《Alter Ego Ninja - Skill Creation And LITRPG Apocalypse》 Chapter 01 - The Annoying Voice in my Head ¡®Hm?¡¯ All of a sudden, I found myself in a staircase and staring at a big and fat ass, my boss¡¯ ass. I blinked in disbelief and then wished I could delete that memory of my head somehow. He turned around and saw me rubbing my eyes like my life depended on it. ¡°Hey, Ryan! Where the hell are we?¡± ¡°I was wondering about myself¡­¡± I turned around while I was hoping that my eardrums were still fine. Whenever that guy opened his mouth, it made me recall some people on the internet that only talk with the caps ON. Behind me, there was a blonde middle-aged woman that I had never seen before and she looked as confused as us. Behind her, more and more confused people looked around. On the sides, there were simple gray walls. It made me recall the emergency exit of some buildings, but the distance between them was just too small. Not even two people could pass side by side. My boss, who probably never jogged in his entire life, could barely turn around. ¡°It looks like there is a door ahead, boss. Someone is trying to open it, but it is locked.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that fool have any arm strength?¡± People began to make a lot of noise since they found themselves in the middle of a weird place surrounded by people they didn¡¯t know. It was a pretty confined place as well, so it was no wonder people were starting to make noise. The staircase going down took a turn to the left and since a lot of noise was coming from there, I imagined that a lot of people were here with us. I tried to recall the last thing that I was doing before suddenly finding myself here¡­ I was putting some coffee in my cup. While I had just arrived at the machine, my boss told me to stop wasting time and get back to work. It looked like my head was working fine and I couldn¡¯t sense any pain in my body. So, the situation was indeed odd. There were no windows around and the ceiling was only half a meter above us, so it was a place that made me feel a bit claustrophobic. Still, there were no sources of light, but the place was weirdly well lit. While I was thinking about that, the door ahead opened and the people ahead began to calm down. Soon enough, the news spread and people realized that they weren¡¯t locked there¡­ Still, the door was locked when five people got inside the room. When the guy in front of my boss tried to stop the door from closing, he was zapped and let go of the door. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± ¡°This seems like a rather elaborate prank¡­ do you have anything to say in your defense, Mister Winters?¡± I let out a sigh. It is always like that when trouble arrives. ¡®What the hell is this fatass saying?¡¯ ¡®Quiet you, I don¡¯t have time to deal with you right now.¡¯ It looked like my boss took my silence as an answer¡­ he knew that I didn¡¯t have the balls to prank him, much less pull a prank of this scale. Regardless, my name is Ryan Winters. I am basically a glorified handyman working for my boss¡¯ company. I am good at fixing things for some reason. Currently, a twenty years old college student is being slaved away in order not to graduate from college with hundreds of thousands of student debt. Right now, I¡¯m studying business and management, hoping that someday I can overthrow my annoying boss and then take over his company. It was impossible, but he was so annoying that I couldn¡¯t help but think of that. At least half of me was. ¡°Hey, can you hear anything beyond the door?¡± ¡°... No.¡± After my boss¡¯ question, the guy that was zapped replied while shaking his arm. Considering his reaction, I thought he suffered quite the damage, but I couldn¡¯t see any vestiges of it. The door didn¡¯t have a handle, so I couldn¡¯t help but frown. After waiting for around three minutes, the door was opened again and then we checked the interior, but we found nothing¡­ There was a door on the other side, but it didn¡¯t have a handle either. ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± ¡°Get moving!¡± Those five who had got in first probably had left and there were no signs of anything weird inside the room, so we got inside alongside the woman behind me and another older lady with a cane. When all of us got inside, the door immediately closed with a large thud that put us on guard. The room was very odd. It seemed like the kind of place where you leave things that could be used, but were too old or needed some repair. It looked like a small warehouse of some sort. While we were busy looking around, the other door was opened and then a shoulder length, black-haired woman appeared while carrying a scroll and a pen, the feather type¡­ as if that wasn¡¯t weird enough, she was wearing something like a very old secretary uniform, with a long blue skirt and a blouse of the same color made of what appeared to be silk. All of us couldn¡¯t help but blink in confusion. ¡®Hehehe, I bet that she looks amazing without those ridiculous clothes.¡¯The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡®I told you to shut up already.¡¯ Thanks to the annoying voice in my head, I made a weird expression and then the woman squinted her eyes while looking at me¡­ for a second, I almost thought that she could hear my very unwelcoming thoughts. In any case, she turned to the others and then wrote something on the paper. ¡°Roy Carter, John Williams, Ryan Winters, Melissa Kent, Christina Fernandez.¡± I knew that John Williams was my boss¡¯ name, and it looked like the other names were correct too. This prank was starting to look very scary¡­ things started to look even more dubious when she moved her hand toward the first guy and then a simple knife and a piece of paper appeared in her hands. ¡°Take it and read the paper thoroughly if you want to remain alive. The same applies to all of you.¡± The voice of the woman was as cold as it could get, to the point that the first guy didn¡¯t hesitate in following her orders immediately. My boss also took a piece of paper and a knife without saying anything, even though usually he would just shout at her and ask what nonsense was going on. I accepted mine knife and paper as well, and I felt a shiver when our eyes were locked for a moment. Her gaze seemed a lot colder for a moment. ¡®The straight-laced type, huh? I like to mellow these types.¡¯ I felt like sighing¡­ I don¡¯t remember the last time I heard this annoying voice so many times in a row. It must be because my mind was all over the place thanks to the situation. Still, I soon recovered my focus when I began to read what was written on the piece of paper. Instructions: Your old life is over. The only way to live now is to fight. We only welcome those in our settlement that are willing to survive and strive. If you want to be able to do both, use the knife that you received and your wits. To use the system, you can use mind commands. The system can follow simple and complicated commands, but they need to be precise to work as they should. The words: status, map, party, and inventory can be easily used in your mind to access those functions when you obtain them. You can¡¯t commit the following actions within the settlement. If you commit them, you will have to pay a fine determined by the closest guard. If you can¡¯t pay it, you will have to spend a determined amount of time in jail. Money and power can give you anything as long as you have enough. Those were some weird instructions¡­ The final one was particularly concerning. It made me think that those who had power and money could do anything, considering the third instruction, it seemed that as long as you had money, you also didn¡¯t have to worry about the consequences of your actions. ¡®So, nothing changed?¡¯ ¡®I guess so¡­¡¯ I turned the paper and then found some more paragraphs, but they weren¡¯t instructions. That seemed like a skill list, but it was too odd to be true¡­ Inventory (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 02) Upon reaching level two, you gain the ability to carry and manage up to 20 types of items in your inventory, organizing them for easy access. This skill allows you to store items you acquire during your journey. Party (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 03) Upon reaching level three, you gain the ability to create and manage a party of up to 3 members, allowing you to share experience and gold gains. With this skill, you can invite others to join your party, making it easier to work together on objectives. This skill also allows the group to share progress on quests, so everyone stays updated on their collective goals. Chat (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 04) Upon reaching level four, you gain the ability to send text messages to other members of the group, facilitating basic communication. This skill enables you to communicate in real-time with others in the world, whether through private messages or group chats. Friend List (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 05) Upon reaching level five, you gain the ability to add up to 10 friends, see their status and location, and communicate with them. This skill allows you to track and maintain connections with others. You can check when your friends are alive, awaken their conditions and send them messages. Trade (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 06) Upon reaching level six, you gain the ability to trade items and currency with others. This skill lets you open up trade deals, offering items, resources, or gold in exchange for other goods. When dealing with anyone, you can negotiate the terms of the trade. Map (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 07) Upon reaching level seven, you gain the power to view the areas that you have been in and the details of the current one. This skill automatically records your journey as you explore the world. It provides a simple map of the surrounding area and marks places you¡¯ve visited, such as towns, landmarks, and points of interest. The current area is displayed with basic details, such as terrain type, weather conditions, and notable geographical features, like rivers, forests, or mountains. Social (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 08) Upon reaching level eight, you gain the ability to interact with others and the world in many manners, improving relationships and gaining minor social bonuses. At the basic level, you can gain access to some quests and you can create them for others as well. Mana Control (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 09) You gain the ability to wield mana and recover it, which is necessary to obtain advanced classes. This skill helps you manage your magical energy more effectively, allowing you to cast spells and use skills. I blinked several times in confusion, and then decided to check that, and soon I blinked several times in even more confusion. Name: Ryan Winters Class: Apprentice Lv 01 (00/100) Job: (00/000) HP: 50/50 MP: 50/50 SP: 50/50 Strength: 05 Magic: 05 Dexterity: 05 Vitality: 05 Wisdom: 05 Endurance: 05 Toughness: 05 Spirit: 05 Adaptability: 05 Free Points: 00 Skills: Job Skills: ¡®What the hell?¡¯ ¡®What the hell indeed.¡¯ ¡°It is time to move. You need to leave the room now for the next group to enter.¡± We didn¡¯t have time to deal with the confusion. The door opened by itself and then we were forced to move again. My boss looked at me with the look on that side: explain this fucking nonsense right now. I just ignored him because I had a feeling that he would no longer be my boss. Chapter 02 - Information and Quests We began to leave the room and soon we found ourselves outside the building¡­ It looked like we were underground until now. The sun was right above us in the sky, but the temperature was quite nice. The air was fresh and clean like I had never felt before¡­ Despite the appearance of the previous building we were inside a moment ago, the outside was quite weird. The buildings weren¡¯t that high, actually, most of them were only two stories high, the tallest one not bigger than three stories high. At the same time, they were all completely made of some gray material that looked like marble, but the texture at close range felt a lot more polished and unnatural¡­ There were other people around, but they didn¡¯t seem like us. Their clothes looked old, like the black-haired woman, like one hundred years out of season. At the same time, their presence felt a bit weird. I couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was exactly, but it felt unnatural or perhaps artificial would be the correct word. ¡°What the hell is this place?¡± It looked like my boss recovered his spirit now that the door closed and the intimidating black-haired woman was no longer around. This town or perhaps city made me feel like the places that a person can make in one of those city builder games. Everything was too identical here. ¡°It looks like the first group is trying to talk with the locals. Let¡¯s check with them what they have learned so far.¡± My boss groaned in annoyance. He didn¡¯t like not having absolute control over any situation he was involved in, but he decided to follow my idea. When we got close enough, we were able to hear the response of the locals. ¡°You can buy information over there, with the information broker.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell us something so simple?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know you and you have accomplished nothing yet.¡± After saying that, the man turned around and then left like it was the most obvious thing to do, leaving the first group speechless for several moments. ¡°What the heck is wrong with these people?¡± A tall man with short hair shouted. He seemed to be acting like the leader of the first group and while they hadn¡¯t been here for long, it looked like they had been receiving some very annoying answers. ¡°Hey, you. What have you asked the people here?¡± My boss stepped forward and asked. It looked like he realized that it might be a good idea to take charge while he could. ¡°Yes¡­ we asked everyone who passed by where we were and who they were, but they only said the same thing. Where the information broker is?¡± Something was odd. They were behaving like that, but they didn¡¯t seem particularly averse to our presence. I checked the paper again, and I didn¡¯t find anything that I might have missed¡­ My only guess is that we had to figure things out by ourselves and do what we were told by that black-haired lady in order to be recognized by the people here. I looked in the direction the other guy pointed and then saw a simple building that looked in front of an old bookstore. I decided to head there while everyone was talking amongst themselves. Along the way, I saw some buildings with similar appearances. They had a board made of the same material as the buildings above them with some weird letters that I couldn¡¯t understand¡­ Still, I was able to see some people there working. They were skinning animals, stitching leather, and some of them were sharpening weapons. ¡®It looks like the setting of the first city of a random game¡­ but unlike in those stories, the people here aren¡¯t treating us like heroes or adventurers.¡¯ ¡®Hey look to your right side! Isn¡¯t that a red-light district?!¡¯ I sighed before turning to the side¡­ he was right. There were some buildings there with some weird designs and I could see women in and men wearing some revealing outfits. Here I was wondering what was happening, and this moron was already thinking about how to fool around when we didn¡¯t even know where we were. I decided to ignore him when I finally arrived at the information broker¡­ It was a man who had round glasses and a mustache. He was wearing something like the uniform of a waiter. ¡°Hello, how can I help you?¡± The man seemed welcoming enough, but I had the feeling that it wasn¡¯t because he was that he was that sociable. So, I kept my guard up. ¡°I heard that you are the information broker. I would like to ask what kind of currency you accept and what you can tell me for free.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°All the shops only accept origin coins. You can obtain them from monsters, from killing others, doing quests and by finding treasures. You can also obtain them by selling things around the town. To learn about other things, you will have to pay for them.¡± The man made a silver-looking coin appear between his fingers. It seemed like an ordinary coin. On one side of the coin, I could see the number one and on the backside, I could see a spiral¡­ it was quite the weird coin. Regardless, this truly looked like the thing you would find in a game, a different type of currency and the ways to get it by killing monsters. Did we all die and ended up in a game-like world for some reason? Even though none of us could recall dying? ¡°How much do you need to tell where we are?¡± ¡°Five origin coins.¡± ¡°... What about why we are here?¡± ¡°250 origin coins.¡± At least it was a question that could be answered¡­ it was hard to say if I would receive the truth, though. Perhaps I should check what I could ask, and the price of the answers, but the next group arrived and began to make a lot of noise. ¡®We are lucky that we arrived first, so we can take advantage of this not to get involved in the chaos¡­ I need to talk with the boss and then¡­¡¯ ¡®That fatass can¡¯t be of any help. The moment he finds himself in trouble, he will throw us under the bus.¡¯ He was right, so I immediately considered discarding the idea, but what could I do? If that guy couldn¡¯t watch my back, I should look for someone who could¡­ The other guy was too dumb to be of any use. ¡®Even if you don¡¯t put your thoughts clearly in your mind, I can still read them, you know.¡¯ ¡®... Why are you so chirpy all of a sudden? I usually can suppress you more than this.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know, I just feel full of energy today, since we arrived here. This is amazing.¡¯ This was more annoying than anything¡­ In any case, I looked around in order to have an idea of what I should do. If my guess was right, trouble will only get worse as time passes, so I had to move away from the chaos. I checked the knife in my hand and wondered how I could use this¡­ if my only way to get information now was by fighting monsters to obtain coins, then I didn¡¯t have a choice but to do it. The faster I accepted that, the better. I followed the road that I was on to see the end of it, and by the look of things, it looked like it was one of the main roads in the town since I could see a gate in the distance with some guys wearing armor and holding spears. Those guys looked buffed and the type who had a hard time making friends thanks to their serious expressions. ¡®Hey, one of the guards had some massive assets and asked for her number. No, wait. Let me ask her, you never succeed.¡¯ ¡®Dude, shut the fuck up. I am seriously worried here. She has a spear too. I don¡¯t want to be stabbed because of your nonsense.¡¯ ¡®Relax, it is all about confidence. When I am doing my magic, confidence starts taking notes.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I have confidence¡­ confidence that you cause my death one day. The last girl you pulled off slashed all of my tires, you retard.¡¯ ¡®So what? A hot girl like that is allowed to be a bit crazy. She was freaky in bed too, you know it.¡¯ ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if she is freaky, that stops being a good thing when you see a girl with a knife in her hands pointing at you enough times. You definitely know it. Because morons like you keep ignoring that behavior that chicks like that are no longer an exception.¡¯ ¡®You are such a whiny bitch.¡¯ Being called a bitch by my own mind sure was annoying¡­ in any case, I arrived at the gate and the guards didn¡¯t stop me, but they kept looking at me, though. I looked behind the walls of the city and found some trees in a large green field filled with hills as well. It seemed a peaceful enough place, but I could see the tall grass moving in some places, and it wasn¡¯t thanks to the wind. I suddenly saw a shadow moving ahead and then found a large rat creature in the distance climbing a tree and then biting a branch and making a lot of fruit fall from it. ¡°... Are you heading out to hunt?¡± ¡°Yes, I am going to.¡± I looked a bit surprised when one of the guards suddenly asked that, but I answered without looking like a fool. He didn¡¯t look like an NPC by the way that he studied me, so I felt that acting confidently would be a good thing at the moment. ¡°Hm¡­ Are you willing to accept a job, then? The Dire Rats are eating a lot of the fruits in the area, and that is making the production fall. I like my apple juice more when it isn¡¯t very expensive. In any case, I can give a coin for every three dire rats you kill, and one coin more per extra after the fiftieth.¡±
You received a quest: Slay 50 Dire Rats. Rewards: 17 origin coins + extra, 10 EXP and Guard Chark¡¯s appreciation. Time Limit: None
I was speechless, but I didn¡¯t let that show in my face, I only blinked for a moment and avoided opening my eyes widely. This was truly confusing, but it was better to not think too much about it. ¡°All right, I will do it.¡± ¡®Heh, showing confidence, huh? You learned from a true master.¡¯ ¡®Shut the fuck up.¡¯ I crossed the entrance of the town without turning back and then left the paved roads to see the area ahead with a bit more clarity. I could see some places on the ground with some large holes and I imagined that the dire rats had come from those. I wondered if they carry some sort of disease that a single bite would make a wound become really nasty and then put me down a few hours later. My heart began to race, but for moments like this, I knew that just moving and acting were always better than feeling anxious. In the end, I took my white long-sleeved shirt and then ripped it apart on two sides and then covered my forearms with the cloth. I had a sleeveless shirt and now I could show my not very well developed physique. There was no one to show off, but it was fine¡­ right now, it was time to see if this was all a crazy dream that would end soon or I would truly fight monsters to level up. Chapter 03 - Hunting I approached the closest hole to the wall of the town and I stopped to look at the gate for a moment. Yep, the guards weren¡¯t paying attention to me anymore, so I couldn¡¯t count on them to give me a hand if a group of them came to take some pieces of me. ¡®Stop acting like a wuss and get moving. If you are too scared, let me do it instead.¡¯ I took a deep breath and ignored the other guy. I had no idea what would happen if I let him take over. Usually, he only speaks two or three times a day after I trained myself to control him over the years. In the worst-case scenario, he would control my body for a while and I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it. After taking a few steps closer to the hole, it looked like my presence was noticed since one of the dire rats emerged from it. The creature was almost one meter long, so it was quite big, but aside from that, I couldn¡¯t see many things different from this kind of monster from the overgrown rats a person would find in a dark alley in a big city. The creature studied me with its dark and black eyes, but soon charged forward when I took a step ahead. I opened my eyes wide when the beast suddenly jumped to bite my neck, but my left arm was ready and high enough to block the monster¡­ the creature still bit it, imagining that it would be pretty soft. My shirt protected my flesh, but I still could feel the pointy teeth of the beast against my skin, so I didn¡¯t hesitate to stab the creature¡¯s head with my knife. The weapon was surprisingly sharp. It pierced the head of the monster with ease¡­ the creature didn¡¯t have the chance to even screech in pain.
You received 01 EXP.
You received 01 Origin Coins.
The body of the monster grew limp and then I sighed in relief as it began to fall, but soon the smell of blood began to take over my nostrils¡­ My knife was dripping with blood as well and a bit of the monster¡¯s flesh. ¡®Welp, I guess the creatures here won¡¯t turn into particles of light once they are defeated. This still can be pretty satisfying, don¡¯t you think?¡¯ I let out a sigh and checked the shirt on my arm. It wasn¡¯t damaged, so I could keep using it. Still, only one point of experience, huh? I had to kill one hundred of those things if I wanted to level up? That was a lot of bloody work¡­ While I was thinking about that, I heard a sound coming from the body of the dire rat and soon the body of the monster turned into dust that was blown away by the wind¡­ two particles of light flew in the air until they dissolved. ¡®Maybe this world is lagged or something¡­ the blood in the knife still is there, though.¡¯ ¡®This isn¡¯t a game, dumbass.¡¯ ¡®How can you be so sure?¡¯ ¡®For one, human technology isn¡¯t that advanced and for another, a virtual world wouldn¡¯t be the first thing that someone with a lot of resources would create. It probably would be a weapon of war.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I see¡­ to kill all the men in the world and get all the women.¡¯ I wondered why I bothered trying to have a serious conversation with this moron. In any case, I decided to clean the knife on the grass and noticed that the body of the dire rat left a few things after it turned into dust¡­ its fangs. ¡®... is this an actual drop or something? Ah, come to think of it¡­¡¯
Common Knife (Common) The most basic type of weapon for combat. The reach and the attack power are on the low side, but it is very light. Attack: 03 Durability: 10/10
Dire Rat¡¯s Fangs An alchemy ingredient.
Simple, but at least it confirmed what I could do in this world. Perhaps I could find information about others as well¡­ or at least I could only find information about the things in my possession.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡®I need to reach level two as soon as possible¡­ I don¡¯t want to move around carrying this type of thing in my pockets.¡¯ It should have some value, so leaving behind would be a waste. It was a literal alchemy ingredient¡­ I just hoped that it wasn¡¯t used to make things like HP, MP, and SP potions. It would make me question if I really should use them. I approached the hole to find another prey, and it actually worked¡­ another dire rat came to attack me, but this time I welcomed the beast with my arm further from my head. The creature tried to jump above my arm, but I raised it and then smashed the head of the creature. It felt like I was a goalie blocking a penalty kick with a single arm¡­ it hurt like hell, but at least the impact stunned the monster too, which I used the chance to stab its head.
You received 01 EXP.
You received 01 Origin Coins.
¡®What is this? It isn¡¯t hard at all! Is this a tutorial zone or something?¡¯ Those guards wouldn¡¯t have difficulties dealing with the monsters, so leaving those things alone so close to the town would be foolish¡­ or maybe they multiplied that fast. Considering the amount of experience gained, perhaps it made sense that the monsters only had their size instead of any real danger. Still, my arm was still throbbing where it was hit. With another knife, I could block their advance and finish them quickly, but I would need money to buy it¡­ ¡®Or take it from someone.¡¯ ¡®I am never letting you take over¡­¡¯ ¡®Anyway, a dual-knife fighting style? That is pretty cool. Much better than focusing on having a big weapon to compensate for something and an armor and shield that turn you into a turtle.¡¯ ¡®A big sword is good to cleave the monsters in half with a single strike, once you can lift it.¡¯ ¡®If you can lift it.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t deny it, while it was cool, it was simply unfeasible unless you were a simple human. Using short swords or knives would be a lot more interesting since it would allow me to focus on avoiding attacks, I didn¡¯t have the confidence of becoming battle-hardened enough to endure pain and continue to fight back after being hit or bitten by a monster. In any case, while I was thinking about that, I noticed that the monster left a tail behind this time¡­ it was another alchemical ingredient. I could only assume that alchemists around here used all kinds of dubious ingredients for their potions, they weren¡¯t the type that transmute sand into gold. With much hesitation, I decided to store that shit in my pocket¡­ I needed to reach level two as soon as possible and confirm that I could use an inventory. Still, it seemed that things wouldn¡¯t be so easy since after the third fight, no more rats came from that hole. ¡®I guess the spawning limit of this hole ended for today. Perhaps I should return here later and see if they can come out every hour or something.¡¯ ¡®What a massive waste of time, look for better hunting spots, it is the time to gain the advantage over the others. The chicks will throw themselves at us once they see the strength that we obtained.¡¯ "Yeah, what could be better than being surrounded by a bunch of countless self-interested women that wouldn¡¯t have paid attention to us if we couldn¡¯t offer anything else to them.¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± A long time ago, I thought that this guy was just my dark side that I was trying to suppress¡­ but this couldn¡¯t be true, I refused to be this moronic in any part of the deepest spots in my mind. True, I was quite unruly when I was kid, and I was forced to take some meds and attend some talks with a shrink. That made me calm down and for a while, I lost a lot of energy, but then the voice of this guy began to bother me¡­ it was my own voice, actually. When I asked people around if they could hear this voice telling them to do things that felt questionable, the adults just told me that it was just the ¡°Bad Ryan¡±. I began to suppress this moron with that in mind¡­ At some times, I thought that I was just a bit crazy, but all the other parts of my life seemed fine. So, I decided to keep this guy hidden from everyone. Then I heard about alter egos and decided to assume that I had one for whatever reason. ¡®I never asked you this, but why do you exist? Do I have some sort of trauma?¡¯ ¡®Trauma? Who knows? I exist because you exist, that is all.¡¯ Yeah, a massive waste of time to ask my problem why it exists. I decided to move on to the next hole on the ground and I could see a bunch of them in the area. I wondered if some of them had more dire rats than the others or if they could increase in numbers if they aren¡¯t hunted down regularly, it was something that I had to consider. Still, before finding a new target, I decided to approach a tree and then chop one of the branches. My arm wouldn¡¯t last long if I kept blocking the monsters like that, so I wanted to carve a simple spear to make things easier. I also wanted to confirm if it would be recognized by the system. There were some apples on the tree as well, but I could see their information until I grabbed them.
