Or so I thought.

The safety of my bedding provided me with enough security, so I fell back asleep shortly after awakening.

When I awoke the next morning at the crack of dawn I felt refreshed. The events of yesterday seemed like a surreal nightmare, but there is nothing to be done. Therefore, I must progress forwards. Starting with getting out of this tree.

While I am quite content with my camp, in order to progress I must tear it down. First is the sleeping bag. It served its purpose for something that only cost a few copper. After wrapping up the sleeping bag and folding the tarp I place them both in my inventory and begin to undo the rope.

The knot I had tied came loose in a few seconds. Based on how easy the rope came undone I am thankful it didn’t simply unravel as I was sleeping.

Now that everything is packed up I can begin to climb down the tree. Looking at the forest bed around the trunk I can see tufts of fur lying around and the claw marks on the trunk are obvious. The bark has come off completely in many places and deep gashes are left in the barren wood. It would be in my best interest to proceed with caution, because there is no telling if those creatures have left the area or not.

Finally my feet touch solid ground.

But before I can move an inch, a coarse breathing sounds out from an area not too far from my position. It follows a steady rhythm with occasional grunts.

I am not alone.

I crouch down immediately and tread softly over to investigate the source of the noise. In my vision there are three level 7 wolves curled up sleeping. The stench of blood is thick on them, which leaves me feeling nauseous. If I can maneuver silently among them, I might be able to kill them in their sleep. The scent of their own blood will be drowned out by the already thick aura surrounding them.

Now that I’ve got a plan, it’s time to set it in motion.

The closest wolf is within five feet of my current location. Although they are sleeping, I activate my cloaking and prepare to launch a sneak attack on the closest wolf. My dagger sinks deep into the flesh of it’s neck dealing a critical hit on top of the bonus from backstab. The wolf is instantly slaughtered and I can see my experience bar filling rapidly having gained 20 experience from the kill.

“Damn, these are worth a lot.” I mutter under my breath.

After confirming the kill, I stealthily move towards my next target.

The second wolf is killed in the same manner. This is a very fortuitous encounter that can only be found and not sought. One more kill and I will be level 5, but I know deep down these wolves would normally not be this easy to kill. For one thing, wolves travel in packs of 3 or more and lone travellers like myself are better off avoiding them. Secondly, even taking on one wolf with my current level would put me in a precarious position.

I sneak my way over to the third wolf trying to not make a sound. I prepare to slaughter it like the others, but unfortunately things to not always go as planned.

As I am about to make the strike, the wolf’s eyes suddenly open. This failed sneak attack causes my bonus from backstab to not activate; therefore, the wolf is left with a sliver of health remaining. In the time before I can get a second hit in the wolf activates its innate skill and lets out a howl. Lodging my dagger through its throat before it could finish I can’t help but hope that no other wolves are in the nearby vicinity.

But to my dismay, a rustling sound appeared approximately 20 feet away from me. Suddenly, another howl comes from that direction and my heart drops. I managed to get to level 5 from that kill, but I was pressing my luck and will now pay for it. Quickly putting my points into defence, I prepare to face my opponent. The two level gap makes me nervous, but I feel with my superior skills I can take down a lone wolf.

While I am busy preparing myself, the fourth wolf comes out of the bush. A burning rage can be seen in its eyes as it gazes upon its dead comrades. Without warning, the wolf leaps over one of the carcasses and lunges at me baring its teeth in a horrendous snarl.

When the wolf is in mid air I swiftly dodge to the right, narrowly missing the wolf as it passes by within inches of myself. A Level 7 is no joke. Even though I am proud of getting to level 5, I cannot let down my guard for even a second against this creature. Any single mistake could lead to a debilitating injury resulting in loss of life, and I will do anything to keep that from happening.

Regaining my composure I turn to face the wolf, which has now landed and is preparing to attack again. On its next pass I manage to clip one of its hind legs causing 8 damage. It cannot be helped as I am using a wooden sword to attack against a level 7 creature. If I were to continuously use the copper dagger it would break before a few days were up. Due to this sword being indestructible, I have to rely on it as my primary weapon.

A trail of blood is left on the dirt as the fur on the wolf’s leg becomes saturated with blood. Disregarding its own injuries, the wolf takes another attack and this time manages to leave a gash down my arm from its claws.

-26 HP

Gritting my teeth down to suppress the pain is my only option right now. If I don’t finish this fight soon, who knows what else might be attracted from the fresh scent of blood.

This time I take the initiative to attack. Wielding my sword I go in for a feint. The wolf takes the bait and dodges out of the swords trajectory, but this renders it defenceless against my dagger’s attack. With a solid swipe I manage to carve a path across the wolf’s snout. A critical hit dealing 46 damage!

Bright red blood can be seen gushing out of the wound as the wolf stumbles backwards. Losing its sense of smell and being dealt such a crushing blow causes hatred to shine in its black eyes. A wound like that if not properly healed will continue to deal a bleeding damage upon the recipient until the bleeding has stopped.

The fight carries on like this for another 10 minutes before the wolf finally dies of exhaustion and excessive blood loss. I decide to take a break after feeling the pain in my muscles from excessive strain. Despite being a game, this element of realism is very impressive.

I decide to look up the wolf in my bestiary. I was unable to see its stats earlier, because it was a higher level; therefore, my curiosity has been triggered.

Species Level Wolf 7 Vitality 100 Stamina 100 Strength 50 Mana 0 Defence 30 Intelligence 10 Dexterity 30 Spirit 0 Skills Howl: Level 1

“Hmm” This is the first time I have seen a skill on a creature. Curious, I select the skill.

