Chapter 10
At some point I began to lose track of time. I miss Alice. She was so nice. Unlike the other system administrator girl.
A few days passed while I trained.
I began doing exercises also, when I had the chance. I worked up every possible skill I could, trying to make all of them useful enough to help me to have a better life.
Just like that a month passed.
My efficiency with heal improved! It didn't cost as much energy! But because fire wasn't my true element and was destructive where life was creative, I was only able to improve that a small amount.
I managed to create a fire place inside my pithouse. And also all the walls are lined up with magic created wood panelling also, made out of logs that I'd made using the item create spell. Because I can control the magic power better now also, I'm able to place them precisely and even with some minor cuts on the ends to make it so the ends are notched together.
I keep myself clean also. I can wash my laundry and myself from water in the stream if needed. But when its really cold that's a chore.
And by the end of the month I had a full underground cabin, hidden in the meadow! The mana shaping in the item create does let you have a bit of an advantage in where the created item is first placed; which was why it didn't take me longer. I'd saved a lot of time. I'd also made all the roof and side walls extremely sturdy even if something were stomping over the roof above it that it wouldn't give way or make funny sounds also.
I've also fully healed up the grass also that I'd placed over the earth roof hiding the cabin by this point.
I wish I could have added more rooms to the cabin but there were too many monster incursions during that time.
In the time that's passed, things have gotten harder bit by bit. And the good news is that you can't even tell the cabin pithouse is here, except for someone might see that parts of the meadow are more trampled than others by where I'd walked through.
The goblins that come this way tend to be ferocious now. And always they come in packs of 2 or 3, that I'm guessing are probably around level 10-ish, which makes for a pretty hard system to beat.
However, in the last two weeks, I'd managed to create another skill by simulating the vine and root growths of the trees with my mana simulations. I did this with a lot of experimentation. And I was lucky. It took a long time to build that skill because I had to do... day by day operations in it. And observe previous day operations and try out various changes with mana and mana sensing. So without a very diligent mind that could follow through on previous day's efforts I wouldn't have been able to put it all together.
And the worst part about this is somehow my skills are so permanent that when I use the 'root' and vine entrapment mana skill it doesn't wear off when I'm finished with it! (This can be a pain in the ass now also, because this skill being used means I could end up turning the meadow into full forest soon.)
[(Vine) Root Trap] skill acquired!
[Root Trap skill; permanently traps monsters in a mesh of durable vine and root growth. Creates a 10' by 10' by 10' square mesh full of vines that grab hold of hostiles. Creatures caught within are trapped and tied up by the many vines!] (10' by 10' but the vine trap can only reach so high up off the ground also.)
Oops. The version I'd made was a full on trap skill. But I'd originally just been trying for like a combat temporary root. But I'd messed that up also. This result will technically work however. And its ironic that I ended up with this instead.
I began to consider the possibilities...
Actually this version is better!
If I used this skill and spammed it in the same spot over and over, what would happen? Would it end up creating a thorny wall much like the fairy tale of the castle surrounded by a witch's cursed thorn wall that kills men and beasts?
Or more than likely I'd have to alter the technique also to merge existing spells in the field over one another, I thought.
And is it possible to turn one of the vine sets into something that can produce fruit and vegetables? And what if I just keep pouring in tons of mana into it?
I want to experiment with it!
If I'm a life wizard, that seems closer to what a life wizard would do and need I think. They would use living creatures and create them to do their bidding.
Well... this is a start with that, though I wish I had a bit more spells than this.
I don't feel like I'm used to this land yet still. Everything is difficult here and invasion by monsters is a constant unending danger.
At one point after the month had passed, I realized I'd gotten to level 10!
Wow. That was hard work! It was so hard...
But now with more levels and stats I'm not always in the danger zone when fighting monsters now. I still get hurt, but I use heal more and its more efficient also. I'm not able to escape most skirmishes unscathed though... which I kept trying to correct but couldn't.
By now tons of monsters have died by my hand. But my skin and arms feel chapped from all the wind also. I feel almost like a nomad. Yet I feel nervous as they seem to keep coming non-stop. And they are stronger now.