Apple (Common) Restores 02 points of health and 05 of stamina.
¡®I need to stock these. Perhaps I can sell them as well, but stocking them up will be a better option for emergencies. There are many things that I need to learn about this system, so it is better to stock up what I can before deciding anything.¡¯ ¡®Well, look at you. Taking control over your life for once.¡¯ ¡®That isn¡¯t exactly true since I was put in this place without anyone asking me if I wanted¡­ Even if someone asked if I wanted to go to a place where I could level up, I probably would have ignored them and thought that they lost their marbles. In any case, this apple seems identical to the ones on Earth¡­ is this a coincidence?¡¯ I would be lying if I said that I wasn¡¯t a bit excited about the situation¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell if the future would be more difficult than this. It probably, most likely, definitely would, but the feeling was still pretty good. I could do whatever I wanted now¡­ even those working for the system said that I could do whatever I wanted as long as I had power and money. It was a much more exciting life than just being a cog in a machine. A cog that was replaced and thrown away the moment it stops working just a bit. In any case, I was given one hell of a chance now, but it looked like I wasn¡¯t the only one¡­ who knows how many people had been sent here, and I had to make sure that I wouldn¡¯t be the one who would stay on the bottom of the food chain. Chapter 04 - Bond
Short Wooden Spear (Common) Attack: 01 Durability: 03/03
¡®It is trash, but at least confirms that we can make stuff here to help us.¡¯ ¡°You didn¡¯t get a skill, so I guess you can¡¯t throw it and learn the skill throw or some shit.¡¯ ¡®It would be too convenient if it were that easy. In any case, it is time to resume my hunt.¡¯ If I could find some decent pieces of wood, I could carve a shield as well. The knife was sharp enough to make some decent things, so I should use it while I can. Considering that everyone was given one of those for free, they shouldn¡¯t be expensive, but in times like this, it was better to be a bit cautious about spending, even more so when I could only buy information with money. I approached the next hole in the ground and then immediately got ready to fight when the next dire rat appeared¡­ they weren¡¯t quite good at accessing danger since the beast charged at me despite my two weapons in hand. Still, despite the fact that things should have been easier, I messed up¡­ I didn¡¯t aim the spear high enough, and the beast passed above it¡­ it only got a bit of a scratch thanks to that mess up. Fortunately, my other hand moved fast enough to block the face of the beast with my knife. It smashed it against the blade and then began to screech in pain after it fell on the ground¡­ I stabbed its head with the spear.
You received 01 EXP.
You received 01 Origin Coins.
¡®You are quite bad at this. Let me do it instead.¡¯ ¡®No one asked for your opinion¡­¡¯ While I said that, my heart was racing¡­ this should be the type of monster that anyone can fight. I shouldn¡¯t be messing up with them like this. I moved the spear up and down a bit and then tightened my grip. I had to keep closer to my body and let the stupidity of the dire rats be their downfall instead of my clumsy skill. Fortunately, the next target soon showed up and confirmed that those guys only targeted my head or neck¡­ the beast got a nasty wound on its face thanks to the wooden spear that increased in size when the monster fell on the ground and I pierced its face with it.
You received 01 EXP.
You received 01 Origin Coins.
¡®All right, this will do¡­¡¯ ¡®Hey, come on¡­ let me have some of the fun too.¡¯ I ignored the other guy and resumed the hunt¡­ I got tired pretty fast since I wasn¡¯t exactly in good shape, but I recovered as fast when I ate some apples. They tasted as sweet as honey¡­ while I was grabbing others, some dire rats showed up to take them from me, but I managed to climb the tree and then stab them with the wooden spear when they tried to follow me. I avoided the tall grass since they would be able to surprise me, but that much was fine since there were plenty of holes in the ground and some of them had more than five dire rats inside them¡­ when I passed nearby the others I had cleaned, more of them had returned as well. ¡®I guess it is similar to spawning points¡­ but it would make more sense if all the holes were connected or something.¡¯ Since I was being cautious, it took me three hours to hunt all the monsters enough to level up¡­ I was beaten thanks to all that work, but I guessed that the tension was the main cause of the exhaustion.
You received 01 EXP.
You received 01 Origin Coins
Congratulations! You have leveled up!
All parameters increased by 01. You received 01 free points.
Inventory is now available.
I felt a wave of energy spreading through my body and all my exhaustion vanished¡­ my stamina was completely recovered, so I felt alive like never before. ¡®Inventory.¡¯ My exhilaration increased when the status window showing my inventory showed up. Now this made me wonder if it was really a game. I could see twenty empty boxes in a game-like window in front of me. I hesitantly grabbed the stuff in my pockets and then touched the inventory window. When I did that, they vanished from my hands and then their icons appeared inside. Dire Rat¡¯s Fangs x33 Dire Rat¡¯s Tails x56 ¡®They take a single slot, huh? How much can it stack?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but grin¡­ this was truly exciting. I decided to take some deep breaths to calm down since this was just the first step. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡®I should return to the town and complete the quest and see what I can get with this much money¡­ Speaking of which, no one came from there. There should be other gates, but¡­¡¯ ¡®They are probably cowering in fear.¡¯ When people find themselves in danger, their natural instinct is to seek external help to solve the problem. This behavior comes from a deeply ingrained survival mechanism: the recognition that safety often comes from collective efforts and the guidance of those perceived as more capable of such scenarios. In situations of extreme stress, like being kidnapped, this tendency is more obvious. Even if just one person succumbs to panic, it can quickly trigger a chain reaction. Panic is contagious. When one individual starts displaying fear or irrational behavior, it heightens the anxiety of those around them. People instinctively mirror the emotions and actions of others, especially in unfamiliar or threatening environments. This can escalate the situation, leading to mass hysteria, poor decision-making, and the group becoming even more vulnerable to the circumstances. I could already imagine what I would find in the town, so I hesitated a bit¡­ Unlike the other guy, I would rather do things by myself instead of making others rely on me for my own suspicious goals as well. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t waste time¡­ I should keep hunting during the day since at night, things will be a lot more dangerous.¡¯ I returned to the town and soon the guards looked at me. I wondered how I could prove that I had completed the quest, but I didn¡¯t have to. ¡°It took you long enough, but it seems you succeeded. Here is your reward.¡±
You completed a quest: Slay 50 Dire Rats.
You received 67 Origin Coins.
You received 10 EXP.
Guard Chark recognizes your efforts, you can receive quests directly once a day and based on their difficulty level.
Guard Chark - Lv 39 Bond: Lv 01 (05/100)
I rubbed my eyes¡­ When the quest was completed, I could see that information about Chark, but not about the other guards. It made me think of a system of dating sims, where you do things with some characters and then your image improves in their eyes until they are your friend or lover. ¡®... Maybe this isn¡¯t real¡­ it could indeed be a game.¡¯ ¡®Hehehe, this is quite interesting. What if we could make it reach the max level of a bunch of girls? We could make a harem with ease! This is truly awesome. We gotta catch¡¯em all!¡¯ I truly refused to believe that those kinds of thoughts truly came from me¡­ I couldn¡¯t be such a degen. Maybe he was just my side that didn¡¯t care about being morally correct or was one percent self-centered and only lived to indulge himself in whatever he desired. Even now, I didn¡¯t know what he truly was or his purpose. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No problem. Come again if you are willing to work for us.¡± Regardless, I turned to the town to see a lot more people there¡­ not thousands, but close enough and they were looking in all corners of the place for a way to return home. It didn¡¯t look like they tried to leave the place, at least not yet. ¡®Let¡¯s see what I need¡­ another knife, some arm protectors, a water bottle and, as usual, some more information.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s check the prices in the red-light district.¡¯ I ignored that moron and then looked for the information broker again. Looking for those places was a good idea, but I could save time by buying the information. There is nothing more valuable in the world than time, after all. ¡°Hello again. It looks like you are still alive, huh?¡± ¡°... Do many people come here before only to die so soon?¡± ¡°Yes, a lot of them. I am surprised that the guards didn¡¯t kill anyone yet. Putting that aside, I am sure you can buy some information now.¡± ¡°I want to know what this place is.¡± ¡°This is the Bivile town, the 513th zone of the Atlantis Continent.¡±
You used 05 Origin Coins.
¡°Atlantis¡­ Continent? Not city?¡± ¡°This is what the continent is called here.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°The information of where the continent is located will cost 500 Origin coins.¡± This guy was truly selling all kinds of information, but it was still annoying to deal with such a greedy guy. I want to know why we are here and if everyone from Earth will come, but that information will be too expensive. ¡°I want to know where I can buy things, like weapons and bracers. A water bottle too.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have access to the Map yet, right? The information would be updated on the map if you had it¡­ Anyway, the weapon shop is three streets back and the armor shop five streets back. We don¡¯t have water bottles, but you can buy a canteen in the utilities shop close to the northern gate.¡±
You used 15 Origin Coins.
The information was a lot more chapter than I expected, so I wondered what I should do¡­ I stopped to think for a moment. ¡°Can you only sell the answer to direct questions?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Can you give me some tips on what I should do now?¡± ¡°Aside from hunting as much as possible, you should find and sell new materials as soon as you get them. The more people find them, the more their price will decrease. You also shouldn¡¯t leave the plains until you get your first class at level ten.
You used 40 Origin Coins.
That was some useful piece of information¡­ it made sense, but it looked like I would have to hunt thousands of dire rats to get my first class. It was better if I hurried up then. ¡°I see, thanks.¡±
Information Broker Lain - Lv 62 Bond: Lv 01 (25/100)
I blinked a few times when I was able to see that¡­ this was very weird, but I decided not to think too much about it. I headed to the location where the information broker told me to go and I ignored the people around¡­ those who noticed me looked confused as they saw me moving with purpose and not looking shocked or afraid of what was going on. I probably would if I kept thinking about every single thing, but it was better to focus on the positive of the situation. I found the weapon shop thanks to the sound of hammer and anvil and the smoke coming from a chimney, but instead of a burly, hairy man selling weapons, I saw a blonde woman in her twenties with her hair tied in a long braid. ¡°Good day! What are you looking for?¡± ¡®She is a solid 8.5 without make up¡­ did you notice that most of the people here don¡¯t have many flaws in their skin? Are you sure that they aren¡¯t NPCs or something? It is fine to mess around if they are just NPCs, right?¡¯ ¡®Shut the fuck up¡­¡¯ This guy was giving me a migraine. In any case, I couldn¡¯t help but frown since I only found basic stuff being sold in front of the shop. There was even information about the items. Chapter 05 - Powering Up
Short Sword (Common) Attack: 04 Durability: 10/10 Cost: 40 Origin Coins
Small Hunting Bow (Common) (For Archer¡¯s Only) Attack: 03 Durability: 05/05 Cost: 50 Origin Coins
Short Ax (Common) Attack : 04 Durability: 10/10 Cost: 40 Origin Coins
¡®It looks like I can¡¯t use everything if I don¡¯t have the right class for it, huh? I wonder why, it isn¡¯t like I can¡¯t learn how to use a bow¡­¡¯ The costs seemed pretty high, but they will get even higher once people begin to buy things. Repairing gear shouldn¡¯t be easy, only a few classes should have that kind of skill. A copy of my knife was only ten Origin coins, so this was pretty nice and the other didn¡¯t lose any durability, so I could use them both for a while. ¡°You don¡¯t have magic items here?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t be created now since the materials to make them haven¡¯t been found lately.¡± Was it that hard to find them or there was another reason for it? It made me wonder if I would get a discount if I bought the materials to make something magical. In any case, I could wonder about that later¡­ I bought another knife and then went to check the armor shop. They didn¡¯t have anything fancy either, but the bracers seemed good enough and cost thirty Origin coins. ¡®All right then¡­ shall I return to the hunting grounds or look around the town for people that could give me quests?¡¯ Quests could make things more efficient and that was the best thing for me now¡­ Selling the materials could help as well make people give me quests. Maybe I should just ask the information broker for those. ¡®I guess I will talk to him again.¡¯ ¡®You should ask him if there is some question about making a harem.¡¯ ¡®Dude, what the hell¡­ you can¡¯t be horny all the time.¡¯ ¡®I have two sides: horny and hornier.¡¯ ¡®Maybe I should take those meds again¡­¡¯ I returned to where the information broker was after buying a canteen to store water. That costs ten Origin coins as well, and I had no idea how much it costs to rent a room here, so it was better to start gaining money again. ¡°Hey, you are already back? It is rare to see a newbie who is also a hard worker.¡± ¡°Really? Anyway, I want to ask about the people in the town who can offer me quests.¡± ¡°Based on the things that you can obtain and do in the plain lands, you can receive quests from the guards near the gates. You can get them as well from the restaurant and from the alchemist.¡±
You used 30 Origin Coins.
¡°What about hidden quests?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t get them as an apprentice.¡± They existed, and that was all I needed to know. I could tell that the alchemist would want the rat parts and the restaurant would want apples. I could stock a bunch of them¡­ it would be interesting to do the same quest several times over, but since this wasn¡¯t a game, I couldn¡¯t gain the same amount of experience several times in a row. ¡°Hello, table for one?¡± A middle-aged woman wearing an apron asked when I approached the restaurant. I imagined finding a plump woman with a warm smile, but she looked a lot more serious than expected. She was quite thin as well. Just like all the people who lived in this town, she had an almost flawless skin. ¡°Sorry, but I am not here to eat. I just heard that you could be looking for people to give you a hand.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°We don¡¯t need workers and you don¡¯t look much like a chef.¡± ¡°... I meant to bring you apples or something.¡± ¡°Is that right? If you bring some apples before nightfall, then I can pay you one Origin coin for each of them. Two apples for an extra apple if you bring more than 150 apples.¡±
You received a quest: Collect 150 Apples. Rewards: 50 Origin coins + extra, 20 EXP and Chef Elaine¡¯s appreciation. Time Limit: 360 minutes
¡°All right, I will do it!¡± I left in a hurry since I didn¡¯t find that many apples before when I was moving¡­ I probably would have to check all the areas around the town. It seemed like a waste when they could restore my health and stamina, but I had to open as many paths as possible before making big decisions such as stocking a lot of materials. ¡®The alchemist can wait¡­ I can¡¯t risk failing this quest.¡¯ ¡®Just hunting the damn rats is better. Why waste time with this?¡¯ ¡®Maybe she will give me some information later. Increasing the bond with the people here shouldn¡¯t be a waste of time.¡¯ ¡°Hey, Ryan! Where are you going in such a hurry?¡± I slowed down when I heard the voice of my boss¡­ when I looked to the side, I saw him moving toward me. He looked even more red with anger than usual. ¡°Just hunting some monsters.¡± ¡°Are they that easy to kill? Where did you get that other knife?¡± ¡°I just bought it. It only costs ten origin coins. You can get that much after killing ten dire rats.¡± ¡°Really? Then give me a hand with it.¡± I wouldn¡¯t mind giving him a hand since he was the only acquaintance that I had come here with¡­ Still, I had a bad feeling about this. His tone wasn¡¯t like someone asking for a favor, but giving an order. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I am going to move around the area to check some things. I am not sure if you can keep it up. If you reach level two, then you will change my mind about it.¡± ¡°What? Getting a bit arrogant here, kiddo? Are you finally showing your true colors?¡± ¡°Not really. I am just being honest. I am truly going to run around and you are quite out of shape, boss. Still, if you can show that much spirit by leveling up, then I will be able to tell that our partnership will be fruitful for both of us.¡± ¡°I am the one who gets to decide that, not you!¡± ¡®Just tell this fatass to fuck off. He is pissing me off.¡¯ ¡°Sorry, but you hired me before because you could profit from my skills and time, not out of the goodwill in your heart. Fighting isn¡¯t easy and until you can show that you can watch my back, I am not going to team up with you, boss. Or with anyone. Both sides have to benefit from this.¡± ¡°You little¡­ the moment we return home, consider yourself fired! Go and die in some dirty hole!¡± Well, that ended as well as I had expected¡­ with him, it is his way or the highway. In any case, I didn¡¯t let that bother me and just resumed my run. Before long, I was back in the plain lands and then moved to the closest trees. The number of apples was small because of the dire rats¡­ In any case, climbing the trees was a bit easier than I remembered, so the process had been pretty easy. In no time, I grabbed five apples from the first tree and then decided to head to the next¡­ but soon I heard the squeaks of a pair of dire rats. ¡®Should I do it or run?¡¯ ¡®Increase your strength and this should be easy.¡¯ All my points increased and I only have a single parameter free to use¡­ I would only get eight more free points, and the parameters would increase eight times as well, so perhaps I should take my chances here¡­ Still, while the other guy was a moron, he wouldn¡¯t say or do something that would get me killed, so I followed his idea. The beasts sensed my will to fight and soon they charged at me. I lowered my stance and focused on their movements when they leaped to attack my head. After seeing them doing that more than one hundred times, their attack pattern no longer surprised or scared me. I didn¡¯t hesitate to thrust the knives at their heads.
You received 02 EXP.
You received 02 Origin Coins.
The knives easily pierced the monsters¡¯ heads, and I barely felt any resistance during the attack or when I felt the weight of their charge¡­ It looked like the increase in parameters truly made me stronger. The monsters turned into dust and left some teeth behind, so I stored them in the inventory¡­ it would be useful if they went right there, but it wasn¡¯t that convenient. Putting that aside, this battle raised some questions. ¡®I can¡¯t see their parameters, but it looked like I caused a lot more damage than before. Was it because of critical damage or was it because the power combined of the knives increased my attack? I should ask the information broker later. It would be interesting if I could see the health bar of the monsters at least¡­ Maybe I need a skill for that.¡¯ There were so many things to learn, but all those questions only made me look more forward to the future¡­ Perhaps I could take some chances in the tall grass as well. My defense should have increased given the weight of the monsters during the impact was weaker, but this could have been a combination of my attack slowing them down and my defenses. This kind of question made me recall some old RPGs, the formula to calculate damage was quite broken, in some games, when the attack was much higher than the defense, a single point in some parameter or level could make the fight against monsters a lot easier¡­ skills and items that ignore defense could be insanely overpowered thanks to that as well. This made things quite realistic since it is pretty easy for someone who is just heavier to knock down another person who is lighter with a few hits. What didn¡¯t make sense were those games where, at the max level, you have to use a bunch of skills to defeat a giraffe monster. ¡®Hey, let me do some of the fighting as well.¡¯ ¡®No way, you will only cause trouble and I can¡¯t risk failing the quest.¡¯ ¡®You can get the damn apples. Just let me do the fighting instead.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®Let me at least fight once or twice, come one!¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ After that, the other guy went silent¡­ I could feel that he was quite pissed, but I didn¡¯t care. I had to make things really efficient and not do things based on how much fun they gave me. Still, I never realized that I would come to regret this¡­ Chapter 06 - Freedom A couple of hours later, the sun began to set on the horizon and I was already back at the restaurant where I got the quest. My clothes were dirty with sweat and dust, so I wondered if that lady would still accept them. ¡°Oh, you are back¡­ I gave you enough time to make you fail, but I guess you aren¡¯t half bad.¡± Well, that was quite annoying¡­ it seemed that she didn¡¯t like the people that were arriving, maybe they caused some trouble for her already. In any case, at least she accepted the apples that I had brought.
You completed a quest: Collect 150 Apples. Rewards: 75 Origin coins + 20 EXP and Chef Elaine¡¯s appreciation.
¡°Thanks for the help. If you obtain more of those, you can bring them here earlier in the morning and I will buy them from you.¡± So, it was a repeatable quest that I could complete every morning and I didn¡¯t have to come and accept every single time¡­ maybe it was because Elaine was that impatient and not welcoming to people like me. ¡°... All right. Name: Ryan Winters Class: Apprentice Lv 03 (22/200) Job: (00/000) HP: 70/70 MP: 70/70 SP: 25/70 Strength: 08 Magic: 07 Dexterity: 07 Vitality: 07 Wisdom: 07 Endurance: 07 Toughness: 07 Spirit: 07 Adaptability: 07 Free Points: 01 Origin Coins: 312 Skills: Job Skills: I checked my parameters¡­ I decided to return after getting another level, so it took a while, even though the dire rats smelled the apples in the air and then decided to take them from me. That made it a bit easier to hunt them. Perhaps I could set some traps near their holes and kill them that way. Speaking of which, the skills I got from the Apprentice class didn¡¯t show up in my skill list¡­ it was more like they weren¡¯t skills, but functions of the system. I can finally create a party, but few people were leaving the town, and those who left returned after a couple of minutes after suffering some scratches. ¡®I guess modern life weakened us quite a bit¡­¡¯ Party (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 03) You gain the ability to create and manage a party of up to 3 members, allowing you to share experience and coin gains. With this skill, you can invite others to join your party, making it easier to work together on objectives. This skill also allows the group to share progress on quests, so everyone stays updated on their collective goals. ¡®The next skills will be Chat, Friend List, and Trade. They will be useless for a while since few people are going outside. I was expecting that some crazy people or some athletes would come to fight, but it looked like everyone was waiting for the situation to solve themselves somehow.¡¯ That was simply insane¡­ denial is one of the worst things that a person can do when it comes to these kinds of situations. Adaptability was the key and that could decide their survival. ¡®I should try to reach level seven tomorrow and get access to the map and then get my first real class on the day after tomorrow. This shouldn¡¯t be that hard.¡¯ The fights were easier and my body was adapting fast, so it was feasible¡­ the only problem was the other guy who had gone AWOL. He never did that before, so I could tell that he was plotting something problematic. ¡®I am too tired to care¡­ I need to rest. Where was the closest inn, anyway?¡¯Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Even now, more people were showing up in the town, so I wondered if there was enough room for people to rent or even sleep. The closest inn was only two blocks away, so I had the chance to see people on the ground, it looked like they collapsed for some reason¡­ We have been here for over eight hours and while the conditions were good, it was still possible for people to get heat stroke thanks to the help of anxiety. I could see some kids around and that made me feel bad for them¡­ I was enjoying the situation, but the situation itself was unfair for them. ¡®I didn¡¯t stop to think about this, but what caused this or what brought us here?¡¯ Sooner or later, people would have to be forced to come out of the town and fight¡­ the ones who would have the hardest time would be the kids. Perhaps I should help them¡­ there weren¡¯t many of them, after all. Still, could I be half-assed to them, like buying a shield or two for them to fight the monsters? If I decide to help them level up, they would need to at least reach level five to endure the attacks of the dire rats without suffering that much damage. This would be quite time-consuming¡­ ¡®This situation is quite messed up for them¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t know what I should do¡­ only that I needed to rest right now. I had some apples with me, so I didn¡¯t have to buy dinner. I just needed a room with a bed to rest. ¡°Hello, are you looking for a room to spend the night?¡± The innkeeper was a man in his twenties with short, dark hair and light brown eyes. He seemed a bit more welcoming than Elaine, but at this point in time, I didn¡¯t care. They weren¡¯t running a charity here, so they had to make a profit somehow. No one in the city was. ¡°Yes, how much is it?¡± ¡°Ten Origin coins.¡±
You used Ten Origin coins.
