《The Combat Alchemist》


 Prologue

    Countless rays of dawn¡¯s sunlight streamed through the forest canopy. The last traces of night vanished, transformed into a chill breeze that carried the fresh scent of early spring and budding flowers. Throughout the forest, nocturnal animals retreated into their dens and burrows, hiding from the encroaching sun, while other creatures stretched, preparing for the day ahead.


    Lukas was already awake, basking in the golden glow of sunrise and the melodic song of the morning birds. He sat comfortably on the rickety porch of his cabin, rocking back and forth in a handmade rocking chair as he gazed out over the dew-covered landscape.


    He appreciated being out there in the middle of nowhere, far from everyone and everything that could introduce unwanted complications into his life. Out here, his only concerns were his chickens and gathering enough firewood to last through the winter. Those were manageable responsibilities, and if something went wrong, the only person affected would be him.


    Other people were just too difficult to deal with. Lukas had never known how to handle them; connecting with others and their problems had always been a struggle. It wasn¡¯t that he lacked empathy¡ªhe understood other people''s emotions¡ªbut he simply didn¡¯t have the energy to navigate it all.


    All his life, Lukas had felt muted and dulled, as if he were trapped under a mountain that weighed him down. Moving through life often felt like he exerted twice the effort as others for something as simple as walking. Everything around him was a blurry daze, and even after purchasing land and building his cabin, things had improved only slightly.


    At this point in his life, Lukas knew he wasn¡¯t truly living; he was merely waiting out his days, passively observing the passage of time without purpose or direction. Sunup to sundown, day after day, month after month. If he were honest with himself, he would admit he was miserable.


    Lukas stared vacantly toward the forest, mentally reviewing his day''s chores when his phone began to ring. Digging it out of his pocket, he checked the caller ID. It was his younger sister, Cassandra. He wasn¡¯t sure why she was calling so early in the morning, but he answered without hesitation.


    ¡°Hey, Cas.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Her surprised voice came through. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be awake yet. Isn¡¯t it super early there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sunrise; I¡¯m always up around now,¡± Lukas replied, frowning. ¡°Why are you even calling if you thought I¡¯d still be asleep?¡±


    ¡°I was kind of hoping to wake you up and annoy you,¡± she said, her grin audible.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be the only reason.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve done it before,¡± she teased.


    Lukas paused for a moment before Cas relented. ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯m on my way home and wanted some entertainment for the drive.¡±


    ¡°And you thought I of all people would help keep you entertained?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said it¡¯s because I miss my big brother whom I love very much?¡± she asked sweetly.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied succinctly.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I figured, but it has been a while.¡±


    ¡°Cas, you call me nearly once a week and send those stupid pictures and videos multiple times a day.¡±


    ¡°First of all,¡± she began, her voice thick with faux offense, ¡°they¡¯re called memes, and they¡¯re funny¡ªsomething you¡¯d know if you weren¡¯t such a stick in the mud. Secondly, we did everything together growing up, so I¡¯ve gotten used to you always being there. My two best friends going off to college together kind of sucked. Then everything exploded, and you ran away halfway across the country to live as a hermit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Lukas muttered, scratching at the wood grain of his chair¡¯s arm.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to sound so guilty. None of it was your fault,¡± Cas said before pivoting to something she knew would annoy him. ¡°So, how¡¯s the twig fort? It hasn¡¯t fallen down yet, has it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a twig fort,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. We used to build stick forts in the woods all the time, so I think I know what one looks like.¡±


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    ¡°I chopped the trees down with my own two hands and built the thing. It¡¯s a cabin.¡±


    ¡°I know you built it; that¡¯s why I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s still standing.¡±


    ¡°Hilarious. Everything¡¯s fine here. What about Mom and Dad?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re doing alright,¡± she said, a rustle on the other side of the call indicating a shrug. ¡°They¡¯re excited to see you after so long, especially Mom. She¡¯s been hounding me all week, trying to figure out when I¡¯ll be home so we can head out to you. As if getting home an hour early will change when the plane leaves.¡±


    It had been too long since he¡¯d really seen his family. He had intended to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but a blizzard had trapped him in his cabin during Christmas, and an incident at the airport prevented him from flying home for Thanksgiving. As a result, Lukas hadn¡¯t had much, if any, human contact over the past year. Normally, that would have been fine by him, but he still wanted to see his family.


    ¡°When are you guys leaving?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll spend the rest of the day packing and getting ready. Our flight leaves around two in the afternoon tomorrow, so we should be there around six or so since you don¡¯t want to pick us up from the airport.¡±


    ¡°My truck can only fit two people. Wait, how many are coming? You¡¯re not bringing your boyfriend, are you?¡± Lukas scowled.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just Mom, Dad, and me. I¡¯m not dumb enough to bring Jackson along,¡± she scoffed.


    Lukas had met Jackson only twice and had quickly realized what kind of person he was: the type who thought he knew everything, constantly correcting others or interjecting with obscure facts. The kind of person who assumed he was smart but was actually insufferable. To make matters worse, the guy did little more than smoke pot and lounge around, convinced he was one of the greatest minds of the generation.


    ¡°Good, because if you had brought him, he probably would¡¯ve ¡®gotten lost¡¯ somewhere in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Exactly why I didn¡¯t let him come, even if he wanted to,¡± she snickered. Then her tone turned serious. ¡°You know there¡¯s someone else who wants to come.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lukas said adamantly.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Cas sighed. ¡°I told her as much.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t still talk to her, do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard not to, Lukas. Even if I try to avoid it, her parents live next to Mom and Dad, and we go to the same college. Hell, we live in the same building.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a reason I moved out here.¡±


    ¡°I know, Lukas,¡± she paused. ¡°How are you, by the way?¡±


    Lukas picked at his shirt and spoke quietly. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Cas.¡±


    ¡°Lukas, you¡¯re the most dull and inexpressive person in the world. Growing up with you taught me how to read people, you better than anyone. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just¡­ It¡¯ll be nice to see you guys.¡±


    They chatted a while longer, and Lukas finally hung up when he could no longer endure his sister¡¯s teasing. Despite how unbearable and infuriating she could be, he looked forward to seeing her and his parents. The last time they¡¯d all been together was nearly a year ago when he visited during the summer.


    Now they¡¯d be arriving tomorrow evening, leaving him with more chores than time. Cas had already warned him that his cabin had better be clean when they arrived. Thankfully, the cabin was small, so cleaning wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Unfortunately, it also meant there was no guest room. The cabin consisted of three rooms: a bedroom, a bathroom, and a combined kitchen and living space. Lukas would naturally give up his bedroom to his parents, despite his sister¡¯s objections, while he and Cas would sleep on the couch and armchair, respectively.


    Standing on the porch, Lukas took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and decided it was time to get to work. For the rest of the day, he busied himself tending to the chickens, preparing the garden for planting, and breaking ground on a second wood shed.


    By evening, Lukas was dirty and exhausted, ready to spend the night relaxing. After a cool, refreshing shower, he made dinner, using homemade spices a neighbor had given him after he helped clear some fallen trees. When he finished, he cleaned up and turned his attention to the living area.


    Blankets were strewn everywhere, books and puzzles cluttered the coffee table and every available seat. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the light revealed just how much dust had accumulated since his last cleaning. Glancing at the floor, he noticed muddy footprints from when he had come and gone.


    Looking at the mess, Lukas could only sigh and shake his head. He was too exhausted to tackle it today.


    He would take care of it tomorrow; for now, he plopped down on the couch and picked up a book from the top of a nearby pile. It was the one he¡¯d been reading the night before. As he opened it to the bookmarked page, he half-mindedly grabbed a puzzle box from beside him and began to fiddle with it.


    Lukas had always loved puzzles and the challenges they presented. They provided another way to escape and distract himself from the gray haze of reality, and the satisfaction of completing a complex puzzle was gratifying. It felt as if he understood the nature of the universe just a little bit more.


    Naturally, Lukas didn¡¯t come close to solving the puzzle; he merely wanted something to keep his fingers busy as he read. Hours slipped by like this, with him absorbed in his book while idly fidgeting with the box in his free hand. When it became too dark to read, he turned on a lamp. Eventually, when he could barely keep his eyes open, he made his way to bed.


    Even as he stood and shuffled toward his room, he tried to squeeze in a few more paragraphs, maybe even a page or two. Only when he reached the edge of the bed did he snap the book shut and set it on the nightstand, finally preparing for sleep.


    Peeling off his clothes, he tossed them to the floor and fell onto the bed. As he settled under the covers, Lukas stared up at the ceiling, listening to the soft night breeze and the quiet creaking of the cabin¡¯s walls.


    Shutting his eyes, Lukas wondered if he would ever start truly living his life instead of simply waiting it out.

 Chapter 1: Naked and Confused

    ¡°Despite all attempts at unlocking the secrets of the first age, none have been able to discern any of its mysteries. Not even the most learned of scholars can tell you something as simple as how long the age lasted. The only thing we know for certain is that it came to an end with the rise of the holy empire.¡±


    -An unknown scribe of the empire of Eternal Dawn, sixth age.


    Andrea crouched behind a large boulder, her heart pounding in her ears. The beast was close. She could hear its massive body crashing through the underbrush, its snuffling breath growing louder as it searched for them. Her grip tightened on the hilt of her sword.


    Across from her, Kalic was pressed against a tree, his massive shield ready, while Naiome silently notched an arrow. The badgermole¡ªeasily the size of a small wagon¡ªwas far stronger than any of them by at least twenty levels. But they didn¡¯t have time to debate the odds. They either fought or became its next meal.


    ¡°I still think this is a bad idea,¡± Derek whispered from behind, barely loud enough for Andrea to hear. ¡°Its perception may be weak, but it¡¯ll sense mana the second I cast anything. If we do this, we need to be quick.¡±


    Kalic shot him a sideways glance, the scale-kin asking. ¡°You want to try to run for it?¡±


    ¡°No, I want a better plan.¡±


    Andrea¡¯s thoughts drifted, barely hearing their exchange as something swelled within her. Her body felt different, lighter somehow. The familiar sluggishness she¡¯d lived with for years¡ªthe weight that always seemed to pull her movements down, make her feel like she was running underwater¡ªhad suddenly lifted. Every muscle was alive with newfound strength, her senses sharper than they¡¯d ever been. It was almost¡­ overwhelming.


    The badgermole growled again, closer now.


    Without thinking, Andrea shifted her weight and stood. Her fingers moved on their own, drawing her sword, the steel ringing out as it left the scabbard. Her heart surged in time with her pulse, an electric energy coursing through her veins. She could feel the ground beneath her feet, solid and steady. This was different¡ªsomething had changed. She was awake.


    ¡°Andrea, wait!¡± Derek hissed, his voice barely reaching her as she stepped out from behind the boulder.


    Kalic and Naiome froze, eyes wide in shock as Andrea charged straight toward the badgermole.


    Naiome was the first to move. The elven archer leaped into action, knocking three arrows at once, her bow glowing faintly as she activated one of her abilities. ¡°Guess we¡¯re doing this,¡± she muttered with a smirk, teleporting a few feet away for a better angle. Her arrows flew, striking the badgermole in the flank with deadly precision.


    Kalic didn¡¯t need further convincing. His shield clanged as he raised it, sprinting after Andrea. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly!¡±


    Behind them, Derek muttered something about reckless warriors, but his hands were already weaving a spell, light forming at his fingertips as he prepared to unleash a barrage of magic.


    Andrea didn¡¯t slow down, her focus narrowing as she closed the distance between herself and the creature. The badgermole turned toward her, its tiny eyes locking onto her movement. It reared back, claws ready to swipe, but Andrea was faster. For the first time in what felt like years, her body moved without resistance. She ducked beneath its strike and slashed her sword upward, cutting into its thick hide with surprising ease.


    It let out a furious bellow, but Andrea was already darting away, her movements smooth, graceful. This was new¡ªthis was power.


    Kalic reached her side, raising his shield just as the creature swiped again. The impact rattled him but didn¡¯t knock him back. ¡°You better have a plan,¡± he growled through gritted teeth, keeping the badgermole''s attention on him.


    Andrea only smiled, eyes blazing with adrenaline. ¡°I don¡¯t need a plan. Just keep it busy.¡±


    Naiome¡¯s arrows struck again, embedding deep in the creature¡¯s neck, while Derek¡¯s spell finally released, a burst of arcane fire slamming into the badgermole¡¯s side.


    The fight had begun in earnest.


    ***


    The first thing Lukas noticed when he began to stir was a warmth spreading across his body. It was a familiar sensation¡ªthe sun heating his skin, ready to burn his pale, wintery complexion. This was strange, though, since there were no windows in his bedroom that allowed sunlight to reach the bed. He had made sure of that when he built the cabin. He shifted, attempting to roll over in bed and find his covers. However, instead of the soft rustle of sheets beneath his bare skin, he encountered the prickly sensation of grass.


    Lukas¡¯ eyes shot open, and he was immediately greeted by a perfect, bright blue sky. The sun was high, nearing noon. It shone down on him through a gap in the large trees that created a ring around a glade and framed the blue aperture above. Considering he''d expected to wake up in his own bed, surrounded by the familiar walls of his room, he was more than a little alarmed.


    Sitting up, he glanced down at himself and saw that he was, indeed, completely naked¡ªnot surprising, since that¡¯s how he¡¯d gone to bed. He also noticed that there were no cuts, bruises, or markings of any kind, only a few scratches from the rough grass. Why there would be any bruising or cuts, he wasn¡¯t sure, but waking up outside warranted at least checking. Satisfied that nothing was wrong with him, he began to survey his surroundings.


    His head barely poked out above the tall grass, but he could still make out the forest surrounding the glade. None of it looked familiar. Which was odd, considering he often hiked his property and that of his neighbors. Even stranger was the fact that all the trees around him were conifers. The forest near his cabin was deciduous.


    ¡°Where the fuck¡ª?¡± Lukas muttered, utterly baffled.


    Somehow, he''d woken up in the middle of nowhere, close to midday, in a place he had never seen before. How the hell had he gotten here?


    Frowning, Lukas¡¯ thoughts shifted, and his scowl deepened. ¡°If those two idiots did this, I swear I¡¯ll bury them so deep in the forest that not even the animals will find their bodies.¡±


    It had to have been Johnny and Ken¡ªthose two assholes were always pulling stupid pranks around town for their ridiculous youtube channel. If they had decided to mess with him, they¡¯d regret it. But how the hell had they managed to get onto his property in the middle of the night? He would¡¯ve heard a car, and surely he¡¯d have noticed any sort of light in the pitch-black forest. Even if they somehow managed that, how had they gotten inside? His cabin had one entrance, with a door designed to keep out bears. And they would¡¯ve had to enter his bedroom¡ªwhile he was completely naked. They must have drugged him or something, because otherwise, he definitely would have woken up.


    Gritting his teeth, Lukas growled, ¡°Those two are dead! The second I get my hands on them, I¡¯ll tear them apart!¡±


    Standing angrily, Lukas scanned the glade, half-expecting Johnny and Ken to jump out laughing, maybe even recording his reaction. But before he could unleash his fury, something popped up in his vision.


    Lukas took a startled step back, forgetting his anger. A weird black box of text floated before him looking like a command prompt. His surprise deepened when the box actually followed his movements.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± He murmured, taking another step back only to have the box follow him again, he waved his hand through it, but it didn¡¯t have any effect. ¡°Is this a hologram? There''s no way those idiots could pull off something like this.¡±


    Undeterred by the strangeness, Lukas moved his hands around the box in an attempt to find its light source. No matter what he did though, the box remained unchanged. Scowling, he glanced off towards the edge of the glade, looking for a projector. Except the box followed his gaze perfectly, as if it were imprinted right onto his eyes. Annoyed, Lukas shook his head vigorously, trying to dislodge the box, only to give himself a small headache and find it unshakeable.


    With a growl of growing frustration, Lukas read the text, hoping it might have some clue as to what was happening.


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    Title earned: [Prodigious Dimensional Traveler] - Your level means little to you and the boundaries between realities even less. For traveling from one dimension to another at a rank far below that of other dimensional travelers you have proven yourself a true prodigious dimensional traveler. Gain a resistance to space and dimension magic. +10% to all stats.


    As he read, confusion quickly rose, mixing with Lukas¡¯ anger. ¡°What the fuck? What does any of that even mean? Johnny, Ken, get out here! You win!¡±


    A minute passed and nothing happened. The sounds of birds and rustling of grass in the breeze were the only things to greet Lukas. He continued to wait, glaring at the forest around him as if to scare the massive trees into producing the two men. As he looked around his fury only grew, it was hot and vile, unlike anything he¡¯d felt before. That was when he started to notice the changes.


    His head felt clear, incredibly so. It no longer felt like his head was full of cotton or submerged under water. Colors were sharp, crisp, and vibrant. The world was no longer dull and blurred. The invisible weight that had hung around his neck his whole life was gone. He felt light, and as though he could breathe deeply for the first time in his life.


    Was he on drugs? Was that what was happening? Had Johnny and Ken just snuck into his cabin and loaded him up with enough acid to kill an elephant?


    Despite everything that was happening to him, Lukas forced himself to assess his mental state. He ran through multiple mental exercises, doing math or tongue twisters all while tapping his finger tips to his thumbs. Hell, he even went so far as to perform a field sobriety test on himself. He was able to determine that he wasn¡¯t under the effect of anything. The only issue was that he had done better than he normally would have. So the question was why?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What did they do to me?¡± he muttered, worry creeping into his words, ¡°Johnny! Ken!¡±


    Lukas did yet another sweep, ¡®They have to be around somewhere. They wouldn¡¯t just leave me out here naked and defenseless. Right?¡¯


    He stopped and stared into the forest as a terrible weight settled into his gut. He¡¯d lived alone in the forest for a few years at this point and knew full well what he could find out there, or rather what could find him. He was still in North America, surely, even if he¡¯d never seen or heard of the massive redwood sized pine trees before, he had to be. And that meant wolves and bears were his biggest problem, excluding smaller predators like foxes and coyotes.


    Lukas ran a stressed hand through his hair, trying to figure out what his next move should be, when the strange box made itself known again by blinking urgently at him.


    ¡°Goddamn it, you¡¯re still around?¡± he growled, feeling his blood pressure rising with each passing second, ¡°What the fuck even are you? And what¡¯s this shit about dimensions and stats¡ª!?¡±


    As if summoned by his words a new box appeared, replacing the first.


    Lukas jolted, surprised by the even larger box. Was he going insane? Maybe he was dead. Part of him hoped he was dead. It would¡¯ve been easier than dealing with the fact that he¡¯d woken up naked in the middle of the forest, felt more alive than he ever had, and had strange boxes appearing out of nowhere.


    Running an exasperated hand over his face, Lukas moaned, ¡°Oh, please fuck off.¡±


    And just like that his vision was free of text.


    Lukas froze, looking around cautiously, as though he might accidentally frighten the boxes into returning. When nothing happened, he allowed himself to relax just the slightest amount, that was one thing dealt with. But how had he been able to dismiss them? Could he control them with his voice?


    Furrowing his brow, he concentrated, what had been said that made the large box pop up? ¡°What the fuck even are you?¡± he started tentatively, ¡°And what¡¯s this shit about dimensions and stats¡ª¡±


    Once more the massive box popped into existence.


    ¡°Go away?¡± Lukas ventured.


    And it was gone.


    That was progress, and Lukas felt the slightest amount of control return to his life. Whatever had been set up was voice activated, which was a big discovery. Maybe it was some kind of virtual assistant like Siri or Alexa modified to fucked with him.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± he tried.


    Nothing.


    ¡°Location?¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Where is the nearest road?¡±


    No boxes.


    ¡°Goddamn it, is it broken?¡± Lukas complained, ¡°Dimensions and st¡ª¡±


    Before he could even finish the box reappeared, and this time Lukas decided to actually read it, hoping for more than the last box.


    Lukas Hellstrand


    Race: Human (Outworlder) - Level 0


    Class 1 - (SEALED)


    Class 2 - (SEALED)


    Health Points: 110/110


    Stamina: 70/70


    Mana: 70/70


    Stats


    Vitality: 11


    Endurance: 7


    Intelligence: 6


    Wisdom: 7


    Agility: 8


    Perception: 6


    Toughness: 8


    Strength: 9


    Willpower: 9


    Free Points: 0


    Titles:


    Prodigious Dimensional Traveler


    Abilities:


    Racial abilities: (Dimensional Traveler), (Tribute of the Fallen), (Steel gut), (Tongue of the Multiverse), (Stranger in a Strange Land).


    Lukas read, and as he did his brain slowly began to fry and shut down the further he got. He could feel his eye twitching and felt like he was about to have a heart palpitation. This was just too much. Something was going on, and it couldn¡¯t be Johnny and Ken. Their pranks were never this convoluted, their most elaborate being to put someone''s air mattress on the river while they were still asleep on it.


    He felt like his sanity was going to shatter into a million pieces. What was with the video-game boxes? He¡¯d never played much himself, usually forced to by his sister, but he knew about stats, health points, and stamina. He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of any of it, he wanted to believe it was all just some kind of prank, but how could it be?


    Despite knowing full well that finding a way out of the forest should be his highest priority, Lukas couldn¡¯t stop focusing on the goddamn boxes. If he could figure them out, then maybe he¡¯d be able to find out who had done this to him.


    ¡®Class, resources, stats, titles,¡¯ he read, ¡®but what are racial abilities? Will¡ª?¡¯


    And just like that another box.


    As Lukas¡¯ eyes roved over the new text, he couldn¡¯t help but grind his teeth, ¡°Oh, you read my thoughts too? This shit is getting old fast.¡±


    Racial Abilities:


    (Dimensional traveler) - During your journey between realities you have gained insight into dimensional forces giving you access to a personal dimensional storage ability. Gain access to a personal inventory.


    (Tribute of the Fallen) - After the slaying of monsters and beasts, your foes leave behind a tribute to you. Gain the ability to loot enemies that have fallen by your hand.


    (Steel Gut) - Finding yourself in a new world can make finding edible food and clean water difficult. Gain an increased constitution, providing poison resistance, as well as a decrease in the need to eat and drink.


    (Tongue of the Multiverse) - Throughout your travels between worlds there is no doubt that you¡¯ll come across those who speak another tongue. Gain the ability to understand and speak all languages.


    (Stranger in a Strange Land) - Due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding your arrival in this new world some are likely to show interest. Gain the ability to obfuscate certain aspects of yourself under the gaze scrutiny. Gain the ability to view a personal interface. Gain the ability to allocate free points.


    Nothing. There was nothing useful in the wall of text. Sure it seemed interesting and whimsical, but there wasn¡¯t anything that would help him figure out where he was, why he was there, or who had brought him there.


    ¡°What is with all this shit!¡± Lukas fumed, ¡°There is no way I have some inventor¡ª¡±


    The wall of text was replaced by a grid of 56 empty squares. At the bottom of the box were a bunch of different counters next to strange icons, all at zero. What the icons were Lukas had no clue, and he certainly didn¡¯t want to make any guesses. Hell, he didn¡¯t even want to say or think anything for fear of pulling up more fucking boxes.


    ¡°You know what fine, I¡¯ll play along. You hear that!¡± He shouted to the surrounding forest, ¡°I¡¯ll play along if it means getting pants and going home!¡±


    Spotting a nearby rock the size of his fist, Lukas picked it up, and shoved it towards the box. To his horror it vanished, completely disappearing from his grip. An image of the stone appearing in the inventory grid.


    He froze for several seconds, his sanity cracking and chipping with what he¡¯d just done. A ball of intense emotion was gathering in Lukas¡¯ chest. It was made of rage, worry, fear, confusion, stress, and dozens of other things he couldn¡¯t put name to. He was beginning to feel overwhelmed and he was about to snap if he didn¡¯t do something.


    ¡°Go away,¡± he whispered, the box complying.


    Clamping his eyes shut tight, Lukas took in a long and slow breath in an attempt to hold himself together. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he stayed like that, taking in one breath after another, but once he finally felt like he wouldn¡¯t crumble to pieces he opened his eyes.


    Fist clenched tight at his side, Lukas said ¡°No more. No more of that. Existential crisis later. Right now, I need to find clothes and a way out of here.¡±

 Chapter 2: Drakon

    Lukas stood butt-naked in a glade, out in the middle of nowhere. He had decided to ignore the fact that his understanding of reality was crumbling all around him and focus on something else. He had far more pressing matters to attend to, like finding clothes and people. Once he was in a less precarious position, he would turn his attention to the other strange things happening around him. Until that time, however; he would simply shove it all deep down and concentrate on surviving.


    Lukas nodded to himself. ¡°Pants,¡± he muttered, to himself half delirious. Turning in a circle, he surveyed the glade and surrounding wilderness, seeing no signs of life. There were no foot trails, paths, or any sign of civilization, ¡°Where am I going to find pants?¡±


    Looking up at the sun, he guessed there was about half-an-hour until high noon. Using the sun¡¯s position in the sky, he was able to roughly determine which way was east and which way was west. With that, Lukas decided he would go east. Why east? To be honest, there was no real reason, but knowing which direction he was going gave him a small sense of control.


    With that in mind, he considered what he should look for. Obviously, any signs of people would be helpful, whether that be a road, bridge, or even a telephone pole. Yes, he thought he was still on Earth ignoring what some stupid fucking boxes said about dimensional travel.


    Another thing he would keep an eye out for was smoke. If he caught sight of any, he would head straight for it. Lukas just hoped that whoever he might come across wouldn¡¯t shoot him for being in the nude.


    Lukas would also be on the lookout for a stream or river. If he found one, he could follow it until he came across a town. Maybe he¡¯d even find tracks of some kind and be able to follow them.


    The hope was to find people before nightfall. If it got late enough into the evening and he was sure he wouldn¡¯t find anyone, he would have to look for a place to spend the night. Preferably somewhere that would offer him a way to cover himself. Hell, he¡¯d even use a carpet of moss as a makeshift kilt if he had to. He just felt too exposed and vulnerable while naked.


    Feeling determined, terrified, and mentally fragile Lukas nodded and headed eastward. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize just how uncomfortable that was. With each step, the tall grass scratched and poked at the soft undersides of his feet while brushing his unmentionables. Covering himself with his hands, Lukas hastened his steps in order to get out of the grass faster. Wincing with each foot fall, he prayed he¡¯d escape without encountering any hidden snakes.


    Out of the grassy glade, the terrain shifted beneath him, from prickly grass to a forest floor littered with pine needles, cones, and sharp stones. Not much of an improvement, but at least he no longer had grass tickling his nether regions.


    Scampering over to the nearest tree, Lukas decided it might be a good idea to examine it. He had done some research on different types of trees and their uses while planning the construction of his cabin. While he wasn¡¯t an expert or a Boy Scout, Lukas was sure he could identify whatever trees he found himself surrounded by.


    Placing a hand on the monolithic conifer, he instantly realized it wasn¡¯t any tree he knew of. At least, it wasn¡¯t one you¡¯d find anywhere near where he lived. A fact that didn¡¯t help his fraying sanity. Where exactly had he been taken?


    The tree had slight swirls in its bark, and Lukas got the impression they weren¡¯t just some random natural formation that had appeared by chance, but something with purpose. Then there was the scent of pine¡ªit was far from natural and seemed to reach his soul. On top of that, there was a strange feeling he got the closer he was to the trunk. It was hard to describe and unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before. It felt like there was a small twinge at the back of his mind, as if he were connected to the tree in some way.


    Unable to discern what it was, Lukas forced himself to shrug it off and forgot about it. The tree was just another sign that his grip on reality was slipping. He still had too many questions and no way to answer them at the moment¡ªnot that he really wanted answers right now. No, survival came first. He needed to find a way out of the forest before figuring things out.


    Pulling his attention from the strange tree, Lukas continued his journey to the east. He had no doubt in his mind that this was going to be a slog, trying to keep himself together as the hours ticked by. There were a few positives, though. First, the tall conifers offered great protection from the sun, meaning he¡¯d likely escape a sunburn. Secondly, apart from the occasional bush, there was little to no foliage on the forest floor, making the path forward relatively clear and unobstructed.


    The first hour passed easily and without interruption. Lukas would occasionally look up to the sky to make sure he was going the right way, but with the sun at high noon, it wasn¡¯t easy to determine what direction was straight east. He stopped for a while and simply observed his surroundings, taking in the unfamiliar sound of the birds, the colors of the occasional strange looking wildflower, and the fresh scent of the forest. It reminded him of what he loved about nature, how tranquil and peaceful it could be¡ªso long as he ignored how alien it all was. It also reminded him of his new senses.


    Now that he could truly experience the world the same way everyone else did, he took nothing for granted. Although he was still very aware that he was naked and wandering through an unknown forest god knows where, Lukas found himself quite enjoying the sights and sounds all around him.


    When noon came and went, Lukas began moving again, this time walking with his back to the sun as it began its descent toward the horizon. He went on like that for hours, and after a while, he noticed something peculiar. Even after walking under the sun¡¯s heat all day, he wasn¡¯t hungry or thirsty. A small part of his brain remembered his Steel Gut ability and what it supposedly did. Despite how much he wanted to avoid thinking about all the weird stuff that had happened, Lukas couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long he had before food and water would be a concern.


    He didn¡¯t get much time to ponder those questions, as he finally stumbled across something after walking all day.


    Far off in the distance, Lukas could see something orange and red glittering. Dozens of smaller trees still stood in the way, blocking most of it, but he could make out a shimmer. He prayed it was a fire, hoping that he¡¯d finally found people in this godforsaken forest.


    Picking up his pace to a run, Lukas dashed through the trees, making more noise than he probably should, and drawing blood from his bare feet. The rocks and pine cones lay around tearing and puncturing the skin of his arches. He didn¡¯t care. Clothes and answers¡ªthat¡¯s all he wanted right now, more than anything else in the world.


    But as he rounded the base of the largest tree he¡¯d seen so far, he froze. His heart dropped, and he stood rooted in place, gripped by a primal fear.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Before him lay a massive mound of orange and red scales, as big as a box truck. With each subtle breeze, the branches swayed, and the shifting sunlight made the scales shimmer and shine like a raging fire. Streaks of what appeared to be dried blood marred the body, running down the scales in multiple places.The body lay motionless, and the stench made it clear that whatever it was was dead.


    Lukas could only stand there, shocked at what lay before him. ¡°Is this a dragon? What the hell!¡± he yelled. Then, almost like a label, a screen appeared above the creature.


    Drakon of Embers - Level 38


    Lukas could only gape at the new box. There was too much going on no matter how much he wanted to ignore it all. First all the strange screens popping up out of nowhere, then the weird whimsical trees and flowers, and now an actual fucking dragon. As much as he wanted to, he couldn''t ignore it all, there was just too much.


    There was no explaining any of it away, Lukas had no answers. The only thing he could think of to explain it all was that he was actually in another dimension. An admission that threatened to give him heart palpitations, even without considering the ramifications of such a thing. But how else was any of this possible?


    Despite his fear, Lukas summoned his courage. There was one way to know for sure. If this was a real dragon and not just some prop it would have real flesh and blood. For all he knew the blood on the scale was fake and the dragon was made of foam and pretty scales. If it was real then it all was, and he was really somewhere far from home.


    Part of him didn¡¯t want the answer, but he had to know. For his own sanity.


    Every instinct Lukas had screamed at him to run away as fast as he could and never look back, but he approached. Every sense told him it was real, but he wouldn¡¯t trust them so easily, not after everything else today.


    Rounding the other side of the beast, Lukas took in its full glory, carefully inspecting the massive wounds that marred the entire corpse. Its neck was long, as long as the body and almost as thick, leading to a regal head. It was sharp and angular from the jaw all the way to the top of its head, where two horns jutted out, pointing straight back. The legs were huge, thick, muscular, and long, as if made for running. Its feet resembled those of an iguana or bearded dragon, looking more like long-fingered hands with obsidian-black claws big enough to dig trenches. Then there was the tail¡ªlong as the body and neck combined¡ªperfectly designed for crushing and swatting its enemies. Though one thing was missing. The wings. There didn¡¯t appear to be any wound on its back, so they weren''t cut off or stolen, they just weren¡¯t there.


    Lukas hesitantly looked at the identification again. ¡°Are drakons different from dragons? Do they look different? Is it just that drakons don¡¯t have wings?¡±


    Shaking his head free of unimportant questions, Lukas refocused. Stepping closer, as though approaching a sleeping animal, Lukas looked at some of the many gashes and cuts that marred the beast. Even though the fetid stench of rotting flesh assaulted his nose and burned at his eyes, he shoved his hands into the wounds. Slimy cold flesh met his touch, giving to his probing touch, proving it was real.


    The blood drained from Lukas¡¯ face as the realization hit him, ¡°It¡¯s real, fuck it¡¯s real. Why is it real? Why am I here? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Having touched the body, a new prompt appeared:


    You are unable to loot a monster that you did not kill or assist in killing.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lukas muttered, stepping back from the corpse.


    That was when he remembered the racial ability that was supposed to let him loot dead creatures, and scowled.


    ¡°Well, thanks for letting me know and giving me another box to deal with,¡± he cursed.


    Taking an irritated step back, he wiped his blood covered hand on his bare thigh with a grimace. He was on the verge of going on a rant, lamenting everything that was happening to him, when something else caught his attention. From the corner of his eye, Lukas noticed a glimmer of light off to the side. It wasn¡¯t the gleam of the red and orange scales but something metallic.


    Looking toward the source, Lukas went over to investigate. Near the base of a tree, about 20 meters from the drakon, lay a sword. It was double-edged and had a basic rectangular crossguard, with a leather-bound hilt and a small ball acting as the pommel. It was the first sword Lukas had ever seen in person, and frankly, it looked like garbage. The blade was covered in dried blood, making it look old and rusted. Both of its edges were riddled with chips and dents. The leather of the hilt was faded and fraying near the edges.


    It looked pretty pathetic to Lukas, but if this new dimension had things like the dead drakon roaming around, then he¡¯d take what he could get. Crouching down, he picked up the sword curiously and inspected it further. He was immediately surprised by how well it was weighted. It wasn¡¯t too heavy to tire the arm quickly, and not too light to make the blade fragile. He gave it a few test swings, and found he was able to put in a decent amount of force and momentum. But the blade didn¡¯t feel properly balanced in Lukas¡¯ hand. Whether that was due to the damaged edges or the weapon being made for someone else, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    Turning the sword over in his hand, Lukas tried identifying it like he had managed to do with the drakon.


    Steel Short Sword


    ¡°Just a basic-ass sword, huh?¡± Lukas muttered, scowling at the thing. ¡°Of course I¡¯d find a sword in the forest before clothes. But being naked with a sword is better than being clothed and defenseless.¡±


    Lukas let the sword fall to his side, careful not to cut anything important. The sword was a boon, something that would allow him to protect himself from whatever lay in wait in this strange forest. There was no chance he¡¯d be fighting something like a drakon and live to tell the tale, but the sword made Lukas feel a little safer and less vulnerable. The tight knot that had been building up in his shoulders loosened ever so slightly as he held the sword by his side.


    He was still attempting to come to terms with the fact that he was in some strange magical land, and wasn¡¯t sure he was entirely sane any longer. But being able to defend himself made him feel much more in control and like he might actually be okay. He wasn¡¯t sure what was waiting for him in this forest, but now at least he was slightly more equipped to handle it.


