When he woke up, Steve was in a warm, dry place wrapped in something soft. For a few seconds, he considered going back to sleep, until the memories came flooding back to him. The feeling of being chased and passed out on the forest floor. The cold creeps in slowly. Wet dirt beneath my feet and pain all over my body.
Then his eyes flew open. He must be inside because there is a wooden roof and walls surrounding him. He was also neatly tucked into a blanket in a small basket. Slowly, he looked around and felt a dull pain in his body again, his legs and back. Besides, they were also wrapped in... bandages? status?
status:
|Unnamed|
Level: 5
Type: Common Mopava
title:
HP: 8/17
MP: 15/15
Speed: 20/20
Strength: 8
Vitality: 8
Agility: 10
Agility: 24
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 6
Willpower: 5
Luck: 8
Ability points: 1
Skill points: 150
Gold Award: 204
His health seems to be back up a bit, which is good. So, what is that? Ha ha? Max Sp reduced? What nonsense is that? damn it! Well, at least it was full, and after determining his situation, he could see why it was reduced. Then Steve moved on the bed, trying to see what kind of room he was in. It looks like a log cabin. The space itself is not small, about twenty-five square meters. He appears to be in a basket on the table. From what he could see, there were two beds in total on the left wall and an oven on the right wall. One of the old stone houses with a fireplace inside and a metal plate for cooking. There were also some chairs around the table, a couple of cupboards and an oven for storage next to the bed, and some sort of trap door on the floor.
The short version is that it's comfortable. The midday sun shines through the window, and dust dances in the sunlight. Steve stretched, ignoring the slight pulling pain in his legs. Afterward, he squirmed out of the blanket, jumped twice on the chair, and then jumped back to the floor, feeling slightly more energetic. Now, Steve wasn't stupid enough to think this environment was dangerous, but at the same time, he didn't want to be pushed around by anyone, and he really, especially didn't want to be treated like a house. cat. Just the thought of being called "Sir Furry" sent shivers down his spine. So he started making plans to escape, when the door suddenly opened and a grumpy middle-aged man stomped in.
His hair was brown but was turning gray, and his beard was unkempt and unkempt. He was also wearing a green vest with a brown shirt underneath, along with pants and boots of the same color. His frown deepened when he saw the cat on the floor, and he shook his head, bending down to grab it while muttering to himself in a language Steve didn't understand. He doesn't really care though, because there are more pressing matters right now than listening to a grumpy guy who looks like he's from a medieval ranger convention. He used it without hesitation and was out the door before the old man could blink.
Steve didn't stop to admire the woodwork on the porch. He quickly looked around to confirm his location and found that he was in the middle of the forest. For him, this was truly a godsend. Judging from his health points, he only slept for about half a day, so he also knew that he could not be carried too far, which meant that he was still on the same mountain. This in turn meant that if he searched near the top of the forest, he could find his way back to the log, which made his plan surprisingly simple: go up the hill until he found the meadow, then get back to about the height of the log. Then, drive left and/or right at a fairly fast speed for a few hours. He had a chance to find his journal again, and if he didn't, it would certainly be in another direction.
It was a perfect plan, befitting a true mastermind like him.
After a while, Steve did start to slow down, turning his full sprint into a jog as he got farther and farther away from the cabin. The reason is simple, one is to save Sp, and the other is to prevent the wound from being hurt again. He's not too keen on hindering the healing process, although he may have done so. Oh well, what can you do. His dignity is worth a little pain. Seriously, even the chance of being called stupid is completely avoided. Then again, he didn't even know what language the man spoke. Maybe there is such a skill? He also had to check out the skill shop. What a pain.
Fortunately, Steve didn't have any trouble on the way back. In addition to this, he chose the right direction to access his log on the first try. Combining these two factors, he ended the trip at dusk, when the familiar log finally came into view. He breathed a sigh of relief on the spot and immediately returned home, lying down among the familiar zigzag lines on the wall.
