5. Wild Life
Siji & Hades leave the city and go to the forest. There are some mountains around the city, and Siji predict that the mountain is the monsters den. The monsters must be getting stronger the closer it is to the peak.
"We also need to level you up little Hades. So we will hunt slowly alright?"-Siji
"Meow?"-Hades tilt it's head
"How? Well, i don't know, we will try what's possible. My guess is that we need to work together so you will get some XP too."-Siji
"Meow"-Hades nod
They walk on the field while looking around for monsters. Siji see a slime and it's just a lv.1, so he ask Hades to kill it. Hades jump down and strike the slime with it's claws. The slime didn't die that easily, and after some scratches and bites, it finally die.
[Defeating slime lv.1, XP: +10
Familiar XP: +5, Lv.3: 30/40 XP]
"Ooh, so i got XP and you got XP too. It seem familiar's XP bar is lower, but the gained XP seem to be low too for killing something 2 level below it. Hmm, let's try again later."-Siji
Siji look at Hades that slurping the slime's jelly like body and eat the core remains in some seconds. It seem Hades like slime, so Siji didn't need any fancy food for it. Slimes are everywhere, so if he meet one, he will hunt it.
After Hades finished his meal, they continue to walk and kill some low level monsters on their way like Thickens, goblins, slimes, and lone wolves. If the monsters level are higher than Hades, Siji will incapacitate them before Hades finish them off. In the evening, Hades has level up to lv.6, and Siji get some good amount of XP.
They set a camp in the forest, and Siji install the precaution measures for monsters. He also install some bells attached to strings that he put around the camp. If monsters trigger the wires, the bell will ring and he will get alerted. There's no mechanism like this in market, it's fully his idea.
Siji's camp is not that deep in the forest, where monsters aren't that strong yet. He will not risk camping for the first time in a high level monsters place. It will only kill him if some monsters come.
Siji prepare fire after setting up his tent and traps. Then he cook some meat with his meager skill. But he have a trick, he ask a cook to blend his herb, so ge just need to rub it on his meat or put it in soup. Siji rub the seasoning and he roast the meat.
"Let's try it Hades! If it's good, we won't suffer from bad food."-Siji
Siji try the meat and it's good, he never thought his cooking will taste like a food and not rubber. Hades seem to hate it though, it seem the kitten didn't like spice. So Siji roast another meat just with a little salt.
They sleep after finishing their meal. A few hours after they sleep, suddenly the bell rang and Siji get up. He take out his swords and get out from his tent. He look around and see 3 grey wolves at his left side. One of them got tangled by the string, while the other 2 growl from behind.
"It seem you will be a meal when you want to get a meal, right?"-Siji grin
"GRRR, WRRAFF"-Wolves
Siji didn't wait and slash the wolf that got tangled at the head, killing it. The other 2 wolves jump at Siji and he jump to the side. They got tangled by another strings, and Siji take this chance to kill them. They're low levels, so it's not difficult, but if this happen with high level ones, he will be dead.
"I need to raise my stats in this journey, and fast. But how?"-Siji
Siji think about this while he store the carcass and bury the blood that spill on the ground. It will attract other predators to come, so he need to remove the smell. Then Siji sleep again because he didn't find any answer.
There's no other disturbance until morning come and Siji wake up. Siji wash his face with some morning dew that he gather from the leaves. Then he practice his swords skill when suddenly he got an epiphany.
"I can train my skill mastery, so why can't i train my body? Damn, i need to try it."-Siji
Siji never really train his physique, because he has become stronger than his old self just by levelling up. So now Siji try to train his body with some normal exercise that he knew. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, run, and other basic training. He will use this day for training experiment.
Siji's body has gotten stronger since he raise his stats, so he didn't get tired easily. The level 1 is normal humans stats, and now he is almost 3 times stronger than normal humans. He train from morning till afternoon when he suddenly got a notification.
[Ding! Discovering body exercise menu, reward: 10 SP, & training body weights.
Exercise reward: 2 SP]
"YEAH BABY! HAHAHA, as i thought there is a way other than levelling up. This is still a real world even with all these game features so we can get stronger like normal. It give SP instead of raising my strength stat immediately, but i like it."-Siji
Siji look at the detail, and it seem he will get a daily training menu. He also get training body weights that get heavier as he grow stronger, it's a magical weights. The exercise reward is 2 SP per day, and he get 10 from discovering it. This is a lucky day for him, now he can grow stronger everyday.
"Hmm, there's no hidden quest notification like that time, so it is not a quest, more like a hidden feature."-Siji
Siji distribute his fresh gain SP while he cook his lunch. He just roast the meat again when his mom call. She always call to check on him everyday. A mother will always worry about his son afterall. Even more, in this dangerous world, where almost half of human population have died.
"AAH, SIJI, DON'T JUST EAT MEAT, EAT VEGETABLES TOO!"-Aria
"Geh, i will eat it later, i don't have time to make a soup. Warm soup is better at night for dinner right?"-Siji
"Just boil and eat it together with the meat, it will be delicious, or eat them raw."-Aria
"Hell no! Raw vegetables are bitter. I will boil them, so don't worry."-Siji
Aria still lecture him, and he just agree and nods so it will end faster. He also show how he boil the vegetables, to stop her nagging. Just when they almost finish their call, Siji tell her about the exercise. He ask her to tell his dad and sister, it will give them SP faster without leveling up.
After his mom's call, Siji eat and then he hunt monsters near his camp. He just need to kill some more to level up, so he won't leave his camp yet. He also distribute his fresh SP before he hunt.
"Let's go Hades!"-Siji
"Meow."-Hades jump on Siji's head
They hunt some monsters, like wolves and goblins. They avoid groups or higher level wolves and goblins for now. After a few hours, Siji just need 100 XP more to level up. Then he see a lone goblin that eat a rabbit, but it's level 11, while he is level 9 and Hades is level 7 now.
"What do you think buddy?"-Siji whisper to Hades
Hades nod, it seem he grew some courage now. Siji think about it and it seem doable, he just need a sneak attack and hit vital spot at his first strike. Higher level monster give more XP, so he can't let this lone monster go.
Siji ask Hades to hide and attack when Siji gave signal. Then Siji move closer to the goblin that focus on it's meal. He move slowly and quietly to the goblin's back. Then when he get in range, he strike with his cutlass at the goblin's neck.
The neck got cut easily, it seem Siji's strength stat has make it possible. He dump more stat in strength, so it's not a surprise to be like this. Siji is just too cautious to fight higher level monsters.
[Level up
Level 10. XP: 27,100/51,200]
"Haha, finally"-Siji celebrate, but suddenly Hades bite his feet.
"Ouch, what's wrong man? ... Ah, you didn't get a chance to strike. Sorry, sorry, i don't think it will die easily."-Siji
"MEOW MEOW MEOW, GRRR!"-Hades hit the goblin's dead body with his paw many times
"I know, i know, we will find another monster tomorrow alright?"-Siji
They go back to the camp because it will get dark soon. On their way back, suddenly Siji see a boar like creature that digging the soil. It's his first time seeing a boar in this world, so he inspect it.
[Celeng Lv.11]
The boar like thing, Celeng, have black thick fur and other similarities with boar. The differences are, it have two long horns instead of tusks, and it has something like a big Bronze coin on it's forehead, between the horns. So the one that kill it can get the bronze coin even before selling it.
"What a strange monster, it's like asking to be killed for that coin. Let's kill it Hades, maybe it will taste better than wolf meat."-Siji
Siji flank to the left, and go to the bush in Celeng's front. Hades will surprise the monster from behind, so it will run forward where Siji is waiting. Siji will attack while it run forward, EZ.
Siji give signal, and Hades jump and surprise the monster. It get surprised and run forward, so Siji get ready. When the monster is close, Siji swing his cutlass. He aim the monster's neck, but suddenly the Celeng block his sword with it's long horn.
"WHA-"-Siji
Siji got surprised and it make the monster attack him. The Celeng slam it's body to Siji because it's horns are used to block the sword. Siji got hit and flung a few metres backward. It's big & strong, so Siji got flung rather hard and got some damage, his right cutlass also fall.
"Goddammit!"-Siji
Siji stand again and see the monster is running toward him. He get ready and hold his left cutlass that didn't fall with both hands. Then he wait for the monster to come closer. He use his unique skill, and find the weakness.
Siji jump up and the monster can't reach him with it's horns. Then Siji stab his sword down at the running monster. It pierce the back, and make it bleed. The monster want to run away, but Hades suddenly bite it's hind leg. Siji immediately jump up again and slash the monster's neck, cutting & killing it.
"Phew, that was close buddy. I miscalculate the horns and it will run if you don't bite it. Great job."-Siji
"Meow meow meow."-Hades has smug face
Hades then level up to 8, and Siji also got many XP. He store the carcass, and then remember that the monster was digging something. So Siji check it before leaving, and what he find, really surprise him.
"POTATOES! A LOT OF THEM! Finally a tasty and fulfilling vegetables."-Siji
Siji also see some plants with same looks as this potato's plant. He check it and it's all potato plants too. So he take them all and store the potato. There's no potato in the city, and all the vegetables are foreign to him. This potato is the only one veggie that similar with the one on earth.
"Today is a good day, i hope my luck didn't run out just for today's fortune."-Siji
"Meow meow!"-Hades point at himself
"I can use your luck?"-Siji
Hades nod and Siji laugh, then he put Hades on his head and go to his camp. He will just enjoy his luck today.
~End of Chapter 5, by Peek A Coo~
Siji's stats update from previous chapter:
[Name: Siji Srenggala
Age: 19
Job: Combatant
Class: Swordsman
Level 9 -> 10. XP:29,100/51,200
MP: 100
Strength: 30
Agility: 25
Vitality: 23 (+3)
Intelligence: 10
Dexterity: 25 (+5)
Sense: 20 (+4)
Attack: 320 (Weapon x2: +20)
Defense: 240 (Armor +10)]