{Spells Scroll}

-Induction Spells-

{Dreadful Sight [1/10]} ; Induce fear into enemies within direct line of sight of you through words of power.

Enemy must be able to hear you.

Enemy must be able to see you.

Fear Intensity: Within 1 level of you or lower.

Fear duration: 5 minutes while within line of sight of you, 10 seconds if not.

Enemies in combat with you will disengage.

-Enhancement Spells- -Materialization Spells-

Kaine inspected his new additions whilst going about collecting whatever he could from the dead Gnolls. Gathering himself a bone knife, a sling & pouch of shaped stones, a bone spear, two bone long-swords, three bone axes and also retrieving his lesser copper sword. Returning it to his belt.

Now…

{ [Life]: 6/16 }

Slowly he was recovering from the bloody battle, but ready for another one he was definitely not. Not any time soon, and no matter what he was doing, Kaine remained on high alert.

{Jor Mungandr} {Character}

Race: Dark Elf

Total Level: 4

Martial Level: 3

Arcana Level: 1

Crafting Level: 0

Main Faction: None

Reputation: 0

Guild: None

Title: {The Reckless}

Racial Title: {First of the Dark Born}

{Equipment}

[Elven Civilian Shirt]

[Bandage Gloves]

[Vine Belt]

[Elven Civilian Pants]

[Bandage Socks]

{Arts} [Martial Arts]; 3 [Arcane Arts]; 1 [Crafting Arts]; 0

{0} Neutral Points

-Strength / 5-

-Agility / 7.5 (5)-

-Dexterity / 7.5 (5)-

-Vitality / 3-

-Perception / 4.5 (3)-

-Intelligence / 1-

-Spirit / 1-

-Expertise / 1-

-Sense / 1-

-Aura / 1-

-Brightsmithing / 0-

-Enchanting / 0-

-Handicraft / 0-

-Leatherworking / 0-

-Blacksmithing / 0-

-Tinkering / 0-

-Alchemy / 0-

-Ritualcraft / 0-

-Herbalism / 0-

-Gathering / 0-

-Mining / 0-

-Woodchopping / 0-

-Hunting / 0-

-Cooking / 0-

-Minstrelcraft / 0-

-Sigilcraft / 0-

Opening his character page, Kaine then sighed at the sight of his newly changed race. Inspecting it to gain further information.

{Dark Elves}

{Drow}

{Dal’Fae}

-Dark Sight; You sense movement within darkness and shadows. Nothing of physical make can sneak up on you whilst you lay in at least shade, to pitch darkness.

-Demon Master; Can [Summon] a link to a demonic entity, forming a {Contract of servitude} with you as the master.

-Corrupt Creation; +15% experience gain to Sigilcraft and Enchanting. Capable of using Curse enchantments.

This is…something.

He thought, remembering the strange words that appeared in his sight earlier. Understanding now that those notifications were probably how players learned spells and used magic in general in this new world.

Which made him wonder…

Can I…make more Dark Elves?

Kaine mused, glancing back at his spell list but seeing no such thing.

No spell was unlocked for that, which makes me wonder…Can I still cast it or show someone how to cast it if I know the words? Well, it wasn’t the only way to turn Dark Elf back in the old game but without finding some kind of underground mage society or something of the sort, the others won’t really work that well…

He sighed, deciding to leave such thoughts for a later time, seeing his current situation at the moment was bit too dire for theory make.

Glancing about himself and at the carnage left in his wake, Kaine felt shame, this was a side of himself that he absolutely hated.

I lost control…Again…It’s been a while, I guess it really was a bad idea to return to these kind of games…

He sighed once more.

Not that I can leave now.

He then mused with a light chuckle, finding his current situation even more ironic.

Well, what’s next? I should probably move away from here and quickly, rather not get into another fight any time soon…I wonder how those guys made it, hopefully they’ve retrieved Lara?

A thought then came to Kaine.

Maybe…it’s best if I don’t ever see them again?

He glanced at his surroundings once more.

They’re smart, I can’t hide this from them forever. Not…Not this side of me, it’s already leaking out no matter how much I try to hold it back.

