Sorry… trying to fix a bug crashed the site. I had to reload everything. It also lost all the accumulated view counts which I was especially wounded by ( Author takes 9,999 damage!)
The Life Wizard – Chapter 4
I was stunned thinking there about this.
But then I began to stop and get more real as the possibilities came in.
This has a lot of exciting possibilities! There’s a certain excitement about unclaimed terrain where you can build anything you want, and start over, or just start up without competition, or without someone telling you what to do!
For some reason the freedom of this place does appeal to me somewhat.
I’m on a mountain side, at the top of some kind of cliff facing. The land here is fertile and well watered, but it also looks like there is NO TOWNS or people anywhere! I can’t see any towns in the valley below the cliff also.
In other words I can’t spend all day doing the tutorials! I need to think about what I”ll do to make a living and how I’ll cook food and warm myself at night! Also, I realized that I need to be able to rescue myself and not rely on others to do it for me. There is some risk here!
But maybe learning to start a fire is a good thing. I mean…wow, the breeze coming up and around the mountains is a bit chilly sometimes.
What time is it?
The multiple moons in the sky and sun tell me that …
Well they don’t tell me anything.
“Status screen!” I activated.
My status screen came up.
“Is there a settings bar somewhere? How about a clock?” I said.
A settings tab came up for the status screen, but its more like a simple options menu. Spending a couple minutes tinkering with it, I find I can adjust volume on it and change it so when there’s a status screen notification that I can turn off the volume for it.
There’s a stealth setting button for the status screen.
For what?
What’s that do?
When I clicked on the stealth button its not a [skill]. And then that makes sense because it was in the options tab, not the skill tab.
So it made it so only I can see my status screen!
But then there’s a notification flag that goes off!
[You have discovered the skills tab!] appears in big bold text on the screen.
“Weird? Did it do that by me thinking about ‘skills’?” I wondered aloud.
The options box doesn’t have much else except there is a help button. And using the help search box I was able to activate a clock.
Yes!
Now I can tell what time it is!
This world seems to have a 24 hour clock just like…oh memory block headache coming on.
For some reason 24 hours sounds pretty reasonable to me, as if wherever I was before here had that also. It feels right.
The clock says 11:17 AM. That explains how it feels warm but not yet too hot for the heat of the day yet.
“So I have most of a full day before dark?” I reasoned.
Wait, it also gets darker earlier in the mountains also. So that makes it even worse.
I proceeded to get my bearings.
I found out I have a map skill also, and its recording what I find.
A map skill?!
Cool.
That’s a skill I’ll need. And since it works on its own, in an auto pilot state while showing a box of the mini-map in the status screen it makes life a lot easier!
This is useful! I won’t get lost.
The huge woodland meadow around me is pretty big. You could even say its big enough to hold a good sized village. There’s even a few square miles here even.
The flowers and pasture are perfect for grazing or building upon. Lots of lush vegetation that could be harnessed. There’s even a small brook that comes down from higher up in the mountains!
The gentle rolling hill slope came down the meadow into a valley on the opposite side of the cliff, but that side you had to go up winding steep slope to get to, from what it looks like.
The cliff faces the west. The east goes downards into the mountains, that later possibly rejoins the valley below, which is the same valley that the cliff in the west goes into. The mountains tower in the north, but don’t have snow on them. That’s where the clear pure brook is flowing out of. And the brook flows through the middle of the meadow and then has a small water fall down the cliff face, hundreds of feet below.
Ping!
[Danger detected!] my status screen registers!
[Danger Sense] skill activated in the system.
Skill [Danger Sense] has been added to the system!
The map now shows 3 moving red dots moving towards my position! I have a vague sense that the 3 red dots pinging on the mini-screen mean its a hostile force! (Why do I know that?)
What?!
[Temporary Beginner Help] autopilot guide has been activated!
“Help system reccomends you activate a self defense strategy,” a robotic female voice says in my status screen system.
The red dots are approaching me!
“Javen! You must employ a careful, sustainable conservative self defense strategy, based on ‘survival’!” the same robotic female voice said.
No kidding…
“What?! Who are you? What is this?” I said quickly, while trying to not panic.
“I am the help system. Because you have been ‘spawned’ in a high danger zone with no help and no town and no allies, the system is granting temporary extra help,” the woman’s voice said.
“Where are you? And what should I do?! I’ve never been in a self defense situation before!” I cried looking around.
“The 3 targets are approximately a half a mile from here, but they are approaching. They must have seen the landing capsule rocket land here, which deposited you here. Also the system calculates that there is a 94% chance that they will try to kill you and turn you into meat! Analysis indicates you are a resource called [food] to them, fully compatible with their needs for meat processing for their young, at their nest. This will escalate the chances of confrontation. You must defend yourself,” the robotic voiced woman said.
“What?! Wait, won’t I go to jail for that? If I fight back the cops will just think I’m one of the criminals!” I cried.
“Javen, you don’t have time to think about that. There is no police here. There is no law or police here. Only wilderness. And those incoming targets are not human,” she said.
“What do you mean no police?!” I said.
“I mean, this entire world, there is no police is what I’m saying with 84% probability in my calculation,” the robotic woman’s voice said.
“What?! What kind of world is this?!” I said.
“You are a seed Javen. You have been seeded into this world to try to help tame it,” she said.
“Hurry! You need to deploy a strategy and weapons,” the robotic voice said.
“I…I don’t have any skills. Help me!” I said.
“Is it possible that you can also put up a visual image? Its weird talking to the air. It confuses me,” I said.
“OK. My calculation believes there is a 79% probability that will improve the combat result also. Your request is being considered. Just a moment,” she said. Then she paused as if waiting for something but I couldn’t tell what.
“Combat result?” I said trying to not panic.
“Targets have reached 3/10 of a mile, and still closing,” she said.
“Please help me,” I asked humbly.
“Your request has been granted by the system,” she said, sounding relieved.
A beautiful woman appeared in front of me. She’s standing on the ground and not floating. But there’s something unnatural about how too perfect she is. She looks different than the previous tutorial woman however, but with the same uniform and suit.
Is it a hologram?
I was quite struck by her.
The beautiful brunette woman in front of me now, with wow…that hair and figure is amazing! Thin waist with well shaped hips but not so big as to be fat. She looks like she’s in good physical shape. The clothes appear to be a white business skirt suit from some place that looks familiar, which I’m pretty sure will give me a headache if I try to think about too much. The face is extraordinarily distracting and hard to turn away from. And her blouse and suit jacket sport coat hide a healthy generous bust.
“Is this better? Will it help you succeed in the mission for me to appear this way?” she asked.
“A-are you real?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Unfortunately not. I’m just a self defense help guide projection in the air. My mission isn’t even to help you with your missions, but just to get you through the tutorial system of this world. Then I will be deleted at some point and turn off,” she said with a smile, as if she didn’t comprehend that she would be ending then.
Wow.
That’s…
“OK, so, first I reccomend that you check your inventory for weapons and gear. You should have a simple starter kit with a weapon. Please hurry to prevent a catastrophic result,” she said coolly, again with the somewhat robotic voice.
“Where would the equipment kit with the weapon be at?” I asked.
“There should be another side pocket in the side of the landing capsule that should open up with that,” she said. “Please check it. Make haste please but don’t panic. It will open up, keyed to your DNA,” she smiled again.
I approached the landing coffin,…capsule whatever quickly.
Pocket, pocket…where is it?
Then I see it.
“Um…the side pocket is damaged,” I said seeing it in horror. “I won’t be able to open it. The damage to the panel has made it so its stuck shut.”
“That represents a significant drop in your survival success probability,” she observed with a frown and mono-tone.
“Can’t you do something? This isn’t my fault.”
“I’m sorry Javen,” she said with that same tone.
In front of us was a bashed in panel that had been damaged in the landing. The panel itself was partly caved in, made of some kind of very strong metal and with itself also partly buried amid large heavy rocks against the side of the craft. The damaged panel is stuck because of being bent.
“What was inside again?” I asked.
“A laser pistol, a laser knife, and a warming device,” she said with a smile.
The program doesn’t take into account the danger and surroundings much does it…
Its not responding well, and seems a bit too simple.
Jeez…
“What do you suggest?” I asked.
“Processing…processing, please wait,” she said, and then stood there for a moment.
She turned to face me. “You are going to have to improvise a weapon. Possibly even trap them, or ambush them. Using a high ground position or higher slope may help prevent them from getting to you. It is estimated that if at least 1 of them has a range skill, you have a chance of being seriously wounded. If two of them have range weapons then you will have an even more serious problem with survival rates reduced further,” she said.
Wait! There’s a weapon!
Sort of…
I ran forward to a part of some rod that was sticking out from the wreckage of the landing pod attachment to the coffin device I came out of. Technically its a part from the rocket, a solid metal part that had been jarred loose and torn off in the rather hard landing. It was probably some kind of strut part designed to fit into the framework that made the legs of the landing pod.
And now that I realize it, my landing pod wasn’t supposed to have landed on its side. It was supposed to have landed sitting straight up. But something had happened. Jeez, I’m lucky the panel didn’t land with the capsule smashed against the ground…
Its tough to bend this thing.
This thing does feel like pretty solid metal however. If I can get it to finish the break that’s already started, it will be a perfect weapon.
“That rod is estimated by my calculations to not be removable with human strength,” the guide said.
I continued to pry at the bar, hoping I could snap it off.
Heave…
3 targets closing, within 1/4 of a mile. Two other targets close by but haven’t noticed us yet,” the guide said.
“What?! Two more?” I asked.
“Affirmative. However, I can’t yet determine their species type,” she said.
“Wait, what species are the other three then?” I asked while heaving against the heavy rod I was trying to snap off.
There are other species here?!~
“Unkown. However, it appears to be a variant species,” the guide said.
“What’s a variant species?”
“Mana induced variants species are classified as such due to mana in their systems creating changed and enhanced evolutions,” she said.
“Mana induced variants?” I asked hesitating. I almost lost my concentration.
“Mana is one of the stats on your status scren,” she said.
“Ah, that’s true it was there huh. I wonder why it seemed so foreign and different to me,” I thought aloud.
I realized this thing wasn’t going to snap off with strength alone.
Wait!
I could use a lever to break this off! That would definitely help with overcoming my stat limits. I could use other wreckage to lever big rock pieces over the top of the bar.
Working furiously I tried to hurry.
But it wasn’t easy.
The wreckage piece that I used for the lever is perfect! Its about ten feet, no eight feet long. Its too bulky to use as a weapon. So most would overlook it being useful!
As a lever, I can balance it over this one piece of rock and then use it to leverage pressure against another nearby boulder to be pushed against the top of the lever. This is to break loose the last bit pinning the rod that I need to use as my only weapon.
I heaved several times just trying to move that piece.
It took five tries.
Finally it budged, from the massive lever I’d created. Physics and brain power is saving me. Yes!
“The 3 hostile species have spotted you Javen! You are now within visual range. You must face them very soon!” the guide said. This is the first time its voice seemed less robotic and more hurried.
“Enemy units closing! 150 meters!” the guide called out.
I heard the sound of metal fatigue as finally the metal is giving way.
So slow! Please hurry!
I pushed harder.
Now I feel dizzy also.
“70 meters and closing. You need to firm up your defense Javen,” she said.
When I was worried it would be too late finally the metal rod piece snapped off!
Yes!
I picked it up.
“Now go to high ground Javen. But the piece of metal will only help you a bit for this fight. You will need to build more weapons after this fight,” the guide told me.
The metal rod feels solid and good. I tested a swing with it, and felt pleased with it. Nice and solid metal.
Then I dashed along a set of waypoints that the help system guide is illuminating for me to follow to a defensive position! The system is guiding me to a spot that will let me control how many of them come at me; one of the only spots with a big rock on it that I can stand on to face my attackers!
Yes! This can work!
“Hostiles closing, 20 meters,” the voice called out.
She appears to be running with me, but as a holographic projection she’s not actually having to sweat or work. Her efforts look too easy because of it.
I get to the position. And then I turned!
What?!
Giant hornets?!
That’s really awful. And these are BIG hornets, that are like two feet long!
Shit this is bad. They are like a red and orange type of nasty looking fucker with a long ass stinger.
The guide program has illuminated the 3 targets in a glowing red aura to make it easier to target them!
“I would reccomend you strike target #2 down first. This one appears to be some kind of patrol leader. My analysis indicates higher survival probability if you take out the patrol leader first,” the guide said.
The giant hornet attacked.
I bashed it hard with the rod. Its heavy body caved and was batted away. But not dead yet.
The only problem is that this thing is about two feet long and with a huge stinger! The wings sound almost mechanical in a way, because this thing is so big.
I took no damage as the first hit missed me.
Then I dodged the next giant hornet swooping in.
The third stung me!
SHIT! WOW that hurt!
(-24 health damage!)
“Javen don’t let yourself get hit,” the guide said in monotone watching me.
“Its harder than it thinks!” I said.
“Your survival depends on…” I missed what she said as I’d hit the giant hornet again and again.
Giant hornet B takes -31 damage!
Giant hornet B takes -23 damage!
Giant hornet C hits me for -21 damage. This time I’d sort of avoided some of the damage, but the stinger hurts like a bitch!
“You can use the tree to shield some of their aerial sweeps and to increase your dodge ability,” the guide said.
I ran to the tree next, breathing hard.
But then I had another idea. “Hey can’t you distract them?” I asked the guide.
“But I can’t hit them Javen. I am also a guide and not an actual combat program,” she said in monotone.
“They don’t know that! You can make noise and scare them! You can make them think you are a threat too,” I shouted.
“Oh! My calculations indicate this could work! I’m on it! This may work on their limited intelligence,” she said while staring in space, as if looking at something I couldn’t.
“Hey, hey! Over here! Over here you baddies!” she said in a weird voice while shaking her arms and standing in front of me. She sounds a bit nerdy, like she’s not used to playing sports or contact activities, and having second thoughts or embarrassed.
It worked!
Two of the giant hornets are shocked when they passed right through here.
I also managed to bat away hornet C. Then I slammed two more hits into the surprised hornet B.
[Giant hornet B is slain!] the screen registered.
Yes!
But I’m not out of the woods.
The hornets seem confused why they can’t hit the holographic projection that keeps baiting them. And why they pass through it is surely messing with their minds. They tried again for another pass at attacking her.
I had ‘the guide’ change up her programs including acting threatening, and not only trying to get attention. I could yell at her to act like she was attacking them while I dodged. “I hope they don’t see me…” I thought I heard her mumbling.
I got two hits into hornet C. “Who see you?”
“Oh nothing. Never mind.”
Then I avoided several air strikes while ‘guide’ managed to absorb two more attacks.
In less than a minute hornet C is slain.
…
By the time its ended I’m breathing hard.
“Haa…..haaa…” I breathed out.
“Good job. Javen you survived. That’s good,” she said.
“Wait, did that second group of two see us?” I asked.
“It did not,” she said.
“Thank goodness!”
“But its possible they may smell the hornet remains,” she said.
Oh shit.
“Wait I want to ask about your sensory danger sense skill, how effective is it?” I asked.
She smiled again. “It is not 100% effective. It will not pick up sleeping threats. It will only pick up monsters that are also unstealthed and unhidden. There are also many kinds of monsters that it won’t detect, such as monsters hidden under the ground, or disguised in some way.”
“So there could be other things out there?” I asked frustrated.
“That is correct,” she said.
“Can you adjust your sensory range to try to pick up a bigger threat radius?” I asked.
“That will work. But it will cost more power. I would need a power boost in order to do so,” she said.
“So where do I get more power? How does that work?” I asked.
“It doesn’t. I’m not allowed to change my program,” she said.
“But I can change my magitek system. You are my world settling help program. I can have my system feed you more power. There’s nothing wrong with me doing that,” I said.
“Well…that’s…actually that might work,” she frowned.
Why wasn’t she happy about that. And then she’s looking at something in the back ground staring off in space, and a bit surprised. Almost like something is giving her instructions that she doesn’t like.
Werid situation.
“The most effective way would be to give me mana or plug me into an electrical source, but you don’t have a mana processor here,” she said.
I put my hand on her wrist. “Try using me as a connection,” I said.
“That shouldn’t work,” she said.
“Try it.”
“This is highly unethical, and a non-standard current practice,” she frowned.
“Do it,” I said.
“I willl comply,” she said it funny though, like she didn’t want too very much.
PING!
I was shocked.
She did activate her remote sensing skill while holding my wrist.
“Hm…its working,” she said.
And when she did…
When I check the notification it shows that I’ve got a skill called [Summoned Danger Sense] turret program. Summon type specficially.
The icon for it shows the guide girl in my skill tab with the skill name next to it! I was surprised. The girl herself…no wait, her help program was a type of danger sense ‘turret program’?!
What…
And the guide next to me looks angry!
“You aren’t supposed to be able to do that! You tricked me into becoming one of your skills!” she said frustrated.
“Huh?”
“You bastard!” she seethed.
“Wait. You are supposed to be a non-living program aren’t you?” I asked.
She shut her mouth but looks furious.
“Wait…its giving me YOU as a skill?!” I said in shock.
“Yes. Its not supposed to do that,” she frowned. “This is so unethical! And not right! I’m going to make a complaint to the floor manager about this!” she seethed angrily.
The guide is acting more life like.
What? Why does she think she’s alive? What is this?
“What floor manager? What does that mean?” I asked.
She flipped me off. But then she’s shut up again on her own. She’s looking at something though. I can’t see anyone else there and wondering who it looks like she’s listening to.
What’s going on?
I sighed and waited for her to calm down. It took a few minutes. During that time she has to follow me around.
“What do you suggest we do next?” I asked.
“For now, we need you to build food processing tools. Also we will need to cook water and be able to build a fire. I believe there’s a chance that you may be able to try fishing in the river also,” she noted.
“I need a quick rest. I’m going to take a nap. You stand gaurd, and wake me up in twenty minutes,” I said.
She frowned at me, annoyed that she has to obey orders. “Fine…I’m so going to complain to my boss about this. This isn’t in my contract.”
I was too tired to fight with her. She’s not making any damn sense anyway.
Sure she’s pretty, but I don’t need that attitude and fighting.
…
I finished the ‘tutorial quest’ to do the campfire using a type of flint and steel spark combo. (Why is it I knew what flint and steel were, I kept thinking while getting it going.)
And it seemed that I had no trouble making the fire also. But I decided to put it out because it seemed like it could attract monsters easily.
For the shelter…that’s tricky. I just slept in that landing pod but rigged up branches and leaves covering the capsule hood, since I didn’t know if it would be able to open again if I shut it with myself inside.
I do need a nap. Not sure why since I shouldn’t be so tired.
Ah, maybe there’s something in those stingers that made me tired?