Chapter 2: 2. First Blood:
Armed with courage and gripping his sword tightly, he ventured out of the clearing and into the forest, searching for any sign of life. Strangely enough, he had to admit that he was excited. The idea of hunting beasts and gaining his own power filled him with anticipation.
After venturing deeper into the forest, following his compass and the small mini-map on his interface, he finally encountered another living being: a pale blue fox with a crystal protruding from the tip of its tail. He used his skill "Eye of Truth" to check the monster's stats:
Name: Blue Fox
Level: 15
Stats:
Strength: 65
Dexterity: 45
Intelligence: 45
Vitality: 85
Health: 850
Physical Damage: 32.5
Magical Damage: 7
Magical Resistance: 9
Mana: 9
- Skills:
- Crystal Tail (+5)
- Natural Agility (+5)
He was pleasantly surprised that his first prey was so weak. He still had to kill for real for the first time, and it was better to face an enemy that could barely harm him. The curious thing was that this species confirmed something he hadn't thought of until now. He had traveled "Blood Path" for years and knew absolutely all the flora and fauna of the game. Seeing this strange fox that wasn't part of his game knowledge confirmed that the world he was in was not the same as the one he knew.
He felt relieved. Let's just say that the background story of "Blood Path" was not only tragic but also extremely bloody. Therefore, he preferred to explore this new world, hoping it would be more benevolent to him and its inhabitants.
Putting all thoughts aside and preparing for battle, he quickly drank potions that granted him 10% more damage and dexterity, respectively, before approaching the blue fox slowly. The animal noticed him when there were only about 7 meters between them. Upon seeing him, it became alert and growled menacingly.
The wind gently blew between the trees as he prepared to face the animal. His heart pounded with a mix of excitement and nervousness. He held his sword firmly, staring at the strange monster in front of him. The fox also watched him, its amber eyes glowing with a clearly hostile look.
He charged straight at the animal, to which it responded with a quick leap towards his throat, which he managed to avoid by putting his shield in front. He took advantage of the momentary closeness to stab the animal, but using its natural agility, the fox barely dodged, only receiving a small cut on its side.
The fox roared with anger and charged, aiming its tail at him. He anticipated what was coming and placed his shield in front to receive the barrage of icy crystals conjured by the animal. It felt as if he had crashed into a wall and used all his willpower to keep his now numb arm from dropping the shield.
After casting that spell, the fox seemed to be exhausted, which Draken took advantage of to use [Shield Bash]. Quickly, he covered the distance between them in a second and hit the fox on the head with his shield, leaving it stunned. He seized this opportunity and drove his sword into the fox's head, which struggled for a few seconds before ceasing to move forever.
Several notifications appeared in his head:
You have killed a "Blue Fox." 875 exp.
You have killed an enemy above your level: X2 exp.
You have leveled up +5 levels.
He was delighted; his first hunt gave him enough experience to level up five times. Moreover, it continued to confirm things about this new world.
"It seems that the battles are much more realistic than a game," he thought, "In Blood Path, an attack to the head wouldn't have pierced the skin, only caused the corresponding weapon damage. I'll have to be very careful from now on." Thus, Draken began testing his new abilities.
"Well, it looks like I'm superhuman now," he commented happily as he saw the punch he had just given punch through the thick oak wood, leaving a deep imprint of his fist.
His next experiment was a bit more unpleasant. Taking a sharp stone he found, he proceeded to try to cut his hand's skin. When it started to bleed profusely, he quickly used a basic health potion to check its effects.
What he saw left him feeling good; apparently, the potion worked literally as a regenerative factor, healing and closing his wound in seconds. His next idea was to test his physical capacity to recover by cutting his palm deeply again, but this time, he didn't use the potion, letting his own life regeneration statistic come into play. After 2 seconds, his wound closed even faster than with the health potion.
"I guess it's strange for a novice to have 50,000 health and 625 life regeneration per second," he smiled to himself, "It seems I have a higher pain tolerance too, and such a deep wound not only heals in seconds but also doesn't hinder my mobility. I just feel a little numb." This revelation gave him some reassurance about the future.
