Non Player Character

Chapter 8 - A Classic

I caught two crawdads and placed them on a flat stone next to the fire to cook. I didn't receive any experience for this, which annoyed me. Apparently, catching a crawdad was too simple a task.

While they cooked, I returned to the snare I had set and was surprised to find I had already snagged a rabbit. I quickly put the poor creature down. I received five experience points and a new notification.

COMPETENCY UNLOCKED: TRAPPER

Congratulations! You captured and murdered an innocent creature. What a marvelous display of ingenuity. You've gained a point in the TRAPPER passive ability. Good work, Rambo.

When I reached Tier 1, I could access some virtual 'survival guide,' which would teach me how to make more elaborate traps. It didn't seem nearly as useful as FIRESTARTER, as I already had a decent grasp on wilderness survival, both from my time on Earth and on Erda.

"Hey Val, I just unlocked my second Competency. Can you fill me in more about this aspect of the game?"

"The available Competencies in this game are innumerable, and each provides a different range of passive benefits. In lower tiers, the benefits are rather weak, but the bonuses will add up over time. Some Competencies are more valuable than others."

"Okay," I said. "So, I assume it would be a good idea to unlock as many Competencies as possible?"

"It won't hurt; however, I doubt you will have the time to master more than a few basic Competencies."

"Why?"

"Levelling them is a grind. It is intended to be difficult for the sake of realism. One cannot master hunting, painting, and an instrument in the course of a week. It takes time to truly become good at something. Competency growth is driven by the Player's actions, efforts, and natural talents. The system just enhances the experience."

I brought the rabbit back to camp and saw Tara attempting to pull the meat from one of the crawdads. Although it was long dead and cooked, she still seemed scared of it.

"Allow me," I said and held out my free hand. She gave me a crooked smile and handed over the crawdad. I sat the rabbit down and showed her how to crack open the shell to get the meat from the tail and pincers.

After that, I skinned the rabbit and prepared a spit to roast over the fire. It was getting dark, so I kept the fire small. The less light we put off, the better. These were the king's roads, but that didn't mean they were always safe, especially during wartime.

The rabbit was far better than I had expected, but anything would have tasted good after a long day of walking. Tara's spirits seemed to rise after she got some food in her, and she looked a little better, too. Less...sweaty.

As always with Tara, conversation was hard to come by, and I didn't know what to talk to her about. A part of me was desperate to share the truth with her, to tell her that our world was stolen, that my wife was taken from me, that Tara's life wasn't real. But I knew it would be pointless. She would think me a lunatic, at best.

"So, Tara," I asked her over the coals of our fire. "Do you, uh, have any hobbies?'

She laughed. I smiled until I realized she was laughing at me.

"Is this your way of getting to know me? 'Do you, uh, have any hobbies?'" She made a bad attempt at recreating my voice.

"I'm just trying to be friendly."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm paying for protection, not friendship."

It seemed I was just a useful tool for both of the women in my life. Val using me made sense, but Tara was a Quest Giver. I should be using her for my benefit, not the other way around.