The phantom chimes echoed in Ray's mind, a sound only he could perceive. Text, crisp and clear, materialized before his eyes as if etched onto the world itself.
System Quest: Hunt and Kill Orcs.
Objective: Slay the orcs that destroyed the goblin village. 100 XP per orc killed. (0/10)
Rewards upon completion: 2000 XP, 20 Attribute Points, 100 Skill Points, 500 Gold Coins.
System Quest: Getting Stronger.
Objective: Reach Level 10.
Rewards upon completion: 5000 XP, 50 Attribute Points, 200 Skill Points, 1000 Gold Coins.
System Quest: Headquarters.
Objective: Establish a base of operations.
Rewards: 10000 XP, one basic fortress blueprint, one basic barracks blueprint, one basic house blueprint, one basic blacksmith blueprint, one basic alchemy shop blueprint, one basic item shop blueprint, one basic watchtower blueprint, one basic defensive wall blueprint, one basic inn blueprint, one basic stable.
Ray let out a low whistle, the sound swallowed by the oppressive silence of the burnt clearing. The rewards were staggering, a king's ransom for any adventurer. The promise of a base, a place to call his own in this terrifying new world, sent a thrill through him. But the orc quest was a stark reminder of the violence that permeated this land. The goblins, for all their strangeness, had not deserved such an end.
"Wow, that's a lot of quests with great rewards!" he murmured to himself, the words feeling inadequate. "I need to level up first. I can't take on a village of orcs at level one. I'll hunt more creatures around here."
His eyes, now sharp with purpose, scanned the trampled earth. The story of the attack was written in the mud—the deep, heavy impressions of the goblins' frantic flight, and the larger, brutal stomps of their pursuers. He followed the trail of crushed foliage and deep footprints, his new body moving with an instinctual silence he'd never possessed on Earth. The tracks led him away from the charred village and into the thicker woods, but soon the soft soil gave way to a rocky outcrop, and the trail vanished.
"I lost the tracks," he muttered, frustration bubbling up. He was about to turn back when a flicker of color caught his eye. A splash of dark, drying blood marred the broad leaf of a nearby bush. Hope reignited.
Thinking quickly, Ray focused inward. The memory of scales, of a forked tongue and a different way of sensing the world, surged to the forefront of his mind. His body rippled, bones shifting, skin hardening and taking on a purple hue. In moments, the Purple Poison Lizard stood where the young man had been. He flicked his tongue out, tasting the air. The metallic tang of blood was unmistakable, a coppery thread carried on the wind from the west.
"I can follow the scent of blood in this lizard form," he thought, the words forming in his mind with a sibilant edge. The scent was a beacon. He moved west, his low-slung body a blur of purple against the forest floor, the undergrowth offering no resistance.
Hours passed, marked only by the sun's slow journey across the sky. His stamina in this form was impressive, but a dull ache of fatigue was beginning to set in when a new scent joined the blood—woodsmoke. He slowed, his belly scraping the ground as he entered a practiced sneak. He crested a small rise and there it was, nestled in a shallow valley: an orc village.
It was a crude, militant settlement. Rough-hewn wooden huts with hide-covered doorways surrounded a central fire pit. Tusked, green-skinned figures moved about, their guttural voices carrying on the wind. He saw them sharpening crude axes, tanning hides, and sparring with brutal, unrefined swings. This was undoubtedly the source of the raiding party.
Ray's lizard brain screamed at him to flee, to hide. The aura of raw strength emanating from the village was palpable. "This must be where those orcs came from," he thought, forcing his Changeling intellect to override the primal fear. "I can go and level up now that I know where they are. I'm not strong enough to kill them yet. Not even one."
Discretion was the better part of valor. He retreated carefully, putting distance between himself and the village before changing course to the north. The system had given him a path; now he needed the strength to walk it.
Another hour of travel brought him to the base of a jagged cliff face that rose like a stony fist into the sky. And there, basking on sun-warmed rocks or skittering in the shadows, were his answer. Dozens of Purple Poison Lizards, just like the one he had first assimilated, dotted the area.
"I'll hunt and kill these lizards," Ray declared, a grim smile touching his lips. This was a hunt he could win.
He melted into the shadows at the cliff's base, his Sneak skill making him a ghost. He targeted a lone lizard, sunning itself obliviously on a flat stone. Ray didn't need a weapon. He remembered the feeling of the iron short sword, and in an instant, his right arm shifted, fingers merging and elongating into a blade of gleaming, solid metal. He pounced.
The attack was swift and brutal. His razor-sharp, iron-clawed hand swept down, cleaving the unsuspecting lizard in two before it even registered his presence. The severed halves twitched violently for a few seconds before falling still.
Assimilation successful. Mass absorbed.
A familiar warmth flowed into him, a sensation of solidity and potential. He felt his connection to the lizard form deepen, and a minuscule increase in his overall power. He repeated the process again and again, a silent, efficient predator. He used the terrain to his advantage, dropping from small ledges, ambushing them from behind boulders, using his partial transformation to create the perfect weapon for each silent kill. He was a student of death, and these lizards were his lesson.
After two hours of relentless hunting, the immediate area was clear. He had assimilated twenty-five of the creatures. A final, satisfying chime sounded in his mind.
XP gained: 10. Total XP: 290/300.
"I killed 25 Purple Poison Lizards; I only need one more kill," Ray whispered, his voice hoarse. So close. He scanned the rocky terrain, but the lizards had grown wise to the silent killer in their midst, or he had simply culled their local population. Nothing moved.