"Choosing vitality as my main stat was a good idea; now I just hope I don't have to find out if a wound to the head or losing a body part is also curable," he sighed with resignation at the grim idea, hoping not to get into overly dangerous situations and reminding himself that this was not a game.
Over the next few weeks, he embarked on the search for more beasts and experimented with the versatility of his new abilities. He mostly ate food bought from the store since he didn't know how to cook outdoors or make fire without magic. Fortunately, no high-level beasts had been in the area, making his hunts very easy. All that success had made him confident, which he would pay dearly for later.
Confident in his strength, he ventured deeper into the forest, searching for creatures that would help him level up faster. He thought weak beasts and monsters were not worth it due to the little experience they provided.
Venturing deeper into the dark forest, he felt the sounds gradually diminish, and after several kilometers, he heard a roar that carried for kilometers. When he went to see the cause, he came across an incredible scene: two enormous bears were fighting like mad, destroying everything in their path.
Two giant bears fought like possessed beasts. Looking at their stats, Draken was surprised; they were the most powerful beasts he had encountered so far:
Name: Dark Ursar
Title: [Alpha Predator]
Level: 127
Stats:
Strength: 187
Dexterity: 157
Intelligence: 127
Vitality: 197
Physical Damage: 95
Magical Damage: 24
Magical Resistance: 31
Mana: 31
Health: 1970
Skills:
- Predatory Strength [passive] (+9)
- Voracious Claws (+9)
- Roar of Death (MAX)
- Vitality Predator (+6)
- Embrace of Death (MAX)
Name: Dark Ursar
Title: [Primal Power]
Level: 115
Stats:
Strength: 165
Dexterity: 190
Intelligence: 115
Vitality: 205
Physical Damage: 85
Magical Damage: 22
Magical Resistance: 29
Mana: 29
Health: 2050
Skills:
inctive Dexterity [passive] (+5)
- Vital Aura (+10)
- Claw Dance (+8)
- Nervous Damage (+6)
The larger bear, with its three meters of height, was an imposing presence in the forest. Its dark fur was marked by numerous scars, making it clear that it was a veteran in the struggle for survival. Additionally, each blow and bite it delivered carried something strange and primal that Draken couldn't identify.
In contrast, the younger bear had darker and shinier fur, clearly much younger. It was much faster, but its attacks didn't deal as much damage, and it wasn't as fierce as the adult bear.
The thunderous roars echoed among the trees as the two colossi clashed against each other with impressive force. Their sharp claws intertwined in a deadly dance, and their teeth sank into each other's skin, causing deep and bloody wounds. Neither seemed to have the advantage. For a long time, Draken watched, captivated by this magnificent battle of titans. Each time one was thrown against a tree, it shattered as if it were made of glass.
Over time, the older bear's superiority became evident as the younger bear's wounds took their toll, and it slipped while attempting a feint. This gave the larger bear the opportunity to pounce on its throat and bite down. No matter how much the younger Ursar fought, the larger one seemed unwilling to release its throat. After what felt like an eternal few minutes, the young bear stopped moving. The great Dark Ursar, seeing its fallen enemy, rose up on two legs and let out a victorious roar that sent birds flying several kilometers away.
At that moment, Draken, still hidden, had a malicious idea. Seeing how the victorious bear was struggling to remain on its feet, he decided to attack it and finish it off, gaining an easy victory and surely a lot of experience in return.
Drawing his sword, he stealthily approached the imposing beast, but when he was about 3 meters away, the bear turned to look at him. He froze. The creature had a deadly look that chilled his blood, and every fiber of his body screamed at him to flee, warning that he stood before a predator that would kill him without hesitation. Up until now, he had been confident in his new abilities and stats, but the truth was that he had not faced any beast that posed a real challenge, until today.
The Dark Ursar, upon seeing the frozen warrior staring at it, wasted no time and roared. A powerful and piercing roar that cut to the bone and made blood trickle from his eyes, nose, and ears.
A notification appeared in his field of vision [You have been affected by the Roar of Death: All your stats are reduced by 50% due to extreme fear. Partially resisted: All stats are reduced by 10% for 30 seconds.]
The beast lunged at the man and struck him with its claws. He was sent flying like an arrow and crashed against the trunk of a large oak tree more than 15 meters away. He could hear the sounds of several bones in his body breaking, and the arm he had used to protect himself from the attack was twisted from the middle of the forearm as if it had a new joint. Draken swore it felt as if a train had run over him. The animal had timed its ability to cause the most damage possible.
The pain was excruciating and paralyzing. In his two lives, he had never suffered such a wound. It got even worse when he received another notification: [You have received 1750 points of damage]. He was sure that only his armor prevented him from losing half his life in a single blow.
Draken struggled to get up while holding his sword. His impressive vitality stats were already healing the damage received, but that did not free him from the pain. Clenching his teeth until they bled, shield raised high, he used the skill [Shield Bash] to charge directly towards the enormous beast and stun it.
The attack worked, and the giant stood still for a moment, during which Draken stabbed its stomach several times with [Lacerate], receiving in response a kick from the animal that sent him flying several meters until he stopped spinning pathetically on the ground.
Fortunately for him, the Ursar was also in a very bad condition. Its stomach was open, and several centimeters of intestine were protruding from the wound. With no time for anything more than a breath, Draken forced himself to stand and cursed his own stupidity for getting into this situation out of blind pride. Taking a defensive stance, he stared at the colossal bear, and it looked back at him with an open challenge. He knew from that look that the creature would not let him go, so if he wanted to get rid of the beast, he had to kill it.
With a feasible plan in mind, he gripped his shield tightly and charged at the same time as the animal. Using the same strategy as before, he used [Shield Bash] on the exhausted animal, and in the instant it was stunned, he plunged his sword into its heart with [Lacerate].
When Draken thought it was all over, the animal did something that could only be called a "bear hug" and quickly roared again:
[You have been affected by the Roar of Death: All your stats are reduced by 50% due to extreme fear. Partially resisted: All stats are reduced by 20% for 30 seconds.]
Having received the attack up close, the effect was worse. This time, his ears, eyes, and nose seemed like a fountain of blood, and far from being over, the beast, with its last breath, used [Death Embrace]. It literally hugged his back and squeezed with inhuman force, breaking each of his bones. His spine shattered into several pieces, his arms pierced by the sharp fragments of his own bones, and his lungs collapsed under the pressure. The only reason his heart did not stop was because of the armor, which relatively kept his ribcage intact.
Faced with overwhelming pain, he could only faint. The now unconscious Draken missed the moment of the system notification that announced what became evident when the animal lost all strength in its arms and fell to the side, releasing the man, who fell like a rag doll.
You have killed a "Dark Ursar." 15,450 exp. You have killed an enemy above your level: X2 exp. You have leveled up +22 levels.
After several hours, Draken finally regained consciousness. Fortunately for him, no other beasts had approached. The corpse of the gigantic animal lay beside him. He tried to move but only received a stab of pain throughout his body. Still, he was grateful to retain mobility. After an hour, he finally forced himself to drink several health potions. His own vitality was healing the damage, but it would take several hours, and the pain was terrible.
When he was finally able to sit up, he opened his status to see if the pain had been worth it:
Name: Draken Bloodborn
Title: [None]
Level: 27
Stats:
- Vitality: 277
- Dexterity: 227
- Intelligence: 227
- Strength: 227
- Health: 5,594
- Mana: 81
- Life Regeneration: 67.75/m
- Mana Regeneration: 5.54/m
- Physical Damage: 133.5
- Magical Damage: 113.5
- Armor (Physical Resistance): 363.5
- Magic Resistance: 113.5
- Speed: 34
- Luck: 3
Equipment:
- Weapon: Fidelity (+10 Strength, +10 Health, +3 Luck)
- Gloves: Mesh Gauntlets (+50 Armor)
- Head: Hood (+50 Armor)
- Chest: Plate Armor (+50 Armor)
- Belt: Leather Belt (+50 Armor)
- Boots: Boots (+50 Armor)
- Shield: Beginner's Shield (+50 Armor)
- Ring 1: Empty
- Ring 2: Empty
- Necklace: Empty
Available Gold: 999,999,999,900
Equipped Emblems: Valor Emblem.
Active Skills:
- Lacerate (+10)
- Shield Bash (+10)
- Eye of Truth (MAX)
Passive Skills: XXX
| Inventory | Shop | Enchantments | Forge | Alchemy |
"Well, am I diligent?" he thought sarcastically. Once again, he cursed his stupidity and pride, thinking that with just his extra stats, he could take on anyone. Savoring the pain fully, he reminded himself that this was not a game; it was his life, and the next mistake he made would be his last.
"If the game or life taught you anything, it was
to always respect your opponent, you damn fool," he said to himself. He vowed never to be arrogant in the face of an enemy, no matter how weak it may seem.
Having almost died and with newfound clarity in his mind and purpose, Draken returned the way he came, not without cutting a claw from the bear. He would carry it as a sign of respect and a permanent reminder.
Despite that, in the following weeks, Draken found himself increasingly enjoying the adrenaline rush that facing different monsters with his life on the line gave him. He assumed that this was his brain's way of not collapsing under stress or that he had always been a combat maniac. This last thought made him smile a little, almost confirming his theory.
He had faced several level 30+ beasts, but having learned his lesson, they were no match for him. These battles earned him enough experience to level up.
Now, at level 30, he had two new goals: first, choose his mage subclass and unlock its new skills and stats. Second, find a way out of the forest and locate human settlements. With his current strength and seeing the average level of the beasts he had faced, Draken knew he had enough power to protect himself.
He quickly chose his new mage class and used his skill points to level up the skill [Magic Missile: Launch a small magic missile at your enemy, dealing 25% of your magical damage - Cost: 15 mana.] and [Blink: Instantly teleport to the chosen location - Cost: 25 mana].
After activating these abilities, he discovered that a strange type of information had suddenly appeared in his brain: equations with weird magical symbols and all kinds of calculations were unfolding in his mind, but, most surprisingly, he could understand it all.
"It seems that intelligence not only gives me more magical power and mana, it also makes me literally smarter. If I went back to my previous stats, I would undoubtedly be the smartest living being on the planet," he thought excitedly.
"And not only that, it seems that magical abilities are automatically activated, but only because I understand the underlying principles and procedures." His mind was euphoric: "That means I can improve magic without using skill points, even beyond its maximum level."
He had not noticed these new abilities derived from intelligence because until now, he had only relied on his physical qualities, as a warrior's powers did not require much mana, and he had only faced challenges that tested him physically.
Gratefully accepting this surprise, he proceeded to test his abilities and experiment with their advantages and limitations: [Magic Missile] was a skill that compressed his mana and launched it as a projectile, with a range of 10 meters before losing effectiveness.
[Blink], on the other hand, was much more interesting. Contrary to what it might seem, Blink was not a teleportation spell; that would suggest undoing his particles at one location and reassembling them at another, which was an elegant way to kill someone. [Blink], instead, opened a dimensional gate that connected point A to point B, but instead of being static, the gate moved rapidly toward the caster to envelop him. The whole process took less than 4 seconds; it was truly fascinating.
Its range depended on the level and mana used, but if he improved the skill, either through skill points or comprehension, he could travel enormous distances with a thought.
After testing the limits of his new abilities, Draken climbed to the top of the tallest tree he could reach and surveyed the landscape. From the top of one of the millennial trees, the forest spread like a vast green ocean, its waves formed by giant treetops swaying gently in the breeze.
He was genuinely impressed with the beauty of the landscape that unfolded before him and took a moment to appreciate this beautiful landmark of nature.
From the treetop, he tried to spot any signs of civilization, but only kilometer after kilometer of endless forest greeted him. He was thinking of simply going in the opposite direction of the mountains when, far off in the distance, he believed he saw a tiny line of smoke. Excited, he took note of the distance and the direction from which it came.
