- Chapter 2 - The Elder Poring

~ After a few hours has passed ~

~ Evelyn's POV ~

As the sun was now beginning to set, Evelyn decided to set up a small campsite with her (Minor Enchanted Campfire of Hearth; Idiot Proof); which was a specially made magical campfire with magically insulating obsidian rocks that surrounded an ever burning magical flame that was emanating from a bundle of specially treated dead wood.

Evelyn made sure to follow the idiot proof directions that came with the setup and learned from the instruction manual that the obsidian rocks were inscribed with sigils that Evelyn and her System couldn't identify, and the manual spoke about how the bundle of specially treated dead wood came from Niflheim; the Realm of the Dead. After setting it up, all that Evelyn needed to do was to inject a small amount of SP into the wood and it immediately caught on fire. 'The instruction booklet said that the fire would last until dawn, so I'll be warm and comfortable enough to get a decent night's sleep out here.'

After having made sure she followed the directions to the letter, she placed the instruction manual into her inventory and she took out and placed her (Leather & Cloth Sleeping Bag) a little ways away from the fire, and she then sat down and relaxed.

[+10 exp to Basic Camping Survival Mastery - Skill]

While she performed a few stretches she said, "Hey System, what's my total haul from today's escapades and can you give me a brief summary on the kinds of loot I got from the Porings and Lunatics I took down today?"

[You picked up (59x Empty Bottles), (23x Apples), (47x Sticky Mucus), (78x Jellopy), (2x Knives [4]), (25x Feathers), (16x Red Herbs), (29x Carrots), (5x Clovers), and you gained a total of (835 Zeny).]

[The (Empty Bottle) is self-explanatory... that being an empty bottle that came from a Poring's insides. They need to be heavily sanitized; in my opinion.]

[The (Apple) is also self-explanatory... it looks like these Porings like these fruits, but they don't seem to digest them... Or maybe they do and these are just the ones that weren't digested in time. These need to be rinsed and sold to someone else. Only eat them as a last resort since eating a fruit that came from the insides of a pink monster is highly discouraged.]

[The globs of (Sticky Mucus) are mostly left over slime from the Porings that you've slain. If someone actually buys this stuff, then more power to them. The mysteriously sticky liquid may have beneficial properties, but we're no experts on it.]

[The (Jellopy) are small crystalized pieces of monster parts. There's a sort of energy that I can kind of detect from them; although they're very trace amounts, so they could be useful. But we don't really know for sure.]

[The (Knife [4]) is a Dagger that has (+17 ATK) after a thorough scan and the two knives that you've picked up from the Porings you've slain are in pretty good condition. The [4] means that it can be socketed with some kind of orb or something of similar size for unknown reasons. We'll need to find out more later on.]

'I'll be using one of these as my main combat knife from now on until I find something better...', Evelyn decided with a grin on her lips.

[The (Feather) is pretty self-explanatory...; however, after a thorough examination, the lustrous quality from the feathered barbs could be used to make great clothing if done correctly.]

[The (Red Herbs) are a weak medicinal herb that could be used to heal a little HP, but who knows how strong of a potion that one could make from these if done properly and used by professionals. It could sell for a decent amount of zeny.]

[A (Carrot) dropped by a Lunatic needs to be thoroughly inspected, washed, and sold to the nearest vendor. It came from inside one of those fluffy murder rabbits, so eating it is highly irresponsible. You know where it's been...]

[A (Clover) dropped by a Lunatic is peculiar since it still looks fresh and intact; as if it was picked by a professional herbalist with delicate hands and careful handling.]

[That's all the loot that you've gained from today's efforts. It's not a bad haul.]

"Thanks for that System," said Evelyn while she snacked on a couple (Pieces of Tasty, Healthy, and Nutritious Jerky) and drank some water from the (Minor Enchanted Leather Water Bottle of Refreshment; Self-Refilling).

As she enjoyed the wilderness, basked in the warmth of the campfire, and relaxed, she said, "Now that it's relaxation time for me, would it be alright if you scan and give me a screen overview of the pages of the (Copy of Traveling Documentations and Proof of Identity for Evelyn Snowbright) in my inventory? I'd ask you to narrate it for me, but I think it'd be better if I read it and try to keep the details of this document remembered to the best of my ability; just in case I get questioned by customs or something when I'm entering cities, towns, and such."

"In the near future, I'd like to visit and take in the sights of the City of Prontera; the Imperial Capital of the Rune-Midgard Kingdom, the City of Geffenia; also known as the City of Magic, and many other places. That's why I believe that it's better if I know about my origins as stated in those documents to be more authentic."

[Sure, I'll get right on that. I don't really mind doing new things and discovering more of my capabilities as a part of your System. I'm glad that I'm getting the hang of communicating with you via our mental connection. It would be weird; otherwise, if a disembodied voice spoke out of nowhere. Some would think that you're either being haunted, being followed by malevolent spirits, or being slowly corrupted by a powerful ghost otherwise.]

'Yeah, that'd be really unfortunate,' she remarked inwardly with a small smile as she relished in the sounds of the birds chirping, the sounds of the bouncing Porings, the scurrying of the Lunatics, the thrumming steps of the Willows, and other sounds coming from all around her.

[Here's what you asked me for... it's quite a read...]

{[Proof of Identity]

[Name: Evelyn Snowbright]

[Date of Birth: September 1st, 400 A.W.]

[Location: The Village of Rhea, located near the South-Western part of Geffen; at most 50 miles out from Geffen]

[To whom it may concern,

Know thee that young Evelyn Snowbright was one of the only survivors that were found amongst the ruins of the Village of Rhea after the massive Orc Hordes swept through there on the year 406 A.W. until the later parts of the year 407 A.W.. We are gracious to his Highness of the Rune-Midgard Kingdom that he sent forth his Knights alongside the High Wizards of Geffen to quell that awful encroachment.

Young Evelyn Snowbright has been vetted by the Medical Center in Geffen, checked and is completely free of Demonic influence, and her health was deemed average for a child her age. She was checked into the Medical Center when she was 8 years of age.

Though the young Snowbright of Rhea left the safety of Geffen after having received proper education, she didn't leave without any recommendations. Young Evelyn has worked with a few well-known merchant families from Geffen, was tutored by a few up and coming Wizards; of whom she befriended, and her great attitude left a great impression on one of the Lord Knights and 1st Captain of the Northern Gate Guard of Geffen.

I; retired Senior High Wizzard, William Vanderbilt the 6th, hereby notarize that this letter is a proof of identity and it shall also act as a letter of recommendation and introduction.

Regards,

Retired Senior High Wizard

William Vanderbilt the 6th]}

[I've also detected a trace amount of some kind of energy; possibly Mana a.k.a. magical energy, on the signature that belongs to William Vanderbilt the 6th.]

The proof of identity was interesting to Evelyn since it gave hints about the kind of person that the former owner of this body was like. The trace amounts of magical energy left by the notary gives the piece of paper a decent bit of authenticity. 'But we don't really have any other document similar to the proof of identity that we could compare it to in order to be absolutely sure,' thought Evelyn before she gestured the screen overview to scroll through the next page.

{[Traveling Scroll]

[Civilian Edition - K.o.R-M - #591,729 - E.S.]

[This document belongs to Evelyn Snowbright. It states that she is allowed to travel through and visit areas under the aegis, rules, and ultimate laws of the Kingdom of Rune-Midgard. This civilian issued traveling scroll has been granted for her usage via the City of Geffen's Customs, Travel, and Civil office.

Being of civilian issue, the young woman holding this can only visit areas with clear and obvious civilian clearance. The Customs Officers of each and every Town, Village, City, and those under the aegis, rules, and ultimate laws of the Kingdom of Rune-Midgard have the right to deny access of their respective locations to the owner of this scroll if a valid and just reason is given.

This scroll was issued on the 2nd Day of June, on the Year 410 A.W.. The Customs, Travel, and Civil office in Geffen can be contacted via crystal communications to prove that the woman is who she says she is.

Crystal Communications # of said office is C.C. #580-G20-KRM...

Places visited so far: City of Geffen,...]}

'And here's another interesting piece of documentation. This looks like the Rune-Midgard Kingdom's version of a travel passport... how fascinating...', she thought with a raised brow.

Evelyn spent at most 10 more minutes to scroll through a few more scanned documents; of which were a part of the (Copy of Traveling Documentations and Proof of Identity for Evelyn Snowbright) bundle, that were letters of recommendations from the different merchants, vendors, and shops within Geffen that this world's Evelyn Snowbright worked at and helped before she met her demise.

'Hmm... from all these documents, my alternate that shared my name in this world was a very helpful person and she was an exemplary worker. She was just like how I was before I enlisted out of Highschool...'

While she pondered that train of thought, she looked at her current [Status] and in her opinion she made a decent amount of progress. It was a given; of course, since she's been killing Porings and Lunatics with only the occasional break of a few minutes here and there before she went back at it. She also did recall her System telling her that her status may experience some recalibrations due to her System gaining more of an insight into this world's uniqueness. Evelyn was curious whether or not she'll see the minimal changes that have happened to her [Status] before she has to ask her System to highlight it for her.

[Status]

[Name: Evelyn Snowbright]

[Race: Human Midgardian]

[Age: 17 Years Old (Formerly 29)]

[Title(s): None]

[Level: 5 (360/1,600 exp)]

[HP] [150/150] (3 HP/10Sec Regen when resting and/or out of combat)

[SP] [194/194] (7 + 1 = 8 SP/10Sec Regen when resting and/or out of combat)

[Job: Novice (No Other Classes Unlocked As Of Yet)]

[Job Level: (5/10) (360/1,600 exp)]

[Primary Stats:]

[STR] 10

[AGI] 10 --->>> 10 + 5 = 15

[VIT] 10 --->>> 10 + 5 = 15

[INT] 40 --->>> 40 + 7 = 47

[DEX] 12 --->>> 12 + 3 = 15

[LUK] 50

[Available Primary Stat Points Before Being Used: 20 (Added thanks to having leveled up 4 times. 5 Added each time she's leveled up...)]

[Available Primary Stat Points After Usage: 20 --->>> 0]

[Sub-Stats:]

[ATK] 10 (Total STR) + 17 (Total Weapon ATK) = 27 + (Total LUK 50 ÷ 3 = 16.6) = 43.6 ~ 58.6

[MATK] 47 (Total INT) × 1.5 = 70.5 (+1 MATK for every 5 points in DEX = [3]) + (Total LUK 50 ÷ 3 = 16.6) = 90.1 ~ 105.1

[DEF] (+1 DEF for every 5 points in AGI = [3]) + (+1 DEF for every 2 points in VIT = [7]) + 13 (Total Equipment DEF) = 23

[MDEF] 47 (Total INT) x 2 = 94 + (+1 MDEF for every 5 points in VIT = [3]) + (1 MDEF for every 5 points in DEX = [3]) = 100

[HIT] 2 + 15 (Total DEX) = 17 + (Total LUK 50 ÷ 3 = 16.6) = 33.6

[CRIT] 50 (Total LUK) × 0.3 = 15

[FLEE] 2 ((× 15) Total AGI)) = 30 + (Total LUK 50 ÷ 5 = 10) = 40 + 2 (Basic Dodging Skill) = 42

[ASPD] (Still Calculating)

[MS] (+1 mph while walking every 4 or less points in AGI) = (4 mph walking) x 2 = (8mph jogging/run/sprint)

'Not bad... not bad at all... tomorrow I'll have to keep up with my slaying of Porings, Lunatics, and I'll add the Willows to that list. The Porings started giving me only 5 exp to both my Level and Job each when I hit Level 4 while the Lunatics still gives me the same amount of 15 exp each. It's most likely due to the level difference.'

With an embarrassed grin, Evelyn said, "Hey System, how do my abilities and skills look right now? Did I gain anything new? I was kind of in the zone when I was taking down Porings and Lunatics earlier, so I must've been zoned out when you told me before."

[I noticed... when focused, you were pretty terrifying. The almost machine-like precision that you kept dismantling those Porings and Lunatics while pocketing whatever items they dropped was pretty intense. Although they are low level monsters, to my observation... you were getting better at a noticeable pace. And with that, let me present to you what your skills and abilities look like right now and the new additions will be more prevalent once you go through them.]

"Thanks System, and yeah... I've been told before that when I'm focused on doing something that I tend to hyperfocus on it and everything else falls by the wayside.", she replied with a shrug and a grin.

[Skills]

>> [Available Skill Points: 4]

[Basic Dagger Mastery (Level: 3/?) (280/400 exp) - Skill]

>> [Passive Skill]

>> [Damage with Daggers and Knife-like Weapons are increased by 9%. Weapons handling and techniques with these kinds of weapons are easier to perform.]

>> [More info...]

[Basic Shield Mastery (Level: 3/10) (220/400 exp) - Skill]

>> [Passive Skill]

>> [Physical damage that's blocked, deflected, reflected, and/or parried with Shields and similar like equipment are 9% likely to be easier to perform.

>> [9% of Physical Damage received can be blocked, deflected, reflected, and/or parried with enough effort and timing.]

>> [More info...]

[Basic Camping Survival Mastery (Level: 1/?) (10/100 exp) - Skill]

>> [Passive Skill]

>> [Setting up a camp, starting a fire, cooking food over a fire properly, boiling water properly, and other such necessary skills are made easier and more efficient by 5%.]

>> [After a successful setup and a good night's sleep, then an increase in exp gain by 5% can be achieved which will last for 4 hours.]

>> [More Info...]

[Basic First Aid (Level: 1/?) (0/100 exp) - Skill]

>> [Supportive Type, Self-Cast, and Single Target Type Cast Through Touch]

>> [Costs: 25 SP per Cast to regain 5 HP]

>> [Performing First Aid is one of the first things a Novice needs to learn and master in order to get used to using SP. It could save your life when used correctly and it's a lifesaving stopgap until a real healer works on you or others. It stimulates the body's natural regen through the basic excitation of SP.]

[Basic Dodging Skill]

>> [Level: 2/10 (175/200 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Instinctive/Intuitive Survival Skill]

>> [Level 2 gives Evelyn a +2 Flee Rate]

>> [After having successfully dodged a good number of opponents without being damaged by said opponents, Evelyn Unlocked and Gained this very helpful skill. She now finds it a slight bit easier to perform evasive maneuvers.]

[Basic Human Midgardian Written & Spoken Language Comprehension - Skill]

>> [Level: 1/5 (0/100 exp)]

>> [Passive]

>> [Any self respecting Human Midgardian should know how to speak and read the written word of the most prevalent language of their people.]

[Basic Unarmed Combat Mastery - Skill]

>> [Level: 3/? (40/400 exp)]

>> [Passive/Active]

>> [Attacks and actions performed via unarmed and/or with your body are 9% more effective, more accurate, and more damaging. (ATK & HIT Sub-Stat gains a 9% increase when done with your physical body)]

>> [Through hardships, hard-earned lessons, life and death battles, and through the fires of combat, you have learned how to fight unarmed in your past life and it can be further honed, improved, and polished in your new life.]

[Enhance Hearing - Basic Skill]

>> [Level 2/5 (80/200 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Passive/Active Self-Cast]

>> [Costs: Uses 4 SP/every 60 seconds of usage]

>> [The art of enhancing one of your senses via SP can both be a blessing and a curse. Through the careful infusion of SP to your ears, you can now hear and detect sounds as far as 25 meters away while being able to accurately tell which direction your hearing it from.]

[Abilities]

[Basic Monster Detection & Observation Ability]

>> [Level: 2/? (0/200 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Passive Self-Cast]

>> [Costs: Uses 1 SP/every 60 seconds of usage]

>> [You have gained a passive aura that can't reach past 10 feet in every direction from where you are located that detects, observes, and can give you the basic information on low level monsters. Your line of sight and your mental need for it will unlock the basic information that's been scanned on the monsters as necessary. When not needed, then it'll only show the name, level, HP, and SP of said monster.]

[Monster Encyclopedia Ability]

>> [Level: N/A]

>> [Supportive & Information Compendium]

>> [Costs: Takes Time, Effort, and Studiousness to slog through the pages and pages of the scanned, observed, and/or killed monsters' information.]

>> [So far, you've only got information on Porings, Lunatics, and Willows. You have observed & scanned a lot of each though.]

>> [Click this Tab in order to scroll through the information that we've gathered on the monsters that we've come across so far...]

[Fortune's Favored Blade - Ability]

>> [Level: 1/5 (230/1,000 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Passive Self-Cast]

>> [Costs: 25 SP per Cast]

>> [There's a 1 out 20 chance that any physical melee strike you perform will be doubled in damage. When successful, then it'll consume 25 SP; however, if there's no SP available, then it won't work.]

>> [This is a Random Ability that you've gained when your LUK reached 50.]

'Hmmm... things seem to be progressing well for less than a day's worth of effort. The [Basic Unarmed Combat Mastery - Skill] and the [Enhance Hearing - Basic Skill] look pretty promising alongside my other skills and abilities. That's just after having leveled up to 4 and then 5.... I wonder what I'll gain when I hit the higher levels...'

'It looks like the exp requirements after each level up double, so I most likely won't be able to stay in this part of the forest for more than a few days. Also, I need to find running water to wash myself. Or I could find the nearest town and stay at an inn, but who knows how much zeny I'll need to use in order to buy a room and other accommodations for a single night... I've only got 835 Zeny to my name and I don't know how prices are like anywhere...'

After a bit more pondering, she closed off the holographic screens, tabs, and such, and then laid down comfortably on her sleeping bag while she looked up at the gorgeous stars that dotted the night sky. 'Isn't that a gorgeous sight, right System?'

[Yes, it is.]

*Yawn* 'What do you think I should do with my skill points? I don't really know how to use them or where to really place them. Any insights on it, System?'

[I'll try poking around your Skills tab and see if I can slot it into place anywhere. It might take me a few hours or so, so get some rest while I do my thing.]

"Sounds good, System. Thanks...", said Evelyn while she yawned again and closed her eyes.

~ After a good nights sleep ~

~ The crack of dawn ~

As soon as Evelyn woke up, she was greeted by a beautiful morning as well as the notifications from her System.

[Good morning, Evelyn. The Skills tab upgrade slots have been Discovered/Unlocked and are ready for you to use. It took me the better part of the night while you were sleeping to figure out where the Skill Points should go in order to affect your skills. It should be used whenever you're ready. I think you'll be plenty surprised as to how it'll affect your skills as time goes on.]

"Good morning to you too," she replied while she stretched like a cat after taking a well-earned long cat nap. Evelyn then proceeded to take a drink of water from her self-refilling water bottle, ate a few pieces of jerky, and then she cleaned up the campsite and placed everything that was needed back into her inventory.

After she enjoyed the relaxing few minutes of the morning sun, gentle breeze, and the sounds of the forest, she then promptly said, "Thanks for your hardwork, System."

And then she checked out what changes occurred to her [Skills] tab and was pretty surprised.

[Skills]

> [New Features Discovered & Unlocked - The Upgrade Slots for your Skills are now Available - The Tiers are as follows: Basic, Advanced, Expert, Master, Legend, and Divine - The advancement of your skills to certain tiers gives them a lot more flexibility to grow, have more of an impact in later levels, and the later benefits for your skills are unknown, but it shows incredible promise.]

>> [Available Skill Points: 4]

[Basic Dagger Mastery (Level: 3/?) (280/400 exp) - Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Passive Skill]

>> [Damage with Daggers and Knife-like Weapons are increased by 9%. Weapons handling and techniques with these kinds of weapons are easier to perform.]

>> [More info...]

[Basic Shield Mastery (Level: 3/10) (220/400 exp) - Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Passive Skill]

>> [Physical damage that's blocked, deflected, reflected, and/or parried with Shields and similar like equipment are 9% likely to be easier to perform.

>> [9% of Physical Damage received can be blocked, deflected, reflected, and/or parried with enough effort and timing.]

>> [More info...]

[Basic Camping Survival Mastery (Level: 1/?) (10/100 exp) - Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Passive Skill]

>> [Setting up a camp, starting a fire, cooking food over a fire properly, boiling water properly, and other such necessary skills are made easier and more efficient by 5%.]

>> [After a successful setup and a good night's sleep, then an increase in exp gain by 5% can be achieved which will last for 4 hours.]

>> [More Info...]

[Basic First Aid (Level: 1/?) (0/100 exp) - Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Supportive Type, Self-Cast, and Single Target Type Cast Through Touch]

>> [Costs: 25 SP per Cast to regain 5 HP]

>> [More Info...]

[Basic Dodging Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: 2/10 (175/200 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Instinctive/Intuitive Survival Skill]

>> [Level 2 gives Evelyn a +2 Flee Rate]

>> [More Info...]

[Basic Human Midgardian Written & Spoken Language Comprehension - Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: 1/5 (0/100 exp)]

>> [Passive]

>> [Any self respecting Human Midgardian should know how to speak and read the written word of the most prevalent language of their people.]

[Basic Unarmed Combat Mastery - Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: 3/? (40/400 exp)]

>> [Passive/Active]

>> [Attacks and actions performed via unarmed and/or with your body are 9% more effective, more accurate, and more damaging. (ATK and HIT Sub-Stat gains 9% increase when done with your physical body)]

>> [More Info...]

