Chapitre 4: Chapter 4
"Congratulations! You are the first visitor to the Skiavra village.
+25 Influence Points.
You may exchange Influence Points for valuable skills or information which will help you navigate the world of Ascension. You may also spend Influence Points on building property or to purchase land, but spend wisely you never know when you may need them.
Awarded the title: Pathfinder.
Description You've discovered an unexplored territory for the first time.
+2% XP in the territory of Skiavra.
+1% Speed."
Will closed the message and looked around. He found himself in the middle of what appeared to be the central square of Skiavra. A statue of a short woman in a dress, placed in the center of a fountain, had its hands raised up as if begging the Heavens for some unknown favor. . Small wooden houses surrounded the square, as well as a variety of shops belonging to the local artisans.
The young man looked up. The sun shone bright, a gentle wind softly caressed Will's skin. He found it hard to believe that a game could be this lifelike. Skydome Corp. really had created a masterpiece .
"Hmm, it's kind of empty in here. Usually, central squares are crowded with players. Must be some remote location or something… How do I know which Floor I'm on?"
The developers on the website were not particularly clear on that. "We do not intervene in the gaming process unless absolutely necessary," said the disclaimer.
"All right, let's get busy."
After all, this is what it was all about - hard work. In Ascension, the inventory was linked to the finger ring with the infinity symbol depicted on it, and had twenty slots to start off with. To expand its capacity, one would have to pay a visit to the Magic Academy. There was no overhead visual clutter in the game, instead, to view information about an NPC or a monster, like its name, rank, or health bar, one would have to use the Inspection Skill. This basic apprentice-level skill was available to all new players and it leveled as they did- the higher the level a player reached, the more information they received. If the PC were to die, it would automatically lose al or most of the items in their possession.
Will opened up his inventory scanning his starter item set. Five slices of bread to replenish health, a pair of pants, a shirt, boots - nothing fancy, regular beginner gear so that one didn't have to play naked. There were also a few copper coins and a set of low-level lock picks for handling simple locks.
Well, I'm a rogue, aren't I? thought Will. After examining the inventory, he switched to the character details window. There were no surprises there either - standard stats for the given character class. With that, Will's character gained ten Attribute Points and one Skill Point. Every new level up granted five Attribute Points and every fifth level garnered him one Skill Point.
Setting goals in the game was vital for any good player; otherwise, one risked winding up with a gimp character Will planned to play solo, since mobility and maximum damage were his priorities. Thoughts of what he might need for a raid or in a dungeon were cast aside- his objective was melee skills.
Yes, melee damage dealers were as fragile as glass in the beginning, but, with appropriate gear and skills, that could be fixed without a problem. Keeping that in mind, Will did not hesitate to distribute his Attribute Points as he saw fit: +6 Agility to increase damage dealt with ranged weapons and damage from daggers; +1 Energy for non-magic class skills, which, much like stamina, granted +10 Power increase for each Attribute Point spent on itand +3 Strength.
Next stop - Skills and the five Skill Levels: Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, Grandmaster, and Legend. Will scanned the three available Skills, and went for the passive one- At Gunpoint. "Frequent use of this skill helps you level up. Passive skills upgrade over time, depending on how often you use them to your advantage," Will read out loud.
"You learned a new skill.
At gunpoint. Passive skill (Apprentice).
Increases all ranged weapons mastery level.
+2% Chance to deal critical damage with ranged weapons."
Will headed towards the shops to see what they had in stock and to familiarize himself with the price range. When he strolled into the nearest one, no other players were in sight. The shopkeeper dozed in a chair in the corner. The merchant shuddered and woke, as if he had sensed Will's presence, and smiled up at thim,
"Welcome to my shop, young sir. May I interest you in reasonably priced gear, light weapons, or jewelry?"
"Hello," said RAVen, as he strolled among the shelves with wares. A fierce-looking dagger drew his attention. He picked it up and applied Inspection. What he saw made his eye twitch,
"Twenty one gold for a dagger?"
