Chapter 3: Novice

Lying between the four posts of the White Room’s bed, Eluc heaved breaths one after another. He managed to trudge himself down the steps, but not without leaving drops of blood the entire pathway down. Exhausted, he had thrown himself onto the bed to catch his breath before his next move. Eventually, his eyes closed and a nap seemed in order, at least that was what he told himself as his eyelids felt heavy and his consciousness left him.

An unknown amount of time passed before Eluc’s eyes shot open. He awoke with yet another start and cautiously observed his surroundings.

“Still the same room.” A scraggly voice left his dry mouth as he still got used to speaking with an untrained tongue. Although it twisted between each of his words, he could still say what was on his mind without too much hindrance. This was one of his few comforts in this unknown room.

Only then did Eluc remember the fight from the morning and the open wound he took to sleep. With a worried mind and a snap of his head, he turned towards his right shoulder to inspect what should have been a disastrous and infected wound. Instead, another surprise came in the form of nothing at all. Quite literally, it seemed as if the attack had never happened. Just to make sure, he peeled the clothing away from his skin to further inspect, but the search led to no other results. His gaze then turned towards his arms, punished by the bristling of the wolf’s pelt, but he could only sigh as nothing remained. ‘It’s strange,’ he thought, ‘hoping for an injury and its pain.’

One change did occur which interrupted this thought. As the rolled-back sleeves revealed his wrists, the duo of black dots came into view. Yet, Eluc was surprised as each had evolved into two spirals. The tails were not long by any means, only reaching half-a-centimeter at most, but they were long enough to give off the intended corkscrewed impression.

“What is happening to me?” Eluc thought. Ever since he had awoken, strange incidents have been occurring one after another, but he was powerless to stop it. Despair seemed to instill in his heart, but he knew to wade in its depths would do no good. A growl of his stomach also served to push him to action.

Placing his hands on the unstained, white bed, he stood up to inspect his surroundings further. Pretty much all his surroundings looked to be the same, but a door now existed on the western wall between two bookshelves. A shake of his head and a wry smile, Eluc thought, ‘No, maybe it was always there. I certainly could have missed it.’ Taking the opportunity to explore, he walked over the door and pushed it open. What was revealed to him made him wish he had checked this door before the exit.

It was a room with less width than the bedroom, but its length was near double the other room. Weapons lined waist-high racks along the white walls. resting below armor that hung above them. As Eluc walked past the assortments, he could tell how each section was laid out. Swords on one rack, sharing space with scimitars whose hilts almost reached the leather armor above. On the other side, large greatswords and hammers, some taller than Eluc himself, with designed hilts that neared the steel helmets above their corresponding pauldrons. 'Variety' was the keyword to describe this place as many options for weapons and armor laid before him.

The armaments were dazzling to the eyes, but a touch of a certain leather vest showed that its materials were somewhat cheap feeling. A moment later, evidence for his claim appeared in front of him.

White Leather Armor (Common)

Durability: 30/30

Requirement: 8 DEX

Scaling: Dexterity [E]

Bonus: Defense [+1]

Defense: +5 [+1]

Dexterity: +2

An armor tailored with the white leather of a creature, it prioritizes speed while retaining some qualities of toughness, inherent in the White Wolf.

Still not used to the screens that would appear every so often, Eluc closed his eyes by reflex before looking over the information conveniently displayed for him. Though the screen presented unique information, he could generally understand what each section’s intent was.

Dexterity would increase one’s movement and ability to dodge, which would have benefitted him earlier in evading the wolf’s attack. Based upon the functionality of the leather, it was apparent that wearing it would defend him from attacks, hence the [Defense: +5] statistic. A glance from the heavier, steel armor to the lightweight leather also explained why [Dexterity] was used to scale, which would increase his bonuses relative to his base stats. Convenient for him, the leather armor looked to boost his agility further. From looking at its stats screen, it was already a tempting option, with zero downsides.

Turning to the wall behind him, he inspected the plated armor this time. It was worth discerning all avenues when making a choice regarding his survivability. Performing the same action as with the leather armor, he placed his palm on the armor.

White Iron Armor (Common)

Durability: 50/50

Requirement: 10 STR

Scaling: Strength [E]

Bonus: Defense [+1]

Defense: +10 [+1]

Hindered Mobility

Built from unknown origins, this armor uses the common materials of the earth in a purified white form. Despite the purification, the effect only functions for aesthetic reasons.

“I think I’m beyond wondering why everything here needs to be white,” Eluc said with a shake of his head. Regardless of the color, the stats were remarkable compared to the leather. Because of the materials it was made with, it was able to provide the wearer with more protection, but the cost would be difficulty in basic movements. Of course with enough strength, this downside may be mitigated, but Eluc was nowhere near that point. For the most, part his body was the same as any other person’s. Thinking back to the fight, this armor might have protected him from the bite as he stood there to receive it.

In the back of his mind, Eluc already shrugged off the thought of taking the armor. First, travel would be difficult when overburdened by the iron. Even though he was not going to immediately leave, he would have to soon. His stay here only totaled a couple days at most, but what if that stretched to months or years in isolation? He would become crazed in this forest if he stayed for much longer. Maybe if he found others in a nearby civilization, they could explain everything that was going on. Second, he did not want to be hindered as he tried to fight. He would prefer to rely on himself as he dodged with all his might than to sit and put his faith in the armor to protect him.

