leveling up

Jack knew that leveling up his spear skill to level 10 was crucial, but it frustrated him to no end that this particular skill didn't progress as quickly as the others. He had realized that not all skills were equal and that they didn't level up at the same pace. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Jack guessed that it was possible for skills to level up multiple times at once, but it was a rare occurrence. The thought of having to grind away at his spear skill, day after day, filled him with a sense of dread and exhaustion.

He decided to stop thinking of things he couldn't change and went on his way to hunt goblins. He felt he was ready, since after killing his third goblin the little feeling of regret weighing him down wasn't there anymore.

Jack's heart raced with anticipation as he prepared for his first hunt. Hunting for survival and hunting just because he wanted to were two different things. He had grown weary of spending weeks on end sitting idly by, waiting for something to happen. The thought of finally taking action, of putting his skills to the test, filled him with a bit of excitement that he hadn't felt in weeks.

Despite the dangers that might lurk in the forest Jack decided he needed to hunt goblins since a change might be all he needed to improve his life, primarily to increase his level.

Jack went in the direction the previous goblins had come from. The way they came from was past the stream, he had never gone past the stream since he had a feeling that told him it was a bad idea.

With a determined glint in his eye, Jack steeled himself for what lay ahead. "It's time," he whispered to himself, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He had already put almost all of his unassigned points to use, unwilling to risk his life with any unused resources. Of course, it would have been nice to keep some points in reserve for emergencies, but he knew he had to give his all at this moment. Any leftover points could wait for another day.

Jack jumped to the other side of the stream and moved forward into the other side of the forest. Jack stayed alert in case some danger appeared. He did not know what dangers were in this forest. Some minutes passed by and he hadn't found anything but Jack kept going.

"arghh, argghhh, wryyyyy"

Jack quickly ducked behind a nearby tree and pressed his back against its rough bark, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. In the distance, he heard the shrill cries of a goblin, frustrated at its inability to reach a tantalizing fruit that dangled just out of its grasp. Jack peered through the foliage, watching intently as the goblin flailed its spindly arms, its screeching cries echoing through the forest. He remained hidden, silently observing the scene, wondering what the goblin would do next.

"Appraisal" appraisal had gotten a new use after reaching level 10.

[ species: goblin ]

[ Level 4 ]

[ Health: 78 / 100 ]

[ Strength: 8 ]

[ Speed: 8 ]

[ Stamina: 12 ]

[ Magic: 5 / 5 ]

[ skill: ??? ]

Jack sized up the goblin, relishing the chance to prove his strength. He crept up behind the creature. He infused his spear with mana and drove it deep into the goblin's heart. The creature let out a guttural cry of pain, but it was too late. Jack followed up with a swift kick, sending the goblin stumbling backward.

The creature turned to strike back, but Jack was ready. He struck the goblin on the side of the head with a brutal blow, causing it to fall to the ground in a daze. With a final flourish, Jack raised his ax and delivered a crushing blow to the goblin's neck, almost severing its head from its body. The creature lay lifeless on the ground, its blood spilling out in a dark pool around it.

[ +19.8 exp ]

The spear Jack was using wasn't designed to easily penetrate bone. He was relieved that he had kicked the goblin after his first strike, as the spear had gotten stuck. If he had tried to strike the goblin again with the spear, it might have been more difficult to remove it from the bone

"What do I do with the body" Jack had cut the other bodies and threw them out. He did not know what to do with this one so he just left the body since he didn't want to attract other monsters because of the blood.

"Jack continued on his way, searching for his next target. When he spotted a goblin, he opted for a different approach. Instead of attacking head-on, he snuck up behind the creature and used a handful of dirt to make it trip and lose its balance, leaving it vulnerable to his attack.

[ + 20.4 exp ]

Jack needed just one more goblin to earn enough experience to level up. After fighting his target, he had plenty of time to spare. He decided to use the opportunity to hone his skills with his spear. He didn't make it sharper, but he did reinforce it for durability. He found another goblin and engaged it in combat, using only his spear. Jack treated the goblin as his training partner, focusing on parrying its attacks while the goblin tried to kill him.

As the fight wore on, Jack grew more confident in his abilities. The goblin, however, was growing tired and its attacks were becoming more predictable. Jack saw an opening and seized the opportunity to strike, delivering a fatal blow to the goblin. Though he had defeated his opponent, Jack knew that he still had much to learn. He took a moment to reflect on the fight, analyzing his tactics and thinking about how he could improve in the future.

Feeling hungry, Jack decided to head back home. As he walked, he reflected on the fight with the goblin and thought about how he could improve his stamina. While he was doing fine for now, he knew that future fights might last longer and require more endurance. If he found himself in a stalemate, having more stamina than his opponent could make all the difference.

Jack returned to his starting point and decided to catch some fish for dinner. While he waited for the fish to cook, he thought about his current situation. With the weather turning colder, he realized that he needed to upgrade his living situation. His current home wouldn't provide enough protection from the cold, and he needed to find a way to keep warm.

He also had to prepare warm clothing in case the weather continued to worsen. He knew that his current clothes were slowly wearing out and wouldn't be enough to keep him warm. With these plans in mind, Jack thought that in the upcoming weeks, he should start thinking about how to improve his living situation.

Jack finished his meal and decided that it was time to level up. He made his way back to his small home, where he felt safe and secure. Once there, he accessed the system and selected the option to level up. A message popped up on the screen.

[ Experience needed to level up has been met, does host wish to level up ]

[ Yes/ No ]

Jack clicked yes

"Huh, that's weird nothi-"

Jack felt a sudden wave of dizziness wash over him, and he stumbled to his knees before collapsing face forward onto the ground. His vision began to blur, and he felt a rising sense of panic as he struggled to make sense of what was happening. In the end, everything went black, and Jack slipped into unconsciousness.

…

When Jack woke up he checked his stats

[ Status ]

[ Name: Jack Roman ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Level 2 ]

[ Exp 30.2 /200 ]

[ Health 96/100 ]

[ Strength: 15 ]

[ Speed: 15 ]

[ Stamina:13 ]

[ mana:250/250 ]

[ unassigned points: 5 ]

[ skill: Appraisal lvl 17, accuracy lvl 12, Crafting lvl 5, spear mastery lvl 5, butcher lvl 4, mana manipulation lvl 12, mana recovery lvl 11, Dirt manipulation lvl 10, water manipulation lvl 10, calm mind lvl 1, focus lvl 1, reinforcement lvl 1 ]

'So every level I get 4 points'

After leveling up, Jack decided to put all of his points into his stats. His strength and agility increased, and he could now run faster than ever before. This newfound speed would allow him to move more quickly during attacks, giving him an advantage in combat.

However, Jack also knew that his reaction speed was not the best. Although his focus skill helped him to concentrate on his enemies, he still struggled to anticipate their movements. Even when he could see a monster's body part move, it took his brain some time to register the action. Against slower creatures like the goblins, Jack was still able to hold his own, but he knew that he would need to improve his reaction time if he wanted to face more challenging foes.