"Needle of Despair (Gold).
Damage: 107-125
+7% Chance to deal Armor damage
+4% Chance to Dodge an incoming attack
+5% Chance to inflict bleed on target (7 seconds)
Requirements: 90 Strength, 104 Agility.
Class requirements: Rogue."
RAVen wasn't an experienced gamer, but he knew this type of weapon didn't belong in a starting location for level one to five players. There was a quality gradation to items and weapons: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and, best of all - Epic. With every new rank, one could get a better weapon set of the same level.
"What kind of weapon is this? Who can afford this?"
He decided to keep looking and regretted it - everything was level 30+.
"That's odd."
Will left without saying goodbye. Outside, he noticed a bulletin board which, he thought, wouldn't hurt to have a look at. He had a bad feeling about it.
"Posted by: Milli's Armory.
Hunt Armored Tigers and bring their skins.
Reward: 4 gold a piece."
"Posted by: Groggy Dick's Tavern.
Gather Dawn Brew Flowers in the north-eastern part of the Woods.
Reward: If you are lucky to return from there alive, we will pay 7 gold per flower.
Important! Raw flowers are deadly! Do not eat them."
The board was full of suchlike announcements with incredibly generous rewards.
"What the heck is going on? Let's see… How are we doing on rodents here? That should be a common concern in a village, right?"
"Posted by: Oldak.
Exterminate the rats infesting the local warehouse.
Reward: 2 gold each."
"This must be what the developers were bragging about - a unique gaming process. Stronger monsters for the starting locations; what else could such generous rewards mean?" With these thoughts swirling in his mind, RAVen tore the announcement off the board.
"Quest accepted: Rat Slayer.
Go see Oldak to find out more about the rat problem.
Reward: 50 XP."
The warehouse sat on the outskirts of the village. It was huge and from its rundown state it looked just short of being condemned. Entering it before learning more about its inhabitants was probably not the best idea.
"Excuse me, where do I find Oldak?" RAVen flagged down a passerby, an old woman. She gave him a strange look. "Hitting the bottle somewhere. Not a day sober since those wretched rats took his warehouse."
"Since when exactly, you say?"
"Three days or so."
"Thank you."
It took RAVen some wandering about to find the only tavern in the village. The inside wasn't well lit, but when his eyes adjusted, the young man located the besotted form of Oldak and approached him.
"Hey there, mister Oldak."
The man struggled with drunken eyes which refused to focus on Will for some time. He replied, "Who might you be, boy? Haven't seen you in Skiavra before."
"The name is White RAVen, and I'm here to take care of your rat problem. I was hoping you could tell me how many are there, their weaknesses, what they're they afraid of, where do they come from - anything you can share."
"Ah, the rats! Finally, someone brave enough to help poor Oldak." Will offer of assistance seemed to sober him . up a little.
"They came three nights ago. I was at home. I heard a strangle rumbling in the warehouse, so I went to see what the heck it was. I opened the door, and that's when I saw them. Four or five of those monsters; they seemed to be searching for something, tearing apart the boxes and barrels with their awful claws. I barely made it out of there. Thank the Gods they didn't follow me. I don't know about their weaknesses, but the unholy must be dealt with using holy magic, I suppose. The problem is, there's not a single priest in the village."
"Task complete: Oldak's Story.
Reward: 50 XP.
Clear the warehouse of rats. Bring their skulls as a proof.
Reward:
+10000 XP
+2 gold
Additional task: find out what the rats were looking for.
Reward: ???"
"So, you really want to help me get rid of those rats?"
"I think I do…" said the young man, trying to keep the quiver from his voice.
"You don't look very tough to me," said Oldak, eying Will from head to toe, "I've seen those things. They are strong, and they won't go down easy."