¡°Here are the keys. Your room is the first on the right side of the first floor.¡± I nodded and then moved to the first floor of the inn. Now that I paid some attention to the place, it wasn¡¯t as old or run down as I had imagined¡­ Everything was spotless and brand new. Which was weird given what the clerk of the weapon shop said. Some people should have been here before us. The room was also pretty nice and cozy. There wasn¡¯t much inside aside from a bed, a chair, table, a small closet and the window, but it felt pretty relaxing. When I sat on the bed, I felt my body relaxing quite fast¡­ sleeping here would be fine, but I put the chair to block the door just in case and closed the curtain of the window. ¡®I don¡¯t think that anyone will do something stupid so soon, but it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡¯ All my things were in my inventory, but I imagined that all of that would become drops once I am killed. I didn¡¯t think that anyone had confirmed that yet, but it was better if I slept with one eye open¡­ quite impossible, but I needed that much to keep my guard raised. After eating some apples, I began to feel really sleepy¡­ the day had been pretty long and tiring, but it felt really exciting. I couldn¡¯t recall the last time I had this much fun¡­ I barely could contain my eagerness to return to the hunt and then unlock my new class as soon as possible. Before long, I closed my eyes and then began to sleep. My body soon began to move, but I didn¡¯t notice it¡­ ¡®Finally, freedom!¡¯ ¡­ ¡­ I woke up the next day with someone knocking on my door¡­ I slowly got up, feeling really exhausted. The room was completely lit, so it shouldn¡¯t be early in the morning anymore. ¡®That was one hell of a dream¡­¡¯ Eventually, all the good dreams end and then the cold and uncaring reality comes to knock at your door¡­ just like someone was doing at mine right now. ¡°The time of the rest is over. Would you like to rent your room for another day?¡± I blinked a few times in confusion, since I saw the innkeeper of the dream I had in front of me. I rubbed my eyes, but it looked like I wasn¡¯t waking up properly. Then I saw the status screen in the corner of my vision¡­ it looked like that hadn¡¯t been a dream. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too early for my time to run out?¡± ¡°It is already noon.¡± ¡°Noon?! What? Ouch, ouch¡­ my body is hurting all over¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to rent the room for another day and night?¡± ¡°... Yes.¡±
You used Ten Origin coins.
¡°Thank you very much. Have a nice stay.¡± I tried to stretch my body. It looked to be very sore since I worked so hard yesterday¡­ Still, that much was fine. I didn¡¯t think that I was that tired, but the excitement probably made me not realize my limits. The soreness began to leave my body, only leaving a throbbing pain in some parts¡­ when I checked those parts, I found teeth marks on my arms and legs. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡®Last night was fun¡­ it was very fulfilling.¡¯ ¡®What did you do?¡¯ ¡®While you were sleeping, I took over your body and went to fight for a bit. You can see the results of my hunt. This also shows how much incompetent you are.¡¯ I checked my status screen more properly and confirmed that I reached level seven¡­ I opened my eyes widely. No wonder it was already noon, and I still felt a bit tired¡­ This guy didn¡¯t let my body rest properly. More important than that, he was never able to take over my body at night¡­ When he had the chance to move it, it was because I gave him permission and I could take it back whenever I wanted. ¡®Relax, I just went out to hunt. I didn¡¯t fool around. I wanted to, but I wasn¡¯t in condition. The dire rats are more violent at night, so they came at me, really looking forward to some pieces of me, but at least that made things easier to find them. Aside from a few bites that barely caused any damage, I made a lot of progress for the both of us.¡¯ ¡®You son of a bitch¡­ this body is mine, it isn¡¯t yours!¡¯ ¡®If that were true, I wouldn¡¯t be able to control it even better than you. I would assume that the presence of mana in our body made my existence more obvious and more influential. Now I no longer have lapses of memory and only appear now and then. This will be very fun.¡¯ This was the worst¡­ things were more fun now, but this asshole had more influence over my body now. It was impossible to tell what kinds of troublesome situations he would put me in. That was why he went quiet before¡­ he decided to save his energy to control my body when I was exhausted. ¡®Well, then¡­ are you going to accept my help, or are you going to make things difficult for both of us?¡¯ ¡®You think that can threaten me like this?¡¯ ¡®It isn¡¯t a threat, it is a business proposal. I swear that I won¡¯t do something like this again, but you will have to cooperate with me. I am not going to let my instincts run wild and bother you all the time. I can also think about the future, after all.¡¯ I began to massage my eyebrows¡­ I couldn¡¯t make this decision like this while my head was a mess. It was already a mess from the very beginning thanks to my alter ego, but now it got much worse. Still, he had a point¡­ while he was most likely my mad side, he could be useful, gaining this many levels in a few hours showed that. In order to thrive in this crazy situation, I had to use all the cards available to me. ¡®Very well¡­ but if we are going to work together, it will be under my terms.¡¯ Chapter 07 - Grinding My guess was that my alter ego had some sort of limit of how much he could control my body. He couldn¡¯t overpower me and do that all the time, but it should be easier when I was sleeping, since I would be completely relaxed. The annoying part was that I couldn¡¯t wake up when he did that. Still, cooperating with this moron had some value¡­ When it comes to certain activities that rely on skills and confidence, he was better than me, but he was also the type who gets carried away easily, so I had to handle him with caution. ¡°Hey, how can I help you today?¡± Lain, the information broker, greeted me with his usual business smile when I approached. While I had wasted half of the day already thanks to oversleeping and my alter ego, I had a chance and some extra money to spend, so it was better to get some valuable intel before moving. With some luck, perhaps I could even reach level ten today. ¡°I want to ask about the conditions of the people coming to the town if more are still coming.¡± ¡°Very well. Five thousand people is the limit of people coming here. Some groups decided to leave the town and fight together, but a lot of them are returning very injured. Others are leaving only to grab the apples and returning to the town.¡±
You used 30 Origin coins.
I could see that by myself, but that would take time¡­ still, five thousand. I wanted to ask why, but it felt like it would be a very expensive piece of information. I decided to ask something else. ¡°I guess the apples won¡¯t be found for a while¡­ Can you tell me some good hunting spots for the dire rats?¡± ¡°The number of rats and the apples are restored every day. If they are left alone, they actually multiply a lot faster. That is why the people of the town are worried about the others doing a poor job hunting for them. It seems that you already can use the Map, so I will mark the spots where the good hunting grounds are.¡± I wanted to know how that was possible, but it was another piece of information that would be too expensive and the information itself wouldn¡¯t be of much use to me, at least for a while.
You used 70 Origin coins.
The Map appeared in front of me showing the area of the town that I had visited and the areas outside as well. It was the view from above, so it wasn¡¯t that detailed. Still, soon enough, some red dots appeared in some areas around the town, some of them I haven¡¯t even been yet. ¡°... How did you do that?¡± ¡°You can do anything here with money and power, even share information like this. Thank you for your purchase. Those spots have the largest concentrations of dire rats, so you will have some work ahead of you if you approach them.¡±
You used 30 Origin coins.
I nodded and then decided to leave the area before I asked too much and ended up broke. I needed money to do anything inside the town, so I had to be cautious. ¡®Perhaps I should buy some defensive gear to make sure those spots won¡¯t be a problem.¡¯ ¡®You should save for when you get to the next class. You don¡¯t know when the items being sold will be updated. Saving the money will be more useful.¡¯ To think that this guy would actually use his real head for a change¡­ I was speechless. Perhaps he was telling the truth about what he said earlier regarding thinking about the future. It was better not to assume anything yet. ¡°Hey, going to hunt again? It seems that you aren¡¯t much of a morning person.¡± ¡°Hahaha, guess so.
You received a quest: Slay 50 Dire Rats. Rewards: 17 origin coins + extra, 10 EXP and improve Guard Chark¡¯s appreciation. Time Limit: None
¡°By the way, can other guards grant me quests as well?¡± ¡°Probably, if you talk with the others at the other gates.¡± ¡°I see, thanks.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I dashed to the hunting grounds¡­ Perhaps talking with the other guards wasn¡¯t much of a better idea. While heading toward them, I could just hunt the dire wolves normally. Then again, there was a chance that they might give me some useful information or different quests based on the type of person they were. I approached the closest spot that the information broker marked on my map and soon a pair of dire rats emerged from the hole. This would make things easier. ¡®All right¡­ you can take care of this. Just don¡¯t mess up and get hurt.¡¯ ¡®It only happened before, because ten of them attacked me.¡¯ I felt myself losing control over my body for a moment, and then the other guy smirked. I felt that I still could control my body, but it felt like I was submerged in the ocean and I just let him control my body. The sensation was a bit different from what I recalled. It was annoying, but he was truly good at fighting. Probably he was just a mass of instincts. When the monsters jumped toward him, he smoothly moved to the sides and just stabbed the monsters in the air.
You received 02 EXP.
You received 02 Origin Coins.
¡°Hmph, too easy.¡± While the moron was letting his ego inflate, a pair of dire rats left the same hole as the previous ones¡­ The information broker was right about the hunting spots. Perhaps getting the new class was actually possible today. It made me wonder if some sort of test was necessary. We got the apprentice class at the moment we left the staircase, so perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be anything too difficult. In the end, I let the moron clean that spot without doing anything to stop him. He had the chance to fight thirty dire rats before they stopped coming. There were more than ten of those spots and if they had the same number, we wouldn¡¯t be able to level up, so perhaps we would have to fight at night. ¡®How the monsters come at night?¡¯ ¡®They don¡¯t hide in the holes and they come at you the moment they see you, even if you make noise hundreds of meters away.¡¯ Leaving at night wasn¡¯t a good idea then¡­ at least unless you are bat shit crazy like the other guy. Still, doing that after reaching the eight or level nine was the best option. Unless you want to spend the day hunting dire rats and not leveling even once. ¡®All right, time out.¡¯ I took over my body and then looked around. There were some groups of people hunting, but they were doing so very clumsily and in large groups of ten. They wouldn¡¯t level up anytime soon in this scenario since only the person who causes the last hit on the monster would get experience. I found some people looking at me and soon they looked away¡­ I couldn¡¯t blame them since, thanks to the moron, I had my clothes covered in monster¡¯s blood. He didn¡¯t even clean my clothes after hunting during the night. ¡®I guess I should buy some leather armor when it becomes available. Buying proper armor would work as well, but I don¡¯t want to become slower. Still, I wonder if nullifying all the damage of the dire rats was possible, even if they hit the unprotected parts. It would be fun since it would make it possible to build the fist build that focuses on armor.¡¯ ¡®It wouldn¡¯t make any sense. What would be the point? It would be better to invest all the money into a shield with high defense and stay light.¡¯ ¡®I guess so¡­¡¯ I headed to the next hunting ground, and I had to cross the plain lands for a couple of hundred meters¡­ I was heading north and in that direction, there was this massive forest. It looked pretty ominous. People avoided the place and the holes of the dire rats¡­ thanks to it, their number was quite high. The beasts began to show up and then charge at me, and then I focused on my movements. ¡®Imagine what you are going to do before you put it into practice. If you can see the movement well enough, it is almost impossible to miss it.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure how much that would be applicable, but the moron wouldn¡¯t lie to me¡­ he would tell convenient truths, but he wouldn¡¯t lie. With that in mind, I copied the moves that he showed before¡­ moving to the side and targeting the beasts from the side. I didn¡¯t know if it was muscle memory or something, but my body moved as smoothly as it could be. I barely felt any resistance when I cut the necks of the monsters.
You received 02 EXP.
You received 02 Origin Coins.
The weight of the bodies of the monsters was lighter too than before, so that passed a lot of confidence. ¡®They are only a problem of people at level one or two. This place is basically a glorified training field.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t deny that, but it only raised more questions about the future of the five thousand people in this town. The forest ahead should have much more difficult challenges¡­ Perhaps I should ask Lain about the things that we should be mindful of here. He didn¡¯t say anything in detail, but letting the monsters multiply like this couldn¡¯t be a good idea. Regardless, when the next group of monsters showed up and charged, I stepped forward and then jumped to check the limits of my new strength¡­ Much to my surprise, they passed below me. It was hard to believe, but it looked like I was already two times stronger than I was before¡­ faster and more durable as well. ¡®Focus on dodging. I have the feeling that it is the best option for us.¡¯ ¡®Based on what?¡¯ ¡®Instinct. Dodge and attack them at the very last moment. It is clear that the monsters act to sharpen our reflexes and make us understand our newfound strength. When they come at night, the focus is to improve our spatial awareness and be mindful of large group fights.¡¯ I wanted to ask for something more logical, but that was plenty logical¡­ if this place was a tutorial zone, then we had to get used to the basics of fighting and the things related to it. The functions of the system are liberated slowly to help with that as well. In any case, I could ask about that later with the information broker¡­ for now, I decided to focus only on hunting the dire rats. To make sure that I would improve my fighting skills, I also alternated with the other guy and watched how he used my body. At some point when the number of monsters slowed down, he got bored and then decided to throw the knives at the monsters¡­ I complained since his aim was terrible, but that didn¡¯t seem like a bad way to attack. We just needed to do some training with that and perhaps increase our dexterity. ¡®Long-ranged attacks are important and since we can¡¯t use some bows without the archer class, it might be good to learn how to do this¡­¡¯ Chapter 08 - The Next Class In the end, we got a single level after clearing the hunting spots that the information broker gave us. We fought pretty hard to reach the highest level possible before nightfall, but we failed to even reach level nine. ¡®Let me handle the monsters at night. I have experience fighting them.¡¯ ¡®You mean experience getting bitten by that?¡¯ ¡®Experience is experience, no matter the results. We need to confirm the changes after getting the next skill, right?¡¯ He was right¡­ I was the one who forced him to be logical, but that was starting to come to bite me in the ass. In any case, I grabbed that piece of paper. Considering what it was written, we truly should obtain this skill as soon as possible and see what it can change, since it isn¡¯t a function of the system per se. Mana Control (Basic) (Apprentice Lv 09) You gain the ability to wield mana and recover it, which is necessary to obtain advanced classes. This skill helps you manage your magical energy more effectively, allowing you to cast spells and use skills. The idea of using magic was pretty interesting, but mages most of the time need some front line to support them. I didn¡¯t need that kind of problem. Some items have class restrictions, so some spells should have them as well, but maybe there are some turnarounds for that. ¡®All right then, mess up and then this will be over. The wounds that you received yesterday still bother me. I am not planning to get them to cause lasting damage.¡¯ I wanted to see the monsters coming at me at night from this perspective before fighting them myself. It was better to come up with some countermeasures, considering that as well. When the sun set, everyone that was outside the town returned to the place and the atmosphere changed drastically. It was almost like I could feel the hunger of the monsters. ¡®Retreat a bit. We don¡¯t know if the monsters in the forest might come toward us if we get too close or make a lot of blood spread around.¡¯ ¡®All right.¡¯ The other guy began to retreat a bit while eating an apple and soon threw the remains to one of the holes¡­ that made some of the dire rats in that hole come out to attack him. The beasts were screeching while glaring at me and soon they charged with the double of the speed that they showed before. ¡®Oh, I forgot to say that they are a bit stronger at night, right?¡¯ ¡®You dumbass¡­¡¯ The monsters weren¡¯t the only ones who changed a lot at night¡­ The other guy looked a lot more wild as well. When the monsters charged, he charged toward them as well and began to slash around the short knives. They had lost some durability during the day, so they might break at some point, but he didn¡¯t care about that. Despite his stupidity, it looked like he knew what he was doing. The other guy weaved around amidst the monsters and stabbed them in the sides with ease. When he failed killing them in a single strike, at least the monsters got too hurt to do anything afterward.
You received 02 EXP.
You received 02 Origin Coins.
You received 02 EXP.
You received 02 Origin Coins.
¡®Another thing that this moron forgot to mention¡­¡¯ At least the system was being fair, the monsters got two times stronger, so they were granting two times more experience. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be an impossible dream to reach level ten tonight.
You received 02 EXP.
You received 02 Origin Coins
Congratulations! You have leveled up!
All parameters increased by 01. You received 01 free points.
Mana Control is now available.
¡°Hell yeah!¡± ¡®Hey, don¡¯t speak while using my body.¡¯ ¡°It is fine, isn¡¯t it? No one is looking.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t fine. You will mess up eventually. Don¡¯t do this again.¡± His mood soured¡­ I could tell that he was in a good mood since he managed to kill a large group of dire rats without even getting a single scratch. He might do something problematic again if he gets to upset. Still, I couldn¡¯t pamper him. ¡°All right, what now? Should we continue?¡± ¡°Yeah, keep going. I hate to say this, but you are better at me when it comes to fighting.¡± I wanted to get used to fighting at night, but it was cloudy and the amount of light was minimal. Even if my parameters had improved, they still had some limitations. I also wanted to tire this moron out before he decides to do anything stupid. Since he doesn¡¯t plan ahead or think aside about the moment, the other guy was truly good at fighting. Even if he didn¡¯t have experience, his confidence and lack of fear made him a lot better than me when it comes to fighting. Considering that, I imagined that getting a different fighting style would be a good idea¡­ perhaps even a magical class that isn¡¯t focused on support. My other option was to find another way to fight at close range better. Learning from the other guy was also a good idea. The only thing I couldn¡¯t do was to let him do all the fighting all the time. There is a chance that he might obtain more control over my body than me if I let that happen. ¡°Oops¡­ I guess I am getting tired.¡± The other guy tripped on a stone when he tried to avoid the charge of a dire rat and he was forced to stab the monster with both knives in order to stop the creature. That gave room for the others to surround him. ¡°All right, I will handle this.¡± I took control over my body again¡­ I was planning to tire him out a bit more since he only reached the halfway point of the current level. This wasn¡¯t much of a real fighting style, but it was the best I could come up with for now¡­ When the monsters got close enough, I stopped their charge with the tip of my knives and then quickly turned to handle the next moments. The knives only pierced their faces enough for some blood gush, but it was enough for me. Before the other monsters could reach me, I spun around and stabbed them in the air with some light thrust attacks and stopped them in their tracks¡­ There was no strength involved or agility, just a bit of defense and a lot of speed. The monsters on the ground began to screech in pain, but soon I stabbed them in the head and finished the job. I tried to be fast, but some of them still managed to react¡­ stabbing monsters on the ground with knives was a bit hard, so I had to crush their heads with my feet. ¡®Crunch,¡¯ ¡®crunch.¡¯ The sound and the feeling of smashing the monsters was truly disgusting¡­ I truly should improve my fighting style. Learning how to throw knives should help as well, even though it was only useful at night. My usual fighting style was normal for day encounters. I did that a few times and realized that while I was taking my time, the other guy wasn¡¯t complaining. It made me wonder if he was resting to take over my body later. That was an aggravation that I truly didn¡¯t need in my life.
You received 02 EXP.
You received 02 Origin Coins
Congratulations! You have leveled up!
All parameters increased by 01. You received 01 free points.
Mana Control is now available.
You received a quest: The First Real Step Look for information on the town about where you can upgrade your class. The options might be limited according to your actions, but there are still many paths available for you. Your journey has just started.
I was expecting some options to appear in front of me, but it looked like things weren¡¯t that simple¡­ that raised some questions. The alert said that I could obtain more options based on what I had done¡­ but was that true even from the very beginning? I only talked with some people and killed monsters, after all. ¡®Well, let¡¯s see what the information broker can say about this? Is he still working even at this hour?¡¯ If he were like an NPC, he would be¡­ but wishing for that now truly wouldn¡¯t be of much use to this reality. In any case, when I passed through the gate, I looked around for Chark, but he was nowhere to be seen. It was a new group of guards here¡­ and they couldn¡¯t complete the quests for him. That confirmed that they weren¡¯t acting like NPCs. When I headed to where the information broker was, Lain was nowhere to be seen. The building was closed as well. So, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡®I guess I should sleep and drop here as soon as the sun rises¡­¡¯ I was a bit tired, so when I returned to the inn, I imagined that I would fall asleep soon, but that didn¡¯t happen¡­ I was too excited. This was another exciting moment in my life, after all. Two exciting days in a row¡­ of course I couldn¡¯t relax and fall asleep. I considered increasing my strength more and then knocking myself out, but then I wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up at the sunrise, so I just waited patiently until the time came. I didn¡¯t think that I slept more than two hours tonight, but when the sky was turning light blue again, I got up from the bed with a powerful leap. ¡°All right, let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡®I am still tired, so wake me up when something interesting happens or when you are done with the class chance.¡¯ ¡®This guy¡­ he truly wants to leave all the boring parts to me.¡¯ I had no idea why he was that tired¡­ I was still fine thanks to the excitement, but I probably should take a nap at some point. In any case, I headed outside, but then noticed that the bedrooms looked like they were occupied¡­ I didn¡¯t know when everyone would be able to rent a room or if the town had enough room for that, but I decided to rent my room for a week and save time. The innkeeper seemed to be in a good mood when he got the coins¡­ Speaking of which, I could take them from my inventory as well. That didn¡¯t change anything, but it was good to know. ¡°Hey, good morning, mister hard worker. Already at level ten, huh? I guess you came here for information about the class change.¡± ¡°That is right.¡± ¡°At the start, you have six options and they expand as you grow strong and do other things like completing quests.¡± Six options¡­ that seemed high enough and pretty varied since everyone probably would have access to them. ¡°The information about the classes and where you can get them will cost one hundred Origin coins each.¡± I could afford that much, but first, I decided to ask about something else. Something that has been bothering me for a while. ¡°How can I get a job?¡± Chapter 09 - Options ¡°To have access to them, you need your first combat class first. You need to do some tests to obtain a job. You can get them from people anywhere as rewards from quests and dungeons.¡± Dungeons¡­ so they were a thing here, too. These might be pretty good hunting grounds. The sooner I find them, the better results I will get. I didn¡¯t know how they worked, but I would guess that those who find them first get the best results. ¡°All right, I will pay for the information about all the classes and then I will ask about the jobs later.¡± ¡°Thank you for making business with me..¡±
You used 600 Origin coins.
