The marketplace still buzzed with activity, though the frantic energy of the day had given way to leisurely browsing.
Near the Feast Pavilion, a group of villagers and players sat around a fire, sharing stories their stories about today.
The sound of a bard’s lute carried across the square, and I was somewhat surprised. She was one of the few bard players I've seen so far, and this made me wonder how hard of a time players with that class had it in the early game.
She looked like she was having fun, fitting in the world's theme naturally, and ultimately, that was the only thing that mattered.
I quickly managed to sell my goblin shield and goblin scout bow for 20 and 10 silver coins respectively; much more than I thought at first, so I couldn't complain. My excess flowers and miscellaneous loot netted me another 21 silver coins, so my wealth grew to 1 gold and 20 silver.
I decided to keep all the materials for crafting as I wanted to try my luck again with the tanning and leatherworking.
I waited in line in front of the alchemist's stall to buy ten health potions. It cost me a hefty 50 silver, but the fact that one potion only restored 20% of my health meant that I had to down quite a few of them in dangerous situations.
My next stop was the board of the Adventurer's Association. I wanted to check if there were any other quests posted, after all I only needed 5 more adventurer's XP to advance to Iron rank.
Sure enough, there were two new quests I could take.
Beasts of the Lake
Required rank: Copper
A delicious meal
Required rank: Copper
I accepted both quests and checked their description in my quest log. Much to my delight, I could complete both pretty fast if I went back to Dusken Lake.
Earlier I had visited the Fishing Derby and tried out fishing, and it was definitely a much more smooth process compared to real life. I had also gotten a fishing rod as a gift from the fishermen of Carpa, so I was set for this quest too.
After I sorted through my inventory I decided to go back to Dusken Lake. The path was quiet, the festival's noise fading into the distance behind me. The moon hung high above, its light casting long shadows across the forest trail.
I adjusted my quiver as I walked, the familiar weight of my bow giving me a comforting presence.
The grind to Level 10 wasn’t going to complete itself.
Near the lake’s edge, a group of Duskhounds prowled around a small herd of Lakeside Boars, their low growls blending with the occasional grunt of the boars. The two groups seemed caught in a tense standoff. That is until I arrived.
I nocked an arrow, aiming for the largest of the boars. The shot struck, and the beast squealed, charging toward me with surprising speed. Before it could close the distance, I fired a Piercing Shot, the arrow punching through both my initial target and it's two companions. Two more quick shots brought the whole herd down.
The hounds reacted instantly, turning their attention to me. Their snarls grew louder as they fanned out, their pack instincts kicking in. I sidestepped their lunges with practiced ease, firing off a Flaming Arrow that turned the night into a flickering battlefield.
One by one, the hounds fell, their attacks predictable and their movements sluggish compared to the sharper reflexes I’d honed over the last few levels. The last of them whined as it tried to flee, but a well-placed arrow ended its retreat.
Farther along the lake, I spotted a group of Duskwolves, their larger frames and darker coats setting them apart from their smaller cousins. They lingered near a rocky outcrop, their eyes glowing faintly as they watched me approach.
I paused, taking a moment to survey the pack.
The first wolf lunged, its claws swiping at the air where I’d been a moment before. I rolled to the side, firing a Flaming Arrow into its flank. The flames illuminated the other wolves, who snarled and charged as a unit.
I backed up to higher ground, using the terrain to funnel them into a narrow approach. Piercing Shot took out two at once, their health bars draining rapidly.
The leader of the pack, a particularly large wolf with a scar over one eye, growled deeply as it circled me. However it was no Alpha and therefore, it didn't pose a threat to me.
Its leap was fast, but not fast enough. I fired point-blank, the arrow sinking into its chest and staggering it mid-air. A second shot ended its life, and the remaining wolves followed their leader soon after.
I kept hunting the animals without hesitation. One by one, the wildlife of Dusken Lake became scarcer. I kept skinning my prey, getting more and more efficient at it with each successful try. My Skinning&Processing skill increased to 6.
