Zero trudged a slow path downhill as he viewed his surroundings. He had spotted a break in the treeline a fair distance to his right, meandering at a right angle from the mountains behind him. A river, perhaps? He thought to himself. From all appearances so far, one can be fooled into thinking that this was just another hilly country countryside on Earth, were it not for the presence of a strange object hovering near the upper left side of his vision:

HP 350/350(+.0043/sec) MP 140/140(+.0033/sec) SP 34/41(-.0002/sec) Condition normal

34 stamina points remaining huh? He thought to himself. According to the information on his Status screen, his Stamina, or SP, decreases by 1 point per hour in this world as his body burns calories due to physical exertion. The rate of decrease is proportional to the intensity of the physical activity. Based on Zero's analysis of his SP, running increases SP reduction by 2 times the rate, and combat further increases that by ten times. He reasoned, based on his remaining SP and if he continues his pace, that he can survive less than two more days in this world before succumbing to thirst and hunger. 2 days to learn how to survive in the wild, and how many more days before I can reach civilization, or what passes for one in this world. The sun was past its midway point, almost touching the highest peaks of the mountain behind, and from its trajectory Zero roughly calculated his position. The mountain range stretches from to west and curves to a series of jagged protrusions to the north, while the boundless plains stretches towards the horizon on the east. In front of me, the forest stretches a couple of miles south, as does the mysterious break in the treeline. He was fairly sure it was a river. Not only would it be a source of fresh water, but food, if he can manage to catch any fish. More importantly, most villages and towns are situated near rivers for the same reason. If he travelled downstream along the river his chances of finding civilization increases. Not only that, but he may also get the attention of any boat travelling it as well. As he reached the forest floor he headed in that general direction.

As he hiked through the trees Zero studied the information available on his status screen. The class and skill the mysterious voice gave him baffled him, and he struggled to make sense of the power he traded for what seemed to be indentured service.

Class Title Level none n/a Zero Variable 1

The strange [none] and [n/a] text above the Zero Variable class and the black background suggests that the class and its associated skills may be hidden from regular appraisals or inspection magic. However... this class doesn't make sense at all. Zero thought as he stepped over a root. What is a Zero Variable? I need a useful class not a fucking math problem. He grunted in frustration. The class skill, while having the potential to be a guaranteed cheat in this world, provides no detail into how Zero can use the skill properly. And i'm not even sure if I want to use this skill at all. It was a moral quandary: Zero doesn't know whether or not he can bring himself to kill another sentient being, if the effects of this skill is to be believed. Killing is difficult enough already, but consuming another being's soul? The thought sent chills to his spine. If I need to use this skill I need to use this as a LAST resort only. That mysterious being could have taught me how to use the skill before giving it to first though, right? RIGHT!? However, even though a hidden class has been given to Zero, it still struck him as strange that his displayed class is still registered as none. It's quite possible that Zero can still acquire another class besides the hidden [Zero Variable] class. All the more reason for him to reach civilization, he decided. He needed to learn how this world's class and levelling system works, as well as information that will allow him the means to return to his world. Perhaps a way to reverse engineer a Hero Transmigration Spell? Zero mused. [Mage] class it is then, if I need power to cast those spells. He ducked under an overhanging tree branch, and after struggling through a particulary thick bush he suddenly found staring at an open chasm, with the nearest tree in front of him a good stone's throw away.

It was not a river. It was a deep ravine. Zero stared for a moment, before chuckling to himself. All my well-thought plans, in vain. Rage flared in him briefly before he suppressed the emotion before it clouded his judgment. Now, more than ever, clear thinking is required, he thought to himself. He sat down and rested while he studied the ravine. Upon closer inspection it appeared to be a dry riverbed. The stones at the bottom were worn smooth, while the ground beneath seemed to be dark earth. He decided to follow the path upstream, in the direction of the mountains. Something must have cut off the direction of the water from there. I can still locate the river. He thought with determination. It was not an easy path. The trail was rougher, the rocky trail provided no sure footing. To make it worse, the path went steadily uphill as well. After an hour’s march he was sweating. Dusk had set in as well. An increasing sense of disquiet settled on Zero as the light steadily fell. Soon it would be too dark to travel. He needed to find a safe place to stay the night. Zero continued trekking, at the same time looking around for a possible shelter for the night.

