The city of Vella was surrounded by forest on all sides, so the 200 groups dispersed around the city, each entering the forest at different points to ensure enough space for training and leveling up.
Alois's group found themselves back at the city gates where they had first entered. The memory of the dreadful place where he had spawned was fresh in Alois's mind. He took a deep breath and murmured to himself, "Survive, adapt, and get stronger."
With renewed determination, his expression changed entirely. He approached the four other players in his group, trying to strike up a conversation. "Hey guys, what do you think our strategy should be? Our first priority should be to not become monster poop right?"
The other four players were clearly unimpressed by his joke. Their disdain for Alois was palpable. They had no interest in befriending someone who couldn't even get a class, someone they considered to have no future in the game.
Alois felt a surge of anger but suppressed it, keeping a friendly smile on his face. He continued to make small talk, though it was clear they were not interested.
One of the players, Jason, sneered, "Just stay out of our way. We don't need a classless deadweight dragging us down."
Alois's smile didn't falter, but inside, he seethed. He knew he needed to prove his worth, not just to survive but to show them he wasn't as useless as they thought. "Sure thing," he replied, his voice even. "I'll do my best."
As they reached the edge of the forest, Alois could almost see shadows moving among the trees. The veteran soldiers' stern gazes left them no choice but to enter the forest. Giant trees blocked out the sunlight with their canopies, casting the forest floor in a dim, eerie light. Insects chirped incessantly, and the occasional roar of monsters added to the tense atmosphere.
Players, new recruits, and even the veterans were on high alert. Alois tried to divert his mind by conversing, but when the other players ignored him, he turned to the veterans. "Sir, a question has been bothering me for a while now. Why are there only level 10 or higher monsters in the forest? What happened to the ones below level 10?"
One of the veterans, perhaps feeling pity for Alois, decided to answer while still remaining vigilant. "Monsters below level 10 rarely survive without protection. They're easy prey for stronger creatures seeking to boost their levels or find food. We often capture these weaker monsters to sell to nobles, who use them for effortless leveling, or to train our new recruits before disposing of them."
The other veteran soldier added, "Monsters above level 10 are a different story. We must regularly cull them to prevent them from forming a horde for as long as possible and attacking the city. This not only protects Vella but also provides live combat training for our recruits."
He then smiled, a hint of relief in his eyes. "In the past, this training resulted in many casualties among the new recruits. But now that you 'immortal visitors' are here, the death toll should be much lower. You can revive even if you die, so it's a win-win situation."
Alois nodded, absorbing the brutal logic. Just as he was about to ask more, they heard a rustling sound nearby. The veterans immediately instructed the new recruits to proceed cautiously. One veteran pointed at Alois. "You, go towards that shrub and lure the monster out. The new recruits will then ambush it."
Alois gritted his teeth but knew he had no choice. He would be killed for disobedience. He slowly tiptoed towards the source of the noise, his mind racing. "This can't go on. Otherwise, I will die." He looked around and saw the ground littered with leaves, stones, and other debris. Tearing a large piece of his linen shirt, he gathered a bunch of rocks and tied them in the cloth. "Maybe I can use this in an emergency." He also found a particularly sharp stone and pocketed it. "These damn NPCs didn't even give us any equipment. They probably expect us all to die, thinking it would be a waste of resources."
He wasn't done yet. He filled his other pocket with dirt. After making these preparations, he moved towards the shrub. As he approached, he threw a rock at it, but nothing happened. Frowning, he continued forward, his heart pounding. The shadows and lack of sunlight made visibility poor.
Even if he somehow manage to see the monster he wouldn't get any information about it as he did not get the skill [Inspect], which was possessed by literally each and every players. It goes to show just how important getting the first class was.
Drenched in sweat, he couldn't help but say, "This all feels so damn real." Then he tightly gripped the bundle of rocks and sprinted towards the shrub. He leaped over it, ready to strike, but found nothing there. He signaled to the group that there was nothing, yet remained vigilant.
As he began to return, a black shadow lunged at him from the side. A chill ran down his spine, and his thoughts froze. All his preparations and plans seemed useless. In that split second, he remembered only a single thought : "Survive, adapt, and get stronger." The next moment, reflexively, he swung the bundle of rocks at the shadow.
At that moment two things happened. The impact drew a yelp from the shadow, but it also rammed into Alois, sending him flying into a tree. The force knocked the wind out of him, and he slid down, landing hard on the ground. Wheezing, his vision blurred, but he forced himself up and ran towards his group, not daring to look back.
He heard the monster's angry roars as it pursued him. Alois ran with all his strength by constantly taking cover of many trees. His hand was in his pocket, ready to throw the dirt if needed. Luckily, the recruits managed to ambush the monster just as it reached him. The sounds of battle filled the air.
When Alois finally turned to look, he saw the recruits had landed critical blows on a massive pitch-black wolf with blood-red eyes, the size of a lion but far more terrifying. The recruits wore triumphant smiles as the beast fell.
Alois's legs felt weak. He wanted to collapse but refused to. Looking at his shaking hands and the bundle of rocks, he felt a sense of accomplishment. He had survived. Throwing his head back, he laughed towards the sky.
While the new recruits were busy celebrating their first kill of day, the veterans eyes were on none other than Alois. They were shocked to the core when they saw how Alois, who was level 0 had actually survived from a level 10 Forest Wolf.
The veteran who ordered Alois to lure out the monster just snorted and said to his colleagues, "He was just lucky. Lets see for how long his luck saves him in this forest."
Even the 4 players in this group were shocked when they saw Alois perform the impossible feat and survive by the skin of his teeth. They thought he was a goner was sure. They looked at each other and only saw fear. They knew that although they talked big in front of Alois, they could never accomplish such a feat.
After this incident, the words "Survive, adapt, and get stronger" were engraved in Alois's very soul.
( Author's Note : I've also published this novel on RoyalRoad. If you wish to donate then you can do it on RoyalRoad. Cheers !! )