4. First Companion
A week after Siji's first hunt, he have only reached level 8. His slow progress is because he still hunt low level monsters to polish his skills and check many things. He is risking his life by fighting monsters, so he didn't want any half baked preparation and skills.
Siji have discovered some things in this week. First, the monsters aren't really spawn again. They're just come out from the forest to find food. The forest is where the real strong monsters reside.
Second, his unique skill can make him learn skill from players or monsters if he see it enough. Even so, he can't do those skills if they have different class. He is a swordsman, so he can't learn mage's skills. What he can do is to learn their weakness and find a way to counter it, also to literate himself.
Third, many people have died just in 2 weeks of this trial. From about 7 billion, now more than 3 billion have died. The first selections by the angel have took 2 billions life. Then 1 billion people die from their attempt to slay monsters.
Siji know they died because they aren't used to fight and using weapons like this. That's why he is very patient to train his fighting skills. He also train hand to hand combat with his Ultra Learning. He have learned other's weapons and fighting skills too, so he will have many trick in his arsenal.
"Even though i am a swordsman, but i can't rely on sword only. My sword skills are the fastest to grow, but i can't neglect the other, especially hand to hand. I don't know if i can always use my sword in a battle."-Siji
Siji even train using his left hand after he saw someone lost his main hand. Siji is right handed, so his left hand is weak. He didn't want to be powerless without his right hand. He want to make sure that he can survive even if he lost a hand or a leg. So he also bought another cutlass and become two swords user.
With his Ultra Learning, he can learn many things in just a week. He just need to keep using it as a practice and to familiarize himself. Now he need to get stronger too, so he will try to fight stronger monster.
Siji leave the city and try to look for monster with higher level than usual. Maybe one that have higher level than him. He didn't find it in open field, so he go to the forest. He move quietly and keep looking around. His right hand never leave his sword, while his left hand open his path.
Then he heard a rustling sound and check it. He see 3 goblins are fighting a lone grey wolf. It seem the goblins want to hunt this wolf. The wolf is stronger individually, but the goblins are outnumbering it. Both sides have many wounds, and Siji see this as his chance.
When 2 goblins move to strike the wolf with their worn out knife, Siji move to kill the one goblin that have slingshot. Siji move fast from behind and kill the goblin with a strike on it's neck. They are too focused on the wolf that they didn't hear Siji's steps.
The wolf see the archer goblin get killed and jump backwards. The unsuspecting goblins chase the wolf, but it just make it easier for Siji. He run again and kill the goblin at the right side. Now the left goblin finally realize Siji's presence but it's too late, because Siji has been right in front of it.
Siji kill the last goblin, then look at the wolf. The wolf growl at him and jump to bite with it's sharp fangs. Siji slash his sword to the wolf's open mouth and surprisingly the wolf bite his sword. Siji stab the wolf's stomach with his other cutlass in left hand. The wolf open it's mouth from the pain, and Siji slash his right cutlass, cutting the wolf's head.
[Defeating Goblin lv.5 x2, Goblin lv.6, Wolf lv.8. XP:+1070]
[Level Up]
[Level 9. XP:13,020/25,600]
"Finally a level up. The XP needed for each level up is always doubled from the previous level, but the monster didn't really give much XP. I guess i will get more XP if i defeat monster with higher level than me."-Siji
Siji store the wolf and goblin corpses. He didn't bother to dismantle them, it's hard to do it and he's in forest full of monsters. The smell of blood will attract more monsters to come. It will be dangerous if he get attacked while dismantling.
Siji actually learn basic dismantling for his future plan, but he doesn't use it. Then, he continue to move deeper slowly to find another monsters. When he walk deeper, Siji find a black kitten sleeping on the tree branch.
[Finding a possible familiar, Blacat.]
'Familiar? If i'm not wrong, to get familiar, i must make it like me. It will not attack me as long as i didn't anger it. Hmm, what should i do? I always want to have a cat, so i can't miss this opportunity.'-Siji
Siji is still thinking of how to approach the kitten when suddenly he hear a rustle sound from the bush near him. Siji got alerted and take out his 2 swords with both hands. He see a horned rabbit come out and suddenly the kitten meowed.
"Oh, you want this rabbit? How if i get it for you, then you will stay with me?"-Siji
"Meow?"-Kitten
"Uh, i don't understand cat's language too. Guess i'll just try if it's work."-Siji
Siji jump to the horned rabbit, but the rabbit jump away from him. It's really agile despite being only a lv.5 creature. The rabbit want to run away, but Siji won't let it go, so he take a pebble and throw it to the rabbit. He aim at the rabbit's face, so it jump to the side. Siji see his chance and stab the rabbit with his sword.
[Defeating lv.5 rabbit. XP:+50]
Siji didn't care about the XP and take the rabbit. He show it to the kitten and lure it.
"Come here little kitty, you want this right?"-Siji
The kitten seem wary of Siji, so he sigh and put the rabbit on the ground. Then he open the rabbit's corpse and walk a few metres back. The kitten finally come down and walk slowly toward the rabbit. It eat the rabbit happily and Siji smile, but he didn't approach it. He didn't want to scare the little thing when it finally want to come down.
Suddenly there's a rustle again from the bush. A lv.4 goblin appeared then it look at the rabbit and kitten. It seem to smell the rabbit's blood and come here. The kitten got scared, but Siji suddenly appear and kill the goblin.
"Tsk, a low level goblin want to eat a rabbit with higher level. Your stomach will burst."-Siji
Siji feel something rubbing on his feet and see the kitten rub it's head on his feet. Siji smile widely and crouch to touch the kitten's head. He pet it's head and it seem happy.
[Congratulation, get a familiar, Blacat lv.3. Rarity: Rare]
The level of rarity in this world is Common, Scarce, Rare, Epic, Legend, and Mythic. It's applied for almost any items and it seem to be the grade of familiar too.
"To think i find a rare familiar here, you are very adorable aren't you little kitty?"-Siji
"Meow"-The kitten raise it's right front leg
"It seem she understand me."-Siji
"MEOW!!"-The kitten suddenly scratch Siji's hand
"OUCH! What's wrong girl?"-Siji
"MEOW MEOW MEOW!"-The kitten point at it's stomach, no, below it
"O-oh, you're a male?"-Siji said awkwardly
"Meow~"-The kitten nod
"We-well, sorry about that buddy, i don't know how to differentiate male and female kitten."-Siji
[Please name your familiar.]
"Hmm? What should i name you? Do you like, uuuhh, Jack?"-Siji
The kitten shake it's head, then Siji give another name. Felix, Shaw, Chron, Number One, Champion, Lionel, Schrodinger, Cat #451, the kitten didn't like any of it. Siji decide to go back to the city while giving his naming idea to the kitten. But it still reject all of it, Siji is just bad at giving names, or the kitten is too picky.
"Sigh, come on dude, i'm starting to run out of names. Hmm, how about Hades? It's from greek mythology, he's God of underworld, ruling the night and darkness."-Siji
"Meow."-The kitten nod satisfiedly while closing it's eyes on Siji's shoulder.
[Familiar's name: Hades]
"Sigh, finally. You're very picky about your name."-Siji
Siji arrive in the city gate and stopped by the guards. It seem they mistaken his familiar as normal monster. So he need to explain it to them, beside, monster can't enter the city. It's the safest place in this world where everything works like a game here.
Yeah, a game, the cities works like a beginner city in a game. Any sort of crime will not happen in here and everyone is protected. Even a light punch will not work in the city, so two drunkards can't fight.
But contrast to that, outside the city, anything can happen. Crimes haven't started to happen, but Siji know it is just a matter of time. That's just how humans are, not even Trial like this can stop that vicious nature. That's also why Siji always warn his family to stay in the city.
Siji go to his cheap inn to get some rest for his day tomorrow. He already make a plan for the future, at least the close future. Tomorrow will be the start of his real plan, and he is ready for that.
The next day, Siji leave the inn and bring all of his stuff. Hades lay on his head while looking around. The kitten's presence gather a lot of attentions, especially ladies. They even start to approach Siji & Hades.
"Kyaa~, so cu~te. Where did you get this kitty?"-Girl A
"Can we get one too?"-Girl B
"Kyaa~, can i touch him?"-Girl C
"Uuhh, i get him in the forest when i hunt. You will get a notification if you find a possible familiar. We-well, you can touch him, but we need to leave soon, so just a little okay?"-Siji
Siji let the girls pet Hades, and they even give food. Siji is the first one that get familiar in his city, so it gather a lot of attention. He wait for sometime, but the girls didn't let Hades go, and it make the kitten feel uncomfortable, so Siji take Hades and run away from there.
Then they go to the market and buy many necessities, including tent. Yes, Siji want to leave the safe city and will not come back for sometime. He will stay in the wild and live alone.
Siji realize that if he always stay in the city, he will never meet his family. He need strength to achieve that, and to get that strength, he need to venture deeper to the forest and kill higher ranked monsters. If he keep coming back to the city, it will only make his resolve weak.
Coming back and forth from the city and forest take a lot of time. He always need to come back before dark or the city gate will get closed. Siji just have a few hours to find monsters and kill it. There's not enough time to get many monsters in a day. That's also why his level growth is slow.
Siji spent all his money to buy everything he need, especially monster repellant. Then Siji go to the gate after get everything he need. His inventory slots are almost full from the stuff he bought. Siji take a deep breath and leave the safe city.
"Alright, let's go partner! We will be a lot stronger and meet my family."-Siji
"Meyawwn~"-Hades yawn and close his eyes, make Siji sweatdrop
"Uh, that's anticlimatic, whatever, let's go!"-Siji
A dangerous life is waiting for Siji & Hades.
~End of Chapter 4, by Peek A Coo~
Siji's stats update from last chapter:
[Name: Siji Mada
Age: 19
Job: Combatant
Class: Swordsman
Level 9. XP:13,070/25,600
MP: 100
Strength: 30 (+10)
Agility: 25 (+5)
Vitality: 20 (+1)
Intelligence: 10
Dexterity: 20 (+3)
Sense: 16 (+1)
Attack: 320 (Weapons +20)
Defense: 210 (Armor +10)]