Mark stepped out of the gloom of the forest. Before him, a massive wall, built from huge trees, rose. A big gate, with two stone towers on each side, blocked the way. Two torches were lit at the top of the towers and cast a bright light on the forest’s edge.
Mark pulled out his handy mini-map. The marker with the name “Oakhaven Village – Settlement” appeared in front of him.
“Halt! Identify yourself,” said a gruff voice from the tower on Mark’s left.
Mark stopped and raised his hands in sign of peace. He moved away from his belt with the sword and the spear on his back so that the guards would understand that he did not come to kill. Under the torch’s light on the left tower, Mark could see a man in a simple iron helmet and leather chest protector. The guard carried a crossbow with a bolt ready to shoot at Mark’s heart.
Mark used his skill. “Inspect.”
[Town Guard – Level 6 (Human)]
[Health: 150/150]
“My name is Mark,” he said, controlling his trembling voice. “I was wandering in the mountains when I was attacked by some monsters. I need to find somewhere to stay for the night.”
The guard looked at Mark’s dusty gray shirt, the bloodstained clothes, his Taskmaster’s Iron-Plated Boots, and the belt with an iron short sword. His eyes moved to the spear on Mark’s back.
“You look like a traveler who faced some harsh weather,” said the guard, lowering his crossbow. He turned around and barked the order to the guardsmen at the gate. “Open the gates. Just one traveler, and he looks clean.”
The wooden gate groaned and slowly opened. Mark walked through the opening and felt relief wash over him and his tired body.
Three more guards stood behind the opened gate, each with a spear in hand, observing Mark as he entered. One of the guards, an older man with a thick gray beard, stepped forward and spoke. “Welcome to Oakhaven. Few travelers come down the mountain from the ruins, and most are already gobbled by goblins and shadow beasts. You must be a skilled fighter to survive that journey alone.”
“I do what I have to in order to survive,” replied Mark. “Is there some place in the village where I can get food and a warm bed for the night?”
“Aye,” said the man, gesturing with his spear down the road. “Head towards the village square and take the first right. You will see a large building with a sign with the picture of a foaming mug. It will be the Boar’s Head Inn. The innkeeper’s name is Silas. He will give you warm food and a bed for the night, provided you have some gold to spare.”
“Thank you,” said Mark.
Mark walked down the dirt road, inspecting the village. It was a true medieval village with wood and stone buildings and tiled roofs typical of the European Middle Ages. Lanterns that were tied to wooden stakes threw bright yellow light on the road, while the air was filled with the scent of burning wood. Mark could hear the chattering of people and the clatter of horse hooves from the stables.
Mark decided that now was a perfect moment to spend some of his earning points from leveling up to level 4. He took a short break on the wooden bench beside the road and pulled out his character sheet.
[CHARACTER SHEET]
Name: Mark Vance
Class: None
Level: 4 (30/450) EXP
Health: 120/120
Mana: 40/40
[STATS]
STR: 18
AGI: 16
CON:17
INT:10
WIS:13
WIL:18
[POINTS TO SPEND: 5]
[SKILL POINTS TO SPEND: 1]
Mark thought about his recent fight with the Forest Strider. The giant insect moved with terrifying speed, and Mark had almost been unable to avoid its powerful claws. In the future, when fighting stronger enemies, he would have to rely on avoiding attacks as much as he could. Therefore, he spent two points in Agility, two points in Constitution, and one point in Strength.
[Stats updated. STR: 19. AGI: 18. CON: 19.]
[Your Max Health increased to 140.]
Mark accessed his skill menu and pulled up the basic skill tree. He noticed that a new ability became available to him since he reached level 4.
[AVAILABLE SKILLS]
Sprint (Active – 1): Cost: 5 Mana. Increases your movement speed by 30% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 30 Sec.
Shield Bash (Active – 1): Requires: Shield. Strike an enemy to daze them for 2 seconds.
Passive: Combat Reflexes (Rank: Common): This passive skill increases your chance to evade incoming physical attacks by 5%.
Since Mark did not have a shield, he could not use Shield Bash. Mark thought about the Combat Reflexes skill; it was a nice passive skill, but his military experience told him that he had no plan to survive surprise attacks. He always tried to control the battlefield and never got caught off-guard. Therefore, Mark had a powerful reason to learn the Sprint ability. It would let him quickly close the distance in combat with ranged enemies or escape if the fight was going poorly.
“Learn Sprint,” said Mark.
[Skill Learned: Sprint (Active – 1)]
After leveling up, Mark felt a surge of energy flow through his body. He tucked his character sheet back into the inventory and pulled out the next page, scanning over his new abilities. Then he got up from the bench and continued his way to the village square.
After a few minutes of walking, Mark arrived in a large square at the center of which was a water well. On the other side of the well, a two-story building with glass windows caught Mark’s eye. The building bustled with life and had a wooden sign above its entrance that depicted a wild boar.
Mark approached the Boar’s Head Inn and pushed open the heavy door. The loud clamor of the pub’s interior greeted him as he stepped inside. The air was warm and filled with the smell of roasted meat, sour ale, and the scent of pipe smoke. Mark saw farmers sitting at tables, drinking from large wooden mugs, and merchants haggling with innkeepers and rough-looking mercenaries who sharpened their blades at a big fireplace.
The entire room fell silent as Mark entered the Boar’s Head Inn. All eyes were on him. He was a tall and broad-chested man, and his travel-worn clothes and bloodstained gear made him stand out from the locals. Mark kept an iron mask of his emotions; his Iron Will skill kept his face immobile. Instead of looking at the curious villagers, Mark headed to the long bar at the back of the room. There, a big, bald man, cleaning glasses, watched the newcomer with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
Mark found himself in the company of rough and rowdy adventurers, but he was also close to the exit. In the world of Aethelgard, danger was never far away.
ns216.73.216.176da2
and then Add to home screen.