Level Up
Moving slowly and staying low, Marius was careful not to make any noise that could reveal his presence, avoiding breaking twigs or stepping on anything that could make noise.
He spotted the brown Horn Rabbit he had marked earlier, watching it calmly munching on flowers in a patch, its small gray horn pointing toward the sky. Unaware of the lurking danger.
The status appeared above its head.
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Name: Horn Rabbit
HP: 10/10
Level: 1
Description: A small rabbit adorned with a deadly horn capable of easily piercing flesh. Despite its diminutive size, the Horn Rabbit is remarkably quick and evasive. However, its intelligence leaves much to be desired.
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Carefully keeping his fingers raised and maintaining constant visual contact with the small creature, Marius could only hope that the goddess would successfully carry out the plan he had previously shared with her.
This was a plan that couldn't fail. It was impossible. In no time, he'll be earning some XP and will achieve his first-ever monster kill in this game-like world.
Nothing could go wrong…
Hopefully.
While Marius positioned himself, he stole a quick look to his right and saw the goddess patiently waiting behind a tree, clutching her golden staff, ready for his signal.
'Good. She's in place and the Horn Rabbit hasn't noticed us yet.'
Marius put down four fingers as a signal to start the plan, then looked toward the ground and covered his eyes with his hands.
Ayla nodded, quickly ensuring that he had indeed covered his eyes. Holding out her staff, she whispered softly, "Flash." Her default skill activated, blinding everything as it emanated from the staff.
The Horn Rabbit, taken aback and momentarily blinded, stood motionless in fear for a few seconds, its brain struggling to make sense of what had just happened.
Once it regained its senses and realized the imminent threat, the small creature was about to flee. However, out of nowhere, Marius appeared and swiftly struck its eye with a powerful blow from the rock he had picked up earlier.
[HP: 7/10]
Despite falling on its side and losing health, the Horn Rabbit immediately bounced back up, even though its eye was severely bleeding and damaged. It then went into a panicked state, swinging its horn around in every direction and letting out menacing growls.
In order to avoid being struck by the sharp horn, Marius took a step back and tried to find a more favorable position to strike.
Realizing that there was no suitable angle, he shifted his attention to the goddess. "Use your default skill again!" With a loud yell, he quickly covered his eyes with his arm.
Just like earlier, positioning her staff, Ayla repeated the word "Flash." Another blinding light emerged.
Once again blinded, the Horn Rabbit, which had only one functioning eye, fully lost sight of Marius.
It responded by spinning and swinging its horn even faster than before, trying to appear more intimidating while balancing on its hind legs.
Marius quickly approached from behind and struck the back of its neck with the rock, causing the Horn Rabbit to collapse to the ground and convulse for a moment.
The Horn Rabbit's Health bar rapidly went down — [HP: 1/10]
With a final blow, Marius relentlessly struck the creature while it emitted its dying sounds.
[HP: 0/10]
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[Ding! You have killed a Horn Rabbit]
[XP: +5]
[Title Effect: (Hero) - Double XP Applied][Total XP Earned: +10 XP]
[You have leveled Up!]
[Stat Points: +1]
[Skill Points: +1]
[You have acquired the title: (Rabbit Hunter)]
[Effect: +10% damage to small beasts]
[Description: Awarded for demonstrating prowess in hunting the nimble and elusive Horn Rabbit. Your experience in dealing with small, agile creatures has made you more efficient in taking them down]
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Breathing heavily, Marius wiped the sweat off his forehead. He had never exerted so much energy before, and as he slowly stood up, he took a few deep breaths.
As he looked at the blue screen placed in front of him, he saw the title "Hero" grant him double XP.
Not having looked at the description of the title's effects earlier, he was overjoyed by this pleasant surprise. "Oh~ this is just too overpowered!"
Having double XP was the ultimate wet dream for most gamers, and Marius, who was a devoted gamer on Earth, found it to be an amazing sensation, especially now that it enabled him to become stronger at a faster rate.
"I should've checked this title out earlier," he muttered to himself. This was simply too good. He was in a good mood right now.
"Congratulations, hero." Ayla approached, having put away her staff back in her storage ring. Her expression remains stoic and unchanged. "You have officially got your first kill."
Swiping away the blue-screen, Marius looked at the goddess. "The daily quest isn't over yet. We still have four more to kill." Having caught his breath, he stood up. "But before we move on. I need to do something."
He called out, "Status."
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Character Profile:
Name: Marius Von Sledge
Age: 22
Race: Hero
Level: 2
Experience: 0 / 20
Hit Points: 10 / 10
Mana: 10 / 10
Class: Necromancer
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Attributes:
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Vitality: 1
Intelligence: 1
Dexterity: 1
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Titles:
(Hero) - (Rabbit Hunter)
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Points:
Stat Points: 1
Skill Points: 1
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Shop:
Locked (level 5)
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Skills:
(Bony)
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Quests:
Daily Quest: Kill 5 Horn Rabbits
Progress: 1/5
Reward: 25 XP
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Main Quest: Save The World
Progress: ???
Reward: ???
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After thoroughly going over his status and ensuring he was caught up with where he stood, and seeing that his mana had replenished when he leveled up, Marius contemplated how best to use his stat point.
Strength - Agility - Vitality - Intelligence - Dexterity.
All of which were useful in their own ways.
Weighing each attribute thoughtfully, Marius stared at each. Increasing his strength would grant him greater physical power, while enhancing his agility would improve his speed and nimbleness.
Boosting his intelligence would likely enhance his mana, and improving his dexterity would enhance his hand-eye coordination and precision.
"Let's start with raising my intelligence," Marius mumbled.
Knowing that all skills rely on mana, he didn't want to have a low supply of it, as he understood he would need to use a significant amount in the future.
With that in mind, he placed his stat point in intelligence.