*I am going to start calling Jake "Azrael" when in game to increase immersion, even when he is alone.

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Azrael stood at the town gates, and a new wave of excitement began to overtake him. Finally, he would embark on crazy adventures, and make a name for himself. However, the sight before him was sad, and he came to a sudden realization.

"The monsters in this world must be tough." Thought Azrael, as he watched hordes of bunnies and foxes pummeling groups of noobs.

Parties of four to five were quivering in fear as they attempted to bait one fox for five people to beat upon. Five people...were struggling to kill a single fox. Azrael still could not seem to get over this fact...

It was a massacre. Not the bunnies and foxes, mind you. No, the noobs were getting their asses handed to them, especially when they accidentally pulled more than one monster.

Azrael walked over to a bunny, exerting a strong intent to kill. As Azrael looked down upon the bunny, it looked at him. The bunny felt his aura and knew what stood before him. It was then the rabbit came to a sudden realization. The bunny could only shudder in fear as it accepted its inevitable demise.

Azrael then lifted his leg, in hopes that he could smash the bunny's spine and end it quickly. He was, after all, an animal lover. He then brought down his leg with as much force as he could muster.

BOOM!

Critical Hit!

Azrael's mouth was open in terror at the sight before him. The whole battlefield, man and monster alike, stopped to look at him. Where his foot had landed, there was an indent in the earth filled with what remained of the bunny. The rest of the bunny seemed to explode all over Azrael...

The shock wave had extended a good five feet, and knocked a couple of the other rabbits over as well. Azrael was stunned and was muttering words no one seemed to understand. He wiped as much bunny off of himself as he could, and then he heard two dings.

You have gained 2 Fighting Spirit.

New Skill: Stomp

Azrael could only keep looking in terror at the sight before him.

As he regained his senses he yelled, "Check Skill: Stomp."

Stomp - Beginner 1 - 7%By calling upon all your energy, you can stomp the ground with tremendous force.

Deals Str * (.5) damage

5 foot AOE at 1/2 initial damage

Chance to stun/knockdown

Mana Cost: 100

As he was doing this, people in the area kind of just sat down...To process what had just happened. Safe to say, most bunnies had also vacated the area.

Azrael then proceeded to slay bunnies mercilessly, and quickly realized they were no challenge. He then moved to foxes.

"Wow, I must really thank the codger and the creepy kid." Thought Azrael, as he stomped everything around him.

Azrael finally pulled out his sword, and it sliced through the air with the satisfying sound he was accustomed to. He had been so busy stomping around like godzilla trying to raise his mastery, that he had almost forgot he even owned a sword. He had hoped that his prior show of strength would encourage people to approach him for partying purposes so he could make some friends. Alas, his merciless acts, the exploding rabbit, and his mean eyes caused most adventurers to stay even further away from him. Some even went so far as to go to a different area...

As Azrael carved through hordes of foxes and rabbits, he had gained two levels in Stomp, and one in 2h Sword Mastery. By then, the sun had started to fall, and the moon began to rise. Azrael then saw hordes of noobs running with haste to the town gates. Azrael knew of the dangers night brought, and prepared himself.

Azrael caught his first sign of a wolf not long after.

"Oh great, I was prepared for beefed up foxes and rabbits, not a damn wolf!" Yelled Azrael as he adopted a low stance.

The beast was manged and coated with dry blood, and its teeth were sharp and yellowed. It's eyes were the same disgusting yellow as its teeth, and it was foaming at the mouth as it snarled. As the two circled each other, the wolf finally took the initiative and lunged straight for Azrael's throat. Azrael quickly sidestepped as the wolf rolled past, and made a taunting gesture in triumph. The wolf, however, seems to understand the meaning that the finger held, and came at him with even more ferocity.

Azrael prepared himself as the wolf drew near once more, and raised his leg. When the creature was about two feet from him, he dropped his leg and yelled, "Stomp!" The wolf yelped and went down. Azrael wasted no time in rushing to the slumped figure, and swung his blade down heavily. The wolf rolled to dodge, and the sword landed deep in the earth. As Azrael was recovering, the wolf jumped again and got Azrael's leg good.

Critical Hit!

-250 HP

Azrael quickly staggered backwards. As he did, the wolf attacked again, and slashed his torso.

-100 HP

"Damn noob clothes are no good for defense!" Thought Azrael, as he looked at his bleeding.

