Watching the sunny horizon, the wind quaked, bringing his gaze upwards as a large shadow cast itself over the valley as if a cloud moved in. The air roared beneath a grand weight, not brought by a marching fluff in the sky, but another existence entirely.
Larger than any plane he'd seen, its wings moved down, bringing a breeze that passed through the valley, passing through his tufts of dark-brown hair. Its sapphire scales shined beneath the sunlight as it passed over the lake in its grandiose form–
"A dragon," he muttered in awe.
It paid no mind to him nor his humble home, flying off into the mountains, passing into the clouds. If nothing else, that confirmed it for him that he now resided in a world of magic and monsters.
Most of the first day was spent simply taking in the scenery and the fresh air, left unpolluted. The quietness was certainly a new concept for him, lacking any neighbors that he knew of beyond critters from the forest behind his home.
"Alright, can't just sit idly all day, can I?"
In an effort to keep up with maintaining his body and to fight back boredom, he worked out inside his home. He started with quick sets of pushups, going up and down—
[EXP: +0.1] [EXP: +0.1] [EXP: +0.1] [EXP: +0.1]
It wasn't much, but he noticed his "experience" steadily increasing with each repetition.
["Strength" Proficiency Up +1] [1/999]
["Push-Up" Proficiency Up +5] [5/999]
The more he did it, the easier it seemed to get as he knocked down a hundred within just a few minutes.
"…Phew," he exhaled, jumping to his feet.
Throughout the day, he experimented with his newfound gift. He tried his hand at woodcutting, using the axe behind his house, lifting it above his head and striking it through the timber set on the flattened log—
It split, though unevenly with splinters flinging off the flat top.
[EXP: +0.5] [10.5/1,000]
["Axe Mastery" Proficiency Up +1] [1/999]
["Woodcutting" Proficiency Up +1] [1/999]
He exhaled, tossing the split wood onto the grass, piling it up. It was becoming clearer to him what the gift was, though he didn't end the testing.
As the sun began to settle and the weather became cooler, he set himself in front of his house. Drawing in a breath, he took off in a sprint, running along the bank of the water.
While he was never a full blown athlete, he made sure to commit to daily workout routines. Specifically, he did light jogs at night.
"Fffeuuu—"
He exhaled while sprinting, feeling the cool breeze against his skin as he passed lake-side trees. It was only once his lungs ached did he come to a stop, gasping for breath as he placed his hands on his knees.
[EXP: +5] [15.5/1,000]
["Cardio" Proficiency Up +1] [1/999]
["Agility" Proficiency Up +1] [1/999]
'I'm getting the hang of this…Just by performing any activity, I'll improve in it. Well, not bad,' he thought.
The days passed quietly as he took in his new life. Through spring showers, summer came—with it, days of luscious green and chirping birds. He committed to a simple, isolated life: chopping firewood, catching fish in the lake, and reading the books stored on the shelves in his home.
[Status: Level 5] [Current Experience: 450/10,500]
[Body: 550] [Spirit: 550]
He sat by the lake with his fishing rod in hand, not yet casting it. His body had become noticeably more defined with muscle, just from the same, simple workout routine he held.
As he hoisted the rod back, he threw it forward, casting the lure far, letting it drop into the center of the lake. It sat in the deep, blue portion of the body of water, lingering above the deepest depths.
[Student of The Sea++] [B-Rank Fishing Skill]
[Wave-Blessed Fortune+] [A-Rank Fishing Skill]
While it may normally take minutes or even longer to get a bite, the skills imbued into his being activated.
A pull; something latched onto the bait. In that very millisecond, his enhanced reflexes brought him to his feet.
'It's a big one!' He thought.
Planting his boots in the soil, he secured himself, tugging the rod back as waves rippled over the water's surface. As he pulled with all of his might, the lake ruptured as a colossal creature was forcibly emerged from the depths.
A carp as large as his own house with dazzling, orange scales that glistened like gemstones under the sunlight.
[EXP: +100] [550/10,500]
["Fishing" Proficiency Up +50] [270/999]
[Skill Acquired: "Jewel Reeling"]
"Woah."
It landed in front of him with a "thud" on the dirt, flapping helplessly. He couldn't help but stare in awe, standing before the gasping mouth of the mystical fish.
"Hey there, big guy," he said. "Let me get this out."
The hook was minuscule compared to the silver lip of the colossus, though his unique skill made it an unbreakable anchor. He lightly tugged on the hook, pulling it out before patting his hand on the glistening scales.
"Let's get you back into the water," he calmly said with a smile.
It took a bit of pushing as the floppy colossus wiggled against the soil before sliding into the lake once more. An exhale left the young man's lips as he brushed his hands off, watching the glistening sight of awe disappear back into the depths.
[Skill Acquired: "Blessing of The Lake Deity"]
"A blessing?" He remarked, gazing towards the vast stretch of water. "Neat."
As the sun began to set, he brought his bounty from the lake to the side of his house. He opted to start a fire to begin cooking his catch, though found himself out of wood.
"Ah, time to grab some, I suppose," he mumbled.
It was no more than a dozen strides behind his quiet home that the tranquil forest resided. He brought his axe with him, finding the closest tree that looked safe to bring down. With a simple swing, he brought the wood-severing edge against the trunk–
[Timber Savant] [B-Rank Woodcutting Skill]
As the axe made contact with the tree, it was split into dozens of perfectly cut logs as if a thousand blades were used.
[EXP: +5] [555/10,500]
["Axe Mastery" Proficiency Up +1] [178/999]
["Woodcutting" Proficiency Up +1] [200/999]
Critters dispersed in the immediate area as the leaves fell with the timber. He gathered up an arm full of wood, heading back to set up the nighttime campfire.
With skill with a knife on par with master chefs, he fileted the fish, prepping them before tossing the modest catch into the pot. Compared to the meals he had in his last life, there was definitely an absence of extravagant flavor, though the natural taste with just a bit of added spices was preferable on its own.
'I will say, I definitely miss a good burger,' he thought, sitting at the side of his home as the sun began to set to dusk.
As the night arrived, he looked up towards the sky-riddled sky, finding the sight of the twin moons placed above. It was a concept he had gotten used to, though the beauty of it wasn't diminished.
["It's been months already. There's so many people I miss. When I think about it, my heart hurts thinking of the sadness I likely left them in. I wish I could let them know, that I'm here, living a nice life–just give them that assurance."]