[SYSTEM]
Notice → New Map Registered
Region Added: Woods of Veylith
[SYSTEM]
Welcome, Wanderer, to the Woods of Veylith.
Wandering the woods. The Woods of Veylith.
Just as he finished stretching, preparing himself for the adventure ahead, a system prompt flickered to the side of his vision—announcing the discovery of a new map and welcoming him as a new wanderer in this world.
After loosening his body once more, he scanned his surroundings, eyes drifting across the towering, unfamiliar trees with their strange, layered leaves.
"Alright… Woods of Veylith. First, I gotta find shelter—or make one. And I'd better stay alert for any dangers or threats. Gotta make sure I keep myself safe…"
Walking through the woods, he glanced around with wide eyes, amazed by everything his surroundings had to offer. The soft blades of grass brushed against his feet, feeling as comfortable as wearing socks.
The dirt beneath him felt pleasant to step on, while his hands swayed through leaves, flowers, and strange plants—species he had never seen before in his old world.
A spark lit in his eyes, wonder overflowing. "These things are different…" he murmured to himself, realizing how unique this world's nature truly was. "The trees are so tall… ooh, this grass—I never felt it before, not when I was so focused on my status."
Time passed, his awareness softening with how peaceful the forest felt—or perhaps because he hadn't spotted any threats or danger around him.
"I don't know how time works here… maybe hours or minutes have passed, but I still don't see anything. This nature is too clean, too free of dangers… Or… am I in a safe zone?" he wondered, questioning his own thoughts as he took in how calm and pristine everything was.
He thought and thought, but then it hit him—he'd forgotten about the system.
"Hmm… I wonder how to check the time…" He crossed his arms, resting his chin thoughtfully.
"Oh…—I forgot about the system. Let me check real quick… Status, open."
[STATUS]
[MAIN]
Name: Shanz Aelric
Age: 9
Class: None
Sub-Class: LOCKED
Level: 5
Health: 150 / 150
Mana: 100 / 100
Stamina: 100 / 100
[BODY ASPECTS]
- Vitality (Health Growth): BASE 150
- Focus (Mana Growth): BASE 100
- Endurance (Stamina Growth): BASE 100
- Recovery Rate: BASE 1.0x
[MAIN POINTS]
- Skill Points: 0
- Class Points: 0
- Ascended Points: 0
[ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 1
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 1
Charisma: 1
Luck: ???
[ATTRIBUTE POINTS]
- Unspent Stat Points: 0
- Potential Ascension: LOCKED
[TITLES]
- None
- None
[UNIQUE TRAITS]
- None
- None
He leaned closer to the system, eyes scanning every corner of the screen, letting his gaze drift slowly over the details. Everything was new, unfamiliar, yet fascinating. "Why isn't the time showing up here…? Maybe I can just ask the system," he muttered to himself, curiosity creeping into his tone.
He paused for a moment, tapping his fingers on his arm as he thought. "System… uh, what time is it? Or… how do I check the time? I guess it should be simple…"
A small chime sounded, and the system responded.
[SYSTEM]
10:55AM
«You can check the time on your upper wrist.»
He glanced at his wrist, noting the small display glowing faintly against his skin, feeling slightly more connected to this strange new world.
"Didn't know the system is capable of giving me tips… I mean, games like this usually give tips too, like in the ones I used to play… Although this system feels more… alive or something…"
He glanced at the time display. "—10:55:22AM… hold up ✋? How…" His hands rubbed the back of his head as he looked up, eyebrows shifting in a mix of confusion and frustration. "This system is now my… boi Gawd damn Looking like this, it even does have day-night cycles, status, and now time with seconds ticking… what's next, showing me a map?—"
A small chime popped quickly from the top of the time status.
[MAP]
Current Location: Woods of Veylith
Region: Eastern Wilds
Threat Level: Neutral
"Sheesh—what the heck..!" His body jolted, nearly losing balance from the sudden surprise. "My god… is this bro for real?"