I'd leveled up a few spells also, though not all of them. The root trap spell I haven't had it working long enough to level up.
...
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Name; Javen
Race; Administrator class (Censored)
Job class; Life/Creation Wizard
Level; 5 --> 10
Age; NA
Health; 121/139 --> 148/186
Mana; 236/651 --> 238/741
Stamina; 52/126 --> 56/175
Health regen; +11 --> +12 per day
Mana regen; +74 --> +90 (hourly)
Str 30 --> 32
Agi 33 --> 34
Con 66 --> 70
Int 104 --> 120
Wis 104 --> 120
App 100
Skills; Survival, Mana Sensing, [Censored], Summoned Danger Sense Turret(human shaped), Smash, Defend, Create Item , First Aid, Meditate, Axe Mastery, Minor Flame Wave (Lvl 2), Create Water (Lvl 3), Minor Heal(Lvl 4), Root Trap,
Traits; Memories have been censored, Blessing of the Heavens, Mana Genes, censored skills & traits, Life Affinity, Intermediate Life Affinity, Mana Efficiency (Lvl 3)(16% mana reduction), Advanced Life Affinity, Creation Affinity, Intermediate Creation Affinity, Intermediate Creation Affinity!
Equipment; Leather Gloves, Wizard Robes, (Kevlar) Shield, Splitting Maul 34" Axe, Katana (in scabbard), Backpack, Coat, Throwing Dagger (8), Hunting Knife, Flashlight, Combat boots, Goggles, Soldier Helmet, Leather Armor, Combat Boots, Shin Guards, Wrist Guards
But it seemed there's an increment bonus when you hit 10 levels, as in level 10, level 20, and so on. This gave me other bonuses also of the base states going up further...
Name; Javen
Race; Administrator class (Censored)
Job class; Life/Creation Wizard
Level; 10
Age; NA
Health; 148/186 --> 163/211
Mana; 236/741 --> 238/761
Stamina; 52/175 --> 56/200
Health regen; +12 --> +12 per day
Mana regen; +90 --> +95 (hourly)
Str 32 --> 37
Agi 34 --> 39
Con 70 --> 75
Int 120 --> 125
Wis 120 --> 125
App 100 --> 105
Skills; Survival, Mana Sensing, [Censored], Summoned Danger Sense Turret(human shaped), Smash, Defend, Create Item , First Aid, Meditate, Axe Mastery, Minor Flame Wave (Lvl 2), Create Water (Lvl 3), Minor Heal(Lvl 4), Root Trap,
Traits; Memories have been censored, Blessing of the Heavens, Mana Genes, censored skills & traits, Life Affinity, Intermediate Life Affinity, Mana Efficiency (Lvl 3)(16% mana reduction), Advanced Life Affinity, Creation Affinity, Intermediate Creation Affinity, Intermediate Creation Affinity!
Equipment; Leather Gloves, Wizard Robes, (Kevlar) Shield, Splitting Maul 34" Axe, Katana (in scabbard), Backpack, Coat, Throwing Dagger (8), Hunting Knife, Flashlight, Combat boots, Goggles, Soldier Helmet, Leather Armor, Combat Boots, Shin Guards, Wrist Guards
I feel more powerful. I feel so much stronger. My spell and skill list is looking really interesting now!
I wonder what else I can do? I'm finding new ideas every week that help me. And some of those ideas are going to become future spells!
Finally I think I can make a dent in what's coming at me!
But is the system really going to let me use armor as a wizard?
Its odd. And its a symptom also that something is off about my censored origin and background. Actually at this point, my experiments have taken up a lot of time. So I haven't had the time to check on armor, and I'd already seen that sometimes the leather gloves made some spells harder to cast; my money is on the idea that armor is... doubtful.
...
"Come out, come out! Human!" I heard a voice calling me after I'd been warming myself up inside my hidden house.
I got a chill to the bone. They speak my language?! Or am I speaking theirs?!
'How did they know I'm here?!'
But they had challenged me also to come out in a roaring voice!
I didn't want to...
But the consequences of being trapped in here could be bad. And if possible I could thin the numers of the enemy. But even more surprising was 'how did the goblins know my language?!'
I reluctantly went up the ladder...carefully.