    Now armed, Lukas swept his gaze around the area. Only now did he realize that the ground had been kicked up by movement. Large prints and claw marks in the soil marked the drakon¡¯s path of destruction during its struggle. But there were also faint boot prints, which must have belonged to the people who had slain the drakon. Perhaps one of them had been wounded or killed, explaining why the sword had been left behind, or maybe they simply hadn¡¯t bothered with it due to its god-awful state.


    A battle had clearly taken place here some time ago, and Lukas felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. He had been too caught up in seeing a real mythical creature to consider the implications of what might still be lurking nearby. But maybe this was an opportunity. Surely, the people who killed the drakon would return, either to claim its valuable parts or to finish what they had started. A drakon must have useful materials, whether it was its meat, organs, or scales. The scales alone could make impressive armor. At least Lukas assumed people wore armor around here, based on the sword.


    ¡®Then again, maybe they had a looting ability like me and had already taken what they wanted¡ª¡¯


    Before Lukas could finish the thought, he heard a rustling of steps on the pine needles. He turned, realizing the sound was coming from the back of the drakon, the same direction from which he had come. He hesitated, unsure of what to do. His gut told him to flee in case it was some kind of monster, while a small shred of hope urged him to stay, in case it was people.


    Unfortunately for Lukas, the universe wasn¡¯t being kind:


    Mystic Wolf - lvl 2


    Mystic Wolf - lvl 2


    Mystic Wolf - lvl 3

 Chapter 3: Trial by Fire

    ¡°Fuck," was all Lukas could say as the three wolves rounded the drakon¡¯s body and spotted him.


    They looked like any typical timber wolf, but that was precisely the problem. They were massive. It was important to know that wolves weren¡¯t the size of golden retrievers or huskies¡ªthey were far larger. Each of these beasts was six feet long, their heads reaching past Lukas¡¯ waist. If they stood on their hind legs, they¡¯d easily be taller than him. The only noticeable difference, aside from their size, was a strange, silvery sheen to their fur. Lukas didn¡¯t know if that glow served a purpose, but it didn¡¯t matter much as he was still faced with three wolves.


    The moment their eyes locked on him, they began to growl, a deep thrumming sound from within their throats that stirred a primal fear in Lukas¡¯ heart. Slowly, they prowled toward him, watching both him and the battered sword in his trembling hands. They were circling him, assessing the threat.


    A sinking feeling dropped into Lukas¡¯ gut, dragging it down to the ground. His heart pounded violently, adrenaline and panic rushing through his veins. The flight or fight response had kicked in, screaming at him to run, but he stayed rooted to the spot. He might have been terrified to wits end, but Lukas knew he couldn¡¯t outrun them. Not to mention the fact that they had levels above his pathetic 0, meaning they¡¯d be a good deal stronger than normal wolves.


    If Lukas wanted to survive, and he really did, he¡¯d have to fight. He just needed to fend them off long enough for them to decide he wasn¡¯t worth the trouble. He wasn¡¯t sure how he was going to manage that, but he wasn¡¯t just going to lay down and die.


    Surrounded on all sides, he took in a shaky breath. Lukas tightened his grip on the sword, his hands trembling so much he couldn¡¯t keep the blade straight. He waited for the moment, for the pin to drop, for someone to make the first move. The leader, the level 3 wolf directly in front of him, snarled and gnashed its teeth. Lukas braced for an attack from the front, but a sudden movement at the corner of his eye drew his attention.


    Blind instinct took over. Without thinking, Lukas spun toward the movement, swinging his sword in a horizontal arc with all his might. It was an impulsive move, and a stupid one to boot. It left his back exposed to the other wolves, ripe for an attack of tooth and claw, but his body had acted on survival alone.


    Luckily, Lukas¡¯ move hadn¡¯t been in vain. The movement he had sensed was the wolf to his right, leaping at him, ready to tear into him. His wild swing connected with the wolf¡¯s head, the sword striking with a sickening ¡®konk¡¯. The wolf yelped in pain, tumbling to the ground, disoriented, a deep gash in its head. It wasn¡¯t a fatal wound, but Lukas had hoped that the wolf was at least out of the fight. That hope was quickly dashed. The wolf slunk away and out of reach, already struggling back to its feet. If only Lukas had been stronger, then he might have cracked its skull, or scrambled its brains.


    The other two wolves didn¡¯t give him any time to lament his own weakness, launching their attack before the first wolf even hit the ground. Lukas whirled to meet them, but his movements were too slow and clumsy.


    Fear and panic surged through him as the level 3 wolf, jaws open wide, lunged at him, aiming straight for his throat. With no time to dodge, Lukas acted reflexively, raising his left arm to block the coming attack. The wolf made no move to adjust, and happily sank its teeth into his forearm. A scream of pain tore from Lukas¡¯ throat as white-hot agony shot through him.


    The weight of the canine threw him to the ground, and sent him sliding across the forest floor with its momentum. His soft back was immediately bloodied against the rocks and pinecones littering the ground, shredding his skin. The wolf, still latched onto his arm, only made things worse as it thrashed and shook its head violently, ripping through flesh and muscle alike. His forearm was quickly reduced to a ruined mess. It wasn¡¯t enough for the wolf; it began clawing at his chest and stomach, deep gashes opening as blood gushed out, staining its fur a vile crimson. The second wolf joined in, sinking its teeth into his leg, tearing at it like its leader did to his arm.


    The pain was unbearable. Lukas screamed until his voice gave out, his body overwhelmed by the worst agony he had ever known. But despite it all, he wasn¡¯t content to die then and there. If he was going to die, he was going these muts with him. Somehow, through the blinding pain, Lukas kept his grip on the sword in his right hand. With the strength he had left and the rage and anger of his situation, he drove the tip into the belly of the wolf on top of him. A deluge of blood and viscera poured from the wound, soaking Lukas as the wolf released his arm, yelping in pain. Lukas pushed the blade harder, until it burst out through the wolf¡¯s back.


    With a savage snarl he sliced the blade sideways, opening a massive wound in the beast¡¯s side. Rallying his strength he threw the wolf off of him, the other two backing off momentarily. The remaining wolves hesitated, watching as their leader twitched on the ground, whining, as a pool of blood grew beneath it, soaking into the dirt.


    Fueled by adrenaline, Lukas took his chance and he forced himself to his feet, staggering. He refused to look down at his ruined body, fully aware that if he did he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the sight and would fall apart mentally. He could feel his intestines slipping out of the deep gashes in his abdomen, like gory pasta. He forced himself to stare down the wolves, keeping his mind from his rapidly deteriorating state. He couldn¡¯t afford to think about it.


    The remaining wolves growled at him, blood dripping from the muzzle of one. The other had blood running down the side of its head. Their once pristine fur was matted and stained. What''s more, they were enraged by their leader''s death.


    "That''s right, fuckers," Lukas spat through ragged breaths. "Your level 3 buddy got skewered by a level 0, and you''re coming to hell with me too."


    The wolves didn¡¯t like Lukas'' defiance, not one bit. They attacked in unison, and Lukas tried to meet them head-on, but his injuries slowed him. He was already putting all his weight on his good leg, while his messed up arm hung limply at his side.


    They arrived at the same time, leaving Lukas unable to stop them both. That didn¡¯t stop him from swinging with abandon. His sword met one of the wolves, slashing deep into its shoulder. He had been aiming for its throat, but it still had some effect. The wolf yelped and fell, but the second one kept coming. Again, Lukas was too slow, woozy from blood loss and struggling with a torn up leg he couldn¡¯t get out of the way. The wolf lunged, jaws wide, and he couldn¡¯t raise his arm in time. All he could do was twist, barely dodging the fatal bite to his throat. The wolf¡¯s teeth clamped onto his shoulder instead, and Lukas screamed as the fangs tore into him, sending another wave of excruciating pain through his body.


    Thrown to the ground again, Lukas felt the wolf¡¯s claws rake across his face, leaving deep gashes from his temple to the bridge of his nose. In an instant he was blind in his left eye, as hot blood began streaming down his face.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Through the agony, Lukas fought back, raising his ruined arm as best he could. He couldn¡¯t grasp the it¡¯s neck due to the severed tendons in his arm, but he could still strike. He slammed his fist into its throat, trying to push it off. The wolf gagged and hacked, thrown back slightly, but with its teeth embedded in his shoulder, it ripped flesh free from him.


    Lukas tried to scream, but his throat wouldn¡¯t any longer. The pain made his vision swim nauseatingly, and he felt like he was going to vomit, but he still had enough sense to act. With his remaining strength, Lukas plunged the sword into the wolf¡¯s stomach, pushing it upward into its chest. A disgusting gurgling sound bubble from within the beast¡¯s throat, shortly after it fell limp on top of him.


    Breathing heavily, Lukas rolled the wolf off of him and fought to sit up, scanning the area for the final wolf. It stood a few meters away, limping on three legs. Its growl was more subdued, its eyes filled with hatred and fear. Clearly, it had no fight left after watching its packmates die at Lukas'' hand. Slowly, it backed away, tail tucked between its legs. Lukas made to stand, and the wolf bolted, limping into the forest as fast as it could. Relief flooded through Lukas as he watched it disappear into the trees, knowing that if it had decided to fight he¡¯d be dead.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, mutt,¡± Lukas wheezed, his voice barely a whisper. ¡°Get the fuck out of here.¡±


    Lukas was in deep shit and he knew it. He had lost too much blood, and his wounds were leaking even more. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each one slower than the last. A bone deep coldness crept over him, the only warmth coming from the setting sun on his back and the wolf blood soaking covering his naked body. His vision blurred further, and he found it harder to keep his eyes open now that the adrenaline was wearing off. His limbs felt heavy and numb. Every inch of his body screamed in pain. He knew his time was almost up.


    Now that the fight was over, he noticed something he hadn¡¯t before. In the bottom right of his vision something was flashing red. Focusing on the strange sensation, something came into focus there. It was a small silhouette of a man, and everything but the right arm and leg were a deep red. The right arm and leg were dark orange themselves, shifting towards red as Lukas lost more and more blood. Below the figure were three lines.


    Health: 15/110


    Stamina: 13/70


    Mana: 70/70


    Lukas watched as his health ticked down to 14, then to 13 a moment later. ¡°Well, shit,¡± he muttered. ¡°At least I¡¯ll die a winner.¡±


    His gaze shifted to the dead wolf beside him. ¡®If I¡¯m going to die I might as well see if my looting ability actually works,¡¯ he thought, too exhausted to speak.


    Reaching out with his good arm, Lukas placed his hand on the wolf¡¯s still-warm body.


    Would you like to loot Mystic Wolf - lvl 2?


    Lukas gave his mental assent,  no longer having the energy to speak, ¡®Yes, and before I die please.¡¯


    A mist-like heat haze rose from the body, swirling briefly before vanishing. In its wake, the wolf¡¯s body became shriveled and desiccated, like it had been left to dry in the desert for weeks. A smaller box appeared in the top corner of his vision, overlaying a few others. Focusing on them, four boxes opened up:


    You have slain [Mystic Wolf - lvl 3] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    You have slain [Mystic Wolf - lvl 2] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    You have looted [Mystic Wolf - lvl 2].


    [Wolf skin cloak] has been added to your inventory.


    2 [Copper Mana Coins] have been added to your inventory.


    ¡®Wolfskin cloak, huh? And what are Copper Mana Coins?¡¯¡¯ Lukas thought with mild interest, glancing at the first wolf he had killed. ¡®Wonder what you¡¯ll give me.¡¯


    Laboriously, he dragged himself over to the level 3 wolf¡¯s body. He collapsed just before reaching it, rolling onto his back to stare at the deep blue sky marred by the oranges of sunset, the first stars starting to twinkle into sight. Undeterred, Lukas reached out with his hand and grabbed one of the wolf¡¯s massive forepaws. Again he was asked if he wanted to loot the wolf and he agreed. The same scene played around this wolf as the last, some strange haze surrounding the body.


    You have looted [Mystic Wolf - lvl 3].


    [Greater Health Regeneration Potion] has been added to your inventory.


    1 [Copper Mana Coins] have been added to your inventory.


    Lukas¡¯ eyes widened as he read the text in front of him, ¡®Inventory¡­¡¯ he thought sluggishly.


    As he hoped, the boxes appeared in front of him, blocking his view of the sky. Two more items had now joined the stone Lukas had placed in there earlier. One was a nice looking hoodless fur cloak made from wolf skin, despite the fact that both the wolves he¡¯d killed still had their pelts. The second item was a vial filled with some kind of pink liquid with a cork stopper.


    With all the remaining strength he had, Lukas reached up and grabbed at the icon. The icon disappeared and a small vial appeared in Lukas¡¯ hand. Knowing he was quickly running out of time, Lukas thumbed off the stopper and poured the liquid into his mouth, making sure not a single drop was missed or left behind.


    The moment the first drop entered his mouth a cooling sensation spread through his entire body, easing the pain that wracked every inch of him. He swallowed it all in one go, and once it was all down his throat his lips felt dryer than a desert.


    ¡®It tastes like strawberries.¡¯ he thought, reminded of cool summer strawberries his mom would cut up for him growing up.


    His arm fell to the ground, unable to support its own weight any longer. The potion bottle still clutched in his hand, the sword held tight in the other. All Lukas could do now was dismiss his inventory and stare up at the rapidly darkening sky, praying that whatever the hell he¡¯d just swallowed would be able to save him.


    And with a thought he watched his pitiful health:


    Health: 8/110


    Health: 7/110


    Health: 6/110


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t enough,¡¯ his hope of survival was crushed in an instant.


    He didn¡¯t want to die, he wasn¡¯t ready to. He¡¯d just arrived in this new world and hadn¡¯t even seen any of what it had to offer. He wanted to see what wonders were waiting out there in a world that was so obviously magical. For the first time in his life, Lukas wanted to go out and meet new people and experience other cultures. He¡¯d finally felt a connection to the world and didn¡¯t just want to autopilot his way through life.


    Lukas had felt more in the last half a day than in all the years he¡¯d lived before. But now, his opportunity at a second life, one that he wanted to live, was being taken from him as it slipped through his fingers and all he could do was watch as he slowly bled to death.


    Health: 4/110


    Health: 3/110


    Health: 2/110


    Health: 2/110


    Health: 3/110

 Chapter 4: The First Night

    Lukas took a shaky breath, his vision blurring with tears as the startling realization hit him: he might actually survive. His meager health points ticked upward, each second dragging like an eternity. The cool sensation of pain relief spread throughout his battered body¡ªthe soothing effect of that pink liquid. It numbed his agony, like the comforting cold of an ice pack on a scraped knee.


    The searing pain that had gripped his face, shoulder, forearm, chest, and leg was now dulled, allowing Lukas to take a ragged breath of relief. The pain still lingered, omnipresent, but now it felt distant, as though it were happening to someone else. Even with this brief respite, Lukas couldn¡¯t move. He was too drained of energy, too bloodless. His consciousness teetered on the brink, barely holding on.


    All he could manage was to lie there, sprawled in a pool of his own blood, breathing shallowly, one tortured breath after another, clinging to the last vestiges of life. He watched as his health inched up at an agonizingly slow pace, one point at a time, while his gaze remained fixed on the night sky above. The stars twinkled through the gaps in the forest canopy, as if the trees had shifted to let their light reach him, a reminder of the beauty beyond his suffering.


    Lukas lay there, catatonic, as the forest around him descended into pitch-black darkness. The sounds of nocturnal creatures echoed in the stillness, a chilling reminder of just how vulnerable he was. Staring blankly up at the starry expanse, a small part of his mind dimly registered the chirping of nearby crickets. In his current state, Lukas couldn¡¯t even summon the strength to fear a predator finding him. His thoughts were disjointed, consumed only by the infinite expanse of stars above him¡ªvast, unfamiliar constellations that danced before his eyes.


    Every ounce of willpower was funneled into one singular goal: staying alive. He refused to surrender, despite an exhaustion that ran deeper than he could ever have imagined. He longed to close his eyes and slip into unconsciousness, but instinct screamed that if he did, sleep would not be what awaited him. Even if death wasn¡¯t certain, Lukas knew he couldn¡¯t rest. The pain, though dulled, wouldn¡¯t allow it. He was trapped, forced to endure the night in this wretched state¡ªawake through every agonizing second. It felt as though his limbs were being torn apart, dipped in molten metal, while his torso burned as though flayed.


    The torture was beyond anything Lukas could have ever fathomed, yet he lacked the energy even to scream.


    All he had were the stars, and the pain that tethered him to the world below. The stars, strange and unrecognizable, hung above him like silent witnesses. Lukas wasn¡¯t an astronomer, but he had always enjoyed stargazing, finding solace in the familiar constellations he had learned over the years. From his cabin deep in the forest, he always had a perfect view of the night sky, untouched by light pollution. But now, as he stared up at this alien sky, he came to fully accept it. These were not Earth¡¯s stars. This was the moment when the truth hit him with full force: he wasn¡¯t on Earth, not even close. He was somewhere else, on a different planet, in another universe¡ªfar from home, with no way back.


    Even in his catatonic state, Lukas felt a deep, primal pull in his chest¡ªa yearning to reach out and join the stars. To leave behind his mortal coil and allow his soul to be swept into the infinite, unending depths of the cosmos. It was as though the veil that separated reality from the true heavens had shifted ever so slightly. The familiar dome of the night sky, which had always seemed so vast and encompassing, now cracked open, revealing a tendril of incomprehensible truth.


    A fear far more profound than death gnawed at Lukas¡¯s soul. It was an existential terror, one that threatened to unravel the very core of his being. It was as if everything around him was falling away, crumbling into dust, leaving only the vast infinity of the cosmos. Names, places, people¡ªnone of it mattered. All that remained was the overwhelming truth that even if he lived for billions of years, it would amount to nothing in the face of the heavens'' eternal patience. Time marched forward, relentless and unstoppable.


    Lukas felt his soul being drawn toward the infinite, leaving behind the trivialities of life. The vastness before him was immeasurable, a distance his fragile mind could never hope to comprehend. He could stare into the cosmos for all eternity and still not glimpse a fraction of it. The infinite stretched on and on, forever, as time moved forward at its own pace, dragging every atom in existence with it. There was no edge, no end. Space, time, and creation were boundless¡ªimmutable forces that were all that mattered, and ever would matter.


    In the grand design of creation, Lukas was insignificant, a mere speck. He realized that the sky before him was everything, and he was nothing. The only way his existence would ever hold meaning was if he could leave his mark on the tapestry of creation. To do that, he needed to grow stronger, to gain levels, to forge a path for himself in this world. A new purpose bloomed within him.


    It was a religious experience, unlike anything Lukas had ever known. He suffered through the night, connected to the infinite. Time warped¡ªseconds felt like hours, while hours passed in the blink of an eye. He existed in a liminal space, where time and self blurred, where his very being was reforged, imbued with newfound purpose and insight. The night stretched on, seemingly eternal¡ªuntil it wasn¡¯t.


    Eventually, the sounds of the night faded, giving way to the soft stirrings of a new day. The first streaks of orange light broke through the darkness, severing Lukas¡¯s connection to the heavens and pulling him back to his body. The pain had receded, if only slightly.


    Lukas inhaled deeply, shaky but alive, his mind reeling from the night¡¯s revelations. It was as if he had been reborn. Now, he had to find his place in this strange new world.


    Summoning the last dregs of his strength, he lifted his head to inspect his body. Unsurprisingly, he was absolutely covered in dried blood. His chest was a mangled mess of fresh pink scars; his left forearm and calf were no better. But more importantly, his intestines were no longer spilling from his abdomen like wet spaghetti. Instead, his stomach was crisscrossed with new, ugly scars.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Praying that the miracle extended further, Lukas gingerly wiped at his blinded left eye. The dried blood that had caked over it cracked and fell away. With a blink, he opened his eye and let in the early morning light. Relief washed over him¡ªhe could still see with both eyes.


    With a sigh, Lukas checked his status:


    Health: 84/160


    Stamina: 68/70


    Mana: 70/70


    He frowned. His total health had been capped at 110 yesterday¡ªso where had the extra 50 points come from? Unable to puzzle it out on his own, he glanced to where the notification boxes had appeared the day before. Sure enough, a new entry awaited him.


    Title Earned: [Unkillable] ¨C Every warrior faces death as they walk their path, but few can claw their way back from the brink. Having survived with your health reduced to 5 points or lower, you have proven yourself unkillable. +5 vitality.


    ¡°Totally not worth it,¡± Lukas muttered with a groan, ¡°but I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    With a grunt that made him sound far older than actually was, Lukas forced himself to sit up, only to feel pain crackle through his body like lightning. He gasped, barely managing to stop himself from collapsing back down. Sucking in a breath through gritted teeth, he glanced around. The drakon¡¯s corpse lay unmoved, now more decomposed, and the wolf carcasses were still where he had left them. Nothing had come near him during the night¡ªlikely due to the stench of the rotting drakon.


    Slowly, Lukas forced himself to his feet. Every muscle and joint ached, making him twitch like a glitchy robot. It wasn¡¯t as excruciating as before, but the pain still lingered, like someone had run him over and then thrown it in reverse for good measure. He could manage to hobble around, but another fight was out of the question.


    After crouching down to pick up his blood-drenched sword, Lukas made a weak attempt at wiping off the dried blood from his body. His skin and the fresh scars were far too sensitive to allow him to scrub for long, so he didn¡¯t bother. He simply wanted to remove enough to feel human, rather than like a walking corpse. If he truly wanted to feel clean, he would need to find a stream or a pond to wash himself properly.


    The thought of a cool, soothing bath made Lukas¡¯s heart ache with longing, but that luxury was far off. For now, he had to focus on the immediate next step: pants.


    Lukas opened his inventory and pulled out the wolf-skin cloak he had looted. Holding it out, he realized it would fit him perfectly¡ªlikely due to some magical bullshit. The fur was soft, warm, and matched the wolves he had slain. It was a savior, the morning air unkind to his fresh wounds and lower regions.


    He inspected the cloak for a moment before a box appeared next to it:


    [Wolf-skin Cloak (low quality)] ¨C A cloak fashioned from the skin of a wolf, looted by an adventurer anticipating his end.


    ¡°Low quality, my foot,¡± Lukas muttered. ¡°This thing would probably sell for hundreds of dollars back home. And I¡¯m about to wear it like a towel.¡±


    Instead of throwing the fine cloak over his shoulders to let it flow down to his knees, Lukas wrapped it around his waist like a bath towel. He secured it tightly after wrapping it around himself one and a half times, and it fell to mid-calf. It was at that moment Lukas realized he was essentially wearing a rugged, manly wolf-skin kilt.


    After a few test movements to ensure the makeshift kilt was secure, Lukas felt confident enough to move forward. So, what was the next step in the plan? Sleep. Sure, he wanted to search the area and perhaps find whoever had killed the drakon, but not yet. Lukas had been up all night after a full day of movement and a brutal fight. His body was still healing, and whatever he had drunk last night had long worn off. All in all, Lukas was exhausted and barely on his feet.


    His priority now was to wander off, find somewhere relatively safe, and get some sleep. He could only hope that nothing would find him while he was vulnerable.


    Taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air, Lukas was pleased to note it smelled familiar, like his forest back home¡ªdespite the unmistakable stench of rotting bodies, pine, and something else that could only be described as magic. Deciding a change of direction might be a good idea, Lukas headed south. Every step made his entire body ache, as though he were one massive bruise, but he kept meandering forward in search of shelter.


    The scenery remained the same as the day before¡ªjust a stretch of enchanted pine trees, dotted with the occasional bush and magic wildflower. After about half an hour, the landscape began to change. The previously flat terrain gave way to low hills, which grew larger and more frequent as he moved on. Climbing and descending them in his current condition was nothing short of agony, but Lukas pressed on, hoping to find some water in the valleys between the hills.


    He had little hope of finding a place to bathe just yet. For now, he was more focused on finding a place to rest. He had seen a few spots that might have worked, but trapping himself between a few boulders didn¡¯t seem like the best idea.


    By now, the sun had fully risen above the horizon, and the morning birds were singing their usual songs. Beams of orange light filtered through the canopy from the east, bathing the forest in a warm glow. It was a peaceful scene, but Lukas was in no state to appreciate it. He was solely focused on the fallen tree he had just stumbled upon¡ªliterally stumbled. After wandering the forest for well over an hour, he was barely awake. The spot he found wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would do.


    The fallen tree¡¯s roots had been torn up as it fell, leaving a large pit beneath its upturned underside. The hollow was a few meters deep and even wider. It would provide good protection from the wind and keep him hidden from anything that wasn¡¯t standing directly at the edge of the pit. Lukas could only hope that the surrounding trees would block the sunlight enough to let him rest.


    Having found his refuge, Lukas placed his sword back in his inventory before gingerly lowering himself into the pit. He wasn¡¯t concerned with finding the most comfortable position, he¡¯d be willing to sleep upside down at this point. He simply took the wolf-skin cloak from around his waist and wrapped it around his bruised and battered body before lying down in the dirt. Letting out a weary sigh, he allowed his exhausted form to go limp. As he closed his eyes, Lukas listened to the sounds of the forest¡ªthe birds, the rustling of the trees¡ªand drifted off to sleep, a small part of him still hoping that he wouldn¡¯t wake up in his cabin.

 Chapter 5: Exploration

    When Lukas awoke, he didn¡¯t find himself at home wrapped up comfortably in his blankets; instead, he found that he was still lying in a dirt hole. Covered in gritty dirt, dried blood, and sweat that all came together in an unholy grime that covered him head to toe. As his hazy mind cleared out the remnants of sleep, the aches and pains returned and he let out a low groan.


    It was strange, knowing that as he woke up a part of him was glad this wasn¡¯t all just some strange dream. He had just gotten started with this world and wasn¡¯t going to give it up so easily.


    Lukas had opportunities here. Sure, he didn¡¯t know what, if anything, lay beyond this forest¡ªhe could very well be the only person on a whole planet covered in monsters and beasts, for all he knew. But here, he had a chance to leave his mark and make something of himself. He didn¡¯t have that opportunity back home, and now that he was here he sure as hell wasn¡¯t content with building a little cabin and waiting out his life.


    Here, in this new world, Lukas didn¡¯t plan on taking anything for granted. He was going to take every opportunity and chance he could, so long as it meant growing stronger and experiencing more. That would mean more fighting and more pain, a fact that Lukas wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about. But there were a lot of video game-like elements in this world. So surely, that meant that killing led to experience and levels. Granted, he was never big on video games but had been forced to play them with his sister.


    For now, he had all he needed: a sword and the drive to get stronger. He¡¯d take an upgrade in the clothing department, though. Lukas would have to play things smart going forward; however, he had a lot to learn and didn¡¯t plan on dying early. He wouldn¡¯t take on enemies that were too strong, nor would he fight multiple at once. He¡¯d fight one beast at a time, preferably only one or two levels above him.


    The first few levels would no doubt come rather quickly. Lukas had already killed two beasts, one at level 2 and the other at level 3; he couldn¡¯t be far from the first level-up by now. He could almost feel that first level and couldn¡¯t wait to see what he¡¯d get for reaching it.


    Lukas almost wanted to spring up out of his little hidey-hole and go on a hunt, but he was forced to quash his enthusiasm. Lukas was filled with determination and had healed while he slept, but still felt like he¡¯d been squashed by a giant bug swatter.


    Then there was the fact that it was morning, but not the same morning. Lukas hadn¡¯t slept for just a few minutes and woken up the same day. No, he had slept for over twenty-four hours, maybe even longer. His body obviously still needed rest, and he was happy to oblige.


    Sure, Lukas wanted to get out there and start working on his level, but he wasn¡¯t going to be stupid about it. He could feel that he was still in no state to go out and fight things to the death.


    With that in mind, he checked his status:


    Health: 124/160


    Stamina: 70/70


    Mana: 70/70


    Lukas stared at the numbers in confusion for a moment. His stamina was topped off, which wasn¡¯t surprising since it had been nearly full when he went to sleep. His mana was still full, as he hadn¡¯t yet figured out how to use it. His health, though¡ªit puzzled him. Despite having more health than before he fought the wolves, he still felt beaten up.


    He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how these three attributes worked, but he guessed that as his resource pools increased, certain thresholds changed. Once he was fully healed, he¡¯d be in perfect condition again, and it would take more to knock him down.


    Not wanting to dwell on the intricacies of his stats, Lukas pushed those thoughts aside. He shifted to make himself more comfortable in his dirt hole and pulled his sword from his inventory, just in case.


    Above him, the sky was brightening as another day began, the orange and pink hues of sunrise stretching across the horizon while the forest filled with birdsong. Lukas planned to take it easy for the rest of the day, recover, and hopefully be in good enough shape tomorrow to start leveling up.


    Hours passed as Lukas rested, letting his body heal. Meanwhile, he had nothing to keep him occupied but his own thoughts. It was boring as hell. He would¡¯ve given anything to have one of his puzzles with him, something to keep his mind busy. Instead, his thoughts ran wild, leaping from one fantasy to another¡ªfighting legendary monsters, wielding magic, riding dragons, exploring underwater cities, and traversing caves so vast they hosted entire ecosystems. He imagined himself visiting cities more magnificent than anything Earth could dream of, fighting in battles that would be remembered for centuries. People often say everyone is the protagonist of their own story, and Lukas dreamed of being the biggest protagonist this world had ever seen.


    As his thoughts raced, Lukas realized he should probably be scared out of his mind after everything that had happened to him. Normal people would be. But not Lukas. It wasn¡¯t because he was special or anything¡ªit was because, until now, he had lived his life completely indifferent to everything around him. Now, he was determined to make something of himself or die trying. He wasn¡¯t going to allow fear to paralyze him or let opportunities slip away.


    Time passed, and Lukas grew increasingly restless. His body, though sore, was buzzing with energy he couldn¡¯t release by sitting in a hole in the ground. The occasional roar or snarl from the distant forest didn¡¯t help either. Beasts were fighting out there, gaining levels and experience, while he sat there uselessly.


    By an hour past noon, Lukas couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He gripped his sword tightly, the pent-up energy and temptation winning out. He knew he was being reckless, but he had to get out there and fight.


    Sure, he was a little worse for wear, but he had more health than when he fought the wolves. The extra points would give him a buffer while his body was still recovering. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like he was going to fight multiple enemies at once. He¡¯d fight one, gain experience, and return to his little hole. Maybe he¡¯d even level up, especially if the beast was level two or three.


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    With that, Lukas got to his feet. His stiff body protested every movement, but he ignored it. Once standing, he stretched to loosen his sore, bruised muscles. It hurt like hell, as though his body had been through a blender, but the pain couldn¡¯t smother his burning desire to fight.


    He picked up the wolfskin cloak from the ground with a grunt, brushing off the dirt stuck to the fur. It was still matted and dirty in places, but Lukas didn¡¯t care. He was still caked in dried blood, so what was a little dirt? As long as it covered his nudity, he didn¡¯t care if it was drenched in mud.


    After wrapping the cloak around his waist as he had before, Lukas clambered out of the pit with a few groans. Once out, he held his sword at the ready and scanned the small valley. He listened intently for a solid minute before deciding that no beasts were nearby.


    Confident that the area was clear, Lukas began wandering around the small valley to familiarize himself with the terrain. Before he had passed out, he had been too exhausted to notice anything around him. Now, he was awake and on high alert.


    Nothing about the area seemed unusual. It looked much the same as the rest of the forest, with towering conifers, a thick carpet of old pine needles, and the occasional wildflower or bush. Thankfully, there were no surprises¡ªhad there been a monster den nearby, he could have been eaten in his sleep.


    Satisfied that nothing was out of place, Lukas began his search for an enemy. He left the valley and explored the surrounding hills and valleys, moving cautiously. He didn¡¯t want to be ambushed like he had been by the wolves, so he kept his head on a swivel.


    Lukas made sure to memorize his path, so he wouldn¡¯t get lost. The forest was alive with the sounds of birds and small animals, but he was listening for a roar. If he heard one nearby, he¡¯d check it out. Maybe he¡¯d find a beast weakened by a fight and finish it off.


    The idea didn¡¯t excite him¡ªhe¡¯d rather fight something at full strength¡ªbut right now, he was at the bottom of the food chain. He¡¯d take whatever he could get. Besides, it probably wouldn¡¯t give him much experience. That being said, he wasn¡¯t sure how experience worked here anyway. For all he knew, you didn¡¯t gain levels by killing things. Still, he was confident in his theory¡ªhis interface had told him he gained experience for kills.


    So Lukas spent the next few hours roaming the forest. Occasionally, he¡¯d double back toward his valley to avoid going too far or becoming lost. He heard a few distant roars and snarls and moved toward the sounds, but by the time he arrived, the fights were over.


    Only once did Lukas come upon the aftermath of a battle. The victor had long since gone, and the body of a creature¡ªa vipercat¡ªlay dead. It was level 18, a strange hybrid of bobcat and lizard with two pairs of front legs and a stinger-tipped tail. Just looking at it made Lukas grateful he hadn¡¯t faced it while it was alive. He tried to loot the corpse, but just like with the drakon, he didn¡¯t have permission since he hadn¡¯t killed it.


    Slightly disappointed, Lukas moved on. Eventually, he stopped to rest, giving his aching body a chance to recover. He sat with his back against one of the large conifers, his tired feet and limbs regaining strength more quickly than expected. It could have been his increased vitality, but Lukas had a feeling the magical nature of the trees was helping him recharge. He doubted he¡¯d recover this fast if he were lying on the forest floor.


    Next to him was one of the wildflowers scattered throughout the forest. It was beautiful, with deep blood-red petals that curled at the tips. The anther was a lighter red, fading to white at the top. It was the only flower in a small bush, whose green leaves had red veins running through them.


    It was one of many gorgeous flowers Lukas had noticed while stumbling through the forest, most of them far prettier than anything he¡¯d seen back home. He reached out, picked the flower by its stem, and immediately the red veins in the leaves began to fade. Moments later, the small patch of greenery wilted, as though it couldn¡¯t survive without the flower.


    Lukas watched with interest. Perhaps this was just another sign of the video game-like aspects of this world¡ªmaybe this flower was a resource that could only be harvested once. How long did it take to regrow? Would it respawn in the same place, or appear elsewhere?


    He turned his attention to the flower in his hand. Focusing on it for a moment, an identification box appeared:


    Blood Moon Lily (Uncommon)


    Lukas had hoped for more insight into the flower. The rarity tag confirmed it was some kind of resource, but there was no description. It would have been nice to know what it was for, but apparently, that was too much to ask.


    He brought the flower to his nose and sniffed. Unsurprisingly, it smelled like blood, but not in the unpleasant way he¡¯d experienced after fighting the wolves. It was a warm, soothing scent, almost sweet. A wave of relief washed over him, easing the stinging pain in his body. It felt like the first breeze of spring after a long winter. Lukas sighed contentedly as his muscles relaxed.


    The feeling didn¡¯t last long, though. A moment later, the pain crept back in, and Lukas grimaced at its unwelcome return. Breathing hurt his sore chest. The brief respite had allowed him to forget how messed up his body was, but now he remembered all too well.


    He took another deep breath of the flower¡¯s scent, hoping for the same effect. This time, however, the relief wasn¡¯t as strong, nor did it last as long. His toes still tingled with discomfort. It seemed the flower¡¯s effect diminished with use, or perhaps his body was building a tolerance.


