_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bursts of gunfire could occasionally be heard from within the forest, accompanied by pained shrieks and groans. In the suffocating humidity of the forest, the young man wiped his sweat, while the rifle in his hand still gave off smoke.

“Not much of a target….”

Add thought, as he looked at the goblin corpses before him. He had been hunting goblins for a few hours now, and it was evident from his recent kills, that the AK-47 was more than enough to bring down a goblin, whose body defences were just like humans if not weaker. After combing the area for a long time, and having killed tens of Goblins, he decided to go deeper into the forest, where he could find more goblins to kill. After looking around carefully for some time, he came across another group of 7 goblins. This time he didn’t hide, rather stood silently in front of them. The goblins naturally rushed to attack him, fuelled by their ever present hate of humans, only to be filled with bullets.

*RATATATATATATA*

The bullets showed no mercy to anyone, be it human or goblin. They died immediately, providing Add with the much needed CP.

[Ding! You have killed goblin x 7]

[Ding! You have received 700 CP!]

A series of notifications rang out as Add relaxed himself and checked his gains. The CP was piling up nicely, and he had a total of just over 10,000 now. The goblins really had quite a population in this region. But being on the prowl for a long time, with his weaker than average body, had made him tired, so the young master stopped for a short while, and assessed his surroundings. He estimated that he had already gone more than 5 kilometres inside the forest, and he knew that going any deeper would not be wise, as many dangerous beasts lurked in there. Dusk was approaching, and the hunters of the night would be waking soon.

"I should keep searching in this area and not go deeper, before I am strong enough, going too deep into enemy territory would be stupid."

He searched for tracks and made sure that he stayed on the outskirts of the forest. It was now nearing evening, and goblins became more active during this time. Add occasionally found one or two stray goblins and killed them immediately. He wanted to kill more goblins but decided to retreat, as staying after nightfall would be dangerous. Moving out of the forest, the same four guards including Edward escorted him back to the mansion. They had a tacit understanding not to reveal anything about the solo adventures of the young master to anyone, and kept their lips shut. When Martha did ask them, the four told a pre prepared story about touring the forest with the young master.

After finishing his dinner, Add shut himself in his room after having ordered the servants that no one was allowed to disturb him unless it was something very urgent. He opened his status and prepared to buy some items from the shop. His current priority was to strengthen his weak body. He could always buy more powerful weapons, but he needed to have the physical strength to be able to use them optimally. The trips to the forest had showed him just how weak his present body was, and while he could train it gradually, it would take years to get to his peak. And Add was not happy with having to wait that long, so he asked the system for some suggestion on how to increase his strength within a short duration of time.

[Taking into account the Host’s current situation and available credit points, the System suggests the Host to purchase a Genetic Enhancer from the system shop.]

Following the System’s advice, he went to the medical section and looked for gene enhancers. He soon found them, however,

“So costly…”

The Gene Enhancers were divided into many grades, starting from the lowest Grade E, then Grade D then Grade C and all the way to the highest Grade S. Just the Grade E enhancer was priced at 10,000 CP while subsequent higher grades were dozens and hundreds of times costlier. He barely had enough to buy the lowest grade, and after some deliberation he bought it, as the system was unlikely to offer him bad advice.

_ _ _ _ _

Grade E Gene Enhancer (Human)

Description : The Gene enhancer is an advanced medical agent originally developed for the soldiers of a future civilization. It enhances the genetic code of the target, leading to overall increase in physical and mental capabilities. Its effects include increased muscular strength, increased bone strength, increase recovery abilities, disease resistance, and sensory improvements. The effects increase with higher grades of enhancer.

NOTE : Can be used only once per grade. Using the same grade of enhancer the second time is redundant.

Price : 10,000 CP

_ _ _ _ _

The enhancer was a clear, slightly viscous liquid which came sealed inside a slender glass syringe. Add hesitated a little, concerned about any possible side effects. During his time as a soldier, many governments had funded secret research programmes which aimed at producing drugs that would boost the abilities of soldiers, making them better killing machines. While none had succeeded in making the “super soldier”, some had ended up making deranged maniacs out of good men, while others outright killed the test subjects. But he could only trust in the system as he rolled up his sleeve and injected it in his upper left arm. After all the liquid was injected he felt no noticeable changes.