I popped the trap door hatch and came out, with the cold air from outside blasting me. (Thank goodness I had a coat.)
There was 7 goblins in a half-circle formation out there with a lead goblin patrol leader. In fact, the status screen system, even said 'patrol leader'. He also read as a threat level dangerous to me...which meant he was probably stronger than I was.
But I had prepared well for this...
They let me out of my pithouse, but only because they couldn't get me out on their own. And they wanted to surround me. But I'm more confident now!
The goblins ran at me, so I side stepped and bashed the first one while whipping out the katana blade outwards to slash at him. (-22 damage to goblin 1). The katana is easier to do quick strikes with, with the shield. I'd also kicked him in the ass after slashing him.
The other goblins are forced to approach me slowly.
I had been studying group tactics. The idea is if all of them rush you, they can't all be next to you if you are just one man. But the danger comes also in dog piling!
You have to stay moving and side stepping them. And never stay in one spot.
I triggered my Root Trap vine entrapment spell on the group of them all at once. That prevented several of them from attacking.
But at the same time two of them managed minor hits on me (-19 damage), and (-17 damage) each.
I jumped back.
All of the goblins except the leader are trapped hard and held. The Root Trap spell is so confining and permanent that its like they are grown into a mess of both vines and even the wood itself is coiled around them thickly!
Amazing!
"What?! How did you do such an advanced root spell? How could you do this?! You are nothing to us!" the goblin patrol leader barked at me.
He charges to attack with a black iron scimitar!
[Root Trap]! I casted.
The vines crash into him thickly! This is the amazing power of a Life Wizard!
They are stuck fast! Even though their level is higher than mine its holding! Yes!
Now the predators have become prey! I'm in control now! This felt good. I can see they are afraid now.
The goblins struggled to pull themselves out but can't! In some cases they did actually end up bending some of the branches. But none of them get free.
"What tribe are you? Why do you keep coming here?" I asked the patrol leader.
"Fool. We figured out you are here. There's too many of our kind that always go missing when they come this way. And now we know where you live. We are many! Our town holds hundreds of warriors! We will kill you!" he challenged while slavering rabidly at me.
'Do goblins have naturally born rabies?' I wondered.
But also I'm a little worried.
Hundreds of warriors? And they know I'm here now? I hated the idea that they had figured out where I was because I'd worked so hard at hiding. And I hoped to not give up my house. But if they knew where I was and what I was then this would change everything after today.
I sighed.
The goblins are laughing at me, thinking they've won and shaken me with fear.
But I'm not afraid, just stressed out. Fear is a wasted emotion.
They kept laughing until I used the axe to chop them up one by one. Chop them up, WHILE they are tied up in front of me!Then they were pissing on themselves and pleading for mercy the whole time. The axe seems to cause more fear than the katana for some reason; that's useful.
"No wait! Please...!" shpluck....
How dare that thing dirty up my axe blade! Even its blood is filthy!
I'd need to work hard from here on out.
My skills won, but it might have been different if they'd had their own caster shamans. And what if they'd had a champion of some kind? And I don't know for sure if they sent word to the others where my hidden base was. They have a general idea where their people go missing... but it can't have been that easy to find my hidden cabin entrance.
I was pretty sure there were goblin warriors. And the goblins that I'd fought this time were all around my level. They just didn't have a way of stopping me once I had them held fast. But if they'd had range weapons they might have still tried to resist, although futilely.
How could I put up a resistance that good to stop that many warriors at once?
Jeez this was bad.
When I look down the hill, into the far distance it seems that one of the giant hornet nests is destroyed by them also, leaving only two left.
So they must have swarmed it with as many warriors as they could. And then they came here next. That's not good.
What to do...
I have to build more and be stronger...
But I don't have a lot of spells yet. In fact, well, what I do have is pretty good for what I have but its still not a lot.
There was another patrol of goblins after that, this time it was five scouts. They didn't last long.
But it does seem that they know where I live and aren't just coming up here to hunt anymore. They are hunting me specifically.
One of my tricks is to just root trap all of them and then I can finish them off one by one now. Its like they don't even matter to me anymore. I have to be careful if they have range specialists though; those have to go first.