At first he thought it was just the leaves rustling from the wind. The sound grew to a gurgle, steadily increasing, until at last the churning waters of the river filled the air as Zero found himself staring at a dam. It was unmistakably man-made; a sturdy construction of timber and iron, reinforced below by huge boulders stacked together. If they had to place a dam here to change the course of the river itself, then there has to be people somewhere downriver! He thought to himself excitedly. He climbed the rocks to reach the top of the dam, scraping his hands in the process. The waters rushed by in a white mist and froth. It looked huge to Zero, who was born and raised in the city and whose only experience with nature was through movies, games and the occasional nature documentary. He didn’t have enough time to appreciate the view however, as a loud howl suddenly filled the air. Zero felt his blood run cold. It was followed by another howl, this time nearer. More howls reverberated throughout the forest, and as fear paralyzed him, a creature stepped out from a nearby tree. It was a small humanoid being, like an upright wolf standing on its hind legs. It was covered in blueish-white fur and a dressed in a simple leather belt and thong, but its yellow eyes glowed with a fierce and savage intelligence. It brandished a rusty knife in one hand like a sword, and its free hand held a crude wooden buckler. Its bared its fangs in aggression, and as Zero stepped away from it more of its kind revealed themselves, a motley pack carrying various weapons in various states of disrepair. He was surrounded, and the only path of escape was the dark, rushing waters of the river behind him. He regretted, bitterly, not paying more attention in swimming class.

“H-hey guys,” Zero said nervously, raising his heads in the universal gesture for surrender. “I mean you no harm. Let's be calm and try to talk this out okay?” He gave them his best smile, hoping to win them over.

It only enraged the creatures in front of him, as their bared teeth escalated into angry growls and guttural barks. One of them threw a small spear at Zero. Zero clumsily dodged the projectile. He turned and bolted downriver, away from the howling mob. However, running in the dark on a wet stony path was not a good idea, something he acknowledged before he slipped backwards and hit head on a rocky outcropping. Time seemed to slow as he fell with a muted splash in the river. Zero barely registered the angry yelps of the creatures as the dark waters swallowed him. A string of notifications rang in his head moments before he succumbed to the watery abyss.

Critical Hit! -50 HP. Injured: Head. Casting speed reduced by 20%, slowed by 15%, max HP reduced by 20%, -.002 HP/sec, receives 50% more damage from head injuries. You have Fainted You are Drowning. -1 HP/sec

In the darkness, Zero dreamed. He was 16, and the smash MMORPG, Agna Rock, had just been released. He was instantly hooked, spending countless hours each day slaying cute low-levelled monster just outside the capital city of Front-Terra and just exploring the massive world of Midguard. He learned, via repeated deaths, which monsters can be killed easily, and which ones take too much effort to kill, if they didn't kill him first. He remembered agonizing over which of the 9 job classes to take, finding each one as exciting and as atrractive as the other. He recalled taking the Acolyte job class, due to it being the most mobile job class due to its [teleport] and [warp] skills. He also thought its 2nd job class advancement into Priest is one of the most badass looking characters in the game. And last but not the least, it is the only support class in the game, making it the most popular and in-demand party member due to the Acolyte's healing ability and numerous buff abilities as well. He recalled travelling far and wide across the scattered maps of the continent, observing the different locations and the varied monster populations. He walked across forests, ran through mazes populated by various giant insects and man-eating plants, through giant ant colonies, zombie infested caves, pyramids protected by various undead, through an orc village and the orc zombies in its underground graveyard, an abandoned ship populated by ghosts, and an underwater dungeon. He remembered going to the highest-levelled dungeon in the game, an abandoned capital filled with high-level dullahans, clown demons, undead lich lords, death knights, and one massive demon with a scythe. He avoided certain 1-hit death by doing hit-and-runs, casting holy magic on enemies then teleporting away to safety. He wasn't one of the best players in the game, not by a longshot. But he enjoyed every single moment playing it. From the frustrated rants with equally displeased players about the excrutiatingly long server maintenance, to the massive lag when the servers are unable to keep up with huge influx of players logging in and out. He enjoyed joining parties in levelling hunts through dungeons, as well as relaxing in one of the many cities and providing free healing and buff services to those in need. It was another life to him, a far cry from his dull and uninspiring reality. It was a sweet and comforting dream. And then he woke up.