Quickly, he advanced several kilometers, relying on his high statistics. When he finally got close to the column of smoke, he found a bloody scene: dozens of bodies scattered on the ground, many missing limbs, and so much blood that the ground was sticky. The acrid stench of blood permeated the air, and the remnants of a destroyed caravan were scattered around. His keen gaze quickly identified signs of battle; this massacre wasn't caused by a beast, for sure; it was the work of men.
Disgusted by the scene before him, he decided to search the remains for anything that could be useful. Suddenly, he heard a voice—weak and hoarse, but he knew it wasn't his imagination. The same voice called out again. He started to search among the bodies scattered all over the battlefield for any survivors until he noticed a hand weakly waving under a man with his throat slit open.
Quickly, he moved the body and found a wounded man with a dagger lodged in his side, whispering weakly, "Please, help me," with unfocused eyes. Draken took out a basic health potion and quickly made the man drink it before removing the dagger from his side. Luckily, the bleeding stopped in a short time thanks to the health potion.
The man appeared to be around 5 feet 9 inches tall. His black, well-combed hair fell in a short mane that highlighted his sharp features. His eyes were an intense blue color. In normal circumstances, he could be considered handsome, but not after nearly dying and rolling in mud and blood.
Carefully lifting him, hoping he would wake up, Draken knew how deceptive these situations could be, so he stayed vigilant. He took the opportunity to maximize his understanding ability. In the game, it allowed him to receive NPC quests from other races, but he speculated that in this world, it would enable him to understand the language. He waited for the man to wake up while keeping an eye on his surroundings.
Donovan's body trembled as he awakened, feeling a throbbing pain in his head and side. He blinked several times, trying to focus his gaze, and that's when he saw a 6-foot-3-inch man with battle scars on his face, watching him with a concerned expression. Donovan attempted to sit up, but a stabbing pain reminded him that he had been on the brink of death.
"Where... where am I?" the man asked weakly.
"You're safe, friend. I found you injured and decided to help," Draken said, offering his best friendly smile.
"Who are you? Why did you help me?" the man said, furrowing his brow.
"A traveler passing through. And as for why I helped you... Well, I couldn't just let you die, could I?" Draken replied, extending his hand to shake the man's, while discreetly checking out the man's information:
Name: Donovan Valcrest
Profession: Warrior
Level: 28
Stats:
Strength: 23
Dexterity: 15
Intelligence: 14
Vitality: 15
Health: 230
Physical Damage: 11
Mana: 3
Skills:
Sword Strike (+2)
Battle Sense (+3)
Enhanced Resistance (+2)
Impact Strike (+2)
Donovan looked at Draken for a moment, assessing his words and expression. Though he still felt wary, something in the warrior's eyes conveyed chivalry, something Donovan always appreciated seeing in people he encountered.
"Thank you for saving me. But I don't understand, how did you manage to defeat those bandits? There were so many, and they were... powerful," he said as he shook Draken's hand.
"There was nothing to defeat, you were the only person around when I arrived; you must have passed out, and they assumed you were dead."
"Lucky me," Donovan said with a hint of sarcasm and pain.
"Exactly, lucky you," Draken chuckled. "By the way, we haven't properly introduced ourselves. I'm Draken, Draken B..." he momentarily froze, considering how embarrassing it would be to say his last name out loud, before sighing and saying, "Draken Bloodborn, pleasure to meet you."
"Pleased to meet you, Draken. Thank the gods you found me. My name is Donovan Valcrest. You have my heartfelt gratitude," Donovan said, placing his palm over his heart and giving a slight bow. "If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know."
"Well, Donovan, there actually is something. The truth is, I've lost my memory, Donovan, and I really have no idea where I am or what realm this is. I can barely remember my own name," he said, trying to sound convincing.
Donovan smiled widely, "Don't worry, friend. You helped me, so I'll help you. Let's find a secluded spot and make a campfire to warm up, and I'll answer all your questions."
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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