It was a bit expensive, but it was the best way to make sure that I would choose the best option with all the information available. In the end, some dots appeared on my map and they had different emblems. A sword, a pointy hat, a bow, a knife, a magic staff, and an axe. It made me recall a certain game that I played when I was a kid. The options were similar as well. When I clicked on those options in the Map, I was able to obtain more information about the quests and the classes available.
Warrior A melee fighter specializing in weapon-based combat, combining strength and defense. They focus on close-range encounters, serving as frontline warriors that are hard to defeat. Strength + 02, Vitality + 02, Endurance + 02, Toughness + 02, Adaptability + 02, all other parameters + 01, + 02 free points per level. Specialized Gear: Weapons: Longswords, greatswords, and shields. Armor: Medium to heavy armor, focusing on durability. Accessories: Belts or charms that boost strength or stamina. Basic Skills: Block: Reduces or negates damage with a shield. Battle Cry: Boosts attack power or intimidates enemies in range. Power Strike: A heavy attack that penetrates armor.
¡®Hm, so it is like that, huh? This seems like a good option for people who want to fight solo like me, but it would need some investment when it comes to defensive gear. I wouldn¡¯t be able to move that well either, covered in armor from head to toe. Let¡¯s check the next option.¡¯
Mage A spellcaster who channels arcane energy for ranged, versatile attacks. While physically frail, they compensate with destructive or controlling magic. Magic + 02, Wisdom + 02, Spirit + 02, Dexterity + 02, Adaptability + 02, all other parameters + 01, + 02 free points per level. Gear: Weapons: Staffs, wands, or tomes. Armor: Robes or light armor to amplify magical abilities. Accessories: Amulets or rings increasing mana or spellcasting speed. Basic Skills: Firebolt: Launches a fiery projectile at a target. Arcane Shield: Creates a barrier that absorbs damage. Mana Surge: Restores mana over time.
¡®Just by obtaining this class, I would be able to use magic¡­ that would increase my attack power to a certain extent and I would be able to head to the forest without wasting any time. Putting that aside, it seems that these classes all grant the same amount of parameters, but they are split in different types of builds. Let¡¯s see the others¡­¡¯
Archer A ranged combatant proficient in physical attacks, combining precision and mobility to defeat enemies from afar. Strength + 02, Wisdom + 02, Toughness 02, Dexterity + 02, Adaptability + 02, all other parameters + 01, + 02 free points per level. Gear: Weapons: Bows, crossbows, or knives. Armor: Light leather armor for flexibility. Accessories: Quivers or gloves enhancing accuracy and reload speed. Basic Skills: Quick Shot: Fires an arrow quickly at the nearest target. Snipe: A precise, critical hit from a long distance. Eagle Eye: Temporarily increases range and accuracy.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡®This feels like a good class for me who isn¡¯t particularly skilled when it comes to fighting at close-range. Then again, it isn¡¯t like I used bows before¡­ I also didn¡¯t use knives before fighting, I would have been in jail if I had it. Crossbows seems like a good choice for someone like me¡­¡¯
Rogue A stealthy and resourceful class who relies on agility and cunning to strike quickly and avoid detection. Strength + 02, Wisdom + 02, Toughness 02, Dexterity + 02, Adaptability + 02, all other parameters + 01, + 02 free points per level. Gear: Weapons: Daggers, short swords, or throwing knives. Armor: Light leather armor for stealth and agility. Accessories: Lockpicks, smoke bombs, or cloaks for concealment. Basic Skills: Backstab: High-damage attack from behind. Stealth: Temporarily becomes undetectable. Pick Lock: Opens locked chests or doors.
¡®This one seems more like we were already doing so far¡­ but I bet that people would look at us with suspicion. Those skills are rather troublesome, but they can be useful in some situations. The other guy would probably make me pick this if he were awake¡­¡¯
Cleric A healing caster who supports allies with healing, blessings, and holy magic, balancing offense and defense. Magic + 02, Wisdom + 02, Spirit + 02, Dexterity + 02, Adaptability + 02, all other parameters + 01, + 02 free points per level. Gear: Weapons: Maces, staves, or holy symbols. Armor: Robes or light chainmail. Accessories: Relics or charms enhancing healing and mana. Basic Skills: Heal: Restores health to an ally. Blessing: Temporarily increases an ally''s attack. Smite: Deals holy damage, especially effective against undead.
¡®Yeah, these classes are just like that other game¡­ that game had special classes, but if the information broker didn¡¯t reveal them to me, I guess I can¡¯t get those special classes. They were fun to play, but rather expensive to manage.¡¯
Crafter A unique class centered on trade, crafting, and support through economic power or item use. It can be used for combat under the right circumstances. Strength + 02, Endurance + 02, Toughness 02, Dexterity + 02, Adaptability + 02, all other parameters + 01, + 02 free points per level. Gear: Weapons: Daggers, clubs, or defensive tools. Armor: Light clothing or reinforced vests for mobility. Accessories: Coin pouches, trade permits, or crafting tools. Basic Skills: Barter: Reduces item costs from shops or NPCs. Appraise: Identifies the value and properties of items. Craft Item: Creates basic potions, gear, or other goods.
I checked all the options and then began to consider them. Considering what has happened so far, it would be better if I became more self-sufficient, so classes like archer or rogue would be a good idea. Still, if there are more people coming, it might be a good idea to pick another class that would benefit a large group. ¡°... Are there more people coming to this town?¡± ¡°No, but you can find them in other settlements. Do you want to hear more about that for one hundred origin coins? ¡°... Yes.¡±
You used 100 Origin coins.
¡°All of the people of your land were moved to this place, but chaos would only spread if too many people were put in the same area. So, they are in other places like this that have similar conditions. You can reach them if you walk in any direction. Your planet wasn¡¯t that big, so there aren¡¯t many continents like this.¡± ¡°Not that big¡­ many continents? Is it possible to reach them? Does that mean that all the humans were brought to places like this?¡±
You used 200 Origin coins.
¡°Yes, you can. It is a bit dangerous, though.¡± That complicated things more than a little¡­ I thought that I didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone else since only some individuals were brought here, but some friends and family are in similar situations. I wanted to try to reach them, but I feared that this would be close to impossible¡­ I also wanted to ask how he knew all that and if he could tell where everyone was, but I feared the answers. ¡®What should I do? I have to change my approach a bit¡­¡¯ I had to think logically¡­ for now, I wasn¡¯t strong enough to even leave this area alone, so thinking about them would only make me lose my focus and cause my death if I was not cautious. I needed to get stronger first and then learn more about the situation before trying to reach out to them. ¡®All right, time to move and get stronger and more seriously now¡­ having fun isn¡¯t only my goal anymore.¡¯ I made my choice and then headed to the southern part of the town. It was also the part of the town where the red district was located, so I couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh soon enough. ¡®I smell a good opportunity in the air.¡¯ ¡®Shut up. I am not going to allow you to waste time with this.¡¯ ¡®Relax, even I am not insane enough to tell you to relax considering what you have just learned.¡¯ ¡®You heard that and still decided to stay quiet, huh? Selfish asshole.¡¯ ¡®I was just resting to be able to fight properly with all my might as soon as possible. Since you are you, you don¡¯t have many friends, so it is better to make sure that they won¡¯t die so soon. Let¡¯s work hard together to find everyone.¡¯ It was weird to hear the other guy saying that kind of thing. It made me think that he was plotting something. Still, he wasn¡¯t that smart in the first place to plot any elaborate plans. He was good at reacting to things thanks to his instincts, but terrible at planning anything. Before long, I reached the place where the quest to become a rogue was available¡­ weirdly enough, it was a tavern that looked pretty sketchy, even though it was during the day and the building also was brand new like the rest of the city. I got inside the building and found some people there¡­ They looked at me with suspicion in their eyes. There were some of them sleeping while sitting on chairs and their legs resting on the tables, some of them were drinking this early in the morning on the balcony of the tavern. ¡®They aren¡¯t even trying to pretend that they aren¡¯t cutthroats¡­ perhaps I should choose another class.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be a little bitch and just go talk with the barkeeper. It seems that with this type of class, we can get more than just some skills to surprise targets and vanish.¡¯ That was true, but it only made me hesitate more¡­ Perhaps wearing heavy armor wasn¡¯t so bad. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with this type of crowd too often. The fact that the other guy was really itching to get this class was proof enough that this was bad news. Still, considering that my plans changed, I couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate¡­ also, as much as I wanted to deny that, I knew for a fact that I would fare much better being a rogue than a warrior or an archer. Chapter 10 - Test and Training I approached the tavern keeper. She was a gorgeous woman with quite the physique. Tanned skin, wavy black hair, and light brown eye¡­ just one eye since she was wearing an eyepatch. I was hoping that she was wearing that just to look more rough around the edges, though. ¡°Hello, I am here for the quest to obtain the rogue class.¡± The tavern keeper looked at me from head to toe with a serious expression. I could already imagine her saying that I didn¡¯t look like I could become one and that becoming an archer or a warrior would be easier for someone like me. I was the straight-faced type, after all. ¡°... How far are you willing to achieve your goals?¡± ¡°How far? It is hard to say¡­ unless I am forced to do something that would make me hate myself, I think that I can go pretty far.¡± ¡°Rogues live in the shadows and do things under the cover of the darkness. Others see us as the type who would do anything to achieve our goals and for money. If you reach the true potential of someone who works in the darkness, you should keep it in mind that a lot of people won¡¯t like you anywhere close to them because of that.¡± That certainly was edgy, but I was expecting that much, given the skills that a rogue starts with. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure that I would be fine if people found me suspicious, but as long as the people that I truly cared about were fine, I couldn¡¯t care about the others. ¡°It seems that you have some spirit¡­ let¡¯s test that spirit, then. Head to the forest in the north, and then steal a honeycomb from one of the groups of bears there. You can gain a bonus if you complete the quest for being found or without killing any monster until then.¡±
You received a quest: Rogue Class Quest - Go to the forest in the north and return with a honeycomb Rewards: Class Promotion, a set of rogue gear, join the Rogue¡¯s guild. Time Limit: 1440 minutes
I had a full day to complete the quest¡­ it didn¡¯t seem that hard, aside from the part of not having to fight even once. Considering that Backstab is one of the initial skills of the class, I imagined that doing that much without being found would be fine. ¡®I will have to use stealth, huh? I guess the knowledge of the other skills will come as a reward, then.¡¯ In any case, I nodded and then left the tavern. I forgot to ask Lain what would happen if I failed the quest¡­ would it be closed forever for me? That was a bit worrisome. Regardless, to complete the quest for being found and gain the extra rewards, it would be better to head to the forest at night, but then the monsters would be more violent. If I were to be found, then I would have to find stronger monsters there while they are more violent. ¡®I suppose the monsters won¡¯t be simply bears as we know from Earth¡­ so, what should I do about this?¡¯ ¡®You can leave it to me.¡¯ True, he had good senses, but it was too much of a risk¡­ he was also the type who gets overly excited, so it is better to focus on other solutions. For now, I decided to head to where the alchemist lived in order to sell all the dire rat parts that I had accumulated. I was expecting to find an old man who looked very suspicious, and also looked like a lich or something, but much to my surprise, the alchemist was a blond woman with thick glasses and messy hair. She was messing with a cauldron when I arrived at her shop. ¡®She is a bit messy, but she has G-cups, so I guess I can smash.¡¯ ¡®Shut the fuck up¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t need this guy putting ideas in my mind. I hadn¡¯t noticed that since she was wearing a thick dark robe, but he was right. Damn it, now it would be hard not to look. Better to finish things here quickly. ¡°Hello, I want to sell some monster parts. Hello?¡± The alchemist kept messing with the cauldron while she was mumbling to herself something that I couldn¡¯t hear. That was never a good sign.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Hello! I want to sell monster parts here!¡± ¡°Oh? My apologies. I was a bit immersed in my work. Oh? You already reached level ten? How interesting. If you are this hardworking, you should pick the trader class and then come here at level 25 to become an alchemist. Instead of having to use weapons, you can fight monsters using potions instead.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe that she told me that piece of information for free¡­ maybe I could make some money sharing that kind of information¡­ or maybe I could just share it around to make it easier for everyone who didn¡¯t have the skills for fighting. ¡°I will think about it. How much can you pay for 1231 dire rat tails, and 1455 dire rat fangs?¡± ¡°You sure have a lot of it stocked¡­ considering the current rates, I can pay one origin coin for two dire rat tails and six origin coins for ten dire rat fangs. So, all of it will cost 1488 origin coins.¡± It took me a few more seconds to do the math and her calculation was indeed correct¡­ She was also good at math, despite looking like a mad scientist. Speaking of which¡­ ¡°By the way, there is a certain miasma coming from your cauldron.¡± ¡°Oh? It is almost time, then.¡± The alchemist made the cauldron levitate and then she also made a bunch of glass bottles appear out of nowhere and then she made the cauldron drop the contents of the cauldron inside the bottles¡­ the smell was so strong that I felt like almost passing out. Was that something that needed to be drunk? Talk about a slow and painful death¡­ ¡°... What is that for?¡± ¡°It is a potion that ignores defenses. It is perfect for those who want to face the four armed bears, the giant armadillos, stone treants or the goblins.¡± Were all those creatures in the forest? Or were they in the other directions? Come to think of it, it would be crazy to think that a single forest would surround us in all directions¡­ considering what Lain said, this place should have all kinds of biomes and the other settlements should be beyond them. ¡°By the way, how did you lift the cauldron? With magic?¡± ¡°Of course it was magic. Once it reaches a certain level, you can do this too, but I can¡¯t say much more than this, or Lain will get mad. He always does. Once you learn a skill or two that uses mana, you will be able to study and apply in all kinds of scenarios.¡± It was a pity that I couldn¡¯t learn more for free, but I had learned plenty already.¡± In any case, I got my money and also brought three of those potions, since they could last for an hour. It would be better if I get used to that kind of potion in case of emergencies. In any case, they cost one hundred origin coins, quite expensive. Still, given that the challenges after the dire rats will be creatures that have tougher defenses, it was necessary to use them for a while. ¡°Thank you for coming to my shop. Check regularly for more potions when more materials start to spread around.¡± ¡°All right.¡± I turned around and began to run back to the inn and soon the other guy realized what I was doing. ¡®Where are you going? You can¡¯t rest until night comes. The day just started!¡¯ ¡®We can¡¯t level up, even if we could, it would be a waste since the experience should go to the new class. It is better if we focus on doing something that will increase our chances of success and also improving our cards for the future.¡¯ ¡®What do you have in mind, then?¡¯ ¡®Mana training¡­ we have the skill, so it should be possible to use it. We just need to learn how.¡¯ The other guy didn¡¯t like the idea that much. He would rather use his body than do something as cryptic as this. He was that short sighted. ¡®Can you sense anything different when you used my body before?¡¯ ¡®It felt easier and more powerful, but it shouldn¡¯t be because of mana, but because of the parameters.¡¯ As for me, I could tell that the moron was there more clearly, so maybe he represented the mana in my body, but I didn¡¯t have access to any status screen before, so that shouldn¡¯t be the only difference¡­ I sat down on my bed, the mattress dipping slightly under my weight as I settled into a comfortable position. My hands rested on my knees, and I closed my eyes, letting the quiet of the room wrap around me like a blanket. Taking a deep breath, I cleared my mind, pushing away the noise of the day. Focusing inward, I searched for the unfamiliar sensation I had begun to notice earlier. At first, it was weak, like trying to catch a wisp of smoke. But as I concentrated, it grew more defined, a faint pulse of warmth deep within me. Slowly, I became aware of its nature, like a tiny flame flickering in the dark. It was weak, almost fragile, but unmistakably alive. I could feel it ebbing and flowing in rhythm with my thoughts, reacting to my focus. The more I directed my attention toward it, the more vivid it became, as though my will was feeding it. It didn¡¯t blaze or roar, but it burned steadily, a constant presence that couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡®So, is that mana?¡¯ ¡®It should be¡­ we need to learn how to control it and improve the feeling. I am not going to pick a magic class, but anything that can help me now and in the future will be amazing to me.¡¯ I could tell that the new classes became available because of this skill to control mana. This would be the key source of energy from now on and those who learn to control it freely, will have the advantage. It made me wonder if not picking the mage class wouldn¡¯t be better¡­ it even had a defensive skill, after all. Still, I decided to trust my instincts. Chapter 11 - A Small Step After several hours of meditation, I felt like I was going mad¡­ I could sense the energy, but I couldn¡¯t control it. Maybe I should increase my magic and see what happens, that should make some difference, I had free points to use, after all. ¡®Nah, it is too risky¡­ I have to keep doing things like this. Magic shouldn¡¯t be that important for the build of a rogue, so I would essentially throw those points away.¡¯ ¡®Let me try now.¡¯ The other guy stayed quiet until now, probably because he wanted to be the one controlling my body to complete the quest to change classes. It really bothered me that I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he had higher chances of succeeding in both things. ¡®All right.¡¯ The other guy began to meditate while feeling the energy, now I could sense my mana pool even more clearly than before. The more it increases, the more obvious it would become. Perhaps controlling it as well. Since I didn¡¯t have any skill that used mana, I couldn¡¯t tell yet how to control it¡­ perhaps this training was a waste of time without such skills. It was already impressive enough that we could get a new class just by having the mana control skill. ¡®I give up, nothing is working.¡¯ ¡®You didn¡¯t try even for five minutes¡­¡¯ ¡®Which was enough for me to realize that it is useless.¡¯ Perhaps he had a point, but I didn¡¯t want to accept that this moron was always right. I just needed a single small step¡­ just any progress in controlling my mana pool and I would be satisfied with it. The small step soon was taken when I was about to take over my body¡­ I didn¡¯t know what I had clicked on, but the moment the other guy got ready to switch, I felt my mana pool trembling. ¡®Did you feel that?¡¯ ¡®Yes¡­ I was able to make the mana respond to my intent¡­ just when we were about to switch up. I guess it was because at that moment, neither of us was controlling my body.¡¯ Was that truly the reason? Would that mean that to control the energy, we would have to focus so much that we couldn¡¯t even control my body? That seemed way too risky. We tried again, and soon the same thing happened. The same reaction when a pebble touches the surface of a pond, the mana pool reacted to my intent. ¡®Let me try now¡­ Nope, can¡¯t do it.¡¯ ¡®It is probably because you are you, someone who can¡¯t calm down and clear your mind properly.¡¯ I decided to clear my head as much as possible and then focus on the mana pool, it took a while to pull that off¡­ I also was bad at that kind of thing, but the more I focused, the more I felt like I was submerging in that pool of energy. As I submerged, the ripples on the surface of the mana pool started to feel more and more constant¡­ ¡®Hello, for how long are you planning to do this?¡¯ ¡®Why did you have to break my focus?¡¯ ¡®Cause the sun is setting.¡¯ I opened my eyes and then saw the city through the window getting darker¡­ it looked like I lost the notion of time while I was focusing. I checked my parameters and confirmed that nothing had changed aside from the feeling that I could submerge in my own mana pool. Name: Ryan Winters Class: Apprentice Lv Max (00/00) Job: (00/000) HP: 140/140 MP: 140/140 SP: 140/140 Strength: 15 Magic: 14 Dexterity: 14 Vitality: 14 Wisdom: 14A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Endurance: 14 Toughness: 14 Spirit: 14 Adaptability: 14 Free Points: 08 Origin Coins: 4111 Skills: Job Skills: ¡®It seems that mana is only used when it affects the outside world¡­ Well, I guess I am satisfied with this much progress.¡¯ ¡®Why don¡¯t you keep going zen and all that while I complete the quest.¡¯ ¡®I am not going to take such risks.¡¯ I left the inn and then headed toward the northern gate of the town¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what happened to my boss. Knowing him he probably was fighting alone given his insufferable personality. While looking around, I could see some people that were losing weight quite fast¡­ some of them were sleeping in the dark alleys while holding their knees. It looked like no one went as far as committing crimes, but I wondered for how long things would remain like that. Before long, I reached the gate and then changed my mood in order to focus. Crossing any territory without being noticed was difficult enough, even more so when there are so many enraged dire rats around. ¡®Keep a distance of forty meters from the holes and the tall grass and you will be fine.¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ ¡®That is my experience with them at night, anyway. As long as you keep your distance and don¡¯t throw anything at them, it will be fine.¡¯ Although it was dark and cloudy, I still could see the holes of the dire rats thanks to the Map, it marked exactly the location of those spots. Thanks to that, I was able to zigzag around them and avoid making any of the monsters inside come outside. Some of them were already outside, but I could see the red dots in the map showing their location as well. Half an hour later, I left the area and reached the entrance of the forest. The fog of war was clear on the map from here onwards¡­ perhaps I should have come here during the day to see where they have their bases or something. ¡®Just move alongside the wind and not against it and you will be fine.¡¯ ¡®When did you become an expert at unseen movement?¡¯ ¡®This much is common knowledge.¡¯ For a stalker, perhaps. In any case, at least his words made sense¡­ I began to move to the dark forest while trying to be mindful of my surroundings. I tried not to move without reason and not hesitate as well¡­ When the wind began to blow, I moved to the shadow of another tree, just a bit at a time was enough for me, there was no reason to worry. I checked the map and despite the darkness that made things hard to notice, I could see the layout of the area around five meters just fine. I could use this¡­ I was starting to get confident, so soon I began to move out of impatience even when the wind wasn¡¯t blowing. The sound of my steps in the grass felt like I was walking and shattering glass on the ground and the atmosphere around me suddenly got insanely darker. ¡®I told you. The wind can mask the sound of your steps. Let¡¯s hope that your smell won¡¯t give your position away as well.¡¯ I didn¡¯t do anything all day aside from meditating, but taking baths lately was kind of hard with no showers¡­ the rooms that I rented had a bowl with water every time I was there, and I used it, but nothing works like a shower. Soon enough, the wind began to blow again and I followed it. After hiding behind another tree, the atmosphere suddenly calmed down again. ¡®Hopefully, this will be easier when I get the stealth skill¡­ I wonder how it works.¡¯ Aside from that misstep, I was being pretty stealthy, so I wondered if there was no way to learn skills in a different way. Still, I decided to do some research about that later and just kept moving. After crossing five hundred meters in the dark forest, I finally was able to find some areas where the trees gave some room for the moonlight and I could see a group of monsters ahead too. The three four-armed bears lay sprawled on the forest floor, their massive bodies heaving slightly with each deep, rhythmic breath. Their thick, shaggy fur shimmered with earthy tones of brown and black, blending with the shadows cast by the surrounding trees. Each bear¡¯s additional set of muscular arms rested awkwardly across their sides, adding an unnatural yet intimidating aspect to their hulking forms. Their claws were sharp and curved, even while they lay idle, showing they could shred through intruders with ease if disturbed. Close to them, perched precariously on a low tree stump, was their honeycomb, the treasure trove of golden, glistening nectar that I had to steal. The honeycomb was unnaturally large, its hexagonal structure sparkling with amber hues in the faint light.. The scent of sweet honey mixed with the earthy musk of the bears made the air thick and heavy. The challenge was not just in stealing the honeycomb but in doing so without waking the slumbering beasts, whose every twitch hinted at their power. ¡®I wonder if I can run faster than them¡­ I can¡¯t see their parameters yet, after all. I heard that some bears can run at forty miles per hour. Perhaps they can run at thirty for a while since they will be sleepy once they wake up.¡¯ ¡®Move around the area, the other side is closer to the honeycomb.¡¯ I nodded and then began to do exactly that when the wind blew in the area. Still, now and then, I would step on a branch and the creatures would move a bit. I thought that bears were heavy sleepers, but that wasn¡¯t the truth at all. While I was moving, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ the dire rats were enraged at night, so why were those guys sleeping peacefully. Only a single explanation came to mind¡­ they would get enraged when their honeycomb were to be stolen. I didn¡¯t know the strength of those creatures, so the mystery was two times more difficult to grasp¡­ my back started to get damp thanks to the sweat and I wondered if the smell would give away my presence. At some point, it felt like my heartbeat was as loud as a fucking drum. Eventually, I reached the other side of their territory and slowly began to move away to the honeycomb. The smell started to get stronger and that made me realize why they didn¡¯t feel my smell. Still, once I took that away and ran away, they certainly would find my scent and chase me. I decided to take out my shirt and then toss it away in the distance to make them waste some time when they wake up. I was planning to buy new clothes soon, so that one wouldn¡¯t be missed. Eventually, I reached the honeycomb and slowly touched it to put it in my inventory.