Zero opened his eyes and stared at the thatch-roofed ceiling, dry bundles of straw laid evenly into the wood frame below it. He sat up and found himself inside a small hut, lying on a cot set in the corner. The lumpy bedding was serviceable but still uncomfortable; Zero rolled his neck and shoulders as his back groaned from the sustained abuse while he slept. In a sudden panic he touched his chest pocket and sighed in relief as he felt the familiar hardness of the ring inside. As he relaxed he accidentally hit his head on the wall and instantly recoiled at the sharp pain that followed. He clutched his head and felt it wrapped in several layers of cloth, centered around the bump where the back of his head smashed into the rocks on the river.

"Status," Zero whispered, grimacing in pain.

HP 275/280(+.0043/sec) MP 140/140(+.0033/sec) SP 34/41(-.0002/sec) Condition Injured: Head, First Aid: low healing(+.001 HP/sec)

He touched the cloth bandaged on his head, looking around at his surroundings. The hut was circular, low-ceilinged and cozy, a firepit nestled in the middle of the room provided steady light and warmth, while a pot bubbled above the flames, giving off a delicious scent that caused Zero's stomach to rumble loudly. Several pieces of dried meat hang on the rafters, enough to soak in the smoke rising from the fire. On the opposite wall set on wooden spikes were various tools and knives, a wood axe, a bow and arrow, and a sword sheated in hide leather. Zero found the door a couple of feet to the left, rough wood planks placed over a small circular opening. Anyone entering would need to crouch low to the ground. As if on cue, a gray-haired figure dressed in fur and brown leather entered, holding a small stack of firewood on under his arm. Orbs of cold blue steel peaked out from an unkempt face and beard as a an old man's beaten and weathered face gazed silently into Zero's eyes. It was not a hostile stare, but it was not a friendly look either.

"Ilvas, kamsi va cao?" The old man grunted at him.

"H-huh?" Zero asked in confusion. The man was talking in an alien language. Zero worried about the difficulties in communication when something... shifted in his mind, and a small announcement echoed inside his head.

Leviantho Language learned! Leviantho Language Allows oral and written comprehension of the Leviantine Language

Are you feeling well, boy? Zero's mind translated the old man's words. He knew instinctively that he can speak the same language now.

"Mealas va ku, selamtas," Zero answered back in slight wonder. Much better now, thank you, was what he said.

The old man scowled at him in suspicion, before standing to his full height as he tossed the firewood in a small stack near the pit. The old man was, in Zero's mind, intimidating. From his face, Zero judged the man to be in his 60's, well into retirement in his world. But the old man had the physique of a man 30 years younger. His back was straight and his lean body radiated a confident power and presence of that reminded Zero of a certain geriatric character in a fighting game he played a while back. He's like Kenpachi Mishiba from Tekhen Tournament, Zero thought. He snapped from his reverie as the man sat down on the dirt floor and stirred the pot with a large wooden spoon, adding a few herbs from a small pouch attached to his belt. He gestured for Zero to come close and pointed to a spot near the firepit to sit on.

"I rarely get visitors this side of the Alekhandres," the old man spoke, peering sideways at Zero as he tasted the stew for flavor. Apparently satisfied with the taste, he reached behind him and grabbed bowls and spoons from the wall and handed Zero a full bowl of stew with his spoon. "Eat first, and then we will talk."

The stew was hot, filling and delicious. The wild meat added to it was smoked and salted perfectly, and various root crops gave a wondrous depth and flavor to the dish. Zero barely tasted any of it. He ate mechanically as he avoided the old man's piercing gaze. He didn't need to look at the man to feel the suspicion radiating from him in waves. After eating the last spoonful of stew, he carefully put the empty bowl at his side and opened his mouth to tell his 'story', a concocted tale of abduction and escape. Before Zero uttered one word the man raised a hand to stop him.

"I'm just an old [Hunter] in these parts," The old man said. "But you are a tricksome boy are you not? I can see it in your eyes." His blue eyes, shining with keen intelligence in stark contrast to his wild appearance, stared coldly at Zero.

Crap, Zero thought to himself. This isn't just some old coot hidden in the mountains. I better be careful.

"You are not from here, that much I can tell," the old man continued. "So tell me your story, but don't lie to me," he warned.

"I...," Zero began slowly. "I have no idea how I got here. I was..." Pain gripped his heart. "...doing something else before I lost consciousness. I woke up on a hill near the mountains, and fell into the river after some strange creatures attacked me. I am grateful for your assistance; you saved my life. I apologize if I offended you, I only meant to protect myself."

Zero tried to hold the old man's gaze as the uncomfortable silence stretched.

"If you meant to protect yourself," the old man spoke slowly. "You'd better start with your information bar, right there," he said, pointing a spoon above Zero's head.

"You can see it?" Zero instinctively looked up before he caught himself. "What can you see?" he asked.

"Everything," the old man answered, helping himself to another serving of stew. "You've set everything in your status screen to public. A Feather-dancing Sesuani [Courtesan] would blush to look at you."

"Is that strange?" Zero asked. "I didn't know you can set the privacy settings of your profile."

"Typical country farm boy," the old man spat. "You're an easy target, the way you are right now. Most likely the reason why you find yourself teleported to a place like the Alekhandres mountains. Faeries do that to unsuspecting idiots all the time."

Zero then realized the thing that has been bothering him since he saw the old man. He looked at the spoon in his hand and saw the familiar screen popping up in his view.

Wooden Spoon. 10 grams. Implement used for eating. Common. No bonuses. No restrictions

He looked at the tools and displays on the wall and saw the same screen atop each item.

Wood Axe. 3 kg. Used to chop wood. Common. +5 physical damage. Durability 26/30. No restrictions Ash Longbow. 1 kg. lightweight but strong bow. Uncommon. +30 physical damage, +2 DEX. Durability 44/50. Archer class and above only ??? Sword. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. Appraisal skill needed.

His looked at the old man calmly eating soup in front of him, and his eyes widened at what he saw.

Name ??? Class Hunter

Announcements rang in Zero's head.

Appraisal skill unlocked! Appraisal lvl 1 Allows inspection of target's status information. More information unlocked and strength of Appraisal increased at higher levels Appraisal failed. Appraisal level too low. Target Prevent Appraisal level too high

"Is it really unusual," Zero asked, perplexed. "Having your Status information open to public?" This was something he had never encountered before, in real life or in his gaming experience.

The old man stopped eating as he stared at Zero, as if seeing him for the first time.

"Bloody hell boy," the old man grimaced. "Even a low-levelled fool should know the importance of hiding your class and levels. Even a level 50 [Paladin] would never openly display all his information like you do. Gods damn it," the old man scratched his head in frustration. "This should something that a [Cleric] of Pollonus should be teaching you, not some old [Hunter] in the mountains."

"We don't have uhh... a [Cleric], where I come from," Zero answered carefully. "We never had to protect our status information before."

"Gods have mercy..." the old man murmured, staring at Zero in fascination. "Look, I don't like long explanations, so here's what you need to do for now: Focus your mind on your Status screen, and think about setting your information from public to private. Do it," he instructed.

Zero closed his eyes and concentrated. Set info to private, set info to private, set info to private, set info to pr-- there!

