After equipping them, my stats rose quite a bit. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't loot a throwing dagger, but like in every game, you don't get to have every single weapon that's been used against you as a drop.
Next up I checked both tents, but they were empty apart from a couple rough bedrolls and a wooden table. I took out the parchment I got from the inventory. I broke the seal on it and it disappeared in a flash of light.
Quest log has been updated!
I opened the Quest Journal and saw that I had another active quest that wasn't there before.
So the system rewards you for first completions as well?, I thought. Tidemark has 4 villages where players have spawned, so that means I'm the first out of around 2,000 players to trigger this goblin quest?
I accepted the "additional rewards".
Goblin Battleaxe in inventory has been changed to Battleaxe of Ur'ka!
At first I didn't understand the prompt, but then I quickly checked my inventory screen and what I saw was pretty sweet.
Now this is what I'd call a weapon!, I thought.
The newly upgraded axe was much more powerful, not just regarding its base stats, but the bleed effect was more likely to occur as well! Not to mention the weapon skill, that was probably the exact same skill the Campleader used against me previously, sounded like an incredibly useful skill to have for a berserker.
An axe like this could probably outlast its level requirements by quite a lot. I could see someone use this weapon all the way to level 20, maybe more.
In fact, as Bloody Jump was a movement skill, players could even keep this weapon after upgrading to a stronger one, and just switch to it when traveling or whenever they needed to use a leap skill. On top of all that, it didn't even cost any mana!
After organizing my inventory I went to the cave entrance. It was locked behind a gate of sorts, simple yet sturdy. I used the key I'd looted to unlock it.
It was a small cave, nothing too spacious, or so I thought at first. However upon inspecting it further, there was a narrow pathway leading deeper into the mountains. I was expecting a chest or two, but the entrance was empty.
I really wanted to proceed with the goblin quest, finish my adventurer tasks and get back to the festival to try out the events, especially the target practice, so I could get some nice rewards, but a dark pathway in a guarded cave was something that was really hard to ignore.
As I was going through the cave, it became darker and darker, and soon I could only see a dim red light. I wish I had a torch of sorts, I thought.
A minute later I got to the source of the red light. It was a Flamewing tulip, that was needed for the adventurer quest! So their natural habitat is caves, huh?
I spent a little while collecting the flowers, and soon enough I managed to get all 50 I needed for the quest, as they were abundant in the cave. I didn't come across anything else in the mean time.
As I was progressing through the cave, collecting the last pieces I needed, I suddenly felt a terrifying chill creeping down my spine. I froze in my tracks, barely able to move. I could feel my heart starting to race.
It was a mix of the game's systems and my body's reaction to it.
An icon appeared above my healthbar.
Intimidated!
There's something in your vicinity that is much stronger than you! Its presence is overwhelming you. You are terrified.
It wasn't a good feeling.
In Valhalla, I was at the top of the food chain, but this was an MMO where I started out as a weak adventurer. Being good with the bow wasn't enough to blaze through the game, a game that was ultimately decided by your stats, skills, equipment and level just as much as your talent.
I might have had the latter, but I was seriously lacking in all other departments compared to what was lurking in this cave.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Dying in the game meant you lose all of your experience points you accumulated, and I had about 30% of my experience bar full. It wasn't much, and leveling up was still easy this early in the game, but I didn't want to risk it pointlessly anyway.
I will be back for you, whatever you are, I thought. Just give me some time first.
With these thoughts in my mind I turned back, and reached the entrance soon after. The goblins still hadn't respawned, although from the way the secret quest was worded I wouldn't get any progress for it if I kept clearing the same camp anyway, so I checked my map and decided to go towards the second encampment.
I kept hunting and gathering, skinning the animals I'd slain, and around twenty minutes later I had reached my destination. The second camp was similar to the previous one, and it had the same amount of enemies, but there was no cave, and their composition was a bit different as well. There were 3 Scouts, 4 Gatherers and a Goblin Campleader, so no fighters for me to deal with. The leader was equipped with a wooden round shield and a cleaver.
Due to my equipment I was stronger than the first time I had faced the goblins, and the same strategy worked well here as well.
I cleared the smaller ones first, and wore down their leader soon after. The shield was a bit problematic at first, being able to block my arrows more effectively than the axe did before, but its wielder was slower and less agile than the previous Campleader, so ultimately I had a much easier time. I didn't get hit once this time.