He adjusted his stance, straightening up after nearly losing his balance, and raised his left arm to check the map.
"Hmm, cool, cool… no visualization of the map, it's just… details of where I am 🗿." His reaction shifted quickly to slight disappointment. He shook his head, sighed, closed his eyes for a moment, then looked back at the display.
"Nah, it's alright though… it's gonna make things more challenging…—huh? Threat level: neutral?" His face contorted in confusion.
"What, what, what? Threat level??? Wow… and it still feels so peaceful?" He raised his right arm, sliding a finger just below his nostrils as he pondered the contradiction.
"Something is sussy in here… sussy bak—" A sudden noise rang from behind him.
"WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH NAH!" His voice shot up as anxiety spiked, and he slowly turned around, backing into the leaves.
"Damn, damn, damn… not now, I'm just a kid…—big man, handsome gentleman, not Looking bad on the inside, sheeeeeshh—"
A goblin appeared right in front of him, but something strange perched on its head.
[Special Goblin Level: 3]
"AHHHHH—Oh my god, what is that?! It's so ugly, my gosh, I can't!" he shouted, blinking frantically from fear. "Hold on… Special Goblin, and Level 3? Hell nah, my guy… I'm level 5, I'm still weak as hell! My attribute strength is just… Status, open."
A quick chime sounded, and a display popped up on his left side. He checked his attributes—only to see it was 1.
"1 strength!?? OH my god, I'm really cooked."
He stared at the goblin, tears welling up as both his legs shook uncontrollably from fear—and from how grotesque the creature looked.
"Okay, Mr. Goblin, please… relax. I'm no enemy of
yours, don't kill me or torture me!" The goblin let out a creepy noise, gibberish spilling from its mouth, dagger raised threateningly pointing the dagger to him.
"WAHHHH—hold on!"
As he glanced at the display, he checked his agility attribute, a measly 3.
"Hmm, if having 0 points in that attribute means I run at a normal human pace, does that mean the previous owner of this body invested some points into it...?"
He paused, a realization dawning on him as he recalled his earlier walk. He'd noticed a reddish tinge on his legs, likely blood.
This detail connected to the agility points—the previous owner was running, desperately escaping something far more dangerous than a mere goblin.
"Now it all connects... He wasn't just running from this monster... But from something else entirely. Who, or what, was he running from? But no matter, I need to run and ponder at the same time!"
He whirled around and sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him, dodging through the dense undergrowth.
Plants whipped at him, leaves rustled, and he gasped for breath. The air rushed past his face, and he couldn't help but marvel at his speed.
"What the hell?! I'm fast! Like, really fast! From the very first sprint, the first move of my feet, it feels like I'm outpacing Usain Bolt... No, might even faster!"
He risked a quick glance over his shoulder, noticing he was indeed outrunning the monster. His mind began racing, trying to formulate a plan to eliminate the threat. "How can I kill that Goblin? Seems like it won't be easy.... Looking at the top of its head, those [special] word are glowing gold, meaning it must be a unique variation or type of monster."
He started scanning his surroundings, searching for any potential weapons or useful items. "Dang it, why is it so clean here? Come on, come on, come on, even a sharp stone or a decent stick or branch would do."
He continued his sprint through the woods, leaves crunching beneath his feet as he tore through the undergrowth. Suddenly, up ahead, he spotted something, a skeletal corpse clad in old medieval armor with a katana lying beside it.
"Would you look at that, a medieval armor with the... Uhhh, Katana? Sitting right here..." He stopped in front of the corpse, a mixture of disbelief and morbid curiosity washing over him. "That's weird... but this confirms I'm not dreaming."
Behind him, he heard the goblin crashing through the leaves, the noise loud and jarring. Its voice screeched in unsettling tones, echoing like a predator on the hunt. "Here I go… the goblin's coming..!"
he shouted inwardly, bracing himself. He raised his katana, pointing it toward the source of the sound.
