Since returning to the clearing, SJ had killed nine more hoglings. However, she noticed she received reduced experience for them, earning only 8 points per kill rather than the 10 she previously earned. She had asked Dave about this, and he told her it was because she was now level 2, whereas the hoglings were level 1.
Each level higher she was than her target reduced 20% of the earned experience, making it impossible for higher-level players to level in low-level areas, even without the territory limitations. In some territories, this even forced them to continue advancing to a stronger area within a specific territory if they wished to gain decent experience. Apparently, the amount of experience required to increase to higher levels was substantial.
The first five levels required experience double the previous. Starting from 25 experience to reach level 1, by level 5, you needed to earn 400 experience. SJ had already considered that once she hit level 3, she would drop to 6 experience per level 1 hogling. That would mean she would need to kill at least 32 of them to level, and with 10 to 15 minutes between spawns, never mind fights and looting, even at four an-hour efficiency, it would take a full 8 hours of grinding to achieve. It basically meant she needed to move to find other creatures or hoglings of a higher level.
“I am on 77 of 100 experience. Three more, and I will level again,” SJ said.
“You should call yourself Hogling Slayer,” Dave replied.
SJ noticed that the light was starting to fade, and her new night vision skill was a strange sensation. As the light faded, she could still see, but the clarity was changing. “How much light is left?”
“Err…maybe an hour.”
“They are respawning every fifteen minutes, so I should have time to take on three more beforehand.”
Dave yawned loudly. “It is very boring fighting these. You can easily kill them with your level 2 and Dexterity boosts.”
SJ had been two-hitting them all. After her initial strike down their flanks, she only required one strike on their rears now to finish them. Her Dexterity increase had increased her small blade damage.
“Is there not a weapons chart or damage chart available? Also, I would have thought there were weapon proficiencies available?”
“There are. They also don’t kick in until level 5.”
“I need to get to 5, then,” SJ replied with determination.
“Yes, you do, but that will not happen today. Level 3 on your first day is a good start- not the best, but not the worst.”
“What’s the most you have seen?” SJ asked, a little frustrated, waiting for the hogling to spawn.
“Once, a Legionnaire reached level 4 on the first day. It was a berserker who discovered a rat’s nest.”
SJ retrieved a berry from her inventory and ate it while waiting by the side of the clearing. “These berries are so delicious.”
“You have had rather a lot today.”
“I have no other food, and it’s energetic work,” she shrugged.
They had gotten into the habit of discussing professions between the spawns, and SJ was starting to decide which she may choose. Tailor was looking like one of her best options. It would not just allow her to design and produce fae-specific clothes. Its freedom of movement compared to armour also benefitted her martial arts skills. The information Dave had given her said that an item’s quality would improve not just armour class but also the number of enchantments an item could hold.
All items followed a basis of rarity levels, which had been explained to SJ. She was aware of it from her gaming days. Common, Good, Rare, Epic, Mythic, Legendary and a new one she had never heard of before called Astral. The way Astral had been explained to SJ was it was basically a gift from a god, and Astral weapons, or armour, could not be found normally unless you killed a Legionnaire who owned one. They were always unique as well.
The requirements for a profession increased based on time, skill, and the quality of manufactured goods. The details would be confirmed when she reached level 5, although it seemed that if you produced a higher-quality item, you could gain more from them. Dave said she could increase production speed, but it would always create common items if you did. The professions could be improved, but gaining the requisite skills was a long process.
“You mentioned that you can also get a second profession choice?” SJ asked.
“Yes, at level 20, you have the choice to either change your primary profession, which several have done before or choose a secondary profession,” Dave said.
“Why would someone change a primary profession?” SJ asked, confused.
“Certain professions are much harder to level, and many Legionnaires have decided to move to easier professions.”
“Which ones?”
“Usually, melee classes that have chosen enchanting as an example. To enchant items, you must use mana. Most melee classes do not invest in Intelligence and Wisdom, which directly links to your mana growth. So, without the extra attribute points, they can be limited to what they can ever enchant. Getting a +1 damage on a weapon or piece of armour at level 5 may sound great, but when you reach level 15 or 20, you really need much better enchantments, and they will never be able to attempt them due to their mana limits.”
