Limitless Seas, Book 2, page 18
Hospitals were depressing, and visiting the wing of the VA hospital that held the critical patients in their medpods was even worse. About the only bright spot was the people caring for her brother. The doctors and nurses were upbeat and friendly whenever she visited and didn’t hesitate to tell her the truth about her brother’s condition. His condition wasn’t good. He had extensive brain damage from the accident, and without the medpod’s AI helping him and guiding his care, Craig Larson wouldn’t last more than a few minutes. She sat next to her brother’s medpod, looking at the husk of a man inside. Her thoughts were interrupted by the door to the room opening.
“Oh, hey, good to see you again. Going for a late visit with your brother? I mean, you can come here to visit anytime you want. The medpod patients don’t have any restrictions on visiting hours or anything,” the young volunteer asked. This particular intern, Lauren, always seemed to bring a smile to Sally’s face with her exuberant manner.
“I wasn’t tired yet, so I thought I’d spend some time here. Isn’t it a bit late for you to be here?” Sally asked. Lauren was young, and while Sally didn’t know her exact age, it was way too late for someone like her to be working, even as a volunteer.
“Yeah, I’m usually only here an hour or two after school, but my dad was here working late on something so they said I could help while I wait for him to bring me home. Did you ever decide on whether you wanted to play in the game world to see your brother? I know it’s rude to ask, but I was just curious and stuff.”
“Yes, I did decide to play, not that it’s going too well at the moment,” Sally confided.
“What’s going on?” Lauren asked.
Sally had to be careful; she was bound to a nondisclosure agreement about the new class she was testing out. “Well, my character is stuck. A group of people keep killing me when I try to finish a quest.”
“If you’re in a starting area, can’t you just group up? Sometimes you need a party to complete a difficult quest,” Lauren offered.
“No, the class I play is one I have to play on my own, and I’m stuck at level 3.”
“Well, it is a starting area, so there should be some way to get out. Maybe you’re trying to leave before you’ve leveled up enough. Just grind some mobs and get up to level 5, which is usually when people finish their starter zones,” Lauren told her.
“Grinding? Do you mean killing the rats that are all over the place?” Sally asked.
“Yeah, exactly. Just keep killing them off until you hit five. Maybe explore a bit more, but avoid wherever it was you kept getting killed,” Lauren said before she was pinged by her dad telling her it was time to leave.
“Thanks for the advice. I’ll give it a try,” Sally said.
“Cool, if you level up, let me know. Once you get higher level, maybe we can adventure together,” Lauren offered as she left.
“Sounds fun,” Sally replied. The kid sounded like she knew what she was talking about. Maybe Sally was going about things the wrong way. She spent some time with her brother, but after an hour, she was ready to leave and take another crack at leveling her dragon.
Her death timer had reset by the time she was back inside the gaming pod. Logging in, she found herself back at her nest. It wasn’t much of a nest, just a small ring of stones in a side cavern, but she supposed the game needed a place for her to return to when her dragon was killed. Following Lauren’s advice, she turned in the opposite direction when she met the passage that led to the exit. It led her deeper into the mountain, but at least it was away from those dragon hunters. She had never been good with directions, but in the game, she had no trouble remembering the complicated network of tunnels she had found herself in. Choosing one she hadn’t finished exploring, Sally soon began to run into more dire rats. At level 3, she didn’t find the rats too difficult, and she easily bested the few that came across her path.
As she passed deeper into the cavern, the encounters became more frequent, and she made good progress toward level 4. A loud screeching was heard farther up the tunnel, and Sally halted her approach as a system prompt appeared in her field of vision. The prompts still startled her, but she had finally quit jumping every time one flashed in front of her. Maybe there was a way to make them less annoying. She’d have to fiddle with the game controls another time. For now, she had a new quest.
Quest available: Stop the Vermin. Without your mother to clear them out, the dire rats inside the tunnels have been multiplying. Find and eliminate the rat queen to stop the overpopulation of vermin in the area.
Rewards: 1 starting item and 10 silver.
Do you accept the quest: Y/N?
Sally hit yes. She hated rats, and if eliminating this queen helped keep their numbers down, she was all for it. Hopefully, the experience she gained from the quest would make up for no longer having as many rats to hunt down. The chance at a magic item was also a big plus. She hadn’t received anything as a reward yet in the game, and from what little she had heard about these types of games, players loved the interesting rewards they could find.
She crept down the tunnel, trying to be stealthy. While she wasn’t able to hide in plain sight like that ninja guy that kept killing her, she felt she did a pretty good job at it. Sally’s in-game body was only the size of a large dog, and other than the sound of her claws clicking on the stone floor of the tunnel, she didn’t make a sound. Her eyes functioned perfectly in the dark, but she could sense the faint light source in front of her. It came from where the path she was on ended at a small chamber.
A quick peek inside revealed a grotesque scene. A bloated rat that was the size of a cow lay on a pile of refuse and bones, screeching at several other rats that scurried to obey her commands. The system confirmed that this was the queen rat as Sally identified the various opponents in the room. This was going to be a tough fight, but at least it wasn’t a full party of adventurers that were all at a higher level than she was.
Rat queen, level 4
Dire rat, level 2 (2)
Rat spawn, level 0 (10)
She had fought the dire rats before, and they weren’t too bad; they just charged forward to bite at her. The spawn were new, but being level 0, they couldn’t be all that challenging. The real problem would be the rat queen. Sally had no idea what it was or how it fought. Checking that both her Dual Slash and Fire Breath abilities were ready to go, Sally made her move. The rats spotted her as soon as she entered the chamber. All but the queen swarmed toward her while chittering their battle cries.
Sally didn’t have to be a gamer to see the opportunity in front of her; the little level 0 rats, which were just oversized normal rats, clumped together as they attacked. The two dire rats were right on the heels of their smaller kin, lining up perfectly for her breath attack to hit the whole mob. She had wanted to save her breath weapon for the queen, but this was likely the best shot she’d have at this.
Activating her breath weapon was exciting for her every time. She would feel a tingle in the back of her throat before unleashing a roar that was followed by a five-foot-long column of flame. The fire rolled into the charging rats, crisping the spawn and leaving one of the dire rats smoldering on the ground. A level-up notification pinged. She had hit level 4 but didn’t have time to deal with it just yet as the other dire rat, only partially injured from the breath attack, charged in.
Sally dodged and swiped at the dire rat as it closed in. She wasn’t very good at dodging, but the rat had lost one eye to the flames and was slow to react. Her claw hit home, leaving bloody furrows down the side of the rat and shaving off most of its remaining health. With a squeal of pain, the rat countered with a quick bite that Sally couldn’t avoid. The damage was minimal, and her follow-up bite finished off her foe. While her bite attack was more powerful than her claws, she didn’t like the feeling of biting into someone; it was just a game, but it still grossed her out. A quick check on the other dire rat showed that it had expired from the burns she had inflicted upon it. Only the bloated queen remained, and the beast was already waddling her way toward Sally.
Normally not very nimble, Sally felt like an acrobat compared to the bloated queen, easily dodging her attacks while clawing and biting when she had an opening. Misjudging a dodge, Sally felt the queen’s sharp teeth dig into her hind leg. Her health dropped to ten percent and a mobility debuff appeared. With nothing left to lose, Sally unleashed Dual Slash. Both claws moved at lightning-fast speed, intercepting the next, and likely fatal, bite from the queen. Digging deep into the rat queen’s face, her claws blinded the monster. The queen was left lashing out blindly as she tried to find Sally. Sally waited for an opening and renewed her attack, her claws and bite taking down the final opponent.
Congratulations, you have defeated the rat queen and her minions. Experience has been awarded. Search the debris in this chamber for your reward.
She had done it! The victory filled Sally with exhilaration. Not nearly as dangerous as the dragon hunters, the rat queen and her brood were the most difficult challenge that Sally had faced and emerged victorious. It had been close, but she had won, and to the victor go the spoils. The filthy refuse pile that the rat queen had wallowed around in wasn’t something she wanted to search through, but the game helped her by highlighting where her quest rewards could be found. First, she uncovered a large red dragon scale that triggered a system prompt when she touched it.
You have found a part of your heritage. An ancient dragon scale from a long-deceased ancestor has been absorbed, improving the armor rating of your scales. Honor your ancestors to increase your power.
Sally could feel a tingle as the scale dissolved in her paw. The light red scales on her body darkened a shade, and she didn’t need the prompt to tell her they were now stronger; she could feel it. Digging further, she uncovered ten gleaming silver pieces under the skull of some unfortunate human. As she touched the coins, they disappeared, and in a moment of panic, Sally worried that she had done something wrong. The system came to her rescue once more, informing her of what had happened.
You have discovered your first treasure. If there’s one thing a dragon loves, it’s their treasure. From this humble start, a great fortune may one day be amassed. As your hoard grows, it will unlock abilities and powers as well as enable you to hire others to do your bidding. Be wary of offering up part of your fortune, however. Many will covet it and seek to eliminate you to possess it for themselves. From now on, all gathered treasures will automatically be sent to your nest, where your hoard will be located.
Current Hoard Ranking: Minuscule. A minuscule hoard does not confer bonuses. You may move your nest and your hoard no more than once per week, and the size of your wealth determines the length of time you must wait before the ability to relocate is unlocked again. At each increase in hoard ranking, additional experience will be awarded.
Congratulations, you have reached level 5. Unlock your character sheet to review your new options.
Note: Now that you have reached level 5, you must leave the starting zone to gain any further experience. Once you are out of the starting zone, experience will accrue at the normal rate and not at the accelerated rates granted for newly created characters.
She had done it, reached level 5, and had new powers and abilities to unlock. Even better, she had grown! Sally’s body went from the size of a dog to that of a horse. Her teeth and claws were much more formidable, and now her breath weapon would unleash a cone of fire ten feet in length. Once she was done selecting her new skills and abilities from leveling, Sally was going to pay another visit to those dragon hunters, and she didn’t think they were going to like this new, more powerful version of her.
Chapter 20
~
Larson slowly regained consciousness. The long sleep left him groggy, just as it had before. Thankfully, it happened very infrequently, but there was little warning as to when it might happen. It was yet another danger of his new life, but he would take a long and uncontrollable period of sleep on rare occasions in return for the few seconds of sleep his body normally needed. He was still in his cabin, but given the glow from under his door, dawn had broken over the horizon. Before he left to face his day, Larson remembered that he had leveled. It was time to see what he had gained. Forging his agreement with Cassia had brought him only a few percentage points away from level 4, and dealing with the threat from the Hypogean Realm had apparently been enough to reach level 5.
Larson, level 5 privateer captain, water naga: constrictor
Experience: 1%
Magic Affinity: Water
Your naga heritage manifests itself in the form of a new ability. As a constrictor, your body will continuously improve and grow in power, and you have now reached a crossroads in your development. Choose one of the following paths.
1. Path of the Great Constrictor: Many of your kind evolve to become colossal beings of great power. This is the first step on that journey, and if this option is selected, your overall size will immediately increase by 25% and then a further 5% each time you level. Powerful melee attack options will be available to you, but your overall agility will be slightly reduced.
2. Path of the Warrior: Your body remains close to its current size but will evolve to become more powerful. The changes may be unusual, but once mastered, they will make you a very formidable opponent.
This wasn’t going to be an easy choice for Larson. He wanted more power to forge his destiny in this new world but was unsure how much he wanted his body to change in order to gain that power. The system wasn’t granting him much detail, but then again, when had decisions in his old life been made with a complete understanding of every possible consequence? One guarantee was a given: the Path of the Great Constrictor would make him a giant, and a giant wasn’t something that fit very well aboard a ship. Bug Bartholomew was about as big as you could house appropriately on a vessel, and from the description of this path, he gathered that he was eventually going to be much larger than that.
It looked like the Path of the Warrior was the correct choice, and as soon as Larson made his decision, pain flared in his chest. At first, he wondered if he was having a heart attack, but the pain was now spread all over. His ribs and back popped and cracked, his torso elongating before the bones reformed. New growth started below his arms. Stubs flowed into something familiar but also entirely bizarre as a second set of arms began to take shape. New shoulder joints were created just below the existing pair, and over several minutes, the limbs grew and formed, becoming slightly shorter versions of the original pair. Larson’s shirt, one of the expensive ones he had bought from Francine, ripped open to accommodate the new appendages.
The pain subsided, but he wasn’t sure what had happened to him. A quick test showed he could move the arms, but it was an unnatural feeling and they just flopped about, hands clenching and unclenching randomly, outside of his control. New pain flared, this time inside his head as his mind and nervous system altered themselves to assert control over the new and unruly additions to his body. When the pain diminished, the arms began to obey him. Control over them was unnatural, but he could direct them to do what he wanted. Larson spent some time testing them out, and his control over the new appendages gradually improved. A system prompt confirmed what he had already learned.
Your Path of the Warrior choice has resulted in a second set of arms. These arms have a 10% higher agility rating than your original pair but are 10% weaker overall. While you can function immediately with your new body, the change will take some time to acclimate to. The second set of arms will have a 50% penalty to any task they attempt to complete, whether it be combat or normal shipboard duties. Over time, your mind and body will learn to work as one, and the penalty will be reduced by 5% every day until it is completely eliminated. The Path of the Warrior will unlock new upgrades to your body as you level.
It wasn’t what Larson had expected, but he was happy with the change. A few quick tests showed he could wield small weapons in his new hands, but it would take time before he was comfortable using something heavier than a dagger. He knew they were slightly weaker than his other arms, but they looked just as muscular and strong. Once he had better control over them, he would work on new weapon combinations. It was time to evolve his fighting style to match the evolutions of his body. He could spend all day trying out his new arms, but there was more to gaining a level than the path choices he had made.
Class Abilities:
Command Presence: Officers and crew within 100 yards of the vessel receive a 7% bonus to shipboard duties. The bonus extends to combat skills when your crew is engaged against threats outlined in the letter of marque. This ability is only active when the crew morale rating is at 45% or higher.
Chart a Course: This ability grants you a small bonus to choosing the best route and avoiding dangers in the open ocean. This ability activates when you are actively looking at a chart and scales with your level.
Weather Eye: The Weather Eye ability allows the captain to judge weather and sea conditions more accurately. You can eke out extra speed when needed by catching an elusive breeze or a helpful current.
Personal Abilities:
Armor/Weapon Skills: You are proficient with light armor, medium armor, and shields. All simple and shipboard weapons skills are available to you, including commonly mounted siege equipment.
Shield Bash: Lash out with your shield, damaging and potentially stunning your foe. Now that you have reached level 5, your Shield Bash ability has the chance to score a critical hit. This ability can be used 3 times per day.
Magical Abilities:
Imbue Weapon: Enhance your weapon with water magic, adding deadly piercing, bludgeoning, or slashing damage to your next attack. You have now unlocked the ability to imbue the ammunition of ranged weapons. At this level, the ability can only imbue the ammunition of a personal ranged weapon and not any siege weapon you may be operating.