Honeycomb (Common) Restores 20% of your HP, MP, and SP.
I opened my eyes widely since it was insanely valuable, it would be even more valuable in the hands of those who are much stronger. Before long, I grabbed the honeycomb and then moved to the other side of the camp before storing it in my inventory. When that happened, I ran for my life. Chapter 12 - Class Upgrade I dashed from the forest with all my might¡­ I didn¡¯t know how fast I was, but it felt like I was one with the wind. In no time, I reached the end of the forest and then calmed down a bit, I also couldn¡¯t let the dire rats find me. Still, avoiding them had been quite easy. Thanks to that, I reached the town in no time as well¡­ maybe I was worrying too much about the trial of the first class. It shouldn¡¯t be that hard for those who can use their brains. The others should be way harder. ¡®All right, let¡¯s head to that tavern.¡¯ ¡°And celebrate in the red light district afterwards.¡¯ I once heard that if you are a man, you have to be horny all the time, gay or straight, it doesn¡¯t matter. But the other guy took this saying way too seriously. I decided that responding to his nonsense all the time would be stupid, so I decided to just ignore it. It wasn¡¯t surprising to see that the tavern was still open even at this hour, but the atmosphere wasn¡¯t different than before. In fact, it was a lot worse than I remember, when I got inside, I understood why. There were a lot more rough-looking people inside. They all glared at me once again, but I ignored them and headed toward the tavern keeper. ¡°It is here.¡± I took the honeycomb from my inventory and then the woman studied me. Now that I thought about it, perhaps everyone was staring at me a bit more because I was shirtless. At least that confirmed that I didn¡¯t have to fight. ¡°... It looks like you managed to complete the quest with flying colors. Well done. You are a part of the Rogues¡¯ guild now.¡±
You completed the quest: Rogue Class Quest. Rewards: Class Promotion, a set of rogue gear, join the Rogue¡¯s guild.
You learned the skill Backstab.
Backstab (Basic): Causes critical damage and makes the enemy bleed for five seconds when surprising the enemy. The damage will be equal to your (Strength + Dexterity) + 10%. Cost: 05 stamina.
You learned the skill Stealth.
Stealth(Basic): Decreases the chance of a target finding you by twenty percent + your dexterity - the target¡¯s dexterity.
You learned the skill Pick Lock.
Pick Lock (Basic): Increases your dexterity by twenty points when opening locks.
I felt the knowledge of the skills appearing in my head. I already had the idea of how to use those skills, but the alerts made the knowledge a lot more clear and precise in my head. In any case, I wasn¡¯t expecting light covering my body and some fanfare, but it sure was a bit of a downer that the other guys weren¡¯t welcoming me. Regardless, the tavern keeper took a box behind the balcony and gave it to me. ¡°Here is your uniform and your extra rewards. You need to wear the uniform at all times to be recognized by other members of the guild. You can come here once a day to pick a quest as well.¡± I opened the box and then found the uniform that she was talking about. The core attire of the rogues was a snug, reinforced leather tunic that was black, providing some protection for the head and back without compromising mobility. There was a belt for holding throwing knives, potions, or small tools. Slim-fit pants made of durable, flexible leather ensure silent movement, complemented by soft-soled boots designed for quiet steps and added climbing grips. Fingerless gloves allow for better grip and tactile sensitivity.
Common Rogue Cloak (Common) A lightweight cloak made of simple fabric. It provides basic protection against the elements and is easy to move in. Defense: +01 Durability: 08/08 Effect: Slightly reduces visibility when sneaking.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Simple Rogue Boots (Common) Basic leather boots that are durable and comfortable for travel. Defense: + 02 Durability: 10/10 Effect: Increases walking speed by 02 meters per second.
Simple Rogue Belt (Common) A plain leather belt designed for practicality. It has a few pouches for small tools or items. Defense: + 01 Durability: 12/12 Effect: Increases inventory capacity by five slots.
Simple Rogue Gloves (Common) Simple gloves made from thin fabric and leather. They offer a modest grip and hand protection. Defense: + 01 Durability: 06/06 Effect: Improves grip on weapons. Dexterity + 02
Dual Knives (Common) A matched pair of lightweight knives designed for swift, close-range combat. They lack raw power but compensate with speed and precision. Attack: 06 Durability: 12/12 Effect: Grants a bonus of 03 dexterity when dual-wielding.
¡®Now we certainly will look the part.¡¯ I wondered if she would let me change clothes on the back of the building or something, but I decided to head home for now and equip those there and then come tomorrow to see the quests. The town was still quite noisy since a lot of people were sleeping outside and planning their actions. It looked like they had learned a few things and used that knowledge to survive. I didn¡¯t see anyone around with different clothes, so it looked like I was the first in this town to get a new class. I was a bit proud of myself, but not that much since my only challenges so far were sneaking around against the four armed bears and killing over-sized rats. When I got back to my room, I sighed in relief and then equipped my items. I felt really weird looking all that shady¡­ in any case, I had the idea of storing away the items and then trying to take them back already equipped. That was possible, so it looked like I could change the gear and surprise the enemies in a difficult moment. ¡®Not bad, are we going to fight the four armed bears tomorrow?¡¯ ¡®Possibly¡­ the Rogue class is at level zero and it needs two times more experience to level up, so facing the dire rats during the day will take too long. We also need to get used to those challenges.¡¯ We should be able to handle them with backstabs now¡­ it will cause critical damage and make them bleed, then we can use the attack at least one more time before the beasts can react. The problem will be if they aren¡¯t alone. With those thoughts in mind, I fell asleep and only woke up the next day a bit later than usual. I was never a morning person in the first place, so I didn¡¯t mind it that much. ¡®So, what is the plan for today? Finally hunt some four armed bears and stock up on their honeycomb?¡¯ ¡®That is probably the best option¡­ making some extra cash with their drops will be a good idea too. Still, let¡¯s return to the guild and then see what kind of quests they can offer.¡¯ I still had some apples in my inventory, but they weren¡¯t going to last forever. I wondered if meat was one of the drops of the monsters¡­ it would be pretty funny if they dropped like a kilogram of meat ready to be cooked. While I was eating an apple and walking outside, I noticed that people were already looking at me with suspicion. I looked a bit off given that I wasn¡¯t an inhabitant of the town and I was also shirtless but had a cloak and hood. I was planning to buy a chainmail soon, but it looked like I messed up the order of things. Back to the rogues¡¯ guild, things were the same as always, but the guys there didn¡¯t glare at me like before for several seconds. They just glared at me for a second before looking away uninterested. ¡°You need to do something about your behavior as a whole. Rogues don¡¯t gawk when they look at others.¡±
Assassin Alessa - Lv 49 Bond: Lv 01 (55/100)
Despite her harsh words, it looked like she didn¡¯t think of me as a stranger, or perhaps a level one bond was the same to everyone and didn¡¯t make any difference. In any case, an assassin, huh? I wondered if the level of the class would start zero again after obtaining a new class. ¡°Understood. Putting that aside, I am back to see if there are any available quests for me.¡± ¡°There are always quests available, the question is, can you complete them?¡± ¡®Ask her if there is a quest to get in her bed.¡¯ ¡°... What are the options for quests?¡± ¡°We have hunting quests, gathering quests, challenge quests, and social quests. Pick your poison.¡± ¡°Since I am new at this, can you explain each one of them?¡± Alessa let out a sigh, but at least she decided to explain things instead of telling me to leave. For hunting quests, the job involves tracking down and neutralizing a specific target or threat. Targets might be rogue elements, dangerous creatures, or individuals who pose a risk to the guild or its clients. The gathering quests focus on acquiring valuable items, resources, or information for the guild or a client. Often requiring finesse and creativity, they might involve theft or negotiation. The challenge quests are personal or team-based tasks designed to test the guild members'' abilities. They often involve high risk and are seen as opportunities to prove one''s worth in order to become more respectable members in the guild. As for the social quests they leverage charisma, manipulation, and cunning to influence individuals or groups. The goal is often to gain allies, shift public opinion, or sow discord among enemies. ¡°It goes without saying that it is too early for you to receive social or challenge quests. We can¡¯t risk you ruining our reputation.¡± ¡°All right. Then I will pick a hunting quest. Is there anyone in the forest in the north?¡± I was going to ask for a recommendation, but I had the feeling that Alessa would just ask me if I was being for real. The rogues guild didn¡¯t seem that newbie friendly, but with the quests that they offer, it should be pretty easy to obtain information that should be hard to find under normal circumstances. ¡°There is only one type of hunting quest available for the Sweet Wind Forest. We want you to bring the claws of the four armed bears there. Any amount will do.¡±
You received a quest: Hunting Quest - Go to the Sweet Wind Forest and kill as many four armed bears as possible to get their claws. Rewards: 01 Origin Coin and 01 EXP for each claw obtained. Time Limit: None
This seemed like a pretty decent quest¡­ I could potentially double the amount of experience gained, but that made me wonder if the quest would be that easy to do. If it was that impressive with the rewards, it shouldn¡¯t be easy¡­ or perhaps that it was just a benefit that I had for being the first person to join the guild. The quest didn¡¯t even have a limit of how many I could bring, after all. ¡°By the way, how are those plainlands called between here and the forest?¡± ¡°... Whispering plains.¡± I saw the names appearing on my map. It made sense that they had those names, the dire rats usually made weird sounds that sounded like whispers when they left the roles and the forest had that sweet smell because of the honeycombs. It would be better to stock up on them before anyone can head there and get them from me. Chapter 13 - Guilty as Charged? I headed to the armorsmith shop to get the chainmail. I considered leather armor as well, but I felt that while a bit heavier, it would be a better investment. While I was thinking about that, I arrived in the area of the shop and then found a weird group of people there¡­ It was a woman with a group of twenty or so kids. ¡°As I said, we can¡¯t offer any discounts¡­ we are already selling things barely making any profit you know.¡± ¡°But can¡¯t you sell them with a discount by selling them in a batch?¡± ¡°Even if it was possible, it is insane to think that you can buy them for half of the price.¡± ¡®So, it is about that.¡¯ ¡®Dude. I had just the greatest idea!¡¯ ¡®Shut up, don¡¯t say it.¡¯ ¡®It is finally our chance to score with a teacher! She even looks a bit like Miss Scarlett!¡¯ ¡®I told you to shut the fuck up¡­¡¯ My head was already hurting so early in the morning¡­ I had to deal with this moron antics as soon as possible. Maybe I could obtain a skill to silence his voice once and for all. I didn¡¯t want to approach that group while this moron was putting weird ideas in my head, but I didn¡¯t have time to waste, so I approached. It didn¡¯t take long for the woman to see me approach and look at me with suspicion, to the point that she even shielded the kids. That hurt my feelings a bit¡­ Since that moron said some unnecessary things, now I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she was captivating a woman with an air of intelligence and warmth. Her shoulder-length, curly hair falls in soft waves, framing her face beautifully. Her striking green eyes, vibrant and full of life, are magnified slightly by her stylish glasses, which have a sleek, modern design that complements her features. She carries herself with quiet confidence, her look perfectly blending charm and sophistication. ¡®You have a thing for girls with glasses too, right? Time to act like a gentle and selfless hero and score eventually!¡¯ I had some money saved and that was the right thing to do. I was thinking of how I could help the kids in the town getting started in this crazy situation, but now it felt really wrong, even though I wanted to put those thoughts away from my mind. ¡°Oh? If it isn¡¯t the first rogue of the town! I heard the rumors, but I didn¡¯t think that they were real. Congratulations! Now, go out there and bring more materials for the town and for us!¡± At least the clerk wasn¡¯t trying to hide her real thoughts. Although that was supposed to be some good advertising, the glasses woman only looked at me with more suspicion. ¡°How can we help you today?¡± ¡°Errr¡­ I want chainmail and two knives.¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± The clerk went to get my stuff. I had new knives, but the others lost some durability. I wanted to train and get used to throwing them. Long-ranged attacks like that can be very useful. In any case, the atmosphere got a bit weird while I waited. ¡®Dude! Say anything to her! Tell her how you admire teachers since your deceased parents were teachers as well!¡¯ ¡®What the hell man¡­ they are alive and they aren¡¯t teachers! Do you have no shame?¡¯ ¡®Shame never helped me score. Lie is what fuckboys do, lie like their lives depend on it.¡¯ ¡®I am not going to sink to your level.¡¯ ¡°Here it is, everything will cost eighty origin coins.¡± ¡°Thanks, here it is.¡± I stored away the knives and equipped the chainmail. It wasn¡¯t that heavy and it didn¡¯t hinder my movements, probably of my increased strength. It was time to leave, but before that, I had to do something unnecessary and approached the clerk and whispered. ¡°Excuse me, how much is the difference between the things that she wants to buy and her money?¡± ¡°520 Origin coins.¡± ¡°Can you take it from me and pretend that I didn¡¯t do this?¡± ¡°Why not just lend it to her? Are you the first shy rogue in history?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°No, it is just a problem that I have with my conscience. People are starting to give me a weird look, so maybe a good deed a day will make me look less suspicious.¡± ¡°Some nice advertisement, huh? Nice excuse.¡± It looked like the clerk could see through my charade, but at least she was willing to help. ¡°All right, I will return when my stuff is ready! Have a nice day!¡± My acting skills needed some work¡­ I left the area feeling pretty cringe. Alessa was right when she said that I wasn¡¯t ready for Social quests. ¡®Dude, what the hell was that?¡¯ ¡®My way of doing the right thing without paying attention to your words. I already told you to not give me any weird ideas.¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t give you any, they were already there in the first place.¡¯ ¡®... I will head to the information broker and see what he can do to help me get a job.¡¯ I expected that jobs couldn¡¯t be changed just like classes and resetting my progress would be insane. So, I had to pick the right type of class. Logic says that alchemy and blacksmithing are the best options when it comes to supporting jobs that can help a lot in preparations for fighting, but I wondered if I could really get them that easily. ¡°Hey, are you already back? It looks like getting an upgrade in your class was a cinch, huh?¡± ¡°Kind of. Anyway, do you have any information on how to get a job?¡± ¡°I have, the information for one costs 500. For another 1500 and for the final one 300 origin coins.¡± ¡°Are better options out there?¡± ¡°Possibly, not in this town, though.¡± The most expensive one should be the most useful, but there is also the matter of compatibility. ¡°Which one do you recommend for me? I guess this is stupid to ask considering that you want to make money.¡± ¡°Oh, please. While that is true, the most expensive option is pretty good for everyone. I can guarantee you that you won¡¯t regret obtaining this job. It might even do something about your bad reputation as a rogue.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything yet.¡± ¡°Just picking such a class already makes people feel dubious about you.¡± That was quite unfair, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. I decided to think a little about the options, but in the end, I decided to bet on it. All this money was something that I made in two days, so perhaps I shouldn¡¯t put too much trust into it. ¡°All right, I will pick the most expensive option.¡±
You used 3000 Origin coins.
¡°Thank you very much. Beyond the Forest of the Sweet Winds, you can find a dungeon. Clear the dungeon and you will obtain the job. It won¡¯t be easy, so I would advise you to stack up a lot of apples and honeycombs to pull it off.¡± A dungeon¡­ it didn¡¯t surprise me, but I wondered how I would obtain the knowledge of a job at the end of a dungeon. Would I get a book or something? In any case, a mark appeared on my map, several kilometers beyond any point that I had ever been¡­ it made me realize that I would have to cross several kilometers of land filled with the four armed bears. Perhaps I should stock up some potions from the alchemist. ¡°All right, thanks.¡± I decided against buying the potions from the alchemist. The monsters along the way were bound to be troublesome , and while potions could make the encounters easier, I recognized that constantly relying on them would do more harm than good in the long run. I needed to learn to adapt to the challenges these creatures presented, to fight them on their terms, and to push my limits without the crutch of quick solutions. Only by facing their toughness head-on would I develop the skills and resilience required to survive in the future. Moreover, potions came at a cost, both literal and figurative. Every coin spent on potions now would be one less I could invest in better gear, training, or other essential resources later. Worse still, relying on potions for every encounter would create a dependency that could cripple me in situations where they weren¡¯t available. If I couldn¡¯t handle these monsters without an easy out, how could I expect to face greater threats down the road? Sacrificing immediate convenience for long-term growth and resource management was a necessary step. Tough as it would be, I resolved to press on without potions. My grit, determination, and strategic thinking would have to carry me through, and in doing so, I would become stronger, wiser, and more self-reliant. ¡®That is better, we can¡¯t make things too easy, after all.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s face some dire rats by throwing the knives at them. This will be good practice since they come straight at me.¡¯ Training on the trees was a waste of time, I had to get used to the difficult things and improve as fast as possible. That way, my progress wouldn¡¯t take so long and I would notice it. ¡®Let me try something.¡¯ ¡®Try what?¡¯ ¡®How much the parameters truly made us more skilled and stronger.¡¯ We reached the northern gate of the town and I noticed the guards looking at me. Their gaze was severe, almost like they were waiting for me to commit a crime. I couldn¡¯t even see the information about Chark anymore. ¡®Ouch, that hurts. Such things are possible, huh?¡¯ I was feeling a bit bad, so I decided to follow the other guy¡¯s plan. Chark¡¯s reaction made me realize that while some others were open to me by choosing the Rogue class, others closed as well. It made sense given that Rogues were supposed to be more free-spirited and guards like him should be more sticky to the rules. Guard probably was one of the evolutions for the warrior class as well. Warriors and rogues probably clash due to their fundamentally different approaches to combat and values. Warriors prioritize honor, discipline, and direct confrontation, believing that strength and courage should decide the outcome of battles. Rogues, in contrast, value cunning, stealth, and efficiency, resorting to ambushes, deception, or trickery to achieve their goals. To a warrior, the rogue¡¯s methods are dishonorable or cowardly, while rogues view warriors as overly rigid and reckless. Moreover, personality and trust issues exacerbate the differences. Warriors work better in environments where teamwork and camaraderie are more common, valuing loyalty and straightforwardness, while rogues tend to be more individualistic, pragmatic, and secretive. This can lead warriors to see rogues as untrustworthy, while rogues might find warriors overly stuck to the mud or naive. Additionally, rogues¡¯ morally ambiguous actions, can clash with a warrior¡¯s sense of justice, fueling further animosity. While I was thinking about that, the other guy began to juggle with the four of the six knives that I had¡­ and he looked pretty confident. At the same time, I felt like I was sweating cold imagining one of those knives hitting my wrists¡­ they were insanely sharp, after all. Chapter 14 - Throwing Practice ¡®All right, this confirms that dexterity truly makes us more skilled. What about strength?¡¯ The other guy used my body to do some handstands¡­ he was able to do a bunch of them without losing his balance, so it looked like my body truly had gotten stronger. I wondered how that was possible when I didn¡¯t notice any differences, maybe it was because my body now had mana and that affected the composition or at least how it behaved in the physical world. ¡®All right, all done¡­ time to fight some beasts. What is the plan?¡¯ ¡®Train throwing knives and then hunt the four armed bears to stock up the honeycombs to reach the dungeon where the job is. The quest has no time limit, so we can take our time gathering resources. Getting some level ups while it is easy now is the best option.¡¯ ¡®You can do the training then, call me when it is time to fight the beasts.¡¯ As usual, this guy is as selfish as someone could get, but at least I could split the work with him to make things more efficient. There were some people around hunting the dire wolves, but there were plenty of monsters in the tall grass in which everyone was avoiding. I decided to throw a knife at them and keep another in my hand just in case. This would be a good reaction training as well. When I got in the tall grass, I was surprised to see the movements of a beast coming so fast¡­ the creature still leaped to attack me in the head or the neck, but I was able to throw the knife in my hand fast enough to stop the monster midway¡­ maybe it was a fluke, but the knife pierced the forehead of the monster easily. -20!
You received 01 EXP.
You received 01 Origin Coins.
¡®Eh? What was that¡­¡¯ It felt like I just saw the damage that I had caused¡­ but why would that appear now? What had changed to make that appear? My class? How was that supposed to affect the whole system? The monster fell on the ground and when I recovered my knife, it turned into dust leaving only the teeth behind. I let out a sigh and then soon raised my guard when more spots in the tall grass were moving toward me. This would be the real test¡­ Only now I realized it, but when the monsters jumped to attack me, the movements of my hands looked weirdly fluid. I don¡¯t remember training to be able to do this, but my throw had been pretty good. My arm was slightly bent, positioned behind my head as I prepared. My wrist was relaxed, and then, in one smooth motion, I extended my arm forward, releasing the knife. It felt like a fluid, whip-like action as the knife left my hand. My arm continued moving naturally after the release, and I watched as the knife spins through the air, its blade pointing straight toward the target. As the knife spun , I paid close attention to its rotation. I was close enough that I know it only needs a half spin, about 180 degrees, to reach the target. The knife cuts through the air, and I see it rotate, almost in slow motion, as it gets closer. The blade hits the target with a satisfying thud, sticking firmly. I know I¡¯ve hit the mark, the rotation just right, the force balanced perfectly. -20!
You received 01 EXP.
You received 01 Origin Coins.
¡®The distance was close and I guess my dexterity is helping here¡­ at this distance, this shouldn¡¯t be an issue, but I still need to understand my limits.¡¯ Combining this with the potion of the alchemist would make quite the decent first strike, if I increase my strength and I hit the head of the four armed bears, perhaps it would be enough to kill them with a single hit as well. In any case, I finished off the remaining enemy normally instead of using a throw, but learning how to use that with both hands would be a good idea as well.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. After some experiments, I confirmed that I could hit the targets with relative ease when they were up to seven meters away¡­ the hit rate was ninety percent, so it wasn''t half bad. Still, the dire rats weren''t that scary anymore. In that aspect, the danger that the four armed bears offered could drop my aim considerably. I tested how far I could throw the knives as well and while the accuracy was terrible, at least they could reach fifty or so meters. Given my skills, I should focus on strength and dexterity, perhaps adaptability as well¡­ I only had a small idea of what each parameter could do, but I had to confirm with Lain later. I also had to ask him how I can learn more skills¡­ In any case, while I said that I just wanted to practice, I hunted the dire rats until the class leveled up. There were plenty of them, after all.