Howl Attracts wolves within 100 meter radius

“Damn. If that wolf hadn’t noticed me it wouldn’t have been able to activate this skill before it died.”

The wolves dropped three pelts along with a lot of money. It seems I would make a good profit if I were strong enough to deal with them. Unfortunately, being a solo player limits my options unless I have another fortuitous encounter like today.

After collecting my drops I relight the fire and begin cooking breakfast. Using another rabbit haunch I am careful to not let this one burn like last time. It seems I will need to get some seasonings when I next visit the town as this meat still doesn’t taste good. After putting out the fire I once again set off.

---

The following days did not hold the same level of excitement.

The first day I wandered around only coming across a few smaller animals, which I turned into precious experience. When I came across a creek I decided to follow it upriver with the logic of being able to retract my steps. There were plenty of fish in the river, yet I was unable to catch anything, because I did not have any fishing gear. However, that didn’t stop me from trying.

I had spent a few hours at the river banks trying to spear a fish with my self made sharp wooden stick. I wasn’t successful. But, it did serve to ease my mind and thus, I do not consider it a waste of time.

Carrying on, I found a secure tree for a camping spot and spent my second night in the wilderness. Thankfully there were no surprises waiting for me when I woke up, but I would have welcomed some free experience.

---

The second day went by without any problems. I followed in a pattern similar to the previous day and ended up reached level 6. I found myself getting tired during the fights and so I decided to put my bonus points into stamina.

One’s stamina in game is not related to the shape of their body. A 250 pound man would be able to run or fight for a similar amount of time that an athlete would considering both their stamina levels were equal. Although not like reality, if it were not this way all those overweight gamers would be severely disadvantaged in the beginning. Now, with time the avatar’s physical appearance will change based on one’s actions. I have already noticed some of my beer gut gained from university disappearing, and I have always wondered what I would look like trim.

---

The third day held more of a challenge.

I ran into a grizzly bear again midway through the day, but this time I was not as weak as I was previously. I could see the bear was level 9, and this time I had put up a fight getting the bear down to half health before I had to withdraw. If I had healing items I may have been able to finish it off, but I did not plan that far ahead when setting out.

The bear served as a good marker for my progress, and before I leave this forest I want to kill one. Preferably the one that caused me such embarrassment.

---

On the fourth day I managed to reach level 7. I had already lost count of the number of monsters I slew over the past few days. My inventory was filling up with drops and I already had enough to finance a full set of basic armour.

Part way through the day I stumbled across a log cabin adjacent to the river. It looked like no one had been there for a few years. The surrounding areas were overgrown with plant life and the windows were all boarded up. After trying to open the locked door to no success, I chose to scan the surrounding area.

I followed a small path found around the side of the cabin until I reached a larger dirt and gravel road. Having found a relatively major road I was overjoyed, but since it was getting late I chose to stay in the vicinity for the night.

I spent that night on the cabin’s roof gazing at the stars.

---

By the fifth day, I had decided to start heading back. My inventory was filling up and I was getting tired of the monotonous wandering through the forest. For someone who spent most of his time indoors, I was reaching my limit. Anyways, I had decided to only spend around a week out here, so I am still on schedule.

Halfway to level 8, I had already gained a lot of benefits from this trip. I have gained enough money to kickstart my smithing when I get back and my swordsmanship level 1 has reached 732 xp, only 228 xp away from reaching level 2. The level 1 basic skill doesn’t offer any bonuses since anyone could obtain it after swinging a sword a few times, but that changes at level 2.

I chose to take the road I had found the previous day and follow it south. The further I walked, the more players I saw. This was not surprising considering this was the best beginner levelling spot. On my way I stopped multiple times to fight some low level creatures. If they didn’t respawn after a certain amount of time, this forest would soon be cleared of all life.

Part way down the trail I was ambushed by a small pack of three wolves. However, now that I am the same level as them, the fight tips in my favour. It took a good 15 minutes, but I managed to kill all three of them. The experience of the last few days has helped hone my fighting skills, thus allowing me to fight for longer. The amount of rookie mistakes I make has decreased, which leaves me with less wounds. However, facing the three wolves still left me with less than a quarter of my life remaining.

Thanks to the generosity of the wolves, I managed to gain the experience needed to get to level 8. This levelling speed is a bit fast, but the amount required continues to rise. Level 8 to 9 requires the same amount of experience as levels 1 to 6, and there are only so many wolves and bears one can kill before the first dungeon is found. Therefore, the levelling speed should decrease.

Player Status

Player Name Quinn Class: Assassin Level: 8 Guild None Experience 518/720 Stats Vitality 195/195 Stamina: 195/195 Strength 100 Mana 240/240 Defence 45 Intelligence 10 Dexterity 70 Spirit 10 Skills Active Passive Appraisal Level: 1 107xp Backstab Level: 1 235xp Cloaking Level: 1 186xp Blacksmithing Level: 1 25xp Cooking Level: 1 156xp Swordsmanship Level: 1 782xp

My strength has finally broken 100. And that is without putting bonus points into it. Although I am feeling proud of my stats, when I look at the state of my clothes I cannot help but laugh.

“Haha, they served me well, but it’s better to call them rags. Their durability is almost non existent.” My clothes are in tatters. Full of claw and teeth marks it is amazing they are still held together. Looking at the durability, I can see it has fallen below 5. However, those leather shoes I bought before leaving are still doing fine, only a little worse for wear.

My copper dagger is full of dents and the blade has dulled, but it is still able to deal some damage when needed. The wooden sword is the only item that remains looking brand new, but that is expected from something indestructible. I couldn’t even use it for firewood if I tried. And I did try.

After finding a place to take shelter for the night a little ways off the road, I soon drift into dreamland.