Chapter 3 (Patreon)

On the third day, he almost died. It wasn’t even his fault this time.

Rob woke up from his nightmares to find that his HP and Stamina were sinking like a rock. The culprit was no mystery; he was coughing up a lung and shivering like a babe in winter. He drank water and ate berries – the non-poisonous ones – to keep his strength up, but nothing helped.

Passive Skill Gained!
Name: Disease Resistance
Prerequisite: Come down with a potentially life-threatening disease.
Description: Helps you fight off nasty microorganisms. Sadly, you won’t get EXP from them.

Fuck, what do I have? Dysentery? Malaria? I mean...I keep getting bit by animals with the ‘Infected’ status but...shit.

Rob made sure he Breathed Deep, and often, his new Passive skill keeping his Stamina above water. He wasn’t sure how the relationship between HP and Stamina worked, but he had to believe that keeping his Stamina up would let his body fight off the infection more easily, which would keep his HP up too. Every little bit helped.

Disease Resistance increased to Level 2. His body felt a little less like it had been put through a blender, but the fact that it had ranked up meant that his condition was serious and this wasn’t going away anytime soon.

Eventually, it reached Level 3. Through the fever-induced fugue state, Rob idly wondered if Disease Resistance would reach a higher level than his actual level before he died. He started rooting for it to surpass him. The Little Passive Ability That Could.

Thinking was getting harder.

It took the entire rest of the day and night for him to stabilize. Disease Resistance never reached Level 4, the poor thing. Rob bottomed out at 23 HP – those extra points in Vitality he’d put in not seeming like such a waste anymore.

For overcoming various microorganisms endemic to your new surroundings that your immune system was unprepared for, you have been granted 1 Vitality and 1 Endurance!

Hey, a twofer. Rob chuckled. Ow.

At least he had an explanation, vague as it was. Being in a new world meant that he was essentially an unvaccinated newborn, and the forest kept coughing on him. It actually might not have been the Infected animals that did the trick. The berries, the water, the air itself – any of it could be a vector he had no way of preparing for. Every disease in Ixatan Forest and beyond could be one his body had never encountered before and would need to build both a natural resistance and Skill-based Resistance against.

He couldn’t change much about any of that. Berries, water, and air were kind of necessary to live, and it wasn’t like he was trying to get bit by rabid animals. He’d just have to keep on moving on and hope that Disease Resistance pulled through again if he caught another sickness.

And get more Vitality. Which meant more levels.

Rob stalked through the forest, practicing his Swordsmanship as he focused in on his Hunting Skill. Both were still only Level 1, but they’d have to make do, because wolves weren’t going to hunt themselves. The memories of being savaged on the first day were still fresh in his mind, but at the moment, his survival instinct was stronger. His survival instinct which was telling him to go hunt and do battle with wild beasts that could tear him to shreds.

Certifiably insane logic by Earth standards, but he had to imagine it was commonplace in whatever this world was called. At just Level 3 and with a few paltry Skills, he’d already been able to walk off injuries that would have left a normal Earth human crippled or dead. The extreme potential for power latent within his stats and Skills demanded that he get more EXP as soon as he could. He’d be shocked if this world’s society didn’t revolve around Levels as a form of status, power, and respect. And while he’d gained a good amount of experience from the numerous new Skills and Skill increases (thanks, Disease Resistance) he’d accumulated, he was only about halfway to Level 4. Nothing had come close to the amount of EXP he’d gotten from killing that first wolf. On a fundamental nature, this was a world that rewarded slaughter.

So yeah. He could either start taking risks and hope he won, or play it safe until some random bullshit inevitably killed him.

Rob thought of ways to even the odds against whatever creature he might come up against. Swordsmanship was an obvious one – he practiced swings without rest as he walked, keeping his Stamina up with repeated Deep Breathing. Unfortunately, Hunting didn’t say it gave any bonuses against the beasts he hunted, only making them a little easier to track. Maybe Identify would help him find a weakness if it leveled up, but he’d been using it every time it went off cooldown since that morning and it hadn’t leveled yet. It might need to be used on something other than random bits of foliage to make any serious improvement. He did learn that the purple grass was still called grass in this world, though, so that was neat.