[Enhance Hearing - Basic Skill - (0/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level 2/5 (80/200 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Passive/Active Self-Cast]

>> [Costs: Uses 4 SP/every 60 seconds of usage]

>> [The art of enhancing one of your senses via SP can both be a blessing and a curse. Through the careful infusion of SP to your ears, you can now hear and detect sounds as far as 25 meters away while being able to accurately tell which direction your hearing it from.]

After having looked at the changes, Evelyn decided to upgrade her [Basic Shield Mastery - Skill], [Basic Dodging Skill], [Basic Unarmed Combat Mastery - Skill], and her [Enhance Hearing - Basic Skill] by one skill point each; which changed them to [Advanced Shield Mastery - Skill], [Advanced Dodging Skill], [Advanced Unarmed Combat Mastery - Skill], and [Enhance Hearing - Advanced Skill] respectively.

So far, the only changes that Evelyn noticed were...

[Advanced Shield Mastery (Level: 3/25) (220/400 exp) - Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Passive Skill]

>> [Physical damage that's blocked, deflected, reflected, and/or parried with Shields and similar like equipment are 9% likely to be easier to perform.

>> [9% of Physical Damage received can be blocked, deflected, reflected, and/or parried with enough effort and timing.]

>> [More info...]

[Advanced Dodging Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: 2/25 (175/200 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type & Instinctive/Intuitive Survival Skill]

>> [Level 2 gives Evelyn a +2 Flee Rate]

>> [More Info...]

[Advanced Unarmed Combat Mastery - Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level: 3/25 (40/400 exp)]

>> [Passive/Active]

>> [Attacks and actions performed via unarmed and/or with your body are 9% more effective, more accurate, and more damaging. (ATK and HIT Sub-Stat gains 9% increase when done with your physical body)]

>> [More Info...]

[Enhance Hearing - Advanced Skill - (1/5 Upgrade Slots Used)]

>> [Level 2/10 (80/200 exp)]

>> [Supportive Type, Passive/Active Self-Cast]

>> [Costs: Uses 4 SP/every 60 seconds of usage]

>> [The art of enhancing one of your senses via SP can both be a blessing and a curse. Through the careful infusion of SP to your ears, you can now hear and detect sounds as far as 25 meters away while being able to accurately tell which direction your hearing it from.]

...the level cap for the basic turned advanced skills, and the counter for the upgrade slots being used after a skill point was slotted in. 'This could prove to be very helpful for us as time goes on. I can directly choose how I want to advance, specialize, and improve certain skills and it'll definitely have long-term effects for my continued survival. I can't wait...'

With a gesture, she cleared up the holographic screens. And then, after a quick check to make sure that she didn't leave anything behind, she ventured forward to explore more of the forest, to test herself against the Willows, and to take out more Porings, and Lunatics.

[Must you double back even though you know you've already got everything?]

'It doesn't hurt to be absolutely sure.'

After a couple minutes of wandering, she spots a Willow and gets herself ready to take it down.

[Willow]

[Level: 4]

[Race: Plant]

[HP] [95/95]

[SP] [0/0]

[More Info...]

>> [Monster Primary Stats]

[STR: 1]

[AGI: 4]

[VIT: 8]

[INT: 30]

[DEX: 9]

[LUK: 10]

>> [Monster Sub-Stats]

[Property: Low-Tier Earth Elemental]

[ATK: 9 ~ 12]

[DEF: 5]

[MATK: 0]

[MDEF: 15]

[HIT: 28]

[FLEE: 88]

While the Porings are the size of medium-sized dogs and can bounce and jump at ridiculous heights of 10 feet or more; from what she's seen so far, and the Lunatics are the size of rabbits; at least twice or so bigger, and can be pretty fast little buggers, the Willows range in heights of 5 - 6 feet with their entire body the width of a grown tree's main trunk. They have arms and legs made up of amalgamations of twisted branches in the shape of human limbs; only more bark-like and gnarly, and they seem to function just like regular arms and legs while their main face are shaped from the tops of their wide tree trunk bodies.

From what she's seen so far, they move like lumbering wooden golems; kind of like from a few games she's played and/or the movies she's watched from before, but the [FLEE] [Sub-Stat] of 88 it has looks pretty troublesome. It's 2 more than what the Lunatics have, so it's reflexes must be annoying.

Keeping that in mind, Evelyn charged it with her new knife in hand and what it did as a reaction was to sprout more wooden arms from it's main body to deflect her strike away with ease.

Thankfully, Evelyn already had a follow-up in the form of a roundhouse kick headed straight for it's side, but unfortunately; this too was deflected and while she had one foot off the ground and slightly off balance from what just occured, she felt the Willow jab her in the ribs three times.

This resulted in her being flung away with a pained grimace on her face.

[23 DEF] - ([12 ATK] × 3)

[23 DEF] - [36 ATK] = [ - 13 HP]

[Evelyn Snowbright]

[17 Years Old (Formerly 29)]

[Race: Human Midgardian]

[Level: 5 (360/1,600 exp)]

[Novice: Level 5 (360/1,600 exp)]

[HP: (137/150) (3HP/10sec)]

[SP: (194/194) (8SP/10sec)]

"Ow, that smarts," she said with an annoyed grin while she steadied her stance as the Willow charged her with wooden limbs swinging.

Evelyn went and danced around it's swings, taking note of the fact that although it's reflexes were supernatural... it's attack speed wasn't. Instead of deflecting or blocking, she stuck to dodging while she studied it's attack patterns.

'It's counterattacks and it's reflexes are a potent combination... the damage I took earlier is proof of that... I should counter it instead... Let's see if it works out...'

With a quick plan in mind, she waited until it had to reset it's flowing wooden limb attacks and restarted it's aggressive assault on her person. And with that, she ducked, danced away, and weaved from another set of attacks until she saw the opportunity to slide past it while she swiped at it; thus dealing it a great amount of damage, and backed away quickly from the sudden wooden appendages appearing from it's side.

[ - 52.2 HP]

[Willow]

[Level: 4]

[Race: Plant]

[HP] [42.8/95]

[SP] [0/0]

[More Info...]

The bark-faced Willow looked pretty angry after that hit while she grinned at it triumphantly. "Looks like your barks worse than your bite.", she quipped at it while she brandished her buckler and dagger at the ready.

The Willow charged at her and she got herself ready to finish it off. It wasn't long until she employed the same tactic and scored another hit; which promptly killed the Willow, making it fall down into an inanimate pile of lumber, roots, and other objects.

[ - 49.3 HP]

[+20 (+1 Bonus) exp to Basic Dagger Mastery - Skill]

[+20 (+1 Bonus) exp to Advanced Unarmed Combat Mastery - Skill]

[+20 (+1 Bonus) exp to Advanced Dodging Skill]

[+25 (+1.25 Bonus) Level exp]

[+25 (+1.25 Bonus) Job exp]

'Not bad...', she inwardly noted while she picked up (3x Solid Trunks), (4x Tree Roots), (1x Resin), and (1x Barren Trunk) as well as (43 Zeny).

After she finished picking up her loot, she headed deeper into the forest... "I wonder what we'll find..."

~ A Few Hours Later ~

After a few hours of fighting monsters; which mostly consisted of Willows and Lunatics and the occasional Poring that decided to take her loot, but ended up regretting it in the end, Evelyn found an old forest path with old tracks that could've been left behind by horse-drawn carts or carriages that used to take the path.

Evelyn followed it deeper into the forest, but she had a change of heart when she figured out how unwise it was to venture deeper when she came across something that was way out of her league.

With a pulse of SP, she activated her [Basic Monster Detection & Observation Ability] in order to see for herself how truly in trouble she was.

[Elder Poring]

[Level: ???]

[Race: ???]

[HP] [???,???/???,???]

[SP] [??,???/??,???]

[More Info...]

>> A gigantic Poring of unknown age, strength, temperament, and powers... (M?r? I?f? U?a?a?l?b?e)

>> [Monster Primary Stats]

[STR: ???]

[AGI: ???]

[VIT: ???]

[INT: ???]

[DEX: ???]

[LUK: ???]

>> [Monster Sub-Stats]

[Property: L?g?n?a?y-Tier Water/Plant Elemental]

[ATK: ??,??? ~ ??,???]

[DEF: ???]

[MATK: ???]

[MDEF: ???]

[HIT: ???]

[FLEE: ???]

'Holy shit?!', she thought to herself while a three story Poring was taking a nap less than 10 feet from her. She didn't see it at all until she was this close to it. 'Passive Cloaking?! Maybe... Or maybe it's aura or whatever makes it undetectable to those of lesser strength than itself unless they're this close to it's body...'

With wide eyes, a shaky grip on her buckler and dagger, and wary steps, Evelyn backed away as silently as she could and she booked it from there... running towards the direction that she came from.