    Whatever the case, Lukas knew he¡¯d need to keep an eye out for more of these blood moon lilies.


    Deciding it was time to move again, Lukas stored the flower in his inventory for later examination. For now, he had to keep going. With a determined grunt and the kind of groans that would make any dad proud, Lukas got up and resumed his cautious trek through the forest.


    Things went much the same as before his break. He wandered through the woods, hearing distant fights but finding nothing nearby. He kept an eye out for more lilies, but no Had luck. After two hours of searching without any action, Lukas grew frustrated.


    All he wanted was one damn fight. Those wolves had found him easily enough, but maybe that had just been a stroke of bad luck.


    Lukas was still lamenting his lack of success when an earth-shaking roar echoed through the forest. The ground trembled, and all other sounds vanished. A primal fear gripped Lukas, making his hair stand on end as he froze in place.


    All his earlier thoughts of leaving a mark on this world and refusing to live in fear were swept away. Lukas was at the bottom of the food chain, utterly insignificant compared to whatever had unleashed that roar.


    With adrenaline flooding his veins, Lukas scrambled back to his little hole, ignoring the pain in his body. What had he been thinking, going out into the forest while still injured? If he wanted to survive, he needed to hide, heal, and be smart about his next steps.


    He would cower in his hidey-hole and lick his wounds. He¡¯d definitely have to start thinking smarter from now on

 Chapter 6: Swat

    Vos Raihymn stood at the edge of one of his palace¡¯s many terraces, staring out into the void at the edge of space. It was both beautiful and complex.


    Beautiful in its serenity and depth. There was nothing out there¡ªno star or planet drifting in the eternal darkness, not even the smallest comet or meteorite. Nothing could exist in the void, not even the magic that permeated the very fabric of reality, because the void was the absence of reality. It was beautiful.


    Complex in the deep truths that hid in the void, tantalizing to even the simplest of life forms. The insight that lurked in the folds of nothingness promised something far greater than any other truth that could be gleaned. All other truths existed within the confines of reality, making them the opposite of the void¡ªof nothingness. It was complex.


    For a being like Vos Raihymn, who could only exist in reality, the truths of the void were nearly impossible to grasp. It was like a two-dimensional being attempting to understand the third or even fourth dimension; it was simply not in its nature. Vos Raihymn was close, though¡ªthere was a sensation in his mind whenever he stared into the void and pondered its mysteries. The connection was almost there.


    For millions of years, he and his palace had lingered at the edge of everything, allowing Vos Raihymn to dedicate his life to understanding the void and becoming one with it. Yet there had always been a disconnect¡ªa wall blocking him from his goal. But now, he was closer than ever to grinding that wall to dust and achieving his purpose.


    He would see the void in all its glory once he became one with it. For now, it was just an impenetrable blackness. Vos might as well have been staring at a wall for all the good his eyes did him; there were no landmarks or points of reference, after all. It was his other senses that told him that what lay before him went on forever, and that was what he focused on.


    Vos Raihymn had spent the last few years in undisturbed meditation as he reached for a higher existence. During that time, no one had disturbed him, as had been the case during his previous seclusions. So when Vos heard the sound of nervous footsteps approaching, his curiosity was piqued.


    The few servants who inhabited the palace all knew not to disturb Vos while meditating. And why would they? While Vos secluded himself, he allowed his servants the freedom to pursue their own improvement¡ªsomething he encouraged.


    He wondered what the reason for the disturbance could be. Perhaps someone had arrived at the palace, a representative from another sector or a superior from within The Following. Maybe something was happening within the palace that needed Vos¡¯ attention, or something could be kicking off elsewhere. Whatever the reason, Vos wouldn¡¯t have to wait long to find out.


    The nervous footsteps eventually stopped just at the entrance to the terrace. Only then did Vos rise to see who had interrupted his meditation. Turning around, he found Tol Kuilow standing in the entryway. Like Vos, Tol was human, with deathly pale skin, a result of living in the darkest edges of space far from any sun. His hair was pulled back into a warrior¡¯s wolf tail, so black it almost seemed purple, matching the color of the glow stones and braziers around the palace. His loose black robes were immaculate, without a single wrinkle or blemish.


    Tol stood with his hands folded before him, respectfully looking down at the floor, waiting to be acknowledged. As Vos examined him, he could sense the anxiety and fear in the man¡¯s usually tightly controlled aura. Even without that, the sweat rolling down Tol¡¯s face would have given him away. ¡°You have disturbed my meditation,¡± Vos said evenly.


    Tol flinched as though he had been struck and bowed hurriedly. ¡°M-my apologies, Lord Raihymn. I in no way meant to offend or disrupt your progress.¡±


    A small smile tugged at Vos¡¯ lips as he looked upon the man before him. Tol was one of the newest servants at the palace and by far the weakest, being the lowest rank there. Despite that, Tol was one of the most loyal and diligent servants in Vos¡¯ service. No matter the task, Tol always completed it with excellence. With that kind of dedication, Tol could go far. If he became a core member of The Following, he would be a great asset.


    ¡°Please,¡± Vos said, ¡°there is no need to apologize. I know my staff well; none of you would interrupt my pondering without just cause.¡±


    Tol visibly relaxed, relief flooding his aura. He straightened and looked Vos in the eye. ¡°It is as you say, my lord. Something has¡­ occurred.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°He has returned.¡±


    Vos frowned. He knew exactly to whom Tol referred. If it was true, and He had indeed returned, The Following¡¯s plan would be halted¡ªor at least delayed¡ªuntil something could be done. That man had been dealt with billions of years ago, after he had come so close to realizing his power. Vos had only been a measly level 30 at the time, but he could still remember the glorious moment when the elders brought that man down, stopping his ascent, and selflessly sacrificing themselves to buy the younger generations more time. And now, according to Tol, He was back. Vos wasn¡¯t sure if that was even possible after so long, but Tol would not lie.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± was all Vos could say.


    ¡°What do you wish to do, my lord?¡±


    Vos tapped a finger to his lips as he thought over the situation, stringing together a web of possibilities and potential futures in his mind, ¡°What do we know at the moment?¡±


    ¡°A few months ago, magical sensors everywhere began picking up shifts in the fabric of reality. Our people investigated and found traces of His presence. We don¡¯t currently know his exact location, but we do know he is in a state of extreme weakness,¡± Tol reported.


    ¡°Interference. The cycles begin anew. Plans halted. The next era stopped,¡± Vos muttered.


    ¡°Your orders, my lord?¡±


    Vos stared at Tol for a moment before waving his hand dismissively. ¡°For now, nothing. If he is as weak as you say, then he is nothing more than a bug that might very well get himself killed. There would be no point in wasting resources to deal with him if he dies on his own. Find him and keep an eye on him. If he survives this period of weakness, inform me, and we will set things in motion. I want you to personally oversee this and report to me with updates, even if it means disturbing my culmination.¡±


    Tol perked up at that and bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you for the opportunity, my lord! I will handle things with the utmost care and diligence.¡±


    ¡°I know you will, Tol Kuilow. That is why I¡¯ve given you this task,¡± Vos smiled, ¡°Now, go.¡±


    Tol bowed once more and left the terrace, leaving Vos alone. Vos turned back to the void, contemplating what this new development meant before leaving the balcony himself. His meditation would have to wait; there were people he needed to see about a bug.


    ***


    Lukas prowled through the forest, hot on the heels of a beast he had been tracking, and he was getting close. He had spent the last few days lying in his hole, bored out of his mind while his body healed. All that time, an antsy energy made his skin itch, but after hearing that roar, he had become more aware of how fragile he was.


    He still had the drive to grow stronger and climb his way to the top, but that roar had been a wake-up call to how reckless he had been. It was like he had been drunk with the desire to fight, and he was glad he had sobered up before he got himself killed. Looking back, trying to fight when his body could barely walk had been a quick way to die.


    So Lukas had forced himself to stay put until he was fully healed. He would¡¯ve given anything for a book or one of his puzzles¡ªanything to keep his mind busy. But for days, he had been stuck with his thoughts, always thinking about how much he wanted to fight.


    There were positives to his enforced downtime, though. It made him slow down and really process the fact that he was in a new, magical universe. Before, he had been running around without allowing himself to absorb it all, which probably wasn¡¯t healthy. Now, it had truly settled in, especially after going to sleep and waking up multiple times in the same dirt hole.


    Strangely, Lukas felt okay with his new reality. He didn¡¯t have the urge to return home. Sure, he¡¯d miss his parents and sister, and they¡¯d probably think he was dead, but beyond that, there wasn¡¯t much to miss. He didn¡¯t have any friends, contacts, or connections that tethered him there. He felt like he should want to go back, but that feeling wasn¡¯t there. He had zero knowledge about the world he was in, but that didn¡¯t bother him¡ªhe would learn.


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    One of the first things Lukas learned was related to the blood moon lily. Ever since he had settled back into his little safe spot, he had kept the lily close to him. While lying down, he kept it on his chest, where he could smell it with each breath. The magical effect waned the more he smelled it, but the scent had been a great help in alleviating his pain. Though the effect had mostly worn off by the evening, it had helped him fall asleep.


    By the next morning, the flower had lost all effect, but Lukas had healed a decent amount. His health had gone up to 136/160. He guessed that his increased vitality helped, but the blood moon lily was probably the main contributor.


    Lukas soon formed a theory. Between the flower¡¯s name, appearance, smell, and effect, he felt certain it was some kind of healing plant. This revelation was huge. If other wildflowers had effects similar to the blood moon lily, he had access to valuable resources.


    Of course, this would depend on whether the blood moon lily was good for more than basic pain relief. Not that he would take that for granted¡ªpain relief alone was a great benefit. But if that was the limit of the flower¡¯s effect, it wouldn¡¯t be as valuable as he thought. Either way, in his current situation, Lukas would take whatever help he could get.


    One morning, after confirming that the lily no longer provided any pain relief, Lukas did something drastic. He stuffed the flower into his mouth and ate it for breakfast. The taste was strange, and the texture even stranger. It was like eating blood with a hint of cherry sweetness. Lukas gagged multiple times but managed to swallow it down. He wished he had something to drink¡ªbits of the flower were stuck in his teeth, and the inside of his mouth was coated in an unpleasant film.


    At first, Lukas regretted eating the flower, but that regret quickly faded. The moment he swallowed, a wave of soothing warmth spread through his body¡ªten times stronger than what he had felt by just smelling it. The relief was so strong he could only lay there and sigh. Then, he noticed his health bar increasing at the corner of his vision.


    Health: 146/160


    Ten points, just like that. Lukas could feel an immediate effect as a strange wriggling sensation moved through his healing wounds, like parasites crawling under his skin. The imagery was unsettling, but the sensation passed quickly as his health points began to tick down.


    Lukas watched as his health dropped by five points. As the points decreased, so did the soothing warmth and the wriggling sensation. His overall gain was five health points, and he guessed that the points he had gained were being used to speed up his healing.


    After eating the flower and realizing its amazing properties, Lukas knew he would be keeping an eye out for more magic plants. He had no idea what other effects they might have, but he was eager to find out. It was another thing to look forward to once he was fully healed and ready to explore again.


    Now that the day had finally arrived, Lukas was keeping his eyes peeled for anything unusual. He had spotted a few magical plants as he tracked the beast, but he hadn¡¯t stopped to investigate them. He was in a hurry¡ªthe paw prints were getting fresher by the minute. As he went, he was careful not to get caught off guard. The last thing he needed was a surprise attack and a three-way fight.


    For the next ten minutes, Lukas stalked through the forest, gripping his sword tightly in anticipation. He had been itching for a fight for days, and now he was about to take that first step toward leveling up. This would be his test¡ªto see if his theories about growing stronger were actually possible. He was ready to do what it took to survive and climb his way up the food chain. He just hoped that first step wouldn¡¯t end in him tripping and falling.


    Soon, Lukas found his prey. He stood atop a large hill, looking down into a valley where something large and gray moved through a clearing. Trees blocked his view, but what he could see didn¡¯t fill him with joy.


    As Lukas moved closer, using the trees for cover, he prayed it wasn¡¯t another pack of wolves. Once he reached level ground, he peeked out from behind a tree, getting his first proper look at the creature.


    It was a strange one. Not as bizarre as the vipercat he had seen, but definitely stranger than the wolves he had fought. The creature was about the size of a large dog, with long ears and a bushy tail. Its body was sleek like a fox¡¯s, but its face was more like a rabbit¡¯s. Its long legs looked powerful, though Lukas couldn¡¯t see any claws.


    A tag appeared above the creature¡¯s head:


    Swipe-Swatter - lvl 6


    Lukas deflated. Of course, the first beast he found was just a few levels too high for him. If it had been a level 3 or 4, he would¡¯ve jumped right in, confident that surprise and strategy would give him the upper hand. But at level 6, it was too risky.


    Sighing internally, Lukas started to back away. He wasn¡¯t ready for this fight. But then, in his retreat, he stepped on a pine cone. The crunch echoed through the forest, and the swipe-swatter¡¯s ears perked up. Its head snapped toward Lukas.


    ¡°Goddamn it,¡± Lukas muttered, tightening his grip on his sword.


    The swipe-swatter darted toward him with incredible speed. Lukas barely had time to react before the creature was on top of him. He swung his sword wildly, missing completely as the creature barreled past him.


    It quickly turned and charged again, faster than the wolves Lukas had fought. This time, he managed a shallow cut on its side, but the swipe-swatter retaliated with a powerful kick to Lukas¡¯ lower back. The force of the blow sent him stumbling forward, barely catching himself on a tree to avoid face-planting into the dirt.


    Gritting his teeth, Lukas turned to face the creature, sword at the ready. The swipe-swatter approached more cautiously now, seemingly aware of the tree at Lukas¡¯ back. It couldn¡¯t rush him without running into the obstacle.


    The creature rose onto its hind legs like a kangaroo, and Lukas tensed. He knew kangaroos could be deadly, and this thing was no different. In a flash, it swiped at him with one of its forelimbs, aiming for his head. Lukas barely managed to intercept the blow with his sword, slowing it down but not stopping it completely. The impact rattled him, nearly knocking the sword from his grip.


    Dazed, Lukas swung blindly as the creature struck again, managing to cut deep into one of its forelimbs. The swipe-swatter screeched in pain, giving Lukas a moment to steady himself.


    The creature¡¯s next attacks were frenzied, driven by pain and fury. Lukas landed a few more cuts, but he was collecting bruises and scrapes at an alarming rate. It felt like he was being tenderized, his body growing weaker with each hit.


    Desperate, Lukas looked for a way out. He couldn¡¯t keep up this losing battle. Then, in a move as reckless as it was necessary, he kicked the swipe-swatter in the gut. The creature stumbled back, and Lukas seized the moment. He lunged forward, driving his sword into the creature¡¯s abdomen.


    The swipe-swatter let out a final scream of agony as Lukas cut a wide gash in its stomach. Blood sprayed everywhere, drenching Lukas, but he ignored it. With one last swing, he severed the creature¡¯s throat.


    The beast fell to the ground, twitching as blood pooled beneath it. Lukas stood over the body, panting heavily, a wave of strength washing over him like an adrenaline rush. Everything felt sharper¡ªhis senses heightened, his body thrumming with newfound energy.


    He wanted to check his notifications immediately but knew he couldn¡¯t stay here. The swipe-swatter¡¯s cries had undoubtedly drawn attention. Lukas quickly looted the body, watching as the strange heat haze-like mist rose from it, then hurried up the hill and back to his hidey-hole.


    As he made his way through the forest, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at his notifications:


    You have slain [Swipe-Swatter - lvl 6]. Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    Title earned: [True Heart of a Warrior].


    You have looted [Swipe-Swatter - lvl 6].


    6 [Copper Mana Coins] have been added to your inventory.


    [Swipe-Swatter meat] has been added to your inventory.


    Lukas frowned. No mention of leveling up. So what was that surge of power he had felt? Was it the title? He wanted to investigate further, but that would have to wait until he was safely hidden. He hurried his pace, anxious to reach his hole.


    Thirty minutes later, he dropped into his hidey-hole, panting. His body was still aching from the fight, and the trek back had been brutal on his battered form. But he hardly cared¡ªhe needed to check his gains. He opened his status window the moment he caught his breath.


    Lukas Hellstrand


    Race: Human (Outworlder [unique]) - Level 0


    Class 1 - (SEALED)


    Class 2 - (SEALED)


    Health Points: 88/220


    Stamina: 46/130


    Mana: 130/130


    Stats


    Vitality: 22


    Endurance: 13


    Intelligence: 12


    Wisdom: 13


    Agility: 14


    Perception: 12


    Toughness: 13


    Strength: 15


    Willpower: 15


    Free Points: 0


    Titles:


    Prodigious Dimensional Traveler, Unkillable, True Heart of a Warrior.


    Abilities:


    Race abilities: (Dimensional Traveler), (Tribute of the Fallen), (Steel Gut), (Tongue of the Multiverse), (Stranger in a Strange Land).


    Lukas raised his brows. His stats had increased significantly, explaining the surge of power he felt. Now that he focused on himself, he realized how much stronger he was. Everything about him felt sharper¡ªhis strength, speed, and senses all improved.


    He mentally commanded his status page to show him the description of his new title:


    Title: [True Heart of a Warrior] - Every story has a beginning, and yours has just begun. Despite being at the bottom of the food chain you are unwilling to cower in the face of stronger foes. Due to your ability to kill an enemy at level 5 or above while still at level 0 you have proven yourself to have a true heart of a warrior. +5 to all stats.


    ¡®A title for killing something at level five or higher, huh? And one that gives stats¡­¡¯  Lukas thought, new dangerous ideas worming their way into his mind.

 Chapter 7: Flowers

    Lukas spent the rest of that day recovering from his fight with the swipe?swatter and was elated to discover that the extra vitality he¡¯d gained from his new title helped him recover faster than he had anticipated. Before, he had only theorized this would be the case, and he was glad to be proven right. Of course, it made sense in his mind that it would work this way; otherwise, Lukas couldn¡¯t even imagine how long it would take to regenerate if he had a hundred thousand health points. Granted, the increase he¡¯d just gained was marginal and barely noticeable. Even so, it was still better than the slow natural healing he¡¯d had to rely on just days ago.


    When he woke up the next morning, Lukas felt significantly better. He no longer felt like a steak that had been tenderized by a toddler with a hammer. That said, just below the surface he still felt some discomfort. Sure, his swollen lip had gone away, but with all the purple bruises covering his body, he looked like Grimace. It could have been worse, though; Lukas would take bruises and a busted lip over deep gashes any day. That didn¡¯t mean he enjoyed walking around as one giant bruise, nor did he like the constant soreness.


    Up and at it early in the morning, Lukas had a new goal in mind: flowers. Sure, he wanted to fight, but he knew it would be wiser to avoid conflict for the moment. If something attacked him, then he¡¯d deal with it, but he wouldn¡¯t go looking for trouble. With his increase in stats, Lukas felt slightly more confident in his ability to survive and avoid dying like an over?eager child who had gotten in over his head. Besides, no matter what he found out there, Lukas was certain it would be useful in one way or another.


    He had seen plenty of wildflowers and other plants while tracking down the swipe?swatter the day before, and the likelihood of some of them being magical in nature seemed high. Naturally, Lukas wanted to find something that could help heal him like the blood moon lily, but he was also on the lookout for something that could restore his stamina.


    He hadn¡¯t run out of stamina in either of his fights so far, but both times he had come close. If he had been forced into another fight immediately after, he would¡¯ve been in serious trouble. Lukas also wanted to explore and find different varieties of useful magical plants.


    So, a few hours past sunrise, Lukas set off into the woods with a casual stroll, mentally planning out his day. He¡¯d scour the area around his little valley for flowers, and, considering the complete lack of monster activity since he¡¯d stumbled into the area half?dead, he assumed it was relatively safe. The day would be spent collecting whatever resources he could find and then, in the evening, he would try to start a fire to cook the meat he had gotten from the swipe?swatter.


    He¡¯d been in this new world for some time now, and Lukas still hadn¡¯t eaten anything. It was only now that he was beginning to feel a bit peckish. He suspected he could go for another week before experiencing true hunger, but there was no need to push it that far. Thankfully, he felt no need for water. He still hadn¡¯t found any streams or rivers nearby, despite his recent exploration. If it rained, he could drink that, but even with his steel gut ability, he wasn¡¯t too keen on the idea of drinking from muddy puddles. That concern, however, was something for later.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Lukas to find his first flowers. They were part of a small bush growing at the base of a tree, their petals a deep royal purple adorned with red and gold spots. The moment he spotted them, Lukas excitedly scurried over to examine and identify them:


    Imperial Ebligons


    Without hesitation, Lukas crouched down and inhaled the scent of the flowers, but after taking a deep breath, he frowned. They smelled as lovely as they looked, but he didn¡¯t feel any effect. Glancing inward, Lukas did a quick mental check to see if anything had changed or if there was any impact on his stats. He found nothing.


    Lukas¡¯ frown deepened as he glanced at the identification tag again. The blood moon lily had a rarity tag next to its name, but these Imperial Ebligons didn¡¯t. He guessed they were just regular flowers, though he wouldn¡¯t skip over any plant without a rarity tag until he was absolutely certain.


    Standing back up, Lukas continued on his way in search of the next magical plant. He knew the likelihood of every plant being magical was low, but he had hoped the first one would be useful. Still, he wasn¡¯t disheartened; he had the entire day to find something amazing.


    For the next hour, Lukas wandered through the forest, stumbling upon nothing but non?magical plants. This confirmed his theory that only plants with a rarity tag were special, much to his displeasure. But eventually, he found what he was looking for. Lukas stumbled upon a rather large flower that grew only a few inches off the ground, standing alone without any other shrubs or bushes around it.


    The stem was unnervingly thick, and its petals were wide and large, similar to flowers found in humid rainforests. The flower¡¯s two shades of orange swirled together in multiple places. One whiff told Lukas all he needed to know¡ªthis flower was for stamina. It smelled extremely sweet and sugary, like an energy drink with a hint of mango, and with just one breath, Lukas felt like he could run a marathon before fighting an army.


    Lukas quickly identified the flower:


    Vigor Bloom Iclum (Uncommon)


    Taking out his sword, Lukas cut through the disturbingly thick stem and stored the flower in his inventory. With a smile on his face, he continued his search, pleased with his progress.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he found more plants. The next one he encountered, named mana tulip, was a light blue flower that appeared flamboyantly magical. Its long stem had a loop in it, bright blue specks of light drifted from its center, and the long petals bobbed up and down as though the flower were breathing. It smelled cool and refreshing, like refrigerated blueberries on a hot summer day, and filled him with a wave of mental clarity.


    Lukas also discovered a small light?pink flower growing in a lush bush with a few other non?magical flowers. This one was a re¡¯in carnation. It didn¡¯t look particularly special, blending in with its surroundings, but it couldn¡¯t hide from Lukas¡¯ identification ability. It smelled like freshly cut strawberries, and as soon as he inhaled, a cool wave of relief passed through him, soothing his aching bruises.


    Lukas knew right away that this flower was similar to the pink potion he had looted from one of the wolves. He wasted no time harvesting it. That potion had saved his life, and although Lukas wasn¡¯t sure exactly what the flower did, he was going to treasure it. That raised a new question in his mind, though: could these flowers be used to create potions? That was a question he had no way to answer at the moment. It was unfortunate, but it, along with many other things, would have to wait until he could get answers to his bigger and more important questions.


    The next flower Lukas found was another blood moon lily, though this one was of a lower rarity. Like the previous one, it was blood?red and smelled warm, sweet, and faintly of iron. Lukas eagerly harvested the flower, thinking he might eat it with his dinner later.


    Another flower, this one a yellow?gray color, reminded Lukas of sandy stone. After inhaling its scent, his skin stiffened and he felt harder, tougher. A bright orange flower caused Lukas¡¯ heart to race with adrenaline, leaving him feeling as though he could outrun a car.


    After discovering a few more magical flowers with effects Lukas couldn¡¯t immediately identify, he came across a strange green flower in the middle of a small clearing. Its drooping petals were a mix of light and dark green, and its black stem looked withered.


    Frowning, Lukas bent down and gave the flower a cautious sniff. He immediately regretted it. The smell of rotting corpses festering in a hot landfill assaulted his nose. He fell backward, dry heaving uncontrollably, thankful that his stomach was empty. The stench was so overpowering that his eyes watered and his nostrils filled with mucus. Wiping it all away, he was horrified to find that it wasn¡¯t mucus or tears¡ªit was blood. His vision was tinged red, and his mouth filled with the taste of iron as blood dripped from his nose to his lips. The flower had made him bleed just by smelling it?


    ¡°What the actual fuck!?¡± Lukas blurted out.


    Horrified by what had just happened, Lukas wiped more blood from his eyes and looked at the abomination in front of him:


    Life¡¯s Bane (Epic)


    ¡°Sounds about right,¡± he muttered angrily.


    Standing, Lukas was about to leave behind the living nightmare when he stopped and looked back at the monstrous flower. If he had had such an extreme reaction to just a small whiff, how would a beast react if it were smacked in the face with this thing? Could it be used in a fight?


    Lukas could see it working. If he pulled the flower out mid?fight and exposed a beast to its scent, it would likely have a strong reaction, giving Lukas an opening to strike. Then there was the fact that he had a poison resistance ability¡ªif that worked on this godforsaken flower, who knew how powerful Life¡¯s Bane could be?


    As much as he hated the idea of going anywhere near the flower, even with his poison resistance, Lukas couldn¡¯t shake the thought of using it in battle. So, after taking a deep breath, he reluctantly went over to collect the foul plant. He didn¡¯t even need to cut the stem¡ªit snapped like a stalk of dry grass. Another wave of the stench washed over Lukas, but he held his breath, refusing to inhale. Instead, the smell seemed to attack his skin, making it burn and itch as though something were trying to dissolve it.


    Pinching the stem between his thumb and forefinger, Lukas quickly threw the flower into his inventory before hurrying away as fast as he could. Only when he was at least twenty meters away did he feel safe enough to take a breath, and he was relieved to inhale nothing but the fresh scent of the forest. His skin still burned, and when he looked down at his arms and chest, he saw they were bright red, beyond the bruises he had. That flower had to be some kind of plant?based war crime.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Lukas tried not to give it any more thought as he continued through the forest, but he would definitely be much more cautious with the things he found in the future. Fortunately, the next few hours were filled with the discovery of magical flowers that didn¡¯t seem to violate the Geneva Convention, and Lukas happily harvested them. He completely forgot the need for caution when he stumbled upon the first magical plant that wasn¡¯t a flower.


    While climbing his way up a particularly tall hill, Lukas reached a small plateau at the top, where he noticed a bush that looked like any other he had seen among the trees. The only difference was the berries it bore. Lukas had seen a few berry bushes before, but none had been magical. These berries were larger than most¡ªalmost the size of fat, crunchy grapes. They were such a deep shade of purple that they were nearly black, and they looked so plump and juicy that Lukas knew biting into one would be incredibly satisfying. Just looking at the bunches hanging from the bush, he felt a strong urge to rush over and start eating them.


    The only problem was the level 8 vipercat that had beaten him to the bush and was eating the berries with the same enthusiasm Lukas felt. He considered fighting the beast¡ªafter all, he had gotten a significant boost in his stats. But the vipercat was obviously an apex predator of the forest. It looked fast, it had claws and fangs, and its tail likely carried a poisonous stinger. A fight with the creature would almost certainly end in death. Still, the vipercat was eating his berries.


    Lukas readied his sword and was about to charge at the creature to stop it from eating any more of his berries when he froze in his tracks as the vipercat suddenly stopped eating and began to growl. Lukas thought it had sensed him and realized he was there, but then the vipercat toppled over.


    Lukas stared at the vipercat¡¯s body for a moment, his anger at the creature dissipating, replaced by confusion and curiosity. What had just happened? He watched the vipercat for a few more minutes, and when nothing changed, he cautiously approached the creature¡¯s body. It was still lying right where it had fallen. Had it really died? Were those berries poisonous? That would explain the strong urge to eat them¡ªthey could be a trap.


    Lukas poked the body with his sword and got no reaction. But something was off. The vipercat¡¯s eyes were still moving, staring at him with anger and the desire to tear him apart. Was it paralyzed? Could that be the effect of the berries?


    Whatever the case, the vipercat was in no condition to fight back. Lukas didn¡¯t need to be told to take advantage of the situation. He drove the tip of his sword into the creature¡¯s scaled throat, unsurprised to find that its skin was tough to cut through. That didn¡¯t stop him, though, and soon his blade plunged deep, causing blood to pour out of the creature¡¯s neck and onto the ground.


    Less than a minute later, Lukas received his kill notification and looted the corpse:


    You have slain [Vipercat ¨C lvl 8]. Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    8 [Copper Mana Coins] have been added to your inventory.


    Lukas scowled at the notifications. How many creatures would he have to kill to gain even one level? He had killed a level 3, a level 4, a level 6, and now a level 8, and he still hadn¡¯t gained a single level. Just where was all that experience going? He had even earned a title for killing something at level 5 or above while still at level 0, indicating that such a feat was rare. Now, he had done it twice. And what in the world were Copper Mana Coins for?


    Closing his eyes, Lukas took a deep breath to calm himself. After he got his emotions under control, he turned toward the berries again. Once more, he felt the urge to eat one, but he quickly suppressed it with his annoyance and identified the berries:


    Gorgon Berries (Rare)


    Plucking a firm berry from the bush, Lukas sniffed it but didn¡¯t detect any particular scent. However, holding it this close made the temptation to eat it even harder to ignore. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the berries did, but it seemed like they caused some sort of paralysis, judging by what had happened to the vipercat. Lukas was glad he hadn¡¯t gotten to the berries first. Still, he carefully gathered all the berries from the bush, ending up with a total of 53. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what they could be used for, but they might make excellent bait, drawing in beasts that he could paralyze and then kill while they were incapacitated.


    That¡¯s assuming it¡¯s even worth killing them anymore. ¡°I could just be stuck at level 0 forever,¡± Lukas thought darkly as he placed the last few berries in his inventory.


    He shook his head, clearing the negative thoughts. He just needed to get some more kills¡ªperhaps even kill stronger enemies. If that didn¡¯t get him levels, then he could at least try to gain more titles. Hell, maybe he¡¯d get one for killing something at level 10.


    That was a problem for another day, though. For now, Lukas focused on finding and collecting magical plants. He spent the next few hours doing exactly that, gathering more flowers and even discovering some other types of berries, though these seemed to have a cooling effect that helped combat the heat of the late afternoon sun.


    When Lukas finally started heading back toward his valley, he was returning with a rather good haul. He had found a total of seven blood moon lilies, though none were above common rarity. He had also found five flowers that seemed similar to the pink potion he had used¡ªthe re¡¯in carnations. Then there were a handful of other flowers with various effects.


    Once back at his hidey?hole, Lukas wasted no time trying to get a fire started. He could have used a stone and his sword to try to create some sparks, but the last thing he needed was to break his sword or make its edge any duller. Besides, he didn¡¯t need to use his sword anyway. Lukas had lived in the wild completely on his own, and he knew how to start a fire with nothing but some sticks.


    Before long, Lukas had a small fire crackling away just outside his hole. He placed a large, relatively flat rock in the middle of the fire to use as a cooking surface for the swipe?swatter meat.


    Lukas lay naked on his bloody wolf pelt, watching the dancing flames as the sun began to set, occasionally tossing more wood onto the fire. He was waiting for the fire to get hot enough before tossing the meat onto the stone to cook.


    While he waited, Lukas took out two flowers: one was a blood?red flower, the other a light?pink one. He looked between the two, smelling each in turn. They both seemed to have healing properties, but they had different effects. The blood moon lily had a warming effect, while the re¡¯in carnation was cooling.


    Lukas considered the difference between the two. The blood moon lily had given him a direct injection of health points, some of which were used to heal his injuries. He couldn¡¯t remember much about what had happened after the wolves had attacked him, let alone the exact effect of the strange pink potion. What he did remember was that the potion had been pink, had tasted faintly of strawberries, and had stopped him from bleeding to death. He could deduce that the potion hadn¡¯t given him a bunch of health points since that¡¯s what the red flowers did. But what had the pink potion done instead?


    Staring intently at the pink flower, Lukas decided he would eat that one tonight. He had originally planned to eat one of the health?restoring flowers to help heal his bruised body, but the pink flower seemed to have some kind of healing effect as well. This way, he could observe its effect and, hopefully, heal his battered body.


    With the fire finally reaching the desired heat, Lukas set the flowers aside and pulled out the swipe?swatter meat. When he had stored it in his inventory, it had appeared as a simple icon of a slab of meat, and now that he pulled it out, that¡¯s exactly what it was. What surprised him, though, was that the meat was still warm, as though it had just been butchered. Frowning, Lukas wondered if this was an effect of his inventory. Did it keep things fresh, or put them in some kind of stasis when he stored them? Did that mean the flowers hadn¡¯t lost their effectiveness because he smelled them, but rather because they had been cut? Was his inventory keeping them fresh?


    ¡°More things to test and experiment with,¡± Lukas muttered as he readied the meat for cooking.


    Before placing the meat on the hot stone, Lukas paused, glancing at the pink flower he had set beside him. He remembered forcing himself to eat the blood moon lily and how unpleasant it had been. He wanted to avoid that this time. He also realized that the slab of meat he was holding was completely unseasoned. While Lukas wasn¡¯t a gourmet chef, he liked his food with some flavor, and he wasn¡¯t the kind of psycho who ate plain, unseasoned meat. He had a herb garden back at his cabin for a reason.


    Looking uncertainly at the meat in his hand, Lukas stashed it back in his inventory. He got up and searched the area until he found two relatively flat stones, each about the size of his hand. His plan was to grind the pink flower into a paste and rub it onto the swipe?swatter meat. He had no idea what the result would be, but it was worth a try. Lukas just hoped this wouldn¡¯t turn into him eating something worse than if he¡¯d eaten the flower and the meat separately.


    Sitting back down on his cloak, Lukas crossed his legs and placed the pink flower on one of the stones in his lap. Using the other stone, he began grinding the flower down. Almost immediately, the scent filled the air. It was much stronger than just smelling the flower, and the effect was equally intense. It was likely that the flower¡¯s effect would have been even more potent if Lukas had eaten it whole, but that was what he had been trying to avoid.


    Lukas continued grinding for a few more minutes, the cloud of soothing strawberry scent growing stronger around him. The more he ground the flower, the more intense the scent became. Eventually, though, the strength of the scent stopped increasing, and Lukas guessed he was done. He separated the two grinding stones, and the scent hit him like a wave. The smell of sweet strawberries was so strong that Lukas¡¯ mouth watered, and for a moment he forgot about his injuries entirely. The resulting paste didn¡¯t look particularly appetizing¡ªit was just a sticky pink mush stuck to both stones¡ªbut Lukas hoped it would taste as good as it smelled.


    For the last time, Lukas took out the swipe?swatter meat. In one hand, he held the slab of meat, and with the other, he scraped the pink paste off the stones and rubbed it into the meat. Once he was sure the meat was thoroughly coated, he placed it on the hot stone to cook.


    The sound of searing meat filled the air, mixing with the cool, sweet scent of strawberries. Using a stick, Lukas flipped the meat, doing his best to make sure it cooked evenly on both sides. After just a few short minutes, the meat was done.


