Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp
My eyes slowly blinked open to the persistent sound of cheerful chirping echoing all around me. I gradually pushed myself up from the ground and carefully looked around at my surroundings, taking in everything I could see.
I found myself situated in the middle of an open clearing, surrounded by nature on all sides. The sky stretched above me in a brilliant, vibrant shade of blue, and I had absolutely no idea whatsoever about what was happening or how I had arrived in this strange place.
"Where am I?" I asked aloud, my voice uncertain.
Ding.
I jumped in surprise and looked around hastily in all directions. What was that peculiar sound? I stopped my frantic searching when my gaze finally landed on a blue rectangular floating screen that hovered mysteriously in the air before me.
"What is this?" I muttered to myself in confusion.
I reached out tentatively and touched it with my fingertips, and it moved slightly in response to my touch. My eyes widened in astonishment as words began to materialize and appear on the glowing screen.
-Hello host, I am your aid. Please choose your name.-
Name? What is my name? And who am I? As panic began to rise within me and threatened to overwhelm my thoughts, some sort of mysterious energy suddenly washed over me and calmed my frayed nerves. A name unexpectedly popped into my head, as if placed there by some unseen force.
"Lancelot, my name is Lancelot," I stated with growing confidence.
The words on the screen changed and transformed before my eyes.
-Welcome Lancelot, please choose your preferred weapon. Note: can use all weapons-
I carefully scrolled through the available options one by one, examining each choice thoroughly until I stopped at one particular option that caught my attention.
-Spear-
A spear is a versatile pole weapon made of a shaft with a pointed head attached to one end. Unlike a specialized weapon like the lance, which serves a singular purpose, the spear was used for various purposes throughout history, including throwing as a ranged weapon (like a javelin) or for thrusting in close-quarters combat situations. Its simple yet effective design and remarkable adaptability made it one of the most widely used and successful weapons throughout all of human history across different cultures and civilizations.
I felt a deep resonance within myself and chose that particular weapon without further hesitation.
-Please check your inventory for the items-
Inventory? I clicked around the system interface for a little while, exploring various menus and options before finally finding the inventory section the system had mentioned.
I clicked on the inventory icon and saw that I had a spear already stored in my inventory. I selected it and took it out, feeling its weight in my hands as I swung it experimentally through the air.
Ding- Proficiency +1
I paused in my movements and looked at the notification that had appeared on the screen.
"Proficiency?" I questioned aloud.
-Your weapon skill has mastery. The more you use it and practice with it, the better you become at wielding it. The max level is 100-
I clicked around again through the interface and found another panel that I hadn't noticed before.
-Mastery-
I clicked on it and scrolled through the extensive list. There were all sorts of different skills listed, like harvesting, smithing, mining, spear, sword, and many more. There was quite a lot to take in. I clicked specifically on the spear mastery option and checked the detailed information it provided.
Spear Mastery lv. 1: 1/100 proficiency
If I swing my spear another 99 times and gain that much experience, it will level up to the next tier.
I gripped my spear tightly and stood completely still, lost in thought. What am I doing? And why am I doing this? What is my purpose in this strange world?
Ding
-You do not have a specific purpose-
"Then why am I here?" I asked, feeling a mix of confusion and frustration.
-To find happiness-
"Happiness?" I repeated, uncertain.
-Yes, I am your aid. I will help you achieve happiness and guide you along your journey-
"Then tell me, what should I do?" I pressed for more specific guidance.
-Strength. You are too weak in your current state. You must gather strength and grow strong enough to protect those you will eventually come to love and care about deeply-
"Strength? Then, I must grow stronger," I declared with newfound determination.
-It has been detected that the host has a strong desire to acquire strength and improve. You have been given a quest-
Quest: Increase spear mastery to the next level.
Rewards: 10 exp
I immediately began swinging the spear without any hesitation, putting my full effort into each movement. As I continued to practice diligently, though, something felt distinctly off about my technique and form.
