2,326Chapter 2: Oh, Bollocks
(Abandoned Mines Dungeon)
The small lizard-like creatures' muscles strained and bulged as they put all their might into pushing the boulder down onto their target bellow. Physically and individually, kobolds were only slightly stronger than a young but physical active human child. Their strengths were more so in their ambush tactics and group coordination. As such, pushing a boulder of this size, while effort taking, was doable for the small group to accomplish.
However, while kobolds were gifted trap makers, they were not in fact the smartest of beings and this went doubly so for young kobolds. As they managed to push the stone onto the floor below, Harry had since then moved well out of harms way. The stone made a resounding thud that caught his attention and echoed in the mine, but nothing more happened.
The kobolds were then left to argue amongst themselves in their native tongue over the failure of their ambush and a fight soon broke out in the group. Two were unfortunately sent tumbling down below next to their boulder. Dazed and heavily injured from their fall, neither had they the chance to defend themselves, as Harry quickly made short work of the two with his makeshift bludgeon.
One kobold had its head smacked several times and dissipated into particles of light. The other had its back smashed, forcing it to its knees, before an overhead swing forced its head into the ground and ending its existence. Truthfully speaking, the sensation felt odd to Harry, as it felt as if his body moved on its own at during the last assault.
|Congratulations! A special skill has been created through a special act!|
|By striking at an enemy's vital area, you've gained the active skill [Critical Strike]!|
Critical Strike. Lv1. Next Lv 13%/100%. Skill Modifier: DEX [D], STR [D] Mastering Speed: E| An attack that can deals incredible amounts of damage whenever it's performed on vital areas of an enemy, and can be influenced by a multitude of factors, such as DEX for bladed weapons and STR for blunt weapons, as well as a weapon's critical multiplier (if it has one). This skill, however, will not be as effective – nor work at all depending on circumstance – on all enemies either if a vital area is not struck or due to the victim's sheer size, armour, or because certain conditions aren't meant such as using the right weapon. Furthermore, the vital area differs from one target to the next. STA Cost: 35
* Passively increases the power of weapons by 15% + [STR or DEX * .5] on victim's non-vital areas
* Passively increases the power of weapons by 75% + [STR or DEX * .5] + [Weapon Critical Modifier] on victim's vital areas
Harry considered himself lucky to have earned such an important skill early on and was happy to see that the Kobolds had left him a few presents. The happy thought didn't last after what he saw.
Kobold Stone Knife – Poor Quality
Item Type: Bladed Weapon
Item Modifier Rank: DEX [E]
Durability: 16/20
A knife made of stone commonly used by Kobolds Labourers or other small beings as makeshift weapons. While nowhere close to being the greatest of
weapons, it's better to have them on hand than nothing when defending yourself against foes.
Attack Power: 4–5 + (Modifier) = 7.75–8.75
Critical Hit Modifier: +15%
Flaws
Brittle: 15% Chance of becoming [Broken] when used, Durability decreases by 1 per use
"Lovely," the weapon was almost useless in Harry's opinion. But the young boy couldn't think on it too long as he heard the sounds of chirping and rocks and stones striking one another.
"Bollocks," Harry cursed his luck. Three kobolds were down but two of them were due to luck on his part, the other had been a fight for his life. Having no formal training in combat nor the proper physique meant for fighting forced Harry to rely on his wits and creativity. Even then he was at a disadvantage. This place was the kobolds home turf, and their turf was dark and unknown and likely filled with traps he couldn't see.
Harry began to worry as the thought entered his mind. Was he going to be overwhelmed? Would they swarm and beat him like Dudley's gang and leave him for dead? Would they–
|Gamer's Mind Activated!|
Harry felt the worry subside as though it wasn't there to begin and thanked whatever had gifted him with this skill. Now calmer, Harry quickly began formulating an idea in his mind and pressed himself flush against the cavern's wall out of anyone's line of sight. The sounds of chittering and squeaking echoed off the walls and the noise was quickly getting closer and closer.
His heart beating like crazy, Harry began counting in his head to prepare himself for what he was about to pull off, "Three… two… one… now!"
"BOOOOO!" Harry shouted, using a lit torch from the wall and the flashlight in his his hands to scare and blind the small group of Kobolds. The action caught them off guard, the fire being waved back and forth coupled with the shouting scaring the living daylights out of them, and many began running away. Those that were blinded by the flashlight injured themselves as they tripped or smacked into one another in their attempt to flee and others were wildly lashing out at anything they heard or perceived to be an enemy. Kobolds were many things, but fearless and courageous – under the proper circumstances – were not of one of them.
"Critical Strike!" Harry shouted, discarding flashlight for a knife, and then bashed the nearest Kobold in the head, and continued to smack the downed creature as quickly and fiercely as his untrained arms could.
Once it was gone, Harry moved on to the next one and repeated the process again and again until only one remained, however, by then Harry was beginning to breathe hard. Luckily for him, the creature was still under the effects of [Scared] and had since run away into the darkened caverns, allowing Harry a moment of reprieve.
"I can't believe that bloody worked," the light on the ground continued to shine until Harry picked it up, after putting the torch away into his inventory, and turned it off with the flip of a switch. Harry had only taken the flashlight on a whim, and he doubted Dudley would miss it given his phone had a built in one, but had no idea how useful it would turn out to be in his current situation.
From his time playing video games and reading books, Kobolds he had learned were generally classified as one of the weakest and most easily frightened of monsters, unless they were in large groups. For a new adventurer like Harry this was a welcoming boon given his lack of stamina.
While fitter than his older cousin – though not by much – Harry slumped to the ground exhausted by the ordeal he just went through. Of the problems that he was currently troubled with, two of them most prominently stood out. First, Harry was a child: young, short, inexperienced and malnourished. Secondly, except for sports, Harry had no real combat experience and thus had no idea how to properly swing or block a strike. These were hardly the qualities of a fighter.
But, regardless of these flaws, Harry's time as a bully victim and his love of fantasy did give him an advantage: creativity and a sense on how to avoid danger. Granted, Dudley and his gang weren't the sharpest pencils in class but the same could be said about Kobolds.
|Congratulations! A special skill has been created through a special act!|
|By relentlessly cutting an enemy with a sharp object you've gained the passive ability [Bladed Weapon Mastery]!|
|Bladed Weapons Mastery. Lv1. Next Lv 23%/100%. Skill Modifier: DEX [D] Mastering Speed: B| A skill that allows you to freely handle bladed weapons with better proficiency, allowing for better accuracy, speed and power to be dealt to your foes.
* Passively increases the power of bladed weapons by 11%
* Passively increases the speed and critical hit chances of bladed weapons by 1%
|Congratulation! A special skill has been created due to a special act! Due your intense desire to scare another, you have learned the [Intimidation] skill!|
| Intimidation. Lv 1. 7% to Next Lv| Skill Modifier: CHA [C] Mastering Speed: E|. A skill that allows you to utilize a basic form of intimidation upon another to the point it negatively affects them in various ways depending on the circumstances. Currently at its most basic form, upon being upgraded and fully mastering the skill can result in several negative statuses.
· Success rate to cause [Scared] status effect [11% + (CHA *1)] +/- [Caster Level – Victim Level] + [Victim's CHA *1]
|Conditions/Negative Status Effects/Debuffs
Conditions, also called Negative Status Effects or Debuffs, alter a creature or person's capabilities in a variety of ways and can arise as a result of a spell, enemy skill, and environment or even be hereditary in nature. The duration of a debuff varies from case to case, as some conditions lasts either until it is countered with the right spell, antidote, or by levelling up, while others may require a specialized healer, potion, or even a specialized ritual. In some cases, the conditions can also be permanent and nothing can be done to change them.
Furthermore, successful debuffs have the potential of stacking onto one another and upon their fourth stack will progress no further or turn into a more severe form of debuff, such as [Minor Bleeding] turning into [Moderate Bleeding] and then finally into [Severe Bleeding].
The chances of successfully affecting another with a debuff is depending under a number of factors such as their perks, tolerance levels, as well as their VIT and SPI levels. As a result, certain targets will be highly tolerant – to which luck will play a role in becoming affected – or immune to debuffs.
Below is a list of common debuffs:
Bleeding [Press for Details]
Blinded [Press for Details]
Catatonic [Press for Details]
Charmed [Press for Details]
Dazed [Press for Details]
Deafened [Press for Details]
Exhausted [Press for Details]
Fatigued [Press for Details]
Frightened [Press for Details]
Hysteria [Press for Details]
Immobile [Press for Details]
Impaired [Press for Details]
Incapacitated [Press for Details]
Paralysed [Press for Details]
Poisoned [Press for Details]
Prone [Press for Details]
Scared [Press for Details]
Stunned [Press for Details]
Unconscious [Press for Details]
"It calls this a small list?" Harry did agree that the list did reveal some opportunities for him that would hopefully make things easier down the line. This was especially so for the route he wanted to take as a living video game character.
Personally, and likely do to him growing up with the Dursleys and their views, Harry had always preferred the light or holy-oriented fantasy characters such as the paladin, cleric, sacred monk, or the lawman compared to the rogue, assassin, dark mage, and bounty hunter that solved most of their problems by cheating, or other forms that bring misery to others. Those aspects reminded him too much of Dudley and his gang, whom had a pension for terrorizing others.
Call him a what you will – perhaps due to his upbringing – but Harry liked getting things done right, quickly as well, and without innocents getting hurt. And if the option was there, quietly if it was possible. And if a blend of magic could possibly be added to the mix, he wouldn't say no to it.
Harry didn't dismiss the use of finesse, as it could certainly be a boon when brawns and brains weren't enough; Harry just preferred the other side of the coin. However, Harry would acknowledge that brawn certainly wouldn't help him when his [Observe] spotted a hazard well over a dozen feet away from his resting spot, "A trap? Little blighters."
Traps, especially the deadlier ones found in higher-grade dungeons, were no fun. However, if one had proper skill then they allowed for decent material gather and EXP earning. Though, this was assuming his ability worked like that.
After a few minutes passed by, Harry got up and turned on the flashlight, collected the dropped loot, and proceeded to look around for anything useful or potentially hazardous traps. The stone knives weren't the greatest of tools given their flaw but they were much lighter and Harry could use them in both hands without difficulty.
After gathering what was available, Harry went over to the trap and saw that it was the stereotypical rope-on-the-ground-trip-you-and-have-something-heavy-fall-on-you trap. These kinds of traps were crude, common, and yet quite effective against unprepared first-time adventurers. Harry, despite never being in an actual dungeon, wasn't a common variety adventurer. Bending down, Harry lit the torch as it were and tried seeing how to go about disarming it.
Seeing where the load was with the light, Harry realized that he was well out of harms way and proceeded to cut the rope with a quick cut from the stone knife. The action was quick and countless small rocks fell to the ground and clattered as they rolled and rocked across the stone.
|For thinking things through your WIS has gone up by 1!|
|For successfully disarming a [Basic Kobold Trap], you've gained 110 EXP.
|Congratulations! Your level has increased by one!|
Status Window
Name: Harry James Potter
Job: N/A
Level: 4 Next Level: 18/2100
HP: 150 + [25] ~ 175
STA: 200 + [25] ~ 225
MP: 350 + [50] ~ 400
STR: 4 + [1] ~ 5
VIT: 6 + [1] ~ 7
DEX: 15 + [1] ~ 16
END: 8 + [1] ~ 9
INT: 13 + [1] ~ 14
WIS: 14 + [1] ~ 15
CHA: 8 + [1] ~ 9
SPI: 14 + [2] ~ 16
LUK: ? + [1] ~ ?
Attribute Points: 0 ~ 2
"Of course, it did," not that that Harry minded, as the level gain was beneficial not only for an increase in attributes, but also because it reset everything: health, stamina, mana, and fatigue levels.
Invigorated with newfound energy, Harry continued making his way down the dark corridors. The mounted torches cascading dancing shadows upon the walls and the sound of falling rocks made Harry flinch and jump for cover every now and then. Each step Harry took now was more cautious than the last for fear of tripping a trap.
Small rocks were used and collected whenever noise was heard and Harry used his flashlight sparingly to avoid detection. This was the Kobolds' territory and they had not only the home field advantage but combat experience, too. Harry had every right to be extra cautious. The setting was similar to the Underdark of the Forgotten Realms or Dungeons and Dragons universe, and it was likely that there were more deadly and terrifying dangers within this dungeon's depths.
(Hogwarts)
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, better known as the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, among his many titles, hummed a small tune as he went over the paperwork for the upcoming semester now that the previous one was coming to an end in less than a week. Outside the grand castle was a thick blanket of snow that covered the landscape for as far as the eye could see and Dumbledore chuckled lightly, as he saw some of the students enjoy themselves in the snow. A feeling of delight lit up the man's face as he watched them play.
But said feeling didn't last as he saw a quartet of boys, two being the Wesley twins, pass by and somehow start an all-out snowball fight with bits of harmless magic being cast in the midst of it. Albus sighed, and as he was alone, he allowed a rare moment of sadness to grace his wizened features. As he did, the Hogwarts headmaster looked away from the scene, the act reminded the man too much of his many late students and already did he begin to see their phantoms dance in front of him: James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black.
Contrary to how the world saw him, and perhaps even a lingering small part within from his youth, too, Albus was not an infallible individual, and his desires and vain aspirations during his younger years were proof of that. Never did he ever suspect in all his years that the man that James saw as a brother would end up betraying them. The Black family had a few black sheep in them, rare as they were, but even he believed Sirius had turned his back on his mad family. However, in the end, it appeared that the lad had managed to fool them all.
Albus was one to forgive and forget, and while he never looked it, such trust in another did take time to be restored. However, a betrayal of Sirius' magnitude was one of the few and rare times even he could not find in his heart to forgive. It reminded him so much of Tom's acts, before and after his rechristening. Dumbledore didn't bother, or want for that matter, to see the man that had betrayed one of his most beloved students, and son of his late friend.
Even though Black's actions had ultimately, if inadvertently, caused the downfall of his lord and master, it came at a high price as well. Young Harry Potter was now an orphan, something Albus wouldn't wish even on his enemies, and forced to live with Lily's sister. With Sirius in Azkaban, and his godmother being a permanent prisoner within her mind and a resident of St. Mungos, and with both Dorea and Charlus Potter dead when Lily, James and Harry went into hiding, and with no other Potters alive, Petunia was the only one with close enough blood relations and a legitimate claim to the boy.
With the older Blacks that were Dorea's siblings and cousins being long gone due to old age or malady, only Andromeda Black had a claim to the boy, as she was the closest distant cousin on James' mother's side. Being the eldest daughter after Bellatrix also helped her, but the woman had married a muggleborn while her younger sister had married the later to be influentially powerful Lord of the Ancient House of Malfoy, Lucius.
Politics rarely made things simple in either the magical or mundane world. Corruption and deceit were equally as present in both of them, though bigotry and inequality was higher in the former one due to stagnancy. Lucius, Albus knew quite clearly, was a very skilled and accomplished duellist and an even more powerful and experienced politician. The Malfoy Family have been playing the game for centuries and owe much of their wealth and influence to their political acumen. But even then, there was only so much they could do.
Being with Petunia was the lesser of two evils, as Albus, even with his influence, knew that others would seek to benefit from the boy in some form or another. If closest blood didn't claim him, Albus knew others would fight tooth and nail for his custody.
The blood wards coupled with the ancient magic Lily had erected on her son – something that still befuddled him to no end as to how she managed to accomplish such a feat – made the Dursley homestead virtually impenetrable from those who wish him harm so long as Harry continued to live there. It wasn't a perfect defense, but it was the best he knew of given the circumstances. Having too many magical runes and protections around technology wasn't wise due to their unpredictable nature around one another.
Few knew how to make magic and the more advanced forms of technology work properly around one another. His few remaining cousins on his mother's side from the Americas had informed him that greater experts and accomplishments in the field were being done in parts of China and North America after the whole reformation on the stance for No-Maj and New Salem Philanthropic Society was dealt with in the states. Apparently, the memory wiping shower that struck New York had missed a few individuals and it had come back to haunt New York's magical populace during the Second World War.
The situation wasn't perfect, as elements from both sides remained, but neither party were as prominent as they were during the early twentieth century. The practice of pureblood propaganda wasn't as prominent in the States compared to Europe, but past views on No-Maj and certain magical creatures and decrees from the American Magical Congress for the last three centuries thanks to Dorcus Twelvetrees' blunder had been just as bad if not worse than Europe.
As a result, many wizarding families had migrated to the North or returned to Europe where such laws weren't as prominent or extreme. In Canada he heard that there was still bad blood with some of the native tribes, those that actually retained the gift of magic, but slow and steady progress and reparations were being made. Though secrecy remained, despite the better relationships between the country's mundane and supernatural counterparts.
"It seems that even after the passing of dark ages the magical and mundane still have a long way before truly accepting one another," Albus didn't miss the irony of it as he had once been against the integration and unity of muggles and magicals. Now he was one of those he was more or less spearheading the movement in the United Kingdoms as best he could. It was no easy task to say the least, and though he never showed it, with all his other duties it left the man very tired both physically and mentally. Not that he ever showed it in front of others. Albus was secretive in some aspect for good reasons, and while his appearance as a grandfatherly mentor figure was genuine, the most powerful wizard had also been taught to use what he had to his advantage.
The soul calming song of his companion and dear friend Fawkes soothed Albus' weariness. The phoenix had sensed his friend's discomfort and fatigue and put it to rest with his song. Their relationship was a close one, and never in a thousand years did Albus ever believe that he would get a phoenix, a very powerful magical creature, of all things to be his familiar. Some saw the relationship as master and pet, but it was very untrue. A familiar bond was much more; the two were partners and treated one another as equals.
"Fawkes, my dear friend, as always you seem to know when to put my mind at ease," the man chuckled as the noble avian let off a small shrill that the wizened wizard knew to be filled with pride.
"Albus! Albus are you there!?"
The man was cut off from his thoughts as a sudden cry was heard from the fireplace, and the urgency in tone of voice had the headmaster worried. Appearing next to it with speed one thought impossible for a man of his advanced age, Albus was surprised at who he saw.
"Arabella? Whatever's the matter?" he asked the squib.
"Oh, Merlin, Albus! He's gone! I can't find him anywhere! One moment the device you gave me was working fine and then the next it went out like a light!" was the woman's hysterical reply.
Dumbledore's eyes widened as his mind processed the information. Arabella was tasked with looking after Harry and took on the guise of a successful but eccentric, cat-breeder that lived on Little Whinging a couple of streets away from him. The man had thought it to be best to have another set of eyes on the boy just in case. Quickly going to his desk, Dumbledore opened a hidden compartment that held silver trinkets that were attuned to Harry's being.
The man breathed a sigh of relief when it indicated that Harry was, in fact, alive, contrary to what Arabella made him assume. Most likely the device was malfunctioning for whatever reason and was about to placate the woman, but Dumbledore did notice that the trinket that indicated his whereabouts wasn't working properly. The boy was still in England, but when he tried focusing on the exact location did the trinket sputter and release a small pitching noise. That in itself was worrisome. The boy was alive – thank goodness! – but now he needed to find out where he was.
Severus had explained that no one knew where Petunia lived, or knew of her really, and he didn't believe even Sirius knew, and other than Minerva and Hagrid, the man couldn't think of Tom's former minions who knew. Only one thought plagued his mind now.
"Where are you, Harry Potter?" he mused.
"ALBUS!" the man winced at the loud noise from the fire. So focused was he on his thoughts that he had completely forgotten about Arabella. Fawkes let out a screech that sounded like bemusement as he tried to calm the squib woman down.
(Dungeon)
"Come one. Just a little more," Harry watched as the small lizard creature walked closer and closer until it was positioned just right. Springing his plan into action, Harry tossed a small rock high into the air and sprung from his hiding spot when the kobold turned around to investigate the sudden noise.
Another stone was tossed and its aim was true, as the creature fell to the ground and became affected by the [Dazed] status effect. Vital Strike enhanced both stone knives and Harry continued his efforts until it disappeared into nothingness. The routine was repetitive but effective, and while progress in the dungeon was slow, Harry was less worried about his health going down to dangerous levels.
Cowardly and low level as they were, Kobolds were much quicker than Harry and had better vision, too. Having the advantage due to numbers and for being native creatures also worked against him. The boy was glad he had yet to encounter their tougher variants or any other strong creature, yet.
Falling back into the routine of collecting the dropped loot, Harry was slightly disappointed to see, or not see in this case, any traps to disarm that would give him a decent EXP boost. The young lad was also disappointed in the lack of any decent loot that would make the journey that much easier.
"Only three [Kobold Stone Knives] left and two picked up," already had a few of them become useless to use due to their less than stellar traits. With nothing more in the area, Harry made to venture to what would hopefully better hunting grounds. Other than the knives, Kobolds also dropped the odd British fifty-pee or a pound here and there, to Harry's delight.
Such a thing wasn't uncommon in games, as humanoids generally dropped some form of currency, and so far Harry had collected a little over seven pounds worth of it. It wasn't much, but it was still more money he ever had in his lifetime.
But those thoughts were swiftly thrown aside, much like himself when the young Gamer found himself smacked sideways into a wall; his one leg being used as a means to haul him up. Harry was fortunate his glasses had not fallen off, and he gazed upwards to the source of his predicament.
Status Window
Cave Fisher – Lv 10
HP: 950
STA: 750
MP: 50
STR: 31
VIT: 26
DEX: 29
END: 30
INT: 6
WIS: 6
CHA: 2
SPI: 6
LUK: 9
DEF: 30
Specialization:
None
Special Perks
None
Perks:
Ambusher [Lv 2]: [Stealth] Effectiveness increased by +30%, Power and Chances for Critical Hits increased by +30% when using [Stealth], [Trap Skills] Effectiveness increased by +30%,
Sharpshooter [Lv 2]: Effectiveness, Power and Critical Chance of [Ranged Skills] increased by +30%
Extrasensory: [Detect Presence Skill] Effectiveness increased by 30%, Enemy [Stealth Skill] Effectiveness decreased by -30%
Thick-Shell [Lv 2]: +30 Defense, +300 HP, +30% increase towards [Physical Tolerance]
Flaws
Blind: Incapable of seeing, Immune to visual skill and item effects
Bulky [Lv 3]: Movement Speed reduced by 75%, -75% Effectiveness towards [Evasion]
Description: Though blind, cave fishers are highly specialized predators that dwell deep in caves and possess a unique mode of hunting wherein they clamber up a cave wall to settle on a ledge or in a crack, typically at a minimum height of at least thirty feet. Ledges overlooking cavern floors that are commonly traversed are their favourite hunting grounds. Despite being excellent climbers, a cave fisher's legs are more designed for scaling surfaces, which, alongside their very large bulk, make them terrible runners and thus forces them to walk and rely on ambush tactics to catch prey.
Cave fisher parts are highly sought after due to their multiple uses such as their blood, which can be used as a base for many potions or even a decent alcoholic drink. The meat of a cave fisher is quite the delicacy, too, and has often been compared to a sweeter version of crab or lobster. Their filament is incredibly viscous and resilient to magic, and when treated through certain methods can be used to enchant items with strong binding effects.
EXP Earned: ?
Common Drops: ?, ?, ?, ?
Rare Drops: ?, ?
Harry struggled and flayed as best as he could but his efforts were futile. If this creature was anything like the one in the books, then the filament wrapped around his leg was likely thin and near invisible but possessed the same ridiculously high tensile strength.
Fear was taken away by the [Gamer's Mind], but Harry soon began to feel something else while he threw whatever he had to impede his doom: anger. He was angry that this was happening, and that his goals to improve himself and to finally get away from the Dursleys were being cut short. But Harry was especially angry at the creature that was reeling him in as though he were a flopping fish for not giving a bloody damn. In that moment, as Harry attempted to throw his last knife at the creature, all he could think about was an intense desire to vaporize the creature into oblivion.
|Warning! Warning! Accidental Bout of Magic in Effect!|
As Harry threw the knife at the creature did a wave of energy, powerful and alien, course through him and flowed outwards in an explosive manner. A small sun twice the size of a watermelon shot out from his hand. The searing intensity clipping the creature's face and had it screeching in pain. While Cave Fishers lacked eyes, their extrasensory organs, which enabled them to 'see', if overwhelmed or stimulated made them vulnerable.
Harry felt himself go slack and watched as the distance between himself and the underground ambusher increased. As he landed uncomfortable on his back, it took Harry a moment to realize that the fisher had dropped him and a moment more to get up and run as quickly as he could, as the ball he launched made contact with the ceiling and exploded violently.
Harry likened the scene to one of his cousin's notorious temper tantrums, and Harry knew well enough to put some distance between himself and the origin point. Sliding into a nearby recess, Harry watched as many jagged stones fell to the floor and threatened to skewer anything in their path like wicked spears. Cries of nearby creatures were heard and Harry could only surmise that some of the stalactites found their mark. Which, in essence, wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
|Congratulations! Your level has increased by two!|
Status Window
Name: Harry James Potter
Job: N/A
Level: 6 Next Level: 627/3600
HP: 175 + [50] ~ 225
STA: 225 + [50] ~ 275
MP: 400 + [100] ~ 500
STR: 5 + [2] ~ 7
VIT: 7 + [2] ~ 9
DEX: 16 + [2] ~ 18
END: 9 + [2] ~ 11
INT: 14 + [2] ~ 16
WIS: 15 + [2] ~ 17
CHA: 9 + [2] ~ 11
SPI: 16 + [4] ~ 20
LUK: ? + [2] ~ ?
DEF: 1
Attribute Points: 2 + [5] ~ 7
"Oh, thank you, God," Harry counted his lucky stars for the sudden boost in power. "What was that?"
|Accidental Magic|
Accidental Magic is a unique form of magic akin to Wild Magic. However, despite many claiming otherwise, Accidental Magic has yet to be fully understood. More common during infancy and in young children, Accidental Magic occurs when one is overcome by an intense desire or emotion and their magic acts accordingly. Accidental magic can be as minor as summoning a book from a shelf too high to reach, or instantly regrow hair that had recently been cut. Others, however, can be much more intense such as a large explosion or even transforming an entire city block into horrific monstrosities.
With the pop up answering his question, Harry's mind registered something crucial, "Common in young children?" it made Harry wonder if that meant there were others like him. It wasn't too unbelievable when he thought about it. Generally speaking, if there was one person with these kinds of powers, logically there should be another, too. Right?
But that also begged the question, "Where are they?" he wondered. For years his relatives called him a freak. Was it because they knew, or was it because they suspected he had these powers? The thought only served to generate more questions without answers. Answers he already knew his aunt and uncle would never give him, or at least lie about.
Harry also knew he'd never get the answers if he remained in this dungeon. And with that in mind, he began collecting the loot from the defeated monsters. However, while the loot from the kobolds were easy to collect, the ones from the cave fishers were not as easily accessible.
Even with the nearby torches the dungeon was too dark for him to properly find a way up. Cursing his luck, Harry continued down the cavern and continued to pick up whatever loot was available. Once more it wasn't much, a kobold knife here, the odd pound or a fifty-pence there. Fortunately, Harry believed the desperate attack likely scared away much of the dungeon enemies since no chittering sound could be heard.
But the boy wasn't about to push his luck. Kobolds were easily frightened, and craven in nature, but were quick to regain their backbone whenever they banded together into large groups. Before that happened and they decided to come after him, Harry had every intention of collecting everything of value that he could find and hoped he'd find something that would give him an edge.
"Preferably a better weapon," the knives and the bat he had were far from ideal. The knives allowed him to strike more quickly and the critical bonus was lovely, but they were almost as fragile as a dried-up stick. The bat was only slightly better damage wise, but unlike his hair-trigger cousin, he wasn't as quick to use the weapon as he required the use of both hands to make it effective, and right now Harry needed one hand to hold the flashlight.
Moving from dropped loot to dropped loot, Harry briefly saw something on the ground sparkling and shining more brightly than before. Moving the flashlight around and holding up the stone knife as a precaution, Harry eased up when the light and [Observe] revealed the identity of the unknown glint.
Gold Tooth's Gold Tooth – Rare Quality
Item Type: Trinket
Item Modifier: N/A
Durability: 65/65
Description: A fang from the Rarespawn Kobold foreman, Goldtooth. Made from enchanted gold, this tooth enhanced the wearer's luck and enhances their chances of getting item drops. Furthermore, it allows them to gain extra pocket money from defeated foes. Passively the tooth increases the chance of the holder finding valuable gems they'd normally overlook and even allow them the use of [Darkvision: Lv 1]
Bonus Perks: +7 LUK, [Money Magnet: Lv 1], [Lucky Finder: Lv 1]
Unique Trinket Skill: Darkvision [Lv 1]
Rune Slot: [One Minor Slot]
"Goldtooth? Like Warcraft?" the boy didn't believe that to be a mere coincidence.
The Gamer ability was certainly an odd one in the way that it worked. However, that matter meant little to him now, as the tooth's discovery, along with the other scattered drops nearby, certainly explained why he leveled up twice. Rarespawn were beings that dropped better loot and gave way better experience, too. Though unintentional, Harry thanked his lucky stars that his act of desperation proved fortuitous nonetheless.
Equipping the tooth had Harry's vision flash before him. The change was instantaneous, odd, yet welcoming all the same as the darkness of the environment gave way to a clearer image. It was as though he'd been watching black and white television with poor lighting and then switched to a higher definition color one instead.
|Darkvision|
A passive skill that is generally used by nocturnal and underground creatures and beings, one that enables them to see in the dark as though it were day. Darkvision has two levels: level one allowing one to see well over 60 feet, and the final level allowing for vision clarity of upwards of 120 feet.
Note: Certain skills, items, and conditions allow for even greater vision.
|Money Magnet|
A perk that allows one to earn additional currency from quests and defeated foes. Money Magnet has five levels: level one enabling the beneficiary to earn +5% increase in currency received, and the final level a whopping +25% increase.
|Lucky Finder|
A perk that increases the chances of item drops from defeated foes. Lucky Finder has five levels: level one increases drop rates by 5% and rare drops by 2%, and the final level a whopping 25% and 10% to rare drops.
"Amazing," Harry commented. With the tooth's ability clearing things up, it went without saying that the young Gamer would now have a better time navigating through the dungeon and could now forgo the use of the flashlight. The ability to clearly see in the dark also meant Harry could backtrack and collect whatever loot the cave fishers dropped, too.
Doing just that, Harry stopped along the way, as his improved vision had him spotting previously missed loot. The amount wasn't large by any means but decently significant still in Harry's opinion, and to a beginner like Harry every little bit counted.
Finally arriving back at the area he remembered, Harry looked at the cavern wall to see if there was any way up: a crack, a decent hole, or even a jutting rock he could use to scale the rough underground barrier.
Climbing was something Harry was good at, and dead useful whenever he had enough time after managing to give Dudley and his gang the slip. Harry was fortunate that none in the group were the brightest bunch. All they had to do was look up really.
"Nothing," the young boy groused after finding nothing. Moving further down, Harry prayed Lady Luck's good fortune held strong as he tried finding a climbing path.
"Come on. Please, please, please," Harry muttered, looking back and forth between the walls. Fortune held on and Harry whooped for joy as he spotted a decent path to climb. But that joy turned to worry as chittering and screeches were heard some ways down the path.
"Idiot!" Harry chided himself for giving away his position. Grabbing onto the closest crevice, Harry hauled himself up as quickly as he could. The young Gamer managed almost eight feet before he lost his grip and then gasped for air when he fell onto his back.
"Ow," the boy groaned, and glared at the wall. His back and head sore from the fall onto solid, uneven, and uncomfortable stone.
|WARNING! WARNING!|
|CLIMBING ATTEMPT FAILED! YOU LOST 15 HEALTH POINTS!|
|DEX LEVEL NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO SAFELY CLIMB UP CAVERN WALL!|
|OBSERVE SKILL NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO REVEAL REQUIRED LEVEL!|
"Oh, for the love of," an exasperated Harry couldn't believe this was happening now of all times. The sound of enemies echoed off the cavern walls even louder now as they neared his location. Groaning, Harry got up and then added all his recently gained AP into his DEX attribute, resulting in it increasing it to 25, and hoped that it would be enough.
Attempting his climbing attempt once more, Harry once again hauled himself up as quickly as he could. Arm and hand stretching out to grab the nearest handhold he could reach, feet and legs securing themselves and finding leverage to push off of and steady himself. So focused was he on getting up and away from the ground did Harry fail to realize he had already made it passed the halfway mark. A little after a minute passed was Harry able to pull himself over the edge, and as he caught his breath did nine Kobolds appear seven seconds afterwards.
|For successfully climbing the rock wall you've gained 165 EXP.
|Congratulations! Your level has increased by one!|
Laying low and flat as a floor board, Harry peered over the edge to and saw the little creatures looking in multiple directions, lifting rocks, looking under the nearby giant glowing mushrooms, and other debris, too. Fortunately for Harry, Kobolds weren't the smartest of beings. Gifted trappers though they were, their deductive reasoning was limited. This was a trait Harry wasn't lacking in, as he noticed a few of the Kobolds down below looked much different than before.
"Observe."
Kobold Miner – Lv 5
HP: 225
STA: 350
MP: 75
STR: 12
VIT: 9
DEX: 16
END: 14
INT: 8
WIS: 8
CHA: 3
SPI: 3
LUK: 3
DEF: 3
Specialization
None
Special Perks
None
Perks
Crafty [Lv 1]: +30% Increased Power and Effectiveness towards [Trap Skill], +30% Increased Effectiveness towards [Stealth Skill], and +30% Increased Effectiveness towards [Crafting Skill]
Nimble: +30% Increase to movement speed in and out of combat, and +30% Increased Effectiveness towards [Evasion]
Darkvision: Allows recipient to see very well in darkened areas
Titles
Miner [Lv 1]: Grants [Detect Metals & Minerals Skill] and [Mining Skill], +10% Effectiveness and EXP towards [Detect Metals & Minerals Skill] and [Mining Skill]
Flaws
Light Sensitivity: -30% Power, Accuracy and Effectiveness towards Skills when [Light] based items or skills are used against it, 30% Chance of being affected by [Dazed] Status Effect
Craven: -30% Tolerance towards [Intimidation Skill] unless in groups in groups of five or six, Enemy skills effectiveness doubled when suffering from [Scared] related status effects
Description: Kobolds Miners are young adult kobolds that are strong and smart enough to use a pickaxe effectively. Unlike Kobold Labourers, these variants are more skilled at combat, though only by a small margin. They are tough opponents for new and upcoming adventurers, especially due to their numbers.
EXP Earned: ?
Common Drops: [Kobold Stone Knife], ?
Rare Drops: ?
Kobold Geomancer – Lv 7
HP: 325
STA: 450
MP: 200
STR: 15
VIT: 13
DEX: 19
END: 14
INT: 11
WIS: 12
CHA: 8
SPI: 8
LUK: 4
DEF: 3
Specialization
None
Special Perks
None
Perks
Aura of the Leader [Lv 1]: Presence reduces effectiveness of enemy [Intimidation Skill] by 15%, Attributes of allies increase by 15%, DEF of allies increase by 15%
Crafty [Lv 2]: +45% Increased Power and Effectiveness towards [Trap Skill], +45% Increased Effectiveness towards [Stealth Skill], and +45% Increased Effectiveness towards [Crafting Skill]
Nimble: +30% Increase to movement speed in and out of combat, and +30% Increased Effectiveness towards [Evasion]
Darkvision: Allows recipient to see very well in darkened areas
Stone-Touched: Enables the use of Earth Magic Skill, +10% increase towards [Earth Resistance], +30% Effectiveness and Range increased towards [Detect Presence Skill] while underground
Titles
Miner [Lv 1]: Grants [Detect Metals & Minerals Skill] and [Mining Skill], +10% Effectiveness and EXP towards [Detect Metals & Minerals Skill] and [Mining Skill]
Flaws
Light Sensitivity: -30% Power, Accuracy and Effectiveness towards Skills when [Light] based items or skills are used against it, 30% Chance of being affected by [Dazed] Status Effect
? : ?
Description: Kobolds Geomancer are mature miners of their species that have managed to survive long enough to become attuned with the stone and rock they live amongst. As a result, they are smarter and hardier and even found a way to use a primitive form of magic, but are very few and in between. Due to this, these kobolds generally fill the role of foreman, which enables them to take control of less intelligent kobolds and their presence lessens the effects of intimidation-based techniques.
EXP Earned: ?
Common Drops: ?, ?
Rare Drops: ?
"Just great," Harry muttered, his luck turning on him once again. With his increase in DEX Harry was quicker but with his limited skills and resources the amount of foes down below were just too great a threat. One of them knowing magic was an even greater game changer, too.
Slowing pushing himself away from the edge to avoid being seen, Harry's foot make contact with something and felt himself freeze. Heart pounding a hundred miles a minute and threatening to burst out of his chest like an alien, Harry quickly got up, took out two knives, and prepared himself for the worst. The boy's breathing still quickened but Harry was able to relax when he realized what he hit was nothing more than an old kobold carcass. The bones weren't slimy but picked clean, and dusty and caked with dirt and rocks.
The creature had likely been dead for a long time now Harry concluded. Calming down, Harry sat down on the cold hard stone and tried coming up with a plan of action.
"Kobolds are below and they outnumber me but aren't as smart," Harry didn't have to be a genius to know going back down right now was just plain stupid. Even Dudley – or at least he hoped – wasn't that stupid. Being up above gave him an advantage, but Kobolds and worse dangers like the cave fishers were in his present area as well.
"At least they can't sic their traps on me," Harry realized, and the moment he said it did it dawn on him.
Traps!
Kobold weren't the strongest of beings but aside from their numbers they made up for it with trap making skills. Eyes gazing around, Harry spotted a few traps already set up and ready to go.
Basic Kobold Overhead Trap – Common Quality
Item Type: Trap
Durability: One-Time Use
Description: A basic Kobold trap used to drop its contents on unsuspecting adventurers. Each trap is different from the next: one can be filled with rocks, caltrops, or even a nest of small spiders. Knowing the contents is impossible unless opened or dropped onto a target.
With that problem solved, Harry decided it was high time he grabbed what he came here for. Looking around, the young boy spotted the loot he was looking for and eagerly began picking them up one by one. Much wasn't of great use to him now as their item type were marked it as a [Profession Ingredient], but Harry got lucky on the last one and discovered two decently useful items.
Cracked Cave Fisher's Carapace – Poor Quality
Item Type: Shield
Durability: 29/30
Description: A shield made from the carapace of a cave fisher and allowing for decent defense for a beginner. However, it's a far cry from the most desired shield that can be made from a cave fisher.
Attack Power: 7–8
Buffs/Perks: +5 DEF
Flaws
Fragile: Durability decreases by 1 per block/use
Cave Fisher's Climbing Gloves – Uncommon Quality
Item Type: Hand Armour
Durability: 45/45
Description: Protective hand armour made from the adhesive and hide of a cave fisher. The materials itself offer basic protection but the true worth of
it lies in its ability to scale surfaces with ease and finesse, give one an advantage in pick-pocketing, grappling against another, as well as handle items with ease.
Buffs/Perks: +5 DEF, [Sticky Fingers: Lv 1]
|Sticky Fingers|
Increases Effectiveness and Movement Speed when climbing by 5%
Increases Effectiveness of [Pickpocketing Skills] by 5%
Increases Effectiveness and Power of [Grappling Skills] by 5%
Decreases Effectiveness of enemy [Disarm Skills] by 5%
"Brilliant," the shield wasn't all that great but at this point beggars couldn't be choosers. On the up side, both pieces of equipment offered Harry a welcomed boost in defence.
After equipping both items, Harry saw that there was no longer anything of value to find. In addition, Harry also realized that any way further were either required him jumping across a distance too far away or were blocked off by fallen debris. Which meant Harry had to go back down.
Once again cursing his bipolar luck, Harry got onto his stomach, crawled over and peered over the edge of his vantage point. The Kobolds were still down below searching for him. Even with his new gear, there were simply too many of them Harry wasn't going to risk it and lose everything he just earned.
Crawling away, Harry looked at the nearby traps and counted three of them, but only two were accessible to him. He was going to have to make them count and prayed luck was on his side.
Grabbing a decent sized stone, Harry gaged the distance between trap and its landing zone and hoped his aim proved true. Lightly tossing the stone, Harry quickly pressed himself flat against the floor the moment the solid mineral clacked and echoed. The desired effect occurred and Harry watched as the kobolds drew in one by one like a moth to a flame.
Dagger now in hand, Harry quickly and quietly began cutting the rope holding up the boxed trap. The rope was a thick, however, and the dagger didn't have the keenest of edges. All in all, the process took Harry almost half a minute before the second half of his plan was completed. By the time the box dropped, five of the Kobolds had moved away and only four remained in the kill zone.
Freed from the strand that held it aloft, the trap fell down a little over twenty-five feet and the cave echoed from the sounds of its impact. Three of the kobolds didn't know what hit them as the heavy container landed on their small bodies. The act failed to kill them but all three were heavily injured and suffered negative status effects that rendered them unable to move or act in some way. Those that were nearby merely fell to the floor or were winged by the destroyed box instead. Their injuries minimal by comparison.
|Three Kobold Labourers are suffering from the [Unconscious] condition!|
However, Harry noted that the good part didn't end there. Unnoticed by the other Kobolds that rushed in to figure out what happened, the young boy noticed black liquid began spreading onto the ground.
"Let it be oil," he hoped and Harry got his wish upon using [Observe]. Each of the Kobolds that foolishly entered the oil field were now impaired with the [Oiled] debuff.
"Darn it!" it dawned on Harry that while great a debuff, the young adventurer lacked the most essential component to make it useful to him: fire. Oil and fire were a winning combination in fantasy games, especially for those just starting out.
Aside from initially harming others, fire caused negative status effects that continued on after the initial strike and could lit wooden weapon and brighten up endarkened areas. Oil was mainly used for terrain and crowd control as it made it difficult for others to maintain their balance and made using one's weapons difficult, too, and its heated variant, like fire, could also cause negative status effects.
When fire and oil were used together, a strong opponent too powerful to take down with your current skill sets could be made much easier to defeat. The only problem, and this was a common mistake many were guilty of, was having one and forgetting you lacked the other, causing those plans to go up in smoke.
"Think! Come on!" Harry looked around to see if there was anything nearby he missed and could possibly use. There was none.
Down below, Harry spotted nearby torches on the wall but all of them were too far away from the spreading oil, and even if one had been, Harry didn't think his aim was good enough to knock one off the wall.
Memory dawning on him, Harry opened his inventory and spotted what he was looking for. Grabbing it and taking quick aim, Harry tossed the ignited piece of wood amongst the underground oil-covered lizard beings and watched the magic happen.
The reaction was virtually instantaneous. The viscous liquid caught fire and spread like a deadly virus: dangerously and with purpose. The Kobolds shrieked and screamed and jumped and rolled and ran for their lives. This only served to spread the fire even more as their aflame feet ignited the oil the moment of contact.
|Multiple enemies are suffering from the [Moderate Burning] condition!|
The cave rocked unexpectedly, too, when the fallen box violently exploded. Rock and wooden shrapnel were sent flying and the action almost caused Harry to fall over the edge before he managed to right himself.
Backing away from the steep drop, Harry proceeded to patiently wait and listen for the cries and shrieks of the Kobolds to end. Nearly three minutes passed before the lack of anguished sounds echoed off the walls. Believing the floor below to be devoid of life, Harry looked over the edge and saw the floor still alight with flames. It was then that Harry realized he had forgotten one crucial thing: fire lit oil took quite some time to extinguish itself.
"Oh, damn it all," Harry cursed, plopping his rear down with little choice but to wait until the flames burned away the oil.
This was going to take some time.
Sorry for the very long wait. Multiple things occurred that have impeded me from writing. Anyway, just letting you all know that Harry's current attitude is multi-fold. Throughout Harry Potter a way to look at harry is that he is a Paladin whilst Voldy is the exact opposite. Harry's mentality is due to his upbringing, he has no intention of wanting to be like the Dursleys and since he is growing up in the 21st century, little things about him are different from canon, but ultimately Harry is still a child. A little more mature, true, but a child nonetheless. His view on things are black and white. The Dursleys are bad and so much of what they view as right and good are things he views as the opposite. As a result, this reflects on his game style. However, this will change down the line as he begins to realize certain truths and realities.
Next to be updated is Naruto.