Raiya: Starter Zone - A LitRPG Saga: Archon's Chosen - Book One Read online

  He donned the Armor, strung his bow, pushed his dagger into his waistband and tossed the quiver over his shoulder, the basic arrows rattling around as he did so. He rechecked his character sheet.

  Name: Skree

  Level 1

  HP 180 - 100 base + 80 from constitution

  MP 180 - 100 base + 80 from Intelligence

  Stamina - 170 - 100 base + 30 from Strength + 40 from Constitution

  Armor - 20 - 8% reduced physical damage

  Magic Resist - 0% reduced magic mitigation

  Attributes:

  Strength

  6

  Dexterity

  10

  Constitution

  13

  Intelligence

  8

  Wisdom

  10

  Charisma

  8

  Unspent Attribute Points 5

  Skills

  Rank

  Stealth

  2

  Tracking

  1

  Archery

  3

  Light Armor

  2

  Daggers

  1

  Survival

  1

  Unspent Skill Points: 5

  Active Abilities

  Careful Aim - +15% critical chance

  Stealth - 35% reduced detection

  Perks:

  Alpha Tester - Can learn any skill, even racially restricted skills

  Rosetta Stone - Understand all languages

  First Come, First Served - Free starting gear

  Skree was surprised he still had points to distribute. He had just assumed that the added boosts to his character when picking a starting class would have consumed all points, but he wasn't about to complain. He didn't like having a small health bar so he dumped three points into Constitution and put the other two points into Dexterity.

  +3 Constitution - HP Increased by 30, new HP total 230.

  +2 Dexterity - Critical strike chance increased by .4%, total critical strike chance 12%

  Looking at his skills, he noticed there were no additional skills listed besides what had come with his starting class. He would need to figure out how to unlock them right away but, in the meantime, he decided that he should level Archery by three points, and level stealth and light armor by one point each.

  Congratulations, you have reached Archery level 3 - you have unlocked the ability:

  Power Shot. You pour your strength into your draw, and release, firing an arrow with more speed and power than normally possible. +10 damage. Cast time 1 second, Mana Cost 50, Cooldown 10 seconds

  Stealth rank 2 - you are 37% harder to detect while stealth is active

  Light Armor rank 2 - You know how to move in your armor and make the most of it. +2% to armor. Armor increased to 20.4

  Do you want to confirm all changes, Yes or No?

  With a grin he selected yes and immediately felt the change in his body.

  “Nice!” He looked toward the jungle, shaking his head. “What have I gotten myself into…”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Skree looked left and right, seeing only beach and ocean. Before him was the jungle, imposing and dark. Listening carefully, the only sounds he heard were the crashing waves behind and the countless bird calls coming from within the jungle.

  “I should probably start by walking the circumference of this island, get a feel for its size. Also, I can look for other landmarks and any fresh water streams that might be coming from deeper in the jungle.” He thought. If he had learned anything from his countless hours watching Bear Grylls it was that he should get a good idea of where he was and how to get back here safely.”

  Turning to his right, he began walking, looking around for possible threats. Though the beach seemed relatively safe, he figured it was better to be cautious than trust anything in this new world.

  He walked for several hours, paying careful attention to the shape of the mountain at the center of the island, hoping he would be able to use that to tell when he had circled the entire island. As he walked, he kept getting the feeling he was being watched, but despite his constant scanning of the tree line and beach, he hadn't caught even a glimpse of anything out of the ordinary.

  “Pssh, ordinary. I don't think that word really applies in this situation.” he muttered to himself. After another hour or so of walking he came to a small stream that came from the jungle. He bent down and scooped up a handful of the clear water and tasted it. Crisp and clean. He drank deeply and sighed with contentment.

  He drank his fill then splashed water on his face and neck, savoring the refreshing cold. He reached for his bow when he felt a presence seconds before something heavy plowed into him, digging sharp claws into his back.

  He screamed in pain, as his face was crushed into the sand, the fine material filling his mouth. He tried to roll over but whatever was on him had him pinned. The thing attacking him continued to rake its claws into his back, growling angrily as it did so.

  Skree felt his life force starting to fade and he remembered his health bar. In the corner of his vision he saw the red bar, nearly half gone, a red teardrop icon indicating a bleeding status. This was apparently far from over and he felt a renewed determination. With everything he could muster, he pushed himself up onto all fours, then got a foot flat on the ground and pushed up hard, throwing his arms up into the air, tossing the animal to the sand.

  Whirling, Skree pulled the dagger from his belt and saw his foe for the first time. A night black panther, the size of a great dane stood in a defensive posture, shoulders lowered, teeth barred. Its claws and teeth were glistening with red blood, and its yellow eyes were burning with animal hatred.

  “Let’s do this you overgrown house cat!” Skree yelled and then rushed forward, knife at the ready. He watched carefully, his increased reaction speed and wisdom warning him the creature was ready to pounce.

  He ducked under the flying cat and stabbed his dagger upward, hot red blood spurting over his face as he rolled. He came quickly to his feet and readied himself for the next attack. Again he waited, and again the panther pounced, leaving Skree an opportunity to carve another large gash in the belly of the beast.

  This time his dagger tip dug in deep, completely bisecting the beast's stomach muscles. It landed with a yowl, a large portion of its intestines coming loose and dangling to the sand. The panther took two steps, limping toward Skree.

  He was overcome with a moment of sadness as he looked at the damage he had caused. This majestic hunter had attacked him and would have killed him, but he still felt no better about ending this creature's life. He moved forward, being careful not to be surprised again. The panther had collapsed and was breathing heavily, whimpering gently. Skree circled around the beast and knelt behind it.

  It tried to stand up, but Skree patted the creature gently. “Your fight is over, deadly hunter.” He leaned in and drove his dagger through the back of the panthers neck, severing the spinal cord and brain, killing his foe.

  The panther slumped lifelessly to the ground followed shortly by an exhausted Skree. He just laid there for a few minutes, breathing heavily, feeling the agony in his back and neck. In the corner of his eye he saw a blinking prompt. He focused on it for a second and a series of notifications flashed in his vision.

  First, he reviewed the combat log

  Hit by Jungle Panther - 28 damage + 25 sneak attack damage

  Hit by Jungle Panther - 21 damage

  Jungle panther has cause you to bleed for 5 HPs a second for 10 seconds

  You attack Jungle Panther - weak point for 8 damage

  You attacked Jungle Panther - Critical strike on weak point 81 damage.

  You performed a coup de gras on Jungle Panther, 62 damage

  Skree looked over at the Jungle Panther, “Wow, you were one tough bastard. You could have easily killed me if I hadn’t been so lucky.”

  He then saw the next prompt

  Congratulations! You have reached le
vels 2 and 3. You have 10 unspent attribute points and 10 unspent skill points. You have 7 days to spend these points.

  Congratulations! You have reached level 2 in Daggers - 2% additional damage

  Congratulations! you have reached level 3 in Light Armor - 3% additional protection

  Congratulations! You have learned the passive ability Coup De Gras - deal fatal damage on an incapacitated foe under 30% health.

  Skree reviewed his prompts with a grin. He may have nearly died but, as they say what doesn't kill you. He decided that that he clearly needed more health and more strength as he barely managed to get that damn Panther off of his back before it mauled him to death.

  He dumped 5 points in Constitution and 5 points in Strength and confirmed his choices. His health bar was immediately restored to full health and his muscles felt denser. He breathed easier now that his wounds had been healed.

  “Awesome!” Skree exclaimed looking at his health bar. “Just like other games, when you level up you get all your health and mana back.” He filed that tidbit away in the back of his mind. He was sure he would be able to use that to his advantage someday soon.

  He checked his character page again.

  HP 280 - 100 base + 180 from Constitution

  MP 180 - 100 base + 80 from Intelligence

  Stamina 245 - Base 100 + 55 from Strength + 90 from Constitution

  Attributes:

  Strength:

  11

  Dexterity:

  10

  Constitution:

  18

  Intelligence:

  8

  Wisdom:

  10

  Charisma:

  8

  “Looking good!” He thought. “That should get me through the next fight a little easier.” As he lay there, the warm blood of the panther still streaking his face he saw the sun was setting soon. His stomach rumbled, and he realized he hadn't eaten since coming to Raiya.

  He rolled over and looked at the Panther he had slain. “I’ve never eaten panther before, I wonder if it tastes like chicken.” He picked up his dagger and somehow, he just knew how to skin and prepare this large predator.

  He got to work. After about 30 minutes, he had skinned the deep black pelt and carved off several large pieces of meat. He realized that his innate knowledge of survival also filled his mind with the instructions he needed to create a fire. By the time he had his fire going, the sun was sinking under the horizon. He settled in, next to his fire, a large piece of panther meat roasting on a spit.

  He saw the familiar prompts blinking in the corner of his vision so while he waited for his meal to be complete, he reviewed them

  Congratulations, you have harvested Jungle Panther Pelt, Rarity: Rare, Quality: Average, durability 10/10

  Congratulations you have harvested Panther Meat x 10, Rarity: Rare, Quality: Average, durability 2/2

  Congratulations, you have learned the skill cooking level 1 - All effects of meals created by you last 1% longer.

  Congratulations, you have learned the recipe Roasted Meat. Ingredients: any meat.

  “Well that’s cool, looks like I can pick up mundane skills pretty easily. I wonder what else I can unlock doing everyday things.” Skree said as he cleared the prompts and stared into the fire. Fifteen minutes later, the meat was sizzling, grease was dripping into the fire with a satisfying hiss and the smell of roasted meat was making his mouth water.

  He removed the meat from the flames and set it on a nearby rock to cool. He stretched with a yawn. “I suppose I better smash this steak and hit the hay. Or is it hit the sand, since I will be sleeping on a beach. I always wanted to take nice beach vacation, but I was hoping for more bikini models and fewer murderous jungle cats.” he sighed. “Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers.”