I paused in my training and examined the weapon more carefully, studying its design and construction. From what I'd read in the description, it could be thrown like a javelin for ranged attacks or used for thrusting attacks in close combat situations.
I shifted my stance into a proper, more stable position and thrust the spear forcefully into the air before me, focusing on my form.
+2 proficiency
So I gain more experience points when I use the spear as it was originally designed to be used and intended for?
-Your way of thinking is correct-
Encouraged by the system's confirmation and positive feedback, I continued practicing with renewed vigor and focus.
+2 proficiency
+2 proficiency
+2 proficiency
Ding
-Spear mastery has leveled up-
Ding
-You have completed a quest-
I took a deep breath and stopped my training regimen. As I checked the notification on my screen, I wondered what I should do next. Should I continue training my spear skills further, or should I move on to something else?
Ding
-You have been given a new quest-
Quest: kill 0/3 slimes
Reward: 15 exp
Ding
-A new feature has been added to your system-
Map: can show areas you have visited and display nearby enemies in your vicinity.
I knew exactly what to do next. I opened the map interface and looked carefully for any slimes nearby that I could hunt. Spotting a red dot indicating an enemy, I ran swiftly in that direction.
After arriving at the destination just a minute away, I closed the map and surveyed the area thoroughly, assessing the situation.
-hydro slime level 1-
There were four of them in total scattered around the area.
"Are they strong?" I asked the system cautiously.
-No, you can defeat them with your current abilities-
I nodded in acknowledgment and charged in confidently. I thrust my spear directly at the center of the nearest slime, but my aim was slightly off and I hit it to the right side instead. The slime flew backward from the force of the impact and crashed to the ground.
The others quickly noticed the commotion and charged at me aggressively. Thinking quickly on my feet, I swung my spear in a wide, sweeping arc, hitting all of them simultaneously and sending them flying in different directions.
I jumped toward one of them and stabbed it firmly in the side with my spear.
"Tch, my aim is bad," I muttered to myself in frustration.
But I didn't stop my assault. I continued my aggressive attack pattern until I finally managed to kill one of the slimes completely.
-killed a slime gained 1 exp-
I ignored the notification that appeared and focused intently on the ongoing fight with the remaining slimes.
+1 exp
+1 exp
+1 exp
Ding
-You have completed a quest-
I sat down on the ground and took a deep breath, trying to recover my stamina. That fight took longer than it should have taken. I need to improve my aim significantly and increase my stamina and endurance.
My eyes turned to my status screen to check my progress.
Level: 1/100
Exp: 29/100
If I keep fighting and gaining experience, I'll eventually level up and become stronger. I stood up with determination, resolved to find more monsters to slay and continue my growth.
Ding
-Your desire to improve has given you new quests to complete-
Quest: Level up Spear Proficiency
Reward: 10 exp
Quest: Kill 0/5
Reward: 20 exp
Quest: Set up camp
Reward: 5 exp
The first two quests are a priority and must be completed first. I'll finish the last one after completing the others in sequence.
I ran around the area and started actively hunting and killing slimes wherever I could find them.
+1 exp
+1 exp
+1 exp
This pattern went on for hours and hours until my proficiency finally leveled up again to the next tier.
"Finally," I breathed out in relief and satisfaction.
I could genuinely feel my skills improving with each fight. My stamina was getting better too, and I wasn't tiring as quickly as before.
Now for the last quest on my list. After this, I should be able to level up my character. I walked around the area searching and found a suitable place to set up a proper camp.
I gathered some dry wood and carefully arranged it to create a campfire. After cutting a suitable stick, I rubbed its end vigorously against another log, using friction to generate heat. Smoke began to appear and rise as I continued the repetitive motion. When I felt it was ready and hot enough, I grabbed some dry leaves, placed them over the smoking spot carefully, and blew gently on them. Flames sparked to life and caught the leaves, igniting them.
I tossed the burning leaves into the prepared campfire structure. The fire grew stronger and more robust, consuming and feeding on the wood I had gathered and arranged.
As I sat there watching the dancing flames, I couldn't help but wonder deeply: How did I know how to do that? And who was I before this strange awakening in this unfamiliar world?
My contemplative thoughts were interrupted by a familiar sound that pulled me back to reality.
Ding
-You have completed a quest-
-You have leveled up-
I laid down on the ground and closed my eyes, feeling exhausted. Tomorrow would bring more intense training and challenging fighting. I couldn't afford to waste any time if I wanted to grow stronger. Though I felt this deep sense of urgency, I didn't fully understand why it drove me so intensely.
The next day I awoke suddenly to the sharp snap of a branch nearby. I jumped up startled and grabbed my spear defensively, looking toward the source of the sound with heightened alertness.
I calmed down considerably when I realized it was just a small squirrel scurrying about. I turned my attention to look at the campfire. All the wood had turned to charcoal and ash, and the fire had gone out completely during the night.
I checked my system interface and found new quests waiting for me—the same objectives as before: kill enemies and level up mastery through practice.
I decided to handle those combat quests later and look for something to eat first to satisfy my hunger. After walking for a while through the terrain, I finally found what I was searching for.
I spotted ripe fruits hanging up in a tree above me. As I was about to simply grab one with my hands, I paused and reconsidered. I looked down at my spear weapon and back up at the fruit hanging there.
I got into a proper stance and stabbed at the fruit with my spear, attempting to skewer it.
+2 proficiency
I missed the fruit entirely, but still earned experience points for the attempt. Would I get more experience if I managed to hit the center of the fruit accurately? With plenty of time on my hands, I decided to find out through experimentation.
I got into another proper stance and thrust my spear upward toward the fruit.
+2 proficiency
Though I missed again and failed to hit my target, I didn't stop my attempts.
+2 proficiency
+2 proficiency
10 minutes later
+5 proficiency
I took deep breaths to steady myself and grabbed the successfully skewered fruit from my spear tip. It worked—hitting accurately and precisely gives substantially more proficiency points.
I took a satisfying bite of the fruit and nodded in approval. It wasn't bad at all, offering a sweet flavor with a pleasant hint of sourness that balanced well.
After finishing eating the fruit completely, I continued this practice routine for a bit longer and had my fill of food. That was more than enough training for me to level up my mastery again to the next tier.
I then left the small forest area behind and started actively looking for slimes to hunt. I hunted each group of slimes I found along my path.
Until I came across a particular group of slimes that made me pause and reconsider my approach.
-Pyro slime lv 2-
-Hydro slime lv 2-
-Anemo Slime lv 2-
-Large Hydro slime lv 5-
"Can I win against all of them?" I asked the system with some uncertainty.
-The chances of you winning are 80 percent-
I nodded in determination and dashed in quickly to engage. I headed for the Hydro slime first and stabbed it several times in rapid succession before the others could fully react to my presence. As it died and dissipated, I rushed back to create distance.
As the remaining slimes jumped toward me aggressively, I realized why my chances of winning were calculated to be so high by the system.
The large slime was significantly slower and more cumbersome than the normal slimes due to its size. Using that tactical advantage to my benefit, I dashed in strategically and took out the remaining normal slimes one by one.
After that, I jabbed repeatedly at the large slime with determination. To my considerable surprise, each hit barely damaged even a small portion of the slime's substantial health bar.
I moved back to reassess. I would have to play the long game since it had too much health to defeat quickly. Using a calculated rush-and-dash tactic, I went in to perform multiple quick jabs and dashed back to safety when the slime got too close to me.
After several minutes of employing this patient strategy, it finally died and dissolved.
Ding
-You have leveled up to 3-
-Your spear mastery has reached level 5-
Ding
-You have gained a new skill from your spear mastery.-
-You have gained the skill swift jab-
Looking around carefully and seeing no enemies in the immediate vicinity, I checked the new skill I had obtained and read its description.
Swift jab lv 1: A quick forward thrust with a spear. It focuses on speed and accuracy to exploit openings in enemy defenses and maintain distance from enemies.
The new skill was absolutely perfect for my current fighting style and approach. I looked up from the screen and started searching for more slimes to kill and continue my leveling.
Eventually I found another group of slimes in a different area. This group consisted entirely of hydro slimes, all at level two.
I rushed in confidently and used swift jab on the nearest one. It hit right at the center perfectly. To my considerable surprise, the slime died instantly from just the first attack.
-It is because you hit a critical strike-
A critical? I turned to face the remaining three and tried again with the same technique. I used swift jab but couldn't manage to hit directly in the center as precisely. The slimes flew backward from the force of my attack.
-Criticals are hard to perform consistently, you must increase your accuracy stat and know the weakness of the enemy-
I turned to face the slimes again with renewed focus. I already knew their primary weakness was the center of their body, but my accuracy clearly needed significant improvement.
As they jumped at me in unison, I used swift jab again but still couldn't jab them precisely in the center point. It didn't matter much—I continued using the skill repeatedly to defeat them.
Ding
-Swift jab has leveled up-
After finishing the last slime in the group, I looked up at the sky above. The sun was still at its peak in the sky. I wanted to continue my hunt for more experience, but hunger was gnawing at me uncomfortably.
I turned back toward the forest I had left earlier and ran in that direction quickly. Along the way, I spotted a rabbit hopping about. I paused in my tracks—rabbit meat sounded quite appealing for a meal, but the creature was considerably faster than me.
I glanced down at my spear thoughtfully, realizing it could potentially serve as a projectile weapon. Getting into a proper throwing stance, I aimed carefully at the rabbit and waited patiently for it to stop moving.
Thirty seconds later, I remained frozen in position, maintaining my stance. Finally, the rabbit paused to nibble on a berry from a nearby bush.
I tightened my grip firmly on my spear and threw it with all my might and strength. The weapon sailed through the air in an arc and plunged deeply into a nearby tree right next to the rabbit. The startled animal jumped in fright and then collapsed to the ground motionless.
"Tch, I still need to improve my aim considerably," I muttered in frustration.
I ran over quickly and pulled my spear from where it was embedded in the tree, then turned to examine the rabbit. I picked it up gently and examined it closely.
"It died of shock," I whispered to myself in realization.
That didn't matter to me at all. At least now I could have a decent and satisfying meal. I gathered various fruits and vegetables from the surrounding area and stored them carefully in my inventory for later use.
Eventually, I found my previous campfire site from the night before and started another fire using the same technique. While the rabbit cooked slowly over the flames, I snacked on some fruit to tide me over.
As I ate, I noticed my sweat-soaked clothes sticking uncomfortably to my skin in an unpleasant way.
I need new clothes desperately. But where could I possibly find them in this wilderness? Just as I pondered this problem, I heard a twig snap somewhere nearby. I jumped up startled and turned toward the source of the sound.
A boar stood there, staring at me. Perfect—exactly what I needed for leather. I threw my spear with force and hit its leg solidly.
"Screeech!"
It charged at me in rage and anger. The moment it got close to me, I jumped aside quickly. I then ran to retrieve my spear from the boar's leg. The boar couldn't stop its charge in time as I rushed forward decisively and used swift jab.
It wheeled around to face me directly, opening its mouth wide to screech again. But that was a critical mistake on its part. I quickly attacked with swift jab, driving my spear through its open mouth forcefully.
It struggled violently and thrashed about but eventually died from its injuries. Unfortunately, my spear broke in the process of the final attack.
I retrieved the broken weapon carefully from the corpse. The spearhead was still intact and sharp—it could serve as a useful knife for skinning.
I returned to the fire and began the process of carefully skinning the boar to obtain its hide.