“I really need to go through all the details once I reach level 5.”
“I am actually surprised I have been able to tell you so much of this already.”
“Why?”
“I am normally restricted from telling you certain things. I said that already.”
“So how can you then?”
“Probably like everything else that is different with you. That you are an anomaly.”
SJ was sitting leaning against a tree when the sound of snuffling returned. The next hogling had spawned.
“Here we go again,” SJ said, standing. As she walked into the clearing, movement from the far side occurred, and a black and white body streaked into the clearing, attacking the hogling. SJ stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the sight unfolding and triggered identification. Both creatures were caught in the skill. Since her identification skill had triggered to level 2, it informed her of a creature’s main attack.
Hogling Level 1
Hit points - 8
Mana points - 0
Attacks - Charge, Tusk
Badger Berserker Level 4
Hit points - 40
Mana points - 0
Attacks - Bite, Claws
SJ’s screen flashed.
Overkill warning
Due to repeated kills in one area, you have triggered a predator.
“OOOhhhh. This could be problematic,” Dave said.
SJ stared at the black and white beast that, with its large, clawed paw strike, tore into the hogling and killed it with one hit. The badger was much larger than the ones she was used to seeing on nature programmes on Earth and was nearly as long as she was tall.
“It’s Level 4!” SJ exclaimed.
“I would advise that you retreat to the safe zone. I have known a level 2 or, on one occasion, a level 3 spawn in an overkill starter zone, but never a level 4. Two levels may not seem much, but it will be much stronger than you think.”
SJ started to retreat into the treeline when the badger noticed her. Turning its head and eyeing her. It snarled, showing a row of razor-sharp teeth, and charged.
“Ahhhh,” SJ screamed as the creature charged her. It was only about thirty feet away and covering the ground quickly. She stepped backwards instinctively straight into the tree she had just been sitting against. Fumbling, she reached for her short blade as the badger neared. The badger looked rabid, drool dripping from its jaws.
“It’s also a berserker variant. Now that is strange,” Dave said in a calm voice.
“WHY?” SJ shouted, which came out very squeaky and high-pitched.
“Berserker Badgers are a rare variant.”
SJ was not listening to Dave as the badger lunged straight at her. She dove sideways, her gymnastics from her youth coming into play as she naturally went into a forward roll and came back to her feet. Her increased Dexterity had been helping with her mobility and her new, lithe form as a fae. Her wings had naturally splayed as she rolled, stopping them from being an obstruction.
The badger had been running at her full pelt and crashed straight into the tree trunk, standing there now shaking its head. SJ took advantage of its stunned state and quickly attacked. Her blade struck true, and she pulled it out quickly as the badger howled and began to turn on her. It had taken a sliver of damage to its health. She struck a second time before it turned fully and caught it in its face as it spun.
Whether a freak hit or pure luck, as SJ knew it was not skill, she had hit the badger in its eye. The badger recoiled from the strike, now blinded in one eye. It threw its head from side to side in pain and anger and swiped at her with its clawed paw. She leapt backwards, only just avoiding its strike. With the lucky strike, its health had been reduced by a quarter.
Dave was still talking in her head, “Rare variant creatures do not normally spawn until much higher levels,” he continued excitedly. “There is a chance of it dropping much better loot than a normal creature.”
SJ could not reply as she moved back from the badger’s swipes, focussing on staying out of its reach. The only bonus was that as it only now had sight in one eye, it did not appear to have the same depth perception, and several of its swipes were short. SJ continued back across the clearing, glancing behind her to ensure she kept her footing. She could not get near it with its continual paw strikes and had no option but to retreat in defence.
“I need to blind it,” she gasped as she kept moving away. She needed to make room between them, so she turned and ran. The badger immediately came after her, and reaching the far side of the clearing, ducked behind a tree, as it charged past. Her adrenaline was at maximum, her body flooded with it. She had always enjoyed scary rides at the fairs and the adrenaline rush from rollercoasters, but this was on a whole new level.
Everything seemed heightened. The way she saw the badger’s movements and her own had a new clarity. This was a fight to the death. Rather than try and strike the badger, she ran straight across the clearing to the far side and stopped by a tree again. The badger turned and came after her, and this time, as she stepped away from it, she made the same move she had done with the hoglings, striking down its flank. The short blade did little slashing damage compared to what it had done to the hoglings, but it was still additional damage.
Immediately running to the far side of the clearing, standing by a tree again as it charged. She kept repeating the exercise, feeling her lungs and legs beginning to burn, but the adrenaline kept her going. By this process, she managed to reduce it to under half of its health but knew she would eventually tire and could not keep doing it for much longer. The badger had a stripe of wounds on its flank, and they were all slowly bleeding. None were deep and looked more superficial. It would take too long to bleed out, even if it did.
“I am impressed so far,” Dave said.
SJ ignored his praise, grunted, and struck out an extra time at the badger rather than run back across the clearing. That was a mistake, as it swung its head round with its jaws open, catching her arm holding the blade. Not well enough to bite but well enough for its very hard and sharp teeth to cut into her skin. SJ yelped in pain, only just managing to keep a hold of the knife.
She kicked out defensively, catching it on the side of its head. The strike did puny damage but made the badgers head move, showing her its damaged eye. If she could do that on the other side, she may have a chance. Kicking out again, the damage was minimal, but the strike caused the badger’s head to turn the other way. As it did, she had a clear view of its good eye, stabbing towards it with her blade.
The badger recoiled, seeing the blade coming for it and swiped with its paw. SJ only just managed to pull her hand back in time. She dropped into her side stance naturally and stepped back from the creature. It shook its head from the blows, which, although not damaging, were distracting, and affecting its ability to focus. It snarled and moved for her again. This time, she did not attempt to stab it but swung her leg around in a sweeping kick, aiming for its head.
She caught it powerfully, her foot hurting through the soft leather boots as it struck the side of its solid face. The power behind the sweeping kick was much more than her previous front kicks. The badger’s head moved sideways again, taking a little damage, and its good eye faced her. Rather than kick with the other foot, she again kicked with her right, being her stronger side, and the kick again met its mark. It was not as powerful, but enough to keep the badger disorientated.
She was now gasping for breath. Her limbs feeling heavy, knowing she was running out of stamina. She would have been dead long ago if she had still been level 1. With all the effort she could muster, she continued to kick the creature. It seemed to get more unsteady with each blow. Sweep, draw, sweep, draw, sweep, draw. After the sixth successive hit, the badger lost its footing and slipped, falling sideways, shaking its head groggily.
SJ could not miss the opportunity, and while it staggered back to its feet, she lunged in with her blade, aiming deliberately, catching the badger’s remaining good eye. The badger howled in pain and anger as it became blinded, lashing out with its claws and snapping its jaws around, trying to find SJ.
SJ backed away, letting the badger lash out blindly without knowing where she was. She tried to steady her breathing as she watched the badger thrash about. Its health was very slowly decreasing with the continued bleeding and the damage she had done. It now only had a quarter of its health remaining. As she watched it thrash around, she felt a pang of guilt. What had she just done? The hoglings and termites were nothing to her, one being pests and the other a food source. The badger was a creature she had always liked as a child. She had owned a stuffed toy of a badger that she had slept with as a child. It had always been her favourite.
“You need to finish it,” Dave said flatly.
“I am not sure I can?” SJ replied.
“If you cannot kill a creature, how do you think you will ever be an assassin?” he snarked.
SJ was in turmoil now. She had chosen a class designed to kill and was concerned about a badger. She remembered reading about the badger culling that used to be on the news due to them being pests. Trying to resign herself to the fact it was a pest and not the cute furry badgers of her childhood stories, she moved to its side quietly into a position to strike at it unhindered. It took her four strikes to remove the remaining hit points, and it fell to the floor with one last defiant bark.
SJ slumped to her knees, her emotions tearing her up inside and placing her head in her hands, she began to sob.