Pressing on along the cliff base, he climbed over a large, moss-covered boulder. And there it was—his ticket to level two. A single Purple Poison Lizard was crawling sluggishly towards a steep, rocky incline, perhaps seeking a new basking spot.
No more stealth. Ray rushed forward, his powerful lizard legs propelling him in a burst of speed. He leaped through the air, his body twisting to bring his iron-clawed hand down in a devastating arc. The blow connected square on the lizard's back, tearing through scale and flesh with a sickening crunch. Chunks of meat and ichor sprayed the rocks.
The lizard emitted a piercing, agonized squeal as the force of the blow sent them both tumbling down the rocky incline. Sharp stones scraped against Ray's scales, but he tucked and rolled, coming up on his feet with a predator's grace. The wounded lizard tried to scrabble away, leaving a smeared trail of blood. Ray didn't give it the chance. He pounced ferociously, ending its suffering with a final, precise slash across its neck.
XP gained: 10.
Congratulations! You are now Level 2!
You have 4 Attribute Points to distribute.
You have 4 Skill Points to distribute.
A wave of revitalizing energy crashed through him, washing away his fatigue and minor injuries. His senses sharpened, and he felt the reservoir of his power expand. It was an intoxicating feeling.
"Check my stats," he commanded.
The screen appeared, updated and glorious.
Name: Ray "Thorzen" Silver
Age: 16
Level: 2
HP: 200/200
MP: 75/75
Race: Changeling (Unique)
Class: None
Job: None
XP: 0/900
Skill Pts: 4
Attribute Pts: 4
Attributes:
Strength: 15
Constitution: 15
Dexterity: 15
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 15
He was now significantly stronger than the average human. After a moment's consideration, he allocated his new points. Survival was key. He put two points into Constitution, boosting his health pool and resilience, and two into Dexterity, enhancing his speed and stealth capabilities. His stats now read: Constitution 17, Dexterity 17. He saved the Skill Points for now, wanting to see what challenges he faced next.
He assimilated the final lizard, the process now feeling routine. As he stood, something new caught his eye. At the base of the incline where the final struggle had taken place, partially obscured by a thorny bush, was a dark opening in the cliff face—a cave. His interest was piqued, but a glint of reflected sunlight to his left drew his attention away.
He turned and his breath caught in his throat. A short distance from the cave entrance, nestled in a cradle of the cliffs, was a stunningly beautiful lake. Its water was a crystal-clear azure, fed by a majestic waterfall that cascaded down from the cliffs on the far side, throwing rainbows into the misty air. The sound was a constant, soothing roar.
"Nice freshwater. I'm going to get me a drink," Ray said, his thirst suddenly overwhelming.
He jogged to the water's edge, dropped to his knees, and cupped the cold, clear water in his hands. He drank deeply. "Wow! That water is great, so refreshing!" It was the purest thing he'd tasted since arriving in this world.
As he sat back, satisfied, he stared into the placid depths. Dozens of silvery fish darted amongst the weeds and stones below. The cave offered shelter. The lake provided water and food. The cliffs offered a natural defense. A sense of rightness, of profound potential, settled over him.
"This place is amazing!" he said aloud, the idea fully forming. "I should make it my base camp!"
The system was instantly responsive.
System Notification: Ray, you wish to make this area your base? Yes/No.
There was no hesitation. "Yes! Athena, make this area my base!"
"Affirmative," her calm, synthesized voice responded directly in his mind.
The air around him began to hum with power. A brilliant blue light erupted from his chest, swirling around him like a miniature galaxy before expanding outwards with incredible speed. It raced across the ground, a wall of shimmering energy that defined a massive circular area. Ray watched, awestruck, as the light engulfed the lake, the waterfall, the cave, and a vast swath of the surrounding forest and cliffs—easily fifty acres. When it reached its full extent, the light shot upwards, forming a perfect, translucent dome that met high above, tinting the sunlight a soft azure before fading to near-invisibility.
"What is this barrier?" Ray asked, his voice full of wonder.
"This protective barrier will protect your base for 30 days," Athena explained.
"30 days?" That was both a relief and a concern.
"Yes. That's the best I can do to protect your base until you can build up your defenses and your own strength," she replied.
A final, triumphant fanfare echoed in his mind, and a scroll of text unfurled before him.
System Notification: Congratulations on completing your quest: Headquarters!
Rewards: 10000 XP, one basic fortress blueprint, one basic barracks blueprint, one basic house blueprint, one basic blacksmith blueprint, one basic alchemy shop blueprint, one basic item shop blueprint, one basic watchtower blueprint, one basic defensive wall blueprint, one basic inn blueprint, one basic stable.
A flood of knowledge poured into him—complex schematics for foundations, walls, and roofs for a dozen different buildings, all neatly stored in a new mental interface. He could almost smell the fresh-cut timber and hear the ring of the blacksmith's hammer.
He was no longer a lost soul in the wilderness. He was Ray "Thorzen" Silver, Level 2 Changeling. He had a home. He had a purpose. And he had a fortress to build.
He looked out at his new domain, from the serene lake to the imposing cliffs, all safe under the gentle blue glow of the barrier. The orc village to the west was no longer just a threat; it was a target. The journey to level ten had just begun, but for the first time, he truly believed he would reach it. Here, at the base of these cliffs, with the sound of the waterfall as his anthem, the legend of Thorzen would truly begin.