Warning: Possible triggering scenes due to trauma and gore.
The sun was washing over the fields, the morning dew still brushed against the dark green grass spotted with white flowers.
"What a beautiful day for getting some levels moo!" The view has put me in a really good mood, I like it when it's bright, I've spent too much time in dark places over my life.
Walking slowly I spot my first victim, or I could be the victim.. Well I guess we will find out! It has been nearly 2 years since I've been in combat after all.
A slime is eating a flower, petal by petal, enjoying life. My devilish shadow with horns falls over the slime. I enjoy the cute scene. The slime does not, in fact I think it may have lost some mass on the grass. Poor thing.
Better put it out of its misery then, making sure all my equipment is ready, I smack my bronze knuckles together and punch down at the small green slime. I seem to have somehow caused a fear effect on it because it just lets it happen, shivering it turns into a pile of goo. A 5 emboldened by a jagged explosion shows the damage as a critical hit!
Normally this would be something to jump about, except 5 damage in a critical hit is quite sad, thanks to my trash strength stat.
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{ Notifications }
{ 'Event triggered' Slime has been afflicted with 'fear' }
{ 5 blunt critical damage against Slime (2 base damage x 250%) }
{ Slime Defeated }
{ 50 Exp Acquired }
{ 50/1000 until level up }
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If I'm not dealing crits, I'm going to be doing basically 1 damage with each strike.. With my 2 in strength I only do 20% of my weapon's damage. I'm doing exactly the minimum possible damage against all enemies until I get more Strength stat! ugh..
I'm not going to be scaring every monster Into petrification. That's for sure, each battle could take forever at this time.
I hear a squelch coming from behind me and turn around just in time to feel a squishy rubber ball thwack against my chest as I stumble backwards a bit, this one actually looks ready to murder.
{ Slime delt 1 damage after reduction from equipment }
{ 34/35 health remaining }
Lunging forward I slam down on the slime, a Critical damage indicator with 3 rises up from its body, it's looking a bit rough but still alive, and pissed, as it jumps I aim for its leaping jump and strike it back with my right fist in a counter. A purple critical strike with a 5 rises up as the slime is slammed back against the ground, a 1 rises up from my fist as I also take the slime's damage.
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{ 3 Critical Damage (1x250%) against slime }
{ The Goddess has seen your worth }
{ Passive Ability Attack Counter Learned, Minimum 12 Wisdom required to obtain, Bypassed. }
{ 5 Critical damage ((1x250%) x 50% Counter modifier) }
{ 1 Damage received from Slime after reductions }
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Oh damn, Wisdom is important huh? Crap, that's gonna be a while before I can normally start unlocking passives, Zelia did tell me that it was important but I don't remember everything she said about it. It was too easy to daze off watching that sexy little mouth move while she was excited explaining everything to me. I'm sure she has a pile of files somewhere for me to try and slog through.
She said something about all weapons get a passive buff as well, I can't even imagine what Wisdom I'm going to need for that though. I'm tempted to ask Fia to check online for me and I bet she's been waiting in the background but I feel like that's cheating a little, it feels nice to just unlock everything as I go, even if it isn't the most efficient.
Speaking of unlocking things, haven't my critical attacks been a little.. Every hit? I know I have the passive ability { Pinnacle of Luck } but jeez..
"Hey Fia, are you there?" I ask my console.
"Hi Lilia, it took you so long to ask for me!! What can I help you with lovely?" Her voice comes from around my ears as if I'm wearing an earpiece.
"Fia how come I keep getting critical hits? I don't actually know what my percentage is to be honest" I asked, confused about what I'm missing.
I hear Fia giggle, "I really hope it's to do with your status points because I don't think you're having those kinds of issues out of game."
On my console the Character Information panel comes up, at the side of the character information panel is another button off to the side that says { Advanced Info }, it's now glowing bright with a bunch of arrows highlighted around it pointing to it.
A blush rises past my neck and up to my cheeks, "Fia, thank you yes I see it now.. Please remove the arrows, oh gods that's so embarrassing, it's definitely my stats.., don't you dare tell Zelia!"
I press the button and Fia removes all the embarrassing embellishments.
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{ Additional Information }
- Critical Attack chance 20% (5% base crit + increase 2%xLuck + Passive effect)
- Critical damage x 250%
- Weak point damage increase 50%
- Main hand base damage 1-1 Blunt (2 - 5 blunt damage x 10%xStrength)
- Off hand base damage 1-1 Blunt (2 - 5 blunt damage x 10%xStrength)
- Item drops chance increase 200% (Increase 2%xLuck + Passive)
- Event Chance increase 200% (Increase 2%xLuck + Passive)
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"It looks like at least you have a 20% chance at hitting critical strikes, I guess that's been your saving grace!"
"Huh on top of having luck, I guess I've just been lucky then, that's a nice thought to finally have in my life haha moo!"
I bend down to pick through the defeated slimes, I manage to scavenge out 60g and 2 rank F lesser monster cores, some pocket money at least, I think I'll need to aim at farming more animal like monsters to actually get some materials for my quest.
The green field is my oyster and the slimes are my pearls! Onward! I rush to the next slime and smack down on it while rotating around it to avoid any possible attacks. This time it's defeated in 3 hits, the last being a critical to finish it off, with 17 more slimes to kill. I make my way through the field on my way to the next zone's forest.
…
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{ Slime defeated }
{ 50 exp Gained }
{ 1000/1000 Max Exp Gained }
{ Level 3 Achieved }
[ Level Up ] { Please assign your 5 status points }
{ 0/2000 until next level }
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Yes, level up! Knowing how low my damage is I decide to throw the 5 points straight into Strength, a 50% increase in damage is thoroughly needed right now, altogether I have 70% of my damage which means.. 2 - 3 damage a hit? Math is not my strong suit but I think that's correct, since decimals get turned into whole numbers and go up? I'll check my information later.
A small shining item lays on the ground having just come out of the Slime I defeated. A rare drop?? It's a small red ribbon with a silver bell hanging off it, it's super cute, I have a look at its status "Unidentified Accessory", oh damn.. I'll put it on anyway! I'm sure it's not cursed with how cute it is!
I tie it around my right horn and hear it jingle around with my cow bell as I move, maybe I should remove it as a cosmetic.. The cow bell I mean, but it's so.. ME, my character I mean not like me me, gosh, minotaur girls are like.. Required to have it.
Now having the ability to actually deal some damage it's time for the 'forest arc' ahh it's my time to shine! Considering how long the frigging town arc was, I'm pretty chuffed to be on my way to level city!
The forest slowly starts with bushes and then eventually moves into sparse forests, to the point of no light coming through the trees, the eventual goal is just to not die!
Carefully I walk through the bushy area and see a few rabbits rubbing their backs against a tree, their legs are much more elongated than any rabbit I've seen online. My new bell seems to have alerted them to my presence and they rear up on their back legs.
"Bunnies moo!" Their bodies explode off the ground, shooting at me with their heads appearing as if bullets, one of them I manage to deflect off my bracer and the other connects with my chest pushing me backwards but I'm able to keep my posture.
"Not bunnies NOT BUNNIES!"
{ RapidRabbit deals 3 damage after reductions }
{ RapidRabbit deals 2 Damage after reductions }
Oh I fucked up, they didnt do a lot of damage, but I can only imagine what would have happened if I came in here without any armor on.
The one that hit my chest is able to land with a 10/10 but the other one that I was able to deflect falls over holding its head, that's my target.
Leaping to the side I throw a punch at the RapidRabbit's head, A critical hit damage number of 8 pops up and it's pushed backwards toppling over and over its own body. Instinctively rolling forwards after the rabbit, I feel a gust of wind go past my backside. My tail is grazed slightly as I take a point of damage. Nuu my poor wagger!
Looking forward, prone on the ground from my tumble, I see the rabbit starting to recover, getting up ready to pounce again. I do the only thing I can think of.
I push forward with my whole body, charging it with my horns. We both don't expect it, they let their legs go in shock, pouncing forwards, I fall flat on my belly again. The sensation of a meat kebab on my left horn, thankfully avoiding my new accessory, the dripping blood coating my hair and face.
I roll over onto my back and sit up in shock, hyperventilating, the sensation of blood running down and over my stomach, feeling the $*%&#@* once again pushing out of my stomach. Wait no please dont, there's nothing there, there's nothing there, it was all a bad dream! IT WAS ALL A BAD DREAM!
"-----! —--!!!!! –LIA!! PLEASE RESPOND! YOUR HEARTBEAT IS TOO RAPID YOU'RE GOING INTO SHOCK!"
{ 4 Damage taken from RapidRabbit }
My console is flashing rainbow like a signal pushing at my brain.
"FiaFia I'm here, I'm sorry fia, it's not real, it was all a bad dream it was all a bad dream I can feel it in my stomach growing, please make it stop MOO!"
"Lilia! Lilia you're getting attacked! You need to get somewhere safe or I'm going to have to pull the plug which is going to hurt a lot!"
Lashing out wildly with my fists, I feel something connect with them. Everything is in a haze of red and whites, like the laboratory of my nightmares. The straps bite into my skin, the dripping of liquids, upon my body, where will they make it grow next?! Am I just a farm for them to pluck it from me?! AM I HUMAN!?
"It's okay, it's dead, it's dead now Lilia lie down and scrunch yourself up. That's a good girl, it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay, you're in a safe place. I'm going to ask you something and you need to just answer me with a yes, okay, just need you to use your voice for a second."
"Would you like to log out?", the last part is a slightly more robotic voice, it's a command prompt, I nod my head and whisper softly "Yes.. please make it stop."
And it does.
trauma! yay