Reverse Chronicles

Atop Aurebus

     I looked at my map as I found myself lost. I forgot the directions after a fierce battle with two goblins ensued. I looked around and tried to remember the path where I came from. I surveyed the area while making sure I don’t go too far from where my last battle was. I gained 36 experience points with my recent battles. I fought goblins, end ravens, and elapieds, which are snake-like creatures that have two heads. I currently have 15 HP left and full MP.

     As I found myself on a familiar track, I knew that I came this way. I immediately headed back to continue on my way. When I got back, I realized that time already passed. The sun was already setting turning the sky bright orange as seen from where I was. Instead of going further, I made camp on the spot. I gathered firewood from the twigs and fallen branches. Before the sun could ultimately hide under the horizon, I gathered adequate firewood and started to create fire. When darkness began to permeate and as the stars climbed up to the night sky, I finished my camp. I ate some of the fruits that I packed. As I finished, I doused the fire to avoid unwanted attention. I grabbed my blanket from the receptacle. Just behind the rocks near the fire, I found a patch of grass. I decided to sleep on the grass and under the cover of darkness, I prayed for morning to come.

    After a safe night, I stretched and folded my blanket. The day was still very young. The sun has just shown itself from the east. With the remaining firewood I had last night, I began to make breakfast. Improvising with a bowl-shaped rock as a pot, I boiled eggs, which I got from Marcus' farm. As it boiled, I looked at the map to determine my next move.

    It seems that before I could reach the meadows and forests that lead to Jyria, I have to scale a mountain, Aurebus, and find the tunnel that leads down to the eastern forests. When the eggs were done, I eat as quickly as I could and went my way. When I was on my to Aurebus, the sun has just completely revealed itself. If I could go through the tunnel today, it would make my journey faster. With the map as a guide, I went straight from where I was. It seems that I am on a plateau and that Aurebus is a part of the plateau but just higher.

    I finally have my first monster encounter today. It was a lone goblin. Not tarrying a moment longer, I went on a preemptive strike and dealt significant damage to my foe. As I was distancing myself from the goblin, I did not expect it to attack. I got tackled and sustained damage worth 4 HP. I was determined to finish the battle once and for all. With Whisperer on my right hand, I charged letting the short sword guide me. And as my momentum went on, my body proceeded and landed a decisive blow on the goblin.

    "Goblin defeated, gained 5 experience points. 27 experience points needed for level 6."

    I continued on my way. I thought my next encounter was still long, but I was wrong. This time, I encounter an elapied. These two-headed snake-like monsters are nimble making it hard for me to strike them. What's worse is that it attacks twice with its two heads. I only encountered one so far and that encounter made me lose a lot of HP. It was the only monster that drove my HP down to 15 in a single battle. As it began to attack, I breathed deep and slowly and tried to read its movements. As it got closer, I noticed that its left head attacks first. I jumped back to dodge the attack, but it was quick enough to bite me as I was jumping. I sustained 12 damage from both heads. Before the monster could regain its momentum, I completely sliced off its head ending the battle. Who knew I could do that?

    "Elapied defeated, gained 9 experience points. 18 experience points needed for level 6."

    I resumed my course and without anymore encounters, I scaled Aurebus. Jumping from one rock to another, I was suddenly alarmed when a message popped-up in front of my face. "Jumping skill upgraded to level 2." Jumping skill? Even jumping has a skill of its own? Anyway, as I jumped to another rock, I noticed that I was able to jump higher, farther, and when I landed I could easily retain my balance. So some skills level up when I use them? I wonder what other skills could also be leveled up.

    Travelling on a steep rocky path, my will did not falter. I slowly made my way until I passed the steep path and onto another steep path. As I got higher and higher, I noticed that it was getting cold and my breathing started to condense. I grabbed my blanket from the receptacle, tied two of its corners around my neck, and wore it like a cape. I also had a hard time catching my breath, which was proof enough that the physics of the real world still applies to this world.

     What wondered me the most, as I was climbing, was the fact that I had no monster encounters yet. As I kept on, however, I finally knew why there was no monster. I found a sign etched on a boulder that says, “Atop Aurebus rests a dragon feared by all living souls. Going high up from this point is prohibited.” Beyond the boulder was two paths, one led to a way higher, while the other was a tunnel. As I saw the tunnel, I immediately ran to it. However, when I got inside it was pitch black, I completely forgot to bring torches and ask Marcus about cave exploration. As another predicament faced me, I returned outside and thought hard on what I could use underground.

   The sun was in the midway of completely descending. Speaking of time, I forgot to eat lunch. Right away, I munched on three apples that Marcus packed for me. When I finished eating, I thought of a way to produce light inside the cave. However, the longer I stayed outside, the more my chances of freezing to death rose. I had to think smart and I had to think fast.