  He tore into the meat, nearly purring with contentment at the delicious meal. It didn't taste like chicken, more like steak with just a hint of deadly predator. He couldn't really describe it, but he liked it.

  He wandered over to the stream, washed himself the best he could, cleaning the blood from his armor and moved down toward the ocean. He laid down and stared up at the stars, marveling at a truly alien sky above him. He closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Skree awoke to the god-awful screeches of tropical birds and the blindingly bright sun. He sat up rubbing his eyes, looking around to make sure there were no immediate threats, searching for a good spot to take a morning piss without getting killed. He walked to the ocean and let loose, shivering in pleasure as he emptied his bladder.

  He twisted and turned, stretching his whole body from head to toes. Feeling good he went to don his gear, gathering up his pelt and meat. That was when he realized, he didn't have a bag or backpack to hold his loot in.

  Skree really didn't want to leave the meat behind, so he considered sticking the slabs in his pockets, but he decided against that. He had an idea and started working. Using his dagger to cut a thin strip of the panther hide, he poked some holes around the edges of the hide and ran the strip he had cut those holes creating a makeshift bag. He was presented with a prompt.

  Congratulations, you have learned the skill leatherworking level 1 - you have learned the recipe crude leather pouch. Can hold up to 12 kilograms of items.

  Congratulations, you have crafted Crude Leather Pouch, Rarity: common, Quality: Basic, Durability: 10/10

  He placed the slabs of meat into the bag and threw it over his shoulder. He moved towards the fresh water stream and decided to move inland and look for better shelter than the wide open beach.

  As he moved deeper into the jungle, the sunlight became dimmer until it was just brighter than dusk. As he walked he saw something familiar. “Is that a banana?” he asked to himself. He walked to the bush and inspected it closely. Sure enough, it was basically a banana, so he reached down and snatched one. A prompt appeared in his vision.

  Congratulations, you have found Wild Banana, Rarity: Common, Quality: Basic, Durability 2/2, weight .1 kilograms.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill Foraging level 1. You have learned to live off the land and find it easier to locate food and fresh water. Any edible plant will have a green glow in your vision.

  Skree was not expecting that but he knew it would be a critical skill in the coming days or weeks. He looked at the bananas and saw they all had a subtle green glow, making them stand out in the dim light conditions. He went ahead snagged another dozen pieces of the fruit and placed them in his bag.

  As he was securing the food, he heard what sounded like a squealing pig crashing through the underbrush. He whirled to see bushes shaking wildly in the distance. He struggled to activate his stealth ability and ducked into some thick undergrowth. He watched as the rustling bushes moved towards him and the squealing grew louder. A fat brown hog burst from the underbrush, not slowing down as it carried right on past without noticing him in its haste.

  “I wonder what he is on about” Skree asked himself. He started to extract himself from the underbrush when a heard a thunderous sound. He froze and listened. Thump, thump, thump. “What is that?” Skree wondered as he listened. Then he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. A roar of ferocity, unlike anything he had ever heard. Like a cross between a lion and an elephant. The thumping sounds grew louder and Skree began to feel vibrations through his feet. Whatever that sound was, it was big, probably scary and it was definitely heading his way.

  Snapping wood echoed through the jungle, the pebbles around him vibrating with each and every thump. Skree was paralyzed with fear as he waited to see what was crashing through the woods. He was deep in stealth, the closed eye symbol in the corner of his vision indicating a 100% concealment as this unknown terror approached.

  The thumping footsteps were nearly upon him and he held his breath. The brush less than forty feet away flew apart revealing a massive lizard, probably sixty feet long and twenty feet tall at the head. Its forked tongue shooting in and
out of its mouth, the massive head turning and looking directly at the scrub where he was hiding.

  The stealth icon in the corner of his vision showed a partially open eye, indicating he was about to be detected.

  “Fuck me!” He thought as he took off running into the jungle. As soon as he left the relative protection of the bushes, the lizard monster roared in triumph, since it had found new prey and it looked substantially larger than that small hog it had been chasing.

  Skree tore through the underbrush with reckless abandon, his enhanced dexterity allowing him to duck low hanging branches and leap over fallen logs. The large jungle leaf’s were battering his face, but he had no time to slow down. He could not look back, but he really didn't need to thanks to the sound of shattering trees constantly crashing from just behind him.

  His stamina was holding pretty well, and he didn't feel winded just yet. This new body and increased constitution was giving him plenty of get up and go. Also, it's easy to keep running when there is a freaking Godzilla right behind you.

  “Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running,” came the sing song monologue he learned from Disney’s Finding Nemo when he was a kid. Following that fish’s advice, he kept running.

  Pushing himself harder and harder, Skree started to put some distance between him and the giant lizard. Of course, as soon as he thought he just might survive, he saw his stamina was nearly depleted. He was gasping for breath and his pace was starting to slow. Unfortunately for him, the monstrous lizard seemed to have bottomless stamina.

  Coming to stop and turning, Skree could see the trees in the distance still being felled as the never tiring lizard bashed his way through. Skree drew his bow and nocked an arrow.