The morning air at the forest's edge still held the night's moisture. Dewdrops clung to every leaf blade, sparkling like tiny gems in the newly risen sunlight. Adam stood at the edge of the dirt path, gripping Marcus's rusted sword tightly in his right hand.
Today he would return.
Yesterday, a single Slime had been enough to get his blood pumping. But Adam knew damn well that stopping there was the same as giving up. Watching his level jump from one to two felt good, sure, but what was the point of numbers without real skill to back them up?
"Alright, let's see how far I can push myself."
His feet carried him into the forest's embrace. Dried leaves crunched loudly under his worn shoes, creating a familiar rhythm that his ears had grown accustomed to.
It didn't take long to find his first prey. A Slime was crawling slowly across a moss-covered tree root. Its translucent body quivered gently, completely oblivious to the approaching danger.
Adam drew his sword with a motion that was becoming second nature.
Basic Swordsmanship Lv.1 activated
His body moved on autopilot. One solid step forward, followed by a decisive downward swing. The rusted blade cleaved cleanly through the Slime's body, and the creature immediately burst apart into sticky liquid.
Ding! You have defeated a Slime EXP +10
Adam didn't waste a second. With practiced efficiency, he filled a small glass bottle with the Slime's still-warm residue. The liquid felt sticky between his fingers, its scent acidic and slightly sharp to his nose.
"This should sell," he muttered while wiping his hands. "If I can collect ten bottles, it might be enough food money for two days."
His steps continued deeper into the forest. Before long, a sharp squeaking sound interrupted the morning's peace. A Giant Rat leaped aggressively from the underbrush. Its yellow fangs looked wickedly sharp, red eyes blazing, and its body was the size of a starving small dog.
Adam held his breath. This was the real challenge.
Survival Instinct Lv.1 activated Alertness increased
His instincts reacted swiftly. Adam's body automatically stepped back half a pace just as the Giant Rat attacked with fangs aimed directly at his legs.
Reflexes honed by his skill made him shift position smoothly, then swing his sword to the side in one fluid motion.
Clang! The sword hit the ground after slightly missing its target, but it was enough to make the rat recoil in surprise.
Adam gritted his teeth. "My movements are still too slow."
Without hesitation, he immediately kicked the Giant Rat's belly hard. The creature flew back several feet, groaning in pain. Adam didn't give it a chance to recover. He rushed forward and thrust his sword with precision.
The thrust pierced straight through the rat's chest. Dark red blood spurted out, its body convulsed violently for a few seconds, then went limp.
Ding! You have defeated a Giant Rat EXP +15
Adam took a deep breath. His hands were still trembling slightly from the adrenaline, but a satisfied smile was beginning to form on his face.
With skill that was sharpening with practice, he crouched down and cut off the rat's long tail with his sword. "This should definitely sell to an apothecary. Base ingredient for low-grade stamina potions."
One tail, one step closer to his goal.
That day Adam continued hunting with determination. Two more Slimes fell to his blade, plus one additional Giant Rat. His hands were definitely dirty from the mixture of slime and blood, but bottles filled with valuable liquid were steadily filling his small pack.
When the sun had climbed high overhead, Adam decided to take a break. He sat leaning against a shady tree, chewing on a piece of stale bread left over from yesterday's provisions.
While chewing, he opened his status panel to check his progress.
[Status Window]
Name: Adam Luck
Level: 3
HP: 120
MP: 60
STR: 8
VIT: 7
DEX: 7
INT: 5
WIS: 5
LUK: 5
Skill:
– Basic Swordsmanship (Lv.2)
– Survival Instinct (Lv.1)
– Foraging (Lv.2)
Cheat: "Chronicle Sync" – Warisan aktif: Shiro Enzo – The Lone Wanderer (15%)
"My level went up, but all skills are still at Lv.1. So skills aren't just numbers that jump up along with EXP."
Adam tapped the ground with his finger, his mind working overtime. In his previous life, he'd been an avid reader of game novels and system manuals, even super-detailed fan-made wikis. But in this world, skills weren't just theory anymore. This was reality that he had to understand properly.
--The sun was fading, and the sky slowly turned dark as night settled in--
That evening, soft orange light filtered through the window of Adam's small house. The simple leather bag he'd carried was placed on the wooden table, its contents spread neatly: rows of bottles containing Slime residue, several Giant Rat tails, and a collection of green herbs with long roots he'd discovered.
Adam let out a long breath and sat down with a body that was starting to feel tired. Though his body was exhausted, his mind was still spinning actively, analyzing the day. The status panel appeared as soon as he called for it.
[Status Window]
Name: Adam Luck
Level: 3
HP: 120
MP: 60
STR: 8
VIT: 7
DEX: 7
INT: 5
WIS: 5
LUK: 5
Skill:
– Basic Swordsmanship (Lv.1)
– Survival Instinct (Lv.1)
– Foraging (Lv.1)
"My level did go up, but skills stayed at Lv.1. So skills develop differently from pure EXP."
Based on the notes he'd read from this world's prototype, the skill system was divided into four distinct main categories.
First was Active Skills. Abilities that had to be used consciously and directly, usually consuming stamina or mana as a cost. Examples included things like Sword Slash, Fireball, or Heal.
Second, Passive Skills. Abilities that didn't need manual activation because they always worked automatically in the background. Basic Swordsmanship fell into this category. Despite involving physical movement, its effect was passive, making Adam's body automatically more stable when swinging a sword. Survival Instinct was the same, a kind of "sixth sense" that constantly whispered about potential dangers.
Third was Utility Skills. Not for direct combat, but extremely useful in daily life. Foraging fell into this category, helping identify herbs, determine their market value, or distinguish which ones were poisonous and which were safe.
Finally, Special Skills. The rarest category, usually directly tied to unique inheritances or cheat abilities. Chronicle Sync was a perfect example. Not active, not passive, but rather a special system that transcended normal limitations.
Adam leaned back in his chair, staring at Marcus's rusted sword hanging on the wall.
"So to improve skills, the methods differ depending on type. Active skills rise through regular use and efficiency improvement. Passive skills grow through direct experience and intensive practice. Utility develops through deep research and experimentation. Special skills probably need more complex synchronization."
He rose from his chair, taking the sword with a motion that had become familiar. Night hadn't fully fallen yet; the yard was still bright enough for training.
Basic Swordsmanship Lv.1 activated
Adam began swinging the sword with regular rhythm. Starting slowly for warmup, then gradually faster. His movements weren't perfectly smooth yet, but each repetition made his body seem to remember hidden muscle memory.
"If I want to raise Basic Swordsmanship, I need to practice until my body's movements are completely correct."
He slashed to the side with full focus. Once. Twice. Three times in succession. Sweat began soaking his body, but his footwork felt increasingly light and natural.
After feeling satisfied, Adam stopped and closed his eyes to concentrate.
Survival Instinct Lv.1 activated
He began listening carefully to every sound around him. The chirping of small birds perched in the trees. The soft creaking of wind sweeping across the roof. The sound of wooden floorboards creaking from inside the house. Every detail made his body increasingly alert and ready.
"This skill probably improves through experiencing real danger, but I can trigger it by practicing awareness enhancement."
For the last skill, Adam crouched and began pulling weeds growing in the corner of the yard. His eyes immediately caught the faint text that appeared.
White Leaf Herb - common. Basic healing potion ingredient. 2 copper per bundle.
Bitter Root - common. Low-grade stamina potion ingredient. 1 copper per 3 pieces.
Adam smiled slightly, feeling satisfied. "Foraging is clearly a Utility Skill. To improve it, I need to keep collecting various materials, assess their quality, and consistently compare results."
Night had finally truly arrived. An oil lamp glowed in the living room, casting warm yellow light. Adam was still busy carefully examining his herb collection, comparing shapes, textures, and other characteristics. His hands moved with the precision of an expert.
Suddenly, a faint notification appeared before his eyes.
Foraging has been used repeatedly Skill Foraging rises to Lv.2
A small smile appeared on Adam's face. "Finally got it."
Foraging (Lv.2) - Herb identification significantly improved. - Classification accuracy +10%.
The effect was immediately clear. His eyes could now much more quickly catch subtle differences between real herbs and ordinary weeds. Work that had previously made him hesitate could now be completed with just one glance.
After finishing organizing all the herbs neatly, Adam stood again with renewed energy. The rusted sword was raised in his hand. He repeated the same sword swing practice as before, this time with more serious intensity. Sweat dripped profusely, his arm muscles throbbed with pain, but his body felt far more flexible and responsive.
Ding! Basic Swordsmanship rises to Lv.2
Adam immediately opened the panel to see the changes.
Basic Swordsmanship (Lv.2) - Movement stability drastically improved. - Basic attack accuracy +5%.
The next slash he performed felt much straighter and more solid. The difference was very noticeable.
Adam finally sat back down with a tired but satisfied body. The status panel opened before him.
[Status Window]
Name: Adam Luck
Level: 3
HP: 120
MP: 60
STR: 8
VIT: 7
DEX: 7
INT: 5
WIS: 5
LUK: 5
Skill:
– Basic Swordsmanship (Lv.2)
– Survival Instinct (Lv.1)
– Foraging (Lv.2)
Cheat: "Chronicle Sync" – Warisan aktif: Shiro Enzo – The Lone Wanderer (15%)
Adam closed the panel with satisfaction. No overly broad smile, just simple, deep contentment. He sipped fresh water from the pitcher, then leaned back comfortably in his chair.
Today he had successfully proven one important thing: skills could indeed develop with the right effort. And if skills could keep growing, it meant his path to strength wasn't completely blocked.
Slowly, his eyelids began to feel heavy. The peaceful night gradually swallowed the small house in silence.
Tomorrow, he would return to the forest better prepared.