I woke up with a start that morning...on the forest floor. "Ouch!" The damp leaves, biting insects, and the cold forest floor were all wonderful additions to the ache lingering from the fall. I could feel my HP drop to a certain level from the fall damage, but I didn't know by how much exactly, which was honestly quite frustrating. Exploring a game world without the faintest idea of my HP was no better than gambling in my opinion. Where’s the system that’ll show me all these things?! I griped internally.

However, it would recover naturally over time, albeit quite slowly without the help of a healer, so I just had to avoid danger for now. I wasn't even sure how I managed to sleep on that tree branch. If anything, that just showed how tired I was yesterday from all that running.

Remembering the Spider, a smile crept up on my face, and I felt like basking in the afterglow of my sweet victory, but I knew this wasn't the time, so I slapped my cheeks and started doing some morning stretches. I know just how unforgiving this game can be, so I have to be ready for anything, I thought to myself as I stretched.

I had three important tasks to perform. First, I needed to get my weapons ready. I also had to level up, as it would greatly improve my chances of survival, and lastly, I wanted to explore my surroundings a bit more. If I could find a town and join up with some adventurers, it would make things a lot easier, but I’ll have to level up first.

Adventurers were given a lot of freedom in Everlast Dynasty. As such, they were free to decide upon the group rules they adhered to, but there was one unspoken rule that all adventurers knew by heart: Whatever you do, don't be a burden. You could break all the team rules and walk away scot-free if you proved yourself invaluable to them, but on the other hand, being a burden was the quickest way to get kicked out, so I had to ensure I could bring something to the table.

I could still remember one of the stories my online friends told me about a player who desperately wanted to join one of the big guilds in the game. Everyone around him discouraged him, saying things like, “You’re only going to hold them back,” and “They’ll eventually kick you out.” But he was determined to realize his dream. After bothering them with invitation requests for god knows how long, they eventually let him in, only to kick him out after the first mission. Everyone clowned him, but the message was clear. I’d genuinely not want to be in that position.

I sat down under the tree and started fiddling with my "bow." To be honest, I'm glad this turned out to be a game. Otherwise, I might have gone around as the "Boomerang Hero" or something. Just thinking about that made me cringe, so I idled away with other such useless thoughts as I fixed the thread to the bow. Looking at my finished product, I thought, it's a bit rough, but it's finally starting to resemble a bow. All that was left now were the arrows, but I had some other ideas regarding them.

I grabbed a somewhat heavy, round Rock-kun and affixed it to a branch with my remaining silky thread. Why did I do this? It was simple. I really wasn't all that smart. I couldn't make an arrow to save my life, and I didn't have the time to go searching for materials, so I decided on another approach. It would be risky, but if it worked, I would have all the arrows I’d need for a while, so I patiently waited under the tree, plucking whatever I could find to eat, until night fell.

It was cold, and I could hardly see a thing, but that did not deter me. I was determined to see this plan to its completion because I knew that my survival depended on it. I mustn't make any mistakes, I thought to myself as I slowly plunged into danger. My muscles were tense, and my heart was beating faster than ever.

My body was on full alert mode as I turned around every ten seconds, checking my surroundings carefully. I held my bow firmly in one hand and Rock-kun in the other. I briefly considered naming him something else but quickly dismissed the idea. Now is not the time to get carried away! I reprimanded myself. I only had one shot, and I had to make it count. Perhaps I made a mistake, my self-doubt started speaking. Listening to it and turning back was tempting, but I refused to do that. There's no mistake here, I thought to myself. Skeletons appeared more frequently at night.

Hearing a nearby noise, I hid behind a tree and observed what looked to be a walking corpse. I couldn't make out its features because of the darkness, but even then, I could tell it was hideous in appearance and grotesque in form. And the putrid odor was one my nose wasn't going to forget anytime soon. I'm going to sleep peacefully tonight. That's for sure, I thought as I left that area.

I couldn't depend much on my eyes, so I had to use all my other senses to their full capacity. If this were a novel, I would probably acquire some new [Detection] skill at this point, right? I thought and waited expectantly. No luck, huh? Oh, well.

Just then, an eerie sound brought me back to full alert mode. It was the sound of bones walking, but I didn't rejoice just yet because there was a chance it wouldn't be an archer. According to the official monster guide I read a while back, Skeletons had three primary classes of their own. Actually, was it three or four? I suddenly wasn’t so sure. I should’ve paid more attention to that guide. All I could remember were the Skeleton Swordsman, Skeleton Lancer, and Skeleton Archer classes, so whatever the odds were, there was a low chance that it would be a Skeleton Archer.

I hid behind a tree and strained my eyes to see what sort of weapon it was holding, and to my surprise, it was a bow! Exactly what I was looking for! I was more interested in the arrows it dropped after defeating it, but I could also take the bow. So, I readied my bow and prayed that I would not miss, as everything depended on this shot. Rock-kun, I'm counting on you! After taking a deep breath, I released my one and only arrow toward the Skeleton Archer. It was as if time stopped at that moment. If I missed, it would notice and start targeting me with its arrows.

Skeleton Archers weren't as threatening as HellHounds or Spiders, but their high skill stat made them dangerous foes to contend with, as you could be sure that they wouldn't miss. That could be especially fatal for lower-level classes like mine, and I didn't even have another shot to fight with, so I really would be finished. I stood there, almost ready to make a run for it, when I heard a satisfying sound. It was like music to my ears. Rock-kun blew it away like a bowling ball clearing all the bowling pins, and once again, I could intuitively sense that I’d gained 17EXP.

Without further ado, I rushed to the scene and found the bow lying on the floor and the arrows in their quiver next to it, waiting for me to use them. My hands were still shaking from the adrenaline, and I felt like crying tears of joy at the sight of them. I double checked my surroundings one last time before grabbing them, thinking, I've been saved! I’m going to make good use of these!