I am in the grass between the town walls, farms, and nearby forest. I almost just died from a stupid snake hiding in this grass. But, these snakes are a good amount of experience, which I need if I am going to get a class before my friends join me. New plan, stay in the grass here and kill some things for another level before trying the woods.

I start moving forward slowly, sweeping my sword back and forth through the grass. That snake did 6x damage by ambushing me, and I dont want to give that kind of bonus to something that wants me dead. A few steps further and I find a turtle. This turtle is bone white with each facet of its shell having a 3 inch spike. It immediately pulls it head in, and a faint glow appears on its shell.

Ivory Spike Turtle - 2

He's not putting up much of a fight, and he should be weaker than the snake. I test my sword on him.

-0

Okay, moving on. 10 steps further and I find another snake. This time, no ambush and I a parry his first strike with my dagger. Success! Although using the skill means the dagger does no damage, I do like the certainty that I take none. It dodges my first sword swing, but I can work with this. This time, I see some new information.

Plains Snake - 3

Tough Skin: armor 1

I did not see any armor information on the turtle, is that because I have a snake skin in my inventory now? Thoughts for when I am not in combat. I wait for its next strike and parry, then quickly swing out with my sword.

-6

Okay, this is making sense. The rats had no armor, so my increased strength is being negated by the increase in my targets armor. We settle into a pattern, and 8 swings later the snake is finished.

85exp

Level up!I pick up the Snake Skin, there is no eye dropped this time. I start my slow progress forward, searching the grass for more hidden enemies. Two more snakes killed with the same pattern, parry and wack, and I reach level 4.

Level up!

You have 2 unassigned points

These points I will hold on to. My health continues to rise with my level, and I am feeling confident now. More than 400 experience needed to reach level 5, so that is 5 more snakes. But I am really curious what is inside the woods, if it takes this much to get to them but they are also so close to the town. I am right at the border, having continued in this direction during my snake hunt. Well, no guts no glory. I step into the woods.

Brambles Forest

sight range reduced 30‰

Alright, this zone effect occurs in more than just buildings. The shadows began the trees seemed to deepen when I got that message. This near edge does seem to have a lot of bushes and undergrowth for a forest. Now that I know that monsters here do ambush players, I proceed with caution. This sight debuf is having a psychological effect already. There is danger here, waiting to eat me, and I cant see as well as I could two steps back. My heart rate increases and I start feeling jumpy. That would be the adrenaline which is now circulating my body. Whew, okay, I can do this. One more level and then back to town for a class. I hear a click off to one side, almost like the cock of a gun hammer. There, clinging to the side of a tree trunk, is a three foot mantis with 6 inch blades for front arms.

Blade Mantis - 4

Huh. The name makes it obvious those arms are not for show. I ready my weapons and turn to face it full on. It seems to take that as a signal, and twitches. In an instant that mantis is flying by me, opening my arm with that jagged natural weapon.

(8 damage received)

Ouch! What the crap was that! I spin around to face where the mantis had disappeared to, and see it climbing around another tree trunk to face me again. This must be his thing. Lets see if I can parry his attack! I grip my weapons tighter and get ready for his leap. He considers, his head leaning a little to the side, and then crouches towards the tree. I hear that click again, so it is clear what the mantis intends now.

Stillness. We stare at each other, unblinking. Then the attack comes.

incomplete parry, 50% damage4 damage received

Arrrg! What is with these high stats on low monsters! At least his damage is low. This time I dont wait for the mantis to prepare his attack again. While he is still climbing up a tree I run over and swing down with my wooden sword.

-6

The mantis is smacked off the tree and onto the ground, where it flips over and throws its arms up into a boxing stance. His health bar is actually showing a chunk missing, so his stats must be skewed heavily to dexterity. I dont even try to parry again and put all my effort into keeping the mantis on the ground.

Sword!

-6

Dagger!

-3

The mantis bobs forward and slashes my leg before ducking back

(8 damage received)

I move closer to keep him in range; he's close to half health but wicked fast. I swing and miss, and he takes the opening to go for my other leg.

(8 damage received)

Heart pounding, hands shaking, I continue to do battle with this 3 foot tall monster of thin legs and jagged blades. He charges in to wrap both his blades around my left leg and I do something crazy.

(8 damage received)

(8 damage received)

(5 damage received from self)

I stab my dagger through the shoulder joint of the mantis and into my own leg. My health drops to 100 (67%). Now it is pinned to me and cant dodge, and I lay into it with my sword.

-6

-6

(8 damage received)

-6

-6

The mantis disappears, and I pull my dagger out of my leg.

90exp

Thank the devs that it only had two thirds the health of that stupid snake. I fall to the ground here at the edge of the woods, and consider my status.

Name: Werlkhan Class: n/a Level 4 (21%) exp to level 428 Vitality 9 Health 92/149 Strength 7 Mana 42 Dexterity 8 Stamina 41/89 Intelligence 4 H regen 1.56 (95s) Wisdom 5 M regen 1.25 (33s) Charisma 3 Armor 0 unspent 0 Carry limit 78 Money 31c

Ouch. The pain in my legs and arm is fading quickly. Advantage of the game, because a real knife wound like these would hurt for days. There on the ground in front of me are the drops from this monster. On top of the pile is an insect wing, fragile, transparent, glittering. I touch it and it goes into inventory. 5 coppers wait under it. At the bottom of the pile I see one of the arms of the mantis.

Chitinous Kris

dmg 6

1-hand

That is a nice replacement for my wooden dagger. It looks like, until I get my class, I will be using the snake method that I worked out earlier. Pin them down with the wooden sword and stab with the knife. Speaking of snakes, those gave as much experience as this mantis, but if I find them first they are a lot less trouble to deal with.

As I consider these things, I hear a growl from deeper into the woods. Looking up, there are three wolves walking slowly towards me from the deep shadows.

Young Wolf - 5

That makes the decision easy. I stand up and run headlong out of the woods. That mantis was level 4, and it took a third of my health. With the way these monsters have been increasing in strength, I dont want to take on three at once. As soon as I leave the brush on the edge of the woods the sight debuff disappears and the growling stops.