Lost in the Game

Day 43: Level 2 Day 13; Surprise Boss

Shadow and Arthur walked into the cool night air of the desert that was level 2, and knew that if they were going to make it to the area where the Triloa Root was, it would require a horse rental. Shadow used them all the time, as they made moving around amazingly easy. His perception skill had also increased to the point that he could spot herbs and mineral deposits from a distance, so the faster speed wasn't an issue for him. Arthur on the other hand was nervous when he was handed the reigns of his own, as he had never ridden in game or real life.

"You actually pay for these rides?" he asked amazed.

"Every night, otherwise I wouldn't get half my stuff done." Shadow replied evenly as he watched Arthur struggle to get on.

"Do I want to even know how long it has been since you slept?" Arthur asked him.

"42 days 22 hours and 15 minutes." Shadow said reaching a hand into his cloak and throwing a bright blue potion at him. "If you want to stay up until this time tomorrow, drink the whole thing. If you want to crash once the sun comes up, about a third."

Arthur looked at the awakening potion, and realized it was a perfect potion which meant it was worth double whatever they sold at the town squares. "So this is your secret?" he asked.

"Worst kept secret ever." Shadow said laughing as they began riding to the field. "I learned of those from a Mage day 1, and have used them ever since. Sleep in a bottle, and as we need every edge we can get, I will take it."

Arthur laughed before uncorking it and took a big swallow which was about a third of the liquid inside. As soon as he swallowed he felt his energy levels return to normal as if he had just woke up from a full night sleep, and knew this would be an interesting night as his companion drew a short sword. "What happened to your daggers?"

Shadow looked at him with a smile. "I guess you are about to learn something new." he said as they saw one and he jumped into his saddle and used a rush skill that Warriors normally had. It took him only a few seconds to kill the creature as he jumped on the horse who had not altered its speed or course while he was off of it.

"What was that?" Arthur demanded. "Why is that not in the book?" he demanded as Shadow smiled.

"It is, but Rogues don't get the same book as the other classes." he said with a knowing smile.

"Why would thiers be different?"

Shadow laughed at that question, as he knew one day he would have to explain this. "Because we are thieves, capable of stealing or borrowing more than just money and equipment. Like I learned on day one as well, If we become Alchemists, it joins our poison making skill. We have many advantages that the other classes do not, especially as so many of our skills are very closely related."

Arthur looked at him curious as they reached the edge of the field, and both knew that the fight was about to begin. "So what are your professions?" he asked curious.

"Leatherworking and skinning, mining and herbalism. Alchemy I access as a class skill." he answered honestly as he pulled the horse to a stop and commanded it to stay. He dropped down as Arthur did the same, and walked over to the first Trolia Root he encountered before he put his gloves on.

"Think you could teach me?" Arthur asked him.

"You an herbalist?" Shadow asked him.

"Mining and Blacksmith." he answered as Shadow smiled.

"Guess we will find out than." he replied as he began giving Arthur an extensive lesson not just on the root they were there for, but the lower level herbs that were here too.

It was about an hour later when Arthur picked his first root, and processed it the way he had been shown and practicing when the system added it as a skill for him, equal to begin the process when he pocketed his first Trolia Root. "Oh s**t!" he exclaimed when it happened.

"Seems you can learn, you just have to be willing." Shadow said as they kept moving deeper and deeper into the patch of roots.

"Not sure if we should add that to the guide book or not."

"Keep it to your Guild, that way you have a leg up. If we ever get to level 3, I will help you with the first Guild Town." Shadow said with a smile.

"We are going to wait until level 6 to buy the Guild Town." Arthur replied as they both worked on gathering the roots.

They had been at it for 3 hours when they took a break from digging for the roots, and Arthur checked his skills to see he had gained quite a bit of skill as an herbalist. "You know, I have no idea what I am going to do with all these herbs." he said with a smile.

Shadow laughed as he looked at him. "Sell them, there are a lot of alchemists who use the auction house to buy the materials they need to make them. It is why the price of potions is so lucrative right now."

Arthur nodded as he knew well how much the potions cost on the auction house. "How come you don't stock the rarer potions that they do?" he asked.

"Because I sell them on the Auction Block to pay for other things that people need." Shadow replied as Arthir got his knife out as he looked at a flower.

"What herb is that?" he asked as Shadow looked at it as he went to cut it.

"That is -" Shadow said when Arthir grabbed hold of it and went to cut before there was an explosion of dirt around them while a monster jumped over thier heads extremely pissed off. Shadow drew his sword as he looked and gulped as a ring of fireneruoted around the area with no way in or out of it. "BOSS!" Shadow yelled drawing his second sword. "Defensive until we learn its moves!" he exclaimed as Arthur pulled out his sword and shield.

"Any ideas?" he asked as they both looked at what appeared to be a gigantic mole.

The creature although massive was much faster than it looked, and Shadow had to leap over the Claw that was being swiped at him. As he came down, it was in direct range for his swords, which he was glad were already treated with a poison that lasted a set time every time he drew them. "See if you can get its attention while I slip behind it and try to damage it from there." he yelled as Arthur smiled and did exactly that.

For 20 minutes they hacked and slashed at it, only to realize that whatever this thing was, it was heavily armored almost everywhere. The only place they found was by accident when it tried to fling Shadow off of it's back, and his swords dug into its eye as he caught himself from landing in its hand. He quickly did a leaping back flip to get away as the creature thrashed and howled while it lost half a bar of health thanks in part to the poisons coating his blade.

"This may take awhile, especially if it is only vulnerable at the eyes." Arthur said as his attacks had done little more than aggravate it.

For more than 6 hours they fought this creature, both of them using every trick they had to keep thier health high. They were fortunate its attacks were not very fast, and it's damage wasn't so intense they couldn't take a hit. But they got really good at blocking, dodging and parrying the attacks of it, that they started getting g bonus attribute points for it, above what was possible for the current level they were on.

Just ad the sun began to rise, the first health bar finally depleted, and the creature jumped into the hole it had emerged from as the two grouped together.

"Have any spare health potions?" Arthur asked as Shadow pulled a bag from his belt and handed it to him before placing another there. "What are these?" he asked pulling out one of his specialty bandages.

"Rip the back off and place it anywhere. It is a potion bandage, and removes the need to focus to apply the healing effect. It combines a health potion and bandage, but only counts as a bandage cooldown leaving you free to use a potion as well. There are some in there." He said as he felt the ground begin rumbling before he pushed Arthur away as the ground below him exploded upwards as the Boss emerged again.

He was thrown straight up, and watched as the Boss swiped as he came down, using his swords as the claws swiped past him to sink into its wrist, and catch as he slid down with weight and speed to the elbow before he dropped to the ground and rolled away barely damaged.

It however had done a bit of damage to the Boss, as they realized its joints were vulnerable as well. They just didn't know how to utilize it hist yet as the Boss went on a rampage that left them little time to think, let alone strategize as the fended it off.

Despite the new knowledge, the sun was high in the sky before they drained the second bar, and both of them pulled out thier awakening potions and downed them quickly.

"Do you have a throwing knife?" Shadow asked Arthur as they knew they had about a minute before the creature emerged again.

"Basic one, but I am not very proficient with it yet." Arthur replied as he pulled an item from his inventory.

"It is my backup, and you are about to get a bunch of practice I have a feeling." he said as Arthur looked at the Ultinate level weapon.

"I can't take that." he said pulling out the last bandage and potion from the bag as Shadow did the same and handed him another.

"We will discuss it later, right now it is about survival and normal weapons aren't going to cut it." Shadow replied as Arthurntook the bag and blade and equipped them both. "Last potions and bandages I brought, target the joints and eyes if you can." he said looking at his sword which was almost useless and he unequipped it before equipping a different one he hadn't used before.

"That is the Undead Kings sword, how did you get it?" Arthur asked recognizing the Legendary Blade.

"Let's just say this has let me know that a farming partner might be a good idea." Shadow replied as they felt the ground shake as both pulled a throwing knife and leapt to the side as the boss erupted again.

Even with the new strategy, it was dark again by the time they were getting close to downing the boss, and had taken more damage this time around meaning it had 10 percent health left as they both used the last of thier items to restore thier hit points. Shadow cursed as he realized they may not have enough oomph left to take it down, when he remembered he two healing spells he could use as he adjusted his own strategy. He went to use his own throwing knife again, just as it alerted him it had no durability left. He cursed again as he switched to a bow, that he had little practice with, and nocked the first arrow as Arthur took a massive hit.

"Shindiha!" he yelled targeting Arthir with the healing spell, and watched his energy drain and slowly refill as he used the bow to target the weak points they had identified.

Arthur was amazed when the spell hit him, and he managed to roll away from the follow up attack while Arthur peppered it with arrows that would occassionally hit the mark he was actually aiming at. So the fight continued as the two of them struggled to keep going, as the battle timer approached 24 hours.

Just as they were about to lose hope the Boss stopped and Shadow saw his chance as he drew his last poison arrow from his quiver, nocked it and sent it flying deep into the throat of the monster. Its roar was impeccable as it began swaying and suddenly the tiner froze 3 seconds before it had been a full day.

They were both excited when its health hit 0, and the thing fell in front of them shaking the ground as the loot screens popped up.

Shadow was surprised at what they had earned, as his share of the gold was 45,000. He also had several pieces that would aid him considerably, as he and Arthur both collapsed on the ground shaking when the achievement sounded for both of them.

First Defeat of the Floor Boss, and killing the floor boss with 3 or fewer members. The second was actually a chain of them that started at 25 or fewer, and the final achievement was 3 or fewer.

"I think I am sleeping all day tomorrow." Arthur said making Shadow laugh.

"Atleast that long." he said as he looked at the creature and saw he could skin it. "Skinning lesson before we check out the lair?" he asked as Arthur nodded.

"No rest for the weary." Arthur replied as Shadow looked at him.

"Or the wicked, and right now we are both." hensaid making them both laugh as they took out skinning knives and began the process for this boss.

It took 10 minutes for them to collect the scales and hide from it, and when they were finished with it they had a stack of scales and priest leather that would make most players salivate. They split it equally, and each took 30 of the scales, and 50 of the rare leather before they saw a treasure chest at the bottom of its lair.

It gave them even more equipment and riches, some of it really good and would bind to the Guild of whoever used it instead of to the player.

Shadow took the Ring of the Undead which was that way, before allowing Arthur to take the rest of the guild bound gear.

They looked around and smiled when they saw the tunnel to level 3, and exited onto a beach that was then arrival area before they could use thier teleport Crystal again.

"Drinks and repairs are on me." Arthur said grabbing his hand and teleporting them to his Guild house.