Chapter 20 – Paragon of Efficiency

I spend nearly thirteen hours grinding mobs until I finally receive the notification I have been waiting for.

[Congratulations! You have reached level 5!]

[You have gained 3 free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point!]

It wasn’t easy, but the road going forward should be less strenuous. I killed seven more Lesser Slimes and twelve packs of Sewer Rats ranging from level four to five, netting me a whole bunch of extra crafting materials. The only reason it went this fast is because I don’t have to share the experience with any other players, and the mobs are far higher level than me. I won’t be able to keep this up forever as the level differences will matter more at the higher levels, but for these early levels, it’s a godsend. All in all, I’m pretty happy about it. The experience I gained lessened greatly after hitting level four, but I still managed to keep a good pace leveling up.

I’ve managed to find a good rhythm to my grinding. It was tough before I reached level four, but as soon as my dwarven Hoodlum reached level three, pinning down the rats became much easier. The mobs also turned gradually weaker the stronger I become, and I really picked up the pace near the end. Killing the monsters should be a breeze from here on out, and I think I can easily reach level six by tomorrow if I keep this up. That’s not a bad haul at all considering it’s only been two days.

I also managed to finally settle down on a character development path. Earlier, I was far too ambitious when it came to my capabilities. Using my Charisma, Luck, Dexterity, and Intelligence attributes to their full potential seems great on paper, but it isn’t practically viable. The limiting factor is skill points. I don’t have the capacity to level skills in both my Thief Lord class, Illusion Magic, Archery, and Trap making at the same time. It’s just not possible at this stage. I’ll just end up with a couple of half-arsed skills from each discipline and the results would become suboptimal. What I need is to cut down on one of these paths.

I thought long and hard on it, and I’ve decided to scrap Archery. When I break it down, I realise I shouldn’t under any circumstance be active in a combat scenario, especially against other players. I need to play to my strengths. It’s the best option I have since I can still get some value out of my Dexterity attribute by making traps.

Ah, yes. Traps. I wasn’t really planning on investing much in crafting skills, but I can really start seeing the value. There’s a long-known strategy to fighting monsters in role-playing games which is called ‘kiting’. To do this, one has to aggro a bunch of enemies and have them chase you. If I can somehow bait them to walk into a trap, then I will have a large advantage. I probably won’t use it against regular mobs, but it should be perfect against players as they are known to bullrush against any possibility they have of gaining loot or exp.

This is why I decided to start investing in crafting skills as soon as I reached level four. I pull up the Trap Maker skill tree.

Trap Making

One of the first practical engineering skills mankind learned was to create efficient ways to hunt animals. Trap Making is a dangerous path to tread and it requires a steady hand… and a lot of luck.

Available Skills:

Trigger Mechanism - Reduces the effectiveness of perception checks to spot the trap by 0,5 Luck + Skill level.

Release Mechanism - Increases the damage dealt by the trap’s payload by Dexterity + 2% * Skill level.

Framework - Creates the framework of the trap. Makes it more difficult to dismantle the trap by 0,5 Dexterity + Skill level.

Disarm Trap - Ability to disarm traps. Chance of success: 0,7 Dexterity + 0,3 Luck + Skill level. Chance to recover parts: 0,2 Luck + 0,5 * Skill level.

It’s not a lot of skills, but crafters were never supposed to be one-trick ponies anyway. There are plenty of other skills for crafters to choose from, and crafters were never supposed to level too quickly. Trap Maker is also more of a lesser crafting profession, one that crafters usually pick up as a secondary or tertiary profession. A bit like wood-carving or scribing. The four skills in the list are the core skills of trap making.

For my level four skill point, I decided to select ‘Disarm Trap’. It’s not really a vital skill to have at all, but considering traps are littered all over these sewers, it’s a great way to level up the profession while simultaneously scavenging for parts. So far, I’ve found and dismantled six low-level traps, but I haven’t managed to salvage any parts yet. I don’t worry about it though. With my Luck stat, it will end up as a treasure trove in due time.

Now though, I’ve managed to reach level five and I have yet another skill point to spend. I’m actually a little torn. While I did decide to commit to learning all the Trap Maker skills, I also shouldn’t neglect my class skills. At the moment, I haven’t selected a single buffing skill at all. None. I should probably get at least one of them, training it up as I go. As it stands, I’m pretty useless in a fight, and if I keep putting all my skill points into Trap Maker until level seven, then I might not be able to efficiently grind monsters or perform jobs in the near future.

Gritting my teeth, I try to make up my mind. It’s not an easy call, but I need to get at least one offensive skill. I’ve already narrowed my choices down to four different options, and I bring them up in front of me.

