Damon missed. Not by much though, as he could hear the arrow strike right next to where the rabbit was located. The rabbit scarpered and Damon let out a groan at the missed opportunity. Diana chuckled, “You can’t expect a hit on your first try. It’s different, shooting a live animal as opposed to a dead target. Come on, there’s bound to be more – rabbits tend to wander in groups.”

They wander the forest some more, this time much more quietly, making sure not to disturb the forest too much. Now the rabbits knew there were new predators about. Not too long after, they stopped again, this time closer to the river Damon had heard earlier. A rabbit sat on the river’s edge, sipping at the cold water flowing casually by.

Damon readied himself, fixing his stance as silently as he could. He focused once again on his breathing, as well as the noises around him. Carefully picking out the sounds of the rabbit, he imaged its position. Lifting up the bow and drawing it, Damon activated Instinctive aim and released.

(Sneak Attack)

You have dealt 20 physical damage to White Snow Rabbit.

Congratulations you have slain White Snow Rabbit (Level 2) +15 Exp

The sound of the arrow hitting flesh made a sickening popping noise, but Damon didn’t care. He’d hit the rabbit! The two hunters creeped towards the dead animal, careful of any surprises near the river. When they reached it, Damon took out the arrow and looted the corpse.

Do you wish to loot White Snow Rabbit (Level 2)

x1 White Snow Rabbit pelt (average)

x1 White Snow Rabbit meat (poor)

“So, onto the next one?” Damon enquired, feeling slightly cocky at his recent success.

“Sure, how about you lead the way and I’ll follow. I’ve gotta look for some herbs and berry bushes, so why don’t you keep an ear out for more animals. Maybe you can even bag a fox, if you’re lucky.” Replied Diana, smirking at the silly grin on Damon's face.

The next couple of hours consisted of more hunting, with quite a few encounters. It seemed sticking close to the river was a good place to start, as all animals needed to drink at some point. It was difficult for Damon to actively listen for the sounds of animals that weren’t obvious like birds or squirrels. It was only through experience and a lot of wasted opportunities, in which Damon would scare away his prey, that finally taught Damon the noises to listen out for to identify each species.

Skill Level Up!

Focus Listening (Beginner 3 - 14%)

New bonus:

7% Bonus to mental resistance

27% Increase in efficiency of targeting singular sounds

The careful sneaking around in the forest meant that their pace was slow. However, it gained Damon a new skill. He quickly realised Diana must already have it, as she had no problem keeping up with him at all.

New Skill!

Sneaking (Beginner 1 - 22%)

Your quiet steps in hostile environments have kept you alive so far and allowed for more than one sneak attack when catching your prey.

5% Increase to movement speed while sneaking

25% Less noise created while sneaking

In the end, after plenty of missed shots and quiet cursing, Damon had killed five rabbits and a fox. The fox hadn’t died immediately to the arrow and had to be put out of its misery by a quick slice of Damon’s dagger. A brutal affair, but Damon was starting to get used to it and he idly wondered if that was due to Billy dampening his reactions slightly again. Or, maybe he had just gotten used to such behaviour from his brief time in the game. A question for another time he supposed.

Diana also taught Damon how to set traps to catch small squirrels. A simple piece of rope or wire looped into a particular knot that would tighten when pulled, placed on top of a log of wood and propped against a tree. The idea was that the squirrels would be lazy and take the fastest route up from the ground, strangling themselves on the noose as they tried to run through it.

The two would leave those traps overnight and check back on them tomorrow. Damon marked the traps on his virtual map so he could find his way back. The forest all looked the same to him, so it was a mystery how Diana navigated, as she’d told him she didn’t have a map of her own.

Eventually, Diana and Damon arrived back at the village, both tired and ready for a hot meal and bed. Once again, Damon wished for warmer clothes as he gratefully sat close to a glowing fire and accepted a bowl of hot stew. The prey he’d hunted had provided five rabbit pelts and one fox pelt, all of average quality, as well as the same number of meat. A good haul in Damon’s opinion, although he hoped to do better tomorrow. He’d also gained a skill level in his instinctive aim and focus mind. His other skills were progressing well but hadn’t quite reached the next level yet. Maybe tomorrow will bring better luck. He hoped.

The best thing to happen, however was a level up.

Level Up!

Congratulations, you have gained an additional level!

You are now level 4

Please allocate any free stat points.

Turns out, he hadn’t been that far off his next level and hunting those creatures had provided the necessary experience for him. He opened up his status screen and put the free point into Dexterity. He needed better aim if he wanted to use a bow consistently and was happy to invest points to get it.

Personal Details Attributes Other Information Name Damon Khaul Name Value Level 4 Race Human STR 13 Class N/A Sex Male END 12 Guild N/A Age 21 years AGI 10 Spawn Point N/A Health 120/120 (+0.2/sec) DEX 11 Resistances Expand Stamina 100/100 (+0.1/sec) INT 13 Skills Expand Mana Points N/A WIS 10 Spells N/A Fame 10 CHR 10 Relationships Expand Titles N/A LCK 10 Status Effects Expand

After finishing his meal, Damon bayed goodnight to Benjy and Diana, before retiring to his bed for the night. He had much to do tomorrow and he hoped to finish the quest Benjy had given him.