You received 01 EXP.
You received 01 Origin Coins
Congratulations! You have leveled up!
Strength + 02, Wisdom + 02, Toughness 02, Dexterity + 02, Adaptability + 02, all other parameters + 01, + 02 free points.
¡®Nothing is different¡­ so I guess learning skills will remain a mystery for a while longer.¡¯ ¡®Are you planning to not reach the dungeon today?¡¯ ¡®The goal today is to learn how to fight the four armed bears effectively. Taking risks for now is a bad idea¡­ it will be a different matter if someone becomes a healer and they decide to work with us.¡¯ ¡®A female healer would be preferable, let me do the talk when she shows up.¡¯ Fighting alone allowed me to get ahead quickly, honing my skills and gaining levels faster than I might have in a group. However, I realize now that this approach could have created problems in the future. Forming parties later on is often more challenging because most people build bonds with those they fought alongside from the very beginning. These early parties create trust, teamwork, and a shared understanding that are difficult to replicate when joining a group later. By choosing to hunt alone, I¡¯ve inadvertently missed out on these opportunities to form lasting connections and establish myself as a reliable team member. If I need to rely on a party in the future, I might face hesitation or distrust from those who have already built their parties and are unfamiliar with my ways. ¡®Anyway, can you leave this to me? I will hear your calls and you can over analyze the fights after that.¡¯ ¡®Over analyze¡­ for now, let''s test the limits of stealth. Try to look for a group of monsters while walking at normal speed. After the first fight, I will decide what to do next.¡¯ ¡®Roger that.¡¯ Having an alter ego in a situation like this was convenient¡­ It felt like I had a bot that listened to all my commands and that could control my body as well. Wait, wasn''t that kind of scary? Even more so when he was better at some things than me¡­ mainly, getting into trouble. Without any hesitation, the other guy began to cross the forest. He was mindful of the surroundings. While heading to the shadow of a tree, to the shadow of another tree, he also tried to avoid taking heavy steps or smashing anything along the way. Thanks to all that, I could tell that Stealth was working¡­ and the atmosphere didn''t change. Eventually, we found the first target¡­ Much to my surprise, we found a four armed bear walking around the area as if it was looking for something and there were no signs of their base being nearby. The honeycomb wasn''t around and that was a bit annoying but I could live with that. Before I could say anything, the other guy moved to the back of the monster and then slowly approached as well¡­ he was truly good at that. He even began to mirror to movements of the monster and even bis breathing with the monster to approach without being noticed. When he was five meters away, he suddenly jumped toward the monster and swung down the knives. The monster felt the presence of something approaching and then turned¡­ just in time to have one of its eyes stabbed -37!, -17 ¡°Rrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhh!¡± The monster roared in pain and agony as the knives caused damage. It was impressive that it could still move despite having lost one of its eyes. The beast used two arms to counterattack, but soon the other guy twisted the knife on the eye of the monster and then stabbed the neck of the beast with the other. -17!, -17!, -17 A lot of blood gushed from the wound, but at least the monster stopped moving and then it''s body got limp before the creature fell on the ground.
You received 04 EXP.
You received 03 Origin Coins
¡®Heh, too easy¡­¡¯ Although the other guy said that, he was breathing roughly thanks to the tension. Putting his reckless attack, he didn''t suffer any damage, so I couldn''t say much about his stupidity. ¡®... It seems that they have between 84 and 101 HP. A lot less than I had expected, but their highest parameter should be strength instead of vitality. Targeting the vital areas will cause critical damage...¡¯ The monster disintegrated into sand, the particles scattering with the wind. Amid the dissolving mass, the claws of a single arm remained intact. Given that the creature had four arms, it wasn¡¯t too surprising, statistically, there was a decent chance for at least one set of claws to be left behind. The other guy took a moment to catch a breath, inspecting the claws thoughtfully. Still, the fight was over, and the immediate danger had passed. It was time to reflect. Analyzing the encounter, I began to mentally replay every move, looking for areas of improvement. Were there moments where the monster had almost struck? Opportunities missed to exploit weaknesses? Each fight was a lesson, and with the next inevitable encounter, this one needed to provide every ounce of information possible. Chapter 15 - Competition ¡®You can use the same way of attacking, but make sure to stun the monsters in the head by hitting them with the handle of the knife. You can use the other to blind them if the chance comes.¡¯ ¡®If you increase the strength a bit more, that won¡¯t be necessary. They don¡¯t seem like the type of monster us at level ten should even be fighting.¡¯ ¡®You are getting ahead of yourself when they are supposed to fight in groups.¡¯ He understood my explanation and decided to stick to the plan. Perhaps I should start the fight with some throws and then leave him to deal with the aftermath. That seemed like the most efficient option, after all. When he found the next enemy, he used his sneak tactics and then followed the plan. Attacking the nape of the monster with the handle of one knife truly stunned the monster¡­ it gave him enough time to move to the side and then stab the monster in both eyes. -10, -37!, -37! ¡®It looks like the 37 is the critical damage caused, while the natural defenses of the monster, like its hairy head and thick skin, nullified some of the attack caused by the handle. In any case, the monster lost sight of the other guy and soon swung its arms in all directions violently¡­ The other guy had the chance to stab the wrists of the monster and then stop the beast from further attacking before approaching from behind and then stabbing the skull of the monster repeatedly.
You received 04 EXP.
You received 03 Origin Coins
¡®This is a lot more bloody than I had expected¡­¡¯ ¡®This is great¡­ if I couldn¡¯t smell the blood or feel the danger, it wouldn¡¯t be fun.¡¯ The other guy was truly a mess¡­ then again, perhaps I was in the wrong. If I had a problem with the smell of blood, I should have picked the archer or mage class. Perhaps even the priest class was a good option¡­ I still would be able to heal myself and use other weapons, but all the skills would be for support. It wasn¡¯t much different from what I was doing already. ¡®Are you using Backstab?¡¯ ¡®No, should I try it now?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, let¡¯s see if it can pierce the defenses of the monster. That should be the whole point of this set of skills in the first place.¡¯ The other guy looked for the next target and soon charged when he found it¡­ the beast was close to a honeycomb, so I imagined that the other two four armed bears came from here, while the remaining one was defending their treasure. The creature felt his presence when he was five meters away, but once again, his jump combined with double handed strikes still caught the monster by surprise¡­ both knives pierced the neck of the monster deeply. -57!, -37! The monster shook in pain, but soon the other guy twisted the knives and more damage was caused¡­ a few seconds later, the beast fell dead on the ground. -17, -17
You received 04 EXP.
You received 03 Origin Coins
He used Backstab with both knives, but only one caused critical damage for some reason. I could tell that based on the stamina that was spent. ¡®It seems that the base defense of the monster is twenty¡­ in this case, it should be its toughness. The skill worked as expected, combining the values of strength and dexterity, and the critical damage was equal to its defense nullified. Still, the math is wrong¡­ why would its defense be added to the total value?¡¯ ¡®Who cares about that? Can I eat the honeycomb?¡¯ ¡®I care, and don¡¯t eat it.¡¯ After thinking for a while, I assumed that the extra value of damage came from somewhere else, but I didn¡¯t have any parameter with that value. Perhaps it was the limit of damage I could cause in a single strike without aiming for the brain or heart of the monster.Stolen novel; please report. ¡®For now, that isn¡¯t necessary. Using bigger weapons will take longer to get used to.¡¯ ¡®I want to try fighting them directly.¡¯ ¡®Hell no. What would be the point of fighting them directly after getting into the rogue class? Are you stupid?¡¯ ¡®To gain time, this will take too long to level up.¡¯ ¡®I am still analyzing information about the fights. That can wait until we get some levels.¡¯ ¡®Dude, do you only want easy fights?¡¯ ¡®Hell yeah. Why would I need challenges so soon when I don¡¯t have healing potions and one week ago I was just an ordinary handyman? Do you think that I was born to become a secret agent or something?¡¯ ¡®I might have the talent.¡¯ ¡®Shut up. My body, my rules.¡¯ ¡®Sure boss.¡¯ ¡®I will take charge for now.¡¯ ¡®Aww¡­ come on! I promise to behave!¡¯ ¡®I need to get combat experience before leveling up, since that would make things easier.¡¯ While I wished for all the fights to be easy, I wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to believe that reality would make things that convenient. This world wasn¡¯t kind, and battles weren¡¯t designed for my convenience. I understood that growth often came through hardship, through hard fights that pushed me to the brink and forced me to surpass my own limits. In truth, I welcomed those challenges. But there was a fine line between a challenge that inspired growth and one that invited catastrophe. I wasn¡¯t reckless enough to gamble with my life or my body in a way that could leave me crippled or dead. Losing a limb, or worse, wasn¡¯t the kind of lesson I wanted to learn. Survival wasn¡¯t just about strength; it was about knowing which risks to take and when to step back. So while I welcomed the fights that tested my resolve and skills, I also made it a point to keep the odds in my favor. A challenge should teach me, not break me beyond repair. There was no glory in surviving a fight so broken that I couldn¡¯t face the next one. Besides, who knew the limits of the healing potions around? ¡®I need to ask Lain later if healing potions can restore lost limbs¡­ if it is possible, taking some risks might be a good thing.¡¯ I copied the movements of that moron and then managed to approach the beasts just fine without being noticed¡­ Perhaps he was right and I was just worrying too much about the situation. If the plane lands were some sort of training grounds, the other areas wouldn¡¯t be insanely more difficult. Still, I decided to let those thoughts die¡­ the moron thinking alongside those lines was enough for both of us. After fighting some of the monsters like that, it wasn¡¯t much of a fight really¡­ I decided to try the throws on them. Naturally, I still would slowly approach them from behind. For now, I just wanted to test how much damage they could cause. I took out all the knives from my inventory and then got ready to throw them in the final moment¡­ Still, it seemed that the beast sensed my intention somehow and then slowly turned around. In a hurry, I threw my knives¡­ the first one hit and pierced the back of the monster and made the creature groan in pain. The second and the others hit the left side of the monster. -19, -19, -19, -19, This one was a lot easier to calculate¡­ my strength with the attack or the knives. It seemed that dexterity only affected my aim, not the attack damage. Still, there was a lot of damage¡­ while the beast was in pain, I threw one of my main knives at the chest of the monster and the creature didn¡¯t have the chance to block it.
You received 04 EXP.
You received 03 Origin Coins
¡®Heh, this isn¡¯t half bad¡­¡¯ ¡®It is pretty boring, actually.¡¯ ¡®I was able to defeat the monster way faster than you. Results are everything.¡¯ ¡®Ugh¡­ all right, you are on!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t deny that my way of fighting was boring, but I didn¡¯t care. I had other goals aside from having fun hunting monsters. I had to gain power as fast as possible to look for the people that I cared about. Having a lot of power and not having anyone to use to protect them was a tale as humanity itself. He had asked me to fight for a while, saying it would help him improve his fighting style. Normally, I¡¯d have set some ground rules or limitations, but his request came with a specific goal: he wanted to beat my record of defeating the four-armed bears in just two seconds. That wasn¡¯t a small feat, and it wasn¡¯t something he could achieve by holding back. If he was aiming that high, I couldn¡¯t make some restrictions that would limit his goal, at least not that many. Still, I wasn¡¯t about to let things get reckless. I made it clear that the moment he got hurt, the turn was over. It was a line I wouldn¡¯t let him cross. Pushing his limits was fine, but breaking my body in the process wasn¡¯t part of the deal. ¡®Don¡¯t be stingy, we can recover by using the honeycombs.¡¯ ¡®The fight will only be acceptable for the competition if neither of us get hurt. I didn¡¯t get hurt before, after all.¡¯ ¡®Fine¡­¡¯ I should have bought more knives, but I only have five slots of them in my belt. I decided to practice a bit, taking them from my belt instead of my inventory. In any case, I was able to finish the monsters after hurting them enough with the throws, so it hadn¡¯t been a problem. When I failed to hurt them enough, a bit of caution did the trick to finish the job. Despite the time it took to find the monsters, I was able to level up mid-afternoon. We could gain more experience hunting just the fire rats, but we couldn¡¯t obtain the honeycombs fighting them. After mapping an area of ten kilometers in the spots that they were found, I had to decide what would be my next step. ¡®I have over fifty honeycombs. Should I retreat and get more?¡¯ Chapter 16 - From the Depths ¡®I guess I will check the dungeon¡­ if the fights are too hard there, then I will return.¡¯ ¡®What if someone clears the dungeon first and gets the job?¡¯ ¡®Good question¡­¡¯ That was one of the reasons that I wanted to go to the dungeon as soon as possible and be the first person to get the job. Doing that obviously would help me in the long run. Who knew if the job would be available after someone else gets it? Some things in this world seemed like it worked like a game, but even games had limited resources inside them. It was clear that in each zone, the amount of experience and rewards that everyone could get were limited. So, more than ever, first comes first served. Those who find those resources first and use them to obtain even better resources will stay ahead and will eventually put some distance between the others. I began to head in the direction of the dungeon and found some monsters along the way, but they were disposed of quickly with my throws. As my confidence grew, I also got better at it, Before sunset, I eventually crossed the forest and then reached the next area. It was a swamp¡­ The dungeon was only a hundred meters ahead. It looked like a mausoleum in the dim, eerie light. Its stone structure was cold and foreboding, with weird carvings etched into its surface, depicting damaged figures and long-lost symbols. The air around it felt thick, heavy with the scent of decay, as though the very land around the dungeon had absorbed the whispers of death itself. The swamp surrounding it stretched endlessly, its stagnant waters murky and dark, dotted with patches of rotting vegetation. The atmosphere was oppressive, as if the swamp itself was a graveyard, a land that had long been forsaken by life. There was no sign of movement, no birds, no rustling of leaves, only the suffocating silence, broken only by the occasional distant croak of something unseen, lurking in the shadows. ¡°Shit, staying here at night is¡­¡± It was better to stay inside the dungeon¡­ or so I wanted to believe. I couldn¡¯t see the monsters in the area, but they should be there. It made me wonder what kind of job I would get in a place like this. ¡®Stop wasting time. You can¡¯t rest in a place like this, so while your body has gotten stronger, you are also using more energy than usual. The more you keep wasting time, the harder conquering the dungeon will be.¡¯ He had a point¡­ still, as usual, I couldn¡¯t accept that much when he was making sense. Regardless, I began to cross the swamp and noticed that the most muddy areas was close to the trees. The surrounding trees were twisted and gnarled, their branches reaching out like long, crooked fingers, as if they were waiting for the right moment to grab me. The thick trunks seemed to lean inwards, casting ominous shadows that made the air feel even heavier. With every step I took, it felt as if the trees were watching, their bark contorting into shapes that almost resemble faces, eyes that glinted in the twilight. I couldn¡¯t shake the sensation that at any moment, one of them might lash out, ensnaring me in its grip. The tension in the air was palpable, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel my muscles tighten, every instinct on high alert as the oppressive forest closed in around me. While I moved looking at the trees, I heard a weird sound coming from the ground¡­ from the mud pool in front of me. I saw a hand emerging. I felt like a jolt of electricity spread through my body thanks to the shiver. I immediately jumped backward and got ready to fight, but then when I landed¡­ I felt my leg being grabbed by something. When I looked in that direction, I saw a pair of hands emerging from the mud and soon it tried to pull me in. Without hesitation, I stabbed the wrists of the hands and then they weakened enough to let me move. I dashed in the direction I came from before turning around and then facing the beasts. My heart was racing like a large drum with each heartbeat. That only got worse when I saw what tried to drown me in the mud¡­ ¡°Goblins?¡± From the murky mud pools, the goblins began to emerge, their grotesque forms half-rotten and encrusted with thick layers of mud. Standing at 1.8 meters tall, they towered over most goblins that I had imagined, making their twisted appearance all the more unsettling. Their skin, mottled with patches of decay, hung loosely from their frames, and the smell of rot mixed with the fetid swamp air. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Their eyes glowed with a faint, sickly light, barely visible beneath the grime and filth caking their faces. Clumps of mud clung to their bodies, masking their skeletal features and making their movements even more jarring as they moved through the swamp. As they approached, the sloshing sounds of their feet sinking into the muck echoed, each step sending a sickening squelch through the still air. The sight of these putrid creatures, with their bloated, decayed limbs, was enough to send a chill down anyone¡¯s spine. ¡®I thought that it was supposed to take a bit longer before I had to fight undead enemies¡­¡¯ While I was a bit nervous, they were moving very slowly¡­ I quickly analyzed the situation. Given that they were undead goblins, they shouldn¡¯t be able to feel pain, but in exchange for that, they should have lost some things like their ability as it was evidently in front of me. They didn¡¯t look like they had skills either¡­ so their endurance and ability to surprise their targets from the pools of mud should be their main weapon. Without hesitation, I threw my four knives at the closest enemy¡­ despite my assumptions about its speed, the monster was able to block the last two knives with its hands after the two others pierced its head. While they caused critical damage, it wasn¡¯t enough to make the beast stop. -36!, -36!, -21, -21 As expected, it didn¡¯t fall since it had more healthy than the four armed bears. I clicked my tongue and got ready to charge¡­ After clicking the ground, I approached the wounded monster, but the other stepped forward faster and then got in the way. I stabbed its hands when it tried to grab me and then I spun my body, hitting its head with a roundhouse kick. -21, -21, -19 The second monster stumbled backward, and the first used that chance to grab my left arm and then approach its mouth at my neck. I stopped its attack by slitting its throat, but even that didn¡¯t finish off the beast. -36! I used the other arm to push away the monster and then finally stabbed its head with my two main knives. The beast finally stopped moving and fell to the ground. -36!, -36!
You received 07 EXP.
You received 04 Origin Coins.
The other monster got more eager to bite me when the other goblin zombie died. With large steps, it approached, but soon it stopped when I kicked its stomach. When the beast stumbled, I pierced its head from both sides and slowly twisted the weapons. -36!, -36! -18!, -18!
You received 07 EXP.
You received 04 Origin Coins.
