I stand over the corpse of Baba Yaya. This must be the twentieth time I’ve killed her. I bend over to loot her, anticipating the standard cloth or wheat and a silver or two. But what is this?

[Lucky Rabbit’s Foot, a soft white rabbit’s paw, perfectly preserved.

+1 Luck]

I’d been wondering about the Luck stat. Until now it’s been non-existent, but with this, maybe…

I check my character profile. The Luck stat hasn’t changed. Then, do I have to equip it somehow? Maybe here, in one of the trinket slots…

The item goes to the slot, and appears on my belt, dangling freely. Curious about what it does, I check the forums. There is only one post on Lucky Rabbit’s Foot.

<DroneDome> posted: just got lucky rabbits foot drop from baba yay. Anyone get this? u know does it increase crit strike chance?

                 <40WINX> replied: I’m guessing it’s a rare drop. I farmed Baba Yaya for two and a half hours and never got this.

                 <kisaxbob> replied: Ridiculously rare. No one in my forty person guild has a single item for luck yet.

                 <licklicky> replied: i found a 4 leaf clover with +1 luck, deosnt affect crfit but loot drops r way betteer

                 <kisaxbob> replied: Apparently you have to be insanely lucky to get luck…

                 <licklicky> replied: dont b mad kamisama loves me best (~￣³￣)~

Insanely lucky, huh? Perhaps I am. After all, I was born into wealth, and aside from a few health problems, I’ve lived a pretty cushy, pampered life. I touch the soft rabbit’s foot, and its delicate chain jingles slightly.

So, this little thing gives better loot, eh? I could sure use it. Since deciding to farm Baba Yaya I haven’t had a ton of luck. Besides finding two pieces of caster armor, the only other piece I’ve found was a leather headband. 

[Doree’s Browguard level 5, protection for Doree’s noble brow.

Armor: 22

Set bonus 2/6

+1 Agility]

Realizing Doree’s armor was a set made me want to try for more pieces. Especially because the belt Dooker gave me came from the witch, I was eager to see if it was part of a set as well. Doree’s armor is better than what I had, but it’s not made for a Defender. The Chieftain’s set is heavy armor, much more suited to my character. I’ve been crossing my fingers each time I raided Baba’s chest that I’d get another piece, but so far I’ve had no luck.

But maybe that’s all about to change…

I go inside the creepy house and open the chest, and my eyes fairly bug out of my head.

[+5 Sheaves of Wheat

Cooking ingredient, value: 3 cp]

[4 sp]

That’s the most wheat and silver I’ve ever seen in a single drop! More importantly—

[Battleworn Breastplate of the Chieftain level 5, a sturdy scale link mail breastplate, it has seen many battles.

Armor: 67]

[Battleworn Wristguards of the Chieftain level 5, sturdy scale link mail gauntlets, they have seen many battles.

Armor: 42]

Without hesitation I throw off my Jackalope hide armor and replace it with the new pieces.

[Set bonus 3/6:

+10 Armor

+1 Strength

+1 Constitution]

“Alright!”

I laugh and jump with excitement; my increased Agility stat has my head nearly grazing the ceiling.

I’d been growing weary of farming the boss monster but this drop has just given me the motivation I needed to keep going. Even if my armor becomes obsolete in the next area, as someone who lives on health potions when facing hordes of angry mobs, I can’t afford to pass up this kind of coin.

Besides, even without the loot, I can’t deny my skills have benefited from killing Baba Yaya so many times. Thanks to the wheat she sometimes drops I’ve learned how to make bread, which has leveled up my cooking skill.

[Cooking level 5: You know how to cook.

                 Recipes known:

                                Pork Steak                                 

                                 Bread

                                 Jackalope Skewer

                                 Tenderfoot Frog Legs]

[Bread, a loaf of bread.

+25 HP for 12 minutes

Material required: Sheaf of Wheat]

I also had my Shield Proficiency level up, or evolve, rather, from level five into this:

[Greater Shield Proficiency level 6: Reduces damage done to shield.

-36% Damage to shield]

I find this skill level up particularly intriguing. Though the percent only went up by two where before it had been going up by one point per level, I have to wonder if my other skills will evolve as well when they reach level six, and how they will change. Especially my Shroomlet Aura. I can’t wait to see how that will evolve.

Eagerly I leave the instance and return again to fight the witch. I’ve long since conquered my fear of Baba Yaya, this entire scenario is purely routine to me at this point. I’ve gotten so good at timing her teleportation farts I can now block her perfectly each time she appears in front of me. I can’t even remember the last time she landed a direct hit on me.

It takes me about six minutes to kill her, and one minute to loot. My shield repair levels up at some point so it takes me three minutes to repair my shield, then restart the instance.

[Shieldsmith level 6: You are proficient in shield maintenance.

Spend 1 minute to repair 200 shield durability]

I also get Improved Block.

[Improved Block level 6: Uses the shield to block the next enemy attack.

Blocks 100% of the next physical attack, damage inflicted redirects to the shield’s durability.

Cooldown: 13.1 seconds]

It’s a drudgery, made bearable by the anticipation of better loot, and the eventual level up of my other skills. Thanks to the Lucky Rabbit’s Foot I gradually collect the remaining pieces of the Chieftain set, as well as multiples of several other pieces that I’ll be able to sell later in town.

[Battleworn Helmet of the Chieftain level 5, a sturdy scale link mail helmet, it has seen many battles.

Armor: 44]

[Battleworn Fighting Trousers of the Chieftain level 5, a sturdy scale link mail pair of fighting trousers, they have kept fighting through many battles.

Armor: 58]

[Battleworn Shinguards of the Chieftain level 5, sturdy scale link mail boots, they have seen many battles.

Armor: 46]

[Set bonus 6/6:

+50 Armor

+4 Constitution

+1 Strength

+1 Agility]

I think this must be my fiftieth time fighting the witch. Now that I have the full set of Chieftain armor and plenty of coin, I’m thinking this will be my final battle. The sound of Baba Yaya’s farts that used to raise my blood pressure have me feeling almost nostalgic. I’m almost gonna miss this place…

The cooldown on her teleport has ended, I’m anticipating her next fart. Right on cue, Baba rips another big one and appears in front of my shield. I block her fury attack with the ease of a veteran. Just then, I get a system message.

[Achievement earned: Defender Ascender]

What’s this? I got an achievement? I didn’t know this game did achievements.

I’m going crazy, dying of curiosity, but I can’t stop to check the achievement. For as much as I feel I’ve conquered Baba Yaya, if I were to stop running now, even with my new gear I’d be dead in very short order. And while I’ve had several forced log outs, this character still hasn’t got a single death to his name. I intend to keep it that way.

At last she drops dead, but before I can pull up my character profile, I get another system notification.

[Shroomlet Aura skill has evolved.]

Evolved! I’ve been waiting for this!

[You have reached character level 9]

“All at once, eh?” Quickly I distribute my stat points.

[Character name: Revelator

Level: 9

Race: Human

Class: Defender

Subclass: None

HP: 665

Constitution: 34

Strength: 7

Agility: 17

Intelligence: 2

Luck: 1

Skills: Armor Crafting (4), Cooking (5), Greater Shield Proficiency (6), Improved Block (6), Interceptor, Jewel Crafting (4), Noxious Spores (6), Shieldsmith (6)

(total armor 345)]

Recently I figured out how to make it display the armor as well. A useful feature.

Now, moving on to more pressing matters…

[Noxious Spores level 6: A cloud of deadly spores follows you, devastating your enemies.

15 ft radius

-0.6% HP/second

5% Life Leech

Stops enemy regeneration]

Wow, that’s a huge jump! Running the numbers in my head, I determine it cuts my kill time in half. Now my enemies will die in two minutes and forty-six seconds!

But that’s not all I got in my last fight with the witch. Eagerly, I check the achievement.

[Achievement earned: Defender Ascender

Awarded for 500 perfect boss blocks in a row.

Reward Skill: Interceptor]

[Interceptor, you are a once-in-a-generation shield master.

When defending with your shield, 70% of damage taken is transfered to your shield]

Holy crap! Defending with my shield used to transfer 30% of the damage, this is a huge boost! But…now I need a better shield. Hmmm…

I start back for the village, considering all the ways my character has grown recently. I’m so absorbed in my thoughts, I get all the way to the entrance before recalling I forgot to loot Baba Yaya!

“Whoops…”

I turn around and sprint back to the fallen body before it can despawn with my loot.

But what’s this, now?

[Skill Book: Baba’s Vanishing Haze Aura]

[Baba’s Vanishing Haze Aura level 1: You are clouded in an eerie mist, obscuring you from your enemies.

5% chance to evade enemy attack

Cooldown 30 Seconds]

[2 sp]

“No way.” I actually laugh out loud. “I got another aura.”

I learn it without hesitation, then frown as I study my skill list. That’s my ninth skill. I max out at ten. Of course I can always learn over one of my skills, but…I’ll need to start being discriminating when it comes to taking these. I won’t be able to learn every skill that comes my way.

Inside Baba’s chest I collect the last bit of generic loot, then I leave her swamp for good. Back outside the air is clear and bright. I’m in a dandy mood as I saunter back to town. Then I spy the woman with the baby on her hip, and I freeze up.

Ah, yes. I need to turn in the quest.

Gulp.

“Traveler!” The pretty young mother hails me with the same chubby baby on her hip. Her face is anxious and careworn. “Were you able to deal with Baba Yaya?”

[Would you like to turn in Quest: Kill Baba Yaya?]

[Suggested dialog: Baba Yaya won’t be bothering you anymore.]

“Ba-ba-ba-ba—Baya Baba won’t blee…”

She blinks at me with big blue eyes, and her baby blinks too, mocking my struggle with its silent judgment.

[Heart rate accelerating. 140 BPM. Automatic system shutdown if heart rate reaches 150 BPM.]

Oh, hell no. I just faced the witch fifty times. I’ll be damned if I lose to a couple of NPCs.

“She’s dead,” I answer in an unexpectedly even voice, and the pretty woman’s face splits with a wide grin.

“Oh, thank you! You don’t know what this means to me! Thanks to you, not just my children, but all the children in Bluebell Village will sleep safely at night. Such a heroic feat deserves a hero’s reward, but I really don’t have much…”

[Suggested dialog: The childrens’ safety is my reward -or- You’d better dig deep in those pockets if you know what’s good for you]

“It’s fine,” I say. “I don’t need a reward.”

I turn to go, but the woman calls after me.

“Wait! I do have this…my husband made it. He…won’t be needing it anymore,” she says sadly.

Rather than probe her for the reason why as I expect the game intends me to, I mutely accept the paper in her outstretched hand.

[You have acquired World Map]

Intrigued, I inspect it, zooming out a little at a time from our local area, till at last I’m looking at a map of the entire world of Tetra Chronicles.

“Huh,” I murmur, getting a feel for the scope of this game, and my own sense of insignificance within it. “So it was like that…”