Kaine turned away, beginning to move towards the river and out of the patch of tall grass which he had fought the Gnolls in. Briefly pausing as he watched the sun in its full blinding glory ahead, as it shone upon the fields of golden grass. Blurring as the rays passed through the pillars of thick steam which dotted the river.

Movement then caught his attention, and Kaine turned to see what could only have been described as a small army.

Down the valley’s incline from where he stood, they were clearly visible even in the taller patches of grass.

Hundreds…

Hundreds of creatures crossed through the stream down river, Gnolls of many sizes, both walking and riding beasts that seemed too big to be what they looked like. But sure enough as Kaine squinted, he found that the Gnolls seemed to be using giant Hyenas as mounts. There being dozens of them as well.

Immediately Kaine kneeled down and took cover back in the tall grass, watching as several small groups of twenty to thirty Gnolls came from every side and direction, seemingly regrouping with the main movement.

Kaine saw as what he decided to call hunting parties, carried many different things back to the main group. From corpses of Goldebeests to strange long fish, he even saw several Gnolls carry a dead Gryphah over a make-shift cart of wood and bone, being dragged forward by four giant Hyenas.

Carts of which he also saw many of, slowly being pushed across the stream while most of the horde waited on the other side.

That…That is a lot of fucking Gnolls…and carts? Riding giant hyenas? Wait…bone weapons…Oh no.

Kaine mused in shock, the beasts were never this smart back in the old game and now that he actually had time to think about it, they usually just used their claws and fangs to fight. The only Gnolls he remembered wielding an actual weapon were Elite class, ones who had stolen the weapon from someone and were smart enough to wield it right.

This entire scene stumped him, but at the same time made him realise many things.

How…how much time has passed between then and…now? Have all primal races evolved beyond the stone age? Goblins and Kobolds too? That must mean…civilizations don’t exist anywhere nearby here…No civilization made up of any of the greater races would allow…these things to thrive. What if…No the Gaizedon said there were Elves downstream, so some sort of civilization must have survived but…how far? How many even?

Kaine for the first time since arriving in this entrapping game, realised, just how little he knew of this world.

Just how little… he understood his situation.

His eyes then widening as a new sight presented itself.

One of the Gnoll hunting parties was carrying back something that looked nothing like a Goldebeest or Gryphah, and definitely not a fish. As four of the five creatures struggled and fought back, shouting and screaming with muffled tones through their bindings while several Gnoll per captive carried them off.

Son of a…

Kaine thought as he watched the Gnolls carry off Jedd and the rest of the guild, heaving them up into an empty cart. He couldn’t quite tell from this distance, but it seemed like they were also being tied up to the cart itself.

They…They got caught?... Oohh Fuckwaffle.

Kaine groaned quietly, the thought of leaving off on his own now disappearing entirely from his mind.

I guess…I’ve got no choice huh?

Thinking to himself that if only his heart was just a tad bit colder…

I can’t, I can’t just leave them. Shit, fuck, god bloody damnit!...

His mind rushed as he tried to think of a way around this, trying his hardest to come up with some way to save them on the spot.

But nothing came, not with the tools he currently had, not with the strength he possessed…

There’s no bloody way I can take on that many Gnolls, maybe in a long as hell corridor that only allows one through…Ugh…

Lowering his gaze to his hands, Kaine took a deep breath, calming himself.

Alright…think…maybe not now but definitely soon. Definitely before they get boiled and eaten…Yeah, yeah definitely before they get turned into chow.

He looked beyond the horde, seeing savanna for as far as the eye could see, but also noticing that there were a few patches of tall grass, shrubs, hills and rock formations. Enough that he might be able to hide and follow the horde without being detected…

They’re crossing the river but are they going to follow it? I think not closely, not with the Gaizedons along it…I don’t see any other sources of water so they will follow it, but probably keep their distance…Maybe I can keep to the river myself?

Kaine kept pondering on his approach as he watched the horde slowly and finally cross the river, watching as it continued to move away from water whilst turning downstream.

Sighing with relief as he saw their chosen direction.

