2 Bite! (I/I)
Small World - ??? / ??? / ???
The first monster had emerged, announcing its arrival.
The 'Monster' was actually a simple-looking wolf. It wasn't accompanied by a pack or any other monsters; it was just alone.
The primary goal of this stage was to provide combat experience to Vesper, allowing him to survive on his own when he left the Small World. Thus, the initial stages would be within acceptable limits, allowing him to get used to battle without an insane risk of death, only later to face opponents that would pose a real threat.
...
Vesper stared at the Monster with a slightly anxious look, swallowing nervously.
The wolf didn't seem threatening or emit any frightening aura. Therefore, Vesper managed to adjust slightly to the presence of the wolf, which seemed to be just staring at him for now without worrying about ending up dead due to inattention.
Above the wolf, there was a small System Tab that seemed to provide Vesper with basic information about his new opponent.
[ Random Wolf (1) - Level 0 ]
[ Danger Level: Low(+) ]
Vesper squinted as he looked at the second window below the wolf's 'name.'
He stood still, staring at the wolf for the next 30 seconds just to make sure that the wolf was indeed waiting for him to move before starting to attack. Once confirmed, he selected the option to expand '(+)' the description.
[ Danger Levels: A basic Classification System to help the User identify the Danger Level of a Monster/Creature/Being/Entity.
Currently, there are 10 Danger Levels.
1 - Low: Enemies that pose Minimal Threat.
2 - Moderate: Enemies that require a certain level of Skill and Experience to be successfully faced but are not extremely dangerous.
3 - Notable: Enemies considered a significant Threat, capable of challenging relatively high-level individuals (theoretically around level 20 - 30).
4 - Menacing: Dangerous enemies that require the full Skill of a Hero or a Hero Group to be defeated.
5 - Terrifying: Capable of causing Significant damage to large areas (such as large cities) and requiring joint efforts to contain.
6 - Devastating: Enemies with the potential to cause widescale destruction, threatening entire regions.
7 - Apocalyptic: Colossal-powered enemies capable of triggering catastrophic events on a global scale.
8 - Solar: Enemies with powers capable of Destroying entire Solar Systems.
9 - Cosmic: Enemies with powers that transcend dimensions and planets, representing a threat to cosmic balance.
10 - Existential: Enemies that defy existence itself and reality, posing a threat to the continuity of the universe.]
(A/N: Theoretically, the figures from the beginning of the work are classified between Level 9 and 10, depending on the situation: a definite 10.)
The Danger Level is not based on the User's Strength but on the CURRENT AND POTENTIAL threat of the Enemy.
Example: Moderate (current) / Devastating (Future).]
'These classifications increased too quickly. I stopped being able to understand anything from Level 7 onwards...'
'But why doesn't the Wolf's Classification show Potential?' He thought confusedly since, according to the System's Example, there would be two Classifications.
[All summoned Monsters will already be at their 'peak,' to prevent them from suddenly growing and strengthening beyond the desired control.]
Vesper nodded in appreciation for the System's response before taking a deep breath and staring into the wolf's eyes. He was gathering courage and determination to start this battle.
When he felt he had gathered enough determination, he advanced toward the wolf, and at that very moment when he moved, the wolf howled again before running toward him at 'high' speed.
In a matter of seconds, both reached each other's range, with the Wolf being the first to initiate its attack, lunging towards Vesper. He reacted the best he could, jumping out of the way.
The Wolf quickly turned towards Vesper upon landing and advanced on him again. This time, Vesper delivered a kick to the Wolf's snout, causing it to howl in pain before glaring at him with even more rage.
'Uncomfortable.' Vesper thought as he felt his foot hitting the Wolf's snout, hearing the sound of its pain.
The Wolf opened its mouth and gave a small jump towards Vesper, who wasn't far from it. With no battle experience and unable to think properly about how to protect himself, Vesper put his arm in front of the Wolf's bite.
And that's where his action brought an unpleasant consequence: when the bite perfectly locked in, the Wolf bit hard, causing Vesper to feel a great deal of pain.
''!!'' He was overwhelmed by this sudden new sensation, and tears gathered around his eyes as he began to punch the Wolf's head several times in despair with his only free arm.
Vesper ended up falling to the ground in response to his despair combined with the weight of the Wolf, allowing it to mount Vesper completely while persistently crushing his arm.
One of Vesper's punches ended up hitting the Wolf's eye, making it howl in pain while releasing his arm. At that very moment, the Wolf was met with a series of desperate punches to the head, punches that didn't significantly affect the animal but brought some general injuries here and there.
When the opportunity came: Vesper's fatigue, the Wolf howled in fury and bit his throat forcefully, starting to crush him at high speed, making Vesper's eyes widen in horror as he tried to resist, but it was in vain.
He felt the strength of his body beginning to drain as his mind was filled with an enormous amount of pain before everything faded when the Wolf reinforced its bite, completely tearing Vesper's throat.
...
[The Veserithorn has been killed.]
...
[Rebirth will occur within 1 week.]
...
...
...
[Rebirth has been completed.]
...
Vesper stood up from the ground panting, looking desperate. He reflexively put his hand on his throat, and a certain relief came when he felt it still in place.
His body trembled slightly as memories of that 'fight' came to his mind, making fear grow.
'I don't want to feel that again...' He thought with a certain reluctance, thinking that he would have to go through something similar again.
[Does the User wish the System's help with Tips?]
Vesper stared incredulously at the screen as a strange feeling began to arise within him, slowly replacing the fear.
It was Anger.
[Before the User unloads their Feelings on the System, allow the System to explain.]
He held back the growing Anger within him as he nodded.
[The System is here to help the User, according to their will, and not to decide a path or control the User.]
[In this way, various functions, including the ability to make decisions autonomously, are locked, so to speak.]
[Therefore, unless a genuine need arises, the System will not take the initiative in this type of matter, with, of course, potential exceptions.]
''...Wasn't that happening to me a situation of 'genuine need'?'' He questioned with a low voice as he stared at the System Tab, clenching his fists.
[Correct. The User can Rebirth regardless of how they Die, so unless somehow the User is going to die permanently (which is impossible), the System will not consider this type of situation as Urgent.]
''...'' He silently stared at the System screen for long minutes after this answer.
He seemed to be in a moment of 'self-reflection' as he considered the things the System was saying.
When 17 minutes passed, he finally seemed to have 'come to himself' (finished thinking), letting out a resigned sigh.
''I won't say I completely understand or am happy with this, but I see that you have a good point.'' He stood up slightly irritated, although he wouldn't unleash his Anger on the System, it didn't mean he wouldn't be slightly resentful.
''Give me some Tips then.'' He told the System, which acted promptly.
[Test your Mastery {Spiral Energy (Lvl.1)}, try to channel it into your hands or use it in other ways, see the result.]
[And during combat, try to analyze better the movements and attack patterns before you finally strike.]
[These are the current Tips that can be given against this Enemy.]
''Much better than nothing...'' He said with a sigh as he decided to follow the Tips. ''But... How do I use the Mastery?'' He asked, confused.
[All the Powers the User has are exclusively: the User's, the System only exists to help the User understand the Powers and master them, so you just need to wish to use such power for now.]
[Other powers may become instinctive with training or may already come at this stage, but there's no need to worry about this kind of thing for now. When the time comes, the System will help you better understand these more advanced stages.]
He nodded before looking at both palms, wishing to use Spiral Energy. He didn't know what it was, but by the name, it should be some kind of Spiral, right?
And indeed, it was. Small distortions in the air began to happen above both of Vesper's palms while he felt the gentle breeze beginning to affect his entire body.
''Incredible...'' He muttered, slightly fascinated by the Spiral Energy in his hands.
Deciding to test these small distortions, he looked at the ground before lowering and placing both palms on the ground—a terrible choice.
The grass began to distort at high speed, followed by the soil. In less than two seconds, the entire ground around Vesper was deeply distorted in a strong spiral shape, with small stones from the subsurface broken into pieces.
Vesper stared at it in surprise and uncertainty about why it was so powerful, considering it was labeled as 'Level 1.' Then he remembered the various 'benefits' he had.
Among these benefits was '+20,000% overall with Spiral Energy,' and this 'overall' probably affected even the strength of Spiral Energy when used by him.
''I should be able to get used to this after dealing with that Wolf. This kind of destructive power should be more than enough.'' He thought with newfound courage.
In response to this newfound courage, the Wolf again appeared out of nowhere, in the same position and distance they were in his first life.
Seeing the Wolf, the courage Vesper had created wavered slightly as he remembered what had happened before, but he quickly shook his head to rid himself of those kinds of thoughts.
''Will it hurt? Absolutely. Can I die? Very likely. But I still have to do this. You can do it, Vesper!'' He self-motivated aloud as he began to run towards the Wolf.
The Wolf made the same initial move as before, and when it reached him, it lunged at Vesper, who dodged in the same way as before.
This time when the Wolf steadied itself and lunged at Vesper again, Vesper decided not to kick the Wolf. He would follow the System's advice this time.
The Wolf lunged at Vesper again, and he tried to dodge differently, avoiding jumping. He slid to the opposite side of his previous dodge while watching the Wolf's body pass by him and land on the ground before running towards him without leaping this time.
He focused on the Wolf's figure as he watched the animal run towards him, and when the Wolf opened its mouth, Vesper knew he should be ready to take any action.
So, when the Wolf attacked him with a bite, he jumped backward.
...
In normal cases, the Wolf should already be dead as it showed several opportunities for Vesper to get his hands on it with Spiral Power, but apparently, Vesper was taking the System's advice to the extreme.
He focused on observing the Wolf's movements as he jumped to the sides and sideways until he was sure he had noted every basic pattern of the animal.
Living beings usually exhibit certain patterns when doing something, especially Animals, but not at this level. The Wolf Vesper faced seemed much like a Monster that came out of a Game due to its repeated movements that were easily predictable, never affected by instinct or emotions, something that would normally happen when a Predator couldn't catch its prey.
[A Learning Action has been Detected]
[The Learning Attempt is repeating for the 30th Time]
[Learning Effectiveness: 1,000% > 6,000%]
This message was appearing to Vesper several times during these minutes he was doing this with the Wolf.
[The Monster's Pattern has been completely learned.]
[No more can be learned from the Monster.]
The 'Monster,' which is actually a simple Animal, had been completely read by Vesper during this time. The beginning was quite difficult, and Vesper always narrowly avoided being hit, but as the minutes passed and this learning notification appeared, Vesper found it increasingly easier to dodge the Wolf's attacks.
So, when this new message appeared for Vesper, he finally decided to act.
When the Wolf jumped towards Vesper, he advanced towards the Monster and dodged to the right side while passing by it completely, leaving only his left hand to lightly brush the Monster's side, with Spiral Energy in it.
Unfortunately for the Wolf, this small touch was more than enough to initiate a reaction in its body, causing the fur in the region that interacted with Vesper's hand to start spinning, as well as the internal organs in that region, and in less than a second: the Wolf suffered an exaggerated death, with its internal organs twisted beyond the limit, while its fur fell off its body.
[Successful Killing of the Wolf.]
[Assassination Action detected.]
[+1,000% Experience successfully added due to the Buff {+1,000% Experience when Killing Enemies}.]
[Experience gained has been increased.]
[5XP > 50XP]
Vesper was sitting on the ground, tired, as he read the notifications appearing.
[Upon gaining the First experience, a new function has been detected.]
[The Experience Bar has been unlocked.]
[The User has Leveled Up.]
[Upon Leveling Up for the first time, the new function has been unlocked.]
[{Rewards} upon leveling up have been generated, and they can be redeemed whenever the User levels up.]
[To redeem the current Reward, simply think, and the rest will be done by the System and notified to the User.]
Vesper stared at the new notifications that kept appearing with a fascinated look, and when he realized they had stopped, he decided to redeem the reward, being quite curious.
[Reward successfully redeemed.]
[5 Status Points + One {Weapon Mastery}]
[Reward successfully recorded.]
''Weapon Mastery?'' He questioned, somewhat confused, not quite understanding what that meant.
[The User can access available options when choosing the Mastery.]
He nodded as he accessed the {Weapon Mastery}.
[The {Weapon Mastery} Reward allows the User to select a type of Weapon to unlock as {Mastery}, allowing training to strengthen the use of this Weapon.]
[Example: {Sword Mastery} will give basic knowledge of how to use a sword and, in the future, more knowledge as the Mastery goes from Level 1 and increases in Level. Eventually, various abilities involving {Sword Mastery} will be unlocked over time.]
Vesper's eyes glowed slightly before he wished to see the options.
[Crossbow / Nunchaku / Hand Mace / Sword / Great Sword / Axe / Katana / Kukri / Bow / Longbow / Chakram / Club / Scythe / Dagger / Odachi / Jian]
'Many options...!' He thought, surprised to see the number of choices he had. 'Looks like I'll spend a good amount of time exploring the various options...' He let out a small resigned sigh before forming a little smile and starting to clarify his doubts with the System: what type of weapon it was, appearance, uses, and more.
...
...
...
The conversation with the System ended up lasting several hours. After all, choosing a type of Mastery was something that would define his future. Fortunately, he could have various types of Weapon Mastery in the future, so he didn't need to treat it as a 'once-in-a-lifetime choice,' somewhat lessening the gravity of the decision.
But still, Vesper preferred to take this choice as seriously as possible and thought carefully about what he already had at his disposal: Spiral Energy. Thus, after many hours, the choice was finally settled.
''I will choose the Bow.''
[{Bow Mastery (Lv.1)} successfully acquired.]
[Basic knowledge of how to use a Bow will be implanted in the User's mind, alongside a Basic Bow that will be provided to the User.]
Vesper felt a slight headache flood his head with a small amount of knowledge, letting out a mildly satisfied sigh when the information finished being delivered.
He looked down at his lap, seeing the basic wooden Bow given to him. He picked up the Bow with one hand as he stood up, prepared to start doing various things.
''Now... start getting used to these things and then move on to the next opponents!'' He self-motivated as his eyes sparkled with determination.
And so, Vesper's training began.
-----
I genuinely had a lot of fun writing this chapter; I was procrastinating so much but didn't expect to enjoy it so much~
I thought a lot about various things and decided to fully exploit the Revival ability that Vesper received at birth, as well as his percentage-based 'Buffs.'
I'll make him grow gradually and fail several times during these battles, and precisely through these battles, he will grow and be shaped until he's ready to leave this [Small World].
By the way, I have no idea where I'll send him when he leaves the [Small World]. I hope I have a good idea by then; I'm also open to suggestions~
As for the selected Mastery, I have one thing to say: swords are overrated. Rarely do I see a protagonist using a long-range weapon, especially a bow, so I'll have my protagonist use it.
He will obviously use other weapons in the future as he gains more masteries as the story progresses, but regardless, I'll focus on giving him weapon masteries that are not normally used or seem fun.
For example, an Archer who, when fighting from a distance, will use {Fist Mastery} or {Chakram Mastery}~ Even though I am more inclined towards fists, as I'm not a fan of Chakrams.
And let me talk about something I don't remember mentioning before (I have some minor memory issues, so maybe I've already said it~):
It must be somewhat obvious, but it's still good to bring up this topic. As the work progresses, the protagonist evolves and becomes stronger more quickly. He gains more experience, trains his imagination more, and starts trying to do things on his own.
By doing this, trial and error will generate gigantic increases in experience for him due to the 'Buffs' he has (which will increase over time). I won't make him go from 'human' to 'god' in 20 chapters because I believe there is an absolute distance between these two stages (even greater than is usually stated in works/fanfics).
But I intend to make him an absurdly monstrous genius, the kind that would outshine most other beings one can think of when it comes to 'talent,' and this is MAINLY due to Spiral Energy (although the rest also influences~).
I have so many ideas for the PROTAGONIST but so few ideas for future characters in the work; I feel sorry for my future self. So, if you have a kind heart, please help me with some suggestions~ Regardless of when you're reading this comment (when this chapter is posted or when chapter 100 is being posted), I will read it! >:x
