Minor Fame and Major Excitement

You returned to full consciousness slowly. The first thing you noticed was how completely dark it was, which puzzled your groggy mind. Then you remembered your building plan from the night before, a door and a long hallway. That explained the darkness, and you could feel the basic shape of the hallway even without light, an advantage of being as attuned with the ground as you naturally are.

You were at the deepest part of the hallway, as you could feel by the smooth wall at the end, so you began to head back to the entrance. You could only vaguely remember putting out the torches as you passed them during the night, but you were glad your **** mind thought to do it. It wouldn’t do to make your newly redesigned home too obvious. You may be better off now than yesterday morning, but you’re still weak compared to most players. Absentmindedly, you checked your character sheet just to confirm it was the same as yesterday.

Hero Fallenstar, Level 5
Monster, Slime, Miniboss, Explicit
Experience to level up - 326
Attributes
| Strength 16 | Dexterity 18 | Endurance 25 |
| Charisma 8 | Manipulation 10 | Appearance 8 |
| Perception 25 | Intelligence 25 | Wits 20 |
Skills
Athleticism 15
Awareness 25
Dodge 15
Occult 10
Presence 10
Resistance 20
Stealth 25
Feats
Absorption
Amorphous Body
Monstrous Appearance
Split Mind
Weird Talent

You almost dismissed it before realizing there was a change, ‘Miniboss.’ You were a Miniboss now. You know what that means, but you could hardly believe it. If you leveled up, you wouldn’t lose that level when you died. You might also become more of a target for players, but so what, you were already a target just because of your ‘Monstrous Appearance.’

Since your character sheet changed, maybe your Fame had too?

Fame: 37
People are talking about you +29
Evolve Form: 500 Fame, must be at least level 10
Liegelord 0/10: 10 Fame
Summon Worker 0/5: 50 Fame
?????

It had! The way it changed seemed like both a blessing and a curse though. People talking didn’t directly require you doing something, but people talking might also lead to people hunting, especially since these people were probably adventurers. There was at least one positive to this development regardless of what it would lead to in the future. You could buy that Liegelord thing. So you did.

Liegelord 1/10: 20 Fame
Your power has started to sway the local monster population to your banner. Each day, there is a small chance that local creatures will spontaneously convert to your side and ask to join you. You may also receive gifts from monsters seeking to stave off your wrath or gain your favor.

Interesting, so it made you a leader. That must be what Liegelord means. And you could get another level of it right now.

Liegelord 2/10: 40 Fame
Your power has started to sway the local monster population to your banner. Each day, there is a small chance that local creatures will spontaneously convert to your side and ask to join you. You may also receive gifts from monsters seeking to stave off your wrath or gain your favor.

Well, that didn’t change the description, but hopefully it wouldn’t turn out to be a waste. Anyway, you were at the stone doors now, which where currently closed and locked by what felt like two metal posts running through holders in the doors and a couple inches into the stone floor. The posts were very simple and crude, and they were held in place by pins at the top of each. Trying to open one of the doors you realized that these were made to be easily closed, but not easily opened. Lifting a vertical metal rod is no joke when you don’t have real fingers or hands to grab it. You managed it eventually, but it took multiple tries before you got it pinned in the unlocked position. Whew, you actually lost some health doing that. It sure would be pathetic if you actually managed to trap yourself in your own home.

Pulling open the door, which swung surprisingly smoothly, you could see the very first light of dawn. It was brilliant, and perfect timing too. You had a lot you wanted to do today, and you would need all the time you could get.

First you needed food, then something to fuck, and also as many resources as you could get, both physical and intangible. Considering it honestly though, those priorities were very negotiable.

“Hey! Are you that new boss thing?!” The words hit you like a barrage of arrows, fast and shrill, like the speaker could barely get them out fast enough. “You don’t look like much!” It sounded like a sped up chipmunk. “You were the one making all that racket last night right?!” Did it even stop to breath? And where was it?

Something tiny dropped to the ground right in front of you. It was only still for an instant while it landed before it started to blur as it appeared to bounce mostly in place, inspecting you and glancing past you into the hallway. You could tell it was humanoid, but not much else as it’s jittery movement made the air hum slightly.

“You CAN understand me right? Cause it would really suck if you can’t.” It was talking at an almost normal volume now, though still absurdly fast. You began to move while trying to think of a way to communicate with this tiny creature. “Oh you can’t talk. Nod or wobble or something if you can understand me.” You just raised the portion of yourself nearest to it and emulated nodding as best you could. “Great! Then how about...” It said it so fast you couldn’t even distinguish words.

You shook your makeshift head at it, hoping it would understand, and it reacted almost the instant you started the motion. “Oh sorry! I’m just a little itty bit excited is all! How about we go out and mess up some people together you know like you did yesterday with the sorceress and the goblins oh and that idiot warrior guy too.” Seriously, how does it have so much air in that tiny body. You had to focus just to hear it all. When you internalized what it had said, you did your best inquisitive head tilt. How did it know about that? “I mean we should team up and see how awesome we are together! You the boss slime and me the well my name is Serita.” Okay... so it, probably she, just wanted to team up with you out of nowhere, not that you were unwilling, but really... why? “Hi by the way!” Fine, you could work with her, and you might as well, but what was she anyway?

Serita, Level 4 Quickling
Fey, Quickling, Explicit

A Quickling? You’d never heard of Quicklings before, not that you had traveled particularly far from home in the past. The name must be related to how fast they move though, cause she was fast. You still hadn’t truly seen her, maybe a few glances when she was almost still, but only enough to get her basic shape. It looked like she was growing impatient waiting, as she was now pacing fast enough to be just a blur. That speed could certainly be useful in just about any activity, and she was only one below your level.

You nodded and the reaction was immediate as she stopped pacing and stared at you, completely still for a moment. You saw her feminine shape, slender and strong build, and her dark blue, extremely angular face with lightning blue eyes. Everything about her looked built for speed, even her hair was completely slicked back and light blue like her eyes. Her outfit was similar to a rouges outfit, tight and molded to her with small pouches and a 3 inch blade that looked like a short sword compared to her only 9-10 inch frame. Then she was moving again, whooping and celebrating like it was the best moment of her life. Maybe it was, you thought with a hint of sadness, you couldn’t imagine her reaction being totally normal otherwise. It was possibly your first time teaming up as well, but you were nowhere near as ecstatic as she seemed to be. You would do whatever you could to make this work out, even if you just met her after she apparently stalked you.

“So let’s get going! But first I want to see your place!” And off she went, simply bounding clear over you and into your hallway. She raced down it in a blur, returning to the entrance only ten or so seconds later. “Well that’s boring. You really need to build something more interesting like a crafting table or something though I guess that really wouldn’t be of much use to you. Anyway let’s go to the forest!” And off she went again jumping over you and vaulting off the edge of the open door. She ran a good twenty feet down the path before turning around and tapping her foot impatiently. “You coming?!”

You looked back to your still open door and slowly pushed it closed. Then, with your usual deliberate pace headed for the edge and started to descend in your own way. It was faster than taking the path, and you doubted Serita would like waiting that long. “Ohhhh.” It was the first normal speed sound you had heard her make, which must mean it was very drawn out for her. “Meet you at the bottom then!” She exclaimed in her usual, ultra fast clip.

‘This could be a long day,’ you thought as you headed down to the forest.