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|| [New Quest] ||
|| [Bear thy Conquest] ||
|| [Quest Prompt]: [Your journey has just begun, and your first obstacle has been presented before you. If you wish to reach civilization, then the mighty king of this forest must be slain by your hand] ||
|| [Quest Rewards]: ||
|| [One Common Attribute] ||
|| [One Uncommon Title] ||
|| [One Rare Aspect] ||
[+15,000]-[Experience]
[+10]-[Stat Points]
[+3]-[Perk Point]
|| [Accept?] ||
|| [Yes/No] ||
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You know, I should have been surprised, but I really wasn't. These sorts of quest prompts were prominent in the books I had read as a child, and I was just waiting for something similar to happen.
Honestly, I might have even manifested the damn Quest into existence myself.
I accepted the quest.
If there were any other path I could take, I would have gladly left the bear alone. But it was dark and this footpath I was following was my only guide. So, if killing the bear got me where I needed to be…
…Then so be it.
I looked over the bear, hiding the blade of light behind my back, and watched it for a moment. It was a large thing, towering over me by a few feet even as it sat. Dark red fur covered its entire body, with jutting spikes of stone running down its back.
The System flashed with a new screen, and I felt a piercing pain invade my mind. I was just able to keep myself from crying out.
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|| [New Attribute Unlocked] ||
|| [Attribute]: [Observe] ||
|| [Level N/A]: [Progression: N/A] ||
|| [Status]: [Active] ||
|| [Rarity]: [Common] ||
|| [Description]: [The user is able to see the stats and stories of others] ||
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It was certainly useful, but Gods above and below, it hurt to have the knowledge of how to use it be forced into my mind so suddenly. Wincing I took another look at the bear, this time, seeing far more.
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|| [Red Runebear] ||
|| [Level]: [?]-[N/A] ||
|| [Health Points]: [23,500/[23,500] ||
|| [Mana Points]: [N/A] ||
|| [Stamina Points]: [50,000/65,000] ||
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|| [Vitality]: [158] ||
|| [Strength]: [230]-[+50] ||
|| [Dexterity]: [124] ||
|| [Intelligence]: [50] ||
|| [Wisdom]: [25] ||
|| [Luck]: [2] ||
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|| [Titles]: ||
|| [Horror]: [This creature has three Axion Cores within its body] ||
|| [Fallen Spawn]: [This creature was born in the bowels of Tartarus and is made entirely of vile corruption] ||
|| [Mighty Forest King]: [This creature receives an additional [+50] to its [Strength] stat when in a forest] ||
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|| [-]: [Aye, that thing is a mighty one alright. Took three spears to the gut and still ripped two of my men into tatters] ||
|| [-]: [Do be careful of the woods, my dear ones. The Forest King is not keen on trespassers] ||
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Looking at the screen, I was left with more questions than answers. Tartarus, Axion Cores, Corruption. All of it flew right over my head. Seriously, what did the ancient Greek underworld have to do with this bear?
Of course, I had an idea. Many of the stories I read as a child had monsters within them, but that still didn't explain what its title of Horror meant or what Corruption even was.
'Questions for another time.' I quietly told myself. Whilst my curiosity was great, my upcoming fight with the bear took precedence. Once I found civilization, I'd focus on learning more about this world.
Making sure the bear hadn't noticed me, I focused my attention on its stats. Whilst its health was exceedingly large, its stamina had noticeably dropped by ten thousand points.
If I had to hazard a guess. The likely cause of it was probably due to hunting. Whatever it was eating, had been killed recently, otherwise I would have smelt the blood from further away.
Its body didn't seem to help in that department either. It was a large and bulky animal, made entirely of muscles and heavy bones. It probably burned through hundreds of points in stamina by just walking.
'Maybe I could tire it out?'
It was a good idea, but one I likely wouldn't go for. Its dexterity was far higher than my own, and whilst I did have [Blinkbolt] my inexperience with the Aspect might bring about my second death.
That was also without mentioning the terrain. The trees here were large and their roots were even bigger. One slip, one single miscalculation, and I'd be a goner.
So, trying to exhaust it wasn't much of an option for me.
'Maybe I could try and trick it?'
Another good idea, but it could fall through just as easily. Its intelligence and wisdom stats may have been larger than my own, but that didn't mean it was smarter. At the end of the day, it was still a bear, an animal.
It likely relied more on its instincts than its mind.
Which really only left me with one option.
'I'm going to have to fight it head on, won't I?'
A terrible idea, but one that I was surprisingly prepared for. My Aspects and Attributes were all mostly battle orientated, after all.
With [Aerify] my muscles had strengthened, my stamina was increased, and my minds cognitive abilities had grown. The extra oxygen flowing through my blood had granted my body subtle improvements.
With [Onyx Mantle] my entire body had grown sturdier. It allowed me to have a defensive edge which would likely save me more times than I could count in this battle.
It's corresponding Title too, [Onyx Lord] would allow me to perceive the subtle shifts in its body using the very element of gravity, allowing me some warning to its next move.
That was all without mentioning [Forge of Radiance] which I could use to always have a weapon on hand, and [Herald of Fear] which might be strong enough to make the bear flinch, its little poem had certainly painted it as a fearsome Attribute, even if its Rarity was only Uncommon.
There was also my items. [Weeping Milady] could induce sleep if I got lucky, and my cloak could be used as a surprise flashbang.
[Mind of The System] swept through me as I readied myself. My racing heart slowed, my mind eased with stress, and I was brought to a level of calm I had never experienced before.
Gripping my blades, I stepped away from the tree I was hiding behind and revealed my presence.
A moment later, the peace of the forest was shattered by the roar of the Mighty Forest King.