Alaric continued westward along the riverbank of the river he had crossed earlier. He thought to use it as cover and gain access to the scattered woodlands that he now traveled towards. His plan was to slip into the woods unseen and make his way north to recon the Orc camp. Alaric had no idea if there were one or one hundred Orcs in that camp and wanted to investigate before charging in blind.

When he had reached the trees, Alaric looked over the slope that ran parallel with the river to judge his location with that of the camp. Judging from where he found himself if he traveled north he would soon come across structures he had sighted after upgrading his perception skill.

Alaric climbed over the sloped bank to begin his infiltration. He used the sparse amount of trees as cover to conceal his northern directional movements. Having traversed the woodland undiscovered, he soon located the camp approximately a hundred feet ahead of him. The closer that Alaric moved toward his destination the thicker the forest got. This was a good thing for him since there were more trees now he had more options on his approach

Soon he found himself some forty or so yards out from the wood structures when he then noticed movement around them. Alaric looked around him and found a tall tree near him and with his stealth active snuck over underneath it and lept up and grabbed one of its lower hanging branches and hauled himself up.

Alaric climbed slowly from branch to branch trying to avoid a lot of movement that may draw attention to him. Now up in the tree branches high off the ground he could look down into the clearing where six wood structures had been haphazardly built.

As he tucked in among the surrounding tree leaves, Alaric sat motionless as he observed the camp. He was looking at the armor and weapons of each Orc in an attempt to distinguish them from one another and also get an idea of what to expect from their attacks.

He watched the camp and its occupants for roughly thirty or more minutes and was soon familiar with those that were actively moving about. From what he could tell the camp held about ten orcs that were out moving around. It was possible that more were in the wooden huts, but there was no way to know without entering them.

Then he noticed a change a two Orcs that had just exited a hut began walking at a slight angle in his general direction. When Alaric looked over his shoulder at the route they were on it seemed to be similar to the blood trail he had followed here.

I doubt these two are going back to the tower after four of them had their asses handed to them, but then again they are Orcs who knows how smart they really are. It could be that they are going out to look for the wounded straggler that never returned.

Aleric shifted to the other side of the tree and watched as the two orcs passed by close enough to hear their footsteps crunching through the dry leaves covering the forest floor.

This seems like a good opportunity to thin out the camp residents. With these two split off, I might be able to take them down without the others knowing. He thought as he brought out his bow and strung an arrow.

Alaric drew back the bow and aimed down at the passing orcs. He softly whistled while tracking the closest orc and when they both stopped wondering what it was they had just heard, Alaric released the bowstring sending his shot down into the back of the orc’s neck.

-85 (40/125) (Critical Sneak Attack!)

Even though he had aimed at the orcs head to kill it with one hit the results were almost just as good. The arrow had pierced through the back of the neck and tore through the targets throat.

Alaric quickly sent down another arrow on the second orc while it stood watching its injured friend gasping for breath.

-63 (62/125)

His arrow pierced the upper center chest of the second orc making it crumble to its knees. Aleric rushed his follow-up shot and missed the target.

He took a deep breath and slowed his attack while aiming down on the orc with the arrow in its chest.

-51 (11/125)

The arrow hit near the first one piercing the chest in the lung area. Alaric put away his bow and scanned the camp. The group of orcs around the huts carried on all unaware of his attack so he climbed down the tree and dispatched the two with his sword. When the bodies vanished he found a torch, machete, a gold ring, and his arrows. Alaric deposited the items into his inventory and scrolled down to the gold ring and clicked on it.

Spoiler: Inventory. Inventory Item Description Amount Bed Roll 1 Starter Short Sword 1 All Purpose Knife 1 Cloth Bandage 50 Loaf of White Bread 10 Piece of Flint 2 Kindling Stick 34 Firewood 216 Iron Shield 1 Rabbit meat 11 Crude Iron Spear 2 Rusty Chain Mail Armor 1 Castrillium Ingot 1 Rope 1 Shovel 1 Healing Salve 4 Healing Potion 4 Iron Cookware set 1 Container of Water 5 Empty containers 10 Cooking Utensils Set 1 Cooking Oil 1 Cooking Spices Set 1 Basket of Assorted Vegetables 6 Egg 13 Bag of Flour 5 Torch 1 Gold Ring 1 Axe 1 Pickaxe 1 Metal Cup 1 Cooking Knife 1 Machete 1 A Gold Healer’s Ring

A Gold Ring.

