Chapter: Reaching level one

Erik and Rugrat started to clear the gear away. The guns that they hadn’t picked had been turned into rough ingots. Erik was happy that none of them were loaded.

They, pulled apart their own guns, put them back together and used string to pull their triggers, all of them worked. Rugrat took first watch as Erik went to sleep.

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You have 5 attribute points to use.

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Erik saw his character sheet floating in front of him.

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Character Sheet

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Name: Erik West

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Level: 0

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Race: Human

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Titles: From the Grave

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Strength: (Base 7) +0 (-1)

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70

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Agility: (Base 6) +0 (-2)

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30

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Stamina: (Base 9) +0 (-3)

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135

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Mana: (Base 2) +0

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20

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Mana Regeneration (Base 1) +0

0.95/s

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Stamina Regeneration: (Base 7) +0 (-2)

2.15/s

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If I up my Mana Regeneration, that will mean I cast spells with greater frequency and for longer periods of time. What do I need Strength for? I’m pretty strong on my stats now that I have all my limbs back. My muscles still aren’t fully developed so I can run, but I’m going to need some breaks. can run around pretty well, a little slow right now but improving that fast enough so don’t really need Agility. Stamina, now that means I can do more stuff for a longer period of time—kind of useful—but Stamina Regeneration means I’ll need fewer breaks. Mana—well, I don’t have spells that need that much Mana. Plus, with a high regeneration, it will be hard for me to really make a dent in the overall Mana usage. Erik pondered what to do.

Okay, so I need to do physical labor. There are only rudimentary roads from what I was seeing, so going to be on foot most of the time. If I could run faster, then that would be useful. All right so, one point into Agility, two into Stamina regeneration and Mana regeneration.

With Erik’s thoughts, his character sheet updated and he accepted the changes.

Erik woke up some time later with Rugrat shaking him awake.

“West?” Rugrat asked.

“Yeah I’m up,” Erik said, his head blurry as he started to get up and out of his sleeping bag. He felt stronger, his body more powerful.

“Took some time to wake you there,” Rugrat said.

“Just made it to level one, put attribute points into my character sheet,” Erik said, recalling what had happened right before he had gone to sleep.

He quickly pulled up his character sheet to look for changes.

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Character Sheet

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Name: Erik West

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Level: 1

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Race: Human

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Titles: From the Grave

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Strength: (Base 7) +0 (-1)

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70

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Agility: (Base 6) +1 (-2)

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35

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Stamina: (Base 9) +0 (-3)

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135

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Mana: (Base 2) +0

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20

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Mana Regeneration (Base 1) +2

1.35/s

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Stamina Regeneration: (Base 7) +2 (-2)

2.55/s

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Clearly his dream wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. He quickly told Rugrat what had happened.

Rugrat spent some more time awake, looking over his stat sheet before he got into his sleeping bag.

Erik was only able to wake him three hours later.

Rugrat, once coming to quickly checked his stats.

“Well, looks like we can only apply the attribute points when we go to sleep. Though when when I trained my body and increased a stat level,. It was like I broke through a barrier, allowing me to directly use my extra strength right away. Also it went straight to the base stat, not, what I’m guessing is that modifying stat,” Rugrat said.

Hopefully we can start to get some more answers at this Chonglu City,” Erik said.

***

They gathered the supplies together that they had brought with them, they broke down the cylinder and moved around the forest, creating a few different caches with materials and items that they might need. It took them two days with Erik and Rugrat working out as much as possible.

Erik was finally rewarded on his second day.

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Your base stats have increased!

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Stamina +1

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Character Sheet

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Name: Erik West

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Level: 1

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Race: Human

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Titles: From the Grave

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Strength: (Base 7) +0

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70

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Agility: (Base 6) +1

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35

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Stamina: (Base 10) +0

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150

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Mana: (Base 2) +0

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20

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Mana Regeneration (Base 1) +2

1.35/s

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Stamina Regeneration: (Base 7) +2

2.55/s

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The other thing that they found was that their weapons had stats

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GM6 Lynx (Big Momma)

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Damage: Unknown

Weight: 11.5 kg

Health: 100/100

Base Value: Unknown

Range: Long range

Requires: .50 BMG Ammunition

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Erik and Rugrat toured the area, getting it burned into their minds os that they

would be able to find it no matter what. As they did they came across different plants and items.

Erik was passing a kind of fern when he took a knee.

It gave off a calming smell, just breathing it in, , he felt as if his body was lighter and healthier.

Erik looked at the plant for a few more seconds.

"Well got to take some risks." He grabbed his blade and dug around the fennel’s roots. He quickly pulled it and a clump of dirt free.

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You have successfully retrieved Forest Fennel!

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You have learned the skill: Alchemy

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Alchemists are said to open the world with a pill, potion, or powder. Masters of poisons and body-altering consumables, their craft can bring out a person’s ability and open new paths to their future.

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Skill: Alchemy

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Level: 1 (Novice)

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No bonuses at this time. You must prove your skills first.

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Erik's lips curled upwards at his small victory.

Quickly he stuffed the plant away and moved back to camp.

"Rugrat," Erik said as he found the large man burying anyother cache of supplies.

"What's up?" Rugrat asked.

"I just got the alchemy skill from doing something in this world. I think that if I was to heal something then, like how spells were recognized back on earth then I might unlock the healing skill as well," Erik said.

Rugrat let out a long sigh as he got out of the hole.

"Alriught, but you're going to ahve to stab me," Rugrat said.

"This'll just hurt a bit," Erik said.

"You're stabbing me, not giving me my latest run up of shots," Rugrat complained.

Erik quickly cut Rugrat's bare arm.

Rugrat let out a grunt and shook his arm at the pain as he pressed his teeth together.

Big baby," Erik said as he put his hand on Rugrat.

The magical circle appeared as he cast his healing spell with no problem. With his practice,for the two of them, casting healing spell took but a thought now.

The wound oin Rugrat's arm healed up quickly.

"Fucking stabby mcstabface over here," Rugrat complained, woiping away the old blood on his arm.

Erik's face turned to joy as screens appeared in his vision.

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You have learned the skill: Healer

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You have delved into the arts of a healer, a noble and lofty skill. Your abilities are still simple but with more patients and practice, your skills will evolve.

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Skill: Healer

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Level: 1 (Novice)

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No bonuses at this time. You must prove your skills first.

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He let out a pained yelled as he looked down at his arm and the grinning Rugrat.

Sorry I slipped, let me help you out there," Rugrat said.

"You little shit," Erik complained as Rugrat healed him.

"Booyah healer extraordinaire, watch out West," Rugrat laughed.

Erik’s hand moved to his side where he had stuffed the fennel into his pocket.

"Oh, I found this in the forest, when I pulled it out of the ground I unlocked the alchemist skill," Erik said.

"You want to make potions now?" Rugrat asked.

Erik opened his mouth and then shrugged.

"I don't really know enough about it. If it's like the games then I'd be able to make potions to restore mana, stamina and heal, be bandages on steroids."

"Could also maybe make gunpowder, or find something like it," Rugrat said.

"Still far off, I won't make any decisions until we know more."

"Well it should only be a day or two before everything is hidden away and we can set off," Rugrat said.

Erik nodded, he was cautious, but he was also excited, he was in lands unknown a land that had magic and fantasy, there was no knowing what they might run into.

Erik was one of those combat veterans that embraced the fight, it was only when everything that was on the line he felt alive, it felt like he served a higher purpose, he got things done and he charged forwards. That was called being alive, here he was in enemy territory and he didn't know anything, it was a blank landscape, it excited the hunter, the combat medic that rested within him.