    Lukas pulled it from the fire and set it on the two smaller stones he had used to grind the flower. After waiting for the meat to cool slightly, he took his first bite. The result was, frankly, disappointing. Granted, it could have been much worse, but the meat was dry and tough, like chewing on a piece of leather. The flavor wasn¡¯t bad, with a nice char, but it was hard to tell if swipe?swatter meat was actually any good. The slight hint of strawberry from the flower didn¡¯t quite fit, either, making it a strange combination.


    Still, Lukas ate half the slab of meat in just a few minutes. He stored the rest in his inventory, planning to pull it out the next morning to see if it was still warm and fresh. That was something for tomorrow, though. For now, Lukas stashed the two grinding stones in his inventory as well, hoping to do more experimenting with flowers later.


    The test he had just performed was already showing promising results, though. Normally, the rate at which Lukas gained health points was mind?numbingly slow, but it had improved since his increase in vitality. Currently, he was gaining one health point every ten to fifteen minutes. Lukas wasn¡¯t sure if eating food helped to regenerate health, but even if it did, it couldn¡¯t be responsible for this much recovery. This had to be the pink flower¡ªit seemed to have some sort of recovery and regeneration property.

 Chapter 8: Amor

    That night, Lukas fell asleep, watching as his health points slowly ticked upwards and his aching bruises gradually disappeared. The next morning, he discovered that the healing had continued after he¡¯d fallen asleep. Upon checking his health, Lukas saw he¡¯d gained 24 health points overnight, leaving him with a total of 186/220. He still had a way to go until fully healed, but 186 was more than he¡¯d ever had before, so he wasn¡¯t worried.


    The next thing Lukas did was take the meat he¡¯d cooked the previous night out of his inventory. To his glee it came out warm and smelling fresh, as though he¡¯d just pulled it from the fire. He wasn¡¯t hungry, nor was he in dire need of health, so Lukas returned the food to his inventory to keep it fresh. He had no doubt he¡¯d get hurt before the next time he was hungry, so he¡¯d save the meat for when he needed it. For now, Lukas was just happy his theory about his inventory was correct.


    For the next ten minutes or so, Lukas stayed where he was, wrapped in his blood-stained wolf skin cloak, staring up at the steely gray sky. He watched with bleary eyes as the thick sheet of clouds meandered across the sky. The morning air was far cooler than it had been on previous mornings, and Lukas found it hard to leave the protection of his cloak. He hoped it wouldn¡¯t rain; the last thing he needed was for his pit to fill with water.


    Eventually, Lukas got up and wrapped the cloak around his waist after dusting off what dirt he could. He looked at the dirty garment, remembering how soft and clean it had been when he first looted it. Now it was matted in several places, covered in dried blood, dirt, and grime. He would clean it one day, restoring it to its former glory, but he needed to find a way to do that first, preferably with water.


    Finding water was high on Lukas¡¯ to-do list. Not just to clean his cloak and equally filthy body, but also to find something to drink and experiment with. After his success with the meat last night, Lukas was eager to test more things. At the top of that list was experimenting with water to make some kind of tea or rudimentary potion. Lukas didn¡¯t believe for a second that simply putting a flower in boiling water would create a potion; he probably needed herbs and other magical ingredients for that. He was just hoping to make the effects of the flowers he¡¯d collected more potent.


    Of course, while finding water was on his to-do list, it wasn¡¯t something he could just conjure up. Lukas would have to continue exploring and mapping the area around him. He¡¯d go on as he had been, collecting flowers and looking for a fight, but he¡¯d keep a sharp eye and ear out for any sign of water.


    Once out of cover, Lukas headed for the spot where he¡¯d cooked the meat the night before and collected the large stone he¡¯d used. It had been far too hot the previous night, but now it had cooled. He had considered leaving it there in his little camp, but it wasn¡¯t like he was lugging it around on his back¡ªhe had plenty of room in his inventory. Besides, a nice heavy rock might come in handy in a fight.


    The first half of the day went by uneventfully as Lukas continued mapping his surroundings, snatching up every magic plant he came across. He did have a brief fight with a beast an hour before midday, though. While he was making his way through the hilly terrain, a white, furry missile shot out of the ground and aimed for his back. The little thing had scratched him up before he could whirl around and cut it in half. It had been a long, ferret-like rodent, the size of a small dog. The creature was only level 2, so it hadn¡¯t done much damage, but the blood running down his back told another story. Naturally, the little pest hadn¡¯t dropped anything valuable except two Copper Mana Coins.


    Annoyed, Lukas ate a few bites of meat to help heal the bleeding scratches. He wanted to save the food for emergencies, but he couldn¡¯t walk around the forest with an open wound.


    His mood didn¡¯t improve until he found a new type of flower a few hours later. It was growing next to the stump of a fallen tree and didn¡¯t look like much from a distance, just a pretty pink and red bloom. As he approached, he noticed the velvety texture of the petals and their strange colors: the outer ones were a deep, seductive red, while the inner petals were a fleshy pink, the color of lips. On closer inspection, it looked disturbingly like¡ª Well, like female genitalia.


    Lukas stared perplex at the strange flower before identifying it:


    Amor Lily (Legendary)


    Lukas¡¯ eyebrows shot up at the rarity. This was the first legendary flower he¡¯d found, and he hoped it was useful. Despite its name, it looked nothing like the lilies he¡¯d picked before. Perhaps that was an effect of its legendary status?


    Eagerly, Lukas crouched down to harvest the flower, sheepishly avoiding looking right at it. The moment the stem was cut, a warm, earthy, musky scent flooded his nostrils, making his hair stand on end. The effect was immediate: his pupils dilated, his blood burned, his skin tingled, and his heart raced.


    He barely managed to shove the flower into his inventory before doubling over, steadying himself with a hand on the fallen log. His sword was gripped tightly as he groaned, trying to control his breath.


    Forcing himself to stand, Lukas found the sensation less than comfortable. Clenching and unclenching his fists, shaking his arms¡ªit all made things worse. Every movement sent thrills through his hypersensitive skin. Gritting his teeth was the only thing stopping him from making mortifyingly embarrassing sounds.


    ¡®What kind of fucked-up plant makes someone this horny?¡¯


    The flower¡¯s energies overtook Lukas¡¯ entire body, turning every move into a euphoric experience. The sensations clawed at him, leaving him powerless to resist.


    And it didn¡¯t stop at his body. The flower¡¯s magic wormed its way into his mind, filling it with thoughts and temptations he could barely discern from his own. But he had one thing left: self-control.


    The Amor Lily could flood his mind with urges, but it couldn¡¯t make him act. In the end, it was a battle of wills, and Lukas would be damned if he gave in to this fucked-up magic. Yet, his resolve weakened rapidly, and he did the only thing he could think of.


    He ran.


    He had to work the energy out of his body before he gave in. As he stomped through the forest, Lukas swung his sword with all the strength he could muster. Each blow was so powerful, he felt like he could chop down any tree around him.


    There was a problem with all this movement, though¡ªthe feeling of pleasure that rolled through him with the slightest action. It only made things more difficult, but it would¡¯ve been worse if he had just sat still. At least this way, he felt like he was doing something, occupying his mind with movement.


    Time passed in a haze as Lukas charged through the forest, his mind so clouded he had no idea where he was going. Had he been in his right mind, he would have quickly realized he was lost, wandering out of familiar territory without tracking his movements.


    Not even stopping for flowers or magic plants, Lukas¡¯ foggy mind had no room for anything other than pushing forward. He had no idea how much time had passed. By the end of the first hour, he was drenched in sweat, heaving for breath. His arm was tired from all the swinging, grunts and groans escaping through clenched teeth.


    Before long, a creature was attracted by all the noise Lukas was making. It probably wondered what the sweaty weirdo was doing stomping through the forest. Unfortunately for the creature, one positive side effect of the Amor Lily was that it heightened Lukas¡¯ senses to an extreme. Without pausing to identify the beast, Lukas slaughtered it in a blur of violence, completely unaware of its level.


    Without concern for his well-being, Lukas launched himself at the monster. All he remembered was a flurry of blows, both given and taken. He hacked, stabbed, and slashed mindlessly, like an animal, but it got the job done. The fight was short, and soon a fresh corpse lay at his feet. Lukas, covered in both his and the beast¡¯s blood, didn¡¯t stop to loot the body. He didn¡¯t even notice his new wounds, which should have hurt but instead pulsed with a strange pleasure that made him feel like a masochist. He just kept marching through the forest, still bleeding.


    Hours passed, much like the first, with Lukas tearing through the woods like a man possessed. He fought more monsters, paying them no more mind than the first, simply treating them as obstacles to remove. Each fight became more brutal than the last, with Lukas taking increasingly dangerous risks for a single hit. He was willing to let claws tear through his flesh to strike his enemies.


    Despite all the blood loss, Lukas still felt warm, as though his body were on fire. He never once checked his health or stamina¡ªhis only focus was on moving forward. Over time, the terrain changed from small hills and valleys to larger, more rugged ones. Cliffs and jagged rocks became more common, as did dense plant life. What had been a light scattering of magical flowers was now a full forest, reminiscent of the one near his home.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    After over five hours, Lukas felt ragged, but the effects of the Amor Lily still hadn¡¯t let up. It didn¡¯t matter much to Lukas, though, because he was facing a new enemy. He stood at the bottom of a rocky outcropping, moss draped over its weathered face. A hole the size of a compact car gaped at its base¡ªnot a cave, but a burrow. And outside the burrow sat a creature.


    It looked like a gorilla, but with horns like a ram¡¯s curving back over its head and tusks like a boar¡¯s jutting from its mouth. The creature was the size of a car, though not as muscular as an actual gorilla, it still looked like it could crush Lukas¡¯ skull.


    They locked eyes for only a moment before the battle began. Neither was deterred by what they saw in the other: the crazed look of a madman on the brink of death or the feral territoriality of a wild beast. They launched at each other simultaneously, the gorilla-like monster faster and stronger than Lukas. It lowered its head, intending to crush him with its horns.


    Even in his frenzied state, Lukas knew that blow would be his end. Even if it didn¡¯t kill him outright, it would leave him vulnerable enough for the beast to finish the job. Lukas didn¡¯t plan on letting that happen. He veered to the side, hoping to plunge his sword into the creature¡¯s chest, but the beast reacted quickly.


    One thick arm shot out to grab Lukas, forcing him to divert his strike to block the attack. Despite the unnatural strength he felt coursing through his muscles, Lukas couldn¡¯t completely block the blow. However, he left a deep, jagged cut on the beast¡¯s arm as he was thrown back, tumbling across the rocky forest floor. Both combatants let out grunts¡ªone of pain, the other of twisted pleasure.


    Lukas didn¡¯t stay down for long, but when he stood, the beast was already upon him. Its massive fists were raised above its head, ready to crush him into the ground. With a roar, Lukas rolled forward, slashing across the monster¡¯s stomach as its fists struck the ground, causing the earth to tremble. The monster howled in fury as Lukas leaped out of range.


    The beast didn¡¯t give him time to recover. Lukas was immediately forced to dodge a barrage of enraged attacks. He tried to counter and land his own strikes, but his efforts were futile. All he managed was a few shallow cuts on the creature¡¯s arms as he attempted to deflect or redirect incoming blows.


    In the end, Lukas was overpowered. The monster¡¯s thick arm batted him away, hitting him square in the chest and knocking the air from his lungs. He was sent flying, only stopping when he slammed into the rocky outcropping. His already mangled back was crushed against the rough surface, and his head smashed into the stone with a sickening "KONK," leaving him dizzy and nauseous.


    The blow left Lukas in a dire situation, but it did have one benefit. The force of the impact, combined with the sudden lack of air, lessened the effect of the Amor Lily, giving Lukas a moment of clarity. But that didn¡¯t matter to the monster¡ªit was already charging at him again, ready to finish the fight.


    Lukas had only a split second to act. He raised his hand, not in a feeble attempt to stop the beast, but to pull something from his inventory. Grabbing the Life¡¯s Bane flower, Lukas held it out like a ward. The skin on his fingers began to burn painfully, and if he weren¡¯t struggling to breathe, he would have gagged at the flower¡¯s awful stench.


    The monster wasn¡¯t so lucky. It barreled straight into the flower and immediately recoiled as if it had hit a brick wall. With a wretched cry, it fell to the ground, vomiting violently. Blood poured from its eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Its fur fell out in clumps, and the patches that remained curled and shriveled as though burned. Black spots spread across its body, like a curse from a vengeful god.


    Lukas watched in horror as the flower¡¯s putrid power devoured the monster. But he couldn¡¯t stand idly by¡ªthe effect was slowing, and the beast¡¯s vitality was fighting back. Forcing himself to move, Lukas shoved the flower back into his inventory and stood on unsteady legs. His head swam, his vision blurred, and nausea fought against the lingering effects of the Amor Lily, all while he struggled for breath.


    It wasn¡¯t easy, but Lukas hobbled toward the monster. It screeched and thrashed in agony, still vomiting. He was hesitant to get close, fearing a stray blow, but he couldn¡¯t leave the creature alive. If he waited, it would recover enough to be a serious threat. He had to land the killing blow now.


    He waited for an opening, and only a moment later, he found it. The monster slammed its fist into the ground, leaving its neck exposed. Without hesitation, Lukas raised his sword with both hands and brought it down on the beast¡¯s neck, killing it instantly.


    The forest fell silent, save for Lukas¡¯ labored breathing and the dripping of blood onto the ground. A surge of warmth and power filled him, greater than anything he¡¯d felt before. He stood over the ruined body of the creature for a few moments, trying to collect himself. Clarity returned to his mind, and he fought to hold onto it. Even the surge in power couldn¡¯t help¡ªit was taking all his strength just to stay standing.


    Taking a few deep breaths, Lukas stepped back from the body. The first thing he did was pull some cooked meat from his inventory and shove it into his mouth. He wasn¡¯t hungry, but he knew he desperately needed the healing. Without even looking at his health, he could feel how dangerously close he¡¯d come to death.


    After stuffing another mouthful of meat down his gullet, Lukas checked the damage:


    Health: 22/360


    Stamina: 29/260


    Mana: 260/260


    He stared at the numbers blankly, not just because he¡¯d once again come dangerously close to dying, but because his maximum stats had taken a significant jump. That could mean one of two things: either he¡¯d finally gained a level, or he¡¯d earned a new title. He wanted to check right then and there, but he wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet¡ªliterally. His health had stopped dropping from the bleeding and was slowly ticking back up thanks to the meat, but he was lost. Truly lost. He had no idea where he was.


    Before, when he knew where he was, he¡¯d kept track of his movements so he could find his way back to his pit or even the glade where he¡¯d woken up. Now, though, he was disoriented and exhausted. The idea of finding a safe place to rest was appealing, but going out might mean running out of stamina completely. He wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if it hit zero¡ªhe¡¯d never experienced it¡ªbut judging by how bone-tired he felt, he guessed he¡¯d pass out. That would likely result in getting eaten.


    The best option for now was to hunker down where he was and recuperate as much as possible. He didn¡¯t like the idea of staying in the beast¡¯s burrow, but he didn¡¯t have much of a choice.


    With a tired sigh, Lukas limped over to loot the body, feeling the strange pulses of pleasure still rippling through his body with each movement, though mercifully, the sensation was dulled. After looting the corpse, he put away his sword and sat down against the rocky outcropping, finally allowing himself to check his notifications. Surely, after everything he¡¯d killed today, he must have leveled up.


    You have slain [Sky Glider - lvl 3] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    You have slain [Duskbody - lvl 7] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    You have slain [Teran Beetle - lvl 2] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    You have slain [Rusker - lvl 4] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    You have slain [Kluma - lvl 6] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    You have slain [Pine Brute - lvl 10] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    Title earned - [Indomitable Wyrm]


    You have looted [Pine Brute].


    10 [Copper Mana Coins] have been added to your inventory.


    Lukas sighed as he skimmed through the notifications. He¡¯d killed a lot of things, but he barely remembered half of the fights, thanks to the Amor Lily. Even now, he was fighting off its lingering effects. He was just relieved it seemed to be wearing off, giving him a chance to breathe.


    Still, he was annoyed. After all the creatures he¡¯d killed today, he hadn¡¯t gained a single level? Sure, he¡¯d earned another title, but how hard could it be to level up? He felt like ranting, but instead, he pushed the thought aside and checked his new title. The huge boost he¡¯d felt earlier could only be from that.


    Title: [Indomitable Wyrm] - In the end, even a worm will turn. You stand at the beginning of a long and arduous path, one you haven¡¯t even taken the first step toward. Yet that does not stop you from taking on enemies significantly more powerful than yourself. Due to your ability to kill an enemy at level 10 or above while at level zero, you have proven yourself to be an indomitable wyrm¡ªone that will not run or shrink in the face of adversity. +10 to all stats. +10% to all stats.


    Lukas didn¡¯t know what was considered a good title, but he was pretty damn sure this was a great one. He didn¡¯t even know what you gained from earning a level, but judging by the strength he¡¯d gained from his titles, he doubted gaining a level could compare. If that were the case, it would defeat the point of levels, right? Either way, titles seemed to be the key to his progression, at least for now. He doubted he could rely solely on them forever, but until he figured out how to level up, they would have to do. He had a feeling he¡¯d earn another title for killing something at level 15, just as he had for level 5 and level 10.


    After these gains, Lukas quickly checked his status screen:


    Lukas Hellstrand


    Race: Human (Outworlder [Unique]) - Level 0


    Class 1 - SEALED


    Class 2 - SEALED


    Health Points: 24/360


    Stamina: 30/260


    Mana: 260/260


    Stats:


    Vitality: 36


    Endurance: 26


    Intelligence: 25


    Wisdom: 26


    Agility: 27


    Perception: 25


    Toughness: 26


    Strength: 28


    Willpower: 28


    Free Points: 0


    Titles:


    Prodigious Dimensional Traveler, Unkillable, True Heart of a Warrior, Indomitable Wyrm.


    Abilities:


    Race abilities: (Dimensional Traveler), (Tribute of the Fallen), (Steel Gut), (Tongue of the Multiverse), (Stranger in a Strange Land).


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Lukas croaked.

 Chapter 9: Water

    Lukas spent the next few hours in a strange mix of pleasure and pain. The amor lily had transformed every sensory input into some form of erotic pleasure, pain included. But as the flower¡¯s effects wore off, his senses began to function as they should. This meant that his many wounds started to hurt¡ªbadly. Pain was once again pain, no longer some twisted form of masochistic pleasure.


    All Lukas could do was sit there and grit his teeth, enduring the growing agony as he waited for his body to heal. His recent increase in vitality was having an effect beyond a larger health pool. It was subtle, but Lukas could feel that his body¡¯s natural healing rate had improved, even amplifying the regenerative effects of the meat he had eaten.


    That being said, it would still be quite some time before Lukas was in any state other than terrible. With nothing else to do but hurry up and wait, Lukas moved from his spot on the ground and hobbled toward the burrow of the Pine Brute he had just killed.


    It wasn¡¯t much more than a hole in the stone outcropping that went in a few meters. Lukas had to duck slightly to enter. The burrow would¡¯ve been small for the Pine Brute, but cozy. Inside, Lukas found the stone floor covered in pine needles, leaves, and grass from the nearby shrubbery, mixed with the fur of the beast that had once called this place home.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but it would do for now. Besides, what had Lukas expected? The place had belonged to a beast, after all. To be fair, it was much better than where he had been staying for the past few days. At least this was shelter; before, he¡¯d been under the open sky.


    Sitting against the wall just inside, Lukas looked out into the forest and let out a tired sigh. It was well into the evening, the shades of sunset coloring the woods before him. He was exhausted¡ªbone tired. Even if he gave in to the amor lily¡¯s fading temptations, he wouldn¡¯t have had the energy to act on them.


    So, Lukas just sat there, enjoying the view and the sounds of the birds. It was cool in the little hole, the stone against his back even cooler, helping to numb and ease his pain. His whole body tingled and itched as it healed, thanks to the meat he¡¯d cooked with the re¡¯in carnation.


    Yawning, Lukas rested his head against the cool stone, closed his eyes, and drifted off into strange dreams, courtesy of the amor lily¡¯s lingering energy.


    *


    When Lukas woke the next morning, he was relieved to find that a significant portion of his health and all of his stamina had returned during sleep. The effects of the meat he had eaten had long since worn off, leaving his vitality to handle the rest. As for the amor lily, its influence was gone entirely, much to Lukas¡¯ relief. It was nice to have a clear head, free of the inappropriate thoughts the flower had induced.


    Now fully awake, Lukas was eager to heal up and explore the area, searching for magic resources, water, and possible threats. He hoped the area was safe for now. A level 10 beast had lived here, after all; surely, the others knew to stay away. But that would only buy Lukas a bit of time. Sooner or later, more beasts would come. When they did, he needed to be ready.


    Reluctantly, Lukas pulled out one of the re¡¯in carnations and ate it for breakfast. He really wished he had some more meat to cook with the flower; the raw flower itself was far from pleasant. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t gotten any meat from the Pine Brute, and it was far too late to skin or butcher it now.


    The meat would have spoiled by this point, and honestly, Lukas wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to eat anything from a beast that had already been looted. He didn¡¯t know what that strange, heat-haze stuff was that came out of the beasts, but the bodies always looked desiccated afterward, and not at all appetizing. Sure, Lukas had a nifty race ability that could help with that, but it still wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    With no choice but to suffer, Lukas stuffed the flower into his mouth and forced himself to chew. Once again, his mouth was coated in a gross film with a nasty aftertaste. If only the raw flower tasted as good as it smelled, he wouldn¡¯t have too much to complain about. When cooked with meat, it had a flavor reminiscent of strawberries. Maybe next time he would turn it into a paste before eating it. The texture probably wouldn¡¯t be great, but better flavor might help.


    Whatever the case, Lukas wasn¡¯t about to start experimenting now. He had eaten one flower and didn¡¯t know what would happen if he ate a second one right away. He could test that, of course, but with only a limited supply, he wasn¡¯t about to waste such a valuable resource. For now, Lukas had nothing to do but sit around feeling useless.


    For the umpteenth time, Lukas wished he had one of his puzzles with him. He thought of the one his little sister, Cassandra, had gotten him for Christmas. Due to the blizzard that had kept Lukas from heading to his hometown, he had missed Christmas, and Cas had mailed the gift to him. When Lukas had gone to the post office to pick it up, the workers had given him some good-natured shit about it.


    The puzzle was a one-foot-by-one-foot cube of solid wood, and had some decent heft to it. Each face was completely smooth and polished, with no hint of how to start. Lukas had spent a week¡¯s worth of free time trying to figure it out. He had even begun to suspect that Cassie had sent him a solid wooden cube as a prank, but shaking it revealed the sound of inner mechanisms rattling.


    Eventually, he figured it out. All he had to do was shift one side of the cube slightly, revealing a small opening with a switch. The sides were so finely cut that it looked like a single solid block, a feature that continued through each step of the puzzle. It had taken him another week and a half to finish the first part, at which point the sides fell away, revealing a smaller cube inside.


    Over the next few months, Lukas had only managed to get through two more layers as the puzzle grew increasingly difficult. He wasn¡¯t even sure how far along he had gotten before being whisked away in the middle of the night. Sure, he could have looked up hints online, but that would¡¯ve ruined the challenge. The fun was in solving it on his own. Even getting help for one step felt cheap to him. He needed that challenge, it was one of the only things that truly stimulated his mind in that muted existence.


    Thinking about the puzzle box stirred thoughts of his family, and with his newly enhanced emotions at that. Before now he hadn¡¯t really thought of them, too caught up in what was happening to slow down and think about anything other than the present. Back home Lukas felt like he was walking through molasses everyday, and not just physically. Even emotionally he could never invest himself in just about anything. He just couldn''t bring himself to really care about anything, he didn¡¯t have the energy.


    That being said, he had always loved his parents and tolerated his sister, as siblings do, and now his emotions were vast, like an ocean compared to the shallow stream they had once been. And now the floodgates were open. Memories flashed in his mind, fresh vibrant emotion filling in the dull and monochrome.


    Christmases and birthdays of years gone by. Family vacations, visits from his grandparents, and so many other special memories brought a hollow feeling. It wasn¡¯t due to a lack of emotion, but because of deep regret and sadness. He¡¯d been so detached in those moments, unable to truly enjoy the quality time he spent with the people that meant the most to him.


    Lukas wondered where his family was now and what they thought had happened to him. Surely, they assumed he was dead, and the thought of his parents and sister being distraught over his disappearance weighed heavily on him. He could imagine their panic when they turned up at his cabin and found it empty, with Lukas nowhere to be found. They would have waited for hours, assuming he was out walking or working on a project. Neighbors would have been called, then the police, and Lukas would have been declared missing, only to be presumed dead¡ªkilled by an animal or an accident.


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    Tears welled up in his eyes as he imagined his own funeral. His mom and sister would be crying, his dad¡¯s expression grim as they said their final goodbyes¡ªnot even having a body to bury. It had been so long since Lukas had seen his family, almost a year since he had seen their faces or heard their voices, and he was beginning to forget. He longed to hear them again, to see them, to joke around and mess with his little sister.


    He wished there was a way to let them know he was alive and relatively okay, but he was so impossibly far away. He was on another planet, for god''s sake, and if his title and the magic were anything to go by, he was also in another dimension. There was nothing he could do except hope that one day he would find a way back home to let his family know what had happened to him.


    For hours, Lukas ruminated over the loss of his family, wallowing in the emotional depth he could now experienced. That was all he did until he realized the flower''s effects had worn off. It was around noon, and the gray clouds from the day before were even thicker now. He had regained a large portion of his health¡ªjust over half his total health. It was all thanks to the magical flowers; without them, Lukas guessed it would have taken a full day or two to reach this point.


    Pulling himself out of his self-imposed stupor, Lukas got up with a grunt, boxing up his memories to avoid any more tears. Stepping out of the small cave-like burrow, he enjoyed the cool breeze that blew through the forest. He wasn¡¯t fully healed yet, but with about two hundred health and no plans to fight another level 10 beast, he figured he would be alright. Besides, he needed something to distract himself for a while.


    Pulling out his sword, Lukas began searching the area. This part of the forest was different from what he was used to. The terrain here was rockier and far less even than the slopes and valleys he had traveled through before. Large moss-covered boulders, rocky outcroppings, and drop-offs were common. The brush was thicker, too. Back in the hills, there had been mainly conifers and magical flowers. Now, though, there were many more non-magical bushes and plants littering the forest floor. While there were still magic materials to be found, they were harder to spot with all the extra foliage.


    Slowly but surely, Lukas began to map out his new surroundings. As he moved through the area, collecting magical plants, he noticed how fast he was walking. To him, it felt like a casual stroll, but his pace was more like a light jog. He was really starting to notice the effects of his increased stats. First, it had been his perception¡ªhis senses becoming sharper with each point gained. Then, it was his vitality, as his body¡¯s natural healing sped up. Now, it was his speed¡ªor agility, as his stat screen called it.


    Strength was something he felt he should have noticed, but he hadn¡¯t really used it much outside of combat. It wasn¡¯t as though he went around lifting heavy objects in his daily life. And in fights, he had been up against beasts with stats likely higher than his, which meant they could match his strength, so he wouldn¡¯t notice the increase. That brought up an interesting thought, though. Recently, Lukas had been tearing through anything below level 5 and finding it easier to fight monsters between levels 5 and 10.


    ¡®Am I stronger than the lower-leveled creatures now?¡¯ Lukas wondered. ¡®It would make sense, but I don¡¯t know the relative stats of those beasts.¡¯


    He mulled over the thought as he continued his walk. It wasn¡¯t as though he had any way of finding out; he still didn¡¯t know what exactly was gained when someone leveled up. This brought him back to his stats, and the need to better understand what they did.


    A few stats seemed self-explanatory. Perception obviously pertained to his sight, hearing, and other senses. Strength made him stronger¡ªno surprise there. Agility made him faster, more nimble. Vitality increased his health and healing speed. Endurance did the same for his stamina.


    But after that, things got less clear. Toughness seemed fairly straightforward, likely making him harder to damage and more robust overall. Intelligence probably made him smarter¡ªmaybe that meant better knowledge retention? He had no idea what wisdom did, but he suspected it was related to his mana pool, which he still didn¡¯t know how to use. His reasoning was simple: each point in vitality and endurance gave him ten points of health or stamina, so his 36 vitality gave him 360 health. His mana pool was 260, and since he had two stats at 26¡ªendurance and wisdom¡ªhe concluded that wisdom must be tied to mana. As for willpower, that was a mystery. It might increase the strength of his will, but Lukas suspected it had something to do with magic or mana.


    The longer Lukas spent in this world, the more he felt it was important to understand his stats. For now, all he could do was make educated guesses, but when he eventually found other people, he could truly begin to learn about his new world. At the moment, though, Lukas had something more pressing to focus on: the sound of trickling water, picked up by his heightened perception.


    The sound was refreshing, like wind chimes on a cool summer day. Straining to listen, Lukas made a beeline for the source, not even bothering to go around obstacles as he barreled through bushes.


    Before long, he found it¡ªa small stream, no more than five meters across and less than a meter deep. The area around the banks was clear of foliage, slightly sunken from years of erosion. Fist-sized rocks on the streambed caused disturbances in the water, the source of the trickling sound. The stream curved and twisted as it made its way through the lush forest, making it hard to see how far it went or where the water originated.


    Lukas stared at the stream in awe. It had been just over a week since he had arrived naked in this new world, and in that time, he hadn¡¯t had a single thing to drink. If not for his Steel Gut ability, he would have died of thirst days ago. Now, he was really starting to feel it, especially after yesterday.


    Wasting no time, Lukas ran to the water and threw himself down, shoving his head into the stream. He knew he should probably boil the water before drinking it, but it was cool and clear, and besides, his ability would help him out. He eagerly took in mouthfuls of water, but quickly spat it out in disgust as the taste of blood and dirt filled his mouth.


    Pulling back, water dripping from his face, Lukas stared down at the stream. A murky brown and red cloud drifted downstream where his head had just been. That¡¯s when he remembered he was absolutely covered in dried blood, dirt, grime, and sweat.


    ¡°Right,¡± Lukas muttered in disgust, looking over himself. ¡°Time to get cleaned up.¡±


    He stepped into the stream, the cold water instantly dissolving the layers of filth caked on his feet. Soon enough, he was standing thigh-deep in the water, scrubbing his cloak to remove the bloodstains. He hadn¡¯t expected it to return to its former pristine condition, but to his surprise, the fur¡¯s silky texture came back. Satisfied, he tossed the still-damp cloak into his inventory to keep it clean while he washed himself.


    Lukas plunged into the water, using his hands to scrub away the old blood and grime. He had to admit, he felt amazing after just a few minutes. His skin was smooth and clean, no longer sticky and gross, and his hair was free of mud. Now that he could properly see his body, he noticed the new scars he had gained since his fight with the wolves. Some were small and thin, others thick and jagged, but they crisscrossed each other all over his body.


    He was messed up, to say the least, but he didn¡¯t mind. Each scar was proof of a battle won and strength gained in one form or another. He was proud of them. They were reminders of his refusal to give up and die. Before being pulled into another dimension, he had only a few small scars on his hands, gained while building his cabin. He had been proud of those too; they, like the cabin itself, were proof of the hard work he had put in.


    Now, Lukas had new goals: getting stronger and leaving his mark. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to do that yet, but he would figure it out. And he would earn more scars along the way. For now, though, Lukas wasn¡¯t doing anything. He just lay in the stream, letting the cool water wash over him, taking away the last traces of dirt, while drinking as much as he could without getting sick.


    Ten minutes of peaceful rest in the refreshing water was all Lukas got before he heard a rustling in the brush on the other side of the stream. His head snapped toward the sound as he stood up, pulling out his sword, ready for a fight.


    A moment later, the creature came into view. It was a stag of some kind, its fur shifting colors to match its surroundings. Its antlers were such a stark white they seemed to glow, and looked preternaturally sharp. The creature was about the size of a white-tailed deer, but with an extra pair of front legs¡ªa strange addition Lukas had seen on other beasts and monsters. Maybe it was some kind of evolutionary adaptation?


    The stag spotted Lukas a split second later and seemed almost startled to see him. The two stared at each other for a long moment, each waiting to see who would make the first move. Lukas took the opportunity to identify the creature:


    Mystic Stag - Level 8

 Chapter 10: Arts and Crafts

    Lukas stood over the dead stag, breathing heavily, his freshly cleaned body covered in burns and blood. The fight had been annoying as hell, as he¡¯d just faced his first enemy capable of wielding magic. It turned out those pointy-looking antlers weren¡¯t just for putting holes in its enemies¡ªwhich it had definitely done to Lukas¡ªbut they also shot beams of energy that burned like hell.


    At first, Lukas had tried rushing in to engage it in melee and end the fight quickly, but the damn thing was agile, prancing around and keeping its distance while pelting him with beams. He had taken a lot of hits, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the beams didn¡¯t deal too much damage, he¡¯d be dead. That didn¡¯t mean his health hadn¡¯t taken a hit¡ªbecause it had. Eventually, though, the stag stopped using the beams, and Lukas guessed it had run out of mana or whatever powered the attack.


    That was when the melee began. The stag had tried trampling him under hoof and skewering him on its antlers. While Lukas ended up full of holes, the close combat finally allowed him to land some solid hits. In the end, he won out. He had hunted before and knew where a deer¡¯s vitals were, allowing him to finish the fight quickly. Still, the battle had left him with less than a fourth of his total health, meaning he had less than ninety health points remaining¡ªa terrifying thought.


    There wasn¡¯t much Lukas could do about it, though, as he felt it would be a waste of his flowers to heal now. Instead, he focused on something more important: loot. He didn¡¯t actually use his ability right away, as there were a few things he wanted to collect manually.


    Still breathing heavily, Lukas was about to drag the body back toward the creek when he got an idea. For the first time, he attempted to put a corpse into his inventory. To his surprise, the stag¡¯s body disappeared, showing up as an icon in his inventory. Smiling, he was relieved that he didn¡¯t have to pull the heavy carcass through the brush, leaving a trail of blood for some other beast to follow.


    Back at the creek, Lukas quickly cleaned himself off once more, the cool water soothing his burns while stinging his open wounds. He just hoped he wouldn¡¯t get an infection from whatever lived in the water. Maybe his newly enhanced constitution and increased vitality would help fight it off? Shaking his head, Lukas walked downstream for a while, keeping to the water to avoid leaving a scent trail. Taking precautions was necessary¡ªbeing this low on health in an unfamiliar area wasn¡¯t ideal.


    After about ten minutes of walking, Lukas felt he had gone far enough and stepped back onto shore. He flicked off the excess water before dropping the stag¡¯s body onto the bank with a thud and a clatter of loose stones. From there, he got to work field-dressing the kill. It was a process he was familiar with and would normally take around ten minutes. This time, however, he was using a jagged sword that was beginning to dull rather than a sharp hunting knife.


    To say the process was awkward and messy would be an understatement. Typically, Lukas could make clean cuts, avoiding unnecessary damage to the meat or hide. Now, though, he was using an awkward-as-hell sword, hacking jagged lines into the hide and flesh that had already suffered from the fight. Not that it ultimately mattered¡ªso long as he got most of the meat it would be fine. He would¡¯ve liked to take the pelt as well¡ªit would have been nice to have something else to help cover him¡ªbut unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the materials necessary to treat and tan the hide.


    What Lukas really wanted from the Mystic Stag was its stomach. Why? Because he needed to make a waterskin. He required a way to transport water, and since he didn¡¯t have a canteen or anything similar, he had to improvise. A waterskin seemed like the simplest solution. Besides, he had a few experiments in mind and needed something to store liquids in afterward. He figured a waterskin would be fairly easy to make¡ªall he needed was the stomach and some resin, which was easy to find in the middle of a forest.


    After an hour of frustrated swearing, Lukas finally had the stag open from neck to pelvis. He pulled out the insides and carefully cut out the stomach, tossing the unwanted guts aside before placing the dressed body in his inventory for butchering later. He took the stomach to the creek, washing it thoroughly to remove any remaining contents. Once satisfied, he stored it and cleaned himself off.


    On his way back to his hideout, Lukas collected resin, using sticks to avoid getting his hands sticky. Finding it wasn¡¯t difficult¡ªhe was in a forest full of pine trees, after all. Thankfully, the rest of his trip was uneventful. Upon returning, he immediately set about making his waterskin.


    Lukas had to admit that he had no idea what the hell he was doing. All he knew was that waterskins were often made from animal stomachs or bladders and that resin was used for waterproofing. It seemed straightforward enough¡ªheat the resin, coat the inside and outside of the stomach, and tie one end off with sinew.


    A short while later, Lukas sat before a small fire, slowly turning a stick with a glob of dark brown resin over the heat. The stomach sat in his lap, one end already tied off with freshly collected sinew. The inside was coated in cooling resin, and the entire process had been a massive pain in the ass, leaving him feeling like a toddler left unattended with a bottle of glue. His hands, arms, and even his face were covered in the sticky stuff.


    All he had to do now was finish coating the outside and wait for it to dry. Unsure how long that would take, he decided to leave it overnight and test it in the morning. Once finished, he set the poorly made waterskin aside, wishing he were back at the creek to wash off all the resin.


    Instead, he turned to his next objective¡ªbutchering the stag. ¡®Maybe the blood would help get rid of some of the resin,¡¯ he hoped.


    For the next few hours, Lukas used his sword to cut the stag into manageable pieces of meat that he could cook as needed. He knew his inventory kept things fresh short term, but wasn¡¯t sure if could do so indefinitely. Nor did he know how long he could go without food due to his ability, but if he had to guess, he was set for well over half a year¡ªif not longer. With this single kill, he had secured food for quite some time. And if the waterskin worked, he could potentially make more, ensuring water was never an issue.


    Thinking about it, though, Lukas might rather go thirsty than attempt making another one of those damn things.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    When he was done, his hands and arms were once again covered in blood. He sighed as he stored the last few pieces of meat, satisfied that at least he had plenty of food. Sure, the cuts were terrible, and the meat was in rough condition due to the fight, but food was food.


    Evening had arrived, bringing with it darker clouds. Looking at the gray blanket above, Lukas guessed it would rain sometime during the night or the next morning. Then again, he had no idea how this world¡¯s weather worked. For all he knew, those clouds could linger for months.


    That was a concern for another time. With what remained of the daylight, Lukas prepared for some experimentation. He wanted to test the flowers further, which meant he needed a way to boil water. Since he didn¡¯t have a pot or bowl, he had an idea¡ªhe could burn a hole into a log to hold water and hot stones.


    How did he know this trick? Like many others, he had watched those primitive survival videos online.


    Lukas went out to find a suitable log, one that wasn¡¯t too big or too rotten. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to go far, quickly finding a downed tree. Judging by the disturbed area, it looked like collateral damage from a battle between beasts. Hopefully, whatever creatures had fought here were long gone.


    He tried storing the tree in his inventory but had no luck, suspecting it exceeded the size limit. So, he dragged it back by hand, surprised at how easy it was. Back home, moving logs had left him sore and exhausted. Now, with his enhanced strength, he barely broke a sweat. Thinking about it, he must¡¯ve looked pretty ridiculous hauling a tree through the forest.


    Finally arriving back at camp, Lukas dropped the log near the fire, then sat down to begin the tedious process of burning a hollow into it. As the sun dipped below the horizon, he kept at it, eager to begin his experiments the following morning.


    ***


    Andrea, Derek, Naiome, and Kalic continued their journey toward the city of Pinewood. The four adventurers had set up camp on a hill not far from the main road, their fire flickering warmly in the cold night air. They could finally see their destination; the city of Pinewood was on the horizon. Even with the heavy storm clouds looming overhead, it was a welcome sight.


    The four stared at the distant light in silence for a while longer until Derek pulled his gaze from the distant spires and turned to the others. ¡°Should we do it now?¡± he asked.


    The others turned to look at him with matching expressions of consternation. ¡°What?¡± Kalic asked.


    ¡°Should we do it now? The ritual, I mean,¡± Derek clarified. The three shot each other glances before looking back at him.


    ¡°Are you insane?¡± Andrea asked.


    ¡°Wha¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Derek,¡± said Naiome, ¡°we¡¯ve been on the road for months and are exhausted. We haven¡¯t slept in real beds or had anything decent to eat in all that time. Do you really think we want to do that ritual now? Let us get some rest first.¡±


    Derek frowned, clearly not of the same opinion, but Kalic spoke before he could offer a rebuttal. ¡°We should really register at the local society branch first anyway. The last thing we want is for people to freak out over some strange ritual, especially if the local authorities don¡¯t even know we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a simple locating ritual, though. Wouldn¡¯t it be best to get it out of the way now?¡± Derek argued.


    ¡°A locating ritual for what, Derek? We don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re here looking for. All we were told was that we were to come to Pinewood, do the ritual they provided us, and then send back the results. That might seem suspicious to some. And waiting a few days won¡¯t hurt. We¡¯re well within the expected arrival time.¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you suggest we do then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Andrea said. ¡°We make camp for the night, then go into the city tomorrow. We¡¯ll make ourselves known, like Kal said, then spend the rest of the day relaxing and getting acquainted with the city. We¡¯ll do the ritual the day after.¡±


    Derek shook his head. ¡°I still think we should do it sooner rather than later.¡±


    Naiome put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Derek, think about it. Most of the people and parties sent out were a lot stronger than us, and not just because they were going to more dangerous places. The reason we were sent here wasn¡¯t because they thought whatever they¡¯re looking for was actually going to be here. We¡¯re just here to make sure it isn¡¯t. The more powerful people went to the places the thing is most likely to be.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Derek finally relented, looking back at the city in the distance. ¡°Either way, the contract payout will be huge for us.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re talking!¡± Andrea said with a toothy grin.


    The group set up camp right there on the hill, sitting around a fire. Were they worried about rain from the heavy clouds? No, there was obviously a storm brewing just off the coast, but it wouldn¡¯t arrive for a day or two. Even now, someone with a decent amount of perception could smell the slight scent of salty sea air despite their distance.


    They just sat around the fire talking and having a good time, and only when it was well past midnight did they decide to call it a night. The others fell asleep quickly, exhausted by their long trip and excited for their arrival at the city¡ªbut not Andrea.


    She lay on her bedroll, looking up at the dark sky above. In her hand, she held a purple crystal, a benefit of being a registered adventurer with the Adventurers Guild. Infusing some mana into the crystal and its intricate engravings, a small screen appeared before her eyes:


    Andrea Azear


    Race: Human - Level 58


    Stats:


    Vitality: 127


    Endurance: 184


    Intelligence: 179


    Wisdom: 122


    Agility: 125


    Perception: 64


    Toughness: 183


    Strength: 183


    Willpower: 121


    The crystal Andrea held displayed a person¡¯s relative power through ¡°levels,¡± then broke down that power into easier-to-understand ¡°stats.¡± Unfortunately, the crystals didn¡¯t show anything else¡ªno abilities, no classes, or other levels. Sometimes the crystals were completely off for some people, giving readings far from reality. They were a relatively new invention and still had a long way to go, but even with the limited information provided, the crystals were extremely useful.


    Over the last week, Andrea had been checking her status constantly. Her levels had shown explosive growth in that time. Before, she had been the lowest-leveled member of their party, despite being a few years older than the rest of her party members, who were all 19 or 20. Now she¡¯d surpassed Derek and Naiome, but she was still a few levels behind Kalic.


    It was all possible because she¡¯d been ¡°woken up,¡± as she referred to it. Andrea didn¡¯t know what caused it, but she¡¯d be damned if she wasn¡¯t going to spend every second enjoying the feeling of truly living. She wasn¡¯t taking anything for granted.

 Chapter 11: Alchemy?

    The clouds overhead only seemed to get darker, stealing more and more of the day¡¯s light, plunging the forest into increasingly thick shadows. From under the forest canopy, lightning could be seen flickering within the clouds, providing more light than the sun at times. The wind was picking up, too, making the forest louder as pine needles rustled and branches groaned. The winds blew around the scent of the forest, mixing it with the smell of rain while putting a definite chill in the air. Despite all this, there had yet to be a single droplet to fall from the sky, almost as if the clouds were holding their breath, waiting to release their payload all at once.


    Lukas didn¡¯t mind a bit; he loved this weather. Back home, this was some of the coziest weather you could get. He remembered one spring day in particular, when he¡¯d stayed inside all day as rain pounded down, lightning lighting up the blackened sky while thunder shook the walls. He¡¯d just curled up on the couch and read a book while doing a puzzle.


    Things were different now compared to then, however. Aside from the obvious, Lukas had experiments he wanted to do, and those experiments required fire. He needed the rain to stay away for at least another day; otherwise, he¡¯d be stuck waiting as things dried off. Judging by the clouds overhead, it would be a downpour¡ªand not a quick one, adding an even longer wait.


    Knowing the clouds could ruin his plans at any moment, Lukas got straight to work after waking up. The first thing he did was check on the abomination that was his attempt at a waterskin. Naturally, Lukas was still covered in the sticky resin and couldn¡¯t wait to get back to the stream to clean himself off.


    Checking the waterskin, Lukas found it exactly as he expected. It was all lumpy and gross-looking, but he didn¡¯t care¡ªit just needed to hold water. And if it couldn¡¯t, then Lukas would just throw a hissy fit and find some other way to store and transport water.


    Throwing the waterskin into his inventory, he made his way towards the stream. Without any distractions or obstacles, Lukas was able to make it there in as little as ten minutes. It was a bit of a walk, but he had a feeling that having his camp any closer to the water would bring trouble he really did not want. It was probably why the Pine Brutes¡¯ burrow had been where it was¡ªas close to the water as it could get without causing problems with other beasts.


    Upon arrival, Lukas practically threw himself into the stream, once more cleaning himself of blood, sweat, and grime. Thankfully, the resin came off fairly easily as well, only pulling a few hairs in the process. This left Lukas feeling fresh, clean, and happy rather than like a cranky and sticky toddler after getting himself all gross during arts and crafts.


    With that important task out of the way, Lukas got on with his other reason for being there. Pulling out the waterskin, he submerged the thing underwater, air bubbles flowing out of the small opening as water began to fill it.


    Once it was full, Lukas pulled the skin out of the stream and observed the bulging, uneven thing. He looked over the entire thing, watching for any obvious leaks or for the water level inside to drop. When nothing changed after a few minutes, Lukas let out a relieved sigh, but still couldn¡¯t believe the abomination actually worked.


    Taking a look at the thing, Lukas estimated the waterskin held just under a gallon of water, which was honestly a lot more than he expected. Then again, he wasn¡¯t even sure if the thing could hold water a few minutes ago. Overjoyed with his success, Lukas headed back to camp, ready to do some testing.


    Plopping himself down between the rekindled fire and the hole he made in the fallen tree, Lukas pulled the waterskin from his inventory. Pouring the contents out and into the charred bowl, almost all the water he collected could fit. If Lukas had to guess, he¡¯d say it held about three quarts. That left a small amount of water behind in the skin, which Lukas quickly drank.


    With water in his makeshift bowl, Lukas was finally ready to get started. Putting the waterskin back in his inventory, he pulled out some smooth stones he had collected at the creek. Stones in hand, Lukas set them in the fire to heat up.


    The plan was to use the rocks to boil the water¡ªnot because he needed to purify the water; it was already clean. No, Lukas wanted to boil the water so he could make some sort of tea or proto-potion. He wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that he could actually make a potion with boiling water and a magic flower. There would have to be a much more complex process in the making of potions, and Lukas hoped he¡¯d eventually figure it out with more testing and experimentation. Being able to regenerate his resources faster was a priority, after all.


    While the stones started to heat up in the fire, Lukas got started on something else. The large stone he¡¯d used for cooking the Swipe-swatter meat was pulled from his inventory and placed in the fire, where it, too, began to heat up. Then the grinding stones came out, along with a flower he hadn¡¯t experimented with yet. Due to necessity, Lukas had only messed around with the red flowers that gave health points and the pink ones that helped regenerate health points faster. Now, it was time to test some others.


    A yellowish-orange flower appeared in Lukas¡¯ hand, one he knew was stamina-related just because of the color and the effect he got when smelling it. He wanted to make some useful meats¡ªone for stamina, one for health points, and one for regeneration. He¡¯d make some for the other strange magic plants he¡¯d gathered, but he wanted to have his bases covered first.


    Grinding the flower down into a paste, a rich smell of mango wafted about, filling his body with a burst of energy. ¡®Definitely stamina,¡¯ Lukas thought as he rubbed the paste into the meat.


    With the meat thoroughly covered, it was placed on the slowly heating cooking stone. With that taken care of, Lukas turned his attention to the rocks he¡¯d placed in the fire. By now, over ten minutes had passed, which should have been plenty of time to heat them up enough. Grabbing two sticks and using them as chopsticks, Lukas took a rock and dropped it into the water.


    The water began to hiss and churn the moment the hot stone dropped in. Lukas knew that one stone wouldn¡¯t be enough and slowly added more as the water grew hotter and hotter, closer to a boil. All the while, he tended the meat, trying to cook it better than last time.


    Eventually, the water was brought to a boil, and Lukas readied a regenerative flower. After grinding it down into a fine paste, Lukas scraped it off the stone and into the churning water. Quickly grabbing a stick, he began stirring the water, trying to get the paste to dissolve as much as possible.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    To Lukas¡¯ surprise, he barely had to do anything¡ªthe pink paste dissolved as easily as salt or sugar. It was almost as if the paste wanted to mix with the water. As the water continued to roil and take on an increasingly pink hue, the aroma hit Lukas. It was stronger than when he¡¯d cooked meat with the flower or when smelling the flower on its own, the scent soothing the lingering wounds from the Mystic Stag. Just as the smell hit Lukas¡¯ nose, the water began to churn and bubble more than before.


    ¡®The paste and the water must be reacting in some way,¡¯ Lukas thought, backing away slightly in case the scalding water decided to explode all over him.


    Once the mixture had settled down, Lukas felt it was safe to check it. Looking down into the pink water, he saw that it continued to churn, but there was something else there. He could see strange swirls in the water. They weren¡¯t a result of convection¡ªthe movement of cold water sinking and hotter water rising. No, they were something else. What they were, Lukas didn¡¯t know, and what was frustrating was that when he tried to focus on the phenomenon, it disappeared or shifted. It was like trying to look at those squiggly things that float in the eye¡ªevery time he tried looking at them, they moved, evading his gaze.


    Despite the annoyance, Lukas continued staring into the liquid, trying to understand what was happening inside it. Ultimately, he couldn¡¯t grasp much of anything, but he knew that those wisps in the water were magic. He didn¡¯t know anything about magic or how it worked, but what he had seen was raw magic made visible. He could feel it in his gut. Once he realized that, Lukas couldn¡¯t pull himself away, watching for more of the strange wisps of magic. Filled with awe and wonder, he desperately wanted to understand what he was seeing.


    Lukas wanted to understand the magic; its raw form was laid bare right before his eyes, and yet he couldn¡¯t grasp what it was, what it was doing, or what to do with it. The desire only grew the longer he watched, growing to match his desire to get stronger. Lukas wanted to learn; he wanted to understand the new reality he found himself in more than ever. He hungered for knowledge¡ªto learn, to understand.


    Lukas was caught in a trance, hypnotized by the strange concoction. His mind raced with possibilities and yet was blank. Was this something that the people of this world did on a regular basis? What was he doing? Was this alchemy? All Lukas knew about alchemy was stuff about a Chinese emperor using mercury to try to find an elixir of immortality and some stuff about turning objects into gold. Alchemy was also used to make potions though, right? Was Lukas doing some kind of caveman alchemy?


    He was experimenting with magic flowers that could most likely be made into potions, so did that count as alchemy? He had just made some strange concoction or tea with a magic flower, and he had cooked with a flower before. Thinking it over, Lukas liked the thought of doing alchemy. He had a lot of questions and liked doing experiments and tests with all the new things he found, and that sounded like alchemy to him. Lukas wanted to go further with more experiments, but this had just been the first real test and attempt at something close to a potion. He had no idea how far he could go with what he had, but he didn¡¯t plan on stopping.


    Eventually, Lukas was pulled from his reverie by the smell of burning meat. His gaze shot toward the meat he was cooking, and he flipped it hurriedly. After doing so, he found the bottom side blackened and burnt, looking utterly unappetizing. Sighing, Lukas slumped and just stared at it.


    ¡°At least I got a good char,¡± he grumbled.


    Shaking his head, he just hoped that he hadn¡¯t ruined the effect of the paste he¡¯d rubbed on the meat. He¡¯d definitely find out eventually¡ªhe still needed to cook the other side, after all. Hopefully, it would taste better than the last thing he cooked. Swipe-swatter didn¡¯t taste great when mixed with a plant that gave it a hint of strawberry. Then again, the bitter taste of burnt meat would probably overpower everything else.


    Glancing back at the cooling water, he noticed something he hadn¡¯t before. He was able to identify it. Realizing this, Lukas did so immediately.


    [Regenerative Water] - The product of one with an inquisitive mind and a thirst for knowledge about the world around him. This water has taken on some of the properties of a natural treasure with regenerative powers, allowing those who drink it to regenerate health points at a rate marginally faster than their natural regeneration.


    Lukas gaped at what he saw, and there was a lot to take in. First and foremost was the fact that the water had been given any identification tag at all. Up to that point, Lukas had never done or made anything that resulted in a product that could be identified, not even the meat he cooked or butchered.


    Second was the fact that ¡®Identify¡¯ recognized him as the creator and how it had mentioned him. It brought up the question of how the identification worked. What exactly provided the information displayed? It sure as hell wasn¡¯t Lukas as he had identified a lot of things, and only knew what they were because of said ability.


    Last was the mention of a natural treasure, which kind of made sense in Lukas¡¯ mind. A magic flower that can be found in the wilderness could be considered a natural treasure, but he didn¡¯t think it was necessarily a high-tier one.


    It was definitely an interesting revelation, that was for sure, and it told Lukas his test had worked and that he was on the right path. He also hoped that the fact that the water was identifiable meant that its healing properties were stronger than the Swipe-swatter meat he¡¯d cooked before. Well, he could easily find out.


    Taking his waterskin in hand, Lukas held it up to a small notch he¡¯d cut into the bowl he¡¯d made. He just needed to be careful to avoid spilling it all on the ground. Throwing his arm over the log, he began to roll it over slowly, the regenerative water flowing towards the notch.


    As carefully as he could, he poured the water into the empty skin, grimacing whenever any spilled or splashed out. It was stressful as hell, and every one of Lukas¡¯ muscles was tensed up as he went, trying to keep as much as humanly possible.


    After a few minutes, it was finally done, and Lukas had collected all the regenerative water he could. When it was all said and done, he had about two and a half quarts, losing half a quart through evaporation or spillage. All in all, Lukas was happy with the haul. Sure, he could¡¯ve gotten another mouthful or two, but had he been too slow and too careful, his meat would¡¯ve burned¡ªat least more than it already was.


    Throwing the ¡°meat¡± into his inventory, Lukas turned back to the waterskin. The contents were still rather warm, but not too hot, and it smelled rather pleasant, like warm strawberries. Wanting to try his creation, Lukas checked his health. It was still below half, though it had recovered from its pitiful state after his fight with the Mystic Stag. With plenty of room to test the effectiveness of his creation, Lukas took a swig.


    It was a strange and awkward experience drinking from the waterskin, but Lukas managed well enough. Swallowing a small mouthful of the warm liquid, he savored the taste. It tasted of faint strawberry, as if he were drinking a diluted juice, and it was good. The best thing he¡¯d tasted in what felt like forever. But that was nothing compared to when it hit his stomach.


    His whole body was filled with warmth, and not just because the water had been warm. It was the effect of the water''s regenerative properties. The constant twinge of pain from his bruises and cuts was usurped by the soothing feeling. The feeling was so pleasant that Lukas couldn¡¯t help but smile, a smile that only grew as he watched himself gain one health point after another.


    ¡®A great success,¡¯ he concluded.

 Chapter 12: Thank You, Universe

    Seraphina felt a presence approach, and it wasn¡¯t one she expected. It wasn¡¯t a new beast coming to claim the entrance to her cave for itself, like many others had done before. Though she wouldn¡¯t have minded a new one moving in¡ªthe current one had been pathetically weak and boring. It never did more than sit around, licking its wounds or sleeping. She was surprised it had held onto the cave for so long.


    A new one might be more interesting, but she doubted it. Over the long years, she noticed that the creatures taking up residence at her front door were progressively becoming weaker and weaker. She was well aware that over time, the magical density and saturation in an area could change, affecting the strength of the creatures living there.


    Originally, when Seraphina had taken up residence, the area had been one of the most magically dense places on the planet, dangerous for every living thing. Now, however, the area felt magically barren to someone like her, and it was only due to her "sanctuary" being able to hold vast amounts of ambient magic that she could continue her work.


    All that was irrelevant at the moment, however, as Seraphina observed the presence drawing nearer. It was so small and weak, like a match to her sun, yet she could feel that no light breeze would snuff out this flame. The presence might be minuscule, but it was sturdy and solid. That alone was surprising and worth some minor interest, but what truly got her attention was the fact that it was the presence of a human¡ªand a human outworlder at that.


    Not even a full second had passed since she detected the presence, but it had already captured her complete and undivided attention. Never in all her years had she encountered an outworlder, as they were perhaps one of the rarest beings in existence. As for how she knew it was an outworlder, she could feel it in his aura.


    The aura was decidedly human, and yet not. There was a strange flavor to it¡ªindescribable¡ªbut anyone who felt it would immediately know it was out of place, different from any aura they had encountered before. Most might not pick up on the fact that the human was an outworlder, but they would certainly know something was different about him.


    The quality of the aura was impressive too. Though its rank was as negligible as that of a bug, there not being a drop of magic in the little outworlders body, it carried a sense of indomitability, relentlessness, and an unwillingness to back down. Then there was the fact that it was absolutely drenched in blood, which it had no right to be. This little outworlder¡¯s time in this world had clearly not been peaceful. Finally, there was the unusual strength of the soul behind the aura¡ªstronger than it had any right to be.


    Before the outworlder had even entered the mouth of her cave, Seraphina was already waiting for him, eager to see him with her own eyes. Naturally, she was completely invisible and undetectable to his senses, so when he shuffled down the slight slope into the cave, he didn¡¯t notice her.


    When she saw his appearance, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He was covered in blood, wounds, and scars from head to toe. His hair was simultaneously matted down and sticking out at wild angles, full of mud and pine needles. In one hand, he held a dreadful-looking short sword. Its edge was full of nicks and chipped edges, and where there were none the naked edge was beginning to dull. The only thing he wore was a ripped and blood-soaked wolfskin cloak around his waist to hide or protect his decency.


    All in all, Seraphina would say that the figure before her was quite a sad sight¡ªexcept for the scars. They at least were a physical display of his indomitability and willingness to fight. Now that he was directly in front of her, she did have to admit he was stronger than she had initially expected. But that wasn¡¯t saying much, as he still couldn¡¯t even be considered copper-ranked yet.


    She continued to watch the outworlder as he hobbled further in and sat down against the wall, letting out a heavy sigh. Amusement flickered in her eyes as she observed the beleaguered man, who was unaware of just how much harder things could get. That amusement evaporated, immediately replaced by interest, as he pulled something out of the air as if he had a spatial storage item¡ªwhich he didn¡¯t, because Seraphina would have detected the spatial energies. She hadn¡¯t felt a thing. It had to be a unique outworlder racial ability. She had heard of such things during her research, each outworlder supposedly having five completely new and unique racial abilities. Then there was the object the outworlder had pulled out.


    It was a piece of cooked meat, a bit of flesh from some weak beast, but something about it grabbed her attention. She could sense the faintest hint of healing properties from the meat, no doubt intentionally cooked for times like these. The outworlder was heavily injured and, without help or intervention, would take a while to heal. But with the meat he was eating, the process would be quicker.


    This alone showed that he had great promise¡ªbeing able to discern and understand the magical properties of things around him. Sure, a five-year-old could do the same, but for an outworlder so new to this world, it signaled potential.


    Seraphina had already made plans for the young man the moment she sensed his presence, realizing he was human. That alone made her want to take him in. Then she learned he was an outworlder, and one with a potent aura despite his weakness. That was just icing on the cake¡ªan unbelievable stroke of luck that left a malleable and potentially powerful outworlder at her doorstep. Finally, she learned that he was competent at understanding the world around him and adapting to it¡ªa cherry on top that would only make what came next easier. Everything just kept getting better and better¡ª


    She burst out laughing, unable to contain her mirth at the outworlder¡¯s latest action. He had produced a strange, lumpy sack the same way he¡¯d done with the meat. It wasn¡¯t the action or the sack that amused her, but its contents¡ªwhat could only be described as herbal tea made with a certain pink flower. That brought on her joyful mood.


    ¡°Oh, how the universe has blessed me,¡± she smiled. ¡°You¡¯re all mine, little outworlder.¡±


    ***


    Fuck, Lukas hurt. His whole body ached, but at this point, that was pretty much his entire existence.


    At least the previous day had been peaceful. He¡¯d spent the entire day cooking meat with various types of magic plants, and his cooking skills had improved slightly. There was only so much you could improve while cooking like a caveman, though.


    Unfortunately, Lukas hadn¡¯t been able to do more experimenting with mixing the flowers and water. Sure, he could have, but he wasn¡¯t going to dump what he¡¯d made just to run more tests. That regenerative water was the most valuable thing Lukas had, and he wasn¡¯t about to waste it. That being said, he hadn¡¯t just sat on it¡ªhe¡¯d taken multiple drinks throughout the day, and together with some meat, Lukas was back to full health by the next morning. It was the first time in what felt like ages.


    Waking up without soreness, bruises, cuts, or any kind of pain had been a marvel¡ªalmost like waking up in a soft, comfortable bed. Except he¡¯d actually woken up on the cold, hard ground of the burrow he¡¯d stolen from the Pine Brute. One day, he¡¯d find civilization and sleep in a real bed.


    Lukas didn¡¯t spend much time ruminating on such thoughts and got straight to business. The clouds had somehow grown even darker, and Lukas began to worry. Those clouds looked like they carried the wrath of God, ready to drop a biblical amount of rain on his head. He didn¡¯t want to be out and about in that storm, but he also needed to get into more fights to become stronger.


    He¡¯d go out and do his usual¡ªmap out the area, collect anything useful he came across, and fight. If it started raining, Lukas would scurry back to his shelter and wait it out. He had no intention of being caught in a downpour. The last thing he needed was to get soaking wet and muddy.


    So with haste, Lukas left the relative safety of his little hole in the wall and ventured out. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find trouble, and it seemed like he wasn¡¯t the only one wanting to beat the rain. Ten minutes was all it took for Lukas to get into a fight. He stumbled across a level 9 Sky Glider¡ªa squirrel-like creature the size of a housecat. It could glide around the forest with ease, was naturally quick, and had thin claws that cut through skin like a scalpel.


    To say Lukas had "stumbled upon" it wasn¡¯t quite right¡ªwhat actually happened was that it flew down from a tree, landed on Lukas, and tore up his back like no tomorrow. If Lukas hadn¡¯t had as much toughness as he did, the Sky Glider probably would¡¯ve made deep cuts, likely hitting something important.


    After being startled half to death, Lukas reacted quickly¡ªgrabbing the Sky Glider, throwing it to the ground, and cleaving his blade into its side. It wasn¡¯t an instant kill, but with a large gash that cut halfway through the beast¡¯s body, it wasn¡¯t long for the world. It made a desperate attempt to kill Lukas with what little time it had left, but he was able to hold it at bay long enough for it to succumb to its wounds.


    The fight had barely lasted a minute, more of a scuffle than anything, but it did result in a couple of copper mana coins after looting. Not that Lukas knew what they were for yet, but he hoped they¡¯d be useful at some point since he gained some whenever he looted a kill.


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    Lukas continued through the forest, finding fights easily and occasionally coming across a flower to replenish his stock. After his third fight that morning, he realized that all the beasts in the area were slightly stronger than they had been near his hole in the ground. He didn¡¯t pay much mind to it; it made sense. It only seemed natural that some areas would have stronger beasts, considering how game-like this world was. From experience and levels to looting and potions, there were a lot of game-like aspects, so one more wasn¡¯t surprising.


    What was surprising was how easily he was handling the increased strength of the beasts and monsters in this area. After killing the level 10 Pine Brute and gaining another title, Lukas knew this would be easier with his increased stats, but not like this. He wasn¡¯t exactly tearing through enemies, but they were manageable¡ªat least until he ventured further into the forest.


    Soon enough, he came across a level 11¡ªthe strongest beast he¡¯d ever fought. It was a lone Mystic Wolf, and the matchup had been fairly even, resulting in a few extra injuries for Lukas. He dealt with those injuries by eating some meat cooked with a blood moon lily. The meat gave him about 15 health points, half of which were consumed to heal his wounds, while the other half stayed as health points¡ªjust as when he¡¯d eaten the raw flower.


    Eating the meat, however, Lukas discovered that with each consecutive bite, the health gained from the meat was less than the last, and that the amount of health given depended on the size of the bite. At first, he assumed this was because there was less meat, and therefore less of the healing "item." That was until he took another bite a few hours later, getting the full amount of health back as before. It was then that Lukas realized there were diminishing returns on repeated usage and consumption.


    Lukas had theorized that this might be the case but had never been willing to test it with his limited resources. It was a good thing to discover, even if he didn¡¯t have the exact timing down. It helped him be more efficient with his resources and health.


    Another huge realization was that affects didn¡¯t conflict. Lukas could eat the meat that gave health points and then drink the regenerative water without losing efficacy in either. Both of these discoveries led to Lukas walking confidently through the forest, his health never dropping below 300. Which was good, considering the beast he came across when it finally started drizzling.


    Lukas entered a small glade filled with tall grass, not too dissimilar to the one he¡¯d woken up in. He wasn¡¯t the only one to stumble upon the clearing, though. On the far side, something else pushed through the light brush, and Lukas spotted it just as it spotted him.


    Vipercat - lvl 17


    For the second time that day, Lukas encountered an enemy stronger than any he¡¯d faced before. The difference this time was that it far outclassed anything he¡¯d ever fought¡ªand it was a Vipercat. Lukas hadn¡¯t fought one of these yet, but he knew just by looking at them that they were the kings of the forest. Fast and agile, with six legs for even more mobility, scales for protection, claws and teeth for tearing apart prey, and a stinger for poisoning enemies¡ªthis was not going to be easy.


    Lukas doubted he could turn and run without the beast catching him in seconds. He¡¯d have to fight, as he knew the Vipercat wouldn¡¯t let prey like him escape. The only consolation was that the Vipercat was covered in blood from a previous fight. Surely, some of it was from another creature, but he hoped most of it was from the Vipercat itself.


    He wasn¡¯t given time to assess the situation before the beast charged at him with a hissing growl. Backpedaling, Lukas tried to prepare himself for the coming onslaught. The Vipercat was on him in a flash¡ªclaws and fangs bared, stinger aimed at his chest, all in an attempt to end him quickly.


    It seemed the beast was going all out right away, likely due to its own injuries. Unfortunately for the Vipercat, it would soon learn the same lesson many beasts before it had learned¡ªLukas might be level 0, unable to gain a single level, but he was not so easily killed.


    What followed was something Lukas hadn¡¯t done in a fight before: kiting. Instead of meeting the beast head-on in a brutal battle that would likely result in his death, Lukas retreated into the forest, using the complex environment to slow the Vipercat while running it in circles, slowly wearing it down.


    Dodging between trees, through bushes, and under low-hanging branches, Lukas and the Vipercat traded blows, with Lukas coming out on the losing end in most exchanges. He quickly accumulated wounds, blood flowing from cuts that hastened the drop in his health points.


    The Vipercat wasn¡¯t the only one landing hits, though. Lukas had identified the stinger as the biggest threat and focused on it. The Vipercat, unused to fighting enemies with swords and strategy, found itself without a tail after overextending in an attempt to poison Lukas.


    That small victory hadn¡¯t come without a price though. Lukas had taken a swipe to the face in exchange for landing the hit. He now had a second set of scars on his face¡ªthe first being the claw marks from his temple over his left eye, and now the second, a set of cuts across his left cheek. He¡¯d taken the trade gladly. Even if he wasn¡¯t as pretty as before, the Vipercat was now bleeding heavily. There must¡¯ve been an artery in its tail because the amount of blood rushing out was frightening.


    With the Vipercat losing blood fast, it began to slow down, allowing Lukas to take control of the fight. The beast became more defensive, less willing to chase after Lukas for fear of feeling his blade. Sensing an opportunity, Lukas pounced. With no fear or hesitation, he launched a flurry of attacks, swinging wildly at the Vipercat, inflicting cuts and gashes in a frenzy. Whether it was a swipe at his heart or a bite aimed at his throat, Lukas met each with a swing of his blade. He was playing fast and loose with his own life, willing to take hits to give them, but he was in a battle frenzy and not thinking clearly. The only thing on his mind was tearing his opponent apart.


    And that¡¯s exactly what he did. It wasn¡¯t a slow or methodical takedown¡ªit was brutal and bloody. A massacre where both Lukas and the Vipercat were victims. In the end, however, Lukas came out on top. With a fierce swing, using every last bit of his strength, his blade found the Vipercat¡¯s neck, slicing deep. Blood splattered over Lukas as thunder shook the ground, and fat droplets of rain began falling from the sky.


    His enemy collapsed to the forest floor, having lost too much blood. Before long, Lukas received the notification:


    You have slain [Vipercat - lvl 17] ¨C Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.


    Lukas stared at the notification, waiting for the next one¡ªthe one that would bring a new surge of power. But after a few seconds, nothing came. Just more rain. He frowned, sure he should¡¯ve received another title for killing an enemy fifteen levels above him while still being level 0. Was there no such title? Or was it maybe because the beast had already been injured?


    The rain quickly intensified, leaving Lukas no time to ponder the fact that he¡¯d just been robbed of more strength. He needed shelter, but he was over half an hour away from his burrow. Then he remembered the dead beast at his feet. Surely, it had been returning home after its fight¡ªmaybe that¡¯s why it had been in the glade.


    Lukas wasn¡¯t certain about the theory, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to check. Limping through the brush and back into the glade, Lukas stumbled around until he found a depression in the ground. Investigating further, he discovered a small, dark cave¡ªthe Vipercat¡¯s den.