Fight Dirty – Gain attack damage equal to Luck + 0,5 * Skill level for 1 minute + 1 second per Skill level.

Cooldown: 20 minutes - 5 seconds per Skill level.

Fight Smart - Increases Evasion by 0,2 Luck + 0,2 * Skill level for 1 minute + 1 second per Skill level. Cooldown: 20 minutes - 5 seconds per Skill level.

Cheap Shot - Gives Underlings a damage bonus to their first attack in a fight equal to Luck + Skill level for 5 minutes + 5 seconds per Skill level or until the first attack has been made.

Cooldown: 20 minutes - 5 seconds per Skill level.

Gang Up - Gain increased damage when fighting 3 to 1 by 0,5 Luck + 0,5 * Skill level.

They are all great skills, each offering a different benefit. I have already decided which skill to get though, and it’s the one with the most gain per skill level. Yep, it’s ‘Cheap Shot’. I wasn’t initially intending to start off with this skill since it’s not overly helpful when grinding monsters. What it is useful for though, is allowing me to quickly assassinate players or NPCs if I’m on a job. A quick and efficient kill before they know what hit them is instrumental if I want to succeed. It’s a slight gamble, but it’s not like I won’t be able to get the other skills later. It’s just more skill level efficient to choose it sooner rather than later.

With my new skill selected, I’ve come upon yet another crossroads. Choosing where to allocate my six newest attribute points. Initially, I’ve been trying to even out my Charisma and Luck score to prepare for the future, but now I’m not so sure anymore. Most of my class skills require a high Luck stat, but since I’ve decided to focus on getting Trap Maker skills for the foreseeable future, dumping points into Luck seems like a waste. Therefore, using my attribute points to gain an extra underling to train should be the smartest option. It would make grinding monsters far more efficient. Without further ado, I put all six of my attribute points into Charisma, watching it rise to thirty-six.

The only thing to do now is head back to the tavern and recruit one. During my grinding session down here, I actually managed to find two new exits to the sewers; one of them ended up inside an abandoned warehouse, while the other ended up deep inside the Shanty Town to the west. The warehouse should be close to the tavern I visited earlier, so that’s where I’m heading. Luckily it’s not far, so I reach it without encountering any more mobs.

I climb out of the hatch and soon find myself in a poorly lit room. Looking around, the warehouse has been mostly stripped of all its belongings. There are a few piles of torn rags in a corner which I assume belong to some squatters that have long since abandoned this place. Several of the windows are broken, and the door has been unhinged. It could be a nice place to rest, but not in this neighbourhood. The chance of waking up with your throat slit by some punk is a bit high.

It’s a pretty neat spot for an exit to the sewers though. I wouldn’t have found it if I didn’t come from down below. When I look around, it’s actually superbly hidden. I only need to move a few boxes to completely hide it, and I’m certain it’s easy to place something heavy on top of it to bar entry from below. It’s a nice chokepoint, and I need to remember this if I ever find myself in a pinch.

I’m about to have a better look around when there’s movement at the warehouse’s door. Spinning around, my heart almost threatens to burst from my chest as I lay my eyes upon a poorly dressed dwarf.

“For fuck’s sake. I told you to stop sneaking up on me like that…” I groan as my Beggar casually walks towards me. Reaching me, he grunts once before a blue window appears.

Your Agent (Dwarf Beggar(5)) has uncovered 2 secrets.

Running on Fumes

Job type: Heist. Difficulty: Medium (?). Deadline: 14 Days. Rewards: 250 Experience, Unknown.

A local novice Alchemist has recently set up his laboratory in the neighbourhood. Most think it’s because the rent is cheap, but a local informant revealed that the Alchemist in question has been brewing concoctions that have been deemed unsafe by the authorities. The Alchemist never leaves his home, but due to the repugnant smells, his neighbours should have vacated the area.

Do you wish to accept this job?

Burglarizing Bard

Job type: Heist. Difficulty: Hard (?). Deadline: 5 Days. Rewards: 400 Experience, Unknown.

The local Bard’s College has trained many well-known adventurers and performers. Their charismatic displays are only rivaled by the lords themselves. Rumours on the street claim that the Bard’s College has commissioned several pieces of armor for their newly recruited apprentices. The guild is frequented by strong adventurers, but their College’s doors are always open to visitors.

Do you wish to accept this job?

“Not bad…” I mutter as I read through the two jobs. Something really strikes me though. Both of these jobs seem to be tailored to my general needs. I felt like my Necromancer missions were similar, but this confirms it. The first quest, ‘Running on Fumes’, seems to be a job directly tied to the acquisition of my Poisoner.

Similar to the first job I received, I notice the job descriptions directly points to what the loot is going to be. ‘A Widow’s Grief’ told me about the jewelry Sargeant Davvins bought for his wife, and I ended up with two high-quality rings and a necklace for my troubles. If that is any indication of what I can gain, then the ‘Running on Fumes’ job will allow me to steal the basic ingredients and equipment required for my Poisoner to perform her job. I’m certain it’s no coincidence how that job just happened to appear now. It’s convenient. Game logic convenient.

No matter though. I’m not going to complain that the golden goose turns her eyes in my direction. The second job seems to also be related to what I need. For a level five character, I’m actually still reasonably undergeared. I haven’t been able to scrounge up a lot of money, and unlike regular players, I don’t even have access to a fraction of the number of quests they can perform to quickly and efficiently strengthen their equipment.

Since Bards and Thief Lords are both characters who heavily rely on equipment that boosts Charisma, it’s reasonable to assume we compete for the same type of gear. If I want enchanted armor with boosts to Charisma and don’t have the same options to group up and raid dungeons the traditional way, then what better way to acquire this gear than to steal the stuff from a Bard?

Anyway. Good thing this is a game, so nothing is stopping me from accepting both of these jobs. A small part of me is also grateful that the two jobs don’t appear to be as morally dubious as robbing the widow was. It may still be a game, but certain things still leave me with a sour taste in my throat. Normally, I wouldn’t even bat an eyelid at these sorts of jobs, but I’m still a little shaken after what I’m doing to Anna. I still can’t help but feel it’s a little wrong, you know?

I shake my head, trying to clear my mind. I really need to stop thinking about it. It’s just a game, and I don’t even know Anna. Why should it matter if I break her trust? It’s actually Anna’s own fault when you think about it. She shouldn’t be this loose-lipped with her guild’s secrets around a stranger she just met and didn’t even bother to perform a proper Perception check against. This should really just be a valuable lesson for her. Who knows? Maybe this will prevent her from entering some stranger’s van in the future or something. Gritting my teeth, I try to soothe my mind with a few more convenient lies before I get back to scanning through the job descriptions. If I have time to worry about my self-conscience, then I have time to worry about leveling up enough so that I won’t need to trick Anna anymore.

As I see it, both of the jobs should be viable options. I don’t feel like the deadlines put much pressure on me, and I will most likely perform both jobs within a short timeframe anyway. So my real question is; which one of these do I choose? Both of them have great merits. ‘Running on Fumes’ would make sure my newest acquisition, the Poisoner, could start producing poisons and potions at once. The ‘Burglarizing Bard’ however, offers me better equipment that most likely will give me a significant boost to my Charisma attribute which will undoubtedly allow me to recruit more underlings to level up as quickly as possible.

A part of me leans towards getting the equipment job first, mostly because the deadline is the shortest and it would give me the most significant short-term boost to my abilities. However, my brain tells me I should start leveling my Poisoner first. This is because the Bard mission has a higher difficulty rating, and I probably need every edge I can get to make sure the job is successful. To be safe, I should therefore definitely go for the easier job since I don’t really have a second chance to rectify myself if I fuck up the Bard job.

Gritting my teeth, I have to go with my mind on this one. I need to think long term, and taking unnecessary risks because I see a shortcut is what made me fail as a Necromancer in the first place. I need to play safer and smarter if I am to succeed as a Villain.

With my mind made up, I decide to first take care of the essentials. No matter the job, I still need to recruit a new underling. Considering my battles down below, I realise I am in severe need of more combat personnel. Even with four capable underlings, I still struggle to end fights with minimal damage. The main reason grinding took so long down there was because I had to spend a large amount of time between each fight just to have my underlings regenerate their health points. Sometimes, not having a healer in the group sucks. Scratch that. Not having a healer always sucks.

To keep the balance of my party intact, I need to consider which type of underling I need. Since I already have two Hoodlums, then I believe I should be good on that front for the time being. Having one additional Hoodlum would be great for subduing a pack of rats more efficiently, but it doesn’t help me much when I lack the potential for dishing out some damage. Another Cutpurse would probably give me a great boost to surrounding and finishing off regular mobs and players quickly, but I can’t help but worry about my lack of ranged utility.

The slowest and most grueling of the mobs I grind are definitely the slimes, and trying to kill them off with only one capable underling is too slow of a process. Slimes aren’t the only enemies I can only deal with at range, and the sheer utility they offer can not be ignored either. I also have to think about the fact that I now have access to two upgraded ranged weaponry, and my Spotter is currently wielding them both. Being the paragon of efficiency that I am, my sense of logic heavily favors recruiting another Spotter.

Which is exactly what I do.