Turning a stroke of luck into a breakthrough.
"Got some skills and points. Now, how to use them?" Pepper muses, returning to Fasteia after defeating the hammer-wielding Vorpal Bunny in the Rock-Breaking Strategy quest. Checking new skills and level-up points, they feel a quiet satisfaction.
Initially, Pepper allocated points to Stamina and Strength for mining efficiency. Now, with revenge on the Rock-Eating Worm in mind, they stick to their high-mobility build, prioritizing Agility with a touch of Dexterity.
"If I don't get hit, I don't lose HP, so no points there yet. That worm was fast despite its size. I'll lean heavy on Agility, add some Dexterity, and prepare thoroughly—skills, leveling, the works."
Next, Pepper reviews skills to see what works against the worm. "But this is a monster zone. Using skills recklessly and getting caught in cooldowns could mean game over."
Prioritizing the quest, Pepper hurries to show the Fatal Hammer (Vorpal Edge) to the weaponsmith.
"Hey, old man!" Pepper calls, rushing to the Fasteia weaponsmith and placing the hammer on the counter.
"Whoa, you're back… and this is it!" The smith's eyes widen as he grabs the hammer, inspecting its weight and texture.
"Found a Vorpal Bunny with a hammer at the spot you marked. Got this from it. Do all Vorpal Bunnies carry hammers?" Pepper asks.
"Nah, regular ones wield knives," the smith says, eyes gleaming. "But a hammer? That means some stick to stabbing, while others—like this one—smash. A split in their kind!"
Pepper nods, letting the smith ramble about his theories. After a few minutes, he sets the hammer down. "Thanks, kid. Rare to see a Vorpal Bunny's weapon."
The smith eyes the hammer longingly. Then, Pepper has a flash of inspiration. "Hey, could you repair the durability on this hammer and my White Iron Tanto? I want them at full strength for a fight."
Pepper's reasoning: the tanto's durability dipped in the last battle, and the hammer's already down 30%. Facing the worm, both need to be pristine. Plus, the smith's attachment to the hammer buys them goodwill.
"Sure, no problem. You okay with that?" the smith asks.
"Yeah, I want to test my new skills too. Thanks!"
"Got it. I'll take care of these. Go do your thing, kid!" The smith takes the weapons, and Pepper heads to the Beginners' Area to check skills.
"Beginners' Area, here," Pepper says, arriving from Fasteia. Scanning for monsters, they review their new skills:
Flash Counter: Boosts parry-to-counter damage. Parrying—deflecting enemy attacks—sets up quick retaliation.
Boom Throw: Enhances weapon/item throws, scaling with Strength and Dexterity for precise aim.
Spot Edge: Increases damage to heads, eyes, or cores—perfect for targeting weak points.
Step Work: Reduces stamina cost for side or backsteps, ideal for high-Agility, high-Stamina players.
"Dodge with Step Work, use Flash Counter during its cooldown, slash to observe, throw with Boom Throw to create openings, then hit the head with Spot Edge or thrusts. That's the basic plan."
Against normal monsters, this combo works. But the worm's tough hide resists slashes, making blunt weapons or skills critical. "The Fatal Hammer the smith's fixing—that's my trump card."
With the Goblin Axe destroyed in the last fight, Pepper needs more blunt weapons from goblin drops in this area to deal damage to the worm. "Relying on just the hammer is risky. If it breaks, I'm screwed without backups. If only I could strip the worm's rocky armor…"
A sudden spark of genius hits, merging the worm's traits—camouflaging as a vein, wearing eaten minerals—with a new strategy. "Haha, got it! A way to beat the worm!"
Grinning wickedly, Pepper realizes this plan needs no new weapons, just spares, and can be practiced here—a perfect solution. "Why didn't I think of this sooner?"
"Let's grind! Time to hunt Vorpal Bunnies for max EXP!" With a strategy set, Pepper dives into leveling, fighting goblins, orcs, almirajs, and rare Vorpal Bunnies in Fasteia's forest, testing skills and honing their edge.
After an hour, stuffing monster drops into their inventory, Pepper feels sluggish. "Ugh, moving's tough!" It's like wearing layers of heavy winter gear. As a Backpacker, their inventory holds twice the capacity of others, but overfilling slows all actions.
"Too many items?!" Checking their inventory, it's packed with weapons and materials. The Explorer's Child perk boosted drops, tempting Pepper to hoard. The result: crippling weight.
"Lesson learned. No more reckless looting." Reluctantly discarding items to move freely, Pepper spots a sealed Goblin Eye in their inventory, seemingly saying "Konnichiwa!" They shove it back, pretending it never happened.
Strategy Set, Now Prove It