

Ding [Congratulations! [Observant] has reached Lv 6] Ding [Congratulations! [Tracking] has reached Lv 2] Ding [Congratulations! [Tracking] has reached Lv 3] Ding [Congratulations! [Stealth] has reached Lv 10] Ding [Congratulations! You have unlocked the general skill [Basic weapon proficiency - Daggers]] Ding [Congratulations! You have learned the general skill [Basic weapon proficiency - Daggers] Lv 1] Ding [Congratulations! [Basic weapon proficiency - Daggers] has reached Lv 2] Ding [Congratulations! [Basic weapon proficiency - Daggers] has reached Lv 3] Ding [Congratulations! [Basic weapon proficiency - Daggers] has reached Lv 4] Ding [Congratulations! [Basic weapon proficiency - Daggers] has reached Lv 5] Ding [Congratulations! [Basic weapon proficiency - Daggers] has reached Lv 6] Ding [Congratulations! You party has defeated a [Shadebound Tracker] (Dark, Lv 26)] Ding [Congratulations! [Child of the Void] has leveled up to level 6! +7 free points from your class] Ding [Congratulations! [Child of the Void] has leveled up to level 7! +7 free points from your class] Ding [Congratulations! [Child of the Void] has leveled up to level 8! +7 free points from your class] Ding [Congratulations! [Child of the Void] has leveled up to level 9! +7 free points from your class] Ding [Congratulations! [Child of the Void] has leveled up to level 10! +7 free points from your class] Ding [Congratulations! You won a battle with an entity two tiers above your own prior to your first evolution. Your achievement has been recorded] Ding [Congratulations! You have reached your first class evolution. Any experience gained will be banked under after your class evolution has been completed.] Name: Elias Mercer Age: 23 Class: [Child of Void] Lv 10 ============ Health: 90/90 Stamina: 210/210 Mana: 250/250 ============ Vitality: 9 Strength: 21 Endurance: 21 Dexterity: 10 Intelligence: 25 Wisdom: 9 Willpower: 26 Charisma: 7 Free points: 70 ============ Class 1: [Child of the Void] Class 2: Locked Class 3: Locked ============ Class Skills: [Child of the Void] Locked ============ General Skills Observant: Lv 6 Tracking: Lv 3 Stealth: Lv 10 Eagle's Eye: Lv 2 Basic Weapon Crafting - Primitive: Lv 3 Basic Weapon Proficiency - Polearms: Lv 2 Dismantling: Lv 2 Basic Weapon Proficiency - Small Blades: Lv 6 Free Skill Slots: 8 / 10 Ding [Basic weapon proficiency - Small Blades: Lv 6 - Fighting is personal and the danger is real, and you are not satisfied unless you are in the thick of battle. Whether for subtlety or the sheer thrill of a fight where your opponent is close enough to touch you, learning to wield small blades in battle is an endeavor requiring skill, precision, and no small amount of pain tolerance. These tools are commonly used as side arms or for concealment and you have demonstrated proficiency with these tools. This skill passively improves your weapon skill by providing intuitive guidance to correct form and increase proprioception of weapon placement. Increased guidance and proprioception per level.] Elias added another log to the fire to ward off the chill of the night while checking through his notifications. He let out a low whistle as he scrolled through all the notifications. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I still don't know how these levels work, but I bet I'm not supposed to be able to take out someone six times my level. It was a close call, his skin practically sealed shut with every blow.

Helluva boost if you manage it though. Elias had quickly checked the woman's pulse after the battle only to realize she had most likely just passed out from exhaustion, and with a bit of effort rigged up a travois to carry her back to the river before setting up camp. Not wanting to leave someone unconscious and alone in the dangerous forest he left the other bodies where they were before settling in to wait on her recovery.

He was initially worried that she may have been in danger of bleeding out, but after examining the many tears in her armor, he found that the bleeding had greatly slowed. Eli watched on in fascination as one gash on her upper arm slowly closer as the skin slowly drew together with a grotesque rippling motion similar to a timelapse of slime mold slowly expanding. Eli scoffed audibly in disbelief.

"So this must be the effect of the Health points the system mentioned." I wonder if this would be just as effective on my wounds? Hopefully she will be willing to answer some questions for me, it's wild enough that I can understand them! Similar to the injury from his battle with the boar her wounds closed quickly, and after cleaning himself up and returning her weapon to its scabbard, he sat down and studied her features in the dim light of the fire.

She was fairly tall compared to most women he had met and clearly spent plenty of time training with the sword she carried given the amount of muscle on her frame. Considering the danger of this new world it was not all that surprising.

She was strikingly beautiful even in her battle worn condition with finely detailed features, a wild mane of curly bright red hair underneath the matted blood and sweat, and from what he remembered from earlier, bright sky blue eyes as she cackled at him with laughter for his ridiculous claim of pacifism while standing above her soaked in blood after brutally slaying the man assaulting her. The kind of lithe frame she sported was one that came with the casual athleticism of regular physical training.

Her gear did not give away much of her identity, other than showing that it was well cared for and well maintained, the leather supple, clearly cleaned and oiled often, and the sword she carried showing the dull sheen of a well honed and seasoned blade.