    There was a slight slope leading down into the cave. Thankful that there actually was something he could use as shelter, Lukas decided to stay until the rain stopped. He wasn¡¯t sure how long the downpour would last, but he was confident it was enough time for him to heal fully. Carefully, Lukas clambered down into the cave, his still-bleeding wounds crying out in pain. Grimacing, he entered the cool cave, and the sounds of the rain intensified from the entrance¡ªa sign he¡¯d made the right choice to seek cover.


    Going further in, Lukas stiffly sat down against the cave wall, enjoying the cool stone on his back. Sighing, he took out some meat he¡¯d cooked with the blood moon lily and took a few bites, ignoring the diminishing returns¡ªhe just wanted the bleeding to stop before he lost any more health. The fight had been a slog, not a quick one. It had cost Lukas a good deal of stamina and even more of his health. He was well below 100 health points, even though he had been careful at the beginning.


    Shaking his head, Lukas pulled out his waterskin of regenerative water and took a drink, savoring the taste. With the meat and water working together, his health began to rise at an uncomfortable rate. His entire body itched and wriggled as his wounds healed. All Lukas could do was close his eyes and wait, listening to the sounds of the pouring rain and the distant rumble of thunder.


    *


    He woke sometime later, still hearing the rain pounding down outside. The thunder rumbling in the sky, strangely comforting. Blinking, Lukas noticed he¡¯d regained more than three-quarters of his health, indicating he¡¯d slept for quite a while. Not that he was complaining¡ªit was still raining, so he probably could¡¯ve kept sleeping. Now that he was awake, though, he took a few minutes to fully rouse himself.


    Once he was awake, Lukas began looking around his temporary shelter. It was much better than his little burrow¡ªhe could actually stand up straight here, with a few meters between the walls. But then Lukas noticed something that hadn¡¯t been there before. At the end of the small cave was a set of old wooden double doors. Now, the cave had been dark, and Lukas had been woozy from blood loss and heavily injured, but he was pretty fucking sure those hadn¡¯t been there before.


    He sat frozen, staring at the doors, unsure of what to do. He was certain they hadn¡¯t been there earlier, but the more he thought about it, the more he doubted himself. It had been dark, and he hadn¡¯t exactly been in the best condition. But what were doors doing out in the middle of the forest like this? Did someone live here? Was this some kind of abandoned hideout? Lukas had no idea what to make of the mysterious doors. Then again, the world he was in had a lot of game-like aspects. Was this one of them?


    ¡®Is this a dungeon or something?¡¯ Lukas asked himself. ¡®The old doors fit, and so does the whole ¡®appearing out of nowhere¡¯ thing.¡¯


    Frowning, Lukas stood. Maybe he should investigate whatever was on the other side. He might find people to help him out, and if not, he might find something useful¡ªclothes, proper tools, maybe even armor. Lukas glanced back at the cave entrance, where the sound of rain filtered in. There wasn¡¯t much for him to do while waiting for the rain to stop¡ªhe couldn¡¯t do any more experimenting without wood for a fire. Besides, maybe he¡¯d find something to make him stronger, and when he came back out, he could take on even stronger beasts and gain more titles.


    Turning back toward the door, Lukas nodded. Stepping forward, he put his hand on one of the door handles. The moment the tip of his finger touched it, everything turned black.

 Chapter 13: Ritual Time

    The room was simple yet elegant in its careful design¡ªat least that¡¯s what Derek thought. A vaulted ceiling and spacious walls provided plenty of room for large ritual circles. The deep gray granite walls were inscribed with enchantments and inscriptions meant to block out magical interference from the neighboring rooms. These same inscriptions stabilized the room''s ambient magic, ensuring it was a safe place for performing powerful rituals. The walls were lined with magical glowstones, providing excellent lighting. But these stones gave off a subtle magic of their own, which could potentially disturb the delicate balance of ambient magic required for the ritual. To prevent this, the stones were encased in small magical arrays that filtered their resonance and protected them from the effects of any ritual performed within the room.


    Andrea, Naiome, and Kalic stood together at the edge of the room, watching as Derek meticulously drew an intricate ritual circle in the center. Of the three, only Naiome had any understanding of magical theory, but even she couldn¡¯t make sense of the complex runes, sigils, and patterns Derek was inscribing on the floor. They stood in silence as Derek hunched over his book of notes, occasionally muttering to himself as he flipped through pages filled with diagrams and explanations of the ritual they were about to perform.


    ¡°How much longer is this going to take, Derek?¡± Naiome asked gently.


    Derek shot them an annoyed glare. ¡°We could have finished this hours ago, but you three wanted to sleep in after drinking last night. Then you wanted to eat before coming here, which delayed us even more. We had to walk all the way from the hotel at the city¡¯s outskirts to the center, getting soaked in the rain along the way.¡±


    ¡°Right, sorry,¡± she said sheepishly.


    The three had been waiting in silence for over an hour, well aware of Derek¡¯s growing frustration. And to be fair, Derek had every reason to be upset. The night before, to celebrate their arrival in Pinewood City, the team had gone out for drinks, and they hadn¡¯t exactly taken it easy. The result was that Andrea, Naiome, and Kalic hadn¡¯t woken up until noon, before insisting on having breakfast at a caf¨¦ near their lodgings. After leisurely finishing their meal, they finally gave in to Derek¡¯s complaints and headed into the city to complete the ritual.


    The reason they were staying at a hotel on the outskirts of the city in the first place was due to their financial situation. They were still relatively new to adventuring, and most of their time had been spent traveling rather than accepting contracts. As a result, they didn¡¯t have much money, most of their earnings coming from the few harvesting rituals Derek had performed along the way. This forced them to choose a cheaper option on the city''s outskirts. The hotel itself wasn¡¯t bad¡ªit was clean, comfortable, and had enough space for the four of them¡ªbut the distance from the heart of the city was a problem. The long walk from their hotel to the magic society, especially in the pouring rain, had left them soaked and tired. By the time they finally reached the adventuring district and rented a ritual room, Derek was thoroughly fed up.


    They had rented the room for a couple of hours, and it wasn¡¯t cheap. The ritual they needed to perform required specific conditions, and those requirements made the cost higher than they could comfortably afford. Every minute wasted was more money down the drain. Derek worked in silence, placing the necessary items around the circle, using magical instruments to ensure every element was precisely where it needed to be. After finishing the preparations, Derek stood back, surveying his work with satisfaction.


    ¡°The ritual needs a lot of mana,¡± he said, looking up at the others. ¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t do it alone, otherwise I would¡¯ve done this much sooner. I¡¯ve added three spots in the circle where you three can sit and infuse your mana into the ritual. Between the four of us, we should have enough to power it.¡±


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± Kalic asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Reaching into his bag, Derek pulled out four small vials filled with a shimmering light blue liquid. ¡°I procured some cheap mana potions from an alchemist. They¡¯re not great¡ªapprentice made, but they were cheap and all we could afford. They won¡¯t restore much mana, but it should give us just enough to complete the ritual.¡±


    The group exchanged somber nods. Each of them took a potion and moved carefully into their positions within the ritual circle. Navigating the complex lines on the floor with caution, they sat down at the spots Derek had indicated.


    At Derek¡¯s signal, they placed their hands on the designated points for mana infusion, and the ritual began. The intricate lines of the circle lit up, slowly coming to life as mana flowed into the countless patterns. Each of them could feel their mana draining rapidly as the ritual''s demands grew stronger. One by one, they drank their potions, their mana quickly replenishing but being consumed just as fast by the hungry ritual.


    Concern began to creep in as the mana from the potions was also quickly drained. They exchanged worried glances, unsure if they had enough mana to complete the ritual.


    Fortunately, they had just enough. The final lines of the circle lit up in a brilliant white light. The ritual hummed with energy, and in a flash, the items within the circle were consumed. A pulse of energy rippled out from the circle, searching for whatever it was the team had been sent to look for.


    Andrea, Naiome, and Kalic all groaned, rubbing their aching heads from the mana depletion. Derek, meanwhile, pulled out his notebook, grimacing as he looked at the center of the circle. Strange runes and symbols had appeared within the circle, their meanings unclear to everyone but Derek. He scribbled furiously, recording every detail before the symbols could fade. As he continued to write, a frown began to form on his face.


    The symbols eventually stopped appearing, and the glowing lines of the ritual began to dim, leaving nothing but a fine layer of ash where the items had been. As the others nursed their headaches, Derek pored over his notes, his frown deepening.


    ¡°So?¡± Andrea finally asked, breaking the silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s not here,¡± Derek said, shaking his head in disappointment.


    ¡°I told you it wouldn¡¯t be,¡± Kalic replied with a shrug. ¡°They sent us here because they knew it was an unlikely spot for whatever they¡¯re looking for. Did you at least get all the data you needed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Derek replied with a sigh. ¡°I recorded everything. It¡¯s clear this isn¡¯t the place. All we have to do now is submit the report to the adventurers guild and claim our reward.¡±


    They sat quietly for a few moments, recovering their strength. Finally, Naiome broke the silence. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kalic responded. ¡°We took this contract to get away from home and see the world. Now we¡¯re in a new city. Let¡¯s explore it, get stronger, and when we¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll move on to the next place.¡±


    The others nodded in agreement before Kalic continued, ¡°But first, let¡¯s get the reward we spent months traveling for. Derek, why don¡¯t you head over to the adventurers¡¯ guild and claim it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Derek asked, surprised.


    ¡°You did the ritual,¡± the scale-kin grinned at his friend. ¡°It¡¯s only fair that you go claim the reward. Andrea, Naiome, and I will clean up the ritual room and meet you there, right guys?¡±


    Rather than answer, the two girls shared a look.


    ***


    Lukas had done plenty of reading in his time. From fantasy to sci-fi, he¡¯d encountered many descriptions of teleportation¡ªsome where the world shifted around you, others where everything spun uncontrollably, making you nauseous. Some even described being broken down into particles and reassembled elsewhere in an instant.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    This, however, was different. It was as if Lukas had simply blinked and found himself somewhere entirely new. There were no strange sensations or movements¡ªjust a blink, and the world around him had changed. He still had his hand out, reaching for a door knob that was no longer there.


    Lukas took a startled step back before even registering the new room he had appeared in. It was a cave, though clearly one that had been transformed into a study. The room was large, with a ceiling at least twenty feet high, adorned with small stalactites hanging above. The space was roughly circular and spacious¡ªat least fifteen meters in diameter. The walls were rough and uneven, not shaped by tools but left in their natural form. Yet despite this, the room was filled with furniture: stands, shelves, cabinets, and cases, all holding strange trinkets and objects. The walls were embedded with pale blue crystals that glowed softly, casting a natural light throughout the space. At least Lukas assumed the crystals were the source of light, as there were no torches, windows, or candles.


    The centerpiece of the room was a large wooden desk, something that wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place in a CEO¡¯s office. The desk was massive and ornately carved, sitting atop a lavish rug in the center of the room. Behind the desk was an equally grand chair, and for a moment, Lukas felt the urge to sit in it, just to feel something soft under him after all he had been through.


    Shaking off the thought, Lukas noticed three objects placed neatly on the desk, lined up in a row. He felt an odd pull toward them and almost approached to examine them, but stopped himself. He was in a strange place, and caution was necessary, no matter how relieved he was to finally find signs of civilization. After all, this wasn¡¯t the only room here.


    Besides the set of double doors he had entered¡ªor perhaps teleported through¡ªthere were four other doors around the room, each spaced evenly and made of wood. All were closed. Oddly, there was a large empty space directly behind the desk, just large enough to accommodate a fifth door, though none was present.


    Drawing his sword, uncertain of what might lie behind each door, Lukas cautiously approached the nearest one on his left. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if the door would teleport him again. After all, the first one had. He paused and thought. If this was some kind of dungeon, there was a chance he needed the items from this room to progress. Lukas wasn¡¯t a big gamer, but he had read enough to know that was often the case. Without whatever the room contained, he could end up stuck¡ªor worse.


    But what kind of dungeon had a well-furnished study as part of it? In most of the stories he¡¯d read, rooms like this were either in ruins or covered in dust and cobwebs. And if a room like this existed, it was usually the last one, not the first. Could this be someone¡¯s home? That seemed unlikely, given the door had appeared out of nowhere, and Lukas was certain it hadn¡¯t been there when he first entered the cave. Besides, who would live out here, in the middle of a monster-infested forest?


    Lukas wasn¡¯t convinced this was a dungeon, and yet it didn¡¯t seem like anyone¡¯s home, so what was it? Perhaps this was some kind of special encounter, like in those old games where you stumbled upon a strange, out-of-place area with hidden secrets. Whatever it was, Lukas knew he needed to sweep the place before letting his guard down.


    Nodding to himself, he lightly touched the knob and held his breath. When nothing happened, he sighed in relief. No teleporting doors here¡ªat least not this one. Grasping the knob firmly, Lukas turned it slowly and carefully pushed the door open, peeking inside.


    Beyond the door was what appeared to be a library. As Lukas opened the door fully, he saw more clearly¡ªbookshelves lined the walls and formed two rows in the center of the room, each packed with books. The shelves were so tall that there was even a rolling ladder to reach the higher sections.


    For a moment, Lukas forgot everything else and just stared. For what felt like ages, he had been filled with questions¡ªquestions about this world, its dangers, and how to navigate it. Now, in front of him, was a treasure trove of knowledge waiting to be explored. His first instinct was to drop everything and start reading, but he forced himself to remain focused.


    This one room alone was worth more to him than anything he had encountered so far¡ªabsolutely priceless. But first, he needed to make sure there was nothing dangerous lurking within. Stepping inside, the cool stone floor beneath his feet shifted to hardwood, like something from a house back home. As he crept through the aisles, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at the books. They varied in size, age, and condition. Some were thick, dusty tomes, their pages yellowed with age. Others were newer, sleeker, and thinner. What caught him most off guard was the fact that he could read the titles. He¡¯d assumed his translation ability worked only with spoken language, but the spines of these books were clearly written in English¡ªor at least something he could understand.


    After several minutes of careful searching, Lukas finished his sweep of the library and found nothing amiss. Everything was meticulously organized, with no dust or signs of disarray. It was almost unnervingly perfect. Still, he pushed the thought from his mind, reminding himself that this was likely some sort of special encounter. The oddness of it all made a certain amount of sense.


    Satisfied there was no immediate threat, Lukas returned to the central room. He approached the second door, sword still at the ready, though with slightly less caution this time. Opening it, he stepped into what appeared to be some sort of laboratory. Along the walls were countertops and cabinets filled with strange trinkets that looked like ornamental desk toys. The cabinets were stocked with flasks, tubes, vials, beakers, and other glass instruments. In the center of the room was a large stone table, as if it had risen from the cave floor itself. Scattered across the table were more strange objects, though Lukas recognized a mortar and pestle as well as what appeared to be a cauldron inscribed with unfamiliar symbols.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Lukas to realize he was standing in some kind of magical laboratory. Most of the equipment was unrecognizable, but he assumed it all had some magical function. He wasn¡¯t sure what the lab was for, but judging by the variety of tools, it seemed like an all-purpose workspace.


    He poked around the room briefly, curious but cautious, before moving on. The more rooms he explored, the more relaxed he became. So far, nothing had jumped out at him, and everything seemed relatively normal, given the circumstances. He began to believe more and more that he had simply stumbled upon some kind of hidden, magical sanctuary.


    After stepping back into the main room, Lukas moved on to the next door. He passed behind the desk and the empty space on the wall as he approached the third door. This time, he was less cautious, opening the door quickly but still keeping his sword ready, just in case. As the door swung open, Lukas¡¯ guard immediately went up again.


    The first thing he saw was grass. Then bushes. Flowers. And finally, trees. Lukas instinctively raised his sword, expecting something to lunge at him from the greenery.


    Was this the outside again? Or was it part of the strange place he had been teleported into? It didn¡¯t seem like the forest he had come from¡ªthe trees were different. They weren¡¯t the towering redwoods he was used to; they were smaller, deciduous trees, more like the kind you¡¯d find in a suburban park.


    But that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t danger lurking here. Something could be hiding among the neatly arranged flower beds and berry bushes. Or perhaps in the large, elegant fountain in the center, its water gurgling softly.


    Yeah, this was definitely a garden.


    Lukas cautiously stepped forward, trying to make sense of how a place like this could exist inside a cave. The walls, covered in vines and moss, were cleverly disguised behind rows of bushes and plants. What confused him the most was the ceiling¡ªor what appeared to be the sky. Clouds and sunlight filtered down as though he were standing outside, but he couldn¡¯t see beyond what was clearly an illusion. The wall stretched upward about thirty meters before blending seamlessly into the ¡°sky.¡±


    As Lukas took another step forward, his foot met soft grass, and the fresh scent of the forest hit him. He made his way through the garden, recognizing several of the flowers growing in abundance. Some were familiar, while others were completely foreign, but Lukas resisted the urge to stop and examine them. He had to ensure the area was safe before he could relax.


    During his search, he found several small ponds scattered throughout the garden, each filled with water plants, both on the surface and growing beneath it. For the thousandth time, Lukas wanted to pause and investigate, but he reminded himself that now wasn¡¯t the time. Many of the trees in the garden bore fruit, though none he recognized. One tree had something resembling apples, except they were bright yellow. The other fruits were completely alien to him, which made sense¡ªhe was on another planet, after all.


    As Lukas neared the back of the garden, he discovered a small slope leading downward into the ground. Following it cautiously, he found a damp, dimly lit area filled with neatly arranged fungi. Some of the mushrooms emitted a faint glow, casting soft light over the area. It was clear this section was used to grow plants that thrived in darkness and moisture.


    Shaking his head in wonder, Lukas returned to the main garden and made his way back to the door he had entered through. From there, he walked toward the final door, pausing in front of it. He debated whether or not he should bother with his sword, considering how uneventful the previous rooms had been. But in the end, he decided to play it safe. Knowing his luck, this would be the room where all the bad things were hiding.


    So, with his sword raised one more time, Lukas turned the knob and cautiously swung the door open.

 Chapter 14: The Room

    With the door wide open, Lukas had a full view of the room¡¯s contents, and it was grand. Although this room was by far the smallest, measuring only three and a half meters by four meters, it wasn¡¯t the size that mattered¡ªit was the contents that left Lukas speechless. His sword dropped loosely to his side as his eyes widened in disbelief.


    He could hardly comprehend what he was seeing, even though it was right before his eyes. In all his time in this strange new world, nothing had come close to what he was now witnessing. No amount of magic, not even the majesty of the dead Drakon he¡¯d seen on his first day, could compare.


    For several seconds, Lukas stood frozen, awe and immense desire overwhelming him. With reverent steps, he entered the room, approaching the object as though it were a long-lost holy relic. When he touched it, the sensation was like touching a cloud¡ªso soft it seemed unreal. The sheets were silkier than anything he¡¯d ever felt, and when he laid his hand on the plush pillow, his knees nearly buckled.


    ¡®A bed,¡¯ he thought.


    It was pushed up against the far wall, a modest twin size, smaller than the one Lukas had back in his cabin. Yet at that moment, it was the grandest thing he could have ever hoped for. It had simple sheets, a single blanket, and a pillow, but to Lukas, it was like finding water in a desert.


    The room contained only three other items: a nightstand at the head of the bed, a simple wardrobe, and another closed door. After a few moments, once he was certain he wouldn¡¯t burst into tears of joy, Lukas looked around and took in the rest of the room¡¯s contents. He noted the nightstand and the wardrobe but ignored them for now, choosing instead to start with the closed door.


    He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what was behind it, but he had a good guess. This time, he didn¡¯t bother raising his sword, holding it limply at his side. When he opened the door, his guess was confirmed¡ªit was a bathroom, and one that seemed astonishingly modern.


    The walls, ceiling, and floor were made from the same stone as the rest of the cave, smoothed and polished to match tile. On the left was a stone vanity with an obvious sink, but instead of handles for hot and cold water, a gray crystal was embedded in the faucet. Above the sink hung a large, clear mirror¡ªclearer than any mirror Lukas had ever seen. To his right was what appeared to be a toilet, though it lacked the familiar tank. Across from the door was a shower stall made of smoky-looking glass with a matching door. There was no visible showerhead, and instead of a handle or crystal for the water, there was a neutral gray square, about the size of a piece of paper, embedded in the wall.


    Lukas stood frozen for a moment. It all seemed so familiar and yet so alien at the same time. He wasn¡¯t sure what he had expected from a world filled with magic, but modern appliances certainly weren¡¯t it. After staring for a moment, his gaze was drawn to the mirror, where he caught sight of himself.


    He turned fully toward the mirror and took in the sight of his reflection. He was absolutely covered in dried blood. It was flaking off in patches, but still stained his skin in red and brown. Jagged scars crisscrossed his body like mountain ranges, each one making him wince at what had become of him. Even his face hadn¡¯t been spared. Though the claw mark from the Vipercat wasn¡¯t as bad as he feared, the scars from the wolves were rough.


    Claw marks ran from his left temple, across his eye, and across to the bridge of his nose. His right eye was still the familiar emerald green, but his left eye was now a swirling mix of green and milky white. If he had to guess, Lukas would have lost the eye completely had he not drunk the regeneration potion in time to save it.


    Then there was his hair¡ªmatted, tangled, and wild beyond belief. Despite cleaning himself in the stream just yesterday, he looked as though he hadn¡¯t bathed in weeks.


    Lukas stared at the unfamiliar face in the mirror, wondering if his parents and sister would even recognize him anymore. He pursed his lips, his new facial scar rippling with the action as he tried to push those thoughts away and focus on something else.


    What was he going to do now? He had explored the area he¡¯d been teleported into and found no threats. He wanted nothing more than to tear through the library and absorb every bit of knowledge this place had to offer. Hopefully, somewhere in those books, he¡¯d find the secret to gaining levels.


    But he knew he couldn¡¯t do that just yet. His mind was a mess, and he needed time to rest and calm down.


    Turning his head, Lukas'' eyes lingered on his reflection before drifting to the shower stall. Stepping up to it, he looked inside and noticed the lack of a traditional shower head or controls. There was only a gray square. He reached out and touched it, but nothing happened.


    He wondered how to turn the water on¡ªthen, suddenly, it just did. The gray square glowed a warm orange, like the color of flames, and water began to fall from the ceiling. Lukas, having foolishly stood inside the stall while testing it, was instantly drenched.


    To his surprise, the water was the perfect temperature, exactly the way he liked it. It was as though the control square knew his preference and adjusted accordingly. The surprise quickly faded, replaced by a satisfied sigh as the warm water began to loosen the tension in Lukas¡¯ muscles.


    As steam filled the stall, Lukas closed the shower door and took off the wolfskin cloak wrapped around his waist. He tossed the tattered cloak onto the floor with a wet schlop, letting the water clean the once-beautiful pelt. As he stood under the stream, he noticed the water draining toward a small hole in one corner of the shower floor.


    He set about scrubbing away weeks of accumulated blood, dirt, and grime. Even without soap, there seemed to be something in the water that cleaned better than anything he¡¯d ever used. Lukas didn¡¯t know how long he stood there, but it was a while. Only when the blood-red water finally ran clear did he consider himself clean, though he stayed under the warm water a bit longer, enjoying the rare comfort.


    Eventually, he decided it was time to get out. He tossed the wet cloak over his shoulder and, unsure of how to turn the water off, touched the gray square again. The water stopped instantly, and the square returned to its original cloudy gray color. As he opened the shower door, he realized he didn¡¯t have anything to dry himself with.


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    Sighing, and thinking he¡¯d just have to stand around and air dry himself, he stepped through the threshold. But the moment he exited the stall, all the water on his body and cloak was pulled off, falling to the ground as if blocked by an invisible barrier. Lukas looked back in stunned silence, marveling at the magic at play.


    Now completely dry and thoroughly naked, Lukas tossed the cloak into his inventory and stepped out of the bathroom. Back in the bedroom, he decided to try his luck with the wardrobe¡ªand sure enough, it held clothes. Simple white linen tunics and brown pants, but they were clean and folded. There was even a pair of boots at the bottom, a sight that made his aching feet cry out in relief.


    Lukas quickly threw on a tunic and pair pants, relishing the feeling of being clothed again, even if he didn¡¯t have any underwear. Feeling more like a civilized person once more, he grabbed the boots and tossed them into his inventory. He wouldn¡¯t need them for what came next.


    With childlike excitement, Lukas turned and eyed the bed. He practically leaped onto it, sinking into the softness with a contented sigh. Though he had napped earlier, it probably wasn¡¯t that late, but sleeping on the hard ground for weeks had taken its toll. He was utterly exhausted.


    Allowing himself to fully relax, Lukas felt his body sinking deeper into the bed, his muscles finally loosening completely. He felt like a new man, reborn for the third time after that shower. Now, all he needed was some desperately needed sleep. From now on, though, he decided he¡¯d be sleeping with pants on.


    *


    Lukas awoke a few hours later, still lying awkwardly on the bed, too tired earlier to get under the sheets or use the pillow. Despite the short nap, he felt more rested than he had in ages. It surprised him a little¡ªhe guessed he had only slept for about three hours. Then again, he had taken another nap before entering this strange place.


    Sitting up in the soft bed, Lukas let out a long sigh, taking in the sight of himself. He was clean, clothed, and well-rested. He felt amazing, and ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. As for those challenges, they involved this strange dungeon.


    Earlier, he had done a quick sweep of the place to ensure it was safe, not bothering to pay much attention to the details. Now that he was certain there was no danger, he was ready to pick the place apart for all its secrets and knowledge. The first item on his list? The source of the light.


    There were no windows in this dungeon, and no torches or candles either. Instead, the rooms were lit by the soft glow of blue crystals embedded in the walls. Spotting one of these crystals in his current room, Lukas focused on it and used his identification ability:


    Glowstone (Common) ¨C A crystal with an affinity for light. Often used to illuminate rooms, this Glowstone produces light similar to daylight, giving off a more natural feel.


    The description surprised Lukas¡ªmost items he had identified in the past didn¡¯t come with detailed descriptions. Feeling curious, Lukas pulled the boots from his inventory and slipped them on, no longer willing to walk around barefoot. With a grunt, he got off the bed and approached the glowstone embedded in the wall.


    Leaning in close, Lukas examined the crystal. It was a perfect summer sky blue, but beneath the surface, he could make out tiny, intricate lines etched into it.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Lukas thought. He wanted to understand how the glowstone worked, but he knew he didn¡¯t have the knowledge to do so.


    Deciding to leave it for now, Lukas turned his attention to the rest of the room. He had already explored the bathroom and the wardrobe, both of which had pleasantly surprised him. The only thing left was the nightstand beside the bed.


    With a mix of anticipation and curiosity, Lukas opened the single drawer¡ªonly to find it completely empty. He tried not to let the minor disappointment get to him and moved on.


    Stepping out into the central room, Lukas felt a sense of relief wash over him. Everything was exactly as he had left it¡ªnothing had moved or changed while he slept. If anything had been different, he would have ¡°noped¡± out of there as fast as possible.


    He panned his gaze around the room, his excitement building as he took in all the strange objects he could now investigate. Deciding to start with the closest one, Lukas turned toward a pedestal to his right.


    The pedestal stood waist-high and supported a small stand, which itself held an orb slightly larger than a softball. The orb glowed with a soft white light and gave off a strange, calming energy.


    Essence of the Moon (Legendary) ¨C An essence of the moon.


    ¡°Very helpful description,¡± Lukas muttered sarcastically.


    He had no idea what the orb¡ªthe apparent Essence of the Moon¡ªwas for, but he figured it was an incredibly powerful item, given its rarity. For now, Lukas decided to leave it alone, hoping he could find something about it in the library later. He moved on to the next item.


    This one stood on a tall tripod and resembled a telescope. However, it was made of magical brass with dense, complex engravings. At the smaller end, where one would place their eye, there was a small glass orb containing a shimmering blue liquid.


    Contagon of Aether (Epic)


    Lukas had no idea what this item was or what it did, and simply looking at it made him realize it was far beyond his understanding. He quickly moved on to the next item, which sat on a low table and, like many of the other objects in the room, looked like some desk ornament. In reality, it was a tool of some kind.


    The item was made of untold tiny metal wires shaped into a cube, the layout of the wires was intricate and followed a pattern Lukas couldn¡¯t grasp. At the top of the cube was an opening, as if something was meant to be placed inside.


    Alok¡¯s Phosisifer (Epic) ¨C A phosisifer that phosisifizes various materials.


    Lukas stared at the identification, utterly bewildered. ¡°What the actual hell does that mean?¡± he muttered. The description made no sense¡ªit was entirely unhelpful. It would¡¯ve been better if it had no description at all.


    Shaking his head in frustration, Lukas moved on for the sake of his sanity. He continued around the room, identifying the remaining objects. Unsurprisingly, most of them were things he didn¡¯t recognize or know how to use. There were more devices like the Phosisifer, treasures like the Essence of the Moon, and other fascinating artifacts. The only items left were the three objects placed on the desk at the center of the room.


    These three objects were carefully arranged and evenly spaced. It was clear to anyone that they were the main treasures of this room¡ªthe final reward at the end of this dungeon. Everything else was just trinkets.


    Lukas had deliberately saved these three for last. The first object on the left was a rough-looking stone, no larger than a fist, that resembled quartz. It radiated an intense magical energy, unlike anything Lukas had ever felt. The item in the middle was a plain leather-bound book. It looked like a simple journal or notebook, with a leather clasp holding it closed. The final item, on the right, was the most curious of the three. It looked like a giant black scale, a single solid piece that resembled obsidian.


    Looking over the three objects again, Lukas decided it was time to identify the dungeon¡¯s main loot.

 Chapter 15: Rebirth

    Looking at the curious black object, Lukas hesitated, but his curiosity got the better of him.


    [Mask of the Combat Alchemist (Unique)] ¨C An intimidating mask used by an alchemist in their pursuit of power. This mask blocks and filters out all toxic or poisonous fumes and gases, whether they come from the creation of poisons or their use on the battlefield. When worn, the mask does not obstruct the wearer¡¯s vision, making it seem as though the mask isn¡¯t there.


    Enchantments: Cleansed Air (filters air breathed by the wearer, removing all negative effects).


    Requirements: Soulbound.


    Taken aback by the lengthy description, Lukas read it again, amazed by what the mask offered. It was practically a gas mask. While Lukas hadn¡¯t needed something like that yet, he was sure he would eventually. Judging by how sturdy it looked, he¡¯d bet it could take a hit or two, and Lukas wouldn¡¯t say no to a form of armor.


    He picked up the mask and turned it over in his hands. It was cool to the touch, impossibly smooth and polished, yet it gave no reflection. While the mask was a marvel, Lukas quickly found two problems. First, there were no eye holes, and although the description claimed it wouldn¡¯t obstruct his vision, he found that hard to believe¡ªeven with magic. The second issue was the lack of straps or any fastening device to hold the mask to his face.


    Frowning, Lukas held the mask in front of his face and tried to look through it... but he couldn¡¯t. It was just a solid black piece with nothing visible beyond it. Still frowning, he held it closer to his face, and then something changed. The mask seemed to pull toward him, as if guided by an unseen force. Lukas obliged, and the mask clicked into place over his face. Suddenly, the solid black that had blocked his vision vanished, allowing him to see the room clearly. It was odd¡ªhe could still feel the mask in his hand but saw nothing obstructing his face. He was still considering the mask when he felt a sharp pain in his chest, one that rose in severity like heart burn. Forgetting the mask, Lukas clutched at his chest, grunting through the pain. Before he could do much else, the pain began to subside and a new notification appeared.


    You have successfully soul bound [Mask of the Combat Alchemist].


    With the pain now gone, Lukas tried to pull the mask away but felt resistance, like trying to separate two magnets. With a little extra effort, the mask came free, reappearing in front of his eyes and once again blocking his vision.


    "That didn''t feel nice," he grimaced, still rubbing at his chest.


    For the next few minutes, Lukas poked and prodded the mask, putting it on and taking it off repeatedly. Still intrigued by its magic, Lukas decided to keep it on for now. After all, everyone knew that if a dungeon gave you a cool item, you were definitely going to need it soon.


    Satisfied with the first item, Lukas moved on to the next: a book.


    [Tome of the Combat Alchemist (Unique)] ¨C A tome produced by the Combat Alchemist detailing their unique path to power. Absorbing this tome allows one to gain basic knowledge sufficient to acquire a class. Note that this item is one-time use, and its effects cannot be undone.


    Requirements: Ability to use mana.


    Uses: 1/1


    Requirements not met!


    Lukas furrowed his brow. There was a lot to unpack with this one. First, his Identify skill called this a ¡°tome,¡± which was a stretch. A tome was supposed to be a massive, dusty book with thousands of pages, bigger than a grown man¡¯s torso. This little thing barely looked like a notebook, and it probably had fewer than two hundred pages. How it could hold someone¡¯s life story was beyond him.


    Second, the tome had to be absorbed. Not only did it say so in the description, but Lukas knew because the clasp wouldn¡¯t budge, preventing him from opening and reading the book. How exactly was one supposed to ¡°absorb¡± a book, anyway?


    Third, the tome could give him a class. Lukas had long wondered how to get one, and now the opportunity was right in front of him. Maybe this was how he¡¯d start gaining levels¡ªthrough classes. If that were true, he¡¯d do whatever it took to get stronger. But there was one problem.


    He didn¡¯t meet the requirements to use the tome. The requirement was the ability to use mana, which he did have. Lukas had a mana pool of 260, though he didn¡¯t know how to use it. Still, shouldn¡¯t that count?


    It was something he needed to look into. Lukas needed that book for the class it promised. He just had to figure out how to actually use his mana, and now that he was in a safe environment, he could dedicate time to it. Maybe the library had something that could help.


    Frowning beneath the mask, which he¡¯d already forgotten he was wearing, Lukas moved on to the next item¡ªa strange, quartz-like stone.


    [Stone of Rebirth (Legendary)] ¨C A rare, mystical stone that naturally forms in the world. This treasure, while useful to few, is highly sought after for its ability to reforge the body, enabling it to wield and hold magic after being absorbed. Note that this item is one-time use, and its effects cannot be undone.


    Uses: 1/1


    Lukas¡¯ eyes widened as the solution to his problem appeared before him. Suddenly, he realized he was probably meant to go through the items from left to right, not the other way around. Putting the pieces together, it all made sense¡ªa stone that would allow him to wield magic, a tome that could give him an alchemy-based class, and a mask to filter out poisonous fumes. The library, lab, and garden all clicked into place.


    This entire dungeon was designed to help him learn alchemy.


    Grinning like a cat who¡¯d caught the canary, Lukas snatched up the stone. This was his chance to grab power, and he wasn¡¯t going to let it slip away. If his theory was right, and this place was meant to teach alchemy, he¡¯d dedicate himself to mastering it. Once he left this dungeon, he¡¯d be all the more powerful, ready to take on stronger enemies and grow even faster.


    But first, he had to figure out how to use the stone. The description said it had to be absorbed, but how was that done? For a moment, Lukas wondered if he¡¯d need some kind of magic circle. His thoughts were interrupted as the stone began to melt in his hand like a ball of wax, seeping into his skin.


    Lukas panicked, thinking he¡¯d ruined the stone and his chance at growing stronger. But then he realized the stone was reacting to his desires, just like his abilities and the shower. When he accessed his inventory, it wasn¡¯t because he thought ¡°open inventory¡±¡ªhe simply wanted it to open. The shower had worked similarly, responding to his wish for it to activate. Now the stone was doing the same. Lukas wanted to absorb it, so it just happened.


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    Lukas wondered what that meant, but he was quickly distracted by what was happening to his hand. The Stone of Rebirth had turned into a strange gelatinous goop that stuck to his skin, slowly absorbing like water. The entire process took less than half a minute until the stone had completely disappeared.


    Was that it? Did he have magic now? Could he absorb the tome as well? These thoughts were quickly overshadowed by what came next. All over his body, Lukas¡¯ skin began to tingle with a pleasant warmth, like standing in the early morning sun on a summer day. A smile tugged at his lips as memories of family camping trips with his grandpa flashed in his mind¡ªthe smell of coffee brewing on a small gas stove and the sound of birds greeting the morning.


    The warmth quickly intensified, making it feel as though Lukas were sitting in a bath, then in a sauna. The tingling increased, becoming a prickling sensation, as though his cells were being poked by needles¡ªthen stabbed by them repeatedly.


    Within seconds, Lukas was gritting his teeth and leaning against the desk to stay upright. The pain was excruciating, and it only got worse, feeling as though his body was being torn apart at a molecular level. Soon, he could barely remain standing, but his muscles locked up, keeping him rigid as he lost control of his body.


    Lukas didn¡¯t even have the presence of mind to panic; the pain consumed him entirely. The process seemed to drag on for an eternity, and it became harder and harder to stay conscious. His vision swam, and he could feel himself slipping away.


    Just as he was about to black out, the pain began to subside, slowly fading into blessed relief. The heat cooled to a pleasant warmth again, and the prickling sensation dissipated. Before long, the ordeal had completely passed, and Lukas was left panting and sweating, still leaning against the desk for support.


    Despite the mental toll of the experience, his body felt fine¡ªbetter than fine, even. It was as if none of it had ever happened. But the effects were undeniable; Lukas felt incredible. His body hummed with energy, and it was as though he held the power of the cosmos in his hands. His skin tingled, but this time it wasn¡¯t the cool air of the cave against his sweat; it was something greater. The room seemed saturated with a kind of spiritual humidity, and Lukas knew instantly that it was magic¡ªmana.


    Pushing off the desk, Lukas stood on his own two feet, clenching and unclenching his fists. He could feel the power in even the smallest movements, like his stats had doubled. But he knew that wasn¡¯t quite right. Without even checking, Lukas was sure he hadn¡¯t gained any stat points. Instead, it felt as though they had been truly unlocked, only working at half their potential before.


    A new notification hovered in his vision:


    [Stone of Rebirth (Legendary)] has been successfully absorbed, and your body has been forever changed.


    Effects:


    Ability to use and manipulate mana has been unlocked.


    Ability to sense ambient magic has been unlocked.


    Classes have been unsealed.


    Stats have been unrestricted.


    Bodily functions have been altered.


    Reading the notification, Lukas immediately opened his status page:


    Lukas Hellstrand


    Race: Human (Outworlder) ¨C Level 0


    Class 1: N/A


    Class 2: N/A


    Health Points: 137/360


    Stamina: 98/260


    Mana: 260/260


    Stats


    Vitality: 36


    Endurance: 26


    Intelligence: 25


    Wisdom: 26


    Agility: 27


    Perception: 25


    Toughness: 26


    Strength: 28


    Willpower: 28


    Free Points: 0


    Titles:


    Prodigious Dimensional Traveler, Unkillable, True Heart of a Warrior, Indomitable Worm.


    Abilities:


    Race abilities: (Dimensional Traveler), (Tribute of the Fallen), (Steel Gut), (Tongue of the Multiverse), (Stranger in a Strange Land).


    There wasn¡¯t much that had changed, aside from his classes now reading as "N/A" instead of "Sealed" and his health and stamina having taken a hit. Still, despite the lack of visible changes in his status, Lukas felt fundamentally different, reborn, just as the stone had promised.


    There was no question in Lukas¡¯ mind about what came next. He turned to the tome, hesitating for only a moment before snatching it up. He wanted to absorb it immediately but stopped himself. The Stone of Rebirth had already taken more than half his health, and while the tome¡¯s effects would likely be far less strenuous, Lukas didn¡¯t want to risk it.


    With the tome in hand, Lukas circled around to the other side of the desk and sat down in the luxurious, comfortable chair. He let out a grunt as he sat, the kind a dad would make, before pulling out the restorative water and healing meat. Removing his new mask, he took a sip and a bite, watching in amazement as his health quickly regenerated. Though he had no injuries, the rapid restoration of his health points was proof that his newly unlocked stats were working wonders.


    In just a few minutes, Lukas¡¯ health had climbed past 180. It still felt unreal. Shaking his head with a smile, Lukas turned his attention back to the small book in his hand. Slightly nervous about what would happen when he began the process of absorbing it. All it took was thinking about wanting to absorb the tome, and it worked.


    Lukas felt something leave him and enter the book instantly. It was a strange sensation, like a reverberation through his arm, and he thought he¡¯d lost more health or stamina. But a quick check showed otherwise.


    Health: 197/360


    Stamina: 99/260


    Mana: 200/260


    For the first time, Lukas had used mana. He barely had time to process that revelation, though, as the tome began doing something. It crumbled in his hand, but instead of turning to dust, it transformed into motes of light. These motes floated toward Lukas¡¯ head, hovering in the air for a moment before moving to enter him.


    At first, he was reluctant at first, but he quickly relented, knowing the motes had to enter him if he wanted to gain the class. Forcing himself to stay still, he watched as the motes passed effortlessly through the mask he had forgotten he was still wearing. The first mote of light touched his forehead and vanished. One by one, the remaining motes followed.


    And then the knowledge began to pour in.


    Images, instructions, and information flooded his mind. It was a bizarre experience to have knowledge placed into his brain. He didn¡¯t resist, letting the images pass quickly as more information filled his thoughts. Within seconds, the process was complete.


    Lukas didn¡¯t move from his spot as he processed what he had just learned. It was, admittedly, a little disappointing. The tome¡¯s promise of "basic knowledge" was an overstatement. He had learned a bit more about the magical plants he already knew about, some useful information about plants he didn¡¯t, what a cauldron was, that they were inscribed with runes to be infused with mana, the basics of using one, and the general process for concocting mixtures.


    To be fair, the limited knowledge was still extremely useful, even though it wasn¡¯t a lot. But it didn¡¯t matter too much. Lukas was ready to tear through the library and learn what he needed. He was excited about alchemy, not just for its own sake, but because it was a path to real magic.


    Excited to get started, Lukas checked his latest notifications:


    [Tome of the Combat Alchemist (Unique)] has been successfully absorbed.


    New class obtained: Combat Alchemist.


    Combat Alchemist: A unique class that first emerged eons ago before disappearing. It now re-emerges in you. While other alchemists seek their fortune in the lab, making concoctions to sell, the Combat Alchemist looks to the battlefield, using their creations in combat.Stats per level: +1 Vitality, +1 Toughness, +1 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence, +2 Free Points.


    Lukas grinned from ear to ear. Finally, he had a class¡ªand he could gain levels and stats. He didn¡¯t know exactly how leveling worked with the class he¡¯d just gained, but he was sure as hell going to find out.


    But first, there was something he couldn¡¯t resist. Opening his status screen, Lukas took another look.


    Lukas Hellstrand


    Race: Human (Outworlder [Unique]) ¨C Level 0


    Class 1: Combat Alchemist ¨C Level 0


    Class 2: N/A


    With a satisfied sigh, Lukas didn¡¯t even have to think about what to do next. Rising from the comfortable chair, he strode confidently toward the library.

 Chapter 16: Getting Started

    Sauntering into the library, Lukas had a quick look around. Nothing had changed since the last time he had been there. Nodding in satisfaction, he began going around, checking out what was on the shelves. Lukas had theorized that this whole place was designed to teach alchemy and only became more convinced as he looked at the titles of the books. Every single book he came across was on alchemy in one way or another¡ªand basic alchemy at that. There wasn¡¯t a single book about anything else.


    It was kind of annoying, as he¡¯d been hoping to get a general grasp of the world he¡¯d been spat out into. All he could really hope for was that there were some obscure references in the books that would give him some ideas. For now, though, he was stuck with alchemy and began scouring the library, searching for something that might help him understand his new class.


    It took some time, but eventually Lukas realized that the library was organized, but not by the author like libraries back home. The whole place was organized by the complexity of the book''s subject. He didn¡¯t realize this until he came to the bookshelf closest to the door and saw that every book there was about teaching the basics and becoming a novice. There were books like An Introduction to Alchemy: Volume 1 of 3, Basic Alchemical Theory for Beginners, Alchemy for Novices: Volume 1 of 2, and An Introduction to Potions: Fundamentals of Potion Making. There were also books on poisons and whatnot, but those were further down the bookshelf, indicating that they required a better understanding of alchemy.


    Ready and excited to get started, Lukas grabbed the first books on the bookshelf. He walked away with a stack of books in his arms, including all volumes of An Introduction to Alchemy, Basic Alchemical Theory for Beginners, Alchemy for Novices, and a few other theory books Lukas knew would be important if he wanted to grasp anything about magic and alchemy.


    With his arms full, Lukas marched back out to the central room with a large grin. He set the stack of books on the large desk and sat himself down in the chair. Before he got started, he checked the various drawers in the desk and was thrilled to find empty notebooks and rough-looking charcoal pencils.


    Setting everything out, Lukas started with An Introduction to Alchemy. It and the two other volumes were fairly large books and no doubt contained a wealth of knowledge Lukas was eager to consume. Opening the book to the first page, Lukas noticed the lettering was strangely offset and sometimes scrunched up on the page. He guessed it was the result of his translation ability changing the written words. It was a little strange, but Lukas quickly got used to it as he began reading with hunger.


    Lukas had gone to college for a year and done rather well, despite not really knowing what he¡¯d wanted to major in. It was ultimately due to some personal events that he¡¯d decided to leave college and society for the wild. During his stint at university, however, Lukas had studied a good deal. He found it annoying, especially when it came to subjects he held absolutely no interest in. But in subjects he enjoyed, he was able to keep up a good pace.


    Now Lukas was tearing through the pages unlike he¡¯d ever done before. Even when he was really into a book he was reading, he¡¯d never had this kind of speed. Not only was he flipping through pages like they were nothing, but he could remember what he¡¯d read clearly. His best guess at the cause was his unrestricted stats. And while he remembered what he was reading, he still took clear and concise notes for later use.


    Lukas spent the next couple of hours just reading and taking in knowledge. The book An Introduction to Alchemy was exactly as promised and covered what made alchemy alchemy and what it consisted of. Lukas learned that alchemy wasn¡¯t just potions and poisons, but that one could also make pills and elixirs and transmute materials. There were a plethora of other branches of alchemy dedicated to one thing or another, and the book covered them all.


    The book also went over the brief histories of each and the changes in the process of making alchemical products. Annoyingly, however, the history was brief and scant, with information having obviously been censored or removed. Information such as locations, dates, names, or anything about the outside world was missing, and it was maddening. Lukas could only scoff in annoyance before moving on.


    Various herbs were covered, as well as how to properly grow, harvest, and prepare them for use in a creation. Most of the herbs that Lukas read about were completely new to him, as they were not native to the type of environment he¡¯d been in.


    More and more time passed with Lukas reading, and he could sense that night had come and it was getting later and later. He wasn¡¯t sure how he knew, but he¡¯d always had a rather good internal compass, and combined with his new magic powers, it wasn¡¯t a huge leap to suggest he¡¯d be able to sense the difference between day and night.


    Nevertheless, Lukas kept reading through the night. After only a couple of hours, he¡¯d made his way through the first book and had moved on to some alchemical theory, wanting to understand the underlying concepts and ideas behind how exactly alchemy worked.


    Almost immediately, the book was reprimanding those who didn¡¯t attempt to understand magical theory and just waved things off as ¡°magic.¡± Lukas soon came to understand why and agreed. Magic wasn¡¯t just a catch-all that could be used to explain away things. Instead, magic was more of a field of study, like science.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    It would almost be like someone asking why the sun rose and set or why things fell to the ground, then saying it was just ¡°science.¡± That was how Lukas conceptualized it anyway, and it made sense to him. He learned that magic was a vast field of study, with alchemy being one of those fields.


    Here magic was a part of the underpinning rules of existence. It was everywhere and permeated everything, completely inseparable from reality. It was hard for Lukas to truly wrap his head around it, but then again, he didn¡¯t really need to. He could feel it all around now that he¡¯d used the stone of rebirth; he could feel how natural the magic was.


    Lukas learned more and took more notes with this book than the previous one. He learned about mana and how it was just raw potential given form through abilities and crafting. He learned the why behind the process of making potions, poisons, and all the other concoctions. It was all about understanding and controlling the energies of the individual ingredients so that a craft wouldn¡¯t go wrong and would instead result in a perfect product. There were plenty of diagrams, pictures, and examples of the crafting process to help understand it all.


    Lukas took in every drop of information he was given and did his utmost to dedicate it all to memory. And when he was finished with one book, he moved on to the next, using his notes as references to connect different topics and concepts. Lukas could practically feel his brain vibrating as it took in the knowledge, letting loose a waterfall of dopamine that only made him want to delve deeper.


    It was a feeling he often felt when faced with a hard puzzle¡ªand that¡¯s what it was. All this was a puzzle Lukas was slowly putting together in his mind, and it was beginning to come together. Even so, what he had before him were the most basic of basics. He could hardly wait until he could tackle the more complex ideas and information.


    Lukas only left the desk when he went to look at the lab and the garden, cross-referencing what was in the book versus what was in front of him. When he read about the runes that could cover a cauldron, he got up and visited the lab to see which runes the cauldron had on it.


    It had taken some time to match the runes in the book with what was on the cauldron, mostly because the runes were all pretty much just messy lines that served a specific purpose. There were all kinds of runes that could be used in alchemy¡ªthousands even, according to the book. The ones on the cauldron were simple ones, though, just for simple energy control, heating, repairing the cauldron, cleaning, and others like that.


    When Lukas went to the garden room, he wanted to take a look at some of the flowers he recognized and go over some of the properties they had. Entering the pleasant room, Lukas didn¡¯t dally and was able to find what he was looking for rather quickly. He¡¯d gone straight for a bed of flowers that he knew rather well. They were a deep red and smelled of blood.


    Wanting to double-check, he quickly identified the flower, only to be surprised.


    [Blood Moon Lily (Common)] - A natural treasure. This flower contains vitality-based energies and is most often used in the creation of health potions but can also be used in various alchemical creations.


    It was something that Lukas had never seen before, and he quickly identified other flowers around him. Every one of them had a description added to them now. At first, Lukas believed it was because of his new class and the fact that it was alchemy-related. That idea was soon disproven, though, as there were some flowers that didn¡¯t have descriptions. Even some of the flowers he had collected in the forest were missing the description.


    After a bit of thought, Lukas realized that all the flowers that now had descriptions were ones that he¡¯d read about and taken notes on. He then tested this hypothesis on multiple different flower and berry groups, proving that his idea was right.


    Soon enough, Lukas found himself back in the central room at the desk. He was reading a section of one of the books that described the effects of the most efficient potions and why it was important to aim to make the best potions possible.


    The book said that the optimal cooldown time between potions was an hour. The reason for this was because of the energy and effect of the potions. If you wanted a potion with a lower cooldown, then you¡¯d have to make less effective potions, but if you wanted a potion that was potent, then the time you had to wait before taking another grew.


    The reason an hour had been picked as the ¡°industry standard¡± was clear to Lukas, but it made sense to him that that would be the case.


    There were a lot of factors that went into the making of the most efficient potions¡ªfrom the size and volume of the vial to the rarity of the ingredients used and how energy-efficient the alchemist had been when crafting the potion. It all mattered.


    But what happened when you drank a potion before the timer was up? Well, the book said that the body could only hold so much of a certain type of energy. That energy had a lingering effect after taking a potion, and taking a second one in rapid succession would mean that the energies of the second potion would just dissipate from the user. As a result, people have been known to drink potions for hydration in dire circumstances since there was no backlash to down multiple at once.


    Lukas¡¯ deep dive into the books lasted until he sensed that sunrise would be soon. It was only then that he was pulled from his trance and noticed how tired he was. He hadn¡¯t done anything but sit there and read for hours on end. Heck, if he remembered correctly, then he¡¯d only been up for around thirteen hours now. It was the mental strain that got him, the filing of new information that took a toll on his mind.


    Yawning, Lukas grabbed hold of the current book he was reading and made his way towards the bedroom, reading all the while. He almost stumbled into multiple objects on the way, but he caught himself before he could.


    Entering the room, Lukas decided he¡¯d finish the chapter before going to bed. Climbing under the cover this time, he got comfortable and took out the book. His eyes landed on the first few words, picking up where he¡¯d left off, before his eyes closed and he passed out.


    *


    When Lukas awoke, he found himself tangled in the bedsheet, the book he¡¯d wanted to read open on the floor. He felt refreshed and rejuvenated. He could feel that it was daytime still, meaning he hadn¡¯t slept until nighttime¡ªwhich was good because he didn¡¯t want to spend too much time sleeping. He wanted to spend it learning.

 Chapter 17: Failure

    Lukas wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯d spent reading and mastering the basics, but if he had to guess, it would be close to a week. At this point, his head was chock-full of information he had yet to use. That was going to change today, however. Today, Lukas planned on making his first potions, something he¡¯d been holding off on, albeit barely.


    From the very first day, he¡¯d wanted to delve into the lab and experiment with the cauldron, but he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to believe he had the knowledge to avoid causing an explosion or something similar. As Lukas learned more, he found it increasingly difficult to resist the temptation of diving right in. By now, he had the foundational knowledge to give it a shot, but he lacked the self-confidence to pull the trigger.


    It was only after finishing the first shelf of books that he decided to attempt it. He¡¯d already learned all he needed to; now it was up to him to make it work. This was something he was both excited and nervous about. He was excited because it was another piece of the puzzle he would conquer, something he''d been building up to for a while. He was nervous because he¡¯d read that a failed concoction could be dangerous, ranging from delivering scalding burns to literally blowing up in one''s face.


    Lukas wasn¡¯t one to shy away from pain; his scars were proof enough of that. What he worried about was damaging the lab equipment. So, after going over all his notes so many times that he had them memorized, he made the attempt.


    Lukas would start with mana potions as they were generally considered the easiest for an alchemist to make, followed by health and stamina potions. He already had the required flower for the potion, a Mana tulip; in fact, he had around a dozen in his inventory from his time in the forest. All he needed were a few cuttings from one of the vines growing on the wall, and he¡¯d have what he needed to begin.


    Entering the garden, Lukas pulled out a knife he¡¯d found in the lab for cutting up ingredients and other herbs. Approaching the nearest wall, he found what he needed.


    Wesser Vine (Common) - A vine ,common throughout the world, most often used as a catalyst in potion-making, but also applicable in various other alchemical creations.


    Lukas cut a large segment of vine, knowing that while he didn¡¯t need much for a single craft, he likely wouldn¡¯t succeed on his first try. Even when he figured out the process, Lukas planned to make potion after potion until he had the process nailed down.


    After storing the vine and knife in his inventory, Lukas headed to the lab. Upon arriving, he took a seat on a stool at the central lab table. Everything he needed was already there: the cauldron, the mortar and pestle, and a flask containing distilled water.


    Now, Lukas had no idea where this dungeon came from, but that flask was just ridiculous. It looked like a standard hip flask that any drunk would carry, only this one was completely covered in what Lukas now recognized as inscriptions. The thin lines were a confusing mess, seemingly purposeless, but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.


    Despite its weight and ordinary feel, the flask could hold an untold amount of liquid. Lukas had no idea how much was actually in there and frankly didn¡¯t want to find out for fear of flooding the entire dungeon. If forced to guess, he''d say it could hold more than an Olympic-sized swimming pool''s worth of liquid.


    Shaking his head to clear the distracting thoughts, Lukas moved on to crafting. He pulled out the vine, knife, and his notes, setting everything on the table. Ready to start, Lukas unscrewed the cap from the flask and poured some of the distilled water into the cauldron. There was a rune on the cauldron that would heat the water to a boiling point, but Lukas needed to prepare the ingredients first.


    So, Lukas grabbed a Bunsen burner-like device and lit it. A hot blue flame emitted from it, beginning to lick at the bottom of the cauldron, heating it up. With that task completed, Lukas moved on to the next step.


    Grabbing the vine, Lukas began cutting it into properly sized pieces before setting them aside. Taking one of these pieces, he diced it even further, then tossed it into the mortar. From there, he ground it into a fine paste, all the while consulting his notes, despite having memorized them by that point.


    Once satisfied with the result, Lukas scraped the paste into a small bowl for later. He then cleaned out the mortar before pulling out one of the Mana Tulips from his inventory. Stuffing the flower, stem and all, into the mortar, Lukas started grinding it down as well.


    It was interesting to learn that a significant amount of the flower¡¯s useful energy came from the stem, not just the petals or the main body.


    Soon enough, Lukas had a nice light blue paste that gave off a pleasant aroma reminiscent of chilled blueberries. Nodding in satisfaction, he took the mortar and scooped the blue paste into the now bubbling water. The reaction was almost immediate.


    Just like the regenerative pink flower, the Re¡¯in Carnation, this blue paste dissolved nearly instantly, even faster, dispersing like powder in the distilled water. Lukas knew this was due to the distilled water itself.


    Basic potions like these required the water to be distilled, free from impurities that would hinder a clean mixture and reduce efficiency. For poisons and other higher-tier creations, however, the skill of the alchemist could counteract impurities and control the energies within the concoction.


    Lukas watched briefly as he saw the same strange wisps he¡¯d observed when making the regenerative water. He quickly scribbled down some notes before moving to the next step. Snatching up the paste he had set aside, Lukas dumped it into the cauldron.


    The effect was immediate; the faintly blue water turned into a rich blue that began swirling around in the pot. The vines contained properties that pulled out those of other herbs and ingredients, then bound itself to them, making them more potent. The energies of the flowers or other ingredients would always resist as they were forcibly altered. This is where the alchemist''s role became crucial.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    For an alchemist, the name of the game was energy control. In the creation of a concoction, the energies naturally wanted different things. The goal was to use one''s mana to prevent the energies of the main ingredient¡ªin this case, a flower¡ªfrom overpowering that of the catalyst. When overpowered, the energy from the catalyst would dissipate, resulting in a failed creation. The problem was that in every case ever recorded, the energy of the main ingredient overwhelmed that of the catalyst because the catalyst was inherently weaker and less potent. All the catalyst did was extract the stored energy from the ingredient, leaving the rest to the alchemist. Here, Lukas came into play, and while he wasn¡¯t an alchemist yet, he understood the theory well enough to know his job.


    Placing his hands on the cauldron, Lukas covered two runes meant for infusing mana. With extreme concentration and his notes fresh in mind, he tried to infuse mana into the runes. But nothing happened.


    He kept trying, desperately hoping for some change, but there was none. After a few seconds, an intense smell of sweet blueberries wafted from the cauldron. It was then that Lukas knew he had failed. Scent was a significant indicator of deterioration. If you could smell the flower, it meant the energy of the main ingredient was overwhelming the catalyst, the scent being the escaped energy.


    Lukas just sighed and slumped in his stool, watching as the beautiful blue liquid turned a murky brown with an unpleasant odor. He stared at the failure, pondering what had gone wrong. Everything had gone perfectly until the time came to infuse mana. He had been completely unable to use his mana, but why?


    All the texts he''d read claimed that infusing mana was easy, almost instinctual, yet Lukas felt nothing. Based on what he''d read, he had figured it would come naturally and easily. He could feel the mana within him, but he couldn¡¯t get it move. It was like a strange extra sense, and he could feel the mana running through veins in him, similar to how blood flowed.


    All Lukas could do was try again, so he picked up the cauldron and walked it over to the sink that matched the one in the bathroom. Dumping the contents, he rinsed out the cauldron and returned to his stool. Sitting back down, he filled the pot with more distilled water and went through the whole process again.


    A few minutes later, Lukas was sitting before another cauldron full of swirling deep blue liquid. Once more, he took notes before placing his hands on the respective runes. Again, he concentrated, feeling the mana that flowed through his body, imagining it flowing from his hands into the runes.


    But nothing happened, and again, Lukas was left with a failure.


    Lukas sat there frowning, wondering what he was doing wrong, or rather what he wasn¡¯t doing. He clearly lacked control over his mana, having assumed it would be as straightforward as the books suggested. Closing his eyes, Lukas focused on the mana coursing through his body and over his skin. He tried moving it but to no avail. Then, an idea struck him.


    As a kid, Lukas and his best friend had taught themselves to wiggle their ears. Why? Because they were kids and had nothing better to do. Back then, he couldn¡¯t feel anything when trying to wiggle his ears, no matter how hard he concentrated. It wasn¡¯t until he used his hands to pull on his ears and mimic the motion, to understand what it should feel like, that he succeeded. After that, he knew how the muscles moved and quickly learned to control them.


    Lukas was momentarily lost in memories of better times, reminiscing about his childhood. He swiftly dismissed these thoughts, not wanting to dwell on the past right now. Besides, with his mind clearer, he really didn¡¯t want to think about her.


    Shaking his head, Lukas refocused on the task at hand. He locked onto the mana, attempting to manipulate it somehow to get a feel for its movements. He didn¡¯t know how long he sat there, but he was determined to figure this out before wasting more valuable herbs and ingredients.


    He tried various methods to affect this new part of himself, from moving parts of his body, poking and pinching all over, to experimenting with different breathing patterns. Lukas tried a great number of things, and after each failed attempt, he felt more like an idiot.


    After sitting on the stool like a dunce for far too long, Lukas finally had success when he nudged one of the mana veins with his mind. He wasn''t entirely sure how he''d done it, and the sensation was very strange, but it was progress. It was almost as if he''d done it with his thoughts, but not by thinking them¡ªhe¡¯d tried that. This was like taking a thought, condensing it into a ball, then throwing the ball at a power line.


    Again, the whole thing was bizarre, something not possible before the Stone of Rebirth.


    Anyway, it worked. When the ball of thought hit the power line of his mana, a reverberation passed through Lukas. It was extremely faint and barely noticeable; he only felt it because it was something he¡¯d never felt before. But it gave him a sense of what he was dealing with.


    From then on, Lukas spent more time using thought to feel how his mana moved, and after what felt like an eternity, he made progress. He could faintly sense something within him that he could grab onto and push or pull. Excited by this new revelation, Lukas¡¯ eyes snapped open, and he got to work.


    A few minutes later, he had a new batch roiling in his cauldron. Eager to see what his discovery could do, Lukas jumped straight in. Placing his hands on the runes, he acted on what he now understood to be his mana, and this time, things were different.


    An energy began to trickle out from Lukas, and the runes on the cauldron glowed faintly. A wide smile grew on Lukas¡¯ lips as he felt the difference; it was as though he¡¯d created a link with the cauldron and could use that link to control the energies within. There was just one problem.


    It quickly became clear that Lukas couldn¡¯t supply enough mana; his control was still too weak. Within seconds, his third attempt at a concoction failed. With a sigh, Lukas bowed his head in disappointment. He¡¯d approached this confidently, expecting that after all his studying, he''d master it quickly. Sure, he knew he might fail the first few attempts, but now it was evident he wouldn''t be making anything anytime soon.


    Undeterred, Lukas lifted his head with determination. He scribbled down notes detailing what went wrong, why, and the feelings and sensations he¡¯d experienced. Afterwards, he reviewed it all in his mind several times, trying to grasp everything.


    Not long after, Lukas was back to making more attempts. Each one failed spectacularly, and he hated wasting materials, but he didn''t know how else to practice his mana use. With each subsequent craft, he found progress. The strength of his infusion grew as he became more adept at the feeling and process. He also got closer to a successful craft, with each attempt taking longer to fail.


    It was strange, like navigating a maze but returning to the start with every wrong turn or dead end, all while learning to use a new limb, as if an extra arm had been attached to him. It was frustrating to know what needed to be done but not have the precise or steady control to do it. It was like teaching a paraplegic to use their legs by making them square dance.


    All told, Lukas was having a rough go of it, and frustration was building. However, he didn''t let his emotions sweep him away, knowing it wouldn''t help. Instead, he focused on improving and getting it right. It was just a puzzle he hadn''t solved yet, and with time, he would.

 Chapter 18: Hard Work

    Lukas was ready to slam his head into a wall. For two straight days he did nothing but attempt to create his first mana potion¡ªthe easiest potion to make. Up until then every single attempt had failed, resulting in useless sludge that Lukas dumped in the sink. He was making progress, inching closer to his first successful craft. That being said, things were beginning to slow down as the energy he was trying to wrangle became more unwieldy the closer he came to completing a concoction.


    Lukas¡¯ first lesson in this came when he failed a craft that proceeded to explode out of the cauldron like someone had dropped a firecracker in it. The experience had left him covered in burns and a sludge that likely wouldn¡¯t be coming out of his clothes. There were even a few that blew up more violently, leaving him swearing and glad that he was wearing the mask he¡¯d frankly forgotten he had.


    Despite how annoying the whole ordeal was, it was something Lukas needed to experience. By the third morning, he had a thick stack of notes that described every one of his failures in detail. The only good thing was that he wouldn¡¯t be running out of materials anytime soon. The only bottleneck in his progress at this point was his limited pool of mana.


    Even though Lukas had never successfully made a potion, each attempt still consumed his mana, leaving him with one hell of a headache whenever he ran out. It was during these times that he took a break, taking the chance to do more reading, shower off gunk, or sleep to restore his reserves faster. That led to a strange, inconsistent schedule, his ability to feel when it was night or day proving that out.


    It was partway through the third day that Lukas was finally seeing real results¡ªresults that left him covered in one failed concoction after another. He had to keep his frustration in check, but the constant failure wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing as it meant he was getting closer and closer to making his first successful batch of mana potions.


    He¡¯d already been forced to take a break once, using the time to go over his accumulated notes. Lukas was confident that today would be the day he finally succeeded. It might seem like he was progressing fast, but he knew that wasn¡¯t the case. Based on what he¡¯d read, even the most inept at mana control could kick out a basic mana potion within a day. Learning that had only served to make him feel like even more of a dunce, but he didn¡¯t care¡ªhe would get it eventually.


    It was when his mana pool was down to around half and during a tricky attempt that something changed. Lukas was so focused on trying to feel and sense the energy of the mixture that he barely registered a change in his own body. The sensation distracted him just enough for the concoction to deteriorate into yet another useless sludge.


    Groaning, Lukas took his hands off the cauldron, staring at it for a moment. With a shake of his head, he turned his attention to the new notification he had gained:


    Level gained: [Combat Alchemist] has reached level 1 - Stat points allocated.


    Lukas¡¯ eyes had barely gone over the first two words before he threw his hands up in celebration. ¡°Yes!¡±


    He¡¯d finally done it. He¡¯d finally gained a level after all this time. All it took was failing to make a mana potion over and over again. He could only imagine how fast he¡¯d be able to gain levels once he could actually make concoctions reliably. The moment he could, he¡¯d be a leveling monster, going until he couldn¡¯t.


    Unable to keep a stupid smile off his face, he checked his status screen:


    Lukas Hellstrand


    Race: Human (Outworlder [unique]) - Level 0


    Class 1 - Combat Alchemist - Level 1


    Class 2 - N/A


    Health Points: 370/370


    Stamina: 255/260


    Mana: 128/270


    Stats:


    Vitality: 37


    Endurance: 26


    Intelligence: 26


    Wisdom: 27


    Agility: 27


    Perception: 25


    Toughness: 27


    Strength: 28


    Willpower: 28


    Free Points: 2


    Titles:


    Prodigious Dimensional Traveler, Unkillable, True Heart of a Warrior, Indomitable Worm.


    Abilities:


    Race abilities: (Dimensional Traveler), (Tribute of the Fallen), (Steel Gut), (Tongue of the Multiverse), (Stranger in a Strange Land).


    Looking over his status page, the smile didn¡¯t fade. Despite the fact that his race level was still zero for some reason, and the stats gained from the level were tiny compared to what he¡¯d gained from his titles, he knew it was just the beginning. The percentage increases he had due to those titles would mean everything later on.


    Seeing that he had two free points, he wondered what to put them in. Then the answer slapped him in the face as he saw his half-empty mana pool. Throwing the two points into wisdom, Lukas checked his mana:


    Mana: 158/300


    His maximum had grown by thirty instead of twenty thanks to his titles, as had his current mana, going from 128 to 158. Lukas sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to complain¡ªit just meant he could make more attempts at a mana potion before needing to stop.


    Still grinning from ear to ear and feeling great, Lukas picked up the cauldron with the ruined concoction and took it to the sink. He happily dumped it, rinsing out whatever residual goop was left behind. After drying the cauldron, Lukas turned around, excited to keep trying.


    When he turned back to face the lab, however, he found that he was no longer alone. The appearance of the other person spooked Lukas so badly that he jumped, the cauldron flying out of his hands. He was quick to react, though, and by the time the cauldron hit the ground with a loud CLANG, he already had his sword pointed at the person.


    It was a woman¡ªthe most beautiful and perfect-looking person Lukas had ever laid eyes on. Just gazing upon the woman had turned his brain off briefly. Her fair skin was supple, radiant, and blemish-free as though she had walked right out of a skin-care commercial, only she wasn¡¯t wearing any makeup. Her chocolate-brown hair was silky and put into a simple braid that fell gently down one shoulder. She wore a simple yet elegant white shoulderless gown that hugged her waist, showing off the athletic form that would make Olympians jealous. Then there was something that wafted off her like a perfume, but it was something he could only feel with the new senses gained from the stone of rebirth.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said, her voice gentle and pleasant as it blessed Lukas¡¯ ears. Her eyes twinkled with amusement, and a small smile pulled at her soft lips.


    Despite the impossible beauty of the woman in front of him, Lukas didn¡¯t let his guard down. This lady¡ªif it even was a lady¡ªhad just appeared from nowhere and, as far as he knew, could¡¯ve been behind him before he¡¯d even cleaned the cauldron. The thought made Lukas¡¯ hair stand on end, but he didn¡¯t let the unease show. Mostly due to the mask.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked evenly, keeping his sword leveled at the woman. He was so startled by her appearance that he didn¡¯t even consider identifying her.


    ¡°I am your benefactor,¡± she said sweetly.


    ¡°Benefactor?¡±


    ¡°Where do you think this place came from?¡± she asked, gesturing around the room. ¡°Did you think it just popped into existence?¡±


    Lukas shifted uneasily, knowing what she was getting at. ¡°I don¡¯t know where this place came from,¡± he said carefully, unsure of how much he should say.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you would, coming from a place without magic. All this must be very interesting for you.¡±


    Below the mask, Lukas frowned, and his mind began to race at a frantic pace, trying to figure out what was going on and what to do. ¡°How¡ª?¡±


    ¡°You are an outworlder,¡± she smiled, ¡°someone who comes from a world without any magic.¡±


    Lukas froze, his mind thinking back to the description of the Stranger in a Strange Land ability. He couldn¡¯t remember the whole thing, but what he did remember was that it gave him the ability to obfuscate certain aspects of himself and that people would take an interest in him and his appearance in this world.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so tense,¡± the woman laughed lightly, as though she had no care in the world. ¡°I have no nefarious plans. I just saw you as an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Opportunity? What kind of opportunity?¡± He prodded cautiously, shifting from foot to food uneasily.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit down? I know you have many questions, and I must admit to having a few of my own.¡±


    Lukas stared at the woman for a moment, unsure of what to do. He did know that the woman was strong, extremely strong. He wasn¡¯t sure how he knew; he could just feel it, like instinct or intuition. He also knew that if she did want to do him harm, there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it. All he could do was remain interesting enough that she decided he was a worthwhile opportunity for her.


