Reidar looked at the quest again. There was a time limit of 15 minutes to complete the quest. The system wasn't just suggesting he fight—it was warning him that hiding was not an option. In fifteen minutes, these things would find him whether he wanted to fight.
The notification made his choice clear. He could die cowering in a storage room, or he could take control of the situation. The quest rewards were significant too. Based on what he was seeing, it would give him a fifth of the C.L.A.S.P. Points he needed to get to the next level.
He glanced at the mop handle in his hands, then back at the countdown timer that had appeared in the corner of his sight. Fourteen minutes and thirty seconds remained.
His family was counting on him to survive. To find them and be reunited again. He couldn't do that if he died hiding from level 1 creatures.
Reidar placed his hand on the door handle. His heart pounded so hard he could hear it in his ears.
The door opened without a sound. The hinges had been well-oiled before the world changed.
The sprites remained concentrated on their devouring. The noises they made were enough to make him shiver. The knowledge of what they were consuming was enough to make him vomit.
Their chittering had turned to an almost purring sound.
Reidar chose this target because it was close and because the name made him think of fire. Water and stone were probably just as dangerous, but fire could destroy the gas station, which was also the only place he could hide for the time being.
Reidar stepped into the main store area. Broken glass crunched under his foot. The sound was soft, but in the silence it seemed as loud as thunder. He froze.
Reidar took another step, this time placing more attention on what he actually stepped on. Then another. Three more steps brought him within striking distance of the Ember Sprite.
He raised the mop handle above his head. Every fiber of Reidar's being screamed against what he was about to do, as that would make all hell break loose, but… he had no other choice.
The sprite's head began to turn. Reidar brought the metal pole down with all his strength. It struck the creature's skull with a wet crack. The sprite's body collapsed, its orange eyes dimming to nothing.
[CRITICAL! Your improvised weapon strikes Ember Rift-Sprite for 85 bludgeoning damage.]
[Ember Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[You have gained 10 C.L.A.S.P. Points.]
[You have earned 10 Survival Points.]
A new notification appeared, different from the others.
[LEGENDARY MASTERY ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: The First Killer]
[Reward: Title - "The First Killer"]
—[<
Description: Title awarded to the first resident to eliminate a hostile creature within the Last Will Framework.
Passive Effect: Grants a 0.5% chance to learn a skill from a defeated hostile when equipped. Additional Effect: None.
Rarity: Legendary (Unique title awarded only to the first individual to kill a hostile).
—[<
Reidar had no time to check the notifications, because the other two sprites reacted as soon as they heard the noise.
Something else was inside the gas station.
Their eyes blazed with fury and… well, hunger. It was clear they saw him as nothing more than something to snack on.
Both creatures opened their mouths wide. Reidar expected screams or roars, but instead he saw something forming inside their throats. Differently colored lights gathered in the depths of their mouths.
The Stone Sprite fired first. A projectile shot from its mouth with the speed of a bullet. Reidar threw himself sideways just as a chunk of stone shattered against the wall behind him. Concrete dust rained down.
Reidar had the right amount of paranoia in him to realize standing wasn't exactly the best of ideas, and that was the only reason he was alive. That, and of course also that whatever that thing used, it was not so fast to be cast.
The Aqua Sprite followed with another attack. A sphere of water burst from its throat and struck the floor where Reidar had been standing. The linoleum cracked from the impact. Steam rose from the point of contact.
No doubt that would have injured him severely.
Reidar scrambled behind an overturned shelf unit. More projectiles struck his cover. Stone bullets punched holes through the metal shelving. Water spheres left dents that hissed and steamed.
He pressed his back against the shelf. Panic was starting to overtake him.
He stabilized his breathing as best he could.
The projectile barrage stopped. Chittering filled the silence. The creatures were communicating, planning their next move.
Footsteps approached his position. Not the awkward waddling he had seen before, but purposeful movement.
Reidar peered around the edge of his cover. The Stone Sprite approached from the left, searching for him.
The sprite rounded the corner of the shelf unit. Its mouth opened to fire another stone bullet at point-blank range.
Reidar thrust the mop handle forward like a spear. The pole punched through the creature's open mouth and emerged from the back of its skull. Inky fluid rained across the floor. The sprite's body convulsed once, then went limp.
[CRITICAL! Your improvised weapon strikes Stone Rift-Sprite for 100 piercing damage.]
[Stone Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[You have gained 10 C.L.A.S.P. Points.]
[You have earned 10 Survival Points.]
The Aqua Sprite's angry shriek rang through the store. More water bullets struck Reidar's cover. He barely changed position before the monster attacked again.
The impacts came faster now, more frantic. Steam filled the air as the projectiles heated from the force of their impacts.
Reidar yanked the mop handle free from the dead sprite's skull. The sight made his stomach clench, but he forced himself to focus.
The water bullets stopped again. Silence returned. Reidar waited, listening for movement.
A shadow passed on the right side of his cover. Reidar wasn't actually able to understand why that thing was coming closer while it could finish him from a distance.
If he had mana, that thing must have had it too.
The Aqua Sprite was clearly circling around, trying to flank him, but it was more cautious now that it had seen two of its buddies die.
Reidar gripped the mop handle with both hands. Though gripping the weapon was hard given the creature's blood and his own sweat trickling down it. He wiped them on his shirt and changed his grip once again.
The Aqua Sprite appeared on the left edge of the shelf unit, but… Reidar wasn't there. In fact, as soon as he saw the beast was getting too close, he went to the other side of his hiding place.
Reidar approached from behind. The creature was smaller than him, barely reaching his waist. Its back was turned, presenting an easy target.
He raised the mop handle above his head.
Then Reidar stepped on some glass. The noise attracted the monster's attention. It turned, its blue eyes glued onto him. Its mouth opened to cast another spell, but it never made it in time since Reidar brought his weapon down on the sprite's skull.
The impact crushed through the porcelain-like shell. Dark fluid burst out like a broken egg. The creature collapsed without a sound.
[CRITICAL! Your improvised weapon strikes Aqua Rift-Sprite for 95 bludgeoning damage.]
[Aqua Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[You have gained 10 C.L.A.S.P. Points.]
[You have earned 10 Survival Points.]
[QUEST THE THREE RIFT SPRITES: COMPLETE.]
[Quest Reward: 200 C.L.A.S.P. Points, 50 Survival points, Basic Combat Proficiency.]
[Total C.L.A.S.P. Points gained: 230]
[Basic Combat Proficiency unlocked.]
—[« Basic Combat Proficiency»]—
Tier: T1
Proficiency: 0.0%
Type: Passive
[Description] A foundational skill that improves the user's fundamental combat abilities, allowing for more effective weapon use and faster responses to threats.
[Core Effects]
Weapon Handling: +2% Attack Speed with all equipped weapons.
Combat Reflexes: +2% chance to dodge incoming physical attacks.
[Proficiency Unlocks]
Weapon Mastery (Unlocks at 50% Proficiency): Reduces the stamina cost of all weapon attacks by 5%.
Combat Instinct (Unlocks at 100% Proficiency): Skill can be evolved to a specialized T2 combat proficiency.
—[«END»]—
[LEGENDARY MASTERY ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: The First Apprentice]
[Achievement Reward Applied: Title Gained—"The First Apprentice"]
—[«The First Apprentice»]—
Description: Title awarded to the first resident to officially learn a new skill from a System trainer. Passive Effect: Increases the rate of skill proficiency advancement by 15% when equipped.
Additional Effect: None.
Rarity: Legendary (Unique title awarded only once).
—[<
Silence returned to the gas station. Reidar breathed heavily as he stood among the bodies of the three sprites. The mop handle dripped with blood. His hands were shaking as adrenaline flowed through his entire being.
The reality of what had happened sank in.
He had killed three living beings. The thought should have horrified him, but instead he felt something else. Relief. Pride. A sense of safety.