If anything her gear spoke to Eli of being ill prepared or caught in an ambush, the lack of camping supplies as well uneven wear marks of missing armor on her leathers led Eli to believe that whatever led her to this patch of forest happened so quickly that she left with just whatever she could grab in the moment.

Even so, she was doing better than he was, she at least had her sword, well fitted leather arming jacket, pants, knee length boots, and he could see the collar of a once white shirt protruding from her leathers. Eli on the other hand was barefoot and stabbing people with glorified pig teeth.

Snorting to himself, he had checked her over but couldn't find any markings of an organization or association from what he could see on her weapons or armor; and while she might have something else on her person it felt rude to rifle through her pockets given he didn't even know her name. Deciding that there was nothing else to do but wait, he pulled out his 'totally not just a rock I found on the riverbank' whet stone and set to honing his daggers. Ding [Congratulations! [Basic Weapon Crafting - Primitive] has reached Lv 4] A couple hours later, as the night grew deeper, Eli perked up as he noticed the woman's eyelids flutter, and with a gasp she jerked awake. Like a coiling viper she whirled up onto her feet, one hand on her sword hilt, the other on the scabbard, glancing around the campsite in a panic, before groaning and clutching her head in her free hand, keeping the other on the hilt of her weapon.

Wincing, she noticed Eli sitting cross legged, spear across his lap, on the other side of the fire and slowly eased back to the ground, eying him warily while leaning back against a nearby stone. The silence stretched as her eyes roved over him, taking in his attire, or lack thereof, as well as his home made weaponry. Deciding someone needed to break the ice and it might as well be him, he reached over the fire towards her with his smaller pouch splayed open to display the contents.

"Boar jerky?" With a wry grin she reached forward taking the pouch from him.

"So you aren't just some weird fever dream after all, and clearly not a changeling since you can speak. I've seen some weird hallucinations after being sleep deprived and suffering from blood loss, but having some kind of weird talking mud elemental drop out of a tree and save my life just seemed like a bit much." She reached into the pouch, pulled out a piece of jerky, sniffed it delicately and took a bite.

She grimaced, "Really needs some salt" before scarfing down the rest of the piece and helping herself to a few more pieces before mumbling around a full mouth.

"It's not that I'm not grateful, really! I am definitely ravenous with hunger, but you should definitely get a refund from whoever sold this to you because it is absolutely terrible." Eli rolled his eyes before shooting back, "Well considering I made it myself that would be a little difficult. Also considering it is literally my first ever attempt at smoking wild game after only watching a couple youtube videos, I feel like you could cut me some slack." She frowned slightly, "I'm being an ass aren't I?"

She sat up right, leaned forward, and extended an arm towards Elias with a smile.

"I'm so sorry let us try this again, I'm Astra Emberholdt, and I can not even begin to describe how happy I am that our paths crossed. It appears I owe you my life." With a grin of his own Elias leaned forward reaching out as well"Elias Mercer, and I guess now I come in peace, just ignore that stabby bit from before." Astra snorted out a laugh before clasping his forearm in a tight grip before leaning back. Aye, but that was the good bit."

She leaned back with a smile so brilliant, subtly enhanced by the slight glint of mischief, that it made Eli's heart skip a beat, even as it transitioned into a smirk.

"I like a bit of fire now and then, and I can't argue with the results." Shoving another piece of jerky in her mouth, quietly groaning in delight before glancing at the pouch and quickly back at Eli with a little concern.

"Thank you for the food Sir Mercer, I am not putting you out am I?" She waved in his general direction, "You don't exactly seem flush with supplies." He responded with a laugh, "It's just Elias, I work for a living." Eli leaned back himself as he waved at the larger pouch.

"I have more than I could possibly eat, and it's just Eli to my friends. I would imagine we're probably at least allies at this point, all things considered." Astra grinned, "Not a pampered noble then, you are fairly well spoken for a commoner, and without all the mud you seem a little too well groomed for that, well minus the lack of footwear." Tapping her lip thoughtfully, "A non occupational family name, some kind of down on his luck landed knight or their kin?"

She sucked in a breath, scrunched her nose, and gave a look of dismay while looking down river, before looking back at Eli with a steady appraising look.

"Allying does sound pleasant, and I imagine I know a thing or two about hard circumstances." Eying his roughly made daggers and lack of footwear she continued." Given your handiness with those daggers I imagine your company would probably be quite the boon, but I can't in good conscience allow you to agree to do so without briefing you on my predicament in full." Eying Eli's attire, "Plus it looks like you might be in the middle of your own interesting adventure yourself.

How about we swap tales, and if our fates align maybe we can consider something further." With a slight frown she looked down her hands, "I can honestly say that I could use all the help I can find right now; but it's wrong to ask someone I barely know to help, especially given the mortal peril involved. Especially given it looks like you're the one who has the greater need for assistance." Eli chuffed a short laugh, "Yeah, it has been a rough couple of days for me too.

Well, I would like to think I have already shown I'm not opposed to a little danger, I guess it depends on what kind of trouble."