He hoped that he found something to stab soon. It could take a while, as Hunting was still LV 1, but his legs were getting kind of tired.

For walking more in the last few days than you have in the last month, you’ve been granted 1 Endurance!

The dopamine hit he received from getting a stat point was mellowed out by his growing hypothesis that the messages were getting snarkier.

A breeze blew under his nose. It lit up his senses like a Christmas tree, telling that something was over there. Rob followed the invisible trail through several winding turns, eventually coming upon a small clearing. And a target.

Name: Wolf
Level: 8
Status: Infected

The wolf was in the middle of feasting on a rabbit, muzzle coated in red. Its status didn’t name it as Frenzied, but after how quickly the squirrel had gone from 0 to 100 in the span of a second, Rob didn’t have any delusions that the wolf would be up for some pets and belly rubs.

It was Level 8, two levels above what the first wolf had been. And if Rob remembered correctly, the first wolf had been Emaciated, looking like a thin coating of skin wrapped tightly around a rib cage. This wolf was well-fed. On every level, figuratively and literally, it was stronger.

But Rob had grown stronger too.

He took a quiet step forward, but any fleeting plans for a sneak attack dissolved when the wolf’s ears perked up. It whirled around with eyes already glowing a deep scarlet.

“You won’t understand this,” Ron said. “But I apologize for the pent-up aggression I’m about to take out on you.” He readied his sword – no longer feeling like an awkward metal club in his hands, but an instrument of war that he could put his trust in – and charged.

The wolf let out a howl that sounded like it had a bad case of strep throat. Its body trembled as it sprouted an extra jaw layered with a row sharklike teeth that nestled right underneath its lower gums. If Rob had any fucks left to give, it might have shocked him into hesitation, but he’d already prepared himself to expect some weird shit. He swung for first blood, missing by a hair as the wolf leaped backwards onto a tree trunk, its claws digging in as it hung there upside-down. It eyed Rob with dilated pupils and tensing muscles.

Rob grimaced and retreated a few steps back. The overgrown mutt was fast. He discarded his strategy to put the wolf on the back end with repeated aggression – he would never hit it unless it literally tripped into his blade. The only reason it hadn’t immediately counterattacked and torn Rob’s stomach open after his initial attack had left him open was because the beast was still sizing him up. As soon as it judged him, and found him wanting, it would be on him in the blink of an eye.

Maybe I let him bite me and stab it while it’s busy munching. Same as the first wolf. Rob mulled over the idea. I’ll call that Plan B. Don’t know what Plan A is yet, but it’s gotta be more appealing than B.

Another scratchy howl, during which Wolfie coughed up clotted blood onto the forest floor. Seriously, what are these things Infected with? Is this actually the messed up fantasy world version of rabies? Its HP is probably ticking down right now. The thing is dying and Frenzied probably means it’s lost all sense of reasoning.

Well, if the wolf’s ailment was going to make it reckless, he would use that. Rob pointed his sword out perpendicular to the ground and planted his feet. “Your move, Wolfie.”

It shrieked and pounced directly at him, a blurry, furry whirlwind of claws and fangs that Rob had trouble keeping track of. Not that he needed to. Inertia did the heavy lifting; the wolf’s lunge landing it straight on Rob’s sword. This time, he made sure to drop the sword and jump back before the wolf could take a follow-up bite at him, trusting that a little thing like being stabbed wouldn’t be enough to keep a good dog down.

The wolf landed heavily on the ground, feet scratching aimlessly in the air as blood spurted out of its mouth. It stood up on shaky legs, the sword still stuck inside its body and pierced straight through its midsection. Shining red eyes glared at Rob once again.

He kicked it in the fucking face.

The rest resembled a drunken barroom brawl. Frenzied as it was, the wolf was still too injured to keep going for long, and the sword stuck in its chest impeded it from utilizing its natural agility to its full advantage. Rob attacked from the safest range he could, forgoing punches and electing to kick at the end of his reach, and even throwing sticks and rocks to piss Wolfie off further. It landed some decent scratches on Rob’s stomach and right leg that would have seriously wounded a normal human, but Rob didn’t really qualify as normal anymore. His skin tore when the Wolf’s claws struck true, but it tore less than it would have just a few days ago as a Level 1 punching bag. Now he had 270 HP instead of 110, Tough Skin was reducing physical damage by 10%, and Deep Breathing kept his Stamina from getting too low.

