Hero Read online

  “Expecting me? Ah, Hwiksos told you I was coming?”

  “Apollo told me. He has taken an interest in you.”

  Jaxx was uncertain about how to respond. After all, he didn’t know much about the Gods in Olympus Online, and he didn’t want to jump into Apollo’s camp and risk pissing off the other Gods. At least, not blindly.

  Jaxx smiled, “That is good. I hope that I can impress him and add to his glory.” That seemed safe.

  Acron smiled back. “I understand your……reluctance. Relax, Hero, Apollo is not asking for your sole worship or dedication. But he does wish to have your support: The Gods need all of the help they can get, and He senses power in you.”

  “Support from me? What does a God need from me?” Jaxx asked.

  “The Gods need all of our support – that is how they live. Our energy in the form of prayers and sacrifices sustains them in their fight against Chaos.”

  “Chaos?” Jaxx asked.

  “Of course! It is the Primordial enemy – the force that desires to destroy everything! Neither good nor evil. It is the enemy of all live on Olympus. The Gods are the warriors that fight it, with mortal prayers restoring their power.”

  That made sense, as any game needs a big Baddie.

  Changing the subject, although Jaxx wanted to hear more about the Gods and Chaos, he said “I have been given a task by Hwiksos to find and destroy the wolf menace. He suggested that you may offer a blessing to help.”

  Acron studied him. After a few seconds, he said “Please understand, I can offer you little personally. I can speak with Apollo and ask for a boon.” He turned back to the shrine, and began to recite,

  “God of light, purity, and the sun. Patron to poets,

  player of the Lyre, deital musician. Child of Leto,

  son of Zeus, twin to Artemis. Named Phoebus meaning

  bright, show Jaxx what it is to have the power.”

  As Jaxx watched, the statue’s eyes seemed to glow brighter and brighter, and a beam of light came down, passing through the ceiling and illuminating Jaxx. The light grew brighter and brighter, before disappearing. Immediately Jaxx felt something change. He felt…. lighter, easier to move.

  A display window appeared:

  Buff gained – Apollo’s Light

  +2 to Agility

  +2 to HP and Stamina Regeneration

  Duration – 24 hours

  Note – Half as effective at night

  Acron beamed with pleasure. “The God has chosen to bless you! Feel worthy, as few are so blessed!

  Jaxx was ecstatic. This would help immensely in fighting the wolves. He quickly looked at his character sheet:

  Name

  Jaxx

  Name

  Jaxx

  Race

  Human

  Race

  Human

  Level

  3

  Level

  3

  XP

  200

  XP to Next Level

  400

  XP to next level

  100

  Strength

  5

  Strength

  1

  Intellect

  0

  Intellect

  0

  Agility

  3 (+2 Apollo’s Light)

  Agility

  1

  Stamina

  3

  Stamina

  1

  Constitution

  5

  Constitution

  1

  Charisma

  1

  Charisma

  1

  Rage Capacity

  12

  Rage Capacity

  10

  Skills

  Dodge – Beginner - 7

  2H Spear – Beginner - 6

  Improvisation – Beginner – 3

  Fire Starting – Beginner – 1

  Skills

  None

  Skills

  Dodge – Level 7

  Dodge is the ability to avoid blows in combat. Each successful combat session where you successfully dodge at least one attack will raise this by +1. Only one level will be achieved per combat session. Current affect – 7% more likely to dodge an attack by an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to dodge by 5%. Agility level increases Dodge.

  2H Spear – Level 6

  Your chance to land a blow with a 2H spear is increased by 6% against an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to hit by 5%. Agility increases chance to hit with a weapon.

  Improvisation – Level 3

  Improvisation is the ability to make something from nothing. 3% increased chance to put together a viable item from raw materials.

  Fire Starting – Level 1

  The ability to start fires is a gift straight from Prometheus himself. Higher levels allow you to start fires in adverse conditions. 1% increased chance to start fires.

  1H Sword – Level 1

  You chance to land a blow with a 1H sword is increased by 1% against an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to hit by 5%. Agility increases the chance to hit with a weapon.

  Shield – Level 1

  Your chance to block a blow with an equipped shield increased by 1% from an enemy at or below your level. Your chance to land a blow with a shield increased by 1% against an attacker at or below your level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to block and hit by 5%. Agility increases chance to hit and block with shields.

  Blessings

  Apollo’s Light

  +2 to Agility

  +2 to HP regeneration (5 per minute)

  +2 to Stamina regeneration (5 per minute)

  Time remaining: 23:58

  He noted that his Agility, HP and Stamina regen were now the same as if he were a Level 5 instead of level 3.

  Jaxx bowed to Acron, and then turned to Apollo’s statue. “Thank you, God of the Sun, for your blessing. I shall attempt to be worthy, and shall dedicate my efforts to your name.” The statue’s eyes flashed for a brief second at Jaxx’s words.

  Acron smiled again. “You seem well versed in how to speak to the Gods, despite not being from our world, Avatar. Well done. I wish you luck on your mission.” With these words, he turned back to the altar and resumed his silent praying.

  Sensing the dismissal, Jaxx bowed again and left through the front entrance of the Shrine. As he stepped into the sunlight, he felt the blessing increase slightly and noticed that he stepped lighter, the effect of the increased Agility. Jaxx felt light, buoyant, and confident.

  “Alright,” he thought, “let’s kill some wolves.” He headed North from the Village with light steps.

  Chapter 9

  Jaxx walked North from Triata along a dirt road carved by wagon wheels and the hooves of oxen. To the West, he could see the vast forest where he had appeared, and to the East was the grasslands and fields of the Village. Ahead of him, the rolling hills cut off his long-distance view, but he could see the white peaks of tall mountains all around him. “A world of peaks and valleys,” he thought.

  Soon he found another forest that the path led him to. The trees were tall, and wider spaced than most of the forests he remembered from the United States of the future. Mostly oak trees, their branches spread out to form a canopy and the light was much dimmer under them. Scrub bushes grew everywhere, and dry leaves and twigs covered everything. This coverage made it hard to move quietly, and Jaxx was sure the entire forest could hear him coming. In real life, this noise would keep most animals away, as they would surely avoid any human in the woods.

  In this game, however, Jaxx knew that the animals acted differently. Most predators would be drawn to the noise and his low-level Avatar. In fact, he was counting on it.

  As he walked, he kept an eye on his stamina meter and noticed that the combination of being a higher level and Apollo’s blessing, his sta
mina meter remained full while he was walking. He noted that he didn’t feel tired either. Testing it, he broken into a jog. His stamina meter began to fall, but slowly, and he felt none of the fatigue that running in the real would have – his breathing remained steady, his legs and back didn’t burn with fatigue. In short, he felt the same as walking, just with a slightly higher stamina drain.

  He ran until his stamina bar was half full, then stopped and walked, allowing his stamina bar to fill again. Jaxx was gratified at the ability to move quicker – his blessing was only good for 24 hours and he wanted to try to complete his quest in that time.

  As he ran/walked through the forest, he came across several of the forest boars and weathered their attacks with little problem. The XP reward was much less: at Level One he was getting 50 Xp per kill – at Level 3, he got 20 XP per kill. Another level and he might get nothing, he noted.

  After several hours and a few miles into the forest, slowly circling to the Northeast to stay around the periphery of the village, he came across his first wolf pack. As he was walking through the brush, he heard a low growl and froze. Slowly, he saw the wolves come into view ahead of him. Two large, gray wolves slunk towards him; their lips pulled back to show fangs. One stayed at his front, with the other beginning to circle to his left. As he was frozen, he pulled his spear from his inventory. When he had gotten it, it seemed very fierce. Right now, it felt pretty inadequate to be facing two large wolves with a stone-tipped spear.

  Inspecting the wolves, he saw that they were both Level 3s. Equal to him. “I got this,” he thought, “I just have to remember my training.”

  Rather than let the one circling to his left get behind him, he shifted to face that one, holding the spear ready. His legs were slightly bent, and tense, ready to leap to the side if the wolf charged. Slowly bending down, he grasped a handful of the dirt soil in his left hand. Keeping his eyes on the left-hand wolf, he readied himself.

  As the growling increased, he waiting for the right time. Letting out a loud “Rawr” that surprised the wolves, causing them to hesitate, he sprung towards the left wolf. It braced, and out of the corner of Jaxx’s eye he saw the other wolf tense, then spring towards him, hoping to catch him unawares. Jaxx flung the handful of dirt into the face of the left-hand wolf, causing it to stop growling in surprise, then a soft “yelp” came out while it pawed at its face, trying to get the dirt out of its eyes and nose.

  Jaxx spun around to his left, swinging his spear around fast enough to line up the stone blade with the wolf attacking from his right side. As he brought it in line, the wolf was in midair and unable to alter its path. It landed on the spear head, driving the stone blade into its chest. A bloody froth erupted from its jaws as its snarl turned into a squeal of pain and rage. The wolf landed on Jaxx, and its mouth latched onto Jaxx’s right forearm that he had brought up in defense.

  Forest Wolf bites you for 2 damage

  HP 11/13

  The weight of the wolf, a solid 100 lbs. or so Jaxx estimated, knocked him over on his back. The pain from the wolf’s jaws burned through Jaxx’s body and caused him to cry out in pain. But the wolf was fading quickly, its life leaving it with every flow of bubbles and blood from its mouth and nose. Jaxx pushed the dying wolf off of him and pulled the spear from its chest. As he spun back to the wolf he had blinded, he saw that it had cleared the dirt from its eyes and nose and was leaping at him, a loud snarl preceding it.

  Jaxx raised his left arm again to catch the wolf’s jaws, wincing again as the pain erupted at the fresh damage to his arm. Fire traveled up his arm as the wolf ground its jaws together. Jaxx could feel his bones grinding in his arm, and blood made his arm slick. With supreme effort, he slid his right hand up the shaft of the spear, allowing him to move the spear head inside the arc of the wolf’s body and drive it into the wolf’s side.

  Forest Wolf bites you for 3 damage

  HP 8/13

  Bleeding damage – 1 HP per ten seconds – duration 1 minute

  “Shit,” Jaxx thought. One more bite plus the bleed and I’m dead.

  The wolf winced in pain, but his bloodshot eyes stared at Jaxx as it attempted to shake its head, trying to rip Jaxx’s arm clean off. Grunting in pain, Jaxx twisted the spear inside the wolf, causing an eruption of hot blood from the wound that soaked his right hand on the spear. Feeling it begin to slip, he pushed the shaft back and forth trying to widen the wound. As blood pumped in sympathy with the wolf’s heartbeat, Jaxx felt it weaken. Its eyes, so full of fury, dimmed. The wolf’s jaws, however, remained locked on Jaxx’s arm.

  Bleed damage – 1 HP

  HP 7/13

  Almost passing out from the pain, Jaxx pried the wolf’s jaws open with his right hand and pulled his left arm out. Glancing at it, he could see raw muscle and bone showing through the massive wounds the wolves had caused. Whimpering in pain, he tore off a length of his shirt by holding one end in his teeth and using his right arm. He wrapped the wounds as best he could after washing it off with water from one of his waterskins.

  Bleed damage halted due to bandage.

  HP 6/13

  Finding a hollow between the roots of an oak tree nearby, he drank the rest of the waterskin dry and then felt himself passing out. His last thought was “I hope there are no more wolves around here.” His vision went dark.

  Waking up, he reflexively grabbed at his injured arm, and was startled at the lack of pain. He saw himself covered in blood, but his wound had miraculously healed itself. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his clothes.

  Jaxx stood, still marveling at the lack of pain from his arm, and looked around. The site of the brief battle was undisturbed. The two wolf carcasses lay where they had fallen, blood staining the silver fur, mouths still locked open in snarls.

  He looted the bodies, noting that a few Wolf Flanks and one Wolf skin had appeared in his bag, along with a few Wolf Teeth.

  Hefting his spear, he withdrew a flagon of water and drained it, tucking the empty back in his bag. The 8 slots were rapidly filling up, and he resolved to finding either more bags or a larger one.

  He then examined his spear, noting that despite the combat the durability had not suffered. “Good sturdy spear,” he thought. He noticed some notifications from the battle that had been minimized during the combat. He brought them up now.

  Forest Wolf Defeated x 2

  200 xp rewarded

  Level up! You have reached Level 4!

  Dodge +1

  2H spear +3

  Name

  Jaxx

  Name

  Jaxx

  Race

  Human

  Race

  Human

  Level

  4

  Level

  3

  Total XP

  460

  XP to Next Level

  740

  XP to next level

  100

  Strength

  7

  Strength

  1

  Intellect

  0

  Intellect

  0

  Agility

  4 (+2 Apollo’s Light)

  Agility

  1

  Stamina

  4

  Stamina

  1

  Constitution

  7

  Constitution

  1

  Charisma

  3

  Charisma

  1

  Rage Capacity

  13

  Rage Capacity

  10

  Skills

  Dodge – Beginner - 8

  2H Spear – Beginner - 9

  Improvisation – Beginner – 3

  Fire Starting – Beginner – 1

  Skills

  None

  Skills

  Dodge – Level 7

  Dodge is the ability to avoid blows in combat. Each successful combat session where you successfully dodge at least one attack will raise this by +1. Only o
ne level will be achieved per combat session. Current affect – 8% more likely to dodge an attack by an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to dodge by 5%. Agility level increases Dodge.

  2H Spear – Level 9

  Your chance to land a blow with a 2H spear is increased by 9% against an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to hit by 5%. Agility increases chance to hit with a weapon.

  Improvisation – Level 3

  Improvisation is the ability to make something from nothing. 3% increased chance to put together a viable item from raw materials.

  Fire Starting – Level 1

  The ability to start fires is a gift straight from Prometheus himself. Higher levels allow you to start fires in adverse conditions. 1% increased chance to start fires.

  1H Sword – Level 1

  You chance to land a blow with a 1H sword is increased by 1% against an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to hit by 5%. Agility increases the chance to hit with a weapon.