Reincarnation of Audemars - Who Am I...?

Hard Work, So Little Experience

The lanterns here were lit sparingly unlike the one on the 1st level basement. It took a while before my eyes got used to its dim surroundings and from a distance, I saw those rodents once more scurrying away as they smelt the blood of their kind dripping from the axehandle that I had used to bash.

I bashed a few wooden crates and I collected the spoils and I heard a new announcement.

*Ding* Congratulations on discovery one piece Heavy Work Glove. Toughness (+2) Take?

"Take" and immediately my interface opened up with the paper doll image in the right. Toughness +2 so it would be socketed as part of my armour. I slid it to the appropriate slot and my toughness and armour showed its states. "Ach... Better than nothing lah...Where's the other one? Haiya... Just one glove only? If there's another one, it would be +4 toughness, right?"

Once again I mumbled to myself as I bashed the wooden crates and barrels and this time the coins seem to be more than the ones discovered upstairs. "Hah hah hah... At least I could go and get myself some good armour and then I would duplicate it in the Fusion Chamber."

"Would that make me a crafter already? Hah hah hah..." I laughed and shut my mouth as soon as I heard the hissing and spitting sound again.

The rat in front of me was a tad bigger than the one upstairs. "Ah well, the bigger they are the harder they fall... Heeyaahhh..." I shrieked as I rushed forward and started to swing the axehandle like a bat and hit directly at its snout and mouth that made its whiskers twitch, its front teeth broken and looking dazed and shaken up.

I swung the axehandle upwards knocking it out like an uppercut and bashed it down on its snout until blood spurted out as it shrieked loudly. The glow in its eyes dimmed as it fell to its side. I bashed down on its snout a few times until I heard another announcement.

*Ding* Congratulations on defeating Large Rat. Experience Points +3

"W H A T...??? "Just now was Big Rat and now it's Large Rat? Does it mean the lower I get to this basement, the larger the rats would be and the higher experience points it would give?" I thought in exasperation as I knew why Prius wanted me to enter this basement and get rid of the rats, it's not because of them peeing and eating the grains and seeds, it's a way to gain experience points.

The thought of Prius helping me gain a level and to unlock the rest of the skills, class and profession is through this method. It also helps to gain a bit of wealth too. As he said 'Finders Keepers', this is to show that there is nothing worthy like grains and seeds and I wonder if Patricia would enter this place to collect her grains for cooking. It's impossible, right?

I trudged on and met with another 4 more of those Large Rats, as well as bashed a handful of wooden crates and barrels which also increased my wealth considerably. Just before I opened the door that leads to another level in the basement, I saw a short 2-foot old sword on the ground. If I had passed it, I might have missed it totally. I picked it up and heard another announcement.

*Ding* Congratulations on discovering Bronze Short Sword. Damage +5. Take?

"Take" and soon it was in my inventory and I opened it up and saw the paper doll thingy and I moved the short sword into the slot that had the axehandle. "Drop" and the axehandle that was bloodied with the rat's blood was dropped to the ground. I checked the interface and a new stats emerged.

Name: Audemars

Male, 21 years old, 1.75m tall, 60kg.

Level: 0/100,000

Progress: 32%

Attributes

Strength: 4

Dexterity: 3

Intelligence: 2

Vitality: 3

Toughness: 2 (+2)

Damage: 2 (+5)

Recovery: 2

Free unallocated points: 0

Class: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)

Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)

Skills: none

Wealth: 89 credits

Weapon: Dagger (+3), Bronze Short Sword(+5) (equipped)

Armour: Heavy Work Glove (+2)

"Yeah... Not bad... But how come my skills are rated as none? It should be like bashing with a broken axehandle and knocking some crate and barrels to discover credits, right? Hah hah hah... This system seems to be a bit complicated than before but it's better than nothing. I wonder how much points it would allocate once I level up." I held the sword in my right hand which had my glove and pushed the door and went ahead to the third level.

There weren't many crates and barrel this time but the spoils are much bountiful. I could get some two figures credits for every pickup. I hoped to gather as much as 50 on this level.

I chanced upon an even larger rat and straight went to into a frenzied attack. Knowing that these rats would take a beating and rarely strikes back except baring its yellow stained teeth, I drew first blood on its snout. It was the weakest point to strike and also a vulnerable spot in case of the rat counters attack.

*Klang* *Kling* *s***h* *Stab* and it is all over as the rat shrieked, hissed and spat as it finally fell over to its side. The glow of its eyes slowly dimmed and faded away.

*Ding* Congratulations on defeating Giant Rat. Experience Points +4

"Not bad... Not bad at all. At least it is a Giant Rat with a considerable amount of experience points. This is the third level, another two more and I would complete the task of clearing all the rats here."

I kept bashing those crates that I found and then something stood out among the debris. I gave it a slight kick and received an announcement.

*Ding* Congratulations on discovering Planked Shield. Toughness +4. Take?

"Take" and I opened up my interface and brought the planked shield to the slot that was greyed out under armour. Automatically my stats increased.

Name Audemars

Male, 21 years old, 1.75m tall, 60kg.

Level: 0/100,000

Progress: 36%

Attributes

Strength: 4

Dexterity: 3

Intelligence: 2

Vitality: 3

Toughness: 2 (+6)

Damage: 2 (+5)

Recovery: 2

Free unallocated points: 0

Class: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)

Profession: unknown (has yet to be unlocked)

Skills: none

Wealth: 99 credits

Weapon: Dagger (+3), Short Sword (+5) (equipped)

Armour: Heavy Work Glove (+2) Planked Shield (+4)

I closed the interface and on my left hand, a crude shield that was made of 3 planks of wood and pieced together with several pieces of wood across it and nailed or riveted through to secure it. 2 small leather straps were joined to slip the forearm through it. It would be much to look at but it does give a bit of protection against unforeseen elements, right?

I met with another group of rodents up ahead and they did put up a bit of resistance, and nothing that the Planked Shield couldn't put up. I had killed a total of 5 more rodents before I reached the end of the passageway and a door that leads to yet another level of the basement, the fourth level that awaits me.

I opened up the door and a sudden draft of musty and old odour crept to my nostril that made it itch a little. "I wonder what awaits me there... Surprise, surprise... Nothing beats the old dog like me. Even if I'm armed with just an old bronze sword and a shield that was made out of planks, its better than nothing eh? Two more levels and then it's time for me to head back up.

I started my journey downwards and this time only 3 torches were visible and these were just the beginning. The light that was provided by the torch was so dim that I had trouble differentiating between those beasts or stacks of crates that blocked each way. It looked gloomy and I better be on my guard.

I walked along the wall as close as I could while I used the old bronze sword to scrape the wall, making a dull grinding sound of metal against concrete. This is not to sharpen the sword but it is meant to alert those beasts and come at me one at a time.

Two large glowing eyes as large as saucers permeated through the darkness of the alleyway and it pierced through me, eyeing me as its next meal or something. "C O M E. O N" I hollered and the beast was taken aback by my hoarse shouting and lashed its tail at me and suddenly it lunged forward.

It broke through the wooden crates and barrels stacked at the side of the wall effortlessly as it scampered on its hind legs, scurrying at a speed of a large bull in a matador kind of competition.

"DAMN... at this rate, I don't think this planked shield would do much good. I've got to tank this fella...!!!" as soon as the rat reaches my spot, it stopped and gave an ear-splitting shriek that almost caused me to fall in my knees and have a terrific headache.

I didn't know it was one of its attack skill, which is to bring other foes smaller than them down to their feet, just like our shout 'COWARD' that would bring it down as well. The moment it shrieked, it's large mouth seemed able to swallow me whole. I took the opportunity and lunged forward while swinging my old bronze sword from the back to strike it downwards.

The old bronze sword slashed downwards right in the middle of its snout and gotten stuck on the lower parts of its teeth. The snout split open, blood spewing all over the walls as I began to shake my old bronze sword out from between its lower teeth like a bloody toothpick.

Once the old bronze sword was loose and back in my possession again, I frenziedly struck at its snout, slashing it apart piece by piece and I knew the pain is agonising since the old bronze sword is pretty old and slightly blunt and chipped on its edges.

Nevertheless, I treated it just like how I handled Fury before and slashed down until the ground was literally flooded with its blood. It managed to throw a paw in front of me and I caught the paw midair with my poor soddy planked shield and struck blindly in front and I felt a certain pressure as the old bronze sword slices its paw cleanly.

That beast was literally squirming about and I felt that the walls might crumble anytime due to its body thrashing against the two sides and even the ceiling. Light dust fell on us and I had no way but to back off and watch the beast bled to death.

A few moments later the red glow from the beast died off but the eyes as big as saucers were locked on me and didn't shut itself. I shivered, not due to the cold and musty air but the thought of being 'naked' when facing these beasts.

How I wished I had my Body Shield right now.

*Ding* Congratulations in defeating Mutated Rat. Experience point +6

"Hmph... All these for 6 points? So much gore and nearly got swiped by its paw. So much aggression and luckily it didn't bite my sorry ass!!! " I screamed at the system and the unfairness of how this turned out to be. I've got no choice but to shoulder on.

I met with another 4 of these beasts and by the end of the tunnel, I rested a bit on a wooden crate and checked my stats.