The goblin finally burst into view. The moment it saw its prey armed with a weapon, it snarled and lifted its dagger, screeching even louder as it closed in.
The goblin lunged first, dagger flashing. He raised the katana, but the steel felt heavy in his hands, too heavy. His arms shook the moment blade met blade, the clash sending a sharp vibration through his small frame.
"Tch—damn it… it's too heavy…!" His teeth clenched as the goblin pressed harder, forcing him back a step. The katana wasn't just a weapon—it was a burden. With only a single point of strength, it felt less like he was wielding it and more like it was dragging him down.
The goblin's shrill cry pierced the air as it pushed forward, its rusted dagger grinding against the katana's edge. His knees buckled, the weight of the blade straining his tiny arms, sweat breaking out across his forehead. "I can't… swing it properly… it's too much…" The thought ran through his head as panic set in. Each motion took everything he had, his muscles screaming under the effort.
Yet his grip tightened. His arms trembled, but he refused to let go. The goblin's bloodshot eyes widened, its grin splitting wider as if mocking the child who dared raise such a weapon.
He inhaled sharply, forcing his body to move. With a shaky step forward, he swung—not graceful, not strong, but desperate. The katana's edge whistled clumsily through the air, scattering leaves as it cut downward.
The swing missed its mark, slamming into the dirt with a dull thud. The katana sank deeper than he expected, the weight pulling him forward and nearly dragging him off balance. His arms ached, his shoulders screaming from the strain.
The goblin cackled, dagger flashing as it lunged again. He yanked the blade free with a grunt, stumbling sideways, the weapon far too heavy for him to recover quickly.
"Damn it—too slow!"
Instinct kicked in. He ducked low, the goblin's dagger swiping just above his head, cutting through a few strands of his hair. His small frame slipped between the monster's legs, dirt scraping against his knees as he scrambled away.
His lungs burned. His heart pounded like a drum. "I can't win by swinging this thing head-on… my body's too weak. I gotta move… dodge… use speed."
The goblin snarled, spinning around, its eyes narrowing as it saw the boy crouched with the katana dragging against the ground. It raised its dagger, screeching in frustration.
He tightened his grip on the hilt, teeth gritted. The katana felt like a mountain in his hands—but his legs, his agility, that was different. That was his only chance.
He shifted his stance, knees bent, breath sharp. "Alright… if I can't overpower it, I'll outrun it."
The goblin charged again, dagger ready. This time, instead of blocking, he sidestepped, slipping past the attack. His body leaned with the motion, the katana trailing, and with a desperate burst he swung upward—not clean, not precise, but fueled by momentum.
The edge grazed the goblin's arm, slicing through green flesh. The monster screeched, stumbling back with blood dripping from the wound.
His arms trembled violently, the katana nearly slipping from his grip. His whole body was shaking, not from strength—but from survival.
The goblin shrieked, spit flying from its jagged teeth as it lunged in desperation. Its dagger thrust forward, clumsy but wild, like the last swing of a beast too crazed to care if it lived or died.
Shanz stood his ground, small frame still, eyes locked. For a moment he swayed his body at an angle, just enough to trick the goblin into thinking it had him lined up.
The monster snarled, driving the dagger straight toward that opening.
But it was a lie.
At the last instant, Shanz's free hand snapped out, slapping the goblin's wrist hard, sending the dagger stabbing harmlessly past his side. The goblin's weight lurched forward, chest and throat exposed.
With a burst of raw instinct, Shanz dragged the katana upward in a brutal arc. Steel tore through flesh and windpipe with a wet, ripping sound.
The goblin froze, its screech cutting short into a gurgle. Blood sprayed across Shanz's cheek, hot and metallic, as the creature's dagger slipped from its grip and clattered against the roots. Its eyes bulged, mouth opening and closing with a sick choke before its body collapsed into the dirt.