The monster fell dead, and I sighed in relief¡­ the creature had two times more healthy than the four armed bears, so it was a bit annoying to deal with more than one at the same time. Still, it was manageable. What wasn¡¯t manageable was the smell¡­ ¡®Crap, I feel sick¡­¡¯ The smell of rotten flesh and blood stuck to the weapons like a heavy, sick paint. The once-sharp blades now carried the stench of decay, an acrid, sour odor mixed with the sickly sweetness of coagulated blood. The fetid scent of decaying tissue was overpowering, as though the very air had absorbed the vile remnants of the Goblin zombies. It made me feel like puking. The blood on the steel had dried into a dark, crusty layer, with the putrid aroma of rot seeping from every spot. As I gripped the weapons, the smell felt like it was moving into my hands, lingering even after I wiped them. The metallic tang of blood was sharp, but it was overwhelmed by the earthy, musky reek of decomposing flesh. It was a scent that would bother my nostrils long after the deed was done. ¡®Well, can¡¯t you kick just fine? Why didn¡¯t you use that on the four armed bears?¡¯ ¡®Because they are huge. You aren¡¯t very smart, are you?¡¯ Heavier people have more mass, which makes them more resistant to being moved or damaged. While a stronger individual can generate a high amount of force, if that force is not enough to overcome the inertia of a much heavier body, it won¡¯t be able to move or damage them effectively. Heavier individuals also have more momentum, which can make it harder for the attacker to stop them or redirect them. At the same time, strength doesn¡¯t always translate to speed or leverage. A stronger person may not always have the agility or positioning needed to use weak points effectively, while a heavier person can rely on their body weight and momentum to neutralize incoming attacks. Such a phenomenon can be ignored with enough strength, but I wasn¡¯t that strong yet. In any case, the monsters died, and they turned into ashes after a while, and they left a single piece of bone behind. ¡®Of all the things that they could have dropped¡­¡¯ I had no idea what they could be used for, but I didn¡¯t like that I had to use such things. It was too big for alchemy, but I couldn¡¯t discard its uses yet. In any case, I resumed my journey to the dungeon, imagining if I would find other kinds of enemies there. The goblin zombies emerged from the mud pools to drag me to their spots as well, but I was able to stop them before they had the chance. I threw two knives at their legs and that hindered their poor mobility even further. Despite the fact that they came in pairs to attack, they didn¡¯t cause that much trouble¡­ Still, I was in a hurry since it was getting darker and I had no idea how the night would affect their behavior. Chapter 17 - Not Fun I checked the interior of the dungeon and confirmed that it had some lights around. The place had some lamps attached to the walls. It would be better if I had a torch with me, but my planning skills weren¡¯t that advanced. I learned my lesson and made a mental note to buy a bunch of them in the town. I had no idea how that kind of structure could remain intact in the middle of a swamp, but the walls, ceiling, and the floor were completely dry. It made sense since everything was made of brick, but there were some parts that were falling apart. ¡®No signs of monsters, huh? This is odd¡­ is this the other type of the dungeon? The type that I don¡¯t like?¡¯ That would be disappointing, but in the end, I would guess that those who created this kind of place would know that only those confident in their skills would come here, so they would try to test other things. I began to advance after thinking for a while. I decided to keep my knives in my hands in order to react to trouble at a moment¡¯s notice. While I was thinking about that, I heard the sound of something clicking under my feet. I immediately curved my body to jump backward. ¡®Don¡¯t move!¡¯ It took every ounce of strength from my being to stop my movements, but in the end, that had been the right choice¡­ in the next moment, several holes appeared on the walls and they fired spears in front of me and behind me. I felt a shiver as I felt the sound of those weapons piercing the air. ¡®Shit¡­ I didn¡¯t find any signs of traps in the ground.¡¯ ¡®Can I hear my thank you first?¡¯ ¡®No. You only acted to save your own existence¡­ I can¡¯t deny that you saved my skin, though. Still, for this kind of trap to do this¡­ it seemed that the creator of this place knows a bit of human psych.¡¯ ¡®Just stay focused on listening to my commands if I say something. If you were half a second slower, you would have become a porcupine.¡¯ That couldn¡¯t have sounded even more nasty¡­ In any case, I nodded and then resumed my exploration. My reflexes acted as soon as I heard the sound of chains above me and then I jumped to the side. The massive iron ball could have turned me into a pancake. Before long, it was pulled by the chains and then the hole in the ceiling closed. ¡®I can¡¯t imagine what kind of job this kind of challenge would offer¡­ Hopefully it won¡¯t be anything related to traps.¡¯ I imagined that the jobs would be similar to the ones of the people in the town¡­ information broker, alchemist, clerk, barkeeper and so on. It was hard to imagine how those aside from alchemist would be helpful in combat. It was also weird to think why the people of the town didn¡¯t come here to get this class¡­ wasn¡¯t that possible for them? ¡®Get down!¡¯ I followed the other guy¡¯s lead and then I saw a large iron pillar filled with spikes passing above me. The thing went back and forth for a while until it was finally pulled back to the ceiling. ¡®This one didn¡¯t make any noise¡­ the other did, but it was on purpose.¡¯ ¡®Maybe this place doesn¡¯t have any rewards, and that guy told us to come here just to get us killed and receive a lot of money without offering anything of value.¡¯ ¡®I wished that I could deny that, but my mind was working right now to be suspicious of anything and everything.¡¯ In any case, I could tell at least that the traps were testing my reflexes, so perhaps I would get a job related to that¡­ it would help me a fair bit, considering my fighting style. After walking for a while longer, I noticed that the corridor was getting larger and the fact that I just walked in a straight line. That made me realize that getting lost would be hard, but that still made me feel weird. While I was thinking about that, I saw a large round boulder falling from the ceiling ahead¡­ before long, it began to roll toward me. That one was a classic¡­ What wasn¡¯t a classic was the fact that I heard the same sound coming from behind, and then another large round boulder began to roll toward me.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡®Well, good luck¡­¡¯ I froze on the spot¡­ given the size of the massive boulders, I could tell that there would be some room to escape being smashed in the ground when they collided against each other, but since they dropped at different times, I couldn¡¯t tell exactly where they would hit each other. Moreover, they began to gain speed. ¡°How is this possible? They can¡¯t move in different directions when the floor is completely flat!¡± The boulder ahead was a bit closer, so I ran in the opposite direction and then tried to find the place where they would connect. Still, looking at them getting closer, I couldn¡¯t tell at all. ¡°Fuck!¡± I stopped moving where I thought that the boulders would collide and then dropped on the ground¡­ Still, when the boulders were five meters away, I rolled back a bit since I felt that would be the best place to be. A large powerful thud echoed in the area, making the whole dungeon tremble¡­ I didn¡¯t see that happening since I closed my eyes out of reflex. I slowly opened the right one and then saw that the first boulder was a few millimeters away from me. I didn¡¯t have the chance to turn around, because when I tried, I hit my back against the other boulder. The ground shook a bit, and then the large boulders slipped backward on a slope that appeared behind them¡­ this whole place was basically filled with such things. It looked old, but it was working as the damn architect had built to work. ¡®This place is terrible for my heart¡­ Still, why did Lain tell me to stock up on healing items? This place is dangerous, but if I fall for a trap, I don¡¯t think that I will have the chance to use healing items.¡¯ The only possibility was that there were things even more dangerous than the traps. It was hard to imagine, especially considering how close those traps had come to killing me. The near-death experience made it almost impossible to believe that anything could surpass the sheer threat posed by the traps. But deep down, I knew, there had to be something else lurking in the shadows, something far worse than these mechanical death traps. Maybe they were just the first layer of defense, a mere warm-up to what was to come, and the real dangers were further ahead, hidden and waiting to test every bit of my resourcefulness. ¡®Well, here we go again¡­¡¯ I advanced through the corridor of the dungeon, waiting for the next trap, but I didn¡¯t find any other along the way. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but frown when I saw a dead end ahead. I was pretty sure that I didn¡¯t miss any other possible path. When I reached the wall, I immediately understood what was waiting for me and I dreaded thanks to it¡­ there was a pool of water in front of it. To reach the other side of the corridor, I had to swim in that dark water. ¡®Well, this will be fun¡­¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think that seeing a hammer sink is fun.¡¯ ¡®I never saw you eager to swim.¡¯ ¡®I am just entertained enough to see you trying that and failing miserably.¡¯ The fact that he didn¡¯t say that he wanted to take my place showed that he wasn¡¯t much better¡­ Regardless, this was something I had to get over with, eventually. I stopped to think for a moment if I should increase my parameters to help with this¡­ Dexterity certainly would help me swim better, but adaptability probably would do the same, or perhaps make me stay underwater for a longer time without suffocating. ¡®Once you start, you shouldn¡¯t stop and go for it. I have the feeling that this entrance would close as soon as you jump in. That kind of surprise will make you waste time and also breath.¡¯ ¡®You really had to remind me of that possibility, huh?¡¯ I was trying to avoid thinking about that, but in the end, ignoring that would be a terrible mistake. In the end, I decided to store most of my gear in my inventory and then psyched myself up to swim. Once that was done, I jumped in the water without hesitation¡­ Even without turning around, when I began to swim, I was able to sense the entrance closing. I moved forward, propelling myself through the cold, dark water of the corridor. My strokes were steady, my pace strong, and I felt calm despite the weight of the surrounding water. My lungs held steady. Their strong capacity was a source of confidence as I moved through the pitch-black space, the walls a suffocating presence just out of reach on either side. Time felt slippery here, distorted by the silence and the blackness. Minutes passed, or was it just seconds? I didn¡¯t know. What I did know was that there was no sign of the exit, no glimmer of light to promise an end to this passage. Just the endless stretch of shadowed water. My chest started to tighten. The first pang of discomfort rippled through me, a warning that I couldn¡¯t ignore. I forced my strokes to remain steady, my mind to stay calm. Don¡¯t panic, I told myself. Panicking wastes air. Another minute. Maybe more. The air in my lungs began to feel less like a reservoir and more like a dwindling lifeline. I could feel it vanishing, bit by bit, with every movement of my body. My calm began to weaken, giving room to something much more terrifying. I swam harder, desperation starting to get into my rhythm. My thoughts raced as my vision swam, not with images, but with the growing sensation of my body¡¯s need for oxygen. Where was the exit? Was I going in circles? The pressure in my chest grew sharper, more annoying, and I clenched my teeth against the instinct to gasp. There was no air here. Only water and the endless darkness. I began to feel my body growing cold and weaker, and the agony started to become unbearable. When I began to feel that I was done for, I saw a bit of light in the distance¡­ it was probably the light of my life ending, but I still used my last reserves of strength to swim faster and with all my might. At the last moment, my hand left the water and then I touched the floor on the other side of the pool, but soon my mind went blank and I lost control over my body. Chapter 18 - Banquet When I woke up, I was coughing a lot of water and trembling on the cold floor of the dungeon. Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the surroundings and realized that I had left the pool. ¡®You are welcome¡­ that is what I wanted to say, but I guess we are even since you swam and also had to cough this much water out of your chest.¡¯ The other guy took over when I collapsed, but just for a short while¡­ he immediately put me in control when he realized that my body was cold and coughing a lot thanks to all the water it got inside me. Still, I didn¡¯t have the energy to complain¡­ I was physically and mentally tired. I just wanted to rest¡­ the idea that I had to swim this much again to leave the dungeon only made me feel like I wanted to postpone that worry as much as possible. In any case, my body recovered, and I eventually got up while looking around. It was the perfect moment to kill me with some traps or monsters, but that wasn¡¯t what was around me. I was in a grand chamber that immediately stole my attention. The place radiated opulence, the kind of extravagance that instantly made me think of a high-society party or one of those overindulgent buffets for the elite. The air itself felt richer, like it carried the smell of luxury, though there was no food in sight yet. There were no chairs to be found, no seating arrangements, like one might expect. Instead, the focal point of the room was a massive round table at its center. From above, it would have looked like a perfect ring, its inner space empty save for the intricate design carved into the polished wood. The table wasn¡¯t empty either. It was laden with plates of all shapes and sizes, each meticulously arranged, all covered with glimmering metallic domes. Their polished surfaces reflected the light, adding an air of mystery and anticipation to the display. Whatever was beneath those covers was concealed for now, but it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine delicacies as rare and refined as the chamber itself. The sight made me pause, almost feel out of place, like I had accidentally stepped into someone else¡¯s world, a world of wealth, power, and indulgence. ¡®What the hell is going on here? Is this the end of the dungeon already?¡¯ ¡®Seems like it. I can¡¯t see a treasure box or anything like that around here.¡¯ I checked the area a bit more, but there was nothing to be found or seen¡­ only the table and the food hidden on the plates. That should be related to the job that I could obtain here? So, cooking job? I wasn¡¯t into cooking before, and it was hard to imagine how food could help me fight¡­ There were some games where food offered some bonuses, though. Well, I had to start at some point, so I just approached one of the plates and then lifted the dome-like thing. What was that called again, cloche?
You received a job quest: Gastronomic Gladiator - Eat all the dishes in three hours and survive Rewards: A Job. Time Limit: 2: 59: 59
¡®Hm? Is that it? This will be easy.¡¯ The other guy was being as na?ve as ever¡­ as if anything truly valuable in life could be easy. The final part of the quest also concerned¡­ eat everything and survive. That meant that I could eat and not survive. In fact, that was very likely. ¡®I didn¡¯t survive all this bullshit to die of food poisoning, but¡­¡¯ I raised the cloche and frowned when I found the first dish¡­ as expected of high-class food. It was just a spoonful of something yellow that looked like cheese. It smelled like cheese as well¡­ was that a good thing? ¡®What are you waiting for? Time is ticking.¡¯ I was preparing myself, but this moron couldn¡¯t see what I had to consider before eating here. Still, the anxiety would only make things harder, so I decided to start already¡­ I took the spoonful trying not to taste it that much, but I knew that eating without chewing would only make things harder for me. It had a gentle sweet and spicy taste. It made me think that I was eating a marshmallow covered in ketchup¡­ it was pretty good, so that only made me feel more confused. After a couple of seconds, I didn¡¯t realize anything odd about me¡­ but I noticed my body getting warmer. Name: Ryan Winters Class: Rogue Lv 02 (00/600)The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Job: (00/000) HP: 140/160 MP: 140/180 SP: 140/160 Strength: 19 + 05 (3591) Magic: 16 Dexterity: 18 + 05 Vitality: 16 Wisdom: 18 Endurance: 16 Toughness: 18 Spirit: 16 Adaptability: 18 Free Points: 12 Origin Coins: 811 Skills: Backstab (Basic), Stealth (Basic), Pick Lock (Basic) Job Skills: My strength increased by five points, but there was a timer on the side of the increase. It seemed that my guess was right, food could buff my parameters here too. Still, soon I began to sweat, and I noticed that my SP began to decrease. ¡®I guess it isn¡¯t that convenient, huh?¡¯ ¡®Maybe at some point, you will be able to cook something that won¡¯t have such demerits.¡¯ ¡®We will see.¡¯ I moved to the next dish¡­ this one was a decent chunk of meat that looked like a fillet. There was even sauce around it. It was a bit red, but it didn¡¯t look like blood. ¡®Come to think of it, for how long has this food been waiting here?¡¯ ¡®Man¡­ Who. The Hell. Cares! Don¡¯t think about every single detail.¡¯ The other guy spoke like a true moron who only lives for the moment¡­ Regardless, I began to eat the piece of meat. It was definitely better than any meat I had eaten outside¡­ the good food made me relax. Was that the goal of the trial? I looked around while chewing¡­ There were at least fifty dishes around¡­ 48 more to go. Could I eat that much? Regardless, the dish increased my endurance this time around and a bit more of my stamina began to be consumed. If I were to stop now, I would be fine, but I had to keep eating it to complete the quest. Maybe this was why I had the chance to get the honeycombs, but would that be so convenient? I went to taste the third dish, and it was a salad this time around¡­ it made me frown, but I didn¡¯t hesitate to eat it as well. I felt my magic increasing, but my MP began to decrease as well now and then. ¡®I have been eating periodically lately, and maybe that is why I am not feeling full yet.¡¯ I was never the type to eat a lot, so just this kind of meal would have been enough for me. I was fine eating anything that had a lot of salt. Essentially, I had the tasting buds of a kid. I only began to feel the food filling my stomach on the tenth dish and at that point in time, I also felt my stomach getting a bit upset. To the point that my health began to drop, this was bad¡­ I decided to use the honeycombs to counter that effect. Despite all the flavors in my mouth, I didn¡¯t feel nauseous or sick of it, so I resumed the buffet. ¡®I guess I am in trouble¡­¡¯ When two hours were left for the quest to end, I had only eaten fifteen dishes and I was already full. I had no idea what I could do in this situation aside from forcing myself to eat and get sick in the process. ¡®It is fine if you vomit all that later.¡¯ ¡®It definitely isn¡¯t fine¡­¡¯ Some of the effects of the energy drain were ending, but all of them lasted one hour too¡­ It was already annoying enough to handle them, but I had to stack more than a few each time now if I wanted to complete the quest. I strengthened my resolve and then kept going. My resolve soon weakened as I began to feel sick. I got better when I used the honeycombs, but the process of getting sick and better soon after only made things more unbearable. ¡®Stop bitching and just eat everything.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know if the other guy said that or if I thought it myself¡­ the weird thing was that while I felt full and sick, I still felt the taste of everything. Most likely, it was designed for me to feel like that. It felt like a new weird type of torture. When I was in the middle of the process, I started to feel like throwing up. At that point in time, I truly decided to take a break and then laid down on the cold floor to recover a bit. My energy sources began to drop and recover every second thanks to the food effects and the honeycombs. At that point in time, I could tell that some of the food was poisonous¡­ while not deadly poisonous by themselves, all of their effects combined were truly that much dangerous. I recalled something and then forced myself to get up and jog around the area. I knew that a fast metabolism increases the body¡¯s ability to process and eliminate waste products and toxins. When someone has food poisoning, the body produces toxins as a result of the harmful microorganisms in the contaminated food. A faster metabolism helps the body break down and expel these toxins more quickly, reducing the duration of those troublesome effects. Once the blood began to warm up my body, I began to feel better. The enhanced blood flow helped transport immune cells throughout my body more efficiently, which improved the body¡¯s ability to fight off infection. It was useful to know that my biology lessons in high school weren¡¯t a total waste of time¡­ finally. Once I began to feel much better, I resumed eating and decided to keep moving around to make the food be processed faster. I knew that I shouldn¡¯t exercise all that much after or during a meal, but I found the right balance between both. I still felt sick, but it was bearable now. When one minute was left, there were still two dishes left. I put them inside my mouth without a care and began to chew everything. Still, the quest wasn¡¯t completed¡­ it seemed that I had to put it all down before that could happen. At this point in time, my jaw was already asking why it had to suffer that much, but I was forced to endure it. When only three seconds were left, I took the final gulp.
You completed a job quest: Gastronomic Gladiator - Eat all the dishes in three hours and survive Rewards: Gastronomist Job
Chapter 19 - Gastronomist
The Gastronomist class is a unique blend focused on the fine art of culinary mastery, with a touch of deadly precision and survivalist skills. Members of this class possess a sharp sense of taste, keen observation, and tactical prowess in both the kitchen and in combat. While not a typical combat-focused class, Gastronomists are good in enhancing their abilities through carefully prepared meals and utilizing their culinary knowledge to manipulate enemies'' weaknesses. They possess a versatile skill set that allows them to support their allies and outmaneuver enemies in the heat of battle. Dexterity +05, Wisdom +05, Adaptability +04, Vitality +03, Toughness +03,
You learned the skill Gastronomist Eye.
Gastronomist Eye (Magical): The Gastronomist Eye allows you to detect even the most subtle flavors, textures, and ingredients in any dish. This perception grants you the ability to analyze food for its nutritional value, potential effects on your body , and hidden properties that may otherwise go unnoticed. You can also assess the quality of ingredients or food for cooking, making you highly proficient in creating meals that boost your performance or give you a tactical advantage in battle.
You learned the skill Gastronomist Technique.
Gastronomist Technique (Magical): The Gastronomist Technique grants you the power to improve the effects of your dishes. When creating new dishes, finding new ingredients, you can improve your skill as a gastronomist.
I fell on the ground thanks to the relief and the tension leaving my body, but soon I began to feel bad again. ¡°Ugh, I feel so sick¡­ but I don¡¯t want to throw up and I am too tired to move.¡± ¡®Hey, it looks like the Gastronomist class is in the same rank as the rogue class. It needs the same amount of experience to level up.¡¯ ¡°Really? Considering the amount of status it gives, I was expecting more. Maybe despite the crazy bonuses, it is only in the same rank. Hopefully, the evolutions have even greater bonuses.¡± I was getting ahead of myself, but I couldn¡¯t care less¡­ after this weird ordeal, I was too relaxed to care for now. After a while, I fell asleep and when I woke started to feel much better and then when I got up, I saw a wooden stair in the middle of the table. I could see the hole in the ceiling and I could see the light of the day coming from it. ¡®My claustrophobic senses are going to kill me here¡­ Well, better to move on than dwell on it.¡¯ When it comes to that, I knew that fighting those fears head-on was the best answer. Without hesitation, I began to climb the stairs and after a couple of minutes, I found myself in that old swamp. The hole of the dungeon closed like the damn traps and then I felt relieved¡­ that ordeal was finally over. ¡®What is the plan now? Hunting more undead goblins?¡¯ ¡®I want to complete the quest to get the claws of the four armed bears and then get another in the same area. I want to experiment with the class and see how much experience I can gain with it.¡¯ ¡®You can call me when there is any real fight involved.¡¯ ¡®Maybe I won¡¯t.¡¯ I decided to open my inventory and check the apple and the honeycomb again and soon I found some interesting things.
The Gastronomist job received 02 EXP.
The Gastronomist job received 05 EXP.
Apple (Common) Restores 02 points of health and 05 of stamina. It can be used to create juices with water or honeycomb to create a powerful drink.
Honeycomb (Common) Restores 20% of your HP, MP, and SP. It can be used with apples to create an effective and nutritious meal.
¡®Gaining experience just by analyzing ingredients, huh? This can be good, but it has some limitations.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t gain experience analyzing copies of the same ingredients¡­ The real power of this class was to gain experience by making drinks and meals. I wondered if alcoholic drinks would count. In any case, for starters, I had to get some tools to cook as well. It would be better if I find some type of monster that leaves behind ingredients that can easily become a meal. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it While thinking about my situation, I decided to leave the swamp and return to the forest. Fighting the undead goblins was easy enough, but the constant gloom of the swamp was just too annoying. The oppressive atmosphere, combined with the eerie stillness and decaying environment, made every encounter feel more depressing than challenging. I needed a change of scenery after that ordeal in the dungeon, something that didn¡¯t feel so suffocating and devoid of life. The forest, with its vibrant green and fresh air, felt like a much-needed respite. To continue fighting at my best, I needed to keep my morale high, even more so considering that I was fighting alone. After five hours, I was back in town. I didn¡¯t have the chance to level up the Rogue class, but at least I got some honeycombs since I used most of them to survive the trial¡­ it didn¡¯t make sense to me at first, but now I can understand why it was called Gastronomist Gladiator¡­ or was it the other way around? In any case, my stomach certainly had a hard time fighting all the food. ¡°... Took you long enough.¡±
You received a quest: Hunting Quest - Go to the Sweet Wind Forest and kill as many four armed bears as possible to get their claws.
You received 255 EXP.
You received 255 Origin Coins.
Congratulations! You have leveled up!
Strength + 02, Wisdom + 02, Toughness 02, Dexterity + 02, Adaptability + 02, all other parameters + 01, + 02 free points.
¡°I had to head to another area before returning¡­ Does the delay get in the way of the guild?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Then why are you complaining? I wanted to ask that or at least sigh, but I decided to hold back on it. I could pick another quest, but it was better to wait and avoid hearing that kind of nonsense again. ¡°I can see that you were the first to get a class too¡­ and one very special at that. When you get your next skill on it, I can offer you some work here.¡± ¡°When will I get the next skill?¡± ¡°At level five.¡± That was good to know¡­ the class already reached level four, the Rogue class, at least. It was obvious that I would get a new skill soon, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be. Still, it was better to focus on leveling up the Gastronomist class for today. ¡°All right then. I will be waiting for it.¡± I decided it was time to leave the rogues¡¯ guild. I needed to get out and take care of some other things. I headed toward the nearest shop, hoping to find some basic cooking utensils. The store was surprisingly well-stocked, and I quickly found what I needed: a few pots, pans, and knives. Nearby, something caught my eye: a display of fresh meat. It wasn¡¯t the best cut, but it would do. I hadn¡¯t had a proper meal in a while, and I couldn¡¯t resist. I grabbed a few pieces, then thought about the other things I¡¯d need to go with it: bread, vegetables, some salt to season the meat, and a few other basic ingredients. Before I knew it, my basket was full, and I was ready to pay for it. The total quickly added up, and when the clerk told me how much I owed, I was shocked. I had spent nearly all the coins I¡¯d earned over the past few days. It was only a simple shopping trip, but it felt like I was back to square one. Once again, I was broke. ¡®The good thing is that I don¡¯t need to find all the ingredients¡­ and that isn¡¯t enough. I can basically trade money for experience in my job. That was a good investment, even more considering the effects that the food would have.¡¯
The Gastronomist job received 02 EXP.
The Gastronomist job received 03 EXP.
The Gastronomist job received 06 EXP.
¡®Let¡¯s start with something simple and then go for the difficult stuff later.¡¯ I went back to my room in the inn¡­ it was better if I didn¡¯t make a fire there, but the innkeeper said that I could use his kitchen as long as I didn¡¯t destroy anything. That was uncalled for, but I was no master at cooking, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. I began to prepare the juice with apples¡­ that was difficult without a blender, but I made it somehow work.
The Gastronomist job received 03 EXP.
Apple Juice. (Common) A delicious fruit juice that can restore 09 points of HP and 15 of SP over five seconds.
I received the message when I put it into a one liter bottle. Drinking that much was a bit hard, but at least it was easier than chewing three apples and faster too.
The Gastronomist job received 07 EXP.
Vegetable Soup (Common) A warm, comforting soup made with mixed vegetables and salt. Restores 10 points of HP and 30 points of MP over ten seconds.
The Gastronomist job received 10 EXP.
Meat Stew (Common) A hearty stew made by simmering meat with vegetables and seasoning. Can restore 30 points of HP and 15 points of SP over ten seconds.
The Gastronomist job received 08 EXP.
Roast Meat and Bread (Common) Tender roasted meat served with freshly baked bread. Restores 15 points of HP and 15 points of SP over five seconds.
I always felt like cooking was such a pain and always ordered food out for myself, but it was quite fun to make all of that and stock it in my inventory. Who needs potions when you can make food like that? ¡®More than one thousand origin coins only gave me 150 experience points¡­ I really need to look for monsters that can leave some easy ingredients.¡¯ The food also came at the common rarity rank, so it shouldn¡¯t be bad¡­ As my skills level up, or perhaps my dexterity, it would become tastier and food is an important source of comfort as well before and after battles. ¡®Oh, yeah¡­ I can do that too.¡¯ I can buy apples from others like me and that will help them become stronger. Doing much more than that would be a hassle, but this much would be fine since I would be gaining time instead of looking for it in the town. With those thoughts in mind, I stopped making the food and then finally had the chance to sleep. Chapter 20 - The Next Step I woke up when the sun was rising and feeling more full of energy than before¡­ I stretched out my body while thinking about the next skill I would get. I was planning to ask Lain about that, but since I was broke, I decided to avoid that and ask him something else. Now that I didn¡¯t have to worry about food or water, I could venture further from the town, considering a bit more risk. The downside was that it would be hard to find a place to sleep or camp through the night. Although I was getting stronger, I was still getting tired fast enough¡­ probably because I was using all the energy and putting my body to work like never before. ¡°Hey, it looks like you obtained the quest. Congratulations. I am seriously impressed. I don¡¯t think that many people obtained jobs already, even in the other towns.¡± ¡°Do you have that kind of information?¡± ¡°It is hard to get that much precise information so far, but it will improve eventually.¡± It made me wonder if our progress would affect his work¡­ I couldn¡¯t imagine how he could get any information while staying in the town during the whole day. ¡°I see¡­ anyway, do you have any idea of monsters that leave ingredients behind when they are killed?¡± ¡°Close by? The giant armadillos have a chance of leaving meat behind. They also leave a part of their carapace.¡±
You used 20 Origin Coins.