This ring provides the wearer with +2 First Aid.

This ring’s bonuses stack with other bonuses.

I didn’t even know the game had skill bonus rings. This is a nice surprise.

Alaric equipped his new ring and moved closer to the camp and toward another tree that looked good for climbing. He found a nice spot near the top where he could stand up and lean against the tree trunk and hung his quiver right next to him from a branch where he could easily reach his arrows without too much movement.

With his new location, he could see more of the clearing that the huts were in now. Alaric nocked an arrow and took aim at an orc sitting beside a cooking fire in the center of clearing he aimed just above his head and released the bowstring.

-92 (33/125) (Critical Sneak Attack!)

His arrow zipped across the clearing and pierced right through the upper back and chest of his target. Alaric loaded another arrow and hit his next target in the lower abdomen.

-89 (36/125) (Critical Sneak Attack)

When two orcs toppled over almost in sequence the others around began to look over wondering what they were doing. Just then an orc came out of a hut to check on the noise from the falling orc and Alaric sent an arrow at him.

-45 (80/125)

He hit the orc in the upper thigh and it started screaming from the pain. This alerted the entire camp and every orc down there drew their weapons and began looking around them.

Alaric slowly drew back his bow sent an arrow out across the clearing at a new target.

-54 (71/80)

It found the targets shoulder and bored right through it and stuck into the ground. This hit triggered a new set of wounded howls across the camp. There were still at least six uninjured orcs down there that had different ideas on how to handle the situation. Two of them dove into the huts to hide from the arrows and the other four spread out and began walking in Alaric's direction.

Shit! They must have figured out my general direction from where the arrows are hitting them.

Alaric sat down using the tree leaves to hide him and wait to see if things would settle down. He let the group of four pass his tree and search the woods back behind him. When they couldn’t find anyone and the attacks had ceased they started back toward the camp.

Right when one had passed directly under his tree, Alaric drew down on him sending an arrow through the top of his skull.

-135 (0/125) (Critical Sneak Attack!) (Head Shot!)

One of the search party members spun around and spotted him standing on the branch above them. The Orc heaved its spear up at him with frightening speed. The spear was headed right for Alaric when just before reaching him it was slightly deflected by a branch.

-33 (117/150)

The orc spear cut through his leather leg armor enough to puncture his outer thigh. The sudden sharp pain buckled his knees and he nearly fell from the tree barely grabbing his hanging quiver next to him and saving himself a nasty fall.

Alaric ground his teeth against the pain and pulled the spear out and stored it into his inventory. Like hell I’m going to drop this damn thing back down there so he can have another go at me.

While the orc who speared him shouted out his location in some kind of guttural language, Alaric took out a healing potion and chugged down every bitter drop from the bottle. He felt the pain in his leg begin to fade enough that he could stand up again.

Alright, bastard now it's my turn!

Alaric drew back his bow and sent the Orc below his tree a little present.

-57 (68/125)

The arrow struck just above the rib cage in the trachea area. His two friends who were running over to Rick's location saw the orc buckle over and had second thoughts. They changed direction and ran back toward the camp.

Alaric even though he was still shaken and in pain sent out a couple rushed shots that missed their targets. Now that he wasn’t being pressured he unequipped his pants and leather leg armor. Using his healing salve he squeezed the paste into his leg wound and wrapped it with cloth bandages.

I’m turning into a friggin pincushion first my arm now my leg. I already need new clothes now that these are shredded and blood-soaked. Once he was redressed he sat on a branch and let the healing potion, salve, and ring work on his wounded leg.

If a spear in the leg hurts this much what does it feel like when these guys take an arrow to the chest? It must just shut you down with so much pain that you can’t or don’t want to even move.

Some ten or more minutes later, Alaric’s health points had fully recovered and he could stand with a small amount of pain. He stored his bow and put his quiver on his back and climbed down to the forest floor.

Next time I shoot out of a tree I need to use my rope to tie my waist to a thick branch. If I would have just fallen it would have been a one-way ticket back to the city for me. Alaric thought as he took out his bow and stealthily flanked the camp toward the west.

He made his way up toward the edge of the camp clearing and worked around the perimeter. He kept his stealth activated while scanning the hut entrances for targets. It didn’t take long for the jumpy defenders became a little braver by peaking out of the entrances. These shabby huts did not have any doors so Alaric had no trouble seeing them moving around and poking their heads out like gray skinned gophers.

Alaric set up between two bushes with a twenty-yard distance from him and a hut entrance that he spotted activity around. He clipped an arrow tip to the string and sat ready to draw the bow. Over the next five minutes, the impatient orcs began looking out of the doorway for longer periods each time to scan the camp.

Alaric drew his bow when he saw another one lean halfway out. He released a long breath and slowly let the string slide off his fingertips.

-72 (53/125)

Alaric’s arrow stuck through the orc and pinned him to the doorframe he was leaning against. When he began to slide to the ground the arrow broke off in him.

Enough of this hide and seek shit. There shouldn’t be that many Orcs left in there now.

He opened his inventory and equipped the rusty chain mail tunic over his leather armor and grabbed his shield. Walking out of the bushes he drew his longsword and went up to the closest hut and peeked inside. The hut was unoccupied so he moved to the one he just pinned the orc to the wall of.

Right before he looked in the door he had a weird sinking feeling that put him on alert. Alaric cautiously looked inside the door and a sword blade came flashing out almost catching him across the face. He raised his shield up and charged the orc inside. The orc quickly recovered and swung at him again. Alaric partially blocked it and the blow slid off his shield caught him across the stomach.

Not stopping to look he drove his sword tip straight into the orcs unguarded chest.

-67 (58/125)

Alaric twisted his blade inside the orc and ripped it out at a sideways angle in an attempt to open up the wound he inflicted even more. As he was pulling on the blade he drove his shield into the orc’s face like a steel-clad punch.

-26 (32/125)

-13 (19/125) (Shield Bash!)

The orc fell to the ground without any fight left in him so he was put out of his misery by the downward chop to the neck.

-58 (0/125)

That feeling I had before looking in saved me from having my head split open. I wonder if that is from raising my perception? Not only does it improve your senses, but it warns you of danger. I think it said it helps detect traps and hidden enemies. I will need to start paying attention and use that warning to my advantage.

Alaric then glanced down at his stomach where the sword blow had deflected into him. His rusty chain mail tunic had a blade mark that cut away the rust leaving a clean metallic line.

It looks like this chain mail armor saved me from a heavy slash.

He didn’t stick around and continued through the huts finding one more hidden orc without being seen this time thanks to the perception warning. Alaric took his bow out and strung an arrow. He drew the bow back and sidestepped around the corner to stand in the center of the doorway.

Before the orc had a chance to even so much as twitch he blasted the arrow right through him from ten feet away.

-104 ( 21/125)

The orc tottered backward trying to stay on its feet and crashed over a table just behind him. Alaric cooly put his bow away and drew his sword as the orc tried to drag itself away from the human attacker.

Alaric straddled his feet around the fallen orc and plunged his sword straight down to where he guessed its heart might be.

-56 (0/125)

After clearing the last hut that was empty he circled the camp looking for item drops.

He collected a book, a gem, a roll of cloth, a bundle of spider silk, and a few bags of silver and copper coins. He had even found bread, ham, and a fish with the drops, but left them alone. Even though this was a virtual world and food did not get dirty by laying in the dirt, he still was not used to the idea yet.

If I am ever low on money or find someone who could use it, then I will start picking up the food drops.

Alaric deposited all the drops and coins into his inventory and began investigating them.

A Ruby

A small sized ruby gemstone.

Gemstones can be used for jewelry and decorations.

Most gemstones have a decent to high value and can be sold or traded.

A Roll of Silk Cloth

A fine cloth made from silk.

A sought-after cloth that is used for many purposes.

A Bundle of Spider SIlk

Spider silk is a fiber spun by giant spiders.

When it is weaved into a cloth it is semi-resistant to slashing and stabbing.

t is used at times to line armor or layered to make light armor by those fortunate enough to find it.

Shadow Dancer

A tale about a woman that grew up in a war-torn land to become an assassin.

Follow her through mystery and intrigue as she stalks her targets from the shadows.

(Skill Book +1 Stealth)

I ended up with a few nice drops from all these orcs and another surprise a skill book!

Alaric brought out the book and opened it up to the first page. He read the first sentence and then the book started to glow. The book remained and so did the text allowing the player to keep the book and finish reading it. He placed it back in his inventory to enjoy later and was surprised when a notice popped up for a second and then closed on its own.

Permanent Skill Increase: Stealth +1

When the brief notice close Alaric clicked on the flashing notice icon to review the rest of them.

New Level Notice!

You Leveled Up!

Level 6

You have unused 3 skill points and 5 attribute points to distribute!

New Level Notice!

You Leveled Up!

Level 7

You have unused 3 skill points and 5 attribute points to distribute!

Increased One Handed Proficiency: 2% Increased Ranged Proficiency: 4% Spoiler: Show Status!. Alaric Brightblade Skills Skill Level Weapon Class Proficiency Acrobatics: 1/25 One Handed: 13% Athletics: 1/25 Two Handed: 0% Blocking: 1/25 Polearm: 0% Equestrian: 1/25 Ranged: 12% First Aid: 4/25 +2 Thrown: 0% Foraging: 1/25 Custom: 0% Pitch Force: 1/25 Custom: 0% Pull Force: 6/25 Stealth: 1/25 Strength: 20 Swing Force: 7/25 Constitution: 15 Defence: 90/92 Intelligence: 3 Health Points: 150/150 Perception: 12 Satiety: 94/100 Agility: 5 Level: 7 (3%) Charisma: 10 Skill Points: 5 Attribute Points: 10 Currency: Gold: 46 Silver: 37 Copper: 76 Jobs: (NONE) (NONE) (NONE) (NONE) (NONE) Title: (NONE)

Level seven with three percent toward the next level. It looks like I just barely gained two levels. That means it will start getting harder to level from now on.

This time I should put three points into Pull Force and two points into Swing Force. Then for my attributes, I will put seven points towards strength and three points into Perception. I am starting to like Perception since it saved my butt twice already. It makes me curious to know what it would be like if I had 50 or 100 in perception.

Spoiler: Updated Status. Alaric Brightblade Skills Skill Level Weapon Class Proficiency Acrobatics: 1/25 One Handed: 13% Athletics: 1/25 Two Handed: 0% Blocking: 1/25 Polearm: 0% Equestrian: 1/25 Ranged: 12% First Aid: 4/25 +2 Thrown: 0% Foraging: 1/25 Custom: 0% Pitch Force: 1/25 Custom: 0% Pull Force: 9/25 Stealth: 1/25 Strength: 27 Swing Force: 9/25 Constitution: 15 Defence: 90/92 Intelligence: 3 Health Points: 150/150 Perception: 15 Satiety: 94/100 Agility: 5 Level: 7 (3%) Charisma: 10 Skill Points: 0 Attribute Points: 0 Currency: Gold: 46 Silver: 37 Copper: 76 Jobs: (NONE) (NONE) (NONE) (NONE) (NONE) Title: (NONE)

Not too bad my stats are gradually improving. I might have to do something about INT and AGI soon. If I can get them up around ten points in each one then I can relax and go back to focusing on STR/CON.

Once he had distributed all his points, Alaric began searching the camp. He found some old and battered pieces of leather armor and a few crappy weapons that he took to try and sell.

Alaric gazed out to the east and set off in that direction out onto the open grassland to continue traveling south. He decided to leave the Marked Location near the bridge so that he could return again. He was unsure if the goblins and orcs he killed would respawn again and wanted to investigate it.

When Alaric had reached the center of the open plain he found old cart tracks that lead from the bridge to the south. He turned south and followed the tracks until they vanished leaving him to continue along in a vast untouched wilderness.