"Brains over brawn, good sir. I'll figure something out. I don't mean to be impudent, but may I borrow your sword? My gear was damaged, which is why I need the money in the first place. I'll give it back when I'm finished, I promise."
"Hmm… Not sure if it'll be of any help, but, here." Oldak drew the short sword dangling from his hip. "I need my warehouse back, you hear me?"
"I'll do my best." Will said. "One more question… where can I purchase some skill books?"
Oldak pointed a chubby finger. "Down that street, there's a wooden sign in the shape of an open book, you can't miss it."
"Thank you, I think I got all I need now."
"Short Hunting Sword (Bronze).
Damage: 10-13
+2% Chance to inflict bleed on target (10 seconds)
Requirements: 11 Strength, 12 Agility.
Class requirements: Melee class.
"Perfect. Turns out that there are lousy weapons in this location… Maybe the books won't cost that much after all."
Will found the place with little difficulty. Unlike the tavern, the place was bright and cozy, and it looked like decent in general. A rail-thin old man, a pair of wire-rimmed glasses slipping down his nose, appeared out of nowhere. His piercing, I-can-see-right-through-you type of look was pointed straight at Will.
"What can I help you with, messenger of Gods?"
"Good day t-… I'm sorry, what did you call me just now?"
"Messenger of Gods," repeated the old man.
Will scrunched his face in confusion.
"The ring on your finger. The infinity symbol. The sign of that the gates will soon be opened."
"Um…"
"What? Don't you know what you're wearing on your own finger?" The old man glared at him suspiciously, waiting for an answer.
Indeed, Will never thought of how NPCs perceived the players. To the best of his knowledge, in other games, the AIs ignored the difference between PCs and NPCs.
"Well, you see, I just recently woke up in the woods, and I don't really remember how or why I got there. So, you know… I don't have any recollections about this ring either."
"Good heavens! Why do all messengers have to be slow-witted!"
RAVen's nostrils flared.
"They told me I'll be back to normal soon," Will said. "How about you tell me what you know about the ring?"
"Everyone on this Floor knows that. On other Floors, too, I suppose. The old prophecy says messengers from Heavens will come and open the gates to undo the harm done to this world. They will be marked with a symbol," the old man drew the infinity symbol in the air with his finger. "They will be reborn into this world over and over until they fulfill their destiny."
"Right!" Will exclaimed. "Now I remember! Destiny and stuff. But, before I go save the world, I need to get my pump on, if you know what I mean. I was told you had skill books I could buy. I would like to see what you have."
"You really are slow-witted, aren't you?" The old man shook his head, making Will want to punch his wrinkled face. "Wait here."
He disappeared into the back. He emerged two minutes later, a small book in his hand.
"In this catalogue you will find what you're looking for. I hope you remember how to read."
"Thank you," said Will through gritted teeth. He snatched the book and flipped through its pages. "Alright, let's see. Warrior, Monk, Druid, Vampire… Ah! Here it is, Rogue. Wow, there are so many skills, and each costs a fortune! All I need is Stealth for now…" He ran his finger down the pages. "Ah! Bingo!"
"Skill Book: Invisibility.
Active skill (Apprentice).
Makes you invisible. The effect ends if you are attacked.
Energy required: 20
Duration: 30 seconds
Cooldown: 7 seconds
Class requirements: Rogue, Thief, Ghost Demon."
"What do they want for it?" muttered Will again, "One and a half gold!? That's insane! It shouldn't cost that much!"
One gold coin was worth a hundred silver coins, and one silver coin, in turn, was equal to a hundred copper coins, Will's frustration was understandable. A skill like that in any other game would cost six copper coins, tops! He had read way too many guides for various classes to have any doubts here - this skill was essential to his class.
He slammed the book's cover shut and shook it; all his plans, his hopes, had come to nothing.
"What kind of extortion racket Floor is this?" Will sighed.
Having gathered the information, and the object that remotely resembled a weapon, he headed back to the warehouse.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone