CHAPTER 2: LUCKY?
Neris stared at the dead monster.
Then at himself.
Then back at the monster.
He had survived.
Technically.
That was the nicest possible description of his current condition.
His shoulder hurt.
His ribs hurt.
His back hurt.
Somewhere underneath all of that, several smaller parts of him had apparently joined together and collectively decided to hurt too.
A notification floated before his vision.
NERIS
LEVEL: 2
ASTROLOGER LV.1 / FIGHTER LV.1
HP: 5/18
Neris stared at the five.
"...Five."
Five hit points.
Out of eighteen.
Wonderful.
At least becoming a Fighter had given him something immediately useful.
A strange physical instinct now sat alongside his magical knowledge.
Not a spell.
Not glintstone.
Something simpler.
Something stubborn.
The ability to push his body beyond where exhaustion wanted it to stop.
NEW ABILITY AVAILABLE
SECOND WIND
Neris looked down at himself.
"Yes."
He didn't need to be convinced.
He immediately used it.
He shut his eyes.
Breathed.
Forced his battered body to pull itself together.
His heartbeat steadied.
Some of the trembling eased.
The pain—
Well.
The pain continued being pain.
But surely this would restore a respectable amount of health.
[SECOND WIND: 1d10 + 1]
[ROLL: 1]
[HP RESTORED: 2]
Neris opened his eyes.
"..."
Another notification appeared.
HP: 7/18
Neris stared at it.
"Two?"
Silence.
"Two?!"
His eye twitched.
He had been crushed by something large enough to throw him across a stone chamber.
He had unlocked an entire martial class.
His maximum health had increased by five.
And the great healing technique granted by his brand-new Fighter abilities had given him—
Two.
Neris looked down.
A small rock sat beside his boot.
The rock had done nothing.
The rock was innocent.
The rock had committed no crime.
Unfortunately for the rock—
Neris was angry.
He kicked it.
Hard.
[KICK ROLL: 10]
THWACK!
The rock shot across the ruined chamber.
It bounced once.
TOK!
Twice.
TOK!
Then disappeared beneath a pile of broken stone and collapsed debris.
Neris exhaled.
"...Better."
Then—
CLINK.
He froze.
His head turned.
The sound had come from underneath the debris.
Neris walked over.
Slowly.
His shoulder immediately reminded him that walking quickly was currently forbidden.
He crouched.
Moved one broken stone.
Then another.
Something metallic reflected beneath them.
"...Huh."
Neris pulled harder.
A half-buried container emerged.
Old wood.
Metal bands.
One bent hinge.
Dust covered nearly every inch of it.
It had been hidden beneath the rubble long enough that Neris probably never would've noticed it.
If he hadn't kicked the rock.
He stared at the container.
Then looked toward where the rock had disappeared.
"...You did something useful."
The rock did not respond.
Neris dragged the container completely free.
[LUCK CHECK: 18]
He stared at the lid.
Chapter one had taught him several important lessons.
One—
Large enemies hurt.
Two—
Throwing rocks was occasionally effective.
Three—
Random objects in the Lands Between probably shouldn't be trusted.
Neris put one hand on the lid.
"Please don't bite me."
He opened it.
EEEEEEEEEK—
The hinge screamed.
Neris immediately leaned backward.
Nothing happened.
No blade shot out.
No poison sprayed into his face.
No undead creature unfolded itself from inside the box.
No enormous hand grabbed him.
Instead—
golden light reflected across Neris's face.
His eyebrows rose.
"...Oh."
There were three things inside.
A small leather pouch.
A sealed crimson bottle.
And a long object wrapped tightly in old cloth.
Neris reached for the pouch first.
He untied it.
Golden fragments shimmered inside.
[RUNE ROLL: 14]
[+650 RUNES]
Neris stared at the glowing pieces.
"Okay."
That was already much better than two hit points.
He tucked the pouch away.
Then lifted the crimson bottle.
The liquid inside glowed faintly.
Not aggressively.
Not ominously.
It almost felt warm in his hand.
[ITEM QUALITY ROLL: 16]
CRIMSON RESTORATIVE
RESTORES: 2d4 + 2 HP
USES: 1
Neris looked down at his battered body.
Then back at the bottle.
"Now we're talking."
He carefully stored it.
Then came the wrapped object.
Neris put both hands underneath it.
Heavy.
Very heavy.
His expression changed.
He knew that weight.
Or at least—
he desperately hoped he did.
He pulled it free.
Long grip.
Huge wrapped blade.
Neris's eyes widened.
"No way."
He tore the cloth away.
[WEAPON ROLL: 20]
[NATURAL 20]
Steel caught the dim light.
Wide blade.
Long handle.
Scratches from previous battles ran along its surface.
It wasn't beautifully decorated.
It wasn't glowing.
It wasn't covered in ancient symbols announcing that whoever wielded it had been chosen by destiny itself.
It was simply—
Massive.
Sharp.
And made for hitting things extremely hard.
Neris smiled.
GREATSWORD ACQUIRED
"...Lucky."
His original greatsword was still missing.
But this?
This would do.
More than do.
Neris wrapped both hands around the grip and lifted it.
His shoulder screamed.
"Ow."
He lowered it slightly.
"...Still lucky."
His new Fighter instincts immediately began correcting him.
Foot position.
Grip.
Weight distribution.
Where the blade wanted to fall.
How much strength was actually required to redirect its momentum.
The knowledge didn't make him a master.
Not even remotely.
But for the first time, the massive sword didn't feel like something he simply wanted to swing.
It felt like something he could learn to use properly.
Then—
CLICK.
Neris stopped.
Slowly—
very slowly—
he looked down.
A mechanism beneath the container had shifted.
"..."
The floor beside it opened.
THUNK!
Neris instinctively stepped backward.
Something rolled from the compartment.
Clink.
It struck his boot.
A small metal sphere.
A short fuse protruded from the top.
Thankfully—
not burning.
Neris crouched.
CRACKED FIRE POT BOMB
USES: 1
Neris picked it up.
He stared at it.
Then at the greatsword.
Then at the healing bottle.
Then at his runes.
Then back at the bomb.
"...I am lucky today."
For the first time since waking in the Lands Between—
it actually seemed true.
Neris gathered everything.
The bomb was secured carefully.
Very carefully.
Explosives belonged on the opposite side of the spectrum from "randomly throw this at a wall and see what happens."
Probably.
He carried the greatsword and staff with him.
Then he looked toward the corpse of the huge creature.
The original loot still shimmered underneath it.
Neris stared.
"...I'll come back."
He turned toward the corridor.
Escaping sounded more important.
The narrow passage beyond the chamber stretched into darkness.
Roots pushed through the ceiling.
Cracked stones covered the floor.
Eventually—
the path split.
Left.
Right.
Neris stopped.
"...Of course."
He crouched.
Looked at the ground.
Something dark stained the stones.
Blood.
Small drops.
The soldier.
The same soldier who had attacked him.
Then saved him.
Then apparently decided Neris was too ridiculous to murder while unconscious.
The blood trail led left.
Neris felt a faint current of cold air from that direction too.
Fresh air.
[INVESTIGATION ROLL: 18]
"Left."
Finally.
Something easy.
He followed.
The corridor gradually brightened.
Gray daylight appeared ahead.
Neris increased his pace.
His injuries immediately objected.
He reduced his pace.
"Fine."
Broken stone stairs climbed upward.
One.
Two.
Three.
Neris continued.
At the top stood an ancient wooden door hanging slightly crooked from one hinge.
He pushed.
CRRRRREEEEEEAAAAAK.
Light flooded over him.
Neris squinted.
Wind touched his face.
Grass moved beneath a cloudy sky.
Broken ruins surrounded him.
Ancient roads vanished between hills.
Trees stood in the distance.
Cliffs cut across the landscape.
And beyond nearly everything—
something golden dominated the horizon.
Neris stared upward.
The Erdtree.
"..."
For several moments—
he said nothing.
No enemy attacked.
No monster roared.
No soldier charged him.
Nothing threw him into a wall.
For once, the Lands Between simply existed in front of him.
Huge.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Then Neris noticed the golden light rising gently from the grass nearby.
Maybe forty yards away.
It curled upward like strands of warmth.
Something inside Neris recognized it.
Not completely.
But enough.
Grace.
A place where he could rest.
Heal.
Recover his magical energy.
Possibly finally stop feeling like every bone in his body had been introduced to a hammer.
Neris started walking toward it.
Then—
Something inside him flickered.
His smile vanished.
Hostility Sense.
Weak.
Nearby.
Neris stopped.
Someone was watching him.
He looked left.
Nothing.
Right.
Ruins.
Broken walls.
Grass.
He couldn't identify where the presence was coming from.
Couldn't tell who it was.
Couldn't tell whether they were about to attack.
But somebody nearby absolutely did not trust him.
Neris raised his Astrologer's Staff.
He searched the ruins again.
Nothing.
"..."
Blue light began gathering at the tip.
He fired.
Randomly.
[RANDOM SHOT ROLL: 3]
VWOOOOOM!
The spell flew.
Completely missed the hidden person.
Missed a wall.
Missed a tree.
And sailed directly toward—
The Site of Grace.
Neris's eyes widened.
"...Wait."
BOOM!
Dirt exploded several feet beside the golden light.
Grass scattered.
The Grace itself remained untouched.
Neris stared.
"...I meant to do that."
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
Neris turned.
A man stumbled out from behind a ruined wall.
Short spear.
Worn armor.
Dirty cloak.
And an expression that suggested Neris had just personally ruined his afternoon.
"So you just FIRE MAGIC AT EVERYTHING?!"
Neris stared at him.
"...Sometimes rocks."
The man blinked.
"What?"
Neris's Hostility Sense remained active.
But this wasn't murderous commitment.
The stranger seemed afraid.
Defensive.
Angry.
The type of hostility that meant—
Do something stupid again and I might stab you.
The spearman raised his weapon.
"Put the staff down!"
Neris looked at the staff.
Then at him.
Then slowly raised one finger.
"And I seen babies, shhhhh!"
The man's face became completely blank.
"...What?"
Neris turned in another direction.
Raised his staff.
The spearman's eyes widened.
"No. No, don't—"
Neris fired.
VWOOOOOM!
"WHY?!"
[RANDOM SHOT ROLL: 19]
The blue crescent flew across the ruins.
Past a dead tree.
Between two broken pillars.
Then—
BOOOOM!
It struck an old stone wall.
Nothing happened.
The spearman stared at Neris.
Neris stared at the wall.
CRACK.
A fracture appeared.
Another spread upward.
CRRRRRRRK.
The spearman slowly turned.
"...What did you just do?"
The weakened section collapsed.
KRRRRAAAAAAASH!!
Dust exploded outward.
Stone crashed across the ground.
Behind the wall—
was an opening.
A hidden chamber.
Neris stared.
The spearman stared.
Neris slowly lowered the staff.
"...I knew that was there."
"You absolutely did NOT!"
"You don't know me."
"I've known you for THIRTY SECONDS!"
Neris considered that.
Fair.
Then something glimmered inside the newly exposed room.
Gold.
And blue.
Neris's expression changed.
"Oh."
The spearman looked too.
"...Oh."
A small chest rested against the back wall.
Beside it sat something emitting a faint blue glow.
Neris immediately started walking.
"HEY!"
The spearman followed.
"We are still having a conversation!"
Neris kept moving.
"You told me to put my staff down."
"YES!"
"I didn't."
"I NOTICED!"
Neris stepped into the hidden chamber.
His Hostility Sense gave another small pulse.
Something was inside.
Something living.
Something hostile.
He looked around.
Nothing obvious.
A crate sat in the corner.
The chest waited.
The glowing blue object rested on a stone pedestal.
The spearman remained behind him.
"Maybe you should check for—"
Neris grabbed the chest.
"This is a wonderful plan."
"It is VERY CLEARLY NOT—"
Neris opened it.
[CHEST ROLL: 9]
CRRREEEAAAK.
Nothing exploded.
Neris looked over his shoulder.
"Ha."
The spearman glared.
"That doesn't mean it was smart!"
Neris checked inside.
Two rough stones.
Several small blades.
A pouch.
He lifted the first items.
SMITHING STONE [1] ×2
Neris immediately looked at his greatsword.
"Mine."
Next—
THROWING DAGGER ×5
The spearman looked at them.
Then at Neris.
His expression became genuinely concerned.
"Please don't start throwing those randomly too."
Neris looked at him.
"...Please."
Neris stored them.
Finally—
the pouch.
[+240 RUNES]
TOTAL RUNES: 890
"Wonderful plan."
"That was luck."
"Wonderful."
"LUCK."
"Plan."
The spearman rubbed his forehead.
Neris turned toward the blue object.
He reached.
"WAIT!"
Neris touched it.
Blue light crawled over his fingers.
He froze.
Nothing terrible happened.
Information surfaced.
GLINTSTONE RESERVE SHARD
RESTORES: 1d6 FP
USES: 1
Neris looked at his nearly empty magical reserves.
"Oh."
The spearman stepped closer.
"So nothing horrible happened?"
"No."
SCRITCH.
Both stopped.
SCRITCH SCRITCH.
They turned toward the crate.
Neris's Hostility Sense pulsed.
"There."
"What?"
The crate moved.
The spearman raised his weapon.
Neris reached toward his greatsword.
BANG!
Something exploded from the crate.
Tripped.
Rolled across the floor.
And smashed face-first into the pedestal.
THUNK!
Silence.
A large filthy rat lifted its head.
Neris stared.
The spearman stared.
The rat's eyes locked onto Neris.
SKREEEEE!
Neris blinked.
"That's it?"
The rat jumped.
[RAT ATTACK: 2]
It missed.
Completely.
It flew past Neris.
BONK!
Its body hit the chest.
The rat dropped onto its back.
Its legs kicked.
Neris watched.
The rat rolled upright.
SKREE!
Neris drew his new greatsword.
The rat looked at him.
Then the sword.
Then back at Neris.
The spearman sighed.
"Please."
He pointed.
"Just hit this one normally."
Neris looked at the rat.
Then at the greatsword.
Then at his staff.
Then at the rat again.
He raised his boot.
The spearman blinked.
"Wait—"
STOMP.
[UNARMED ATTACK: 16]
[DAMAGE: 3]
THUMP!
The rat flattened against the stone.
Its legs stopped moving.
Neris lifted his boot.
Silence.
The spearman slowly lowered his spear.
"..."
Neris looked at him.
"What?"
"That."
He pointed toward the rat.
"That was the first normal thing I've seen you do."
"I stepped on it."
"Yes."
"That's normal?"
"COMPARED TO YOU?!"
Neris looked down again.
Something glimmered beneath the rat.
The spearman saw it too.
"Oh, come on."
Neris moved the corpse.
"Even the RAT has loot?"
[RAT LOOT ROLL: 14]
Two thin bones.
And another golden fragment.
THIN BEAST BONE ×2
+35 RUNES
TOTAL RUNES: 925
Neris nodded.
"Lucky."
The spearman pointed at him.
"You nearly blasted me, opened a wall by accident, almost ran yourself out of magic, got attacked by a rat, and stepped on it."
Neris held up the runes.
"Lucky."
The spearman opened his mouth.
Paused.
Closed it.
"...I don't know how to argue with you."
Neris walked back outside.
The Site of Grace still waited.
Golden light curled upward from the grass.
His body practically begged him to walk over there.
Rest.
Heal.
Recover his FP.
Do something sensible.
The spearman followed him.
"You're Tarnished, aren't you?"
Neris looked at him.
"If Grace still answers you, I'd use it before you decide to fire another spell at a wall."
Neris stared toward the Grace.
Then—
his expression changed.
"...Wait."
"What?"
Neris slowly turned toward the underground passage.
"I forgot the monster loot."
The spearman stared.
"The what?"
"The monster loot."
"You forgot the loot from the giant thing that nearly killed you?"
"Yep."
"How?"
Neris was already walking back.
The spearman followed.
"You know, most people nearly DIE for treasure and then remember the treasure!"
Neris continued.
Eventually they reached the original chamber.
The massive corpse remained where Neris had left it.
Three items still sat underneath its shifted arm.
The leather pouch.
The reddish flask.
The wrapped weapon.
Neris crouched.
"Okay."
He rubbed his hands together.
"Round two."
The spearman stopped several feet away.
"I have a horrible feeling about this."
Neris grabbed the pouch.
Opened it.
[LOOT ROLL: 13]
[+475 RUNES]
TOTAL RUNES: 1,400
Golden fragments shimmered in his palm.
Neris smiled.
"Lucky."
"Don't start."
Next came the reddish flask.
Neris lifted it carefully.
He did not immediately drink it.
The spearman actually looked impressed.
Neris examined the glowing liquid.
[IDENTIFICATION ROLL: 17]
CRIMSON TEAR DRAUGHT
RESTORES: 3d4 + 3 HP
USES: 1
Neris's eyebrows rose.
"Now THAT is healing."
"Keep it."
"I was planning to."
"Good."
"Unless I get thirsty."
The spearman stared at him.
"...Please don't."
Finally—
the wrapped weapon.
Neris pulled the cloth away.
Heavy iron emerged.
Not a sword.
A warhammer.
Huge square head.
Long grip.
Dark metal.
Old blood stained part of the surface.
Neris lifted it.
Barely.
"...Heavy."
"Brilliant observation."
A notification appeared.
HEAVY IRON WARHAMMER
DAMAGE: 1d10 BLUDGEONING
TWO-HANDED: 1d12
STRENGTH REQUIREMENT: 15
SPECIAL: CRUSHING WEIGHT
Neris looked down.
Strength—
Exactly.
He looked at the hammer again.
"...Lucky."
The spearman groaned.
"You are going to say that every time something fits you now, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Neris adjusted the weapon.
Something inside the old wrapping shifted.
CLINK.
A small object dropped onto the floor.
Both men looked down.
A dark talisman.
Gray-black.
Cracked.
Worn smooth by age.
Neris picked it up.
Warmth spread faintly through his fingers.
[BONUS LOOT ROLL: 20]
[NATURAL 20]
Neris's eyes widened.
CRACKED WARRIOR TALISMAN
PASSIVE EFFECT
While below 50% HP, melee attacks deal +1 damage.
Silence.
Neris stared at it.
The spearman leaned slightly closer.
"What does it do?"
"Makes me better when I'm almost dead."
The spearman stared.
Then at Neris's injuries.
Then back at the talisman.
"...That's the worst item you could possibly give someone like you."
Neris equipped it.
"Perfect."
The spearman covered his face.
Neris stood.
Slowly.
His shoulder continued complaining.
He now had—
A greatsword.
A warhammer.
An Astrologer's Staff.
Five throwing daggers.
An explosive.
Two healing items.
A magical energy shard.
Smithing Stones.
Crafting material.
A talisman.
And fourteen hundred runes.
He looked increasingly less like a scholar of the stars and more like somebody who had robbed three different adventurers and then beaten a fourth one with their own equipment.
The spearman stared at the collection.
"You know you can't swing all of those at once."
Neris looked at the greatsword.
Then the warhammer.
Then the staff.
"...Yet."
The spearman immediately regretted speaking.
Neris looked back toward the passage.
The Site of Grace remained outside.
Waiting.
His HP remained low.
His magical reserves were almost gone.
He was still injured.
He still didn't know exactly where he was.
The soldier from earlier was somewhere out there.
And this strange spearman still hadn't even given Neris his name.
But—
Neris looked at everything he had acquired.
Then at the corpse that had nearly killed him.
He smiled.
Chapter one had been unlucky.
Very unlucky.
Chapter two?
Neris adjusted the greatsword on his shoulder.
Immediately regretted putting it on the injured shoulder.
Moved it to the other one.
"...Lucky."
The spearman sighed.
Neris started toward the exit.
The golden glow of Grace waited somewhere beyond the stone corridor.
His first day in the Lands Between had given him enough weapons to start a small armory.
Maybe things were finally improving.
Maybe the worst part was already behind him.
Maybe—
Neris stopped.
He thought about the monster.
The soldier.
The random spearman.
The giant rat.
The magical wall he'd blown apart by accident.
He reconsidered.
"...Lucky?"
That sounded safer.
END OF CHAPTER 2: LUCKY?CURRENT STATUS
NERIS
Level: 2
Class: Astrologer 1 / Fighter 1
XP: 325/900
HP: 7/18
FP: Critically Low
Runes: 1,400
EQUIPMENT
Astrologer's Staff
Greatsword
Heavy Iron Warhammer
Cracked Warrior Talisman
ITEMS
Crimson Restorative ×1
Crimson Tear Draught ×1
Glintstone Reserve Shard ×1
Cracked Fire Pot Bomb ×1
Throwing Dagger ×5
Smithing Stone [1] ×2
Thin Beast Bone ×2
NEARBY
Unknown Spearman
Site of Grace — UNUSED
NEXT
CHAPTER 3 — ???