Well, they’re moving downstream at least.

Then began to move himself, rushing back to the campsite which lay by the river, though still able to keep watch on the horde as the camp itself lay at the very top of the terrain’s incline. Kaine briefly paused when he saw Slayn’s corpse though, seeing one side of its pelt in the process of being skinned whilst several claws lay missing from its bleeding paws.

Glancing about further, the entire camp was a disaster, but very little was actually taken as the Gnolls that had stopped to ransack it were called into the previous battle as reinforcements.

Reinforcements which he had also killed.

Quickly he rummaged through, looking for anything and everything of use. Grabbing hold of berries, strips of jerky, sharpened stones and smoothed out branches, then storing them all.

Holding the item he wished to store in his hand, simply thinking to himself that he wished to store it before the object suddenly faded from existence.

[Worked Acacia Branch] added to inventory. 10/25

Each item he added, either stacking like the berries, jerky and stones, or taking a single slot themselves like the branches and weapons.

[Lesser Venison Jerky] added to inventory.

Stacked, 14/32

11/25

Gaining himself a stack of 14 jerky, three carved and smoothed out branches, two long blade-like sharpened stones and filling the rest with as many berries as he could gather.

[Common Guarri Berry] added to inventory.

Stacked, 32/32

15/25

[Common Guarri Berry] added to inventory.

Stacked, 9/32

16/25

Finished with scavenging the camp, Kaine began trekking down the valley and after the horde, looking for a shallow part of the river he also crossed it. Deciding it was better to do so while he was far from the horde instead of risking it when he got close.

“Alf.”

When a voice suddenly bellowed out from behind him, Kaine turned quickly, startled as he searched for the source.

Watching in agitation as the closest pillar of steam slowly dissipated, revealing the Gaizedon within, the one he had previously spoken to.

“Or…Alf, you are no longer? It matters not, night and day matter not to this one.” The Gaizedon mused as it slowly approached him. “This one, cannot aid in rescuing your comrades, and for that this one apologises. But there is something this one can do.”

Kaine gazed at it warily, as its massive feet reached him. “What?...”

“This one remembers, this land, remembers.” The Gaizedon said, and Kaine watched as each pillar of steam began to move…downstream. “We all, remember. We all appreciate, your presence. We will help you hide and move, but we ask for something in return.”

Kaine pondered over this for a moment, “What do you want?”

A burst of steam rushed out of its trunk, covering the river’s surface around them. “Our kind travels for long long distances, yet we keep to a path, we keep to a cycle and shall not break away from it. We ask of you, if we help you, that you carry a message for this one.”

“A…message? To where? To who?” Kaine asked, confused as to what a neutral monster would want to send a message for.

“Downstream far far away, within the hidden city of Calen’Ris, deep within the living ravine…There you will find the clan of Sol, speak to their patriarch and tell them of the coming toll…The barrier grows dim, thirty more moons and the sky goes grim. Be swift with my call, or ruin will come to us all.” The Gaizedon told him, as it suddenly began to move around him. “If your memory fails you, return to me and I shall repeat the message if need be. But please, take away this for me.”

Then suddenly steam gushed out of its trunk once more, engulfing the river from side to side, and Kaine with.

So…First I get stuck in a game where fighting is unavoidable…A game with actual diseases and survival systems…Left with no choice but to group up with others…After which, we’re attacked under the veil of night by monsters…I’m beaten within an inch of my life, and turned into a Dark Elf…My comrades have been kidnapped by said monsters too…

Kaine sighed.

Now…Oh now I get to be the messenger to a fucking riddle?...Hah…

{Quest Log} ~New Quest Unlocked!~

[The Message];

A beast of the savanna has requested you to deliver an urgent message to the far elven city of Calen'Ris which lays deep within the living ravine downstream from here.

Requirements;

Total level: 4 or higher

Race: Elf, or subcatagory of Elven

Reward: Unknown

Time limit: 30 days

Possible results of failure include:

-Death of player -Widespread deaths throughout the associated realm -Doom of the associated realm

...

Well that escalated quickly.

...

Fuck my life.