Yes, this is his home now. It might be wise to mark the surrounding area so he knows if he's nearby. Well, that can wait until tomorrow. Although he wasn't breathing fast, he didn't want to work, so he started carving runes again. The combination of doing this and meditating has been more relaxing than most other things so far. But just as he was about to start carving, his stomach suddenly rumbled loudly. Yeah, he was about to go hunting and someone decided they needed to be rescued. Steve sighed again. Hunting at dusk is not as easy as at night. Visibility is better after all. Damn it. But he did, at least making things a little easier. Oh, he's kidding, the ability is absolutely ruined when it comes to getting rid of rats. That way,
Then, when he returned to the log, he began carving. After two runes, he meditated for a while, two more runes, meditated, and after another lower-level strengthening rune, he saw a pop-up window.
[upgrade! ]
So it happened. His level has been raised again. This one took a little longer than his last few upgrades, so it better be worth it. It's time to check out the fruits of his labor.
status:
|Unnamed|
Level: 5 -> 6
Type: Common Mopava
title:
HP: 9/17
MP: 19/19
Speed: 28/28
Strength: 8
Vitality: 8
Agility: 10 -> 12
Agility: 24 -> 25
Intelligence: 7 -> 8
Wisdom: 6
Willpower: 5 -> 6
Luck: 8
Ability points: 4
Skill points: 250
Gold Award: 207
Damn, his SP value has really improved a lot now. Well, he's curious if his cap is still as reduced as before, though there's nothing he can do about it. He'll see how his statistics develop over time. Now he should be happy that he has reached an acceptable level of Sp, as he can probably now focus on Mp. The ability to carve more than two runes at a time shouldn't be too far off, especially with his intelligence steadily improving.
So Steve kept carving runes until the world became bright again, and in those hours before sunrise, his eyes finally closed. When he finished carving the last two of the six runes, he stopped even meditating, but closed his eyes and fell asleep. He was sure to mark his surroundings the next day.
When Steve woke up, his wound felt better. The pain was getting farther and farther away. He stretched comfortably and looked outside. Dusk hadn't quite set yet, looking more like late afternoon than night. Before heading out to hunt and poop, he checked his status again just to see how his HP was doing.
HP: 12/17
Speed: 30/30
It turns out that his maximum Sp has also increased. This soon leads Steve to discover that his reduced Sp is due to his injury. He had only suffered injuries to his back and body before, never really hurt his legs. It stands to reason that injuries have kept him from being able to play his full role, thus lowering his statistics. It looks like this system is actually somewhat realistic, other than the crap, that is. After stretching for another second, Steve went out to mark the trees.
So far he hasn't strayed too far from his base. He couldn't just mark the tree with his claws because the marks would be difficult to discern, so he marked the tree with runes, carving jagged lines into the bark. This way, he can only mark two trees before meditating, but he still prefers to do so inside his cabin as it is by far the safest place for him. After recovering, he went out and marked two more trees. When finished, he marked a space of approximately 20 x 20 metres. It's not big at all, but it will still make it easier for him to find home if he gets lost. It even took him a whole night to finish it, after all he had already carved sixteen runes and hunted three rats for the day's food. Now he can carve lower-level strengthening runes much faster than before. He might still have a good chance at the intermediate level, but he wanted to wait for at least one more level. Yes, he just needs to move up a level.
At night he returned to his log again, only to find a man sitting on it. Alarms immediately went off in Steve's head. It was definitely a person, but it wasn't the grumpy old man in the cabin. The man had long, sleek brown hair that fell down his back. Her face had far fewer wrinkles and her blue eyes were far less piercing than his. With the same hair color that he struggled to maintain and the same clothes as the old man, he could easily see a connection between them, even though the girl looked much younger. Maybe a daughter or something.
Steve didn't come close for a few minutes, instead hiding behind a tree, barely peeking out from behind it to see if she had done anything. The girl did not move from her position. All she did was occasionally raise her head to glance around, at which point he would pull his head back and let her eyes drop to the floor again. She must be waiting for someone. Did he unknowingly treat her date place as his home? Oh, damn. If he had gotten closer to her—and he had to, he hadn't given up on his journal—he at least wanted to understand her. Fortunately, only 50 skill points were added to his arsenal. He felt knowledge filling his head quickly, though not as much as he would have liked. He knew a few words, but not enough to understand complete sentences. Well, maybe he could at least understand some of what she was saying. If he learned the right language...