After about an hour of grinding, my EXP bar was nearly full and I had completed the Beasts of the Lake quest for the Adventurer's Association. If I remembered correctly, fishing also gave a tiny bit of experience, so I decided to head to the lake with my fishing rod to try and catch 10 Dusken Carps.
The lake lay ahead, its surface still reflecting the colors of the night sky. The forest around it was quiet save for the occasional chirp of birds.
For once, the absence of snarling Duskhounds and rampaging Lakeside Boars was almost... peaceful.
I found a good spot at the edge of the lake, where a fallen tree had created a natural seat. With a sigh, I sat down, unpacked my bait, and cast my line into the water.
The bobber floated lazily on the surface, swaying gently with the ripples of the lake. I leaned back, letting my thoughts drift as I waited for something to bite.
Plop. The bobber dipped suddenly, and I snapped to attention. My hands tightened around the rod as I pulled back, feeling the resistance of something on the other end.
The fish fought hard, tugging against the line, but I reeled it in steadily. With a final pull, the shimmering form of a Dusken Carp emerged from the water. Its silver scales glinted in the moonlight, faint traces of purple around its fins marking it as unique to this lake.
You’ve caught a Dusken Carp!
"One down, nine to go," I muttered, dropping the fish into a bucket beside me.
The next hour passed in a steady rhythm: cast, wait, reel, repeat. Each time the bobber dipped below the surface, I felt a small surge of excitement. The carps weren’t huge, but they fought fiercely, making every catch feel like an accomplishment.
As I cast my line for the ninth time, something felt different. The bobber dipped almost immediately, but when I pulled, the resistance was far stronger than before. The rod bent sharply, and I dug my heels into the ground, gripping the handle tightly.
"Whoa, you’re a fighter," I said, my heart pounding as the line jerked violently.
The struggle went on longer than I expected. Whatever was on the other end was strong, darting back and forth beneath the surface. I adjusted my grip, letting it tire itself out before reeling in steadily.
Finally, with one last tug, I pulled it free. The fish was massive, its silver scales gleaming like polished armor and its fins tipped with deep purple.
You’ve caught a Dusken King Carp!
A rare catch. I grinned, admiring the fish before placing it carefully in the bucket. I should keep this and try cooking something once I have the time, I thought.
Half an hour later my bucket was full. Ten Dusken Carps, plus the Dusken King Carp, made for a solid haul. The fishing rod rested easily in my hands as I stood, stretching and feeling the satisfaction of a job well done. I had also reached level 10.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
I opened my status window to see how far I've come. I put my newly found attribute points to strength once again. Soon I should start increasing my dexterity instead.
I quietly gasped when I noticed how much experience I needed to level 11. It looked like level 10 was a divide from very early levels as in order to advance to the next level I needed 2.5x the amount of the previous one.
Next up I opened my skill book. Level 10 was a huge milestone since it unlocked my 3rd basic skill.
Finally, a movement skill! My biggest challenge while fighting was continously dodging enemies while keeping up the pressure on them with basic attacks.
Leap Attack was the perfect engage/disengage skill that created quite a bit of distance between me and my target, while threatening them as well. It's cooldown was quite high, not to mention it took quite a chunk out of my mana as well, but I already knew it would save me from countless difficult scenarios.
Moreover, Leap Attack was not the only skill I could unlock at level 10. I opened my inventory and picked up the rune I've looted earlier.
Upon using it, the system notified me about the new skill I had acquired as the stone crumbled to dust.
With these two new skills under my belt I felt like I was making really good progress. The next thing I should focus on was my equipment; most of the items I had were level 3 to level 5 common items, and it was time for me to gear up a little more.
The moment I thought about this, the system notified me with a Ding! sound.
12 hours had flew by. I did so many things, met both NPCs and players, learned new things and had rediscovered the love and compassion I had for gaming, I barely noticed how long I had been online.
I could keep playing for another 12 hours if I wanted, but for the first day, hitting level 10 sounded like the perfect milestone to stop for a while, collect my thoughts and have a good night's sleep. Ravenloft's time zone was different from the UK by one hour, so it was about 9 pm in the real world.
I decided to call it a day and logged off.