    Hesitantly, Lukas stored his sword in his inventory, knowing full well that attempting to use it would be pointless.


    Smiling, the woman gestured at the lab table between them before taking a seat on the stool Lukas had been sitting on. Again, Lukas was hesitant to act, but eventually, he sat himself down across from the woman.


    ¡°Who are you, and what do you want with me?¡± Lukas demanded.


    ¡°I am a goddess, and I want you to be my disciple,¡± she said simply.


    Lukas blinked, dumbstruck. He wanted to dismiss the notion out of hand, but he couldn¡¯t. This wasn¡¯t some methed-up homeless person proclaiming to be the second coming of Jesus, but a strong and elegant woman. That still would¡¯ve gotten someone labeled crazy no matter who it was, but there was something about the woman that radiated divinity. Lukas could feel it inside himself¡ªsomething that told him the woman sitting across from him was what she said.


    ¡°Wha¡ª?¡± was all Lukas could get out.


    The goddess laughed, a pleasant sound that momentarily turned his brain off. ¡°I must admit, you¡¯re taking it awfully well. When most mortals realize they¡¯re before a god, they drop to their knees and bow.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, sorry?¡± Lukas said. In all honesty, he felt nothing after the realization but an understanding of what that strange sense he was feeling meant. He didn¡¯t feel any sort of urge to kneel, show deference, or whatever you were supposed to do before a goddess.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. It¡¯s just one more thing that makes you even more interesting. In fact, I suspect it¡¯s due to your unnaturally strong soul.¡±


    ¡°Hang on, soul?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, but that''s a topic for later. For now, let¡¯s get back on track. I saw you stumble upon the entrance to my cave and what you did from there. I saw you had a natural talent for alchemy, so I created this place for you and gave you the means to pursue alchemy properly.¡±


    ¡°But why me?¡± he asked, his mind reeling.


    ¡°Because I saw an opportunity and took it, and so did you by choosing to enter.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lukas said, trying to wrap his mind around what was going on. ¡°So you want me to be your disciple and learn alchemy from you?¡±


    ¡°Just so, and you¡¯ve shown meteoric progress already.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lukas asked skeptically.


    ¡°Oh, yes. For a person who grew up with magic, your performance has been quite poor, but for someone who only gained the ability to manipulate mana just over a week ago and has never seen how to do so properly, you¡¯re doing very well.¡±


    Lukas sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ nice to hear. I read that even the worst of the worst can manage a basic mana potion in just a few hours. I was afraid I might not be made for alchemy.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± the goddess smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you since you entered, and I¡¯m very pleased with how you threw yourself into it. Your thirst for knowledge is admirable¡ªa trait not enough people have.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, thanks. So what am I going to be learning from you?¡±


    ¡°For now? Nothing,¡± she said, surprising Lukas. ¡°You have everything you need for the moment¡ªenough to learn how to make the most basic of potions and poisons. Your mana control is coming along nicely, although slowly. I have no doubt that you¡¯ll be making potion after potion in no time. When the time comes and you¡¯re ready for more, we¡¯ll speak again.¡±


    ¡°Then why talk to me now instead of then?¡±


    ¡°Curiosity. I have questions, same as you.¡±


    ¡°What kind of questions could a goddess have for me?¡±


    ¡°You have a dimensional storage ability of some kind, don¡¯t you?¡± the goddess asked curiously.


    Lukas nodded in confirmation. ¡°I do. I also have four others.¡±


    The goddess frowned, seemingly concerned about something. ¡°That¡¯s what I figured. And what of the others, what are they?¡±


    ¡°I have one that makes it so I don¡¯t have to eat or drink very often. It also gives me an increased resistance to poisons and an improved constitution. There¡¯s one that allows me to loot enemies that I¡¯ve killed. One that lets me speak any language. The last one lets me change certain aspects of myself somehow, as well as giving me access to see my stats, stat points, and free points,¡± he explained, not bothering to hide anything from the person who could probably reduce him to ash in an instant.


    The goddess ran a hand over her face. ¡°Oh, no. That¡¯s a lot to take in, but I already know you¡¯re in trouble. What¡¯s that last ability that lets you see stats? I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that before.¡±


    ¡°Hang on,¡± Lukas said, putting out a hand to stop the goddess. ¡°What¡¯s this about me being in trouble?¡±


    ¡°We can go over that once I have a better understanding of what we¡¯re dealing with. Now, please explain this ability.¡±


    Lukas frowned, more concerned about this trouble the goddess had mentioned, but what could he do about it?


    ¡°It lets me pull up a screen that gives me a basic overview of myself, including class, level, stats, and abilities.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, astonished. ¡°What does it look like?¡±


    Hesitantly, Lukas pulled out a piece of paper from his inventory. One side was covered in the notes he¡¯d taken, so he flipped it over and began writing down his status screen there. The entire time, the goddess watched on eagerly.


    When Lukas was done, he spun the paper to face the goddess, and she looked it over.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good. An ability that breaks down your power into levels, shows you exactly how strong you are, what classes you have and your abilities, exact counts on your resource pools¡­ and I don¡¯t even know what titles are.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean this isn¡¯t good? It¡¯s a great ability,¡± Lukas said, confused and worried by the goddess¡¯ words.


    She pointed to the paper. ¡°Based on your ability and what you¡¯ve told me, these are all race abilities, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Lukas said, not getting the point.


    ¡°Do you know what racial abilities are?¡± the goddess asked. Lukas shook his head. In all the books he¡¯d read, nothing about race abilities had come up, so the goddess explained, ¡°As the name indicates, those abilities are tied to one¡¯s race. Typically, humans don¡¯t have any racial abilities. Those that do are usually royalty of some kind. You, however, are an outworlder and have all five possible abilities¡ªabilities that are completely unique and unlike any I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± Lukas said, still not getting it.


    ¡°There are other races in this world, all with varying types of racial abilities. This is important because of how racial abilities are gained.¡±


    The prospect of there being other races piqued Lukas¡¯ interest to no end, but he knew that was a topic for later, ¡°And how are they gained?¡±


    ¡°By being passed down. They are hereditary.¡±


    Lukas had a pretty good idea of what that meant and what kind of trouble the goddess was worried about now.


    ¡°You should be very careful about telling anyone you¡¯re an outworlder because if people learn about that, you¡¯ll have powerful people throwing their young flowers at you as though you were the main attraction at a parade.¡±


    Lukas had never been much of a people person, nor had he ever been a ladies¡¯ man, so the thought of having women thrown at him was honestly terrifying. But not as terrifying as his imagination could conjure up, because there was something else he was fretful of.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t try to kidnap me or anything, would they?¡± Lukas asked, afraid of the answer.


    ¡°Luckily, no,¡± the goddess said, shaking her head, her perfect chocolatey hair bouncing in a mesmerizing fashion. ¡°The moment people realize what you are, you¡¯ll have too many eyes on you for that kind of thing. Even if they did, it¡¯s not like they¡¯d be able to chain you to a bed and make you pump out babies.¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Not since you absorbed the Stone of Rebirth, no. The stone transformed your body into one able to wield and manipulate mana, but also gave you better control of your own body. Intent is an important part of magic, no matter what field. This means that no matter what they do to you, if you don¡¯t want to impregnate someone, you won¡¯t. That being said, I would advise against using that to get some easy tail, unless you want to end up dead fast.¡±


    Lukas shook his head. ¡°No problem there. Just so long as I don¡¯t get snatched up, I¡¯m happy. But what was it you said about other races? Do you mean like elves and dwarves?¡±


    The goddess just smiled, a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°That is one of many questions I will not answer.¡±


    ¡°What? How come?¡±


    ¡°I think we both know it¡¯s something best learned on your own, rather than by being told by me. Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±

 Chapter 19: Progress

    ¡°Will you tell me about souls?¡± Lukas asked the goddess before him, ¡°You said something about them earlier, but didn¡¯t elaborate.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± the goddess nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a topic too important not to discuss. Do you know anything about souls? It seems like you¡¯re familiar.¡±


    Lukas shrugged. ¡°Not really. Just that the soul is spiritual.¡±


    ¡°It is spiritual. Where the body interacts with the physical world, the soul interacts with the spiritual one. After taking on the Stone of Rebirth, you should have a better connection to your own soul. At least it should feel like it.¡±


    ¡°I did gain a few ¡®senses¡¯ I guess you could say,¡± Lukas said, ¡°feeling some things I can¡¯t really explain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal, but most of that has to do with your physical body being more sensitive and in tune with the magical aspects of reality. During the process of absorbing the Stone, one of the biggest things that happens is the connection between your body and soul growing stronger. Think of it like two balls held together with string; what happened was the string growing stronger and thicker, while pulling the two balls closer together.


    ¡°The soul also dictates the shape of the body; sure, your parents have something to do with it, but it¡¯s ultimately down to the soul. It¡¯s also how healing magic works, using the soul to return the body to the state it¡¯s meant to be in. Now with the strengthened bond you now have with your soul, you¡¯ll no longer get scars.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lukas asked, fascinated by the subject. ¡°Are there any books on all this in the library?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the goddess laughed. ¡°There are only books on alchemy and the magical theory related to it. Anyway, another aspect of the soul is the aura.¡±


    ¡°Did you say aura?¡± Lukas asked.


    ¡°I did. Are you familiar?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there are people back home who believe in auras, crystals, and rocks. Most people just see them and make jokes behind their backs because that stuff is ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what an aura is then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the feel of a person or thing, right? Like a monster giving off a feeling of danger.¡±


    ¡°You could describe it like that,¡± she nodded slowly. ¡°Someone with a weak connection to their soul would definitely get a vague feeling rather than a real understanding of what they were dealing with. The aura is an expression of the soul. A person with good control over their aura can decide what is shown in their aura; others not so much.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ever since you absorbed the stone of rebirth, your aura has grown stronger and more detectable, and with your lack of control over it, it wafts out of you, allowing anyone to read you like a book.¡±


    Lukas coughed uncomfortably and shifted on his stool. ¡°So you can read my mind?¡±


    The goddess shook her head. ¡°Nothing so intrusive, but your emotions are in clear view. Now, if someone got to know you well enough, they could read your emotions and know what you¡¯re thinking, but that¡¯s another thing entirely. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t matter how good your aura control is before me; I¡¯m so much more powerful I¡¯d easily be able to see through you.¡±


    ¡°How do I control my aura?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you another time, before you leave here that is. Can¡¯t have you wandering around with people able to see you¡¯re an outworlder, and no aura control means you¡¯re always projecting, so any beast would be able to pick it up.¡±


    Lukas nodded with a frown. ¡°Am I able to feel your aura right now?¡±


    ¡°You should be able to, yes. More powerful people will be able to completely hide their aura from you if they wanted to though.¡±


    ¡°I think I can feel it, like perfume that is constantly rolling off you and washing over me, but I feel it over my entire being.¡±


    ¡°And what does it feel like?¡± the goddess asked curiously, as though no one had felt it before.


    ¡°I don¡¯t- I can¡¯t,¡± Lukas tried, struggling to put the feeling into words, ¡°Dangerous, strong, powerful, and what might be divinity? Whatever it is, it¡¯s not mortal. I can sense there¡¯s something else below the surface, but it feels beyond my reach, like trying to see the ocean bed from the top. It¡¯s a strange sensation, unlike anything I¡¯ve ever felt before.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine coming from a place with no magic. You¡¯ll get a handle on it before long, same with your mana control. Which brings us close to another topic we should discuss.¡±


    ¡°No more soul and aura talk?¡± Lukas asked, slightly disappointed as he¡¯d found the topic very interesting .


    The goddess smiled warmly, clearly sensing his emotions. ¡°We¡¯ll delve deeper into that once I teach you the basics of controlling your aura. For now, we¡¯ll move on to the important steps of growing your power, or gaining levels in your case.¡±


    Lukas perked up at that, ready and willing to take any chance to grow stronger. ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°There are many ways once you start breaking it all down, but it comes to pushing yourself and never being satisfied with where you¡¯re at.¡±


    ¡°So how do I push onward?¡±


    ¡°First it¡¯s important to understand where the incoming power comes from. No matter whether a person is a warrior, alchemist, or a smith, they all grow stronger by delving deeper into their ¡®class,¡¯ as your ability called it. A master black-smith truly reaches the pinnacle by pushing his boundaries in the forge, not the lab. Sure, anyone can gain from killing beasts and monsters, but to really move forward it¡¯s the class that matters.¡±


    ¡°So my combat alchemist class will level quicker when I¡¯m making potions and whatnot?¡±


    ¡°Not quite.¡± The goddess smirked. ¡°You¡¯ll grow by crafting alchemical products, but the real gains will come when using them in combat, even more so when you kill something with them. The combat alchemy class is great because of this, being able to progress whether you¡¯re in the lab or on the battlefield. Most other classes require one or the other.¡±


    Lukas nodded, taking it all in. ¡°What about my second class?¡±


    ¡°Classes are gained when a person has a good enough understanding of something. They¡¯re usually gained around 15 or 16, so most around that age become apprentices or go to schools to learn more about what class they want. A class can also be gained through artifacts like the tome I left out for you, something to bestow enough knowledge to grant a class.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°As for what second class you should go for, it¡¯s up to you. Some people go with two combat classes, or one combat and one crafting class, one combat and one magical, combat and healing, two healing, two crafting. I could go on and on, but I would suggest a full combat class as it would grow in power alongside your first one.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea. How will I gain one though? I¡¯ve never taken any kind of martial art training before.¡±


    The goddess waved this concern away. ¡°I have a number of relics I planned on presenting to you, each will give you a combat class so, if you want to go another route, you¡¯ll have to find another way to gain the class.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine, a combat class is what I want. I don¡¯t just want to sit in a safe lab forever; I want to go out and explore what this world has to offer.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The goddess smiled. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to hear. Now back on topic, progressing and getting stronger.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°We went over gaining power, next is consolidating that power through meditation.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right at the beginning, so imagine all the power and strength you have as a single snowflake. The more power you gain the more snowflakes there are. After a while it might seem like you have a lot of power because there are a bunch of loose snowflakes around, but that just means your power is hollow. What you need to do is condense all the snowflakes into a snowball. It will be smaller, but your power will be denser and there will be room for more snowflakes. You keep condensing and consolidating until that snowball holds the weight of a star, that is real power and something people can pick up in your aura.¡±


    ¡°How do I do that?¡± Lukas asked, eager to try.


    ¡°You meditate. Clear your mind of all things, focusing on the power flowing through you. You need to guide all the loose power somewhere¡ªmost using breathing techniques. They inhale to draw the motes of power towards their chest, and with each following inhale they get closer before condensing.¡±


    Lukas nodded, being sure to remember the words. ¡°Got it. What next?¡±


    ¡°Training is important, striving to be better even if you feel you¡¯re already at your best. This won¡¯t help you gain power or levels, but you¡¯ll be pushing your limits in order to take on more and push further.¡±


    ¡°What kind of training? I assume you mean getting better at fighting, but there¡¯s more isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you need to train your body and mind, squeezing out every drop of potential possible. Once you get out into the world and find others, you¡¯ll find out more, but for now the best way is to look towards those stats of yours as a guide. Practice each one, getting everything you can out of each individual stat point, aiming to make them as efficient as possible.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Lukas said. He wanted to ask what some of the stats points did; he had a pretty good idea about them, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but since the goddess hadn¡¯t heard of stats before, he doubted she¡¯d have answers. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    The goddess stood from her spot across from Lukas, as though to leave. ¡°I believe we¡¯ve covered enough for one day. We¡¯ll speak again before you leave; I want to make sure you have a solid grasp of the important things.¡±


    Lukas blinked, and just like that the goddess was gone.


    He took a moment to recover before he grabbed a piece of paper and hurriedly scribbled down everything he¡¯d learned. It was all surface level stuff, things that children probably knew, but to him it was all vitally important. That being said, he was also left with even more questions than before, and he wrote these down as well. Lukas knew the goddess wasn¡¯t likely to answer them all, but he still planned on throwing them all at her.


    Once he was finished and had everything written down, Lukas stared at the paper somewhat lamely. What was he going to do now?


    Lukas¡¯ eye fell upon the cauldron that was still lying on the ground. Moving from his spot on the stool, he went over and picked up the cauldron, checking it for damage. The thing was thankfully free of any blemish, and Lukas walked it back to the other side of the table, where he¡¯d originally been sitting and where the goddess appeared.


    Setting the cauldron down where it belonged, Lukas looked at it blankly for a moment. Before his talk with the goddess, Lukas had been going at it like a machine for days. Now that process had been interrupted, and he found himself unable to get back into the groove. He had too many things racing through his mind to concentrate properly.


    Lukas wanted to try something new, and as stupid as it sounded with his mind racing like it was, he wanted to try meditating. He had no idea how to do it properly or if he¡¯d even get anything out of it at this point, but he¡¯d at least be setting the groundwork for greatness. And getting in the habit couldn¡¯t be a bad thing either.


    Nodding to himself, Lukas turned from the lab table and made for the door. Originally, he¡¯d been hoping to craft his first successful mana potion today, but it seemed like that was going to be pushed back a little.


    Making his way across the central room, Lukas headed for the bedroom. Once there, he took a seat on the edge of the soft bed. Getting comfortable, he took in a deep breath and rolled his shoulders in an attempt to relax himself.


    Then, closing his eyes, Lukas attempted to empty his mind and let everything fall away. It wasn¡¯t easy, the things he learned from the goddess swirling around in his head. Not to mention the fact that any small thought led to a distracting tangent that he had to pull himself away from.


    In the end Lukas just had to focus on the process, looking inward and imagining little pinpricks of experience floating freely in his body. The goal was simple, take those small pieces of power and collect them in one spot, condensing and consolidating them. Lukas took in a deep breath, filling his lungs until they felt ready to burst. With the breath, not only was air taken in, but so too were the motes of power drawn closer to the center of his body.


    Letting out a slow breath, Lukas made sure not to push the motes away. Then taking in another deep breath, the dots of experience moved in once again. He continued this over and over, collecting all the loose power in the center of his chest, next to his heart. He didn¡¯t stop there, using each breath as a press that squeezed the motes together. The number of motes shrank as they combined, the small pinpricks growing in size as they came together.


    Eventually it came to a point that it wasn¡¯t just something Lukas was imagining, but something he could feel. It was like he was creating something within himself. He kept going and going irrespective of time, only willing to stop once the coalescing motes solidified into one solid ball. A ball he would put pressure on until it was as dense as possible.


    Eventually Lukas stopped, his progress slowing the more he pressed on. It was clear that he wasn¡¯t going to reach his goal of having some kind of core of immense power like the sun. At least not yet, maybe once he got stronger.


    That didn¡¯t mean he made no progress however. Even when Lukas stopped meditating he could feel that condensed power in his chest, ready to be put to use. Granted it was a feebly weak feeling, but it was something. He also felt how close he was to leveling up as well; he could almost taste it. It seemed that consolidating loose experience would help with leveling.


    Standing from his spot on the bed, Lukas felt oddly rejuvenated. Checking his mana, he found it to be nearly topped off. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯d been at it, but he had a feeling his mana had regenerated faster while meditating. Whether or not health and stamina were affected as well, Lukas didn¡¯t know as he¡¯d already had both resources full when starting.


    While meditating was refreshing, it wasn¡¯t going to be something that replaced sleep. Although regular meditation might mean not needing to sleep for as long. Unable to answer that question for now, Lukas let it drop for the moment. Instead, he¡¯d focus on alchemy now that his mind had settled once more and since he was so close to another level.


    Not long later, Lukas failed yet another brew, but was greeted with some very welcome notifications:


    Level gained: [Combat Alchemist] has reached level 2 - Stat points allocated.


    Level gained: [Human (outworlder)] has reached level 1 - Stat points allocated.


    Smiling to himself, Lukas opened his status screen to see those sweet gains:


    Lukas Hellstrand


    Race: Human (Outworlder [unique]) - Level 1


    Class 1 - Combat Alchemist - Level 2


    Class 2 - N/A


    Health Points: 390/390


    Stamina: 270/270


    Mana: 320/320


    Stats


    Vitality: 39


    Endurance: 27


    Intelligence: 28


    Wisdom: 32


    Agility: 28


    Perception: 26


    Toughness: 30


    Strength: 30


    Willpower: 30


    Free Points: 3


    Titles:


    Prodigious Dimensional Traveler, Unkillable, True Heart of a Warrior, Indomitable Worm.


    Abilities:


    Race abilities: (Dimensional Traveler), (Tribute of the Fallen), (Steel gut), (Tongue of the Multiverse), (Stranger in a Strange Land).

 Chapter 20: Abilities

    Lukas couldn¡¯t be happier to have a second level up in one day. Not only that, but he¡¯d gained a race level as well, and, going off the timing of when he gained that level, he guessed that race level was an average of both class levels. Seeing as he didn¡¯t have a second class yet, being level zero by default, it felt like a safe guess.


    The extra stats given from the race level were also nice, making him all the more powerful. For someone so low leveled, his stats were looking great thanks to his titles, making Lukas confident in taking on anyone several levels above him. He had already been doing that with beasts and monsters, but he hadn¡¯t understood the power gap then, and he wasn¡¯t sure he did now.


    None of that mattered at the moment, however; he was in a safe place with no enemies to fight. Though, thinking back to all the kill notifications he¡¯d received, Lukas wondered just how much experience he¡¯d missed out on just because he didn¡¯t have a class at the time.


    Shaking his head free of the distracting thoughts, Lukas quickly dumped his three free points into wisdom for a larger mana pool, and got back to work. Standing from his spot at the lab table, he went over to the sink and, like many times before, dumped the failed concoction down the drain. Once back in his seat he continued to make failed potion attempts one after another like his life depended on it.


    Lukas was so close to having it down; each craft came closer to success than the last, but that just meant every failure got more dangerous and more mana hungry. He took the hits and plowed ahead, refusing to let a few burns stop him. What could stop him was running out of mana, which he did. That wasn¡¯t to say he only got a few attempts in; in fact, he got plenty despite how much mana he was wasting.


    When the inevitable happened and Lukas ran out, he decided to call it for the day. It was disappointing to not have made his first potion yet, but he was buoyed by the goddess¡¯s assurance that he was making quick progress for someone in his situation. Besides, he already knew he wasn¡¯t likely to succeed that day anyway.


    Leaving the lab behind, Lukas headed for the bedroom and the shower. He hadn¡¯t cleaned himself in a few days, having been so consumed by his alchemy, and now he really needed to. He was covered in the foul goop that resulted from the failed mana potions, layers caked over one another creating an unholy amalgam of stench. It covered his skin and clothes, even managing to get in his hair. He wasn¡¯t exactly smelling his best at the moment.


    Entering the bedroom, Lukas slipped off his boots before striding into the bathroom. He was about to take off his clothes and get into the shower when he froze, remembering something the goddess had said: ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you since you entered¡­¡±


    Lukas had already showered before, multiple times actually. Did that mean the goddess had watched him? Narrowing his eyes, he panned his gaze around the room, as if to look for hidden cameras.


    At once a presence flooded the room, and with it came a voice: ¡°I¡¯m not going to watch you shower,¡± the amused voice teased, ¡°unless you want me to, that is.¡±


    Lukas¡¯ head whipped around wildly, startled and trying to find the speaker. He was still alone, and he assumed the goddess had spoken with some kind of god-like power she had.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± he pleaded aloud.


    The presence disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving behind a faint sense of amusement.


    Lukas could only sigh, knowing full well that no matter what the goddess said, he would have no idea whether or not she was watching him. With that in mind, he showered quickly, not lingering under the warm, cleansing water despite how much he wanted to.


    Stepping out, he threw on some clothes from his inventory before making his way towards the bed. He was almost out the door when he caught himself in the mirror. He was nice and clean and all that, but what caught his eye was the mask he¡¯d completely forgotten he was wearing.


    Lukas stared at his reflection, slightly unnerved by the faceless figure that looked back. The mask made him seem like some kind of weird movie monster, and he kind of liked it. It was intimidating and unnerving, at least Lukas hoped it was. He wasn¡¯t sure what the people of this world found unsettling, but he hoped the mask would make people less likely to ask questions.


    The last thing he needed was anyone showing interest in him; that¡¯d be a good way to get outed as an outworlder while trying to acclimate to this new world. No, better to be unapproachable, even if people thought he was some brooding weirdo.


    Pulling himself away from the mirror, Lukas finally made his way to the bed, succumbing to sleep not much later. When he awoke hours later, he felt wholly refreshed, and ready to make a potion. He could feel it: by the time he slept next, he¡¯d have created a mana potion. Mostly because he wouldn¡¯t let himself sleep until he had succeeded.


    With confidence in his step, Lukas entered the garden to refill his supply of ingredients before heading towards the lab. Once there, he sat himself down and got to work.


    For the next few hours, Lukas wasted resources like no tomorrow, smashing his head into a brick wall until he made his way through. He made progress that only seemed to get slower and slower, like a lengthy download made with bad internet.


    Multiple breaks had to be taken whenever Lukas ran out of mana; during these times, he¡¯d go over his notes and meditate to consolidate and regenerate mana faster. It was during these times he contemplated every attempt he¡¯d made so far, all the failures, setbacks, and things he learned, using everything to get closer to his goal.


    Eventually, everything came together, but barely, as Lukas almost let it slip through his fingers once he realized this could be it. The roiling, swirling blue liquid settled, turning a pleasant light blue, the same color as the petals in the flowers used. A faint scent worked its way under the mask, filling Lukas¡¯ nose with the smell of blueberries. A new notification awaited Lukas, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to read it.


    [Mana Potion (Lesser)] - Has been successfully crafted. This is a new creation, providing extra experience.


    Unable to hold back a smile, Lukas moved towards a nearby cabinet filled with empty potion vials. Grabbing a few, he filled as many as he could with his first creation. He was only able to fill two bottles since much of the water and energy had burned off in the wildly inefficient process. It was a number that would have him labeled as a dunce, but Lukas did not care because he¡¯d finally done it.


    Stoppering vials, Lukas held them up and identified them:


    [Mana Potion (Lesser)] - Restores 23 mana when consumed.


    It wasn¡¯t a lot; in fact, it gave less mana than it took to make, and the lesser rarity wasn¡¯t good either, considering he¡¯d used common ingredients to make. Still, Lukas didn¡¯t care. It was just the first of many, and he planned on making them the best he possibly could.


    Seeing that his mana was low and unable to help himself, Lukas instantly downed the liquid from one of the vials. As the potion passed down his throat, his mana pool instantly shot up by 23 points.


    Smacking his lips, Lukas looked at the now empty vial in his hand. ¡°Tastes like blueberry juice,¡± he noted.


    Putting the remaining potion and empty bottles in his inventory, Lukas turned to the empty cauldron. Now it was time to really get to work. He could feel another level coming close thanks to all the extra experience gained from making his first mana potion, and he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to stop now.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Lukas got straight back to work, his next few attempts failing as he lost control of the energies. He was a bit down about it, the failures raining on his parade. The party-pooping didn¡¯t last long though, as he made one final attempt before running out of mana, and this time he had another success, and with it came a level.


    [Mana Potion (Lesser)] - Has been successfully crafted. Experience earned.


    Level gained: [Combat Alchemist] has reached level 3 - Stat points allocated.


    Once again, Lukas only collected two potions from the attempt, but these gave 25 mana instead of 23, a tiny improvement but an improvement nonetheless. Smiling to himself once more, he put the potions away before being forced to take a break.


    Going into the bedroom, Lukas checked his growing stats and put his free points into wisdom, resulting in a mana pool of 390. With that taken care of, he meditated for about an hour, at which point he took out one of his potions, downed it, and returned to the lab.


    For what Lukas assumed was the next twelve hours or so, he turned into a potion making machine. He still failed a lot and the quality of the potions were still lacking, but he was making them. Now that he was actually making potions, he got a greater feel for the mana control needed and improved faster than before.


    Slowly the number of failed creations declined as Lukas made more successful attempts. He was getting into the groove of things, as the quality of the potions increased. The process was becoming more efficient as he continued to grow more comfortable with the feel of the mana and other energies. It meant a slightly greater mana expenditure, but in return each potion restored even more mana.


    Progress was not linear over the hours nor had it been in the days prior. There were setbacks as Lukas realized that one technique or another wouldn¡¯t be suitable for long term growth. He¡¯d have to start over, going back to the rickety foundations he¡¯d built and figure out how to secure and build on them.


    It was a tricky and frustrating experience, but Lukas knew it would all pay off in the end. Besides, whenever he overcame an obstacle he was filled with a rush of dopamine similar to whenever he got past a particularly difficult step in a puzzle. And that¡¯s all this was, just a big puzzle Lukas wanted to solve.


    Lukas only stopped his frenzied crafting session when he ran out of mana and meditated, or whenever he gained a new level in order to check his progress and allocate his free points. And with all the successful crafts and improvements he was doing, the levels were coming in. He had noticed that the speed in which he gained experience was slowing. It wasn¡¯t really a surprise as he was only making lesser rarity mana potions, and it only made sense that there would be some kind of limiter.


    It was this limiter that slowed his progress to level five down to a crawl. Eventually, though, Lukas managed to bulldoze his way into the new level, and this time something else came along with the stat points.


    [Mana Potion (Lesser)] - Has been successfully crafted. Experience earned.


    Level gained: [Combat Alchemist] has reached level 5 - Stat points allocated.


    New ability earned: [Amber Eye of the Alchemist] - Ability: In the study of alchemy energy flow is supreme, and is what separates the good from the great. With your eyes turned to amber, all things get caught in them. This ability allows you to better see the magical energies around you passively. Allows you to slow your perception of time while focusing on crafting to better understand the flow of magical energies for a low mana-per-second cost. Mana cost: Low


    Lukas barely managed to register the new and long notification before a painful prickling sensation began poking at his eyes. With a grunt, Lukas began blinking his eyes, but the poking quickly turned into a vicious burn like both his eyes had dozens of hairs in them. He brought his hands to his face to try to rub at them, but was stopped when his hands hit his mask. With another grunt, Lukas ripped off the mask, tossing it onto the table as he held his hands to his pain-filled eyes. Tears began to drip down his cheeks, and the burning intensified, drawing out more pain-filled hisses and groans.


    Lukas continued to rub at his eyes to no avail, cursing and swearing all the while, and wondering why the hell his eyes felt like they were being melted. Thankfully, the burning sensation only lasted around a minute. As the pain began to fade, he tried opening his eyes and found his vision blurry.


    Wiping the tears away, Lukas opened his eyes to find he wasn¡¯t alone anymore. ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± he yelled, nearly jumping to the ceiling in startled surprise.


    Across from him, the goddess couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ***


    Andrea, Kalic, Derek, and Naiome fought a beast in the complex forest environment not far from a small farming village. They had taken an open contract to help with the increased number of monsters and beasts in the area.


    The group had already been in the village for a few days and had had their fair share of fights. Thankfully, the fights weren¡¯t too difficult, the village not being so far into the forest as to have anything really dangerous nearby. That didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t find a challenge, however.


    At that very moment they were fighting a high mid-tier copper Pine Brute, a beast that barely qualified to fight low coppers. At least it wasn¡¯t a Vipercat; if they had to face one of those, they likely would¡¯ve had to run for aid. And sure, the Pine Brute was fast and strong, but it wasn¡¯t agile, making it easy to dodge.


    From the get-go Naiome, the archer, had acted as a scout. They¡¯d stumbled across the beast on one of their patrols, and the moment Naiome spotted the thing she¡¯d alerted the team, allowing them to get the jump on the beast.


    The engagement started when Naiome climbed one of the large pine trees that gave the forest its name, and sent a barrage of arrows down at the Pine Brute. Before the thing even had a chance to get out of the way, it had three arrows sticking out of its back, blood running from its fresh wounds.


    As more arrows rained down towards the creature, it didn¡¯t take long for the Pine Brute to spot Naiome in the tree. Before it could ram itself into the tree, Andrea struck. Sneaking up behind the thing to deliver a good stab to the beast¡¯s back, leaving a deep wound that left behind a burning affliction thanks to one of her abilities.


    The Pine Brute roared in pain, and went to attack Andrea, but instead it saw Kalic coming in for a shield bash. The creature didn¡¯t even hesitate as it moved to meet the scale kin. The two met, and no matter how much his abilities might have helped, they were no match for the strength of a more powerful foe.


    Kalic was sent stumbling back as the beast smashed into him with its massive arms. He recovered quickly though, managing to get in a few good hits as the Pine Brute continued its attempt to squash him like a rotten melon.


    Derek, not far behind Kalic, didn¡¯t just sit and watch, but gave out buffs to the defender while shooting bolts of energy from a stave. The Pine Brute roared in outrage as it tried to get past Kalic¡¯s shield in order to crush the two behind it. Kalic didn¡¯t let it happen, however, knowing how to use his shield and how to keep it between his allies and the enemy.


    With the beast mostly focused on Kalic and Derek, Andrea was free to get in glancing blows as she wove in and out of combat. Each of her strikes added to the burning effect depending on how deep the cuts were. All the while, arrow after arrow rained down from above, turning the beast into a pincushion.


    The fight went on, the Pine Brute¡¯s toughness and vitality keeping it in the battle far longer than most other monsters could stand. Andrea and Kalic both took their hits, Naiome still safe in a tree and Derek protected behind Kalic. Thankfully, neither of the two front liners took big hits, only glancing blows that caused them to stumble before getting back in the fight.


    In the end, the Pine Brute wasn¡¯t enough of a match for the team and fell. When the beast fell dead, the team gathered up to recover. All except Andrea, who could feel a familiar stinging sensation all over her body.


    Grinning triumphantly, she said, ¡°I¡¯m about to gain a new ability.¡±


    The other three all looked at her with smiles that matched her own. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Naiome said.


    ¡°Do you know which class it¡¯s supposed to be?¡± Derek asked, pulling out material for a harvesting ritual.


    ¡°My fire magic one, I think. I was able to get some good burning afflictions in, and I¡¯m hoping those helped get me over the line,¡± Andrea said, her voice becoming slightly strained as the prickling turned into slight pain.


    ¡°Hopefully it¡¯ll be something with a bit more battle presence, even if the mana cost is higher,¡± Kalic said, allowing his summoned tower shield to dissolve. ¡°Not to say those burning afflictions aren¡¯t good, it¡¯s just that they don¡¯t do much until you¡¯ve got enough on an enemy.¡±


    Andrea opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when the instinctual knowledge of her new ability entered her mind. With a gleeful look in her eye, she turned towards a nearby moss-covered boulder and swung her sword through the air all while moving her mana through her new channels, consuming a large portion of her remaining mana.


    As she swung, a blade of flames shot out of her sword, heading straight for the boulder. When it hit, the blade burst apart, burning the boulder and the moss on it. Once the flames dispersed, they revealed a boulder with black scorch marks and the moss nowhere in sight.


    Naiome grinned. ¡°Oh yeah, I think that¡¯ll do just fine.¡±