CHAPTER 1: UNLUCKY
SCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRCH.
Neris opened his eyes.
Cold.
That was the first thing he understood.
Cold stone pressed against his back.
Cold air entered his lungs.
And something cold and wet coated his fingers.
Neris slowly raised his hand.
Blood.
"...Mine?"
Pain immediately answered him.
"GH—!"
His left side screamed when he moved.
Neris clenched his teeth and stopped.
Wonderful.
He had been conscious for approximately five seconds and had already discovered two things.
One—
He was injured.
Two—
He had absolutely no idea where he was.
Then the noise came again.
SCRRRRRRRRRRRRCH.
Metal.
Dragging across stone.
Neris went still.
That didn't sound friendly.
His eyes adjusted to the darkness.
The room around him appeared to be some kind of ruined chamber.
Broken pillars.
Cracked stone.
An overturned wooden table.
Fragments of pottery.
A corpse.
Neris stared at that last one for a second longer.
Then another shape became visible beside it.
Another corpse.
"...Great."
He searched himself.
His clothing was damaged.
Blood stained his side.
His Astrologer's Staff—
There.
About eight feet away.
His greatsword?
Neris searched again.
Nothing.
"...Of course."
The giant sword he actually wanted was missing.
But at least his staff was—
Something crawled across the back of his neck.
Neris froze.
It wasn't ordinary fear.
It was sharper.
Deeper.
An instinct inside him suddenly screaming one simple message.
HOSTILITY DETECTED.
Something nearby wanted him dead.
Neris slowly turned toward the doorway.
SCRRRRCH.
A boot entered the chamber.
Then another.
A man followed.
Armored.
A battered shield covered one arm.
A chipped sword dragged from the other.
The soldier stopped.
His helmet turned.
Directly toward Neris.
Silence.
Neris looked at him.
The soldier looked at Neris.
Then the soldier raised his sword.
Neris's strange sense sharpened.
Yep.
Definitely hostile.
The soldier stepped forward.
Neris glanced at his staff.
Eight feet away.
The soldier began moving faster.
Twenty feet.
Fifteen.
Ten.
Neris searched the ground.
Broken pottery.
Wood.
Stone.
A rock.
His fingers closed around it.
The soldier charged.
Neris threw.
[ATTACK ROLL: 6]
The rock sailed through the darkness.
THUNK!
It struck the soldier's shield.
Dropped to the ground.
Tok.
The soldier stopped.
He looked at the shield.
Then slowly looked back at Neris.
Neris stared at him.
"..."
The soldier lunged.
"Oh."
Neris twisted.
SHHK!
The sword missed his stomach but sliced across his upper arm.
Pain burned.
Neris stumbled sideways.
But the soldier's attack had carried him past—
And now Neris's staff was only a few feet away.
The soldier turned.
Neris planted one foot.
And jumped.
No staff.
No spell.
No brilliant sorcery.
He simply launched himself at the armored man.
[ATTACK ROLL: 18]
Neris's boot smashed into the soldier's chest.
THOOM!
The soldier flew backward.
One step.
Two.
CLANG!
His back slammed into the wall.
Neris landed badly.
Pain stabbed through his ribs.
"GH!"
He dropped onto one knee.
The staff was right beside him.
He could grab it.
He should grab it.
Instead—
Neris saw another rock.
The soldier shook his head and began recovering.
Neris grabbed the rock.
He threw it directly at the soldier's helmet.
[ATTACK ROLL: 16]
CRACK!
The rock hit the side of the helmet.
The soldier's head snapped sideways.
"GAH!"
He staggered.
Neris blinked.
That one actually worked.
The soldier lowered his shield slightly.
Neris's strange hostility sense suddenly changed.
There was another one.
Another presence.
Behind him.
Farther away.
Approaching.
CLANK.
A heavy step.
CLANK.
Another.
The wounded soldier heard it too.
His helmet turned toward the doorway.
Neris didn't waste the distraction.
He moved around him.
Dropped his weight.
And swept his leg behind the soldier's knees.
[ATHLETICS ROLL: 19]
WHUMP!
The soldier's legs vanished from beneath him.
"WH—?!"
BANG!
He landed hard on his backside.
His sword bounced away.
Neris straightened.
The soldier stared upward.
There was a brief silence.
Then—
CLANK.
The second presence reached the doorway.
A massive shadow filled it.
The soldier's attention snapped away from Neris.
"...No."
That wasn't reassuring.
Neris's hostility sense erupted.
Whatever stood in that doorway wasn't simply irritated.
It wasn't nervous.
It wasn't defending itself.
It wanted to kill.
Anything.
Everyone.
The thing stepped forward.
Large.
Armored.
A massive weapon dragged behind it.
SCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRCH.
Neris recognized the sound.
The same thing he'd heard when he woke up.
The soldier stopped reaching for his sword.
That was probably an extremely bad sign.
Neris looked at the creature.
Looked at the soldier.
Looked at the ground.
Another rock.
He picked it up.
The soldier noticed.
"...What are you doing?"
Neris threw it.
[ATTACK ROLL: 7]
CLONK.
The rock bounced off the creature's shoulder armor.
Dropped.
Tok.
Silence.
The creature stopped.
The soldier slowly turned toward Neris.
Neris stared at the creature.
The creature stared at Neris.
"..."
The enormous weapon stopped dragging.
The creature lifted it.
The soldier's voice rose.
"Idiot!"
The monster stepped toward Neris.
Neris's hostility sense exploded.
Apparently it had chosen a target.
Him.
Of course it had.
The weapon rose.
The soldier scrambled backward.
"Move!"
Neris watched the swing begin.
He ducked.
[EVASION ROLL: 1]
[CRITICAL FAILURE]
He ducked too early.
The creature adjusted.
Neris looked upward.
"...Oh."
WHOOOOOM!
He desperately threw himself sideways.
Too late.
CRACK!!
The weapon smashed across his upper back and shoulder.
Neris left the floor.
Literally.
His body flew several feet.
BANG!
He hit the stone.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe.
White filled his vision.
Then black.
Then white again.
His entire shoulder screamed.
[DAMAGE: 5]
[HP: 3/13]
[CONDITION: CRITICAL]
Neris coughed.
Blood touched his tongue.
The creature turned toward him.
SCRRRRRRRCH.
Its weapon dragged along the floor again.
The soldier stared at Neris.
"...You're alive?"
Neris wasn't completely sure.
His staff had somehow landed directly beside him.
He reached slightly toward it.
The monster approached.
Then—
"HEY!"
The soldier had regained his sword.
He charged the monster from behind.
The creature turned.
Neris stared.
The man who had been trying to kill him less than a minute ago had just deliberately taken the creature's attention.
Why?
Neris could think about that later.
Right now—
Another rock sat beside his hand.
He grabbed it.
The monster turned toward the soldier.
Neris aimed for its face.
More specifically—
Its eye.
He threw.
[AIMED ATTACK ROLL: 11]
CLACK!
The rock hit just above the creature's eye.
Not perfect.
But close enough to make it jerk its head backward.
The soldier saw the opening.
"NOW!"
He lunged.
[SOLDIER ATTACK ROLL: 17]
SHNK!
The sword drove into a gap behind the creature's knee.
The monster buckled.
THOOM!
One knee smashed against the stone.
The soldier ripped his blade free.
"GET UP!"
Neris looked at the staff.
Finally.
Yes.
Maybe he should actually use the magical weapon designed specifically for the magical abilities he possessed.
Neris grabbed it.
The soldier stared at him.
"USE YOUR DAMN MAGIC!"
Neris tightened his grip.
"...Fine!"
Blue light gathered around the staff.
Something inside him remembered.
Not consciously.
Not completely.
But his body understood.
Glintstone.
Sorcery.
A sweeping arc of magic.
Neris pointed the staff.
[SPELL SELECTED: GLINTSTONE ARC]
[SPELL ATTACK ROLL: 20]
[CRITICAL SUCCESS]
Blue light erupted.
VWOOOOOM!!
A crescent of glintstone energy tore across the room.
The monster had only just begun standing.
It never got the chance.
The spell struck across its head and upper body.
BOOM!
Its armor snapped sideways.
The wounded leg collapsed.
THOOOOOM!
The creature crashed onto the floor.
Its enormous weapon slipped from its hand and skidded across the room.
Neris remained on the ground.
Staff extended.
Blue particles floated through the air.
The soldier stared.
Then looked at Neris.
Then at the scattered rocks.
Then at Neris again.
"...You could do THAT..."
He pointed toward the monster.
"...the entire time?"
Neris didn't answer.
The monster moved.
Its fingers dug against the floor.
The soldier stepped backward.
"Finish it!"
Neris lifted his staff.
The creature tried to rise.
Neris narrowed his eyes.
And shouted—
"Kung fu boop!"
The soldier turned.
"...What?"
Neris fired.
[SPELL ATTACK ROLL: 7]
The glintstone arc missed the center of the creature's body.
But the magic was wide.
SHRAAAK!
It clipped the already-damaged leg.
[DAMAGE: 6]
[MAXIMUM DAMAGE]
The monster roared.
RRRRAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!!
Its leg collapsed completely.
The creature slammed back onto one knee.
The soldier stared.
"...Kung fu..."
He looked at Neris.
"...boop?"
Neris kept the staff raised.
The creature could no longer properly stand.
The soldier tightened his grip on his sword.
"This is our chance."
He moved closer.
The monster's hand suddenly shot outward.
[MONSTER ATTACK ROLL: 16]
"WH—"
WHAM!
The fist caught the soldier across the torso.
He flew backward.
BANG!
His body hit the wall.
His sword dropped.
The soldier collapsed.
Neris stared.
The monster turned toward him.
Again.
"Of course."
It began dragging itself forward with its arms.
Eight feet.
Seven.
Six.
Neris was still at three hit points.
His shoulder felt ruined.
His magic reserves were draining.
And there was another rock near his hand.
Neris looked at it.
Then at the monster.
Then at his staff.
"...No."
He lifted the staff.
The monster dragged itself closer.
Neris's eyes narrowed.
"Die, you BIG FAT BIG BOP!"
Blue light exploded from the staff.
[SPELL ATTACK ROLL: 20]
[CRITICAL SUCCESS]
The glintstone arc crossed the room.
The monster tried turning its head.
Too slow.
The magic hit exactly where Neris had originally tried hitting it with the rock.
The eye.
SHRAAAAK!!
The creature recoiled.
Its roar started—
RRRRAAAAA—
Then stopped.
Its arm collapsed.
BOOM.
Its head struck the floor.
Silence.
Neris waited.
The monster twitched once.
Twice.
Then—
Nothing.
The crushing pressure inside Neris's hostility sense vanished.
[ENEMY DEFEATED]
Neris lowered the staff.
His breathing was heavy.
His shoulder hurt.
His ribs hurt.
His arm hurt.
Actually, most of him hurt.
The soldier groaned from across the room.
Alive.
Somehow.
He raised his head.
Looked at the dead creature.
Looked at Neris.
Looked at the rocks scattered around the chamber.
"...You threw rocks at that thing."
Neris stared at him.
"You nearly died."
Silence.
"Then you screamed 'Big Fat Big Bop' and killed it."
The soldier dropped his head against the wall.
"I hate this day."
Neris couldn't really disagree.
A faint golden shimmer appeared beneath the creature's body.
Loot.
Probably.
The soldier's sword remained nearby.
Neris was critically wounded.
His magical energy felt dangerously low.
So Neris made the only logical decision.
He sat down.
The soldier looked over.
"What are you doing?"
Neris leaned against the wall.
Closed his eyes.
And immediately went to sleep.
The soldier stared.
"...What?"
No response.
"Are you serious?"
Neris was already unconscious.
The soldier stared at him.
Then at the dead monster.
Then at the door.
Then back at the sleeping Astrologer.
His sword was nearby.
Neris was helpless.
He could finish their original fight.
His hand moved toward the weapon.
Stopped.
"...No."
He forced himself upright.
Grabbed the sword.
Before leaving, he looked at Neris's injured shoulder.
The soldier hesitated.
Then pulled a strip of cloth loose and wrapped it around a roughly carved piece of wood.
A crude brace.
He placed it beside Neris.
"You're somebody else's problem."
And limped away.
Hours passed.
Neris slept on the freezing stone.
It wasn't comfortable.
It wasn't particularly smart.
But nothing killed him.
Eventually, his eyes opened.
"...Ow."
He moved his shoulder.
Instant regret.
"...Very ow."
The room remained quiet.
The monster was still dead.
The soldier was gone.
The staff remained beside him.
And there was a crude brace sitting nearby.
Neris picked it up.
Looked toward the doorway.
"...Huh."
Then something appeared in front of his vision.
[ENCOUNTER COMPLETE]
Large Enemy Defeated: +225 XP
Hostile Soldier Encounter Survived Without Killing Soldier: +50 XP
Critical Survival Bonus: +25 XP
TOTAL XP GAINED: 300
Neris blinked.
Another message appeared.
LEVEL UP!
LEVEL 1 → LEVEL 2
300 / 900 XP
"...Already?"
Apparently almost being beaten to death had educational value.
Two choices appeared.
AVAILABLE ADVANCEMENT
1. ASTROLOGER LV.2
Continue development of sorcery.
2. FIGHTER LV.1
Begin martial development.
Neris stared at the second option.
His missing greatsword immediately came to mind.
Magic was useful.
Extremely useful.
The last few minutes had made that obvious.
But there was something deeply satisfying about the idea of using both.
Magic from a distance.
Steel up close.
And if that failed—
Well.
There were apparently rocks everywhere.
Neris selected the second option.
MULTICLASS ACCEPTEDNERIS
TOTAL LEVEL: 2
ASTROLOGER: LV.1
FIGHTER: LV.1
New information flooded his mind.
Weapon balance.
Stance.
Weight distribution.
How to properly hold weapons he'd previously relied on raw instinct to use.
How to force his body through exhaustion.
How to recover when pushed close to collapse.
NEW FEATURES ACQUIRED
Martial Weapon Proficiency
Medium Armor Training
Shield Training
Great Weapon Fighting
Second Wind
Weapon Mastery
Neris flexed his hand.
His muscles hadn't magically transformed.
He wasn't suddenly an experienced knight.
Knowledge wasn't experience.
But there was now a foundation.
A path.
Something he could actually build upon.
Then another notification appeared.
MAXIMUM HP INCREASED
13 → 18
CURRENT HP: 5/18
Neris stared.
"...Five."
He looked toward the monster that had nearly killed him.
Looked toward the blood on the floor.
Then toward his missing greatsword.
His first real battle in the Lands Between had included:
Waking up injured.
Getting attacked immediately.
Throwing several rocks.
Jump-kicking a soldier.
Sweeping his legs.
Throwing more rocks.
Nearly dying because he ducked at exactly the wrong moment.
Being saved by the man he'd been fighting.
Discovering he could have been using magic almost the entire time.
Screaming "Kung fu boop."
Screaming "Big Fat Big Bop."
Killing something far larger than himself.
Then falling asleep on the floor.
Neris slowly looked at the golden shimmer still visible beneath the monster's corpse.
"..."
He sighed.
His adventure had barely started.
And somehow—
Unlucky already felt like an understatement.
NERIS
Level: 2
Class: Astrologer 1 / Fighter 1
HP: 5/18
Condition: Wounded
Special Trait: Hostility Sense
Known Sorcery: Glintstone Arc
Greatsword: Missing
Monster Loot: Unclaimed
Rocks Thrown: Far too many
Neris pushed himself upright.
His shoulder immediately complained.
He ignored it.
Then he looked at the corpse.
The golden light underneath it continued to shimmer.
Maybe, finally—
something good was waiting for him.
Probably not.
But maybe.
END OF CHAPTER 1: UNLUCKY