Shanz stood there trembling, the katana dripping red in his hands, his breath ragged but steady.
Shanz stood frozen, the katana slick in his trembling hands, blood dripping from the edge in steady drops. The goblin twitched once, then stilled, lifeless at his feet.
A chime rang in his ears.
[SYSTEM]
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Young Monster Slayer
«You have slain a monster far beyond your age's ability.»
Reward: +3 Strength
[TITLE ACQUIRED: Child Who Defied Fear]
Effect: «Your determination inspires you to keep going. Slight increase in stamina recovery after battles.»
The weight in his arms shifted at once. The katana, which had felt like dead iron moments ago, now moved lighter, steadier — almost as if it had finally accepted him.
"This is no ordinary katana," he panted, breathing heavily after the fight. His legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to the forest floor, exhaustion washing over him like a wave. The weapon clattered beside him as his grip finally loosened.
He rolled onto his back, chest heaving as he stared up at the canopy above. Sweat dripped down his temples, mixing with the goblin's blood still splattered on his cheek. "What the hell is this thing made of?" he gasped between breaths, turning his head to look at the blade. "It's so damn heavy... but it doesn't look like steel, even though it cuts like one."
The katana lay there, its dark metal gleaming with an almost unnatural sheen. Even in his exhausted state, something about it felt... different. Not just heavy, but dense in a way that made his arms ache just thinking about lifting it again.
He wiped his face with the back of his hand, smearing dirt and blood across his cheek. His mind wandered as he caught his breath, the adrenaline slowly fading and leaving him with a strange mix of relief and confusion.
"This blade saved my life..." He stared at it, his breathing gradually steadying. "But seriously, what kind of metal is this heavy? It's like trying to swing a damn anvil."
His gaze drifted from the katana to the skeletal remains beside him—the knight who had once wielded it. The armor was old, weathered, with strange markings he couldn't quite make out. Rust had eaten away at some parts, but others still gleamed faintly in the dappled sunlight.
"Who were you?" he whispered, studying the bones. "And how long have you been here?"
The reality of what just happened began to sink in. He'd killed something. His first kill in this world, and it had been terrifying and brutal and... necessary. His hands were still shaking slightly, not just from exhaustion.
But from fear, knowing that there would be more—stronger than this monster. "Just what is this world? It does look like a game because of this display or system I have, but this is real. I know it's real."
He touched his cheek where the goblin's blood had splattered, the sticky warmth still clinging to his skin. The metallic scent filled his nostrils, sharp and undeniable. "The pain, the exhaustion, the weight of this katana... none of this feels like a game."
His eyes drifted back to the goblin's corpse, its green skin already losing color. The sight made his stomach churn slightly, but he forced himself to look. "That thing wanted to kill me. Really kill me. And if I hadn't found this weapon..." He swallowed hard, the thought trailing off.
"Special Goblin, Level 3," he murmured, remembering the system notification. "If that was just a *special* version of the weakest monster... what else is out there?"
The woods suddenly felt less peaceful, less safe. Every rustle of leaves, every distant bird call made him tense. His gaze swept through the trees, searching for any sign of movement, any hint of another threat lurking nearby.
"I can't stay here," he said quietly, pushing himself up to a sitting position despite his aching muscles. "This body might only be nine years old, but I've got my old memories, and experience. I need to think smarter, not just react."
But even as he spoke, his vision began to blur. The adrenaline that had kept him moving was completely gone now, leaving behind only bone-deep exhaustion.
His head felt heavy, too heavy to hold up."Just... need to rest for a minute..." he mumbled, his words slurring slightly. His arms gave out, and he slumped back down to the forest floor. The soft grass cushioned his fall as his eyelids grew impossibly heavy.
The last thing he saw before darkness claimed him was the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy above, peaceful and warm. His breathing evened out, and sleep took him completely—his small body finally succumbing to the exhaustion of his first real battle.
The woods fell quiet around his unconscious form, save for the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze.