Hunters bond, p.4
Hunter's Bond, page 4
“Please choose two more traits from the list below:”
Simon scanned the long list of traits, his eyes widening a bit in surprise. They’d added more since the last time he played this series. A lot more. The sheer number of traits was almost overwhelming, and he found himself skipping to the ones from older titles that he already knew were useful.
Attentive: You spot tracks and other markings more quickly than other hunters, and can record them with higher accuracy.
Hardy: You are highly resistant to extreme temperatures, and you will recover more quickly from poison, blight, and other ailments.
Resourceful: You make the most of every kill, carving more—and rarer—materials than other hunters.
Shrewd: You are an expert haggler and can command a lower price at most shops. Exotic items are also more likely to be in stock.
Scholarly: It takes you far less time to research a beast’s strengths and weaknesses than it does other hunters.
Adept: You can learn Abilities from other classes and races far more easily and with less time invested.
Survivor: You can sometimes defy death itself, and are unable to be felled by bleeding, poison, or other ailments.
Well, Resourceful and Survivor had never failed him in the past. With the former he could augment his weapons and craft new armor more quickly, and the latter was self-explanatory.
He locked those in, and once he did, the feminine voice addressed him again. “Are you happy with your choices? Please be advised that the road to change is arduous, and you must stay the course for at least twenty levels before choosing another.”
“Twenty levels? Jesus, that’s new.”
“Your class defines your role within the ecosystem of Estalia. It is as important to your survival as your skills and experience. For that reason, players must commit to truly learning a class and contributing to their spawn area before choosing another.”
Huh. Simon hadn’t expected an answer to his complaint. That seemed fair enough, though a lot different from what he was used to. It made him consider changing back to Striker just because he knew he’d enjoy it. But without a job, twenty levels would go by in a flash. Simon could re-spec without any trouble, and who knew. Maybe Guardian really was the class for him.
“I’m good with what I’ve got,” he confirmed verbally.
“Then welcome to the world of Estalia, Guardian Arheis. Prepare yourself for an experience like none you’ve ever felt before. Loading tutorial in 3… 2… 1…”
Chapter 4
Simon awoke to a sharp, sudden pain piercing his right arm.
“Ow!” he yelped, swatting instinctively at the spot.
The pain ceased, and lifting his palm revealed a splatter of blood on his arm—his own blood, housed by a now very dead mosquito. Ugh. Why were there mosquitoes already? It was still spring, and it hadn’t rained in at least a couple weeks. Examining the smear of bug guts, Simon noticed something strange. The mosquito’s thorax—what was left of it, anyway—was a metallic green color. He’d seen dragonflies that color, but never mosquitoes. Was there some weird sub-species being bred in a lab now, or…?
Wait.
He hadn’t slapped it away with his bare palm. He was wearing a glove. A leather glove, the fingers free past the first knuckle. Lifting his hand in front of his face, Simon noted the leather was patchwork, the stitching at the sides coming undone. It reached to the middle of his forearm, where he found a surprising lack of shirt. And an even more surprising bulge of muscle. Not massive by any means, but bigger than he had any right to.
A sudden sensation of vertigo overcame him, sending his mind reeling like a bad dizzy spell. It faded quickly, though, and the disorientation he’d been feeling was gone. It was as if his brain had finally synced completely, and he recognized he wasn’t looking at his own arm, but his avatar’s. Or maybe there wasn’t much of a difference now, since he’d felt the mosquito’s bite as clearly as if he’d been out in the woods without repellent.
And that wasn’t the only thing he felt. The bare skin of his arms was damp and sticky with sweat, humidity clinging to him like a sopping wet blanket. His armor, while light, had a weight and firmness to it he hadn’t expected. When he moved a few paces, he had to learn to work with it instead of walking like he was still in his work clothes. He was dressed from head to toe in the same patchwork leather armor, and as he wondered at the stats, a window came up in his field of vision.
> Equipment:
Name: Arheis
Class: Guardian (Level 0)
Armor Restrictions: Medium
Weapon Restrictions: Spear, Shield
Main Hand: Empty
Off Hand: Empty
Range: Empty
Belt: Hunting Knife
Head: Empty
Neck: Empty
Shoulders: Empty
Chest: Patchwork Leather Vest
Arms: Empty
Hands: Patchwork Leather Gloves
Legs: Patchwork Leather Trousers
Feet: Patchwork Leather Boots
Back: Empty
Ring 1: Empty
Ring 2: Empty
So this was his equipment sheet. Pretty sparse, though he hadn’t expected much starting out. An actual weapon would have been nice, though. He’d look around the area later. For now, he selected the chest piece and brought up its stats in a smaller window.
> Patchwork Leather Vest
Slot: Chest
Armor Type: Medium
Protection: 2
Durability: 10/30
Yikes. No wonder the thing looked close to falling apart. Simon didn’t bother looking at the other pieces, knowing they likely had similar stats and were all in bad states of disrepair. He did catch something at the bottom, though. A notice highlighted in green:
> Set Bonus: 4/4
Focusing on that information brought up a tooltip that explained exactly what he was getting.
> Scrap Hoarder: You know how to make the best of your limited resources. For as long as this set bonus remains active, you will receive extra materials when you skin beasts or harvest plants.
This bonus stacks with the Resourceful trait.
That was pretty useful, and a good reason to get this armor set repaired once he found someone who could handle that. If Apex was anything like previous installments, he’d have to do a lot of farming to stay equipped with the best gear.
Dismissing the detailed windows, Simon was about to take a look around when an alert popped up.
> You have received [Destiny’s Eye] as a special promotional bonus. Would you like to equip it now?
Huh. The clerk hadn’t mentioned any bonuses. Simon examined the item in question to decide if it was something he wanted. Sometimes these launch day bonuses were crutch items that made the early game way too easy, and he didn’t want any part of that.
> Destiny’s Eye
Slot: Amulet
Effect: Unknown
Great. More hidden stats and abilities. As tempted as he was to just toss the thing on principle, it wasn’t like he had anything else to wear in that slot. He equipped it, and immediately felt the weight of it resting against his chest. He looked down to find a gleaming pendant, what looked like a tiger’s eye gemstone set into polished silver. He reached for it, finding the gemstone surprisingly warm to the touch. It called to him, drawing him in…
…Until a deep, foreboding rumble drew his focus elsewhere.
Simon reached instinctively for his hunting knife, holding it out in front of him. He’d spawned in the middle of a jungle clearing, winding trees and thick vines surrounding him on all sides. Something rustled in the underbrush, and he turned on his heel to face it, adrenaline already pumping through his veins, the blood rushing in his ears.
Apex was notorious for being brutal, but there was no way the game would throw him into battle without an actual weapon to defend himself. …Was there?
More rustling, and the sound of a body crashing through the low brush. Leaves crunched underfoot, and all Simon could do was follow the sound, keeping his attention on it to avoid being surprised. Should he try and get the jump on it? Make a loud sound so it would be scared off? No. That might just attract a larger beast. Best to just wait until it decided to show itself.
Claws scraped bark, and the rustling moved higher. It was climbing now, he realized, and he caught a glimpse of dark green fur. Singling out the exact tree it was clinging to, Simon watched as sharp talons embedded themselves into the tree, golden sap leaking onto tufts of fur. Long front legs met a sleek, fur-covered body with sturdy back legs and an incredibly long, slender tail that curled around an upper branch as if anchoring the creature’s climb. Tufted ears twitched, and a purple tongue snaked out to quickly collect the sap that leaked from the claw marks rent into the tree.
Apex was known for having lots of unique beasts, from the smallest amphibian to the largest mammal, and newbie areas were almost exclusively filled with less threatening creatures to observe and hunt. Simon had never seen this species before, though, and he quietly crept closer to get a better look.
> You have learned Sneak. Take advantage of your environment and gain crucial information on your enemies without them taking notice.
Sneak cannot be performed in heavy armor.
> Congratulations, you have unlocked your first Ability! Abilities can be unlocked by successfully trying new things, extensively researching, or learning the Ability from an ally.
Upon unlocking an Ability, you will only have the most basic proficiency. Spend Ability Points to increase your rank in unlocked Abilities.
Note: Some Abilities are unlockable only by certain Classes, Races, or those with a high enough Guild Rank.
Interesting. He couldn’t say he minded the change, as before it was a flat system of spending points to learn new things. It did make him wonder just how much he could uncover via trial and error, though. For now, he made the most of his new Sneak skill and moved closer to the beast. A red bar appeared above its head, but in place of its name or any identifying information there was just a solid row of question marks.
A tutorial box popped into his field of view, causing him to flinch from the sudden intrusion.
> This creature is currently unidentified. Record any information you can in your journal, then share that information with your fellow hunters to identify the creature. Identifying creatures allows you to gauge their health and temperament, and later levels allow you to effortlessly track and predict their movements.
That was the same as previous games, though he hadn’t really needed a huge window to tell him as much. How do I just hide all tutorial pop-ups? he thought, and mere seconds later a system message appeared.
> Tutorials hidden. You can view tutorials at any time by accessing the menu.
Much better. Without the annoying windows in his face, Simon had a clear view of the creature he’d seen from a distance. Ducking into the underbrush, he observed it as it lapped up the sticky sap from the tree. The ears were almost larger than the head, and seemed capable of pivoting to extreme degrees. As it drank, a furry sack protruded from beneath its chin, almost as if that was where the sap was going. Maybe it could use that as a weapon of some kind, in addition to sustenance? It had webbing underneath its arms, too, that he hadn’t noticed before. Probably meant to help it glide from tree to tree.
Simon smiled at the creature, just watching it interact with its environment. This was one of the things that had drawn him to the series—this attention to detail. Every creature included in the world was made incredibly believable. If he was able to capture something from this creature—maybe a tuft of fur left behind, stuck in the sap—he was sure he’d find out even more interesting things about it.
For now he reached for the journal that hung at his waist and jotted down some notes on the first blank page. The journal was an important part of progression, allowing players to speed up the amount of experience it took to fully understand a creature. The more he successfully recorded in the wild, the less he’d have to grind later.
Unfortunately, there were limits to what he could do with the journal. Notes and sketches were helpful, but most hunters gathered information from the materials carved from the corpse.
The only way to understand it further would be to kill the poor thing, and since it was just happily munching away on its sweet snack, Simon wasn’t really inclined to do that. His sentiment, however, was not shared by the rest of the jungle. Branches creaked, leaves shook, and before he could do much as look up, a flash of gold-mottled scales were streaking through the sky, a lithe body striking at the sap-eater with deadly precision. Massive claws elongated, pinning the smaller creature to the tree. Back feet and talons formed a cage to trap it further, then a long snout opened to reveal a row of razor-sharp teeth that clamped down hard on the creature’s neck, crushing its windpipe before it could so much as scream and sending sprays of blood all over the jungle floor.
“Jesus Christ,” Simon said, his stomach reeling as the scent of death hit him with unimaginable force.
There was visceral gameplay and then there was… that. The reptile feasted, cracking bone and rending flesh with its powerful jaws. All Simon could do was watch in horror, some shocked part of him not registering that the reptile—while not massively huge—was still of a size that it might not mind doing the same thing to him.
When it lifted its head, Simon saw blood staining its maw, smearing its golden scales and turning them almost orange. Lizard-like eyes blinked, the membrane sliding quickly over the entire eyeball, and the creature’s elongated head swung to face Simon. Oh, God. Why hadn’t he backed off? Why had he just decided to stand there like an idiot and wait for it to aggro on him?
Simon backpedaled, not caring about his Sneak skill any longer. The creature pulled its front legs free from the bark and dislodged itself enough to slink along the trunk, the lifeless body of the sap-eater finally falling to the jungle floor. The end of its tail snapped almost like a whip, its front-facing eyes focused completely on Simon as he looked around desperately for something to use as a weapon.
Dammit. This was because he’d refused the tutorial prompts, wasn’t it? The game was punishing him for thinking he knew everything he needed to know.
“You could’ve at least given me a weapon!” Simon yelled to the heavens.
He had something, though. Reaching for his hunting knife, Simon held it out before him, pointing the rusty tip at the sleek reptile that was following his every move as it skulked from tree to tree. This was fine. He just needed to be careful; conservative with his swings. This was probably a tutorial encounter he was supposed to fail before the game gave him his actual weapons. He didn’t need to stress about it.
Except for the fact that the mosquito bite, the sweat sticking to his skin, even the sensation of the underbrush snagging at his legs felt insanely real. Would it feel the same when that thing did to him what it had done to the poor sap-eater?
Don’t be crazy. No way a game like that would get approved for sale.
Even still, Simon prepared himself for the worst, backing into the clearing. The fewer trees it had to hop around in, the better, and as he’d guessed, the creature was forced to confront him on the ground. As it leapt from the safety of a tree a dorsal fin rose along its spine, acting almost as a rudder to help get it safely to the ground. It was insanely cool, but Simon wasn’t as comfortable observing the design of this monster when it was opening up its long snout and showing him its rows of razor sharp teeth that dripped with saliva.
“All right. I get it. You’re throwing me into the deep end.” Frills on the side of the creature’s head lifted, fluttering a moment before they pressed flat. “Let’s get this over with.”
The creature let out a call that was halfway between a growl and a trill, announcing its intent. Simon squared his body, keeping his eyes on the creature as it started to circle him. Large claws dug into the dirt, seeking purchase as its limbs coiled, its body storing energy, preparing for the attack. It pushed off the ground with surprising swiftness, and suddenly a three foot long lizard-panther-thing was launching itself at Simon, its forearms stretched wide, claws extended.
Simon slashed in front of him, feeling his knife scrape a hard, almost chitin-like surface.
> You slash Unknown Beast for 9 points of damage. (38 deflected)
He barely had time to register the alert before a solid mass was slamming against him, eight separate, knife-like claws piercing into his shoulders, unimpeded by any armor and ripping straight through his flesh with a sickening tear. Pain exploded inside of him, blazing like an inescapable fire through his veins. He could feel his own blood as it rushed to the site of injury, barely slowed by the presence of the beast’s claws.
And then his back hit the hard ground, knocking the air from his lungs. The creature landed on top of him, its claws still lodged in his shoulders, back feet preparing to do the same to his abdomen. He was going to be gutted any second now, he knew it.
“Go for the back of the neck!” a voice shouted from somewhere behind him.
The sound of a gunshot rang through the area, and even Simon felt the impact as a soft ball of molten metal slammed into the creature, carving a crater-like hole in the beast’s shoulder before it exploded in a hail of shrapnel. Simon raised his arms instinctively to protect his face, but most of the debris lodged into the creature, sending it reeling.
“Now!” the voice yelled again.
Wrapping his fingers tight around the hilt of his hunting knife, Simon stabbed the cat-lizard in the back of the neck, right where the sleek skin met the shoulders. Unlike the underbelly, which seemed to be made of armor-like scales, the back of the neck felt more like fish scales and his knife slid easily past them, the blade buried in thick muscle before Simon yanked it out with a squelch.