He must try to find out. Steve also prepared rocks from his inventory before walking towards her. He no longer carries it around as it has proven to be an invaluable hunting tool, capable of taking down a rat at a time. He was ready to grab the rock and smash it into her face with all his strength.
As Steve got closer, he hissed quietly at the girl and bared his fangs. He really didn't want her there. She jumped at his words, which made him feel better. That's right, his isn't a damn chair. He hoped she would remember that. The small movement at least made him stop hissing, though he remained close to the ground, ready to pounce on her, even as her eyes were fully focused on him, her expression softening.
There was silence between the two for a moment, and the woman seemed to be thinking about something. She must have noticed it was him by the bandages still on his limbs and chest, because he saw no reason to remove them. Then, after a while, the woman bowed deeply, folded her arms over her chest, and her hair surged forward, almost touching the ground. At the same time, she blurted out something hastily, and Steve recognized the three words: "Thank you - something - save - something - endure."
Well, yeah, he didn't expect the old man to be chased by a bear. He looked so professional. To this... girl of about twenty years old, carelessness does make more sense.
"Meow," Steve replied. It's also the high-pitched meow of a kitten. great. He sounds really pathetic there. 10/10 Job Steve. He actually tries to tell her to be more careful, but trying to talk isn't his most...thoughtful choice. No one is perfect anyway, but the girl smiled, shrugged, straightened her back, and nodded quickly. Does she mean she understands him? No way, no way, no fucking way! Then she took a step towards him.
Now, Steve wasn't usually the type to push others away from him. Most of the time he doesn't care too much, but this time he's also a cat so it's a little different. He was terrified of some of the options available to him. She can capture him in something like a net or cage. She could pick him up, hold him in her hands, and take him home. She could even try to tame him or something. This was a risk he was unwilling to take. After all, he cared about his freedom and independence, so as she took a step, he also took a step back. Well, one step for a human is about three steps for him.
At that moment, the woman's face froze and her smile dimmed a bit. She didn't look angry or anything, but the corners of her mouth were drooped. She was obviously sad about something, but after a moment she shook her head and her smile returned. Then she placed something on the ground and stepped back to the distance he had previously maintained from her. He is not stupid, he is willing to accommodate her a little, and at least he is confident that he can outrun her. So, he went to investigate the mysterious object.
It turned out to be meat. In fact, it was a small package of meat, which he could see after pushing the leaf wrapper aside. He glanced at the girl, but she didn't seem to move from her spot. Is this her attempt to tame him? She may have saved him that day, but he still objected to being someone else's cat wholeheartedly. He was reincarnated as a cat, yes, but he wasn't a house cat, or at least he didn't want to be. If it is domesticated, eating raw meat will not cause poisoning, right? No, he was determined to remain wild, so he stepped back from the pack and shook his head slowly.
This made the girl's face darken again. But he really has no control over it and it's simply not worth the risk. If it were just meat, he could get it from rats now. Later he might even try to hunt rabbits or something. No matter what she gave him, no matter how good it tasted, it wasn't worth eating. If she wanted to thank him, he wanted it to come with no strings attached. The girl hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded and stepped toward the package, making Steve take a step back. She at least got the distance part.
When she returned to the package, she picked it up and put it in her pocket. Then she thought for a moment and sat down on the log again, Steve immediately placing his hands on the stocked rocks and making a hissing sound. He didn't want this girl to be disrespectful to his family. Not fucking cool. Of course, the girl stood up quickly, bowed again, and apologized to him again. She seemed to understand that at least he wasn't a normal stupid cat. Well, if she sat on the log again, he would still throw a rock in her face, no doubt about it.
But the girl seemed to understand and continued to think with her legs. She wanted to reward Steve in some way. Then she seemed to have an idea. When a notification popped up in front of Steve, she tapped it in the air a few quick times.
[Che
y Silve
s offers to trade. accept? ]
He did it. After all, this is a deal, so it shouldn't give him too much of a headache. Soon after, another window popped up, showing him what he could trade, and Steve's face turned a little paler. He can of course trade items in his inventory, but when he looks closely he can also provide skill points or ability points. After just a few seconds, the girl confirmed the contents of her deal, with what she had to offer displayed in large letters on the other side of the negotiation window. [3 ability points, 100 skill points] it says. This girl is serious about giving him a full set of upgrade rewards. Well, from her perspective, he did save her life.
But Steve is not a mean person. He can choose to confirm his side's completion of the transaction after sending another confirmation prompt to both parties, or reject her transaction outright. He chose the second one. This is too much. Ways, too many. It would make him feel like a liar, and Steve didn't like liars as much as he didn't like stupid names. Now that I think about it, this girl's name is really cool.
The girl, Cherry Silvers, now frowned and actually raised her offer. What? Is she stupid? 5 ability points and 200 skill points? seriously? never. No, no chance. Steve refused again and walked over to his log, a few steps closer to her. Then he started scraping things inside. This is a line. While he was busy at work, the girl watched him intently, staring at the line of words trying to figure out what it meant. a line. one. He doesn't want more ability points, he wants fewer ability points. The girl smiled, sighed, and changed her offer again. [1 ability point, 50 skill points]. Well, she didn't give up a skill point, but at least she got his information. She wasn't stupid then. Steve nodded simultaneously, confirming the offer, and the two sealed the deal. A happy smile appeared on the girl's face, although it was different from the first time they met.
There's something different about her eyes. The blue didn't get stronger or softer, but the way she looked at him did. From seeing a cute pet to being impressed by him. She no longer looked at him with that pet-owner look that seemed to reduce him to a house cat. If that was the case, he might be able to trust her not to try to tame him in the future.
Looking at the girl's bright smile, bowing again to thank her, and then running away, it seems that he may have made a friend.
He acknowledged his reward with another nod and returned to his home, where he walked a short circle and lay down. Just as he closed his eyes, a notification sound came. Steve just sighed deeply and forced himself to open his eyes.
[Side mission: "Build a small territory!" Completely. You have received: 100 experience points, 50 gold coins. ]
[upgrade! ]
[Subquest: "Defeat the Great Stag!" added. Reward: 2 ability points, 100 skill points, 250 experience points]
[Side mission: "Defeat the Mother of Spiders!" added. Reward: 2 ability points, 100 skill points, 250 experience points]
[Side mission: "Defeat King Wolf!" added. Reward: 2 ability points, 100 skill points, 250 experience points]
[Side mission: "Defeat the black bear!" added. Reward: 2 ability points, 100 skill points, 250 experience points]
[Side Quest: "Defeat the Forest Lord and take over!" added. Reward: 5 ability points, 200 skill points, 500 experience points, 1,000 gold coins. ]
Oh shit. Those are some important announcements, dammit. So those marks can be regarded as creating a territory, right? The next few tasks...don't they mean the beginning of his rule over the forest? shit. It's a bit sudden isn't it? In order not to make mistakes, he wanted to become the king, but this was going a little too fast. Also, what does Black Bear and Forest Lord mean? ah? Are there many things that move around like that bear? And is there something more powerful? He has just reached level seven, what does this mean? Well, he'll gain benefits between battles, but there's no guarantee he won't have to fight multiple opponents at the same time. The only one that seems possible is the Great Bucks. Maybe his chances against that thing were slim. A bear can tear him apart in one blow, a wolf may be the pack leader, and a spider is called mother, so she must have an army. Quite simply, he had no means of combating them. Nothing, he was out of ideas. He didn't even know where they were. Well, if only he had a map.
Well, it's time to at least check his levels before bed. status.
status:
|Unnamed|
Level: 6 -> 7
Type: Common Mopava
title:
HP: 13/17
MP：32/32
Speed: 32/32
Strength: 8
Vitality: 8
Agility: 12
Agility: 25
Intelligence: 8 -> 11
Wisdom: 6 -> 8
Willpower: 6
Luck: 8
Ability points: 8
Skill points: 350
Gold: 260
What? ! What just happened to his mana? How are his points distributed? What's the point? What kind of nonsense is this? He couldn't even use offensive runes, or even offensive spells. It's so stupid for him to get these attribute improvements now! He needs strength! vitality! Those statistics are not intelligence! ah!
He absolutely cannot accept this. If he completes the main mission like he is doing now, he will definitely die. There was no way, he had to improve his attributes before this battle. The real question is how to do this. He could try to level up, but that would take a long time if he was just hunting rats. Now, he has to manually improve his stats, which means...training. He shuddered at the thought. He also has to multitask, and while working on agility, he may also throw rocks to hone that skill while working on strength. At the same time, energy is expected to rise. The only stat that doesn't worry Steve too much is agility, which is the only thing he's confident about at the moment.
Well, that's what tomorrow's Steve will worry about. He could close his eyes and call it a day.
The next day was... harsh. Really, harsher than harsh. He finally had to train, no more excuses. He needs strength, energy and dexterity, lots of them. So, he ran away. This will definitely increase his stamina and, with luck, maybe even his life force. As for strength, it's not that important. It can be replenished as long as the level is improved, so he just keeps activating every two or three steps. In this way, his SP was quickly cleared, but his agility still did not improve at all. It seemed like he had to go further than just emptying his Sp.
Steve didn't want to die. It's a simple concept, he just wants to live his life, really. Unfortunately, the environment he found himself in was hostile. It wasn't that he hated the forest, but he didn't feel safe in it either. The reason is simple: he could encounter the bear at any time. And he was pretty sure it still had a vengeance. Now, maybe he could escape. Yes, he might get away with it, but what's the point? It could destroy his home and keep chasing him. If that's the case, he might even end up in another big shot's territory. Then he probably has more than one in his throat. It's even possible that one of them is faster than him.
In the end, he had no choice. In order to survive, he has to become stronger, that's what the story is all about. If his attributes were improved, he wouldn't have to worry about his life. It would make him feel comfortable, which was what he really needed right now. Ah, don't be afraid, what a great idea...
Steve concentrated on running forward, putting one foot in front of the other, even though his Sp was depleted and his breathing was heavy. His body was craving a break now, but Steve still showed no signs of giving in and kept going. His pace had slowed down a bit, of course, but it was still a trot, which was enough to tire him out even more. It wasn't until his legs began to tremble that he almost gave in that he was knocked back and immediately collapsed to the ground. It wasn't the outcome he had hoped for, but at least it was a start. So, after one round, Steve didn't give up and kept running. The first run turned into two. Then three, four. Finally, when he was about to give up after training for a while, the sun just emerged from the horizon,
Agility 12 -> 13
It took a whole day, but his agility finally improved. Steve didn't realize he'd missed a meal until his stomach growled. He spent the whole day running and resting and doing nothing else. Damn, he at least needs a better training program.
The next day's breakfast consisted of three rats, which he devoured quickly and continued to exercise while also activating regularly, which at least leveled up quickly. Although he could now throw fast and far, it was still far from being able to knock down the bear. No, he needed more power and a higher level. He has no idea how to cultivate his own power. There wasn't anything heavy around him, so he didn't know how he was going to train his strength.
Well, that's it so far.
Running proved to be the perfect time for Steve to clear his mind, so he did. If power just increases the physical strength of his attacks and "punches", then he has to make them stronger, right? Running is not a perfect option in this situation, as often people run out of breath before their legs really tire. He needed something that would wear out his legs faster. That's when he decided to climb.
Of course, that's just enough to make it a hypothesis. He'd definitely have to test it out. As expected, he failed miserably. He'd never climbed a tree like this before, so it was natural to lose his grip and plummet, but Steve couldn't give up so quickly. He dug his paws into the tree and tried over and over again to pull himself up, but each time he fell he became more stubborn. He wants this damn tree to know who's boss!
But even after numerous attempts, covered in wounds, he still could not reach the lowest branch. He failed. He lost. It was a crushing defeat indeed, but Steve's eyes didn't touch the ground. He stared at the tree, the fire in his eyes blazing, and he even felt a drop of sweat sticking to the trunk.
[Acquire skills through specific actions. ]
Just like that, the fire in Steve's heart was extinguished. He - this -
Steve just let out a sigh that could knock out a dragon and trotted off in defeat. He soon vented his anger on two other mice and ate them. It does come in handy that he has a stone in his inventory.
Day two started pretty much the same, with stretches and a dead rat. But now Steve no longer missed morning workouts, walking steadily through the woods until his energy ran out. Then he faced the tree again...
