It had been six grueling days since I was thrust into the unforgiving tutorial phase of the game—a relentless cycle of hunting for food and engaging in demanding exercises to hone my strength and dexterity. Amidst the daily struggle for survival, one persistent annoyance plagued me obstinately: the brambler I had dubbed Pokey.
This creature seemed to derive sadistic pleasure from tormenting me, targeting my rear end with its sharp quills at every opportunity. It was as if Pokey had made it his personal mission to turn my life into a literal pain in the butt. The constant attacks left me nursing sore spots and growing frustration, each prickly encounter fueling a simmering purpose to settle the score once and for all.
On the seventh day, the afternoon sun bathed the forest in a warm, golden light as I stood alone on a familiar trail. Like clockwork, Pokey appeared, his eyes gleaming with menace fixed upon me. Without further ado, the chase began anew.
I darted through the dense foliage, my heart pounding in rhythm with my swift footsteps. Pokey proved swift and agile, his quills glinting dangerously as he closed the distance between us. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I deftly maneuvered, leading the creature in a wild pursuit through the winding forest trails.
With each twist and turn, I calculated my moves, inching closer to the trap I had meticulously prepared. My breath came in ragged gasps, the intensity of the chase heightening with every heartbeat. Leaves and twigs crunched beneath our feet, their sounds mingling with the pounding of blood in my ears.
Finally, as if guided by fate, Pokey stumbled into the concealed pit—a four-foot-deep trap cunningly disguised beneath layers of leaves and branches. His surprised cries reverberated through the quiet forest, echoing my own triumphant grin.
Closing the distance swiftly, I retrieved a hefty boulder, its weight reassuring in my hands. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above as I stood over my captured nemesis. With resolve burning bright, I raised the boulder high, ready to end the relentless cycle of torment once and for all.
For a moment, Pokey’s demeanor softened, his eyes pleading for mercy. “Nice try, Pokey! HA! HA! HA... COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!” I cleared my throat. “Where was I? Oh! You reap what you sow, Pokey!” I exclaimed.
With a swift motion, I brought the boulder crashing down, sealing Pokey’s fate. I returned to my cave, a victorious smile playing across my lips as I carried my prize.
Initially, I had entertained the thought of cooking Pokey, eager to taste his rumored delicious meat. However, my recent experiences had taught me much about the online store’s functionalities beyond mere commerce.
I discovered that, besides buying things from the store, I could also sell products. The best part was that if I could create my own invention and sell it online for the inhabitants of this world to purchase them. Moreover, I could make a product and request the store to produce it solely for me.
However, there was a restriction and a warning from the system. If players were found selling goods acquired from the Midoris or commissioning the Midoris to create products, the penalty was extermination from the game. This didn’t concern me, though, because I am Akira Sakamoto, the master of craftsmanship. Given the right materials and tools, I could create any item I wished.
Hmm... Would Mai’s figurine be a popular item in the store? I could decide that later because there was one product I really wanted to mass-produce: bullets.
Based on my encounters with these crazy creatures living in this even crazier world, I needed to devise a special type of gun. I suspected that when firearms were made available for the Gunner class, the system might play tricks on me again, perhaps offering a toy water gun or something equally frivolous. As for firearms, I already had a couple of models in mind. My knowledge of gun-making was extensive, thanks to avidly watching all those blue—ahem, I mean, documentary channels.
As for the bullets for this special gun, I planned to create a few types of prototypes. Once I perfected the designs, I’d request the online store to mass-produce them and sell them back to me. It was a foolproof plan—well, almost foolproof, considering how this system liked to mess with me.
With my feud with Pokey settled, I returned to my cave with a lighter heart. I promptly sold Pokey to the online store and received... five hundred gold! I couldn’t believe that brambler meat was so highly sought after. I wondered what the price would be when the store sold it to the masses. Probably double what I sold it for, since the online store was managed by the system. One thing was certain—the system loved screwing me over again and again.
By nightfall, I was resting in my cave after finishing my dinner of rabbit stew and several slices of delicious Faerie Apple. I had learned that if I wanted to differentiate which plants, herbs, or fruits were safe to eat, I just placed them in the Tool/Items inventory, and the system would tell me their descriptions and whether they were poisonous or edible.
Satisfied and full, I brought up my Player Status to check the latest updates on my stats:
***
Akira Sakamoto (Aoi Player)
Level: 5
Class: Marksman
Subclass: Gunner
Title: Lover of Peach
Health Points (HP): 100 — 100%
Mana Points (MP): 300 — 100%
Strength (STR): 5
Dexterity (DEX): 4+1
Wisdom (WIS): 3
Charisma (CHA): 1
Intelligence (INT): 30
Luck (LUK): 2
Free Stats Points: 10
Overall Prestige (P): +120% (Max 1000%)
***
I smiled widely, taking in my level and stats. My progress filled me with pride. Thanks to my exercise routine over the past couple of days, I had boosted my base STR and DEX. After skirmishes with creatures, I noticed my health percentage had dropped, but I could restore it to full with ample rest or by consuming health potions. The store stocked these potions in low, mid, and high-tier varieties, each differing in the percentage of health points they could restore. I purchased a low-tier potion for emergencies, costing me a hundred gold, but I considered it a worthwhile investment.
I also increased my WIS by one point, probably because I created favorable situations before battling creatures, like the trap I used for Pokey. As for LUK, the one point I gained was likely because I always ended up with a stroke of luck in my battles. However, there was one stat I couldn’t raise: Intelligence INT.
As the thought crossed my mind, I imagined crafting an item to boost my INT base stat. A handcrafted Mai figurine, perhaps, whittled from wood using a simple knife. The idea flashed vividly before me, but I quickly dismissed it. No, I wanted my creations to be masterpieces, not mere shadows of my true potential. I needed proper tools and materials to bring my visions to life.
Nightfall settled around me, the forest’s symphony of nocturnal sounds creating a lullaby of sorts. I lay down on my makeshift bed of leaves, staring at the rough cave ceiling above. Tomorrow would likely entail more exercise and hunting Kiiroi creatures. The boredom of these tasks crept into my thoughts, yet my mind kept circling back to one thing: Mai.
Not Rei, not my parents—just Mai. Her image seemed to have stubbornly lodged itself in my mind. I found this strange, really strange, as I closed my eyes in search of rest. What was it about her that clung so persistently to my thoughts? Perhaps it was—
The soft sound of my snoring echoed gently through the cave, abruptly breaking my train of thought.
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