The deeper they journeyed into the cavern, the more Mane Lizards they found. The Flame Golems were at the center, so they had no choice but to move on. Some of the mobs they could sneak past, but some were unavoidable. Luckily, they only had to deal with one pair of Mane Lizards each time.

The battles got easier as Spook got used to the combat system in the game. He found his movements were much more fluid and he used more of the terrain to his advantage. This included utilizing high ground to launch surprise attacks or cracking skulls against hard rock. Watching Yimyo engage in close combat helped him understand effective ways of dealing with monsters. The combat system was more complex beyond a simple hack and slash or a spell cast.

“Take that ya ugly fucker,” grunted Spook as he bashed in the skull of a screeching lizard. Next to him, Yimyo had also finished off his lizard as well. This was the 6th pair they had encountered. The quest component for acquiring Mane Lizard tails had long been completed and Spook had improved his level and skills since then.

“Let’s take a quick breather,” huffed Yimyo. Stamina wasn’t an orc’s best trait.

Spook gladly sat down and leaned against a nearby rock. They had been constantly fighting and this was the first downtime he had to check out his improvements.

[Status

Username: Spook

Race: Skeleton

Lvl 2

Health: 48/60

Energy: 100/100

Stats

Strength: 9

Vitality: 5

Stamina: 8

Dexterity: 6

Intelligence: 6

Available Stat Points: 5

Unique Titles and Abilities

: Grants the player special traits based on the things they consume.

: Strengthens the body and allows for ‘Evolution’

(Rank 1): Grants the player +5% damage reduction to physical and elemental attacks.

(Rank 1): Grants a +1% immunity bonus to paralysis.

Pugilist Skills

(Rank 1): Cost 20 energy to use. A punch capable of inflicting moderate damage. Chainable with Guillotine.

(Rank 1) Costs 30 energy to use. A devastating kick capable of inflicting high damage. Killing an enemy with this skill will provide 50 energy.

Skill Points Available: 1]

The paralysis resistance he gained from the mimic tongue hadn’t improved even though he had leveled up. Spook figured it would only improve from eating Scaling Ingredients. He decided to put 3 points into strength and 2 points into dexterity. A hybrid attack and speed build sounded quite attractive to him. A single point into increased the mastery by 25%, so it needed three more points to rank up.

[Inventory

X1 Class Box (Restricted until Level 5)

X2 Bounty Token (Can be exchanged at any PvP Master in any Town/City)

X4 Mane Lizard Tail]

Spook made sure Yimyo wasn’t looking at him before taking out a lizard tail. He didn’t need the orc seeing what he was about to do.

[1x Mane Lizard Tail---The tail of a Mane Lizard is used in potion crafting and also for bait in fishing. Is commonly sold by players and can be bought in the World Auction.

Scaling Ingredient: Yes]

The pink piece of flesh looked awfully similar to a sausage, though a couple of inches thicker. Without hesitation, he bit into the meat. The texture was smooth and silky like a piece of chocolate, but the taste was far from it. It reminded Spook of an overly salted slice of ham and it had the consistency of tough beef. It was not the best thing he had ever ate, but he stomached it nonetheless. The Scaling Ingredient disappeared into nothingness as he swallowed. Once again, a blue screen popped up, revealing his new benefits.

[Scaling Skeleton Effect Activated

------------------------------------------

improved.

developed

strengthened.

More Information]

[ developed.

Your fists have been covered in the scales of a Mane Lizard, increasing their destructive force.

Effect: Grants a slight increase to physical attacks from your fists.

‘Evolution’ Available.]

Spook felt an itchy sensation tingling in his hands. Taking off his gloves, he watched as a layer of speckled colored scales covered his knuckles. The scales themselves were flat and ridged. Tapping the scales told him they held the same hardness as the ones found on the Mane Lizards. He flexed his transformed fists, marveling at the augments he just received.

I feel like some sort of evolutionary freak, enhancing my body with all these Scaling Ingredients I eat.

Would he sprout wings if he ate dragon meat? What about night vision? Gills for underwater breathing? The possibilities were endless. Spook let his fantasies run wild as he put his gloves back on, allowing a grin to spread on his face.

“How are you holding up?” asked Yimyo. The orc was perched precariously on a rocky ledge, maintaining an advantageous high ground so they wouldn’t be surprised ambushed by some wandering monsters. “Newbies tend to avoid fighting Mane Lizards as their first monster. You’re doing quite well for a complete novice at the game. It’s almost as if you’ve done this before. Beginner’s luck maybe?”

If only you knew. Spook chuckled to himself. There was no way Yimyo knew his first kills had been other players. But it wasn’t necessary to tell him. It was better to let his companion believe otherwise.

Spook shrugged his shoulders, “I’ve played a couple of fighting games before but nothing to this extent. I’d say I’m a little bit more experienced than the average beginner. I like how the combat is flexible in that you can chain skills together and use the terrain to your advantage. Also, the Envision Module makes the experience quite realistic.”

Yimyo nodded in agreement as he pointed to his temple. “The Envision module has some crazy features. Not only does it let you immerse in Inside Online, but it’s even perfected the five senses. If you ever go to Volksen City, make sure you eat at the Gourmet Tower. It’s quite expensive, but the food there is out of this world.”

“Volksen City? Isn’t that all the way south?”

“That’s right. You can get there if you use the warp crystal back at Jot in the main square. It’ll cost you fifty coppers though.”

“Fifty coppers?! I don’t have that kind of money on me.” Spook was penniless after buying his leather set. He didn’t even have enough to buy potions.

“Bah, the loot we’re going to get from these monsters will be more than enough.” Yimyo waved a dismissive hand. “Golem cores and lizard tails sell for about 15 coppers each.”

Spook’s eyes widened in surprise. Maybe he shouldn’t have ate one of the tails. It felt as if he had just splurged on an expensive meal, only to find out that there was a cheaper alternative that served the same thing next door.

Yimyo had noticed his expression. “You running low on funds or something?” asked Yimyo.

“Kinda. I spent all my money buying gear,” Spook admitted. He hadn’t fully explored how to make coin yet.

“It’s not that hard to earn money in the game. You just need to find your niche. I’m not filthy rich by any means, but I’ve done fairly well for myself. Bloodgeon here cost me a pretty penny to buy.” Yimyo patted his battleaxe. “Try signing up for a Life Skill profession. Search around. There’s plenty you can choose from. Personally, I’ve made most of my money from selling furniture.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. You can make money selling chairs and tables?” gaped Spook. He had a hard time imagining the bulky orc meticulously putting together delicate pieces of furniture.

The orc enthusiastically nodded his head. “People need all sorts of furniture for their houses. Crafting benches, spinner’s wheel, magic founts. You name it.”

Looks like moneymaking won’t be an issue. The hard part is finding something that works. Spook thought.

Suddenly a shrill screech filled the cavernous space, rousing the duo to their feet. A lone lizard had somehow managed to enter the area undetected.

“Well, let’s get back to hunting shall we?” grunted Yimyo. “Golems should be up ahead.”