The wounds still hurt and made him bleed, but he had over half his health left and the bleeding caused by the cuts only listed as Mild-Moderate, which meant it was a problem for future Rob to worry about.

Wolfie slumped to the ground in a pool of its own secretions. It squirmed, howled, and gnashed its teeth up until the moment its scarlet pupils dimmed to vacant, unseeing black.

Enemy Defeated: Frenzied Wolf

Reached Level 4!
5 Stat Points Gained!

Swordsmanship Level Increased! 1 → 2

Hunting Level Increased! 1 → 2

Passive Skill Gained!
Name: Brawling
Prerequisite: Strength 10, Dexterity 10, participate in a fight while unarmed.
Description: Become more proficient with humanity’s oldest weapons.

Brawling Level Increased! 1 → 2

“YES!” Rob shouted. Adrenaline surged through his veins like hot magma. He hadn’t been able to fully enjoy it the first few times due to…a lot of reasons, but this time, he soaked in the sensation of leveling up and being showered in Skill increases.

And it felt incredible. A euphoric high threw a wild party in his brain as the new Stat Points came to rest inside his soul, digits of boundless potential waiting to be used.

Rob retrieved his sword with a smile. “That was fun,” he half-chuckled. It was nice to get a victory without nearly dying in the process.

The adrenaline began to fade. Now that he could think clearly and could trust himself not to make any rash decisions, Rob got down to the really fun part.

Strength: 14
Vitality: 28
Endurance: 12
Dexterity: 11
Perception: 10
Mind: 19
Magic: 5
Unspent Points: 5

He went over his plan once again. While he would eventually need to make sure Strength, Endurance, and Dexterity received some love, at the moment he felt more comfortable going for some milestones. Several of the Prerequisites descriptions for his Skills implied that new windows opened in Integers of 5 or 10, mostly 10. Something at the core of his being told him that Vitality would get something awesome at 30 points. It wasn’t the guiding instinct poking at him; he just thought 30 looked like a nice clean number and figured the universe would agree with him. He put 2 points into Vitality and hoped for the best.

Regeneration Level Increased! 1 → 2
Prerequisite: Vitality 30
Description: Heals 20% of Max HP every hour.

Fuckin’ A. It wasn’t going to be a huge help in the middle of combat, but considering how distressingly often he was left bleeding out or poisoned or sick, going from 10% Max HP healing an hour to 20% was a gamechanger for his long-term survival prospects.

His next decision was a bit more of a gamble. The Mind stat seemed second only to the Magic stat in being entirely unsuited to his current situation. It was the highest stat he’d started with, by far, but the Skills it had granted him didn’t inspire him with confidence. Speed Reading and Recall having Mind Prerequisites implied that the stat governed attributes like memory retention, studying, maybe overall cognitive thinking? Great for a college student pulling all-nighters to cram for the big exam. Not so great for Rob, Wilderness Extraordinaire In-Training. The wolves wouldn’t be impressed by how fast he could read. They couldn’t even read themselves. Wolf public education was notoriously underfunded.

With all that said, it would only take 1 point to reach a Mind milestone, and he was willing to roll the dice and hope he got something good.

Active Skill Gained!
Name: Quick Thinking
Prerequisite: Mind 20
Description: Slightly improves your speed of thought. Drains 3 Stamina per second while active. Mentally taxing when used for too long.

Okay, that...had been worth it. Unlike some of his other skills, Rob noticed the effects immediately. With just a bit of concentration, the world slowed down by a fraction. Like a much less effective bullet time, but 1/10 of a bullet time could mean the difference between life and death when everything around him was moving so damn fast.

Speaking of fast, he put a stat point into Dexterity. It would take a long time before he could keep up with the wolves...or the squirrels...but it was a step in the right direction. The last point went into Strength in the hopes that 15 would be another arbitrary milestone, but no dice there.

Rob couldn’t help but stand there smiling from ear-to-ear with a big dopey grin. After four hellish days in Ixatan, he’d finally gotten a clear-cut, definitive win.

Do not take this away from me, he pleaded to whoever might be listening. Give me at least an hour of these good vibes before you shit on me from afar.

Fate was kind. It gave him two.

–

Rob finished dressing his various wounds with the patched remnants of his tunic – may it rest in peace – and rested his head against the trunk of a tree. He popped a couple berries into his mouth and wistfully eyed the wolf’s corpse in the middle of the clearing. Meat, he sighed. Delicious meat. So close, yet so far. Protein was an essential part of any diet, and while the RPG system was probably compensating in some way to prevent him from losing too much muscle mass, he imagined it would still be easier to gain Strength if he got to chow down on some meat every now and then.

Eating mystery meat literally labeled as Infected was right out of the ‘side character in zombie movie that gets used as a cautionary tale’ playbook, though, so he’d have to go without a wolfburger until further notice.

Also, the corpse was dissolving.

Rob cursed the concept of morbid curiosity as he found himself unable to look away from the vomit-inducing sight. Fur and flesh sloughed off the wolf’s corpse, bubbling like a pot of water left on the stove for too long, the mass congealing into a runny pool of sludge that looked oddly like gravy-

Alright, that’s enough, berries almost came back up. He walked around the other side of the tree and planted himself facing away from the mess. I’d rather think about stats. Stats are neato.

For a while, Rob had been surprised that Foraging was only Level 1. Outside of the various life-threatening scenarios he’d been thrown into over the last few days, he’d done damn near little else but hunt for food and water. At first he chalked it up to a Perception deficiency, but after reading the updated descriptions for his Skills that had gone up in level, he was pretty sure he knew what the real problem was.

Name: Hunting (LV 2)
Prerequisite: Perception 10, spend at least several hours hunting animals in the wilderness, and successfully hunt at least one worthwhile creature.
Description: Gain an instinctive sense for where fresh game is located when out in the wilderness.

Name: Swordsmanship (LV 2)
Prerequisite: Dexterity 10, spend at least several hours wielding a sword, and defeat at least one worthwhile opponent while using a sword.
Description: Become more proficient with sharp-edged, bladed weapons with the shape and weight of a sword.

Name: Brawling (LV 2)
Prerequisite: Strength 10, Dexterity 10, participate in a fight while unarmed, and defeat at least one worthwhile opponent while unarmed.
Description: Become more proficient with humanity’s oldest weapons.

The word ‘worthwhile’ kept popping up, and it explained why none of these abilities had popped up or increased when he was killing frogs and squirrels. He hadn’t needed higher stats – at least for these particular Skill Levels – he just needed to put his Skills to use in a way that put them to the test. Picking on creatures less than a foot tall wasn’t going to cut it.

With that in mind, Foraging was never going to get better unless he spread his wings and searched new parts of the forest. Deep Breathing wouldn’t go up unless he pushed himself to exercise more and make the need for deep breaths necessary. Climbing was already Level 2 and probably wouldn’t go up unless he scaled a surface as sheer as the cliffside again – scampering up trees wasn’t going to cut it. And Tough Skin wouldn’t go up until he got shitwrecked again.

Rob idly tapped his fingers on his sword as he thought. He really, really wanted to raise those skills or get some new ones. Outside of the Skills themselves being useful, they’d contributed strongly to his EXP growth – the bevy of upgrades he’d gotten after killing the wolf had been worth almost as much EXP as killing the wolf itself. He was 1/3 of the way to Level 5 now; Level 4 already seeming out-of-fashion. Might not even be necessary to kill another wolf if he could just pump up his Skills…

He glanced at his sword, resting proudly in his lap, then re-read the description for Tough Skin.

Name: Tough Skin (LV 1)
Prerequisite: Vitality 20, take grievous physical damage at least once.
Description: Reduces physical damage incurred by 10%.

None of the woodland creatures he’d fought so far had been belching out fireballs at him, so at the moment, all the damage he was taking was physical. Leveling up Tough Skin would help him out significantly in the short term.

It...never stated that the Prerequisite had to be accidental. He could find another cave, hide himself away, take his sword and-

No. Rob rose to his feet and sheathed his shortsword with disgust. I’m not that far gone. There’s got to be easier ways to get EXP.

Then the bushes behind him rustled.

His sword was out again in a flash. Rob activated Quick Thinking and took stock. HP: 231/300. Endurance: 103/120. His sword: still sharp. The day: still young. More than enough gas left in the tank for a Round 2.

“Come on, Wolfie Jr,” Rob shouted. “Maybe you won’t be Infected this time and I can get some good fucking food for once.”

Two figures appeared from out of the foliage. Rob almost dropped his sword.

People.

A young man and woman – or a grown boy and girl, depending on your perspective – stared wide-eyed at him with expressions that must have mirrored his own. Both were an inch or two above five feet tall and had long silver hair tied up in braids that went down to the small of their backs. Each wore a set of skin pelts and leather pants for clothes; the girl's selection of slightly lighter colors being the main discernible difference between their fashion sense. Both had a mildly otherworldly appearance, faces so pretty they seemed sculpted out of porcelain, and their ears were – WAIT A DAMN SECOND. IDENTIFY.

Name: Male Ixatan Wood Elf
Level: 10
Status: Terrified
Description: A native.

Name: Female Ixatan Wood Elf
Level: 9
Status: Confusion
Description: A native.

It spoke to the depths of Rob’s loneliness than he cared less about meeting real, actual elves for the first time than he did about meeting anyone, anything, that wasn’t trying to eat him the moment they made eye contact.

“Um,” Rob sputtered. The male elf flinched so hard it came across more as a face spasm. “Well, yes, hello there,” Rob continued, very charismatically, let no one tell you otherwise. “My name’s Rob. Who are-”

“Forren!” The male elf shouted. He grabbed the other elf by her wrist and bolted off into the woods so quickly that her feet left the ground as she was pulled bodily into the air. “FORREN!”

In a manner of seconds, they were gone, and the woods were silent.

“...nice to meet you too.”

–

Orn’tol activated every speed ability in his arsenal as he made their escape, ignoring Malika’s screams of indignant confusion as he pulled her along. Step of the Wind, Marathon, Fleet of Foot, Greengoer...grass and trees faded into indistinct blurs of purple and blue as the cocktail of Skills began to eat away at his Stamina. It was the fastest he’d ever moved.

It had to be enough. Blessed Lothren, let it be enough.

He should’ve listened to Malika’s instincts and not followed the strange new scent so deep into the woods. She’d been right, she always was – not that he’d ever admitted it – but the prospect of bringing back a new discovery to the village had been too enticing to pass up. They would have been so proud of him. Perhaps grant him more autonomy. The ever-changing woods may have been unkind as of late, but his parents and the Elders had no reason to stifle him so! He was already 34 years old and they still treated him like a child.

In the end, just like Malika, they too had been right. He never should have come here. I will admit my failings and accept whatever judgment they impose on me, but I’ll only be able to do so if I return safely. Guide my feet, blessed Lothren.

...And if worst comes to worst, direct its ire towards me, not Malika.

It had been...grotesque. Shirtless, unkempt, unwashed, hair sprouting at the bottom of its face, rounded ears, dried blood caking its pants and torso, a wicked blade held in its hand, and the murderous madness of Leveling High gleaming clearly in its small, cold eyes.

Orn’tol learned a new Skill just then – Flight of the Coward – and accepted it gleefully. Any indignity was worth getting back to the village and warning them before it was too late.

The Humans had returned.

--

Stat and Skill Changes

Level 3 → 4
Strength 14 → 15
Vitality 27 → 30
Endurance 10 → 12
Dexterity 11 → 12
Mind 19 → 20
Learned: Quick Thinking (LV 1)
Learned: Disease Resistance (LV 3)
Learned: Brawling (LV 2)
Upgrade: Regeneration 1 → 2
Upgrade: Hunting 1 → 2
Upgrade: Swordsmanship 1 → 2
Upgrade: Climbing 1 → 2

--

Character Sheet
Name: Rob
Level: 4
Race: Human
Class: N/A

HP: 300 / 300
Stamina: 120 / 120
MP: 50 / 50

Status Effects: Melancholia, Leveling High (Mild)

Strength: 15
Vitality: 30
Endurance: 12
Dexterity: 12
Perception: 10
Mind: 20
Magic: 5
Unspent Points: 0

Active Skills:
Identify (LV 2)
Recall (LV 1)
Do Not Go Gently (LV 1) (RARE)
Quick Thinking (LV 1)

Passive Skills:
Human Racial Bonus – Fast Learner
Speed Reading (LV 2)
Regeneration (LV 2)
Tough Skin (LV 1)
Foraging (LV 1)
Hunting (LV 2)
Poison Resistance (LV 1)
Swordsmanship (LV 2)
Climbing (LV 2)
Deep Breathing (LV 1)
Disease Resistance (LV 3)
Brawling (LV 2)
Melancholy Resistance (LV 1) (RARE) (Deactivated)
???

--

Active Skills

Name: Identify (LV 2)
Prerequisites: Mind 15, spend at least one year of your life specifically seeking out new knowledge.
Description: Imparts knowledge of the scanned object to the user.
Cooldown: 1 Minute

Name: Recall (LV 1)
Prerequisites: Mind 15
Description: Activate to permanently remember any written or spoken words read/heard by the user within the last five minutes. Words committed to memory through Recall can be forgotten at-will at any time. Max 200 words stored.
Cooldown: 1 Hour

Name: Do Not Go Gently (LV 1) (RARE)
Prerequisites: Vitality 10, Go through a Near-Death Experience, Exhibit the Unyielding Will to Survive.
Description: When HP falls below 25%, double Vitality and double the effectiveness of all defense and Vitality-based skills.
Duration: 1 Minute.
Cooldown: 15 Minutes.

Name: Quick Thinking (LV 1)
Prerequisite: Mind 20
Description: Slightly improves your speed of thought. Drains 3 Stamina per second while active. Mentally taxing when used for too long.

Passive Skills

Name: Speed Reading (LV 2)
Prerequisites: Mind 15, read at least 10 books
Description: Your personal reading speed is increased by 20% without a reduction in memory retention or comprehension.

Name: Regeneration (LV 2)
Prerequisite: Vitality 30
Description: Heals 20% of Max HP every hour.

Name: Tough Skin (LV 1)
Prerequisite: Vitality 20, take grievous physical damage at least once.
Description: Reduces physical damage incurred by 10%.

Name: Foraging (LV 1)
Prerequisite: Perception 10, spend at least several hours hunting for food and water in the wilderness.
Description: Gain an instinctive sense for where food and water are located when out in the wilderness.

Name: Hunting (LV 2)
Prerequisite: Perception 10, spend at least several hours hunting animals in the wilderness, and successfully hunt at least one worthwhile creature.
Description: Gain an instinctive sense for where fresh game is located when out in the wilderness.

Name: Poison Resistance (LV 1)
Prerequisite: Vitality 20
Description: Gain resistance to the damage caused by foreign, damaging substances in your body.

Name: Swordsmanship (LV 2)
Prerequisite: Dexterity 10, spend at least several hours wielding a sword, and defeat at least one worthwhile opponent while using a sword.
Description: Become more proficient with sharp-edged, bladed weapons with the shape and weight of a sword.

Name: Climbing (LV 2)
Prerequisite: Endurance 10, Dexterity 10, climb up harsh terrain for at least five feet, climb a terrain without pre-made footholds.
Description: Tap into your latent monkey DNA to get better at climbing.

Name: Deep Breathing (LV 1)
Prerequisite: Endurance 10, breathe heavily numerous times in a 24-period
Description: Air is life. Every deep breath or two normal breaths you take restores 1 Stamina.

Name: Disease Resistance (LV 3)
Prerequisite: Come down with a potentially life-threatening disease.
Description: Helps you fight off nasty microorganisms. Sadly, you won’t get EXP from them.

Name: Brawling (LV 2)
Prerequisite: Strength 10, Dexterity 10, participate in a fight while unarmed, and defeat at least one worthwhile opponent while unarmed.
Description: Become more proficient with humanity’s oldest weapons.

Name: Melancholy Resistance (LV1) (RARE) (Deactivated)
Prerequisite: Experience a deep-seated, soul-crushing sadness.
Description: Allows you to get back on your feet more quickly.

???
Prerequisites: Reach Level 99, ???