Waiting for the meat to cook, I decided to kill a few more sheep. The bleeding had stopped, which undoubtedly gave me a chance at a longer life. Approaching the first sheep, I looked into its eyes. Hmm. To me, it seemed absolutely realistic. I don't think my phone could handle a single atom with such hyper-realistic graphics, yet the game's performance was impressive.
I aimed my sword at the sheep's neck and killed it. It was dead. On the plus side, the settings allowed for blood to be turned off visually, so it wasn't a distraction. Nevertheless, my experience bar began to fill. I realized that by killing even NPCs, my level would increase. I decided to see what would happen if I killed another sheep. And just as I thought, my level rose to two. "Lv. 2 Cain Bloodbound Lvl UP!" flashed over Cain's head, and something happened that certainly pleased me: all of Cain's wounds healed, and his status quote said something like, "Oh my god, I've become stronger!" From what I could see, Cain had become faster, stronger, and more resilient, even if only slightly. This was very good.
There were no strong NPCs in the forest, so I could probably grind up to level ten or so here. While I was thinking, a crunch came from behind me. The prey had roasted just right. I noticed that for an inventory, there was something like a "pocket dimension." And with each level, it expanded significantly. At the moment, I had two slots, likely due to being level two. I put all the wool and flesh obtained from the sheep into it and went to get the roasted meat, which I figured I didn't need right now. From my inventory, I took out a raw slice and placed it on the rack to roast as well, while putting the cooked meat into the inventory instead.
In front of me, I saw a shadow that made me very uneasy. Twigs crunched in the bushes, and I heard a howl. No doubt, it was wolves. I couldn't fight off a pack of wolves, and even if I entered my "logia" state using the Light Sphere, it would only save me, not the meat still roasting. Well, I suppose I'll have to fight. I drew two swords from my back and looked toward the wolves. They continued to circle me in the bushes, which only increased my panic.
I had been in the game for 15 minutes already, and I didn't want to lose my progress. At that moment, one of the wolves lunged at me from behind, pinning me to my back. I didn't drop my swords, but the fact that it bit my arm was clearly painful, judging by Cain's cry. With my free hand, I plunged a sword into some part of the wolf, and it fell dead. Pulling my injured hand out of its mouth, I noticed fang marks and bleeding, which could clearly cause an infection—something I didn't want. Looking at where I had pierced the wolf, I saw heavy bleeding in its belly area. It seemed luck was on my side; I had likely hit its intestines.
But there was no time to celebrate. Judging by the sound of footsteps, there were at least three wolves left, but on the bright side—half the experience bar was full. Healing would come soon; I just had to survive. The wolves leaped from the bushes. The first circled me in bursts, the second advanced slowly, and the third sat in the bushes, waiting for the right moment. They seemed to have some level of intelligence, acting quite coordinated. I moved toward the wolf approaching me while the second continued to circle, then feinted a dash toward the one sitting in the bushes. The first jumped at me, but I activated the sphere, causing it to pass right through me. Deactivating the sphere, I thrust upward into its unprotected belly. It died. My level rose to three, healing my body. I could feel myself getting stronger.
Two wolves remained, and I felt I could finally match them. I felt about twice as strong as my peak human capabilities, which gave me a certain confidence. Both wolves—the one in the bushes and the one circling—rushed at me from both sides. I jumped up, causing them to collide with each other, and as I flew back down, I positioned my sword at their feet, piercing both their heads. The experience was enough for a level up, but I saw it hadn't increased. Likely, each level requires more experience. On one hand, it was disappointing; on the other, it was realistic and better.
And, by the way, the meat was done. Considering the risks, I thought I'd kill one last monster to reach level four and then call it a day. Gathering the food into my inventory, I looked at the loot from the wolves. Approaching them, a panel appeared showing only fangs. Not knowing what I'd need them for, I walked along the trees, trying to find a way out of the forest. My stamina was full, and food wasn't needed yet. I hoped the path wouldn't be as long as I feared.
Along the way, there were plenty of animals, and for the first time, I even saw monsters: either lone golems with an imposing level 13 or 14 over them, or packs of goblins, gnomes, and others around level three or four. Obviously, I couldn't take them on. Besides, I changed my mind about leveling up. After all, if I were ambushed, killing just one creature would allow me to fully heal.
Walking further and further, growing more tired, I noticed it was starting to get dark. Thank god, in the distance, I saw the light of torches and lanterns. Judging by the look of it, it was some kind of village. I moved closer, hoping for a warm welcome. Approaching in the pitch black, I saw torches illuminating every house. It seemed to be a simple village. Over every creature were levels ranging from three up to fifteen. The creatures themselves resembled elves: tall, slightly slender, with long ears and expressive eyes, dressed in forest attire that suited them perfectly. I exhaled and knocked on the gate. Surprisingly, it was made of sturdy wood, despite the gaps one could peek through.
"Who's there?" I heard a female voice, quite sweet and beautiful. It sounded like a wife asking who it was, hoping to hear her husband's voice.
"Um... I'm a traveler in this forest, I'm lost. Could you help me?" I replied dejectedly, faking desperation.
About thirty seconds passed, and the gate opened. Standing there was a surprisingly petite girl of level five, but behind her were two men, levels 12 and 13. "Do you belong to anyone?" the girl asked, scanning my body and gear for danger. She looked at my weapons and the sphere warily, but her face softened when she saw my third level. "I think we can let you in, but the weapons must be surrendered. Since you have a light sphere, you can be sure of your safety anywhere."
"Alright, I understand," I replied, handing over my swords. While she inspected me, I looked over the village. The population was small, and many seemed quite frightened, likely because attacks were frequent. I tapped the sphere, becoming light.
The girl smiled. "Great, come on in. We rarely have guests, aside from wolves and packs of various monsters, so it's good for us," she said with a smile, leading me into the village. The residents looked at me without fear, likely due to my low level and lack of weapons, but still with caution.
"So, traveler, what is your name, and how did you end up here?" the elf asked me, pointing to the left side of my chest, where the eagle badge was proudly stitched.