A Rocky Slope I [Assassin Solo]

[Saber]

        After a long break Saber had taken from actually going out to hunt, he decided that it was best to not let his skills get rusty. His bow was still flimsy and on the verge of falling apart as was everything else he wore to protect himself, but his mind was sharp and he still remembered his skill set like the back of his hand. The arrows he had strapped to his back were fresh and he had taken extra care to sharpen the initial collection he had built up as to prepare him for a long, tireless hunt for the night. The game would compensate for any lack of damage because of his level, although he knew full well that he wouldn’t need such a thing. Saber would rely only on everything he knew, everything he had, and everything that he could trust in. To narrow it down and filter out what that umbrella of “everything” could possibly contain; Saber could only rely on himself. The world around him was against him and he had no choice but to fight it with every ounce of strength he had both physically and mentally. It sucked, and he dreaded that fact, but his own knowledge and experience was the only thing he could truly, one hundred percent, trust. This world was not his reality, it was not his home. The world of Elder Tale was out to kill him and there wasn’t a single being on the entire planet he walked on that would change that fact, not even another player. Saber couldn’t trust the world, and he couldn’t trust the intentions of his fellows. He felt torn inside and wanted to reach out to people, he wanted to help those in need and be the kind man he knew he was, and he wanted to simply sit down and just be a blacksmith which created arms and armors for those who asked. But how could he do that if he didn’t even believe in his own strength?



        That left him with one option; become stronger, stronger than anything he could come across! Whether it was a player or beast, he needed to be faster, stronger, and lighter than his opponent. Saber had to become someone others could look towards not just for help, but he had to become someone he himself would look towards if he was in trouble. He needed to keep his head up, his back straight and his weapons fresh. Now, he looked like some scrub on the street who begged for change, but that wouldn’t be for long. Saber’s blacksmithing level was rocketing skyward and he was plotting out multiple crafts in order to bring the world around him into a much more advanced state. Initially, he had thought that he only had to strengthen himself and only himself. He still believed that deep down, but he couldn’t just level himself alone as the gap between himself and the world would only cause distance. Saber had to be strong for himself and for everyone around him but had to keep that distance short. He had to be strong enough to support others, to be able to pull them out of the dust and the mud, but not strong enough to be a threat in itself. As a blacksmith, preparing the armors which others would wear in their travels, sharpening and strengthening the weapons others would use to protect themselves, and supplying people with the items that would give them the sharpest edge in combat was going to be a never ending challenge. Balancing that with his own personal leveling quota would be difficult, but it would be manageable if he kept on top of it and spent his time wisely.

[Saber]

        Such a reason was exactly why Saber stood at London’s gate on such a cold night. It was almost midnight and majority of other players were asleep after their own long days of living in this new world. For the Assassin, his day was just beginning. He lived his nights, when the sun was out, in the ancient library beneath the crumbling part of the rotting city of London, and spent his days under the moon, trying to make up for lost time that others could happily take advantage of without a thought. When others were asleep, the fields were vacant of distractions and there wasn’t a soul that could get in his way. There wasn’t a single person that could interrupt his hunting and not a single person that could take his kill. The night was Saber’s time to play the way he wanted to and play the way he needed to. He had to be ruthless in the few hours he would have to himself in the monster infested zones. The forests needed to be screaming.

        A heavy sigh escaped the player’s lips and his shoulders slumped. He let himself stay there for a moment, frozen in that weary state, and then he began to tilt forward. The heels of his boots lifted and his toes creased. When he felt as if he would fall right on his face because of gravity, Saber suddenly lifted his right leg and shoved off his left, thrusting himself forward. In a burst of power, the player nimbly started to sprint up the road and remained in sight for a brief moment. After moving as fast as possible for nearly thirty seconds, creating as big of a gap as was necessary to expose anyone attempting to follow him, the Assassin checked over his shoulder and looked down the road towards the gate. The path was clear. With that in mind, Saber broke off to his right and bolted into the dark tree line, hoping over a large bush that was in his way as he proceeded off the open path.

        However, as energetic he was about making the forest’s scream; Saber only had one type of monster on the list for the night. One kind of beast that would take everything he had to bring down, even for his own level. The only reason it would take so much was because of his weapons and equipment. Saber had the ability, power, and skill to take on anything that he came across in the area, but because of his weak armor and lack of an actual weapon of his level, Saber was restricted to only taking on lesser creatures like higher level pigs and other field monsters. There was the choice for him to head towards the swamps and fight there, but he had another goal. Unlike the filthy and rotten swamp zones, Saber had an area he planned to conquer one night during his time here. Whether it was now, later, or even never; he’d do it. If he was forced to bring a party, he would do so but he would do it very cautiously. Putting the lives of others in jeopardy for one’s own personal goals was pathetic, and he wasn’t exactly someone who planned on doing such a thing even if it meant turning away from a ton of experience.

[Saber]

        At the moment, Saber had no plans to take on the challenge of conquering the place he had in his sights because at the moment; he had his sights on something else. Something bigger. He would take his time with taking on the challenge before him, and would focus on making the world better in only the way he knew. So he would use the zone he had his eyes on as a stepping stone. A stepping stone which would catapult him into the next tier of strength that could help him stand apart from the others and would help him become something more, something bigger. He was an Assassin, a player who lurked in the shadows and killed in silence. If he was successful, there would be no shadows to hide in for anyone, even his fellow lurkers. The only problem was what stood between him and shining down the light from the heavens; a massive creature which had the strength to bring down a city all by itself, wall by wall.



        Thirty minutes of running had led Saber to standing at the edge of the massive castle which looked over the forest around it like a taunting beast. The Windsor Castle, the place which attracted the adventurous child that lurked within Saber’s soul, stood tall within the zone like it had the day it was finished being built. The first time he had been here, Saber marched through its walls like a God on his higher level Guardian character, but he had done it foolishly. The monsters inside of it were powerful, menacing, and lurked with an unsatisfied blood thirst which reeked in the castle halls, giving the building a stench that could only be described as the true smell of murder. The Castle was a lovely sight to behold and its walls were glorious. It was a beautiful place to live and one which was truly fit for a Lord. However, Saber had never seen it ruled by any such person. During his time in Elder Tale, the Castle was only filled with terrifying creatures and towering shadows. The Ghosts which lurked it halls struck fear into even the bravest of hearts, and Saber wanted to sprint in headfirst all by himself. With every beat of his heart that he felt thud against his ribcage, Saber wanted to bust down the metal front gate and charge inside. The only true restraint which kept him from doing so was the virtual barrier that kept him out.

[Saber]

        Due to the strength of the beasts inside, the Castle had an autonomous restrictive barrier. The barrier allowed only players of a certain level entrance, and even then the player had to be a part of a party of at least five, or six. Saber had met the requirements when he played from the other side of the monitor and his guild allies helped him gain entrance to the building. Once he had passed through the gates, they sat back and had a picnic on the Castle grounds while the player tanked his way to the boss room. It was only then that he had called for assistance due to the Boss’s shear strength. It was a tempting feat to take it all on by himself, but he had run out of potions and his armor was on the verge of shattering by that time. The Castle was no pushover, and Saber had learned his lesson well. After his brave, and stupid, march through the halls; Saber never once returned to that place without bringing help. It had cost him far too much equipment and money to go in alone.



        So, the player turned his eyes away from the front gates and searched its walls, patiently looking for his target. The monster his eyes fell upon was a menacing creature which looked as if it may start punching at the wall beside it at any given moment. Though, it seemed to be quite content with its duty of guarding the Castle. The relentless, constant duty of pacing and searching, walking and marching, around the dark and damp, abandoned walls of the stone building beside it. The beast looked as if it was a tired soul, continuing on only because the last Lord had never told it to rest. Saber could see it; the small body within the massive cracks and rocks that had piled up on top of the small, weak man over the years. Nature had grabbed a hold of the tired soul, made the soldier her own personal guard, and had kept him in his tireless place beside the castle barrier. Sadly, it was time for him to rest.



        Sinking back into the shadows which surrounded him, Saber vanished out of sight and made his move towards the left. The silent rustling of leaves and grass never reached the ears of the hulking tower of stone and strength, never alerting it of the deadly reaper which looked towards it with pitied eyes. It was completely unaware of the imaginary vultures over its head, and even the appearance of a raven never alerted the creature from its coming doom. Though, at the raven’s appearance, the stone beast stopped and looked up to the new inhabitant of its castle walls. The bird only squawked thrice, almost anticipating the coming scene as it watched over the deadly strike.

[Saber]

        A single glimmer pierced the shadow stretching out from the back of the towering being, and it lasted for only a moment for after it appeared; it vanished. The wind whiffed and suddenly the shadow of the towering Golem was struck by an arrow. Upon impact, the display above the Soil Golem’s head flashed and its once calm eyes became a perverse red, flaring brightly into the moonlit night. The creature attempted to turn towards where it had heard movement, but it was unfortunately unable to. The cause was left within its own large cast of darkness. The arrow which had been fired at the Golem from an anonymous source dug into the core of its shadow. From inside of that dark spot, dozens of dark chains wrapped around the beast’s body, holding the standing stone tower still in its tracks, immobilizing it. Unable to move due to the dark effect, the Golem released a booming roar of fright and confusion.



        Again from the shadows, a glimmer shined brightly as the tip of an arrow reflected the moonlight. Then, a moment later, the object was released. A second projectile surged forward and stabbed into the upper spinal area of the Golem. The arrow had been primed for several seconds, its shooter using one of his special and seldom used skills to focus every bit of strength and power into the single point of the Golem. Upon impact, the arrow cracked into the Golem’s back and caused a red signal to flare just above the beast’s head. A critical hit ripped away a chunk of the Soil Golem’s health, draining it from a full one-hundred to a meager seventy-five. It wasn’t a horrible shot, but the player was left to blame the lack of damage to his petty equipment. Should he have upgraded, he would have dealt plenty of damage with that strike. He could have possibly killed the creature if he had a strong enough bow. Although that was not the case in this instance, and he would have to deal with the sacrifice of power in exchange for accuracy. He would counter the lack of strength with his intelligence, and that was a simple feat.



        The instant the shady tendrils released their captive, a purple pulse stretched out into the surrounding zone. The Golem turned around and took a hard step forward towards the tree line, its eyes a burning red as it stared towards the shadows. Yet once the beast was touched by the purple wave, its eyes lost their flare and the creature began to look around itself, once again confused. From his hidden location, the Hunter watched as the Golem searched for something as if it had lost a precious memoire. In that time, a third arrow was nocked and a third glint flared from the darkness. Each time he loaded, the man within the darkness was careful to relocate, gradually moving himself to the right of the Golem as to avoid standing directly in front of it after each shot. The only issue was that the third shot would be his last before he would be forced to reveal himself. The forest stretched for only so far. Though, just as anticipated, it was when he fired his shot and stepped out of the shadows and into the open that Saber ran into trouble.

[Saber]

        Almost right on cue, Saber’s luck came crashing down around him as a second Soil Golem stomped into the ground at an approximated distance of two meters to his direct left. The player had initially expected the Golem to be at the other end of the Castle due to the patterns it took during the original game before the game-changing update. It seemed now that his guess was wrong, and it put him into a very volatile situation. The Golem in front of him had been struck by the arrow he had just shot and was beginning to turn around, its red eyes burning like two red dwarf stars as it stared towards the shadowed player. Saber grit his teeth and clenched his bow, squeezing the stiff wood firmly. He glanced to his left and watched the closer and newest threat make a aggressive move towards him. Looks like it was time to get crafty…



        With a huff, Saber kicked backwards and created space as a heavy golem hand came down like a hammer, crashing and cracking the ground where Saber had previously been standing. A moment later, Saber fired off a single shot and pierced the Golem’s stiff wrist, breaking the weak stone apart from the focused point of impact. The creature let out a groan from the sudden pain and quickly recovered, smacking the arrow out from its joint. As it did so, the creature stood up tall and started to turn towards the player. Its ally strode up beside it and took the initiative to attack first. Saber narrowed his eyes and tucked his chin beneath his scarf, lifting the cloth comfortable over the bridge of his nose as he drew back on the bowstring, an arrow already ready to be fired. He held the weapon firmly, staring forward even as the two Golems made their way close to him. The ground shook with power and weight, the air hissed from their breathing, and Saber could feel a mighty presence pushing down on his shoulders. Yet he remained focused on his objective. The player’s sight line was clear, his mind empty, and his eyes fixed. The world was a distraction; one that he could not hear.



        Releasing a breath and releasing the arrow in his grasp, Saber fired his shot and watched as, in almost slow motion, the slender bowstring snap forward and launch the deadly projectile in his grasp forward. It had been changed in its elemental structure, but Saber had taken care to aim well. The Golem which stomped only a few meters in front of him was at nearly half of its half, making it a prime target to finish first. However, he could not get ahead of himself. Every shot would do damage only if he fired safely and aimed effectively. Should he miss, the energy and time would be wasted. Both of which he had a limited amount of.

[Saber]

        Once the arrow was free, Saber quickly reached back and pulled out another before ducking to his right and circling. The Golem was struck in its neck and howled out in annoyance as the flimsy projectile was yanked from its hard flesh. The Hunter grit his teeth and ran at a comfortable pace, raising his bow up sideways as to allow him to fire while moving. He shot at the center of the front Golem’s torso, popping one shot after another into the massive grey and green boulder which was positioned there. Due to the hardness of the beast’s shell, several of the metal projectiles bounced off, causing a very insignificant amount of damage. Yet there were plenty which were able to crack into the rock and did much more damage. The Golem’s health dropped at a steady, but noticeable pace and it was enough to give Saber some confidence. He could win the fight if he remained vigilant.



        After circling almost halfway around the two beasts, Saber adjusted to match his target’s movements. Rather than just stand there and take the pot shots, the Soil Golems were turning and moving towards him. Further, they moved with a speed which Saber had not expected. They were powerful beasts but they were fast for their size. They moved at a brisk jog over the harsh ground, stomping forward and splitting apart as to pinch the nimbler player between them. At the sight of their parting and spreading out, Saber narrowed his eyes. He quickly recognized the change and instead of circling around them, he adjusted his heading. The player skidded to a stop and raised his bow, firing the arrow he had nocked towards the Golem which had more health. The arrow bounced off the creature’s armored shoulder, bouncing up into the air because of the power.



        Although, before the shot even connected; Saber was moving in. He drew another arrow and sprinted right towards the Golem as he readied another shot. The beast snarled at the brave move and changed its heading. The beast turned from circling around to the side of the hunter to running right at him. As the distance closed, Saber felt the air kick up. A heavy breeze whistled against his right ear and hummed in his left, chilling the right side of his body as he approached the towering natural creation. As the wind kicked up, so did Saber’s feet. He moved rapidly and steadily forward, turning the wide open grass space into nothing more than a distance to write down in a history book. In almost a blink, Saber had moved up into the range of the thick, semi-god-level-strength arms. The Golem released a roar and punched forward with both hands, launching them like rockets towards the player. Saber hissed, his cool breath being whisked away by the breeze, and raised up his bow and arrow. As the hand collapsed on his position, Saber released his shot and jumped.

[Saber]

        The arrow dug into the left eye of the Golem as debris and dust blasted into the air from the impact of the two, massive hands. A thunderous clap of thunder rang out into the air, the raw power of the collision making even the ground shake slightly. However, the dust cloud only gave the player time. Precious, lovely time, as the Golem was fixed on the thought that he had captured his prey. When the dust began to clear, and the beast saw nothing by its own hands begin to appear, rage filled its stony core. Its heart grew into a massive glacier of blackness and blood thirst poured out of its crevices. The single remaining red eye had darkened in color as its unseen aggression meter reached the highest setting. The beast was as angry as the Incredible Hulk, and just as big. Yet, without any warning, an arrow slammed down into the back of the Golem’s head.



        The arrow pierced the moving statue’s hard skin and cracked it, but it was only the beginning. As the Golem began to look up towards the direction the arrow had come from; several more of the small projectiles began to pierce its flesh. One after another rained down, digging into its arms, shoulders, skull, and two even reached its feet. Hell came from above as the swiftly approaching shadow fired everything he had. Saber didn’t aim, and he didn’t care. The player remained focused and used his in-game class to assist him with speed as he exchanged accuracy for numbers. The sky became a hailstorm of painful thorns, many of which missed their target; however a good portion did not. The Golem was massive so it wasn’t difficult to miss, even from the distance Saber had created. Even though it was not big enough at first, as his altitude declined, it became easier to fire-and-forget as more of his shots began to hit.



        In reaction, the Golem snarled, exposing its rocky mouth as he glared up towards the player falling from the sky. At that point, Saber was only able to fire three more times before he adjusted and braced to land on the creature’s head. The Golem narrowed his eyes on the player and coiled its massive hands into fists. Then, the moment came. Saber braced and began to tuck his knees as the stone shoulders came within inches of his heels. He shut his eyes partially for a moment, anticipating the pain that may strike him because of the landing. But the Golem had other plans, ones that Saber had fallen right into; literally.

[Saber]

        Instead of letting the annoying rat of a bowman land on him, the Golem waited until the very last second before suddenly taking a step back. The player’s eyes shot open wide at the movement and the Golem grinned wide, watching the helpless creature drop to the ground before him. The pesky human had got the drop on him, but the pile of rocks still was an intelligent beast. The Golem had waited until the very last second, enticing the player to land on him because of the advantage in combat it would hold. Then, he removed himself from the equation leaving the Hunter with only one choice; land on the ground he was ill-prepared for. It had happened quickly and almost completely as expected. The Human was smart, fast, and could out maneuver the Golems on the ground; but the air was a whole different terrain. It was one that both the Hunter and the Golem did not have any power to control, but they both did have power to react to it.



        Upon impacting the ground, Saber slammed down flat-footed and rammed his knees up into his chest. In reality, his kneecaps probably would have cracked and he would have lost some needed tendons and ligaments because of their shredding apart. However, here he only felt a serious surge of pain in his legs and dropped his knees forward because of their giving out. His health dropped several hundred points and the player could barely keep from fully falling over onto his stomach. It took every ounce of strength for him to keep upright, sort of, and it hurt worse than anything he could have imagined. Well, until the Golem moved in front of him. The beast huffed with a grin and swung its right hand with a vicious underhook punch.



        The massive hand covered up almost Saber’s entire left torso from his hips up, including his head, as it smashed brutally against him. Initially, Saber only felt a high amount of intense pressure against the left side of his body, then he began to feel the pressure turn to force that was pushing him to his right. The vision of the towering Golem in front of him blurred and he could hardly see anything after that split second of the two feelings. He lost his bow, his arrows felt light, and his clothing did nothing but create a dragging pull as the ground became even more unfriendly than it had been during his fall. Rather than coming down on it; the punch sent him sideways. The sheer strength the Golem put into the strike showed that he had no definition of mercy and had put everything it had into the blow.



        The skimpy adventurer was turned into a ragdoll as he was sent completely horizontal across the ground. His right arm hovered inches from the green grass below and his shirt ripped as it was caught on several rocks. The night became nothing more than a mix of green, blue, black, red, and white as Saber’s world turned to fuzz. He felt a bump on his shoulder, and then a sick feeling tore through his stomach as his body twisted. Faster than he could even comprehend what just happened, his vision was filled with grey. Then it all went black.