Once he arrived, Mikael opened the system’s upgrade store and began browsing through the available options. After a short mont of consideration, he decided to purchase the following upgrades:
[Advanced Physical Stats System. Requirent: Basic Stats System
Unlocks advanced physical stats: Vitality and Perception.
Price: 800 LP]
[Advanced Quest System. Requirent: Quest System
Upgrades your current Quest System into the Advanced Quest System. This new system retains all previous functionalities but can now also generate quests tailored to your current situation. These quests are optional and offer LP upon completion with no penalties.
Price: 800 LP]
[Transactions completed —1600 LP]
The mont Mikael purchased the Advanced Physical Stats System, a powerful change began to sweep through his body. Every cell started evolving, becoming stronger, healthier, and more efficient. A wave of dizziness imdiately hit him. It felt like being severely drunk—his balance wavered, and simply standing upright beca a challenge.
Not only was his body affected—his senses were thrown into chaos as well. His vision blurred, the ground seed to shift beneath him, and even his hearing distorted, making it nearly impossible to remain steady on his feet.
The only silver lining was that unlike the last ti he underwent a physical transformation, there was no pain—just deep discomfort. That, however, didn’t make the experience much better. Mikael remained in place for the next five minutes, trying to regain his composure as the internal storm gradually settled.
‘Honestly, this felt even worse than the pain I experienced the last ti I unlocked my stats. At least with pain, I had sothing to focus on… but this? I felt like I was drunker than anyone’s ever been in history.’
‘In that state, I was completely powerless… and I hate that feeling.’
Sigh
‘Let’s check my stats.’
“Status.”
[Na: Mikael Angelini
Race: Human (Earth Origin World)
Lifespan: 21/99
Overall Power: Tier 0
Military Rank: Recruit — 0/10 MP
Global LVL: 14 — 312/5347 XP
Class: Martial Artist — LVL 22/25 — 2059/4600 XP
Stats:
Strength: 44 → 48
Agility: 46 → 50
Endurance: 45 → 49
Vitality: 11 → 25
Perception: 10 → 24
Active Skills: None
Passive Skills: Unard Martial Arts Mastery (Tier 0, Level 1), Footwork Mastery (Tier 0, Level 1), 6th Sense (Tier 0, Level 1), Swordsmanship Mastery (Tier 0, Level 1)
Life Points (LP): (-260) → 140]
‘Not bad progress since the last check. STR, AGI, and END went up a little, but the big win is that I’ve unlocked Vitality and Perception, and even gained two new skills.’
‘That’s all well and good… but right now, I need sleep. I’ve been training for sixteen hours straight today, so yeah—it’s ti.’
Mikael climbed the stairs and, as he reached the right height, was instantly teleported back into his private apartnt within the Records. He headed straight to bed and fell asleep not long after.
The next morning, Mikael woke up feeling refreshed. ‘Ahh… that was a good night’s sleep,’ he thought while stretching lazily.
‘Alright, ti to go do so quests at the guild. Hmm… now that I think about it, it’s kind of strange how the world of Aedris resembles Earth so much. I an, it’s an entirely different world, so logically, everything should be different. But that’s not the case. So many elents are the sa—or at least very similar. Take the concept of an inn, for example—it ans the exact sa thing in both worlds!’
‘It doesn’t really make sense. If Aedris were an Alternative world, that would be understandable—they’re shaped by the imagination or cultural mory of people from Earth. But Aedris is supposed to be a Unique world, completely unrelated to Earth… so why the similarities?’
“System, do you know why the Aedris world is so similar to Earth?”
[Military Rank too low to answer this question.]
‘Seriously? The classic ‘you’re too weak to know’ response? What a joke.’
He rolled his eyes internally. ‘Whatever. It wasn’t that important—I was just curious.’
After that, Mikael took his ti going through his usual morning routine, showering and getting ready before commanding the system to send him back to Aedris.
He reappeared inside the inn, exactly where he had left off the day before. After eating a simple breakfast, he made his way to the Hunter’s Guild.
The mont he stepped through the guild’s entrance, he headed straight for the quest board and began scanning the posted missions.
There was quite a variety. So tasks were basic, like gathering herbs, while others were more dangerous—such as eliminating a known bandit group. Mikael quickly narrowed his attention to the repeatable monster extermination quests. They were perfect for farming both XP and contribution points efficiently.
One particular quest stood out to him. As soon as he took the paper from the board, a familiar system notification appeared before his eyes.
[Orc Extermination Mission
Rank: C — RE (Repeatable Quest)
Description: Orcs have been spotted in the nearby Whitewood Forest. They pose a significant threat to travelers in the area, which prompted this mission. Orcs typically roam alone, but small groups are not unheard of. Each orc is classified as a C rank monster. It is recomnded that this mission be attempted by a group consisting of at least one C rank hunter and two D rank hunters.
Hunter Guild Rewards: 1,000 Contribution Points per 5 orcs killed. Ears must be submitted as proof of kill.
System Rewards: 200 LP per 5 orcs killed.]
[Note: This quest was created by the Advanced Quest System and will therefore offer less LP than an optional world-generated quest.]
[Do you want to accept this quest?]
[Yes/No]
“System, I accept the quest.”
[The quest will remain active until it is submitted and verified by the Hunter’s Guild.]
‘The reason I picked this quest is simple—the XP system makes it far more efficient to take down a smaller number of strong enemies rather than grinding through hordes of weak ones.’
Mikael glanced toward the counter where the receptionists usually sat and imdiately spotted Ruby, the fox girl he had spoken to the day before.
“Hello, Miss. I’d like to register this mission under my na,” he said, handing her both the Orc Extermination quest paper and his hunter card.
Ruby’s expression imdiately darkened with concern as she looked at the mission.
“You just beca a D rank hunter yesterday,” she said, voice laced with hesitation. “You really shouldn’t take on a quest this difficult. Orcs are classified as C rank monsters, and most of them are stronger than an average C rank hunter. This mission could get you killed.”
“I’m aware it won’t be easy,” Mikael replied calmly. “But I thrive in adversity—so don’t worry.”
She didn’t look reassured, but after a brief pause, she simply said, “It’s your choice.”
‘Another rookie throwing themselves into sothing way beyond their level… Why are they always like this? Do they all have a death wish?’ Ruby thought bitterly. ‘And this one was actually pleasant. That’s rare. But no, he just had to take a suicidal quest… I thought I would get used to hunters dying over ti, but it still gets to .’
Noticing her distant expression, Mikael called her attention back.
“Excuse . Can you register the quest?”
“Oh! Yes, sorry—I was lost in thought,” she replied, snapping out of her daze. She took the paper and his hunter card, then inserted them into a machine behind the counter. After a brief mont, she looked back at him and said, “All done. The mission has been registered under your na and is valid for the next seven days. You can complete it anyti within that period. The number of points awarded will depend on how many orcs you manage to eliminate.”
She returned his hunter card and added, “I wish you a good hunt. Goodbye.”
“Bye,” Mikael replied before stepping out of the building.
He made his way to a nearby map store and purchased a detailed map of the Whitewood Forest for 2 silver coins, reducing his remaining funds to 1 gold, 8 silver, and 25 bronze coins.
Opening the map outside, he studied the layout and noted that Whitewood Forest was located about 5 kiloters north of Onissa City. According to the description, the forest was typically inhabited by D rank monsters, but recent sightings of orcs had raised its danger level, making it risky for anyone below C rank.
Half an hour later, Mikael arrived at the forest’s edge. Towering trees—easily reaching 25 ters—stretched high into the sky, their imnse canopies blocking much of the sunlight. The resulting shadows gave the forest an ominous atmosphere. Yet, the eeriness was offset by the trees’ unusual appearance: their bark was pale white, almost silvery in tone, and their leaves shimred a vivid green under what little light filtered through. The stark contrast created an otherworldly, srizing beauty.
Mikael paused briefly, captivated by the forest’s surreal charm, but he didn’t let his guard down. Drawing his sword, he took his first steps into the shaded woods with caution. He had co to hunt C rank monsters, and carelessness would only lead to death.
Ruffle.
His instincts sharpened at the sudden sound. He turned his head swiftly in the direction of the noise and spotted a figure erging from the underbrush—a hulking, green-skinned humanoid standing roughly two ters tall. Muscular and imposing, the creature wore only a crude loincloth around its waist and carried no visible weapons.
‘That’s definitely an orc,’ he thought without hesitation.
For a heartbeat, their eyes t. Then, with a guttural roar, the orc charged at him like a wild beast. Mikael reacted instantly, sidestepping with fluid precision and slashing his sword across the creature’s ribs. The blade bit into flesh but didn’t go deep.
He jumped back and assessed the wound. It wasn’t serious.
‘I put all my strength into that strike, and it barely left a mark? This will be a tough fight if he’s that durable… But at least I’m faster.’
With a furious snarl, the orc lunged at him again, throwing a wild punch. Mikael moved in close, narrowly dodging the blow, and slipped behind the monster. Taking advantage of the opening, he thrust his sword directly at the orc’s heart. The strike landed, but due to the creature’s monstrous durability, the blade failed to pierce fully through his heart.
