OverXelous
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Chapter 19 - A Plan Forward
🕑 Added 2024-10-26 04:30:22 +0000 UTC“Are you sure you’ve got to head out?”
“Ahh, yeah. I really need to restock, and I think it’s time for me to head to another Rift. The boars are too easy, and I want to check out the rewards from other Personal Quests.” Alex waved and smiled at the group he’d been camping with for the last four days.
While they’d largely done separate fighting and grouping during the day, Alex found himself enjoying their company each evening. The group had a good dynamic with lots of friendly banter and inside jokes.
“We’ll send you a connection request in the AG app. Hopefully, we can link up later.”
“Sounds good, take care.” Alex waved again over his shoulder as he turned and walked through the growing camp toward the Rift exit.
It had been four days inside the Rift, and Alex was pleased with his progress. After being in the Rift and removed from the distraction of work and electronics, Alex found his mind clear. It was easy, then, to plan his next few steps.
Stepping out of the Rift, Alex took a few moments to assess his surroundings before stretching his back and beginning the short trek to his car.
It’s only Wednesday, and I’ve already been able to accomplish my goal. I gained another fifteen stones over the last four days in the Rift, bringing my total to 17 Mana Stones. This should easily let me purchase the entry material for Rituals.
Alex was surprised to realize that if he accounted for the value of the stones, he had made between $6,000 and $12,000 in the last four days.
Even more impressive is that it’s only been two days out in the normal world.
He watched as his phone powered on and he checked his missed notifications and saw the date and time. Exactly as he’d planned, it was Wednesday morning and according to the timeline he set for himself, he still had two days left to adventure.
Alex felt a bit guilty as he closed the missed notifications from Mark and Sarah as he didn’t want to field their questions.
Before he made his way back to town, Alex tapped the logo of the Adventurers Guild App on his phone. The sword and shield on the background of a portal expanded, and the app had a few missed notifications as well.
He saw that Olivia had accepted his request, and he had even received one from Elana Voss. Once he accepted the new request, he opened a message to Olivia and asked if she had some free time to meet up this coming weekend and exchanged phone numbers.
Okay, that wasn’t too bad, right?
While Alex was stubborn and hard-working, he often found it very hard to step out of his comfort zone or stand up for himself. Normally, after reaching out to someone like Olivia and asking if they wanted to meet up, he’d get too in his head, worried that they might get the wrong meaning or make fun of him. It was the same lack of confidence that often led to more tension and stress in his past relationships or family dynamics.
Anyway, on to the next thing before I can think too hard about all that…
Flipping through the app's navigator, he found the area where he could request to be put on a waitlist for any nearby Rifts within a two-hour drive.
This had been something that Alex debated on in his tent each night. The Boar Rift was great for two main reasons.
The first and most important was the time-dilation effect. While at first, he hadn’t quite understood the impact of such a thing, it quickly became apparent. The advantage of being able to spend twice as long inside the Rift should have been clear as day to him, and he was still a bit embarrassed that one of his camping mates had to explain it to him. It was the biggest conversation next to infinite resources. People could live multiple times longer if they were willing to forego technological comforts and risk monsters. Even then, as magic was better understood, Alex could see a world where the rich and wealthy lived within Rifts while hiring people to thin the monster populations. They could have magical comforts and luxuries even nicer than those on Earth.
The second advantage was that it was easy. The boars only presented between the levels of one and four, making them quite easy and predictable to manage. Also, some of those at the camp had explained to Alex that, normally, Rifts would contain small ecosystems and many different kinds of beasts. That particular Rift seemed to be having issues because of the spreading corruption.
Regardless of the logistics, I need to step things up. I’m interested in making money and getting Mana Stones. But I’m even more interested in leveling up and gaining experience.
It had been obvious after reaching the fourth level, that when he was a higher level than the hardest boar, he would be gaining experience much slower. It had taken him significantly more boards to hit level four then compared to level three.
Setting his phone down briefly, Alex pulled up his Status Window.
***
Status
Name: Alex Moore - Level 4
Class: None
HP: 50/50
MP: 60/60
Traits: (1/3)
{Primordial Will}
Physical Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Constitution: 5
Vitality: 6
Magical Stats:
Intellect: 6
Willpower: 30
Mana: 6
Wisdom: 6
Active Skills:
[Mana Shaping] (Novice - Level 6)
[Mana Infusion] (Novice - Level 5)
Passive Skills:
(None)
***
While he was satisfied with his progress, it was still slightly concerning to see his Willpower stat so drastically outscale his other stats.
And this is only at level 4…
Rubbing his forehead, Alex decided he’d need to begin considering a solution to this. He assumed it could be dangerous to allow one stat to get too far out of balance with his others.
He navigated to the trading section of the site, shown as a little house icon and named The Auction House, within the app. Part of him wanted to wince at the commonly used video game terminology.
But I guess you started off strong with The Adventurers Guild. Might as well stick with the theme.
Alex found the proper manual for learning rituals and put up the buyout price for 10 Mana Stones. He instantly received a notification letting him know that there would be a set day and time for him to meet with a local Guild representative to pick up his purchased item.
With his immediate steps taken care of, Alex hooked his phone to the dash and began driving back toward town. He stopped at the nearest supercenter to restock his supplies. He checked his phone a few times, seeing if he’d gotten a reply from Olivia.
It wasn’t long before he got a notification from the AG app. He was walking back to the front of the store when his pocket vibrated, and he pulled the cart over. He was slightly disappointed to see that it was an automated notification to alert him to a nearby Rift he could enter.
The Rift was a Common E Rank Rift, which meant he wouldn’t be benefitting from the time-dilation effect anymore. That didn’t really bother Alex, though; he was interested in getting stronger, and his first Personal Rift Quest had given him the wand.
The small magical weapon had drastically changed how he fought the boars, and he was significantly safer with it than when he was trying to punch them with a mana-infused fist.
The Rift showed ‘2/30’ slots were taken in the Rift. Alex was curious why but soon found the answer to the question.
***
Common E Rank Rift
Distance: 21mi.
Slots: 2/31
Entry Fee: 2 Mana Stones
Additional Info from Host: None
***
2 Mana Stones seems a bit steep. I was able to get into the Uncommon Rarity Rift for just one Mana Stone. I guess there’s no point in being stingy. This will be a good test to see what comes out of a Common Rift.
With a shrug, he checked out and made his way thirty minutes South, excited to see the difference in Rifts.
During the drive, Alex received a response that he’d been waiting for. Olivia reached out and soon after so did a Guild Moderator.
Olivia responded to his message from the app, by sending him a text. She said that she was free to meet on Saturday morning and sent him the address for a breakfast spot that he’d never heard of.
The Moderator’s response was short and to the point. They let him know that a representative would be able to meet with him Friday evening and a specific time would come in a message that morning.
Feeling content, Mark parked his car and retrieved his bag before walking a distance down a gravel driveway. After he’d been walking for about 10 minutes, he came across a sign that was clearly handwritten.
‘Warning. This is private property. If you have not been invited, you will be met with hostility.’
Fuck. I’ve been invited, right?
Alex removed his phone and took some time to reach out to a Moderator. It took a few minutes to get a response, but once he received confirmation, he continued to walk down the gravel road.
After another 10 minutes of walking, Alex was halted by a voice from the woods surrounding him.
“Stop where you are!”
Alex did so, slowly raising his hands.
“You’re from The Guild?”
“Y-yes. I’ve got my ID here and I read your sign. I took the steps in the app to reserve a spot.”
“Open the ID on your phone and hold it in the air.”
Alex fumbled with his phone for a moment and was able to get his ID pulled up on the screen.
“Alright, you can continue down the road. Go about 50 meters further down the path. There is a dirt path off to the right that will take you down by a creek. That’s where you’ll find the Rift.”
“Okay, thanks. What about the cost of the Rift? I was confused, why is it two Mana Stones for this Rift when it’s just a Common E Rank?”
“You can set the stones down at your feet and leave them there. The price is two stones because I say it is.” The man said.
“Right,” Alex grumbled a bit and rubbed the back of his head. He pulled the two stones from his pack and set them at his feet. “Well, there you go. Anything you can tell me about the Rift?”
“No. Not really. It’s got some monsters that look like rabbits that range from one to three. Then some snakes and wolves.”
There was a bit of an awkward pause as Alex processed the information.
“Okay, thank you. I’ll likely camp outside of the Rift at night, only because it’s safer out here than in there.”
There was a chuckle from the woods. “Don’t be so sure of that, kid. Humans can be some pretty nasty monsters. I wouldn’t forget that if I were you.”
“Right,” Alex said. As he began to walk down the road, “Thanks!” Alex called, letting his eyes scan the woods.
I wonder if he’s got some sort of stealth class. I don’t see any sign of him.
This made the hair on Alex’s neck stand on end.
Wow, I really don’t like not knowing what’s going on around me. It’s terrifying to think he could kill me with an arrow if he wants, and I’m almost a mile from my car.
Maybe I’ve been a bit too trusting in The Guild. I’ll need to check with a Moderator when I get out and see if this is really allowed.
**Alex followed the woodsman’s instructions and found the Rift.
Once he arrived at the Rift, he glanced around once more to remember the direction he’d come in from, then stepped into the tear in reality.
Weightlessness overtook him, and he was pulled through space to the Rift’s inner land.
As soon as he stepped foot onto the dry leaves, he began moving forward. Alex kept his stance low and ready to move while scanning his surroundings.
Unlike the Uncommon Rift that he’d spent most of his time in so far, the entrance to this Rift had no one in sight.
The blue windows with his Rift Quests immediately popped into his vision unbidden. Sensing no danger, he took a moment to skim through them.
***
Personal Quest: Culling the Wolves
Kill 10 Wild Wolves.
Rift Quest: Tame the Woods
Slay 300 of the Rift’s principal inhabitants: Rabbits, Snakes, and Wild Wolves.
***
Alex decided that he’d do his best to find some of the lower-level rabbits before moving on to try and fight some of the wolves. The idea of fighting snakes seemed horrible, especially with his lower Physical Stats. He shuddered.
That doesn’t seem like a good match-up for me. I’m glad that the Personal Quest isn’t for them.
Alex walked out from the Rift and kept his eyes peeled for any of the small rabbit creatures that he’d decided to hunt first.
His first several attempts to find and shoot a rabbit with his wand, all went the same.
There’s one!
Alex saw one at the very edge of his vision. The small brown hare would be sitting on its hind legs, its ears pointed straight up. As soon as he Alex began to close the distance to get in range for a decent shot with the wand, the small creature would dart away faster than Alex could catch.
After getting the same results a few times, Alex knew he needed to change up his strategy.
With the slime and the boars, I was more passive. I let the mindless monster approach me while kiting it away or dodging, then striking after it was vulnerable. It doesn’t seem like that will work with these rabbits.
During his first ten fights with the boars, Alex had been forced to use [Mana Shaping] and [Mana Infusion]. At the time, they were his only tools, though as he’d gotten his wand, they’d slowly fallen down in favor. The wand was more efficient with his limited mana pool, and since it was a ranged option it kept him out of harm’s way.
When he had been forced to fight in closer range, though, the two Mana related skills had been a great help in boosting his body to keep up with the attacking boars.
Maybe instead of sending mana into my fists to punch, I’ll empower my legs and attempt to dash toward the rabbit.
Alex couldn’t help but grin. This was fun to him, strategizing and being forced to adapt to the scenario. It didn’t matter what he needed to do; he’d finish the Personal Quest before his self-imposed deadline came.
I can spend a few hours trying this method against the rabbits. If it’s still not effective, I should abandon them and just go after the wolves directly.
He nodded to himself and resumed his search for the rabbits.
When he found the rabbit, he crouched a bit lower and focused on the mana within his Core. He took two tendrils and sent them down his legs before shaping them loosely around his thighs, calves, and feet.
Alex was surprised at how easy it was to control the mana; it took shape around his legs with ease. It was evident that his increased Willpower was beginning to affect how his mana moved.
Still grinning, Alex used [Mana Infusion] to flood his legs with some mana and leaped forward, doing his best to imitate a sprinter. As his legs began to move, Alex had the last-minute thought to expend a bit more mana to use the same tactic he’d used when punching at the boars. He released a small wave of mana from the bottom of his feet as he stepped.
In hindsight, Alex realized that was where he went wrong.
He took off more quickly than expected and started off heading in the same general direction that he wanted travel; however, that was all that went right. His extended left leg was slightly off center and it caused his trajectory to shift in an odd direction. He didn't have the reflexes to save himself. Alex skidded face first through the leaves and dirt until he came to a complete stop.
Fuck.
Alex groaned and pushed himself up on his hands. After standing, he brushed off his stomach and gently touched his hip while pulling up his Status Window to check his mana.
23/60, that used way too much mana.
Knowing he’d need to wait for his mana to regenerate before he could try again, Alex sat down against a tree and began to massage his hip.
I can feel it, that was the right idea. I need to slow it down and use a smaller amount of mana.
He looked back and saw that the dash forward had brought him close to twenty meters and the rabbit he'd been aiming for was long gone.
Alex laughed.
I’m not sure I can call that a dash. It was more like falling forward really quickly.
After a few minutes of brainstorming, Alex stood, ready to try once again.
No sense in finding another rabbit. I might as well practice a few times without the added pressure.
After an hour of testing small steps with mana bursts, followed by short lunging steps, Alex began to find the right output and timing to propel himself forward.
He was grinning like a madman after his first successful lunge, where he didn’t hold back on his mana. It was still a bit of a sloppy landing, but the grin threatened to split his face. Not because he’d done it successfully but because of the System prompt that appeared in his vision.
***
New Skill Learned: [Empowered Step] (Novice - Level 1)
Do you accept? Yes/No
***
Comments
OverXelous
Actually, that's not true. He throat punches someone, but there is *barely* any mana in that punch...
OverXelous
I don't think he punches a single time in the series after the boar rift.
lenkite
I am really, really praying this doesn't become yet another [Magic Puncher] series. There are already *hundreds* of them on RR. Because they are very simple to write. Just power-up Mana, run & punch 'em. When I heard about [Spell Weaver] I expected something else. MC doesn't have any constitution anyways, so he is one bad blow away from being paste if goes into the [Magic Puncher] path.
lenkite
"No sense in finding a rabbit right now. I might as well practice a few times without the added pressure." Warning! Detected [Story Error]. He was *already* targeting a rabbit. Just before: "When he found the rabbit, he crouched a bit lower and..."