“It probably works slowly. Let’s give it some time, after all there is no need to rush. I just hope I don’t end up as some abomination when I wake up…”

Hoping for the best he went to sleep, but before he could reach dreamland, he felt his body grow hotter. A dull tearing pain gradually emerged in his arm where he had injected the enhancer, and slowly spread across his body. The pain kept increasing as beads of sweat covered him, Add felt that he was being carved by a knife from the inside, still his mental fortitude, toughened by years of harsh battles and desperate struggles kept him from crying out, he gritted his teeth and endured. Second turned into minutes, minutes into hours, but the pain kept increasing and then suddenly he lost consciousness, his mind falling into darkness, while his body kept undergoing massive changes. If one could see his cells, they would see that the entire genetic code of each and every cell was being gradually edited, he was being forged anew, from his very DNA. While all this happened the owner of the body had no idea, only a frowning expression on his face showed the pain he was in.

_ _ _ _ _

The next day, as Add woke up, he could still feel a dull ache all across his body. As his mind cleared, he found that a layer of grime and sweat had appeared on him, which made him feel quite uncomfortable. He rushed to the bath, and cleared himself up and it was then that he began observing the changes in his body. His muscles which were not visible before, had become noticeable after just one night. They were not like those of body builders however, being lean and smooth, and despite their appearance he could feel that he had grown considerably stronger. His skin although still pale, now looked healthier than it had previously been. As he opened his status, the changes to his body were immediately visible.

_ _ _ _ _

STATUS

Name : Add (Adolf Kaiser Weismann)

Race : Human

Credit Points : 400

ATTRIBUTES :

Vitality : 2 -> 10

Strength : 2 -> 10

Agility : 2 -> 10

Dexterity : 2 -> 8

Defence: 2 -> 8

Intelligence : 5 -> 6

Wisdom : 4 -> 5

Stamina : 2 -> 8

Charm : 3 -> 5

Magic Aptitude : Enhancement Magic (Low)

_ _ _ _ _

His stats had grown by a lot, with Vitality, Strength and Agility having increased the most. Stamina, Dexterity and defence had also increased substantially, though not as much as the previous ones. The least increase was in Intelligence and Wisdom which made sense as it was much harder to increase the mental capacity than the physical abilities. Lastly his charm had also increased by a little. Overall, the Young Master was satisfied with the performance of the gene enhancer, and although he felt bad looking at the tiny amount of CP he had left, his CP had been well spent. After completing his daily exercises, the changes were even more noticeable as he was able to finish all the exercises which he used to do as a soldier, in one go. As he made his way across the mansion, the servants cast curious glances towards him. They felt that there was something different about the young master, but could not point out exactly what it was. After having checked himself and found no unwanted side effects, Add had his breakfast and then immediately went out to test the actual combat abilities of his body. On the way he ran into Martha who was as observant as ever and instantly noticed his changes.

“Young Master, you look much healthier than before…” she said as she scrutinised him from top to bottom.

“Is that so ? I feel the same as always though ?” Add smiled lightly as he replied.

“Maybe my old eyes are getting worse”, Martha shook her head, “still it’s best if the young master is healthy and well.”

After discussing a few matters with her, Add made his way to the training grounds behind the mansion. It was a clearing around the size of a football field which took a large portion of the total Weismann estate. It was here that the guards which guarded the estate usually trained and practiced. At present there were a few guards who were still practicing, most of them being new recruits, who were being trained by older guards. Looking around, he quickly found the person he was looking for; a man who appeared to in his late forties, who was sternly lecturing a group of young guards. This man named Kent, was the Guard Commander who led all the guards of the Weismann estate. He was quite tall well built for his age and gave the feeling of a mentor with his strict face and strict nature. But, based on the memories Add had, Kent was a amicable fellow, who was kind and honourable. He had served the family for over 20 years now and was one of his father’s most trusted aides. When he saw the young master coming his direction, he quickly dismissed the guards and greeted Add with a caring expression.

“Good day Young Master, what brings you here today ?”

It was rather unusual to see the young master in the training field, who preferred to play around rather than train his body. Kent had heard from Martha that ever since the passing of the previous lord, the young master had changed completely. He was taking active interest in matters of the territory, and his wanton merrymaking had also ceased.

“I wanted to test my strength, so was hoping that spar with a guard, what do you say ?”

“This….”

The old man was noticeably troubled at his request. The young master was not known for having any prowess when it came to fighting abilities, and while the late lord had taught his son some self defence moves, the latter had never really practiced those and had probably forgotten them. Still he was the current Lord, and however weak he may be, if he lost to a guard then the matter would be very embarrassing, not to mention if he got hurt, matters would get messy. Add was aware of what the man might be thinking, so he continued,

“Don’t worry Mr. Kent, it’s just a spar, I don’t plan on taking things too seriously, and hope you would not reject this request of mine.”

“I see…” Kent could only give in. “Then I shall choose an opponent for you, is that okay Young Master ?”

“Of course it is”

Kent, nodded and beckoned a guard who was in his early thirties. The man was a bit hesitant but complied, and the two were soon facing each other. Kent signalled for the match to start, whoever was able to bring their opponent to the ground first would win. Add immediately took to the offensive, the increased stats of his body made his movements a bit erratic, but it was something which would become normal with time. He was swift on his feet and reached his opponent in a flash, surprising even Kent, who was impressed at how fluidly he was moving. The guard who had trained for years also realised this and took a defensive stance while trying to grab Add who was a head shorter than him. Add dodged to the side avoiding the grasp, and swept his leg out to hit his opponents leg, which caused the guard to lose balance, and as he tried to stabilize himself, Add grabbed one of his hands and with a jerk pulled the man forward, and with a final hit on his back, the guard was sent crashing to the ground.

The spectators were stunned and Kent who was the most experienced of all the guards, looked blankly at the young master who had given him a great shock. He had never expected that Add would be able to defeat a guard so effortlessly and so quickly at that. It seemed that the Young Master had some hidden talents. As he declared the winner, Add helped the defeated guard to his feet and thanked him for the match. The embarrassed man quickly escaped not wanting to be made fun of by his colleagues. Still, Add was not done just yet. He asked for more matches, and a few other guards were called to be his opponents. As with his first match, he was able to defeat all of them with relative ease, which further shocked Kent. He estimated that the young master was at least on par with most of the guards, if not better than them in terms of fighting without weapons. This was hardly a surprise since Add had tens of years of experience in hand to hand combat, and the moves came to him naturally. He was also impressed though, as he found that his body was now very capable, and he could probably match his old self in terms of strength already, the system truly was miraculous.

“Young Master, you really shocked me. I never expected that you were so strong, this old me must admit that when I was your age, I was not this good myself. The late master would be very proud if he were to see you right now….”

Kent said emotionally. He was visibly happy seeing the ability of his young master. Add shook his head and replied,

“I am just doing what I can Mr. Kent. I have wasted a lot of time already, so I have to make up for it. Speaking of which, I had another request of you, if you won’t mind that is.”

Since he had a good understanding of his strength now, so he moved on to the next topic of interest.

“Please do tell me, I would try my best to help you Young Master.”

“You see, I want to learn how to use a sword. I have realised that despite the guards being there, there will be times when I face dangers alone and so I must have a way to protect myself, so I want you to teach me. But since I don’t know much about swordsmanship so I hope that you would go easy on me.”

“If it’s just that, then it’s my honour in teaching you Young Master.”

Kent arranged for a pair of wooden swords which guards used for training to be brought for the sparring session. Add had no real experience with swords, but ever since he had arrived in Iseria, he had observed the guards using their swords on many occasions, so he had a rough idea, how to properly hold a sword. He swung the meter long wooden long sword, to get a feel, the blade although not made of iron, was made using a wood that was quite heavy and thus simulated the real weight of a sword to a decent degree. Once he had accustomed himself, he face Kent and asked him to begin. The commander had returned to his usual stern appearance as he demonstrated the very basics of sword wielding to Add, who was a little excited on the inside, since he had not learnt swordsmanship in his past life.

Over the course of the next week, he did not leave the estate and focused on his sword training. Although he had access to guns and other modern weapons, it was better to have a back up weapon which could be used in emergencies and at times when it was inconvenient to use modern weapons. Kent was a good teacher, he patiently taught Add and was very understanding, giving pointers every now and then. With his help, Add quickly mastered the basics, and could be called a beginner swordsman after a week of training. This speed was very fast, when compared to the average person of the era and this made Kent very happy. It seemed that the Young Master had a talent for the sword, and he happily boasted about it to Martha who was moved to tears. She was relieved that Add was finally showing his true abilities, if things continued the way they were, he would surely be an excellent lord.

“I hope you are seeing this my lord. Your son is just like you, I believe he will surely make the Weismann family proud…”

She thought as tears rolled down from her eyes.

_ _ _ _ _

After week of training with the sword, Add once again set out for the hills, much to Martha’s displeasure. She had thought that the young master was now take things seriously, but it seemed he still wanted to indulge in his impulsive ways. He had taken the same four guards, of which Edward was lucky enough to be a part of again, and felt like crying. His impression of the young master was apparently very nice. He was well acquainted with these four people, and so they had became Add’s routine escorts. His goal now was to gather more CP to buy better weapons, and gradually strengthen his body which should not be difficult if he found more goblins to hunt. He avoided the areas which he had been to previously, as the goblins would be more alert there, so he went in a different direction and began searching for goblins or other monsters to hunt.

This time, aside from his guns, he was also carrying an iron sword he had borrowed from the guards, and planned to use it to test his skills. Strangely however, although he found goblin tracks, but, even after searching for almost an hour, he didn't spot a single goblin. So he decided to go in deeper into the forest. And soon he found a group of five goblins. Add slowly approached them, but this time he didn’t use his AK – 47, rather he used the MAV-20 semiautomatic pistol to see if it was effective in killing these creatures. He quickly approached the group and by the time the goblins had noticed him, he already began firing. He fired in quick succession and precision. The .45 APC round were very effective at close range. They killed the goblins with little effort.

[Ding! You have killed Goblin × 5]

[Ding! You have received 500 CP!]

After encountering this one group, he did not find any more nearby. As he was looking around for more goblins he suddenly heard some suspicious sounds.

"Hmm ? What's that sound ?"

Hearing those noises he took some twists and turns through the thick undergrowth, and reached a small forest path. The sounds continued to get louder as he followed it, the source of the sounds growing closer and closer. When he finally got to the location, he saw a large group of goblins, that numbered in the dozens, moving about. Some were quarrelling with each other, some others were gorging themselves with food and many were just loitering around. It seemed it was a type of a camp. From the cover of some bushes, he observed for sometime deliberating whether or not to attack them. It was a few hours to evening, and although this was a fairly big group, he didn't want to waste time searching for smaller groups of goblins. Furthermore, it was a big pile of Exp. and CP waiting to be taken. He observed them for a little while longer and silently approached within the cover of trees and bushes. When he was little over 20 metres away from them, he kept his pistol away and took the rifle. He wanted to finish the group before they could escape or call for help.

At first he began shooting from the cover of bushes and trees, killing the goblins closest to him. This made the goblins panic as they couldn’t see what was attacking them and many had died already. After sometime, as the goblins began scattering in various directions, Add left his cover and sprung right into the camp. The goblins were surprised to see a human appear so suddenly, but the next moment they understood that this human must have been attacking them, and their confusion and panic turned to rage. They rushed at him to kill, as expected of them. Add also returned fire without ceremony.

*RATATATATATATATA*

The goblins gave wretched cries as the bullets slaughtered them. Within a minute around half of them were dead. Goblins relied on their numbers and agility to attack others, but their bodies themselves were not that strong, after all, the average goblins were slightly weaker than average humans. Against automatic weapons, they were no better than cannon fodder. Although a few goblins managed to get close to him, but they were not able to hurt him, before dying. In a few minutes, Add had slaughtered all the goblins.

[Ding! You have killed Goblin x 43]

[Ding! You have received 4300 CP]

Although it was fairly easy, Add wondered if he did not have the gun, perhaps killing all these goblins, without getting a scratch himself would ever have been possible. If he had to wield a sword and fight so many of them, it would be very dangerous, and he perhaps would not be able to kill all these many goblins and end up being killed himself. Having modern weaponry was such a huge advantage, in an age where most battles were melee and the only ranged weapon was the bow, a gun was the top dog. He left the now devastated camp, and continued searching for more targets, evening was still a few hours away and he wanted to earn as much CP as he could.

When he found a lone goblin with with a crude bone dagger in its hand, he put away his gun and pulled his sword. Making sure that there were no other goblins around, he attacked. The Goblin shrieked and stabbed towards hi with its dagger, but Add’s reflexes were much faster than its attack. He easily parried the dagger with his sword and sent it flying. The Goblin staggered backwards, and not wasting the opportunity he slashed with his sword and cut off one of its arms. The goblin which was now missing an arm, roared in pain and anger and tried to scratch and bite him, but was sent rolling with kick, and just as it was trying to get on its feet, a sword whizzed by, and its head rolled off, its body crumbling with it.

_ _ _ _ _

Add continued this routine for a month. In the early morning he would do his exercises and train with the sword. Then he would go to the forest to hunt monsters, mostly goblins since they were easier to kill. And at night he would mostly be holed up in the study room, finalising his plans for the next steps he had to take. A a Lord, he had little power in his territory, both in terms of military strength and economy. The economy though poor, was holding on, thanks to the efforts of his father and Walter through the past year and though the production of crops was low, but the people had enough to survive and the territory was stable for now. As such, he focused on stabilising the military at first. The Soviet Union had the largest military in the world at its peak, and it was the strength of this military that kept the hostile NATO at bay.

In comparison, the military strength of the territory was beyond pitiful, and could be called a mob at best. Of the 2000 strong militia that he had under him, 500 soldiers were present in Rigel to guard it. The remaining 1,500 soldiers were spread around the territory to guard the villages from monster attacks and keep the bandits and criminals in check. The quality of these soldiers though was very bad, with most of them being poorly trained and equipped and they were little better than vigilantes. While the guards of the estate could still be considered as guards, the militia was really not up to par. A drastic reform was needed, and it was needed now.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _