An excerpt from “A Treatise on the Nature of Skill Knowledge” by Unknown Author

The real question we must try to answer is the origin of the information that accompanies a level up in a Skill. Does this knowledge flow into us from Genesis? If so, does this mean that Genesis contains absolute understanding of every Skill that exists, only releasing little bits of understanding that correspond to the level? If we assume that to be true, then what separates Genesis from God? Our people once defined God as a being of omniscience, a description that seems to apply to Genesis. While religious worship has slowly died out since Genesis’s arrival, perhaps we are truly seeing God for the first time.

Determined to understand what constitutes a Skill, I click on Planning and the formal definition appears.

Planning: Thinking ahead and planning your future actions allows you to analyze a situation and determine the preferred steps to obtain your goals. Increased skill level allows for increased mental acuity while planning.

A frown forms on my face as I finish reading the Skill. While Meditation seems to have concrete benefits, such as increased Mana Regeneration, Planning’s benefits seem vague. Mental acuity while planning is definitely a benefit but it is hard to quantify. What will the effects be? If the tangible benefit is realizing that I need food and water a second faster than I would previously then it may be a useless Skill.

Deciding to try and quantify it, I begin to think about my plans again, focusing more on the short term goals. This is when the Skill activates and suddenly I feel my mind become clearer and sharper. The difference isn’t enormous but I am able to consider new aspects of my survival and the goals that I need to take in order to satisfy them. One such thought that only occurs to me under the influence of the increased acuity is the need for fire. If I truly am on a foreign planet then fire will potentially be necessary to purify the water. Who knows what sorts of foreign bacteria exist in the water.

Unfortunately, I am ripped from my planning state by a deep growling sound behind me. Feeling the fear rise within me, I gain control of myself and slowly turn around. Only 20 feet away stands a small, four-legged creature that looks at me with hate-filled red eyes. It appears to be a strange breed of wolf, with course purple fur that hides it amongst the trees and pines scattered on the ground. If it hadn’t growled I never would have been able to pick it out from the nature around us. It begins to slowly pace around me in a circular formation, getting slightly closer with each step.

My heart begins to beat faster as I notice a few words above the beast that say Helldarvin Hunter [Lvl 28]. I may not understand even the most basic elements of Genesis but I have enough awareness to realize that something with Hunter in its name that is also level 28 is not something that I want to deal with.

The Hunter steps closer and closer with each step, making his way in a circular path around me. I begin to slowly scramble backwards, maintaining eye contact with the hateful beast in hopes that it views me as a threat and backs away. The only effect that it seems to have is making the beast show more of its teeth in a perverse version of a smile. Large fangs hang down the sides of its open mouth and appear to be coated in dry blood, browned from age.

My strange thoughts are interrupted as my back runs into one of the large purple trees that I had been meditating underneath earlier. With no exit path behind me, the fear of being mauled by this beast rises up within me and my already prodigious heart beat speeds up. The beast just exposes more teeth and gets closer.

Swallowing spit that seems to be as thick as sandpaper, I let out a breath and make a quick decision. Turning around as quickly as possible, I jump up against the tree and grab onto one of the branches, pulling myself up further. Without looking at the beast, I let the sounds of angry growls beneath me motivate my body as I climb further and further up the tree. Notification pings go off but I ignore them and look down at the beast once I’ve gotten about 20 feet up the tree.

The Hunter is now circling the tree, patiently staring up at me. If I didn’t know better I’d guess that it is waiting for me to fall down, somehow knowing that I’ll need to come back down eventually. I finally let myself read the notifications, the words appearing in front of me as the system seems to realize that I’m ready for them.

You have discovered the Skill Climbing Lvl 1!

Planning has reached Lvl 5.

My previous attempts at planning seem to have netted me a level and now my retreat from the creature below has gained me a new Skill. Without knowing why, I feel laughter bubbling up and finally bursting out of my chest. Perhaps it is the sheer insanity of the situation or perhaps it’s the fact that I continue to act as if I have a chance of surviving this hellish planet.

Just as the laughter is beginning to die out and despair setting in, a voice calls out from below. “Boy who the hell are you and what are you doing up that tree?”