[Level up.]
[Randomly grants +1 ability and +2 ability points.]
[Wisdom stat increases by 1 based on the random ability increase.]
I noticed the last message. Wisdom stat increased by 1.
"Does the map have anything to do with wisdom?"
It was just a personal guess, and nothing was confirmed.
"You will know if you invest your points in wisdom."
Luckily, I had some remaining points that I hadn't used yet. I put it into action right away.
"Just one."
[Tiring!]
[Point +1 invested in Wisdom.」
[Wisdom changed to 17.]
Even though my wisdom level changed, there was no change such as my body becoming brighter or my mind becoming clearer.
It just became Wisdom +1. However, I looked at the map window with eyes full of anticipation. It has changed. From a radius of 15m to 20m.
I let out a dumbfounded laugh and clicked on the map window to enlarge it. I was able to see a total of 40m surrounding area centered around me.
"This is driving me crazy. I didn't know that Wisdom stats could be linked to maps in this way."
We all know that being able to detect enemy threats in advance through the map is an incredible ability. Especially the growth type.
I once again invested one of my remaining points into wisdom. A familiar notification sound was heard and my wisdom level changed.
[Wisdom changed to 18.]
As your wisdom increases, the distance you can see around you increases. 25m radius, 50m total. For every increase in Wisdom stat, the radius increases by 5m.
A laugh burst out of my mouth.
"Hahaha! I really need to manage my wisdom better from now on."
I closed the status window, looking with delight at the map window with the increased radius. And as always, I saved the two remaining unused points just in case.
Just then, a new quest appeared above my head.
[Tiring!]
[Quest has been activated.]
[Quest: Work with the tribesmen to build a fence to enter the farmland.]
[Reward: A certain amount of experience points.]
"Hmm! Is this another life quest? I'm going to be busy for a few days without even having time to breathe."
After taking a short breath, I walked towards the village.
* * *
It's been three days since the fence was built. Today, as usual, I woke up early in the morning and walked around the village for some light exercise.
After having breakfast with the meat of animals hunted a few days ago, I left the village with the tribesmen to finish the work on the fence.
"Okay! It'll end today. Everyone, just try a little harder!"
"Yes, Chief!"
Under the leadership of the 'Forest Hunters', the adult men and women of the tribe began to move to the farmland. A moment later, a large area of fist-thick logs were planted in the ground, centered on the farmland.
The space between logs spaced at appropriate intervals was filled with branches or tied tightly with rope.
'There must be no nails, right? The fence looks very flimsy.'
At the chief's direction, I continued to carry the branches needed to build a fence. Every time, the 'Hunter of the Forest' would look at me with a displeased look.
'There it goes again.'
I'm only twenty years old. I lived with my parents in an apartment, and I only went to school and the gym and worked part-time at a cafe, but I never once created anything.
I had never even done manual labor before, so building a fence was a very unfamiliar sight to me.
'I came out to pay for the meal, but I feel like I'm just being watched for no reason.'
Of course, the biggest reason is because of the quest. Besides, I wasn't good at it, so I thought it would be much better to just watch and assist rather than getting in trouble and getting scolded.
Still, it was a little embarrassing to watch the 'brave wolf' and the 'fast deer' working hard to finish the work while sweating profusely.
I looked at the farmland, avoiding the stinging gaze of the 'Forest Hunter'. All the able-bodied women in the village came out to remove weeds and turn the soil with stone hoes.
'None of the men help me.'
I was curious, but everyone was working hard so I couldn't ask. Some time passed like that.
[Tiring!]
[Quest completed.]
[You will receive 180 experience points as a reward.]
Since it was the result of three days of work, I gained quite a bit of experience. However, as I expected, leveling up became a little more difficult as time passed.
'Don't worry about it. If you keep clearing quests, you'll level up naturally.'
The fence is finished and the field for planting crops is complete. The men of the tribe, including the chief, were resting and standing guard around the fence.
I too stood guard with the 'fast-footed deer' and occasionally watched the women planting seeds in the ground.
"Swift deer!"
"why?
"Women. What. To plant?"
When I asked in a small voice, the 'fast-footed deer' looked at me with a pitiful look and said.
"Didn't your tribe grow corn or something like that?"
"······"
Corn... Although I have never grown it myself, corn is something you can buy at your local mart if you want. Of course, corn was often seen in the fall when it was harvest time.
'My mouth is watering all of a sudden. Corn from Gangwon Province is the best.'
The corn boiled in a steamer was delicious, and the corn spread with butter and grilled over charcoal was also delicious.
I spoke to the 'fast-footed deer' in a slow tone, recalling the memory of eating corn.
"Corn. There is. Plant it."
"Really? But why are you asking?"
"······."
For a moment I was speechless and just blinked.
"No. Corn. Plant. Man. Work. Not. Woman. Work."
The 'fast-footed deer' immediately understood my grammatically incorrect words and let out a long sigh as if it was frustrated.
Phew!
And then he started talking about things I didn't even ask about.
"Since ancient times, planting crops has been the job of women. Since the three sister gods brought corn, beans, and pumpkins. And if a man interferes with women's work, it will bring misfortune, and the three sister gods will be angry and the harvest will fail? Do you understand what I mean?"
"huh."
"Really? There are a lot of difficult words in there. Did you understand them all?"
It's true. Although he spoke awkwardly, I was able to understand everything he said thanks to my rudimentary Lenape language skills.
Of course, I could understand why the 'swift deer' was looking at me with eyes full of suspicion. It must have been amazing that he understood everything he said within a month.
However, I couldn't say that I learned the Lenape language through the game system, so I just made a vague explanation.
"Work hard. Understand. Try."
"Then that's right. If there's a word you don't know, just tell me. I'll explain it in other words."
"I get it."
The description of the 'swift deer' continued for a while.
"······Plant corn in the month when the frogs hatch and the month when corn is planted, and plant beans in the month when the weather starts to get warmer, and finally, plant pumpkins in the month when the leaves on the trees become plentiful to prevent weeds from growing. And planting and tending these crops is, of course, the job of women. We men just have to stay out of the way of the women's work, and hunt animals around the fields so that they don't damage the crops, or make things that the women need."
The long and drawn out explanation of the 'swift deer' has come to an end.
"Do you understand everything I said?"
"roughly."
"I knew this would happen. Didn't I tell you earlier? I told you to ask questions if you didn't understand something. Phew! I'll explain it again."
"······."
I was in a difficult situation. Honestly, I appreciated the detailed explanation, but 'The Swift Deer' was talking so much that my ears hurt.
As I was hesitating over how to respond, a voice of salvation was heard.
"Clean up the area. Return to the village."
"Yes, Chief!"
At the chief's command, the tribesmen quickly rose from their seats and began to clear the area, so he hurriedly spoke to the 'swift deer'.
"Swift deer! Next time."
"Okay, I'll explain it to you again next time."
I sighed in relief as I picked up the things I was going to take to town.
'Whew! I survived.'
* * *
riverside. The water flowing downstream passed over large and small rocks without any obstruction. I followed the men of the tribe from the morning and dipped both feet in the river water that reached up to my knees. I built a path for the water by piling up large stones on both sides of the riverbed like a castle wall.
Meanwhile, on the other side, a small fence made of wood was being installed according to the chief's instructions.
'Are you making a fishing net?'
I had seen a documentary on TV where they set up wide fishing nets in designated areas where many fish pass by, following the flow of the river.
After a while, I was working with the other men of the tribe, looking as excited as the children were fishing in the stream.
Using a wooden stick, he splashed water and drove the invisible fish towards the stone-lined entrance.
Splash splash!
"Drive towards the fishing net!"
"Splash harder!"
"Big two thousand days! Stop the fish from escaping over there!"
Just like when we were hunting animals in the forest last time, the breathing between people was important. I struck the wood in my hand harder and harder, blocking the entrance that became narrower the further I went in.
At that moment, the 'Forest Hunter', who was waiting outside the fishing net with his bow drawn, shouted loudly.
"Now is the time! Warriors in the net, catch the big fish with harpoons!"
"Yes, Chief."
Four young warriors, each holding a harpoon made of bone and wood, moved simultaneously inside the net and began to hunt for fish.
The warriors' small movements caused waves in the water. The fish in the net fled in groups, swaying in the waves. The harpoons held by the warriors.
Should I call it a trident? Or a four-pronged spear? The warriors in the fishing net skillfully struck down the harpoon, which had three large bone needles wrapped around a sharp tip like a spear.
Phew! Phew! Phew!
Fish the size of an arm were struggling out of the water, their bodies impaled on the harpoons. The warriors waiting outside the fishing net quickly opened the baskets they were holding as they saw the fish dripping light, crimson blood.
The warriors quickly placed the fish they had caught with their spears into baskets and returned to hunting for fish.
'There is no such thing as a master. How does he never fail?'
I saw it with my own two eyes, but it was truly amazing. As soon as the harpoon was struck, fish were pulled out. Meanwhile, the warriors holding bows around the fishing nets did not stay still.
He saw a fish coming towards him and shot his bow.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
It was clear that a fish had been struck by an arrow as the clear water turned red. After a while, the hunting of fish by driving them into fishing nets did not end with just one time.
He moved from place to place and hunted fish several times until he filled the basket he brought from the village. At that time, as the sun was setting and the day was gradually getting darker, the 'Forest Hunter' spoke to the warriors of the tribe.
"This is the last time!"
"Understood, Chief!"
"Haha! I can fill my stomach with fish for a few days."
The warriors of the tribe answered with bright expressions as they took their places again, wondering if the hunt had been successful.
[Tiring!]
[Quest has been started.]
[Quest: Hunt the fish.]
[Reward: A certain amount of experience points.]
Another hunting quest has appeared. Having only hunted fish in the river up until now, I wanted to try spearing a fish for once.
I approached the 'Hunter of the Forest' with confident steps.
"Me too. With a harpoon. Fish."
"······."
The 'Hunter of the Forest' thought for a moment, then nodded with an uneasy look in his eyes.
"Try it. It won't be easy, though."
"Thank you, Chief!"
After expressing his gratitude in a few short words, he picked up the harpoon and entered the net with light steps. And when the chief's voice announced the start of the hunt, the warriors in charge of driving the fish began to drive the fish into the nets.
Splash splash!
'I'll catch them all!'
The entrance to the fishing net was finally blocked. Holding the harpoon, I carefully moved my feet to hunt for fish, following the chief's signal.
I could see fish swimming all around in the clear water. Then, as luck would have it, a very large fish was captured on my radar, and I harpooned it right there without hesitation.
Phew!
'Okay!'
I felt a subtle vibration at my fingertips spread throughout my body.