Only one option¡­ It looked like I would have to venture far in order to check all the other areas. First of all, I needed to check if it was worth the hassle of fighting the giant armadillos. Since it was meat, I would just need a few extra ingredients to make several portions of stew. The area where the giant armadillos lived appeared in my map¡­ it was in the south. The opposite area where I usually worked. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was a good thing or not¡­ I really needed to broaden my horizons, though. ¡°All right, thanks.¡± I turned around and then headed to the Rogues¡¯ guild, hoping that I would find some missions in the area. The type that would grant more expand coins based on the loot seemed like a good option for me, but I couldn¡¯t be picky. ¡°You don¡¯t look like it, but you are quite hard working, huh?¡± I wondered why Alessa always had to say something like that¡­ was she trying to get on my nerves with those kinds of remarks? In any case, I just stayed silent for a while. I had a bit of pride in my thick skin. ¡°Do you have any job related to the area where the giant armadillos can be found?¡± ¡°No. Fighting that kind of enemy is annoying for Rogues. You aren¡¯t very smart if you picked that kind of option for whatever reason. That being said, I have a job in an area beyond that area. We received information that things are a bit chaotic in the town south of here. I want you to go there and collect information about what is happening there.¡±
You received a quest: Social Quest - Go to the town in the south and collect intel about the odd situation there. Rewards: 1500 Origin Coin and 1500 EXP. Time Limit: One week
I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise. It was the kind of quest that required skill and discretion, forcing me to keep a low profile while investigating another town. The timing caught me off guard. I had barely settled into my current situation, after all. The quest¡¯s details were vague, but it was clear this wasn¡¯t just a simple errand. It demanded observation, tact, and possibly a level of skill I wasn¡¯t even sure I possessed. It made me pause and reflect. Despite Alessa¡¯s harsh demeanor, her sharp words and no-nonsense attitude, could she have seen something in me? Some kind of potential I wasn¡¯t even aware of yet? Whatever the reason, I couldn¡¯t ignore it. ¡°We have a branch there, but we are at odds with them, so information in that place is hard to come by.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I see¡­ hence the rewards. I accept the quest.¡± I would prefer more hunting quests, this kind of social quest seemed dangerous, after all. Still, I was curious about the situation in other towns similar to this one and there was a small chance that I could find one of my friends and family there, so it was a risk that I was willing to take. ¡°All right then, don¡¯t take too long to return with the news.¡± I nodded and then left the guild. When I did that, I wondered if the other guys around weren¡¯t willing to accept the quest or if they weren¡¯t strong enough¡­ There was also a chance that I was being used since I was disposable and just a newbie for them that could be replaced. ¡®It looks like things are going to become a lot more interesting all of a sudden. It makes me wonder if we will have the chance to fight other people¡­¡¯ This guy was really messed up¡­ one week ago, I was living a normal life and now he wanted to risk fighting others, without laws on, we would have to fend for ourselves and that means also taking chances of killing and being killed by other humans. I didn¡¯t take such a drastic turn so soon. ¡®You worry too much. What is the point of worrying about killing some assholes? I am not saying that we should go around and slit some throats, but it is bad to kill those who try to kill us first?¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t say anything.¡¯ ¡®Your silence and frown speak volumes.¡¯ It was annoying when this guy made too much sense¡­ Still, as much as I hated to assume that, he had a point. I had to consider that and be ready for it. On Earth, laws existed as abstract principles designed to maintain order, justice, and harmony. However, these laws were not tangible entities, they weren¡¯t something you could see, touch, or interact even. What was tangible, however, were the consequences of breaking these laws. The enforcement of laws relied on the mechanisms of punishment, such as fines, imprisonment, or other penalties, which only came into play if someone was caught committing a crime. This nature of enforcement meant that laws themselves didn¡¯t necessarily provide a constant, reassuring sense of security to individuals. Instead, they operated more like an invisible framework, creating the potential for order but leaving much of that sense of security up to interpretation and circumstance. For many, this created a fragile sense of safety. People were aware that laws existed to stop harm, but the actual security they felt depended on the tangible presence of safeguards or the absence of immediate threats, rather than on the laws themselves. That was even more true in this land¡­ the people in the towns had their own rules, but they didn¡¯t apply those outside and they didn¡¯t care about us that much either. With all that in mind, I had to prepare to defend myself by any means necessary. I crossed the plain lands and only killed the dire rats with my throwing knives while I was lost in thought. If I had to prepare for those kinds of dangerous scenarios, I would have to invest more in my gear. Before long, I was able to see the area beyond the plain lands¡­ beyond some hills. I could see the scenario drastically changing. The place was called Arid Shellands¡­ it wasn¡¯t surprising given the monsters, but it truly made me feel like we were inside a game. The area was a vast expanse of dry, rocky terrain marked by sparse vegetation. The ground was cracked and uneven, with patches of dry grass and thorny shrubs struggling to grow amidst the harsh terrain. Large, rounded boulders came out of the ground, providing some shade and shelter. The armadillos had dug some burrows into the terrain, forming a network of tunnels and mounds. Their burrows created scattered rises in the landscape, some of which were reinforced with clawed dirt and lined with discarded scales, showing creatures¡¯ immense size and power. ¡°Where are you heading?¡± All of a sudden, I heard that question. When I turned around, I saw that woman that I had seen talking with the clerk of the weapons shop. I didn¡¯t know her name, but I could tell that she was a teacher. The kids that were with her before were now bullying some of the dire rats close by. Did I invest in some bullies or scary children? ¡°... Do I have any reason to tell you?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ although you acted like a fool that time, it looks like you can act seriously.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± I turned around and then studied the terrain. I was probably a bit on edge thanks to the possibility of fighting other humans. Usually, I wouldn¡¯t be so harsh with others for no reason. ¡°I will repay the money that you lent us the other day. I hate owing others anything.¡± ¡°You go, girl. Show everyone that boss babe energy. Be a good example to those kids with that.¡± The woman looked at me for a moment and I could tell that she was really annoyed¡­ I hit a nerve, but I didn¡¯t have time for that. Even if my acting previously had been a mess, I had to do it now. ¡®As always, you are terrible at dealing with the ladies. Turn around and let me handle this.¡¯ ¡®Fuck off.¡¯ I just wanted to keep my distance from people like her since she had too much responsibility, thanks to those kids. I didn¡¯t want that burden¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad about it since I could have thought of a better solution to this mess. In the end, I could only use the excuse that she wouldn¡¯t have any more need to thank me and she would use the money to keep those kids safe. I didn¡¯t need any thanks. I only helped them for my own peace of mind. ¡®All right, it seems that you have psyched yourself enough to handle the monsters. Now you just have to learn how to turn that ON and OFF and not annoy everyone else around.¡¯ ¡®As if you are one to talk.¡¯ ¡®I only made dudes mad, not the ladies.¡¯ I let out a sigh and then just moved to fight the monsters¡­ Before long, the giant armadillos soon left their holes and then began to roll toward me. Chapter 21 - New Skill The giant armadillos were obviously big. They stood tall, around three feet when they were rolling. Their barrel-shaped bodies were encased in an armored shell made of interlocking plates. These plates provided them with a high defense to even endure the heat in the area... Their elongated heads had sharp, curved snouts ideal for digging, while their amber eyes glowed softly, hinting at cautious intelligence. Powerful forelimbs ended in massive, bone-white claws, sharp enough to carve through rock or fend off predators with high power. Despite their bulky frames, the armadillos moved with surprising speed, and given their size, I could tell that their body slam would be pretty painful. ¡®I can tell now why giant armadillos aren¡¯t the best targets of most people¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t hit them and kill them fast enough with my throwing knives¡­ their durability was low, and with the defenses of the monsters, they would break in no time. Perhaps I should have leveled up in the previous zone before coming here. It was too late to worry about that now. The two monsters approached me and then soon split up to attack me from the sides. Now they were using tactics too, huh? Still, I didn¡¯t let that bother me and just waited until the last moment. When they were about to turn me into a pancake, I jumped and then they collided with each other. The impact made them stop completely and then they fell to the ground dizzy. Without hesitation, I fell, already swinging my knives at the head of one of them¡­ I clicked my tongue in annoyance when I felt the defenses of the beast. -45!, 45! The monster trembled in pain, but despite the critical damage, I failed to reach its brain. Still, I soon stabbed the monster again and again in a hurry, since the other beast was getting up. Perhaps I should really use my free points to strength¡­ After five hits, the beast finally gave in.
You received 12 EXP.
You received 08 Origin Coins.
The other monster ran away to gain more speed before attacking me again. It began to spin around the area in order to gain time and annoy me. It was working¡­ Eventually, the monster used a small hill to propel itself upward and then eventually fall over me. Still, I was able to see the movements of the beast and then jump to the side and throw a knife at its legs. -21, -11, -11, -11, -11, Whenever the beast completed a roll, it would lose health thanks to my knife. That was good to know and I couldn¡¯t help but grin. While the beast was slowing down, I hit the unprotected parts of the sides of the monster with my throwing knives and then finally charged at the monster. In its anger, the beast slashed its sharp claws at me, but I avoided them with a single step to the side and then stabbed its arms. While the beast was in pain, I went for its head.
You received 12 EXP.
You received 08 Origin Coins.
I sighed in relief after the monster fell on the ground and turned into ashes. Fortunately, it left a piece of meat behind that was around three hundred kilograms. It could be turned into a proper meal with the right condiments. ¡®Let me handle the fighting now. These guys can be a decent challenge.¡¯ ¡®Sure.¡¯ ¡®Ah! Don¡¯t coat the weapons with poison!¡¯ ¡®Shut up. I don¡¯t want to risk breaking the knives before I can get others in the next town.¡¯ As I watched that moron fighting, my thoughts kept working on my next steps. Would I find better gear in the next town? My current equipment was working, but it was slowly losing its effectiveness. The durability of my weapons and armor was decreasing, and I needed an upgrade sooner rather than later. The money I¡¯d earned was piling up again, but it wouldn¡¯t do me much good if I didn¡¯t invest it wisely. I knew I had to act before my luck ran out or my gear gave out at the worst possible moment. The problems of the next town were ahead of me. What dangers or opportunities might await me there? I had no idea, and that made it all the more important to prepare for every possibility. I couldn¡¯t let myself be caught off guard. If the next town had something better, I was ready to spend whatever it took to secure it. Better to part with the coins now than regret it later. The other guy began to fight the giant armadillos, and he had an easier time killing them¡­ the poison cancelled half of the defenses of the giant armadillos, so the fights got essentially fifty percent easier and faster. He complained thanks to it, but wanted to get the new skill before the poison runs out on the weapons.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. It seemed that we were the first ones to hunt the monsters here, so we had a lot of beasts to slay. Perhaps we could even reach level ten before heading to the next town¡­ I was being na?ve, but at least daydream wasn¡¯t forbidden.
Congratulations! You reached level five in your class and now you can learn a new skill based on your accomplishments!
When the first poison was about to run out, we finally reached the next level and then I opened my eyes widely when I read that alert. This was some interesting news. This basically said that even if two people were of the same class, their set of skills could be very different from each other.
Throw Knife (Basic) - After killing several enemies while throwing knives, you became skilled at the art of keeping enemies at bay. Your repeated success in striking targets with precision from a distance unlocked the ability to refine your throwing technique, allowing you to deal greater damage with increased accuracy. A quick and precise throwing technique that allows you to hurl a knife with deadly accuracy. The damage scales with Dexterity Strength and weapon quality. Causes bleeding when hitting vital points. Cost: 10 SP
Poison Coat (Basic) - While crafting and experimenting with simple poisons, you discovered how to enhance your weapons with toxic effects. After successfully poisoning an enemy during combat and witnessing the gradual toll it took, you unlocked the ability to coat your weapon with poison quickly, adding a deadly edge to your attacks. Coats your weapon with a simple toxic substance, adding poison damage to attacks for five seconds. Poison causes gradual health reduction equal to your magic. Cost: 30 MP
Backstab (Intermediate) - Through repeated ambushes and stealthy strikes, you mastered the art of attacking from the shadows. After eliminating an enemy with a precise blow to their blind spot during a critical encounter, you unlocked a more advanced backstab technique, capable of inflicting devastating damage and causing debilitating effects. Delivers a devastating strike when attacking from stealth or an enemy''s blind spot. Damage is significantly multiplied, with a chance to cause bleeding or paralysis depending on the weapon used. Can be executed from partial side angles at this level. Cost: 20 SP
Duality (Magical) - Faced with dire challenges that demanded both physical and mental expertise, you realized the need for adaptability. After surviving several trials and listening to your instincts, you unlocked the ability to create and manage two distinct skill trees, ensuring you could adapt to any situation at a moment¡¯s notice. Grants you the power to have two different sets of skill levels and attributes. You can change them at a moment¡¯s notice, but you can¡¯t reset them once they are set and both trees needs to be updated at the same time.
The skills weren¡¯t anything groundbreaking, but at least they revealed a lot of information. They revealed that skills could be improved and my actions could become skills as well¡­ How awesome was that? Perhaps I could have obtained better options if I had trained my mana control more. ¡®Interesting¡­ you can use duality because of me, right? Isn¡¯t that useful? Where is my thanks?¡¯ ¡®Shut the fuck up! Who said that I am going to pick it?¡¯ ¡®Only a retard wouldn¡¯t pick such a useful skill.¡¯ I groaned in annoyance. He had a point. The skill was simply too useful¡­ it also came at a high rank, and it was a passive one. We would be able to adjust to all kinds of scenarios with it. ¡®Pick it. I will be sure to behave. You can choose a more balanced build while I can make one that will be useful for direct confrontations or to finish off the enemies fast.¡¯ That was the best option, but I also felt that I would come to regret giving this guy so much freedom. In the end, I made that choice¡­ Name: Ryan Winters Class: Rogue Lv 05 (02/1200) Job: Gastronomist Lv 01 (177/200) HP: 210/210 MP: 270/270 SP: 180/180 Strength: 23 Magic: 11 Dexterity: 27 + 05 Vitality: 21 Wisdom: 27 Endurance: 18 Toughness: 25 Spirit: 18 Adaptability: 26 Free Points: 16 Origin Coins: 1256 Skills: Backstab (Basic), Stealth (Basic), Pick Lock (Basic), Duality (Magical) Job Skills: Gastronomist Eye (Magical), Gastronomist Technique (Magical) I tried to use the skill and set the parameters of the second building, but I failed¡­ I didn¡¯t like that. ¡®It looks like I am the one that can control the second build, but I can only improve it when you use the first set. It is quite impressive that the system realized my existence. Or perhaps not considering that I took over the body the other time.¡¯ I felt like sighing, but there was no point dwelling on that¡­ I had to move on. It was a good idea to use those free points, but I forgot to ask Lain what each one of them could do. Based on my experience, it would be more like this: Strength - Determines physical power, melee damage, and heavy weapon proficiency. Magic - decides to spell potency and magical skill progression. Dexterity - Enhances agility and finesse in combat. Vitality - Increases health. Wisdom - Increases mana costs. Endurance: Increases stamina. Toughness - Enhances defense, or decreases physical damage. Spirit - Enhances magical defense, or decreases magical damage and mental fortitude. Adaptability - Improves versatility, reaction time, and adaptation to some environments. ¡®It seems accurate enough based on what I have seen so far¡­ Considering all that, my best options would be to focus on strength, dexterity and adaptability. I don¡¯t have skills that use MP yet, and those parameters will be useful in any kind of situation. If I decide to change my build a bit, there will be hope with the free points of the job.¡¯ Chapter 22 - Starry Sky I decided to put eight points in strength and eight in dexterity to notice the differences. I confirmed that my HP, MP, and SP didn¡¯t increase at all. Still, when I threw one of my knives upward, the weapon flew for forty meters before falling, spinning. Despite that, I was able to see the weapon spinning, and I was able to grab the weapon in the air without losing a finger in the process. ¡®Not bad, huh? I bet that I can cause even more damage with my throws now¡­ even through the armor of these monsters. Still, just solving everything with brute strength won¡¯t work. What about you?¡¯ ¡®Everything is set with me. Can¡¯t wait for the next skill.¡¯ ¡®It makes me wonder¡­ If you have your own build, can you get different skills too?¡¯ ¡®Who knows?¡¯ ¡®... What are you hiding?¡¯ ¡®Nothing, really.¡¯ The other guy was way too quiet¡­ It felt like that every single time. I feel like he is getting better, but it is clear that he is up to something. Still, if he wanted to play this game, I could play it too and now that I knew how the system worked, I knew what I could do to exploit it. ¡®I am going to test a few things, so don¡¯t count on my help for a while.¡¯ ¡®... What are you going to do?¡¯ ¡®Lay the foundation of the next skill selection.¡¯ Before long, I was able to feel the other guy tapping into my mana pool¡­ he didn¡¯t like doing that before, but it looked like he could see the potential now. Even though I had more mana than anything else, I still couldn¡¯t do anything with it. Hopefully, he could be useful for once and then give me some hints. I decided to resume the hunt in order to stock up pieces of meat for when night comes. Cooking at night and then getting ready to rest would be the best option for me and leave all the fighting for the day. Considering that my dexterity increased, I was hoping for a bit better food, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that would be enough. ¡®I guess I can make some barbecue¡­ the restoring effects of the meals that I know of are good, but I prefer the buffs. Those would make the fighting a lot easier.¡¯ Things were still relatively easy for now, but with each new monster I encountered, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they weren¡¯t just random challenges thrown in our way. Each creature seemed meticulously designed to exploit specific gaps in my abilities or force me to focus on areas I hadn¡¯t mastered. The monsters seemed like they weren¡¯t just there to kill me but to teach me, pushing me to refine my combat style and explore and learn new abilities. It was almost surreal, like being trapped in a virtual reality simulation, where the world around me was built with a clear purpose. The terrain often worked against me, requiring careful positioning, while the patterns of attacks from the monsters seemed to escalate in complexity the moment I adapted. This was quite unsettling. It made me wonder if this was all intentional, if there was a bigger plan behind my presence here. Was I part of some grand experiment or was this some twisted way of testing my limits, gauging how far I could go before I broke? Whatever the truth was, I couldn¡¯t deny the results. With every encounter, I felt sharper, faster, and stronger. This place was forcing me to evolve, whether I wanted to or not. Aside from my own thoughts about the situation, I didn¡¯t find any evidence of that being true, so perhaps I was just thinking too much. Still, what kind of technology would be able to put so many people in a game-like environment all of a sudden? I could only think of alien technology¡­ but once I start to think along those lines, my thoughts will spiral endlessly. ¡®I should just focus on what I can do¡­ anyway, this should be a record. Almost two thousand EXP earned on a single day. It came at a steep price, though.¡¯ I looked at some of my fingers in my left hand. Aside from the index and thumb, they were purple. I messed up when I tried to block an attack, and that was the result. Although I ate something and that restored my health, my broken fingers were healing very slowly. I decided to try to gain at least ten percent more EXP tomorrow, but tonight I had to look for a place to camp. Although I had moved further south and reached the end of that area, I still couldn¡¯t find the town that I was supposed to go to. I found another forest on the way and I didn¡¯t want to camp in it at night.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. After cleaning up the monsters in an area of five hundred meters, I decided to camp there and sook some of the meat on a stick. I had no idea if armadillos were tasty¡­ it didn¡¯t look like the thing most people would eat unless they were in an emergency. Still, they left pieces of meat behind, so it should be edible.
You received 06 EXP.
¡®Not bad, I guess¡­ a single piece can make one and half barbecues, so each drop grants nine experience points for the job. I can cook a bunch of them at the same time as well.¡¯
Armadillo Barbecue (Common) Restores 05 points of HP and 20 SP. Increases Toughness by two points for five minutes.
It had a new effect¡­ It was quite weak and fighting after eating was quite rough, but it was still pretty useful. I began to cook the barbecues until I finished all of the pieces of meat that I had found.
Congratulations! The Gastronomist Job leveled up!
Dexterity +05, Wisdom +05, Adaptability +04, Vitality +03, Toughness +03, + 04 Free points.
¡®Perhaps I should focus on increasing other parameters given that my job increases my dexterity so much¡­ or perhaps I should just use this to steamroll some areas and fight stronger monsters and get better materials. This doesn¡¯t sound like me at all, but the rewards should be amazing.¡¯ I probably still was the strongest guy in my town, but what about the other towns? Given that my mission was to check one that was in trouble, I could guess that some people were using their strength in unexpected ways. Perhaps someone with a screw loose was using the situation even more than me for their own plans¡­ This kind of environment seems like the type psychos would thrive in. This said something about me¡­ Well, I had an alter ego, so I couldn¡¯t say that I was exactly normal. Regardless, after I was done cooking every single piece of armadillo¡¯s meat. I decided to test them a bit¡­ The smell was pretty good, at the very least. The taste of the barbecue was something I savored deeply, a perfect blend of flavors that lingered long after the meal was over. When I took that first bite, the crust gave way with a satisfying crunch, caramelized with the right amount of char from the grill. Each chew was a mix of textures and flavors, from the crispy edges to the melt-in-my-mouth interior. It was the kind of food that could make me a millionaire for sure if I opened a restaurant. ¡®I thought that it would take a while for me to enjoy good food after the trial, but I guess I was wrong¡­¡¯ I wanted to eat more, but it would be a waste¡­ it was better for each before some battles. Well, I had more than twenty of those, so it would take a while to eat them. I checked my surroundings once more and confirmed that there was no monster around or getting closer¡­ I had no idea how come I was going to rest here, but I had to at least try. The surroundings were completely empty and dark, only my campfire illuminated the place. Despite that, I still could see the starry sky with clarity. ¡®I didn¡¯t camp even once since I came here, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to see the sky at night¡­ it is a bit scary, but quite amazing.¡¯ I had this weird feeling inside me¡­ like I was in a place that I should be or felt more at home. Not in a forest of concrete, like the cities are nowadays. I was never much of a nature guy. I had camped a few times, but I never got the appeal. ¡®I hope that everyone is all right¡­¡¯ While seeing the stars glowing back and forth, I couldn¡¯t help but think about my family, cousins, and other relatives. I didn¡¯t have many friends, so I was worried about them too. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they were alone like me, trying to survive and gain the power necessary to understand what the hell was going on. I had to find them¡­ one at a time, if I had to, and then work together to find the others. Each person would have other people that they worried about and wanted to find too. That would increase the workload, but it would be fine. We could help each other. That was how the human race survived all this shit since pretty much forever. We survived sabertooth tigers, grizzly bears and scary parasites without a system. There was no way we couldn¡¯t survive this as well. ¡®Hm?¡¯ While I was thinking about that, I blinked a bit when I saw some stars in the sky that looked familiar¡­ The appearance was just too obvious. I wasn¡¯t much of a star gazer, but I at least could recognize the Southern Cross. ¡®... Is this just a coincidence?¡¯ I looked around, but I truly didn¡¯t know much about stars. Thanks to that, I couldn¡¯t recognize them. Still, when I looked further north, I could see three stars together in a line¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be Orion? ¡®Was this place created to look like Earth and make us think that we are still there? Then again, Lain said that we are on the Atlantis continent, so¡­¡¯ The mysteries were increasing with every passing moment. Thinking about that wouldn¡¯t help me. For now, I just wanted to get stronger and find the people that I cared about, and then I could worry about such things much bigger than me. Still, it was clear that something beyond my wildest imaginations was happening and it should be happening for a reason.