Return to Jorgaldur Volume I: the battle mage

Sacred Spring

Eldi began to crawl to the water while suffering unbearable pain, mainly in his legs, which he could barely move. He was bleeding out and it didn't seem like he could crawl to his goal with the thread of life he had left.

He could see how it was decreasing, how he was losing consciousness. Just 5 health points, 4.

"Is this the end?"

3, 2 ... And suddenly it increased to 8. He noticed that his experience bar had reached half of its way towards level 4, which could only be explained if the wounded wolf had died. However, he was still wounded and without mana, as he had increased his maximum but not the current amount. So he continued crawling.

7, 6, 5, 4 ... He dipped his hand in the water and brought it to his mouth, and, as in the game and as he begged to happen there, his body healed, also recovering from fatigue and filling his manna.

That the pain had disappeared suddenly was incredible, but he did not want to waste time being surprised, so he applied the Steel Body blessing again, drinking the water again and checking that it could not be used twice in a row. In the game, a delay of five minutes between take and take was needed, and it had been proven that one didn't completely recover but only 100 of each stat. Although for those who used to drink it, the newbies, it was as if it were a full recovery.

He then tried to attack the wolf through the barrier, but, as in the game, the sword couldn't pass through it, so he made the decision to take a risk. Eldi had recovered mana and energy, as well as being healed completely, and he didn't want to waste the opportunity, because, if he lost this advantage, he would still have to face them without the safety of the spring shield. He also resented against those who had threatened his life and caused him so much pain.

He took distance from the wolf as it followed him with its gray eyes and, when he thought that it was far enough, he left the barrier's protection and took the bow, placed an arrow and shot it, covering it in fire. The wolf was too close to dodge the arrow, but it didn't hurt him too much, so it rushed towards Eldi. Meanwhile, the other wolves, who had given up and were watching over their dead companion, turned towards them.

Another arrow, and another one... There were a total of three that lightly pierced the wolf skin before it got to him, barely lowering its life to 150. With enough time, as it takes a second between an inventory operation and another, he saved bow and arrows and pulled out the hammer. He used it as a shield, exposing his legs, which were attacked without compassion.

The throbbing pain would have been very hard to resist without panicking if he hadn't just experienced it. And he was even surprised at his own recklessness, but that was precisely what he had planned.

With no more time than to grit his teeth, he covered the hammer with fire and used Devastating Blow while the wolf was busy with his leg, making sure to hit the beast's one. Immediately, he raised the hammer and used the skill again, and again, up to eight times in a row. And then retired to the safety of the shield with Feline Response, before the arrival of its comrades. At the same time, he had been continuously healing himself while he needed it.

He sat down, exhausted again, staring in horror at the wolf's brutally beaten body, which was laying on the ground and agonizing by wounds and burns. The hammer's ability was powerful enough to damage the internal organs of the beast if it hit continuously at the same point.

What he was doing was considered a stupid exploit in the game. Exploit because he was taking advantage of a barrier not designed for it, to hide and attack. Stupid because it was much more efficient to kill mobs directly and use the spring only as a re-supply point. But now neither he was in the game nor the levels of those wolves were like his, so he didn't feel the slightest guilt.

The wolf soon died, raising the experience bar over level 4. Although he had only killed two wolves, the difference in level and the little experience needed to level up from 3 to 4, made it enough.

While the wolves were scratching the surface of the shield that he hoped wouldn't break, he turned his back on them and headed to the spring. He renewed the blessing before taking the water again, since the mana was going to recover anyway, and he regained his strength. Luckily, it worked again after a while, as in the game.

He turned back to the wolves and looked away, at the weapons he wanted to recover, as he checked the skill and the spell he had just unlocked.

The skill, Smash Ground, wasn't very useful in those circumstances. It hit an area, forward and with a thirty-degree arc, in addition to throwing enemies off balance. However, the damage was small and it was difficult for its extra effect to have an impact on higher level beings.

However, he smirked at the spell, Earth Wall. It creates an earthen wall, and therefore not very resistant, but it could separate or isolate the wolves for a while. Besides, now he was a level higher, so he could face them with a little less disadvantage.

He smirked again at his doing, feeling even an excitement similar to that in the game. He would never have believed himself capable, but perhaps having returned to Jordgaldur had changed him. Or maybe he had always been like that, but he had never had the chance to check it. Or perhaps, simply that situation on the verge of death made his instincts flourish. Be that as it may, he looked at the wolves defiantly and with the plan of finishing them all. He would use that place as an exploit, without regrets.