ALL NOVEL A Goal (3)
Aside from the material possessions that I had gained, I earned another achievement.
[ Achievement Unlocked: ‘Novice Slayer!’ ] [ Skill points from ‘Novice Slayer!’ has been rewarded ]
I have killed about thirty monsters so far, not through actual combat but through trapping and grave-robbing.
I'm not exactly sure if it was reasonable to feel good about it but hey, what can you do?I ’m just trying to survive to see civilization.
Anyway, this place was a bigger gold mine than I anticipated. The wealth I’m outright draining from this graveyard is nothing to scoff at.
Furthermore, I think… I’m growing stronger. Not physically, or for the most part anyway, but mentally.
I think I’m adapting at a very fast rate, and for some reason it isn’t making me feel very good. But there are more pressing matters at hand, so I’ll procrastinate on that for now.
[ Profile: Hyun / Race: Demon / Profession: None / Level: 1 ] [ Skills: None ]
[ Strength: 10 (+3) / Speed: 10 / Constitution: 10 (+2) / Intelligence: 20 (+2) / Wisdom: 20 (+4) ]
“I think... multi-classing-- is that how the call it?-- would suit me the best. I can’t stick to a singular weapon or style, so I think being able to survive without overly relying on a style might be the best.”
Not every problem can be solved by swinging a sword, spear, axe, or spear. I need to be able to think of solutions on the fly, and be able to act on them.
Although that thinking is very logical, pragmatic even, I know for sure that with each level my skills will cost more points to acquire so spending it evenly wouldn’t amount to much in the long run.
That's how this usually works, no?
And I don’t see a respec option either.
So I need to be careful with my choices from now on.
[Scholar Skills: None] [Adventurer Skills: None] [civilian Skills: None] [Skill points: 5]
“I need to invest in strength and survivability, so anything within an adventurer will benefit me.”
I look at the tab in front of me, stating only the topmost row of empty columns. There were also circular icons for a visualization of the tree.
As I thought about it, the Adventurer tab opened and here were choices revealed to me.
[ Rogue - 2 Skills points ] [ Warrior - 2 Skill points ] [ Ranger - 2 Skill points ]
I can’t even buy all three even if I wanted to, but there was something odd about this tab.
These three branched from the main icon, growing further and further apart, but they intertwined later down the line.
“That’s good, at least I might be able to broaden my horizons later on. I’m still too inexperienced after all.”
Since the lines only moved further and further away from the starting three, it meant that I couldn’t back-track, not the starting line.
It was regrettable, but it made sense. The roots of a tree don’t double back but they can intertwine.
“I suppose nothing is easy anymore. But, I’m not upset. I feel…”
At peace. I just can't admit it out loud. I'm in a foreign land, away from all that I have known, but I have never been closer to home.
“I hope my parents are doing okay. I wasn’t always a good son.”
There was no use in worrying about people I’ll never meet again in my life. Even if there was somehow a way to return back to earth, I don’t think I can’t leave this life.
I mean, I died. My life ended tragically, but rightfully then.
Death.
I hadn’t thought of the concept much, but I’ve brushed against it so many times.
Was there a heaven? Was there a hell?
I’m not naive enough to confidently declare that just because there wasn’t proof of such places, or even the supernatural in general, that they don’t exist.
There are many things to learn about the world, here and earth.
“Well, it’s whatever. I have more pressing matters at hand.” I looked at the equipment in front of me, there was much to do with them. I still needed to remove all the rot and mold, and clean off any of the rust to prevent further damage.
I looked at the notches I carved onto the wall
There were three, all marked when the sun had half-set. There was no rush.
Time is different in Source.
On paper, every being is immortal, immune to the passing of time. Humans in source, if fed, if nourished, if protected, and could survive, they’d live for eternity.
Something like guaranteed negligible senescence...
I may be a demon, but I have no doubt that still applies to me.
Here in this world, time is an infinite comodity enjoyed only by those capable of living through it.
Each passing day is an opportunity to progress, but standing still for a while to rest isn’t so bad. Life is what you make of it.
That is the essence of Source.
I don’t know how many years will pass before I feel the need to die after achieving all that I want, but I will live each day as if it were my last. I will learn all that I have to learn about this world. I will trample anything that stands against that wish.
I want to taste, hear, learn, understand, and love everything about this new world.
Maybe I’ll find a friend, or partner, willing to accompany me on such a journey.
It’ll be exhausting for sure, neither will it be easy. So company would be good for my soul. I won't lose my mind that way.
I won’t claim to be righteous or noble, I simply am selfish.
In this world, nothing is more important to one than what one considers important.
I won’t be heinous, nor evil, but I will not shy away from doing anything that will preserve my life.
"I know what I want now."
[ You have Unlocked: ‘Rogue’ skill-set! ] [ You have Unlocked: ‘Warrior’ skill-set! ] [ You can now learn ‘Skills’ from ‘Rogue’ ] [ You can now learn ‘Skills’ from ‘Warrior’ ]
And so, the notches on the wall accumulated.
Eight notches, four slashed by one to signify five, with three more right next to them.
From the second night to the night of the eighth day, I did nothing but work the surrounding graves, extracting all that there was.
By the end of it all...
I had the net worth of forty gold coins, eighty-seven silver coins, and two hundred thirty copper coins.