‘No kill notification,’ Mikael thought, surprised and irritated.
The orc howled in pain and, in a desperate attempt to retaliate, swung its elbow backward to strike the source of its agony. Mikael, caught off guard by the unexpected counterattack, couldn’t dodge in ti. The impact hit him squarely in the chest—and it felt like being ramd by a speeding truck. He was hurled nearly three ters away before crashing onto the ground.
Agonizing pain surged through his body, but he didn’t stay down for long. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stand up, fully aware that remaining on the ground would be a death sentence.
‘Shit, that strength… One punch sent flying! If I take another couple of hits like that, I’m done for,’ he thought, eyes narrowing as he stared at the approaching monster.
He noticed that his sword was still embedded in the orc’s chest.
‘Damn it… I don’t even have a weapon now, and I’m up against sothing clearly stronger than . I’ll have to rely on dragging this out—he shouldn’t last much longer with a pierced heart.’
Mikael cautiously approached the wounded orc, preparing for its next move. The monster obliged by throwing another punch, identical to the previous one.
‘Sa attack again? This thing really is brainless,’ Mikael thought, attempting a low kick to throw the orc off balance.
But the mont his foot connected, it felt like he’d just kicked a slab of tal. The orc didn’t even flinch, as if the attack had never landed.
Realizing the futility of direct confrontation, Mikael imdiately retreated using his superior speed, putting several ters of distance between them.
He stopped about five ters away and began reassessing the situation.
‘My attacks barely affect him. The only option I see is to keep dodging his assaults and hope his injuries finally catch up to him. If that doesn’t work… I’ll have to use my gun. I’ve been holding off on it because firearms won’t help against tougher foes in the future, and I don’t want to beco dependent on it.’
Over the next five minutes, Mikael continued evading the orc’s increasingly sluggish and desperate attacks. Eventually, the monster collapsed with a heavy thud, and at last, the kill notification appeared in his interface.
[C Rank Orc killed. 12,000 XP received.]
[Class: Martial Artist has leveled up ×2.]
[Global Level ×2.]
[Due to the difficulty of the encounter, several of your skills have progressed.]
[Unard Martial Arts Mastery 3%, Footwork Mastery 6%, 6th Sense 4%, Swordsmanship Mastery 10%]
‘Nice, I didn’t know skills could gain proficiency through actual combat. But now that I think about it… it makes sense. I’m at my most focused during a real fight, so of course it’s the best way to improve.’
Mikael opened his mouth to speak.
“System, is it possible to combine multiple notifications into a single one? Like instead of getting a separate notice for each kill such as [C Rank Orc killed. 12,000 XP received], could it say sothing like [5 C Rank Orcs killed. 60,000 XP received]?”
[Modification implented due to possession of the System's Tools Upgrade.]
“Alright, thanks. I have another question—once I reach the maximum level for my class, will the extra XP I earn be lost?”
[No. All excess XP will automatically be transferred to your next class.]
‘Good. That’s reassuring. As for this last fight… it had so gains, but it wasn’t exactly a clean success. I still got hit pretty hard. Thankfully, it looks like I only ended up with so bruised ribs—nothing broken—so I can keep hunting.’
He took a deep breath, then reflected further. ‘What could I have done better?’
‘If I hadn’t gotten distracted by the lack of a kill notification, I might’ve dodged that elbow. I’ll need to stay more focused and alert during combat. That mont of carelessness nearly cost .’
‘Another issue was losing my sword mid-fight. When it got stuck in the orc’s chest, I beca completely unable to deal damage. I need to think of a workaround… Maybe I should learn to dual wield or start carrying a spare blade. That way, I won’t be left defenseless again.’
‘Obviously, a sharper sword or greater strength would’ve made a difference too, but for now, those are things I can’t change overnight. I’ll just have to rely on smarter decision-making and be more cautious for the next orc.’
With that thought, Mikael stepped forward and gripped the handle of his embedded sword. With a firm pull, he drew the bloodied blade from the orc’s chest. He then opened the creature’s torso and retrieved its monster core—a small blue sphere, considered the most valuable part of a monster’s body when it ca to refining one's physical form. Ideally, hunters harvested entire monster corpses, but when ti or storage was an issue, they would settle for the core alone.
After pocketing the orb, he reached for his knife and cut off the orc’s ears, a common proof of kill. He placed them carefully into his backpack before standing up again, ready to continue his hunt.
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— End of Chapter —
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