Azrael then realized the wolves were in a whole different world compared to the previous enemies, not to mention their 50% buff at night...He would now take on the wolf seriously.

Azrael adopted a new stance, and began to continue clashing with the wolf.

The wolf lunged once more, and Azrael dodged while bringing his sword down. He clipped the wolf's leg, and its movement slowed slightly. The wolf howled in pain and shot at Azrael. It clipped his hand, dealing another fifty damage. It immediately came in for another attack. Azrael rolled deftly on the ground, and then swung his sword. The sword landed directly in the wolf's mouth, and cleaved clean through to the other end of its body.

Critical Hit!

The wolf turned grey, and Azrael saw a slew of messages.

Level Up!

Gained Stat: Sustenance

Gained Stat: Endurance

New Skill: Tumble

Azrael could not hide his excitement! It would seem fighting monsters who were a lot stronger conferred much better bonuses.

"Check Skill: Tumble!" Yelled Azrael.

Tumble - Beginner 1 - 25%Move faster and dodge easier in battle.

Passive

Movement speed increased by 2% in battle.

Chance to dodge increased by 1%.

You can regain composure after falling faster.

You take 2% less fall damage.

Each level reduces Stamina needed to tumble.

"Nice, another excellent skill...especially since I don't happen to own a single piece of armor." Muttered Azrael.

Azrael then looked down, and noticed his sword was forming a crack. It was then he brushed himself off, and decided it was time to take a break. It was a quite successful first hunt. Azrael gained two new stats, two skills, a lot of mastery, and twelve points of fighting spirit, although that stat seemed pretty useless at the moment...

He had also gained quite a fair amount of loot, and risen to level eleven.

"All day fighting the hordes of chaos, and I only gained eight levels?" Scoffed Azrael.

As he returned to town, he found a local merchant and peddled his spoils. He had managed to obtain a sum of 62 silver and 17 copper. He also bought a full set of leather armor from the man, leaving him with 32 silver.

"I'll get some good, strong armor one day, but this will do for now." Said Azrael, pleased with his purchase.

Azrael then headed to a local smithy in order to have his weapon repaired. When he arrived, the smell of fire was strong, and the heat was near unbearable. The man running the establishment was tapping a piece of metal rhythmically.

*Clang. Clang. Clang.*

The man stopped and looked up. A wide grin was visible on his face.

"Welcome to Holstrom's Smithery! Best metal work in the land! What can I do for you today, sir?" Said Holstrom, in a boisterous manner.

"Sir, after a long day of fighting my blade is exhausted and could use a master's touch. I have heard that you are the finest blacksmith in the land, and come to witness your prowess." Stated Azrael, in his nicest tone.

Azrael had taken to kiss-assery after he realized his eyes gave him negative standing with most npcs....Even if they didn't know him beforehand. After he found out how useful a few well placed words could be during a few occasions, he simply kept the compliments flowing.

Holstrom was wearing a large smile and said, "Aye lad, let me see your blade."

Azrael then handed his sword over to Holstrom. His smile disappeared as he grimaced over the condition of the blade.

"Good god son! What did you do with this blade? Cleave the earth?" Screamed Holstrom, in angst over the sword's present state.

"Uhh...No...I simply fought all day." Stated Azrael, knowing full well he did accidentally strike the ground a couple times by mistake...

"Well...I'll fix this for 5 silver. I won't go no lower! This is going to take a lot of effort, boy!" Said Holstrom.

Azrael sighed, and quickly accepted. Holstrom then got to work. It had taken him quite a while to repair the sword to its former glory after what Azrael had put it through. When the work was finally completed, he returned the blade to Azrael.

"Son, it saddens me deeply to see a blade in that state. I wish to never look upon a sword as fine as this in a similar state again. If you pay me 15 silver I will teach you the basics of repair and give you the basic tools." Stated Holstrom.

Azrael quickly accepted his offer, and spent the next two hours learning the basics of repair.

New Skill: Repair

New Item: Basic Blacksmith's Tools

"Thank you sir. It does my heart well knowing I now have the knowledge to properly maintain my sword." Said Azrael with a grin.

"Aye lad, every adventurer should be able to take care of their weapon." Nodded Holstrom.

The two then said their goodbyes, and Azrael made his way back to the market. He then purchased some rations and other basic supplies that he would need for his journey with his remaining funds.

Jake then logged out, and figured he would get some rest and food before starting his journey in the morning.