The forest was darker here. The crimson light barely penetrated the twisted canopy. Don stopped after ten minutes of walking, his back against a massive tree trunk.
The war drums were still distant. At least an hour away, maybe more. Time enough.
He needed to understand what had changed.
"Status," Don whispered.
The familiar blue text materialized before his eyes.
╔═══════════════════════════╗
STATUS SCREEN
╚═══════════════════════════╝
Name: Don Valdruun • Age: 12
Health (HP): {10/-} • Mana (MP): {525/1150}
Stamina (STA): {25/32} • Experience (EXP): {725/1200}
Level: 5 • Status Points: 0 • Madness: 20%
— ATTRIBUTES —
• Strength: 28 • Agility: 30 • Vitality: 20
• Dexterity: 20 • Stamina: 22
• Wisdom: 28 • Magic Power: 25 • Intelligence: 25
• Sense: 5 • Luck: 50
— TITLES & TALENTS —
• Title: Survivor of Death's Deceit
• Talent: Child of Luck - Luck +45
• Talent: #%#%#%%
— SKILLS —
• Skill 1: Immortality (Lv. 5)
Passive: +2 Physical Stats per level (Current: +10)
Sub-Skill: Emotion Suppression (Lv. 5) - Duration: 7 min | Cost: 50 Mana
Sub-Skill: Hardened Skin (Lv. 1) ◆ NEW ◆ - Passive damage reduction
• Skill 2: Learning and Adaptation (Lv. 5)
Passive: Adept Mastery
Current Masteries: Knife (Adept), Sword (Adept), Spear (Adept) ◆ NEW ◆, Shield (Adept) ◆ NEW ◆
Sub-Skill: Soul Library (Lv. 1) ◆ NEW ◆ - Books: 3 available
Sub-Skill: Analyze (Lv. 1) ◆ NEW ◆ - Cost: 10 Mana
• Skill 3: Imagination (Lv. 5)
Passive: +3 Mind & Soul Stats per level (Current: +10)
Sub-Skill: Primal Weapon Crafting (Lv. 5) ◆ UPGRADED ◆
Sub-Skill: Telekinesis (Lv. 1) ◆ NEW ◆ - Cost: 20 Mana/second
— SOUL LIBRARY —
• Book 1: Energy Control Fundamentals (Common)
• Book 2: Power Stages for Leveling - Vol.1 (Uncommon)
• Book 3: Primitive Combat Arts (Common)
[READ BOOKS FOR XP BONUS]
— ABYSS STATUS —
• Stage: 0/???
• Progress: Locked
• Entry: Currently Inside
[WARNING: DEATH INSIDE THE ABYSS IS PERMANENT]
[IMMORTALITY: UNDERWORLD REVIVAL DISABLED]
╚═══════════════════════════╝
Don stared at the screen, his yellow eye widening.
Three new sub-skills. Three books in a library he didn't know he had. And changes to his existing skills—"Primitive" had become "Primal," the quality upgraded.
[Well, WELL! Look at you, little seed! Level 5 didn't just make you STRONGER—it opened DOORS! New abilities! New POTENTIAL! This is WONDERFUL!]
Don's hand trembled slightly as he scrolled through the information.
Hardened Skin. His body's natural defense had increased. He could feel it now—a subtle toughness to his flesh that hadn't been there before.
Soul Library. Three books already inside, waiting to be read. And one of them—"Power Stages for Leveling"—contained the method for entering Stage 1 cultivation.
Telekinesis. The ability to move things with his mind. Twenty mana per second was expensive, but the applications…
And Analyze. Finally, a way to get information on his enemies beyond just guessing.
But what caught his attention most were the passive bonuses now clearly displayed.
Immortality gave +2 to all Physical Stats per level. At Level 5, that was +10 total distributed across Strength, Agility, Vitality, Dexterity, and Stamina.
Imagination gave +3 to Mind Stats per level. At Level 5, that was +15 total distributed across Wisdom, Intelligence, and Magic Power.
"How did books get into my Soul Library?" Don muttered.
[Interesting question, little seed. My guess? You touched them at some point. Maybe back in that castle. Maybe when you were just a child, before you even awakened. The skill was always there—dormant, waiting for you to reach Level 5. And now it's ACTIVE.]
Don focused on the Soul Library section. Three books. Three sources of knowledge.
And potentially, three sources of XP.
"Can I read them now?"
[SOUL LIBRARY ACCESSIBLE AT ANY TIME]
[WARNING: READING REQUIRES CONCENTRATION]
[RECOMMEND SAFE LOCATION]
Not here, then. Not with war drums in the distance and goblin patrols hunting through the forest.
But later. When he found shelter.
Don dismissed that thought and focused on the other new abilities.
Telekinesis. Twenty mana per second. That meant at his current mana of 525, he could maintain it for about 26 seconds before bottoming out.
Not long. But potentially devastating if used correctly.
He looked around the forest floor, spotted a fist-sized rock half-buried in the moss.
[SKILL: TELEKINESIS ACTIVATED]
[MANA COST: 20 PER SECOND]
Don focused on the rock. Felt for it with his mind, like reaching out with an invisible hand.
The rock trembled.
Then it lifted.
Slowly, shakily, the rock rose from the moss, hovering a foot off the ground. Don's concentration was absolute—he could feel the mental strain, like lifting a weight with muscles he'd never used before.
[MANA: 505/1150]
One second. The rock wobbled in the air.
[MANA: 485/1150]
Two seconds. Don tried to move it forward. The rock lurched through the air, spinning slightly.
[MANA: 465/1150]
Three seconds. His head was starting to ache. The mental effort was intense.
Don released the skill. The rock dropped to the ground with a soft thump.
[TELEKINESIS DEACTIVATED]
[MANA: 465/1150]
He'd burned 60 mana in three seconds. The cost was exactly as advertised—brutal.
But he'd moved something with his mind. And that rock had been solid, heavy. With practice, with levels, he could move larger objects. Weapons. Enemies.
[Imagine throwing a goblin off a cliff without even TOUCHING it! Or pulling a shaman's staff out of its hands from fifty feet away! Or—oh, oh!—crushing a skull from the INSIDE! The possibilities are ENDLESS, little seed!]
Don's jaw tightened. Madness wasn't wrong. Telekinesis, even at this basic level, opened up entirely new tactical options.
But 20 mana per second meant he couldn't afford to use it casually. It was an emergency tool. A trump card.
Something to save for when it mattered most.
Don turned his attention to the last new ability.
Analyze.
Ten mana per use. Cheap enough to use frequently.
He focused on a nearby tree, activating the skill.
[SKILL: ANALYZE ACTIVATED]
[MANA COST: 10]
[TARGET: CRIMSON WEEPING TREE]
[ANALYSIS…]
Information flooded his mind, but not like the overwhelming torrent from the tablet. This was organized, structured, filtered.
[CRIMSON WEEPING TREE]
Native to corrupted environments
Sap is mildly toxic - avoid consumption
Wood is highly flammable
Age: Approximately 180 years
[MANA: 455/1150]
Don blinked. That was… useful. Not combat-applicable for a tree, but if he could use this on enemies…
He looked down at one of the goblin corpses from his earlier battle, twenty meters back. Too far to reach, but close enough to test.
Don walked back, crouched beside the body, and activated Analyze again.
[SKILL: ANALYZE ACTIVATED]
[MANA COST: 10]
[TARGET: COMMON GOBLIN (DECEASED)]
[ANALYSIS…]
[COMMON GOBLIN]
Level: 2
Status: Dead
Cause of Death: Blade through throat
Notable: Malnourished, poor equipment
[MANA: 445/1150]
Basic information, but better than nothing. And this was only Level 1 of the skill. Higher levels would probably reveal more—weaknesses, abilities, threat assessment.
Against a living, moving target, in the heat of combat, that information could be invaluable.
[You're like a walking encyclopedia now, little seed! Analyze your enemies, read your books, move things with your MIND! Level 5 made you into something SPECIAL. And we're only just BEGINNING!]
Don stood, his mind racing with possibilities.
Three new sub-skills. Each with applications he'd need to explore. Each potentially life-saving.
But the most important discovery was the Soul Library.
Three books. One of them containing the method to enter Stage 1 cultivation.
The "cultivation threshold" the System had mentioned—he was standing at it. And the key to crossing it was literally inside his soul, waiting to be read.
But not now.
Now, he needed to hunt.
Don started moving through the forest again, his enhanced Agility letting him cover ground quickly while staying silent.
The war drums were getting louder. Maybe forty minutes away now.
Time was running out.
He needed more XP. Needed to hit Level 6, 7, 8. Needed to get strong enough to challenge a General.
And eventually, Uzgoth himself.
Through the trees ahead, he heard goblin voices. Guttural, harsh, speaking in that grinding language.
Don's hand moved to his sword.
But then he paused.
Analyze.
He had a new tool now. Might as well use it.
Don crept closer, staying hidden, until he could see the patrol group through the undergrowth. Ten goblins, moving in a loose formation.
He focused on the largest one—a goblin that stood half a head taller than the rest, wearing crude leather armor and carrying a notched axe.
[SKILL: ANALYZE ACTIVATED]
[MANA COST: 10]
[TARGET: GOBLIN WARRIOR]
[ANALYSIS…]
[GOBLIN WARRIOR]
Level: 4
Status: Alert
Threat Level: Low-Moderate
Notable: Experienced fighter, leads this patrol group
Weakness: Poor peripheral vision (left eye damaged)
[MANA: 435/1150]
Don's lips curved into a cold smile.
Weakness identified.
The goblin's left eye was damaged. Its blind side.
Don circled around, moving silently through the undergrowth, positioning himself on the creature's left flank.
His hand came up. Flames coalesced.
[SKILL: IMAGINATION ACTIVATED]
[MANA COST: 50]
[CREATING: PRIMAL FIRE DAGGER]
The weapon formed—sharper than before, more refined. The "Primal" upgrade had improved the quality. The flames burned hotter, more focused.
Don took aim at the warrior's blind side.
And threw.
The dagger crossed fifteen meters in a heartbeat, silent, deadly. It took the goblin warrior in the temple—exactly where the damaged eye had left it vulnerable.
The creature dropped without a sound.
[+40 XP]
[GOBLIN WARRIOR SLAIN]
The other nine goblins spun around, weapons raised, searching for the threat they couldn't see.
Don was already moving, creating another dagger, throwing, creating, throwing.
[+20 XP]
[+20 XP]
Three goblins down before they even knew where the attacks were coming from.
The remaining six finally spotted him—a human figure in black armor, emerging from the shadows, sword in one hand, fire dagger in the other.
They charged.
Don met them with steel and flame.
His Adept Sword Mastery made every strike count. His enhanced Strength made every hit devastating. His new Hardened Skin meant the few blows that landed hurt less than they should have.
Thirty seconds.
Six more dead goblins.
[+20 XP] × 6
[10/10 GOBLINS ELIMINATED]
[CURRENT XP: 845/1200]
Don wiped his blade clean, breathing steadily. His mana sat at 305/1150—lower than he'd like, but manageable. His stamina at 18/32—still good.
And he was only 355 XP away from Level 6.
Three more groups of ten would do it.
Maybe four, to be safe.
[You're EFFICIENT now, little seed. No wasted movement. No hesitation. You're becoming a MACHINE. A beautiful, deadly MACHINE.]
Don ignored Madness and kept moving.
The hunt continued.