Chapter 8 - 8. Hard Work, So Little Experience (1/2)
The lanterns here were lit sparingly unlike the one on the 1st level basement. It took a while before my eyes got used to its dim surroundings and from a distance, I saw those rodents once more scurrying away as they smelt the blood of their kind dripping from the axehandle that I had used to bash.
I bashed a few wooden crates and I collected the spoils and I heard a new announcement.
*Ding* Congratulations on discovery one piece Heavy Work Glove. Toughness (+2) Take?
”Take” and immediately my interface opened up with the paper doll image in the right. Toughness +2 so it would be socketed as part of my armour. I slid it to the appropriate slot and my toughness and armour showed its states. ”Ach... Better than nothing lah...Where's the other one? Haiya... Just one glove only? If there's another one, it would be +4 toughness, right?”
Once again I mumbled to myself as I bashed the wooden crates and barrels and this time the coins seem to be more than the ones discovered upstairs. ”Hah hah hah... At least I could go and get myself some good armour and then I would duplicate it in the Fusion Chamber.”
”Would that make me a crafter already? Hah hah hah...” I laughed and shut my mouth as soon as I heard the hissing and spitting sound again.
The rat in front of me was a tad bigger than the one upstairs. ”Ah well, the bigger they are the harder they fall... Heeyaahhh...” I shrieked as I rushed forward and started to swing the axehandle like a bat and hit directly at its snout and mouth that made its whiskers twitch, its front teeth broken and looking dazed and shaken up.
I swung the axehandle upwards knocking it out like an uppercut and bashed it down on its snout until blood spurted out as it shrieked loudly. The glow in its eyes dimmed as it fell to its side. I bashed down on its snout a few times until I heard another announcement.
*Ding* Congratulations on defeating Large Rat. Experience Points +3
”W H A T...??? ”Just now was Big Rat and now it's Large Rat? Does it mean the lower I get to this basement, the larger the rats would be and the higher experience points it would give?” I thought in exasperation as I knew why Prius wanted me to enter this basement and get rid of the rats, it's not because of them peeing and eating the grains and seeds, it's a way to gain experience points.
The thought of Prius helping me gain a level and to unlock the rest of the skills, class and profession is through this method. It also helps to gain a bit of wealth too. As he said 'Finders Keepers', this is to show that there is nothing worthy like grains and seeds and I wonder if Patricia would enter this place to collect her grains for cooking. It's impossible, right?
I trudged on and met with another 4 more of those Large Rats, as well as bashed a handful of wooden crates and barrels which also increased my wealth considerably. Just before I opened the door that leads to another level in the basement, I saw a short 2-foot old sword on the ground. If I had passed it, I might have missed it totally. I picked it up and heard another announcement.
*Ding* Congratulations on discovering Bronze Short Sword. Damage +5. Take?
”Take” and soon it was in my inventory and I opened it up and saw the paper doll thingy and I moved the short sword into the slot that had the axehandle. ”Drop” and the axehandle that was bloodied with the rat's blood was dropped to the ground. I checked the interface and a new stats emerged.
Name: Audemars
Male, 21 years old, 1.75m tall, 60kg.
Level: 0/100,000
Progress: 32%
Attributes
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 3
Intelligence: 2
Vitality: 3
Toughness: 2 (+2)
Damage: 2 (+5)
Recovery: 2
Free unallocated points: 0
Class: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)
Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)
Skills: none
Wealth: 89 credits
Weapon: Dagger (+3), Bronze Short Sword(+5) (equipped)
Armour: Heavy Work Glove (+2)
”Yeah... Not bad... But how come my skills are rated as none? It should be like bashing with a broken axehandle and knocking some crate and barrels to discover credits, right? Hah hah hah... This system seems to be a bit complicated than before but it's better than nothing. I wonder how much points it would allocate once I level up.” I held the sword in my right hand which had my glove and pushed the door and went ahead to the third level.
There weren't many crates and barrel this time but the spoils are much bountiful. I could get some two figures credits for every pickup. I hoped to gather as much as 50 on this level.
I chanced upon an even larger rat and straight went to into a frenzied attack. Knowing that these rats would take a beating and rarely strikes back except baring its yellow stained teeth, I drew first blood on its snout. It was the weakest point to strike and also a vulnerable spot in case of the rat counters attack.
*Klang* *Kling* *Slash* *Stab* and it is all over as the rat shrieked, hissed and spat as it finally fell over to its side. The glow of its eyes slowly dimmed and faded away.
*Ding* Congratulations on defeating Giant Rat. Experience Points +4
”Not bad... Not bad at all. At least it is a Giant Rat with a considerable amount of experience points. This is the third level, another two more and I would complete the task of clearing all the rats here.”
I kept bashing those crates that I found and then something stood out among the debris. I gave it a slight kick and received an announcement.