Her feet carried her away quickly and she ate up the distance; running 8 mph and dodging trees, monsters, foliage, roots, and whatever else while she followed the cart/carriage trodden path. 'What the fuck was that?!'

[A Poring of epic proportions, ridiculous stats, with what looked like hardened slime armor, pieces of metal, and what looked like miscellaneous crystals growing on its pink body. The tactical retreat was both wise and extremely called for. Thank goodness it was asleep... or else we'd probably be dead... or maybe it was taking a light nap and it let us go because it couldn't be bothered...]

'Let's not go down that rabbit hole... let's just be thankful to be alive... I shouldn't have wandered the way I did...', she chastised herself with an unpleasant scowl while she kept on running.

After a while, she slowed down and stopped for a moment, drank some water, ate a piece of jerky, and she relieved herself quickly before she kept walking the path while thoughts swam her head. She still paid attention to her surroundings, but her mind and emotions were in a bit of turmoil after having encountered a monster that was way beyond her league.

It took her some time, but after having found her mental & emotional equilibrium once more, she went and made sure to eliminate any Poring, Lunatic, and Willow she saw. 'I'll need to be more cautious... this world isn't a game... I can be as adventurous as I want to be, but I also need to be thrice as cautious to balance it out...'

While she took care of any Porings, Lunatics, and Willows that she ran into, she kept near the path and eventually found another interesting group of monsters that were coming in and out of what looked like a broken manhole cover. It was pretty odd to see that in a forest, but who's to say that it didn't belong or that it had a purpose until these giant cockroaches made it an entrance to their underground home.

With a gesture and a pulse of SP, she went ahead to check on their stats while making sure to hold her breath since these things smelled like sewage, garbage, and all sorts of other disgusting smells that would've made a regular person vomit after taking a small whiff.

[Thief Bug]

[Level: 6]

[Race: Insect]

[HP] [126/126]

[SP] [0/0]

[More Info...]

>> A Thief Bug is an insect that likes warm, dark, and damp places. They are pretty fast, and they tend to steal items dropped on the ground. These dirty, filthy creatures tend to work in swarms. Note: It would be wise to get a nose plug or gas mask when these things are nearby.

>> [Monster Primary Stats]

[STR: 1]

[AGI: 6]

[VIT: 6]

[INT: 0]

[DEX: 11]

[LUK: 0]

>> [Monster Sub-Stats]

[Property: Low-Tier Neutral Type Insect]

[ATK: 18 ~ 24]

[DEF: 5]

[MATK: 0]

[MDEF: 0]

[HIT: 32]

[FLEE: 92]

There wasn't just a few, the manhole cover had around 5 groups of 2 - 3 Thief Bugs roaming about in what looked like packs. The [FLEE] [Sub-Stat] for these bugs and their [ATK] and [HIT] [Sub-Stats] were nothing to scoff at either.

'You know what... I'll just focus on the Porings, Lunatics, and Willows for now. We'll worry about these things another time. Hey System, if what I'm guessing is right, then could this be a sign that we're near that sewer system that's crawling with these things?', she wondered while she backed away and kept on following the path.

[Yes, that could be the case. From your past life's memories, the Prontera Culvert is the sewer system that are practically crawling with these things. Attack one of them and the rest nearby will attack you in turn. Unless you're ready to be swarmed, then taking action against these things are not advisable as of this moment.]

"Agreed...", was her answer while she fought another white furry Lunatic. 'Hopefully we'll see Prontera soon... I need to buy food, more clothes, take a shower, and I'd like to get my hands on some potions... I probably might not have enough zeny, but it's better for us to find out how much we'll need now than later...'

[This old unused forest path seems to be the right direction and that manhole cover back there was a good sign. We'll most likely either pass the culvert or see the walls of Prontera beforehand and we'll be golden. It can't be that far...]

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{Author's Note:}

Hello again, I'm back with another chapter. It might be slow going since I want to actually build things up, so please be patient. My lower back has been killing me, so I wasn't as quick as I could've been with getting this chapter out. It's difficult to concentrate and focus when a burning kind of pain is distracting you constantly. It hurts to walk, sit up, and driving is such a pain; literally.

Hope you all enjoy. Please comment, leave a message, or whatever have you if you like my story so far. Have a goodnight or good morning.

P.S. - (09/20/2023) - I only had to correct a few things in this chapter. If I miss anything, then please feel free to inform me.