The moment I killed the last of them, the quest progressed to a 2/3 state, and just like before, the boss dropped the map with the location of the third camp. It also dropped a shield and a bracer, along with some silver.
The rest of them dropped 10 silver coins and another small health potion. I also gained 490 exp from the camp, which put me right at the threshold thanks to all the animals I hunted on my way here.
EXP
1540/1600
Exp 1540/1600
I had also finished the adventurer quest "Pest Control", and was on the verge of finishing the gathering one as well.
I had actually collected way more of the herbs, especially the Flamewing tulips, in order to sell them to players back in the village. It wasn't too hard collecting most of them, but I couldn't imagine all players had already found out where the tulips grew, so I was hoping I could make a quick buck from selling the 38 that I will still have after turning the quest in.
One camp left and I could return to Carpa, I thought. I immediately set off, gathering and hunting on the way once again. Shortly after I heard a ding! Sound.
I spent my new attribute points to strength, bringing it up to 15. One more level and I could equip the bracers, getting another boost to my defense.
The last camp was close by, so I arrived in less than ten minutes, even though I killed every enemy that I'd crossed paths with, and had gathered the rest of the mushrooms that were still needed for the gathering quest. All I had to do was find the remaining blue wildflowers, and I could tick off one more quest in my log.
The camp had three tents and I had counted 11 goblins, but most of them were gatherers, except the 2 scouts at the entrance, and the camp leader, which, this time, was equipped with a bow much taller than itself. My eyes shone up. If the leader has a bow, judging by the previous experiences, it should drop a level 5 bow that would be perfect for me once I gain one more level.
Due to me being level 4, the gatherers meant no problem whatsoever, and even the two scouts fell faster than before. I took them out in quick succession, and kept constantly repositioning myself, since the campleader had been shooting at me ever since my first attack. It hit me once when my guard dropped, and I lost about 30% of my health. It was a big hit, but just like the second leader, this one felt weaker than the first one I fought.
Soon after only the campleader remained. I succesfully dodged all of its attacks, and chipped away at its health bar until it only had 10% left. Everything went flawlessly up until this point, however the moment its HP bar turned red, he jumped backwards and took something from the belt it was wearing. A health potion?!
Fortunately, it was not a HP pot. Unfortunately, it was something akin to a smoke bomb, and the monster used it without hesitation, and disappeared in the smoke.
The area of effect of the item was around a 7 meter diameter circle, and from my distance I could cover all of it's sides except the very back, but there was no way for the goblin to escape that way as the mountain was in the way. I decided to just wait until the effect wore off.
Thump!
I felt searing pain as a red arrow got planted in my chest. I didn't even know where it had been shot from, because I paid attention to the edges of the smoke screen. When I checked my status, I got worried.
It must have been a critical hit, as I had lost about half my full health, which meant I only had around 20% left. What was more problematic however, was the debuff icon that had appeared over my health bar:
Red Plague
You have been infected by the Red Plague. Damage taken: 2% of maximum health/second
Movement speed –50%
Duration: 10 seconds
Reading the debuff I knew I was almost definitely dead. I needed to drink a potion in order to not die to the DoT (damage over time) effect, but drinking would make me rooted in place for 2-3 seconds, plus the time it will take me to open my inventory and use the potion; enough time for the boss to hit me one last time.
I was also slowed pretty heavily, which meant I had no time to get behind cover. The boss could shoot once about every five seconds, but I wasn't sure if the smoke affected his efficiency in one way or another.
My only chance was dodging the first shot he sends my way and then drinking the potion right after, before he has the chance to shoot again, so I waited.
7 seconds
6 seconds
5 seconds
This was the moment I understood that this goblin was way smarter than I first thought. It knew I was a dead man, why would it keep shooting? It was most likely standing with a nocked arrow, waiting for the moment I try healing myself so it could get a free hit in.
I had to try anyway. I opened my inventory and used a health potion as fast as I could.
I was about two seconds away from finishing the drink when I saw the arrow coming from amidst the smoke.
Good try, I thought, while closing my eyes and waiting for the attack to send me all the way back to Carpa cemetery. It was a bit disappointing since I had accumulated quite a lot of experience, but there was nothing I could do at this point.
THUMP!