There was another section that was quite different from the other two amidst the equipment. At first, Eluc had dismissed it as a section for apparel, but another look showed him that among the cloaks were wooden rods and odd books. Compared to the other armor, the white cloak in front of him had sharp black lines crawling along the cloth to form a pattern. Each line took a sharp turn before it was satisfied covering its portion of the cloak and then converged at the spine, leading to the tip of the hood. A touch of his hand later and Eluc gained insight into the strange wrap.

White Digital Mantle (Uncommon)

Durability: 20/20

Requirement: 10 INT

Scaling: Intelligence (E)

Bonus: Defense [+1]

Defense: 0 [+1]

Mana Regeneration

Whether worn for the benefit of a sorcerer or to block the sun, the stylish digital pattern looks great when added to any outfit.

"What the hell is that description?” It neither explained the functionality nor the origin of the cloak. It may just be Eluc, but it even seemed like it was bragging about itself. Nevertheless, Eluc was interested in the keyword [Sorcerer]. The name alluded to the presence of magic in the world. At first, his initial instinct was to dismiss such a crazy notion, but given what he had seen so far, it may very well be real. Then, he saw the staff and books to the side.

The staves all looked the same, old wood emanating with an aura of majesty. When pursuing their information, each individual staff enhanced the usage of magic in very similar ways, but each had a preference for a specific school. Their complement was the books beside them. Each book was dyed with a differentiating color, denoting the magic bound inside. A quick read through the book and Eluc saw keywords such as [Fire Arrow] or [Wave], but it would be impossible to read through the rest in a timely manner. The thought of delaying his meal made his stomach roar in displeasure.

Only one more section remained, but Eluc had little interest in what it had to offer. At the back of the room, steel pauldrons, chest pieces, sabatons, and gauntlets decorated the racks. Many of them were worn and nearly falling apart, and some had rust from the vestige of time. The sigil of a wolf was etched into a piece here or there, but even the once glorious crest was faded. Beside them, a hunter’s bow rested against the side, singed in minor places and string snapped from one of its ends. Placed to its immediate right, a small black staff, embroidered in gold, leaned atop it. The staff’s size was compact, but it looked to have once been powerful before it was ruined by whatever the staff similarly went through. Regardless of the stats of the equipment, Eluc guessed they would be no more useful than the other brand new equipment along the armory’s walls.

Disinterested, Eluc turned around back towards the main attractions of the room. He thought for a few minutes before he grabbed some gear, leaving the equipment stockpile behind.

♢ ♢ ♢

Although very little light made its way through the canopy of leaves above, a few splotches here and there were enough to illuminate the environment during the day. Based upon the orange, warm light given off, dusk was soon approaching and the wildlife began their evening routines. Squirrel like creatures rolled in their nests above the branches and tanned fennec foxes returned to their burrows beneath the underbrush.

An especially tardy doe ignored the increasingly darkened forest as it loafed near a calm stream. The rushing water brushed against the stone, singing a relaxing song of ripples. Opening its large, black eyes, the doe rose from its momentary rest on the ground, intent to drink from the river before its departure. With a long stretch, it walked to the water, craning its neck so its lips could brush against the water. Untarnished, opposite to a still pond, the clear water saturated the deer's mouth and throat, satisfying its thirst. At this moment, life was bliss.

Skill Activated: The World [Lvl 1]

Intent to attack with a bow identified. Bow Proficiency raised to [Novice - Lvl 1].

Before the doe registered the whistle of an arrow through the air, it had already pierced its youthful lung. A squeal rang from its mouth as it fell sideways to the ground. The dying wail rang through the silent forest, but the only response was the sound of approaching steps, crunching the dry leaves on the ground.

Eluc stood above the deer, a white leather vest below a fitting shirt and a billowing mantle to block the wind. The bow had already been slung onto his back as he climbed from a tree overlooking the stream. He had tried to search the White Room for other non-white clothing so he wasn’t a blatant target in the woods, but his search yielded no results. Thus, his only other idea was a vantage point, high enough that he was obscured in the target’s periphery. After executing the plan by climbing a tree overlooking the river, the only remaining problem was his accuracy which he was sure would cause him grief.

“‘The World,’ huh?” he mumbled. A boon activated as his untrained arm drew back the bow’s string, saving him from waiting another untold amount of hours hunting. As the night would have fallen very soon, he had only one chance at staving off the night of misery caused by his hunger. He was betting everything on that loosed arrow.

Once his proficiency suddenly raised, his mind felt calmer holding the bow. His arms relaxed but still held taut as tension rose between the string and its wood. All Eluc had to do was aim at the deer’s lung and fire.

By the time he reached the doe, it had long stopped thrashing its legs. Harsh breaths from its mouth could be heard as it choked on the fluid filling its lungs. It was resigned to death and was only waiting for the moment of passing while it suffered through each gasp of air.

Despite having launched the arrow with his own hands, Eluc knew that the creature did not deserve the fate of a prolonged misfortune. Placing one hand on the hilt of the blade strapped to his waist, he hesitated for a moment. Taking a life was much easier from afar and the guilt was uncomfortable to Eluc. Tremors affected his hands and the feeling of nausea wracked his head. Vomit felt like rising from the pits of his stomach, but it never reached further than that.

Then, a familiar feeling spread from his fingertips, chilling the rest of his body. As it passed his stomach, the urge to heave retreated. Reaching his head, his mind cooled and his clarity returned as the sickening nausea disappeared. Most importantly, his convulsing grip around the sword became still. After a deep breath, he unsheathed the sword.

Skill Activated: The World [Lvl 1]

Intent to attack with a sword identified. Sword Proficiency raised to [Novice - Lvl 1].