Chapter 17: Crossroads

I made my way back to the crossroads and finding a clean spot, sat down to think. I was intrigued by the skillbook I had found, but before I decided whether or not to learn its skill, I needed to ponder my course first.

“So, Gnat,” I asked, “how do skillbooks work?”

The skeletal bat shifted on my shoulder. “In much the same manner that Class Stones do. You will acquire its knowledge directly.”

I pursed my lips. “Permanently?”

“Permanently,” Gnat confirmed. “Once learned, a skill cannot be unlearned.”

I ran my hand over the skillbook in my lap. It was bound in brown leather and engraved with silver text on its cover. A tiny flap on the right kept the tome sealed, but it would be a simple matter to unlock it. Making no move to open the book yet, I read its Game description again.

Two weapon fighting: this skill is compatible with your slotted Classes and may be learned.

The message implied that the skills I could learn were predetermined by my Class, but I wasn’t certain yet which skills I would have access to as a scout. Still, I could guess. “Can scouts learn magic skills, Gnat?”

“No,” the familiar replied, confirming what I suspected.

“So what skills can a scout learn?” I asked.

The bat shrugged. “The list is too large for even me to remember. The scout Class is dexterity-based and as such can learn most skills governed by the attribute. Many perception-based skills are also available to scouts.”

I nodded thoughtfully. I would have liked to see the full list of skill options available to me before learning any new skills, but I didn’t have that luxury, and truly, I couldn’t pass up the chance of learning the only other skill I had found—and an advanced one at that. Besides the skill would complement my existing light weapon skill nicely, and even after learning it, I would have two my skill slots available.

Decided, I opened the skillbook.

The pages of the tome were filled with long lines of sliver script, which to my surprise, I could understand. Almost involuntarily, I began reading.

~~~

I blinked, awareness returning slowly. I had been so enthralled by the tome, I had lost track of both time and my surroundings.

I glanced down. The skillbook was gone. Before I could panic, a pulse in my mind alerted me to a waiting Game message.

Looking inwards, I perused its contents.

You have acquired the advanced skill: two weapon fighting. You may now dual-wield weapons in combat. As you increase this skill, the penalty you incur by wielding two weapons simultaneously will be reduced. Note, not all weapons are suitable for use in your second hand. You have 2 of 6 scout Class skill slots remaining.

My eyebrows rose in surprise. Seemingly while lost in my trance, I had finished reading the skillbook and acquired its knowledge. “Gnat, how much time has passed?”

“Less than a minute, Michael,” he replied.

I shook my head, amazed at how quick the process had been.

“Shall we get moving?” Gnat asked.

“One moment,” I replied. “I have more matter to attend to.” Closing my eyes, I communicated the Game’s Adjudicator again.

Your Dexterity has increased to rank 3.

This time, I chose to use my new attribute point to increase my Dexterity. It would allow me to keep improving my sneaking. To verify the changes to myself, I called up my player data.

Player Profile: Michael

Level: 5. Rank: 0. Current Health: 100%.

Stamina: 70%. Mana: 100%. Psi: 100%.

Species: Human. Lives Remaining: 3.

Attributes

Available: 0 points.

Strength: 0. Constitution: 0. Dexterity: 3. Perception: 3. Mind: 0. Magic: 0. and Faith: 0.

Classes

Primary Class: Scout (basic).

Secondary Class: None.

Tertiary Class: None.

Traits

Undead familiar: +1 to necromancy rank.

Nimble: +2 Dexterity.

Skills

Available skill slots: 2.

Dodging (current level: 3. max level:30. governing attribute: Dexterity. Type: basic).

Sneaking (current level: 20. max level:30. governing attribute: Dexterity. Type: basic).

Shortswords (current level: 7. max level:30. governing attribute: Dexterity. Type: basic).

Two weapon fighting (current level: 1. max level:30. governing attribute: Dexterity. Type: advanced).

Abilities

None.

Equipped

1 common thief’s cloak (+3 sneaking).

1 basic steel shortsword (+10% damage).

Backpack Contents

6 x field rations.

1 x flask of water.

3 x used poison darts.

2 x unused poison darts.

3 x empty potion flasks.

1 x summon lesser wight spellbook.

1 x full healing potion.

I nodded approvingly at my player profile. Undoubtedly, I was getting stronger. I rose to my feet. It was time to move on.

~~~

I tiptoed into the main passage with my sword out and my gaze flitting from side to side. I had tried hiding, but even with my sneaking skill at rank two, the corridor was too brightly lit for me to conceal myself.

The first part of the corridor was identical to the other main passages I’d ventured into: fill of dead goblins and looted chests, and I moved rapidly beyond them. Presently, the corridor opened out into a large circular chamber.

I paused on the threshold and warily scanned the interior. By all appearance, the room had contained the final encounter of the dungeon’s second leg. I could spot no movement, but saw plenty of corpses.

Slipping into the room, I sidestepped through the grizzly remains while I counted the dead. Two dozen deceased goblins littered the room, and nearly as many candidate corpses. In the chamber’s center, where the carnage was the worst, the goblin dead were distinctly different from the rest of their fellows.

I frowned. “Gnat, what’s wrong with these goblins?”

The skeletal bat looked at six corpses I was studying. “They seem normal to me,” my familiar replied.

“They’re not,” I argued. “They’re bigger.” At just over five-feet-tall, the corpses in question were about the height of a short human.

“Ah,” the bat said. “I understand your confusion now. Those goblins,” Gnat said, gesturing to the six with his chin, “are warriors. Low level fighters most likely.” The familiar swung his head around. “Those goblins are workers.” He spat. “Worthless civilians.”

I chewed over my companion’s words. “I’m guessing then, that from now on I can expect to see more goblin warriors in the dungeon?”

Gnat snorted. “Of course.”

I sighed. “Right.” I returned my attention to six dead goblins. Scattered around them were twice as many candidate corpses as in the rest of the room. From this, I gathered that the warriors represented a measurably greater threat than the workers.

The warriors were also notably more muscular than the other goblins I had encountered. I assumed that they had been better armed and armored too, but since the corpses had been stripped bare, I couldn’t tell if that really was the case.

The hacked and battered remains of a wooden chest lay in the center of the corpses. I sighed again. It seemed that the other candidates had found their own way around the chests’ traps. I would likely not be finding any un-looted chests anymore.

I raised my gaze to scan the perimeter of the room. There was only one other opening leading away from the chamber: a large archway on the northern end. It had to be the entrance to the dungeon sector’s third leg.

Sheathing my sword, I slipped through the archway and continued onwards on my journey.