Status information set from Public to Private. Information available upon Appraisal is: Name Class Would you like to set an alias? (Y/N)

Whoa.

"Mister... uhhh...," Zero hesitated. He had forgotten to ask the old man's name. "I'm sorry I never asked for your name." He said apologetically.

"Call me Dorin," the old man replied brusquely. "You no longer stick out like a sore thumb so I assume you were able to fix your privacy settings. So what's the problem?"

"Well," Zero answered sheepishly. "It's asking me if I wanted to select an alias. Should I?"

Dorin snorted. "The last thing a noob like you needs would be a name-change. Just reserve that one for when you become too famous for your own good. Just select NO for now."

Asshole. Zero's head injury flared briefly before receding. Ok fine, thank you for saving my life you old coot. He closed his eyes again and focused on answering the screen prompt. No alias for now please, he thought to himself. Maybe for when I'm famous or infamous? He added sheepishly.

Alias selection cancelled. Alias selection postponed until Fame is either 150 or -150

Zero whistled at the system's response. Pretty intuitive stuff, he marvelled. He opened his eyes and looked at the old man, who had just finished his second bowl of stew. Dorin stood up and ducked outside, returning with a pitcher of water and a couple of cups, one of which he filled and passed to Zero. Zero emptied his cup quickly. He had forgotten his thirst in his fascination with this world's RPG system. Dorin may be downright annoying but he's quite a softie on the inside. Wait a minute...

"Dorin is your real name right?" Zero asked.

"Dorin is my real name as far as you're concerned boy," the old man snapped. "Hand me your bowl; you need to eat more than that if you're gonna get back in top shape. Well," he added snidely, glancing at his flabby arms and soft hands. "relatively speaking."

Zero snatched his bowl from the Dorin's hands. As if your old ass is in any better shape.

Actually, he was. Zero had forgotten in the middle of their conversation just how unnaturally fit the old man really is. As Dorin started his third bowl of stew with the all the appetite of a man thirty years his junior, Zero took the opportunity to observe the old man. Wrapped in his leathers and furs, the old man looked quite like a hermit. If old hermits followed Bruce Lee's training regimen. Even while sitting Zero sensed the power emanating from the old man. Finally Dorin set his empty bowl aside and lit a carved wood pipe that he produced from inside his furs, puffing contentedly in front of the fire.

"Dorin," Zero quietly said to the old man. He touched his chest, feeling the weight of the ring in his pocket. "Do you know of anyone who might know something about teleportation spells? I need to go back home."

"[Mages] or [Wizard]s versed in teleportation magic can help you, or an acolyte of Sagina. In Lunayyed you will find the best of them, if you have gold. But the capital is a long ways off, and even were you in a condition to travel, you would not survive the trip, weak as you are."

"Could," Zero swallowed." Could you take me there?" Pretty please?

The old man scoffed. "All the gold in the empire can't make me leave this mountain for you, boy."

Please give me strength my love. A knife twisted itself inside his heart. Zero clutched at his chest, struggling to hold back his tears. Oh God I miss you so much. He took out the ring and showed it to the grizzled old man.

"I... I was going to ask her to marry me," He mumbled. "Even if I left today I won't know when I'll be back, or if she'll still be waiting for me. But I have to try." The ring shook in his trembling hands.

The old man did not respond. His blue eyes locked gazes with Zero's, as if trying to peer into his very soul. Zero stared back, trying and failing to hold his gaze. After a while the Dorin nodded.

"I understand," he said finally. " I can help you prepare for the trip, maybe teach you a few things too, help with your chances of survival."

Zero bowed his head before the old man, hoping that the old man didn't see the tears in his eyes.

"Thank you," Zero mumbled. "I will never forget your help Dorin."

The old man snorted and said, with no small amount of sarcasm. "Boy, I don't know if your worth it, but mischievous faeries are the least of your worries on the road to Lunayyed. Hopefully I can teach you enough to not let you be easy prey to even more dangerous things."