10. More Intelligent Resource Gathering
Sending Sapphire to get stone yesterday had probably been a mistake, you mull. And not one you plan on repeating today.
“I want you to go hunting today. We need hides, and food to store for when we cant afford to hunt, Keep a look out for anything that looks interesting though, you never know what might unlock a room of some sort.”
“Yes sir. What will you be doing today?”
You gnawed your lips for a second. “We need both wood and stone I think, but today I'm going to work on stone and try to get enough to make sleeping quarters.”
Sapphire nods at you, and picks up her quiver from where she left it the night before as she walks out. You give her a few seconds head start before climbing the cliff face above your doorway. Before long, you've lost sight of her and focus on your climb.
As you stalk the boulder fields, you're pleased to note that they have all respawned. It looks like this is an easy place to get stone indefinitely. You start to work your way through them, gathering stone and scrap. It's not long before you've already gathered more than Sapphire managed to, although you still haven't managed to find anything but stone and scrap.
As the sun nears it's apex, something breaks you from your monotonous task – a voice. Indistinct, but seeing as the last time you had followed a voice had set you on this path, you started darting from boulder to boulder, following it. As you worked your way towards it, the going got tougher and tougher as you were forced to double back through the area of destroyed boulders.
“Come on you stupid fucking thing!” the voice came again. You slowed down, sneaking forwards as the figure came into sight. A man dressed in furs, with a short bow slung over his back. At his side, a hulking creature sat, watching him nervously. IT was somewhat like a dog, with a thicker neck and shorter, brutish, snout.
You narrowed your eyes. A whale – a player who paid vast amounts of money to skip large chunks of the game. The creature at his side was just interesting.
That, on its own, wasn't very interesting. What was was the information that followed
You smiled. This could work to your advantage.
The player let out another curse and walked in a brisk circle, holding something in his hands.
“C'mon! The Wiki said this would lead me right to a boss!”
That got your attention, and you looked around, before realising where you were – on top of the cliff directly above your lair. The small gem in his hands was pulsing softly, evidently somehow leading him towards your home. Your undefended, possibly Sapphire filled home.
“Fucking useless piece of shit! I paid ten dollars for this crap!” Albrecht shouted as he walked in circles. After another two revolutions, he cocked his arm and hurled the crystal off the side of the cliff, then aimed a kick at his hyena, who had skirted up to him and whined.
The kick landed with a thump.
You could hardly believe how things were shaping up in front of you. Not one to pass up on an opportunity when it's handed to you on a plate, while Albrecht lets out a long, overdramatic scream, you flick a small stone towards the hyena. The stone skids to a stop next to it, and it cocks its head at it before slowly looking around. You poke your head out from the stone you're crouched behind and make eye contact with the dog-like creature, praying your Draconic Liegelord ability would help sway the hyena.
You stare at each other for a second, before you very deliberately turn to stare at Albrecht, who was mid tantrum. The hyena turned to look too, then back to you. It opened its mouth, panting, and almost seem to give a wicked smile.
Albrecht had seemingly given up on shouting, and was stomping his way over to the Hyena with a face like thunder. “And you!” he began, “Why couldn't you have skipped up with me? You're useless!”
he drew his foot back again causing the hyena to cower, before suddenly turning and sniffing at the edge of the cliff. Albrecht pulled the kick and turned to look.
“What? You've finally smelled something? About time you mangy mutt. What is it?”
You started running, quietly as you could, bounding over the stony earth with your wings half furled, as Albrecht leant over the side of the cliff, looking for whatever he thought his companion had smelt. He gave a shout of surprise.
“Hey! There's something down there! Holy shit, good dog!”
You redoubled your speed. If he had actually just seen the entrance to your lair, you could not let him head down.
You leapt at the last moment, catapulting yourself into his back as hard as you could.
He barely moved.
“Huh?”
Albrecht started to turn. The hyena met your eyes again.
A spark of understanding leapt between you. You backed off as Albrecht finished turning, and as he saw you and went to step forward, you bathed his face in flames.
“Agh!”
And the hyena bit down on Albrecht's raised leg, before using it's thick neck to twist violently, throwing his erstwhile master from the lip of the cliff.
The last thing you heard of Albrecht was the steadily fading sound of him shouting “This game suuuuuuuuucks!”, and then a thud.
Two short fanfares play, one from you and one from the hyena.