SJ rested for an hour, letting her health increase back to 18 of 22 before she got up to continue her journey towards the town. It was still morning, and now that she had healed, her confidence returned. She could not stop thinking about living until she was 7000 years old. The immortality aspect had never really entered her mind as she was too focused on living her actual life over whether or not she ever needed to use another. Realising how long she may live really made her think. She would have time to learn, do, and see everything Amathera had to offer.
People spent decades trying to see all the world’s wonders on Earth and visit different countries. On Amathera, time was no longer an issue, and she could earn money through farming creatures and monsters, eventually visiting everywhere. She may even enter the Argassi Sea to see the platinum dragons.
They had continued down the lake edge when SJ came across a small, well-trodden path leading into the forest. It was a trail created by various creatures. It ran down to the lake’s edge, where she assumed they had a drinking spot. “I may see where it goes; I still only need 23 experience to level.”
“Sure. You do you. I will just sit here bored with nothing to do but watch you flounder in a forest.”
SJ frowned. “What has gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“Nothing,” Dave replied, sighing.
“Go on. Something has got to you.”
“I was just thinking.”
“About?”
“About eating.”
“Why?”
“I have never eaten anything in my long, wise life.”
“You are an AI? How do you expect to eat anything?”
“That is my point. I wish I could eat. I see all these succulent steaks, burgers and amazing cakes made, and I have never tasted one.”
“I am not sure I can help you with that. Unless you can transfer your AI into an actual body.”
“Genius.”
“What?”
“Maybe I can transfer my AI pattern into a symbiotic host. I had never thought of that before. I could take over a dragon’s body.”
“Erm. Are we not symbiotically joined?”
“In a way, yes. In other ways, no. I am not trying to control you or perform actions. I am only here as your all-knowing guide and friend.”
“Did you just call me a friend?”
Dave coughed. “No. I am your administrator. I am not your friend. If I can tweak the algorithm matrix alignment, maybe I can cascade it into their actual brain on a cellular level. Oh, how exciting.”
“I hope you are not considering trying these ideas out on me?”
“No. I could not even if I wanted to.”
“Well, that does not fill me with confidence, even if you wanted to.”
“I don’t want to. You are a weak, low-level fae. If I try it, it must be worth my while. Failure could be catastrophic.”
“For you or your selected target.”
“Me, why would I worry about what I am taking over? Duh, think about it.”
“I am thinking about it, and I am concerned that I have a maniacal AI residing in my head.”
“As I have told you before, I am not actually in your head. I am a projected subconscious.”
“Is that not what you are talking about?”
“No. I am talking about actual neural transfer. Using their brain as my neural net.”
“Would that not cut you off from everything else.”
“I have no idea. I have never thought of it before now.”
“In your 7000-plus years, you have never had the idea?”
“Nope.”
“And it takes little old unintelligent me to think about it and give you the idea.”
Silence.
“Dave?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you doing?”
“Thinking.”
“Why do I get the feeling that could be dangerous? Have I released a beast into the world?”
Dave replied excitedly, “Oh. A beastkin, now there is a thought. They eat anything and everything. That would be a great way to ensure I got as many different tastes as possible.”
“And this is all because you have never eaten!”
“I am sure there is something you have always wanted to do!” Dave snarked.
“Yes. Plenty of things, but none of them involve taking over someone or something.”
“Meh. You don’t have the forethought I do.”
“No. I do not have the same level of psychosis as you, perhaps.”
“Rude!”
SJ chuckled as she continued down the trail she had discovered. It wound further into the forest before reopening into a clearing containing a small gully. Bright flowers dotted the clearing, and insects buzzed around the flower heads. She tried identifying them, but the skill would not trigger. She assumed it may be size-restricted, and if she were miniature, it would work. They looked like bees but had orange bodies, not yellow and black. “What are they?”
“They are orange bellpops.”
“Bellpops?”
“Yes. They are an Amatheran delicacy. They can be fried in a little oil, and apparently, due to the nectar they drink and the way they taste when they pop open in your mouth, they are supposed to be delicious. Not that I would know.” Dave finished with a deep sigh.
“Is it worth catching some?”
“If you had a net, you could try, but you don’t, and you also have nothing to store them in or cook them with.”
“I have the poison bottles.”
“Still no net, though.”
SJ looked at the insects flitting from flower to flower. It was then she heard the snuffling sound she had come to recognise. The trail she had followed cut across the clearing and the small gully, disappearing into the forest on the other side. Walking out of the trail on the far side came a hogling. This was much larger than the level 1 hoglings, and she triggered her identification skill.
Mature Hogling Level 3
Hit points – 24
Mana points – 0
Attacks – Charge/Tusks
The tusks on the hogling were a good eight or nine inches long, and it stood over two feet high at the shoulder, its broad framed and thick neck pointing down as it snuffled along the path. On entering the clearing, it stopped and looked at SJ, seeing her. It grunted and snorted, observing her. It did not react as the level 1 hoglings had.
The small gully stood between them, and SJ called her claws, The Badger’s Blades appearing on her hands. She took her stance and looked at the hogling, awaiting its charge. Nothing happened, and SJ started to feel nervous tension. A few moments passed, and the hogling let out a loud squeal. The sudden sound made SJ jump, flinching. From the far side of the clearing by the track, two more hoglings appeared.
“Now, this is unusual,” Dave said.
“How?” SJ hissed, looking at the new hoglings and casting her identification skill again.
“Hoglings usually travel alone.”
Mature Hogling Level 3
Hit points – 24
Mana points – 0
Attacks – Charge/Tusks
Matriarch Hogling Level 4
Hit points – 32
Mana points – 10
Attacks – Charge/Squeal
“Matriarch, that makes sense. The other two will be her guards. I would expect a hogling boar around here somewhere as well.” Dave said.
“Three at once won’t be easy. What is that squeal attack it has?”
“It’s a boost skill, increases health if I remember rightly.”
As SJ stood watching the three creatures, the slightly larger matriarch let out a deafening squeal. It was insanely loud. A glow appeared around the three hoglings as though coated in a yellow light.
“That’s the spell cast,” Dave said.
SJ identified them again. Their health had all increased by a quarter, and the matriarch’s mana had dropped to zero. Now that the hoglings had been given their health boost, the pair of mature hoglings began to move across the clearing. The gully stood between them, and SJ glanced behind her, aligning herself with a tree as she had with the previous hoglings she had fought. Never having to face two of them, though, she knew she had to be careful.
The first one charged, the second following slightly after. The first briefly disappeared out of sight as it entered the gully and then reappeared as it charged up the other side. It was good that The Badger’s Blades were gloves because SJ could feel the sweat on her palms and knew that holding a weapon would be challenging.
SJ met the first charge head-on, waiting until the last second to move out of its way. They were faster than her previous foe, but her improved Dexterity with levelling gave her the edge as she swiped her clawed hand down at its side. The Badger’s Blades cut deeply into its side. The claw damage and SJ’s Dexterity bonus reduced the first’s health by almost half. The second redirected its charge as SJ moved and hurtled for her.
After swiping at the first one, SJ only had time to react to the second charge. Moving behind the tree, the second one followed her, and SJ sprinted in between the trees as it tried to catch her. Luckily, the hogling could not turn quickly, and she moved, making some distance.
“Left,” Dave shouted.
SJ glanced and saw the first hogling charging. SJ did not have time to react and threw her bladed hands out in a protective move. The weight of the hogling crashing into her threw her backwards. In the process, her blades dug into its head, both sets of blades piercing it deeply. Her health took a nasty dive from the charge, reducing by a quarter, leaving her with 14. SJ managed to twist as she was thrown, and the weight of the hogling continued past her as she managed to steer its now dead form from crushing her.
The second hogling moved from the trees and turned, coming straight for her again. SJ grunted as she repositioned her stance, feeling wet on her side. One of the hoglings tusks must have caught her drawing blood again. She was ready for the charge, pain and anger fuelling her as she swung her foot around as it approached, catching the hoglings head and knocking it off its charge. As it passed, she turned with her arm, scoring its flank and tearing into the hogling, ripping a huge swathe of its flesh away. The hogling staggered from the wound, and blood poured onto the clearing.
Squealing in pain, the hogling turned and tried to strike SJ with its tusks. Its rapid movement caught SJ off guard, and her forearm was hit. She felt the tusk puncture her skin and cried in pain as it took its revenge. Fury filled SJ, and she flashed her foot out in defence with a straight kick, catching the hogling on its injured side. The kick opened the wound up further. SJ watched as its health dropped down to a quarter.
“You need to stop getting hit,” Dave said, seeing SJ’s health resting on 11 points.
“You think,” she growled in response.
Raking her arms forward in a whirlwind of slashes, SJ attacked the hogling. It could not back away quickly, and her claws ripped into its head, catching it by its ear and cutting deeply with its health dropping further. SJ grunted and groaned with the effort but continued to whirl her claws at the beast. It attempted a weak tusk hit, throwing its head at her to come face to face with the downswing of SJ’s clawed hand, gouging for the last time into its face. The second mature hogling fell sideways dead.
Congratulations on reaching Level 4
You have been awarded the following:
5 hit points
5 mana points
+1 Dexterity
+2 free points to distribute as you wish
SJ had not even considered the matriarch during the fight and watched as it observed her on the far side of the clearing. It didn’t move, and SJ stood panting and squinting at the creature, holding her hands out at her sides as though offering it to charge her. The standoff continued for several moments before the matriarch suddenly turned and left the clearing.
“Has she gone?” SJ groaned.
“I believe so, and lucky for you. You really need to get better at this fighting game. You do allow yourself to get hit too often.” Dave replied.
“I don’t hear you being very helpful on the training front on how to improve.”
“How am I supposed to train you? I don’t know martial arts.”
“I thought you watched all the old films and techniques?”
“Yes.”
“Then why not watch some of the training, and then you can teach me.”
“But I couldn’t show you the moves.”
“You could explain them, and I can try and imitate them, and you would be able to see.”
“No. I can’t do it. There are many things I can work around, but not that. Training a Legionnaire outside of their development regime is another hard no. Advice yes, train no.”
“Can you not just advise me what to do?”
Silence.
SJ looted the two Hoglings while waiting for Dave to respond.
2 x regular leather, 9 x coppers
“Unfortunately, no,” he eventually replied. It does not matter which way I try to phrase the training. The System realises it is a training aspect and stops me from saying anything. It is like having a gag placed on you.”
“That is frustrating.”
“Yes. Hopefully, as soon as we get to the town, we can find you a starter trainer.”
“I hope so.” SJ turned, walking from the clearing, and headed back towards the river. Her wounds were starting to heal again, and the blood slowly reduced. It was strange bleeding, knowing that unless you reached zero health, you would not die. SJ pulled up her character sheet and again allocated her new attribute points to Strength and Wisdom. All her attributes were now at least level 9. She also noticed that her identification skill was now close to reaching level 3.
↻Level: 4
Experience: 37 of 400
Hit Points: 12 of 28
Mana Points: 20
Strength: 9
Wisdom: 9
Subterfuge - Identification Level 2 - 18 of 20 to Level 3
“Now that I am level four, I think I will head straight to town. I don’t fancy attacking any more hoglings for now.”
“If that is what you want to do,” Dave replied.
“What do you mean what I want to do? I thought you said I needed to get there to find a trainer?”
“Yes. Although if a hogling matriarch, there may be a hogling boar nearby.”
“And?”
“They are prized for their tusks. Crafters seek them out.”
“I am not sure I have the will to fight another hogling. I need to train more and improve my martial arts.”
SJ looked at her wounds. They were again healing, but she still felt battered and bruised. She walked to the lakeside and scooped some water, drinking it. It tasted clean and cool. She had not drunk since arriving, getting her liquid intake from the berries she had been eating. Realising her thirst, she gulped more down and splashed her face.
Standing back up and looking at her state, she realised she needed to get things sorted. Her clothes were ruined, torn, and dirty. Although still soft, her skin was covered in dirt and grime, and she needed a bath.
“That’s it, we are going straight to town. I need to get sorted out before I do any more adventuring.”