…

Twang! The light sound, as Damon released his bowstring, was coupled with the sound of an arrow striking flesh.

(Sneak Attack)

(Critical Hit)

You have dealt 40 physical damage to Northern Forest Fox.

Congratulations you have slain Northern Forest Fox (Level 3) +30 Exp Quest Update!

Well done! You have successfully collected 10 rabbit or fox meat.

Deliver these to Benjy and collect your reward.

Sighing, Damon went to retrieve his arrow and loot his prey. He’d been out in the wilderness for half the day now and was relieved to have finally reached his target. The traps he’d set with Diana the previous day hadn’t yielded any results yet, but he was hoping they would within the next few days. He’d also managed to gain another skill level in archery mastery and sneak. An altogether good day. He thought to himself, as he began the trek back to Farcross. The forest was lively today, more animals seemed to be out and about, letting Damon enjoy the peaceful noises as he wandered through.

Walking into the village, Damon noticed a commotion around the centre well. People were gathered, murmuring and whispering to each other. Damon approached and as he did so, the figures moved slightly to reveal one of the teenage boys sat on the well, talking to Diana.

“-cave. There must have been five, maybe more. Big too, one huge one that I could have sworn looked me straight in the eye. I ran as fast as I could, I hope they didn’t follow me!” Damon could just pick up the final words of the boy as he spoke quickly to Diana.

Diana looked up as Damon approached. Spotting him, she stood quickly and hurriedly ran over to him.

“What’s going on?” Damon asked.

“Wolves have been spotted, they seem to have made their den in a cave about an hour’s walk from here.” Answered Diana. “We need to deal with this soon. Can I ask for your help?”

New Quest!

Kill the Wolves!

Wolves have been spotted close to the village. They seem to have created a Den in a local cave. Kill these wolves to remove the threat they pose to the village.

Rewards:

Base 100 Exp

Relationship points with Villagers

“OK, let me quickly go see your uncle and then I’ll meet you back here.” Damon accepted the quest and made his way to Benjy’s hut. The blacksmith was sat outside his home, warming his feet by the fire. He spotted Damon approaching and hailed him.

“Ah, Damon, I heard there’s some wolves setting up shop close by. Are you going to help get rid of them?” He asked.

“Yes, and I’ve come baring gifts for you too.” Damon pulled out a couple of the rabbit meats he’d collected.

“Ah, wonderful! Put them in the cold store by the side of my hut. There you go.”

Quest Complete!

Congratulations, you have provided enough food for the village to survive for at least a few more days.

Rewards:

+50 Exp

+1500 Relationship points with Farcross Village

+150 Relationship points with Benjy

Benjy is now a Friend. Friends can always be trusted to come to your aid. Be wary you don't betray them though, as serious consequences can incur.

“I also have some pelts I could do with tanning and made into warmer clothes if possible. It’s freezing in these rags and I’m fairly certain I’m starting to smell.” Damon told Benjy as he returned.

“I can do that for you, just leave everything you have here and I’ll see to the tanning and pass it onto Jeneve, the leatherworker. She lives in the hut over there. They should be done in a couple of days, so see her then and she’ll let you know how they’re doing.” Benjy replied, seeming glad to have something to do.

“Thanks, I need to be going now. I think Diana wants to tackle the wolf problem quickly.” Damon nodded to Benjy, before walking back to where Diana was comforting the shocked teenager.

“Is he OK?” Damon asked, hearing the boy’s ragged breaths.

“He’ll be fine, just needs some rest and perhaps a warm meal. Jade, could you look after him for me please?” Another woman helped the boy up and led him away, while Diana stood and turned to Damon. “Let’s go, I’ll grab my bow and meet you in a moment.”

The pair set off a minute later, heading directly North, out of the small village. They spent a little while trudging through the woods and the light of day began to dim, as the sun descended in the sky. Soon, they reached a clearing in which an almost idyllic scene greeted them. To Damon, there was a significant lack of trees and he heard the sound of a faint waterfall somewhere to the west of them. The slow trickle of a river was much closer and Damon suspected it ran very close to this little clearing.

Diana could see perfectly well and would have marvelled at the beautiful scene, if not for the two large wolves she spotted, lounging in front of a cave mouth. The cave itself was set into the bottom of a very large mountain range, that was the predominant reason for the lack of expansion to the north of the human kingdom. Damon had never spotted this mountain range due to the dense forest, but Diana knew the mountains well and had never found a safe way to climb to their peaks.

Damon heard the wolves just a little before they reached the clearing. Both of them had activated stealth and were watching, or listening, to the beasts. The wind was blowing softly into Damon and Diana, so they weren’t worried about the wolves catching their scent.

The wolves themselves were just sat there. The smell of fresh blood wafted to Damon and he realised, they must have recently eaten. He remembered the kid had said there were at least five or so of them, he could see the two’s vague outlines and they seemed large, even from this distance. An idea slowly began to form in his head and he turned to Diana quietly and whispered: “I’ve got a plan.”