The rock struck the grub right in the sac, and acid squelched out and upward from its mouth. Felix pumped his fist and reached for another rock. Movement in his peripherals made him turn the reach into a tumble, but he felt his leg become engulfed in a wet heat that bloomed into agony.
A Copse Grub's Acid Stream Has Entered Your Bloodstream.
Status Condition: Poisoned
Poison Resistance is level 4!
Pushing away the pain, Felix took quick aim and threw. The rock flew wide, hitting the log to its right, causing the grub to twitched toward the sound. Felix took a chance, limping forward as fast as he could.
Toward the grub.
He was tired. Tired of being burned and bitten and sliced. Tired of hiding and waiting and running. He wouldn't be a victim, anymore. Now he was the monster.
And monsters had teeth.
Felix pulled two pieces of stone out of his pockets, lifting them up as he hop-limped toward the grub. He got within arms reach of it before it twitched back to him, mandibles spread wide and a harsh hissing noise coming from its throat.
Felix thrust downward with both stones, inexpertly sharpened. Both improvised blades struck true, sinking into the resisting, gooey flesh of the grub and causing it to release a hissing screech that hurt Felix's ears.
You Have Learned A New Skill!
Small Blade Mastery (C) Level 1!
Why throw rocks when you can stab with rocks! Proficiency increases with skill level.
Felix didn't stop. He pulled the crude stone daggers out of the grub and started stabbing again, and again. The brittle blades broke quickly, but then he was just hitting it with his fists. The grub screeched over and over, but it had fallen over in Felix's flurry of attacks, and it couldn't maneuver its stubby limbs to move.
Acid and thick blue ichor splattered with every strike, raining down on the both of them.
Then it was over.
Falling limp to the ground, Felix fumbled a handful of yarrow out of his pockets. He shoved it into his mouth, past caring that a large dose of blue blood and green acid went in too. For the next few minutes, he ate yarrow and witchcaps and the last bit of flitweed to replenish his flagging Stamina.
I did it.
The thought was dull and heavy, like the rocks all around him. As the herbs did their thing, he turned inward, meditating to stay afloat of the damage that the poison and acid was still doing to his body. Slowly, so slowly, his thoughts sharpened. Meditation began to gain ground, and Felix felt like had escaped from a dark hole.
He opened his eyes.
Sunlight, bright and golden, shone down through a break in the clouds and illuminated the gully. All around him the wood and rocks were sizzling and pitted by acid, and the savaged remains of the copse grub oozed slowly down the side of the log. Felix took a deep, exhausted breath...and doubled over coughing. The air was filled with the acrid tang of acid and boiling blue ichor. He stood up and stumbled a few steps away from the corpse.
Heh. More like Corpse Grub.
He shook his head. He was starting to get a little loopy. Focus. He toggled his notifications.
You Have Learned A New Skill!
Unarmed Mastery (Common) Level 1!
Lost your weapons? Don't stop, just punch them!
His Small Blade Mastery leveled to 2, Unarmed Mastery leveled to 3, Acid Resistance leveled to 10, Pain Resistance leveled to 8, Poison Resistance leveled to 6, Dodge leveled to 2, Acrobatics leveled to 3, and he earned a level in Improvisation back when he made his sharpened stone "daggers." His Endurance, Agility, Strength, and Vitality all went up by 1, while his Willpower increased by 2.
Overall, an impressive amount of stats and skill levels in a ten minute span. Felix supposed his theory about stress and skill levels was correct; the greater the difficulty and need, the greater the growth.
Now if only it didn't hurt so much. He groaned as he rubbed his tender chest, still red and raw from acid burns.
You have defeated a Copse Grub!
You have gained a Level!
You have gained a Level!
You are now Level 4!
+6 to WIL! +4 to INT! +2 to DEX! +2 to END! +2 to PER!
You Have 10 Unused Stat Points!
Congratulations! You have earned a new Title!
Giantslayer I (Uncommon)! Defeat an enemy at least 10 levels higher than yourself! +1 STR +1 AGL
The pain dimmed as Felix felt a rush of power flood his body. His blood buzzed in his veins, his muscles squirming as his skin tightened and shifted. It was painful in a different way, like he was being stretched beyond limits he didn't know he had. After a few moments, the feeling faded, leaving him shaking on the ground.
"God damn," he managed, his breath puffing dust from the dry gully. "Leveling didn't feel like that last time."
Was it because he leveled up twice? If so, he didn't plan on doing that again. Felix could just imagine how that would work mid-battle, he'd get killed in seconds while he writhed on the ground.
But still, I feel stronger now. He pulled up his Status screen.
Name:
Felix Nevarre
Level:
4
Race:
Nym (+1 to WIL, INT, DEX, END, +5 Bonus Stats per Level, -5% XP Gain)
Omen:
The Magician (+2 to WIL, +1 to INT, +1 to PER per Level)
Born Trait: