Chapter 6: Next

♢ Status ♢

Name: Eluc

Level: 9 [0/200 EXP]

Class: [Locked until Level 10]

Title: Forest Hunter

Skill Points: 5

World Points: 114

HP: 240/240

SP: 190/190

MP: 125/125

♢ Statistics ♢

VIT: 15

END: 10

WIS: 10

STR: 10

DEX: 15

INT: 15

Eluc sat atop his bed, staring at the status screen in front of him. From what he has learned so far, the screens were not vital towards a normal human’s survival. One could go their entire life without ever seeing the transparent visual in front of him and still live happily. But if that was the case, would that person ever naturally grow? How would they make any progress in their life without utilizing the [Skill Points] provided every level and with other circumstances? Maybe this was just common sense to those who might live beyond the boundaries of this forest, but he would never be able to find out while stuck here.

To be truthful, Eluc only ever tried to leave once so far. During that time, he walked through the dark forest without a guide, fearful of an attack from an unknown entity. If a creature like the dire wolf pup existed, surely a stronger creature stood further up the food chain. After only two hours of walking, he turned back. He convinced himself to stay, rationalizing that his safety net known as the White Room got more distant with each step. There was also one more thing he wanted to do before leaving, which further faltered his advance. The next time, he would not turn back.

‘Am I ready to leave?’ Eluc thought. His statistics in certain aspects were indeed higher than his last encounters with the wolf, but he still did not feel strong enough. Before he was absolutely confident in killing the dire wolf, he expected to at least reach [Level 15] but that was implausible. He noticed that experience per level increased exponentially and he didn’t want to threaten the local population to an even higher degree than he already had. As an estimated guess, he probably would need to kill close to a thousand animals just to reach that point. He needed to kill higher level creatures, not bully the local wildlife.

So, what was life without risk? Eluc often found himself repeating this phrase as of late. In the grand scheme of things, there was no true purpose in his life. Short-term, his revenge for the wolf pushed him forward to get stronger. Long-term, his desire to learn the truth spurred him onwards to live and survive. Were those not only surface-level reason’s to push himself along?

All of these questions brought to mind the [Help] function of the system. “Initialize [Help]” he said.

Help:

Allocate [World Points] to receive an answer to a question.

He then cleared his throat and asked, “Why am I here?”

[How many [World Points] do you wish to allocate?]

[Warning: Current [World Point] Threshold exceeded. The system may be unable to assist the user.]

“Nevermind, then.” Instead, he asked, “What should I do?”

[How many [World Points] do you wish to allocate?]

“Oh? Looks like that went through the system fine this time.” Eluc then thought further. It was not a very in-depth question when thinking about it. Before, five points really must have been too meager to receive help for much of anything unclear to him. Taking an estimate for what he thought the question was valued at, he said, “Use fifty [World Points].”

[50 World Points used.]

[Best course of action found: Kill your nemesis.]

Eluc was stunned to receive an answer written so blatantly. Sure, it was veiled behind the word ‘nemesis,’ but he could figure out just who that was. Yet, this brought up numerous moral quandaries with the system. Did it not care about the life and death of its patrons? Also, how did it know who Eluc’s nemesis was? Another headache came with the answering of one question and the leaving of ten more.

Still, at least he was no longer unsure of his next move. It wouldn’t be easy to win this battle, but perhaps that would serve him well in surprising his opponent. Maybe it was time to put himself out there. He needed to stretch out his hand, unafraid of the bite that would emerge from the darkness beyond. After all, even if he was bitten, all he had to do was bite back.

♢ ♢ ♢

The thirty-fifth day in the wilds began like any other. Eluc awoke in the White Room, feeling fully rested with that sing-song comfort spread through his body. He never could get quite used to it. His muscles were relaxed and he could find no aches on his body, but he still preferred the sore back he would wake with while sleeping outdoors. Comfort was a luxury that one often had to pay a price for, so wasn’t it odd that he was given it for free? That was another question that always ran through his mind.

Suiting up for the day, Eluc began his trek up the stone steps leading to the surface. Reverberations bounded between the walls and traveled up and down the stairway, sounding much louder than before. Each step blasted at his ears, beating its way into his head with a thunderous smash. He continued his climb until he reached the exit and momentarily stopped, only to realize the booming continued. Only then did he understand it wasn’t his boots atop the limestone that made the noise, but it was his own beating heart.

At last, he opened the heavy metal door that guarded the sanctuary of the White Room. Eluc took in a deep breath, relishing in the freshness of the outside air. His mind that was only thinking plans and killing quickly blanked, joining in with the rest of his body to enjoy the moment. Just like the first time he saw the sunlight, a wide beam shone down on the entrance, perfectly encapsulating it with its rays.

Without much thought, Eluc’s feet moved him towards the riverside, where he spent most of his time since his Awakening. As he walked, leaves fell from the canopy above as if shedding their coat. Between the time of his arrival, the green and purple greenery had changed its pigments to a wider array of colors. Catching his eye, a red one flew down directly in front of his eyes before a blue leaf took away his attention upward. Falling from above, the leaves rained down from the canopy, forming a storm with the colors of the rainbow. Reaching out his hand, Eluc waited for the first leaf to fall into his palm. Despite the loss, the sky was still as shaded from the ground as ever, leaking in only the thinnest glimmers of light. Feeling a hint of sensation, he brought his gaze down to his arm. The first thing that caught his eye was not the purple leaf in his grip, but the Brand further down on his wrist. Its growth was akin to a tumor as of late, as the spiral only got thicker and its black color even deeper.

After making an odd face, Eluc dropped the leaf and continued through the storm of colors. At last, he reached the river which his campsite belonged to. Instead of sitting down on the white chair he brought along for resting, he chose to wait beside the water. Time passed slowly as Eluc occupied himself, either choosing to submerge his hands in the river’s depths or practicing the casting of his spells without releasing them.

Runes were a curious concept for Eluc. There was a higher theory written in text that runes were the coalescence of smaller runes, numbering in the thousands, to form a single symbol of power. It gathered the essence of the world to quell the chaos into order, creating the phenomenon known as ‘magic.’ Each movement of summoning this essence was dependent on the user’s ability to control, as some excelled in one attribute or another. Eluc was thankful he never ran into a wall while wielding the magic of The World.

A bark rang out through the forest and Eluc twisted his head in its direction. In his view, the dire wolf with a scar across its face ran in his direction, careless in its movement. With each step, it could have fallen into a trap or pitfall, resulting in its defeat without needing to spend excessive time in combat. Its tongue flopped from the left side of its face to the right as if it enjoyed the wind from its speed tossing it around. Its yellow eyes stared at Eluc, unmoving, as it finally made its way to a few meters away. With a quick stop, it planted itself down on the ground, awaiting its tithe from the one using its forest as a residence.

Both man and wolf stared at each other, far from the scenario when they first met. Back when Eluc first emerged from the White Room, he was mercilessly attacked by the other as a subject of prey. Since then, Eluc has always lived in fear of the wolf. He had barely escaped with his life then thanks to the presence of the white rabbit, but would he be alive to this day if that rabbit never appeared? Would the wolf have let him go at the end of the standoff where he was prepared to fight for his life?

Another bark followed a short growl from the wolf’s mouth. The beast wasn’t quite showing impatience and Eluc felt as if he was expressing something else. Regardless, Eluc felt it was useless to delve deeper into the psychology of an animal. From his experience with the other woodland creatures around, they exhibited very little intelligence compared to a sentient creature on Eluc’s level. From this preconception, Eluc steeled his resolve, igniting his left hand with a dark blue as his right hand moved to his sword’s hilt.