[Map Tip: You have arrived at Crow Ridge]
[Raven Ridge: Home to black crows, though some magical creatures that once fled from the Black Forest have migrated here as well.]
William had finally reached Crow Ridge, a distant, shadowy place, far removed from the Moonlight Village. Both were newly unlocked areas on his map. If not for the scarecrow's precise directions, he would have been wandering aimlessly, like a lost traveler without a compass. The rest of his map was still shrouded in gloom, as though the unknown was waiting to be discovered.
Without stopping in Moonlight Village, William charged ahead. He didn't have time to waste. It was like the saying goes, "The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, but the second best time is now." If he didn't act soon, his journey through this world would stall, leaving him stuck in the same spot while others advanced.
Night had already fallen by the time he reached the ridge.
The moon hung low, casting a pale glow across the land. The stars were few, and the night felt lonely, but the moonlight was bright enough to light his path. Yet, Crow Ridge was a treacherous place. Its terrain twisted and turned like a labyrinth, and even with the moon's guidance, the path felt eerie. Thick mist curled between the gnarled trees, making everything look distorted and surreal. The ancient trees were crooked, their branches reaching out like claws, as if they were old monsters waiting to strike.
William remembered what he'd learned about this place; nighttime didn't offer much advantage to low-level magical creatures, unless it was a full moon. Tonight, the moon was only a sliver in the sky, but it still made this area more active. He knew that magical creatures became more daring after dark, but as long as he stayed cautious, remained on open ground, and avoided the deeper parts of the mountains, he could survive.
So far, he hadn't encountered any magical beings. But just as he was starting to feel a bit too confident, a system prompt interrupted his thoughts:
[Game Tip: You have played for five hours today. Please control your game time responsibly.]
William blinked, caught off guard by the sudden notification. A time limit? Seriously?
He glanced up at the corner of his interface and saw an hourglass-shaped icon. Clicking on it revealed that he could only play for eight hours per day. After that, he would be forced to log out. "Is this some kind of health system?" he muttered, feeling slightly exasperated.
With three hours left, William decided to make the most of it. He needed to find creatures to fight, and fast. His original plan was to start small; killing insects and animals; but after squashing over a hundred ants and realizing they didn't provide any experience points, he quickly abandoned that strategy. Wild monsters were his only way forward now.
As he wandered through the safer areas of Crow Ridge, the sounds of distant battles echoed through the forest. He could hear the clash of weapons and the cries of magical beasts, but he didn't dare venture deeper into the woods. Instead, he circled the outskirts of the ridge, like a novice hunter looking for easy prey. They said the magical creatures outside the mountains were weaker, and that's exactly what he was counting on.
Suddenly, a noise from the dense forest drew his attention.
Flutter~
William froze. Something was moving in the shadows. More than ten meters ahead, he saw leaves rustling under a large, eerie tree. A dark figure swooped down from the treetops, swift and silent like a ghost descending from the heavens.
[Battle Tip: You have encountered the magical creature, Black Crow.]
The crow let out a sharp, grating cry as it dived toward him.
"Gah—!"
Before William could react, a cloud of blood burst in the air. Feathers, dark and drenched, scattered like debris in the wind. The crow, as large as a wild goose, crashed to the ground with a sickening thud. It flapped its wings desperately for a few seconds, but the fight had already left it. Soon, it lay motionless, surrounded by its own blood.
[You killed the Black Crow. Experience +3!]
[Experience: 3/5]
At the moment of the crow's death, William noticed a faint, ethereal glow rising from its body. It was a light only he could see, a soft, silvery wisp of energy that floated toward him, like a bird finding its way home. The light merged with him, sinking into his body like a quiet breath of wind.
For William, this was just the beginning. Crow Ridge held more secrets and challenges, and he would have to face them all if he wanted to level up and survive.
[Your talent for killing to prove your way has taken effect and has been slightly improved.]
[Your physical value +0.05! Your mental value +0.05! Your energy value +0.07!]
William stared at the panel for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise as the numbers flashed across the screen. His expression quickly shifted into one of disbelief, then amusement, as a slow grin crept across his face.
The talent, [Killing to Prove the Way], stated that with each kill, he'd experience a slight improvement. However, it wasn't just about his attributes increasing. No, this was something much more profound, his attribute ceiling was increasing. That meant his potential for growth was becoming limitless, expanding with every target he eliminated.
It wasn't his first encounter with unusual enhancements. Previously, he had eaten Little Red Riding Hood's magical apple, which had increased his health from 0.2 to 0.5. But that was merely a recovery boost, a temporary patch on his existing potential. This, however, was different. This raised the limit of how much he could grow.
The potential here was incredible, almost too good to be true. "This is so broken!" William muttered, eyes gleaming with excitement. "I love it!"
His grin widened, and a maniacal glint flickered in his eyes as a thought began to form. He didn't need to know where he was or why he was here. All he knew was that the path forward was clear.
Big! Start! Killing! Ring! I'm going to kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!!!
He picked up the crow's lifeless body from the pool of blood and stashed it into his backpack. There were only ten slots available, and the moment the bird entered, a notification popped up.
[Hint: You have obtained the corpse of the Black Crow (click to view details)]
[Black crows are magical creatures from Crow Ridge. Due to environmental and magical influences, many of these crows possess pure black feathers. These are called black crow feathers.]
[Black Crow Feather (Damaged): A common magical material. If you gather enough of them, you may be able to craft magical equipment.]
The crow in his possession, though completely black, only had one magical feather amidst the sea of ordinary ones. William smirked; this was a low-level crow, a weakling that lingered on the outskirts of the ridge. If it were stronger, it would have been higher up in the mountains, with the more dangerous creatures.
William also noticed something else: the damage from his slingshot had overflowed. The force behind the stone was far more devastating than he'd anticipated, especially when paired with the magic stones he had summoned with the help of Little Red Riding Hood. The crow's body had been blown apart; half of it gone in a single hit. Even the feathers were damaged beyond use.
He tucked away the remaining four magic stones into his backpack. They were consumable items, and thankfully, he could stack them into a single slot. Along with those, he collected some ordinary stones from the ground, holding them in one hand, while keeping a sharp stone ready in his slingshot. He was prepared for whatever came next.
It didn't take long before he attracted the attention of another magical creature.
Under the pale moonlight, William spotted a black shadow darting through the trees, its wings flapping with speed and precision. The crow was coming fast, but William was faster. His nerves were on edge, ready for action. The moment he sensed the shift in the air, he released the slingshot. A sharp stone bullet flew out, cutting through the air like a knife.
His accuracy was no joke; an 80% hit rate was enough to guarantee he wouldn't miss. The crow staggered mid-flight, thrown off balance by the sudden impact. It had no chance to retaliate; realizing it was outmatched, it tried to retreat.
But it was too late.
William's second stone was already flying. The sharp rock slammed into the crow, sending it tumbling to the ground. The black bird rolled in the moonlit clearing, feathers scattering like ash. One final attack ended its life, the creature now lying motionless in a small pool of blood.
The black crow had been a magical creature, but its level was unimpressive. According to the Scarecrow, black crows had some sort of bewitching ability, a power that could have been dangerous if it had managed to use it. Fortunately, William had killed it before it even had the chance.
[You killed the magical creature, Black Crow. Experience +3!]
[Your level has been raised to Level 2!]
[You have gained 3 attribute points, which can be freely distributed.]
Upgraded!
As soon as the message popped up, another one followed.
[Your talent for killing to prove your way has taken effect and has been slightly improved.]
[Your physical value +0.05! Your mental value +0.05! Your energy value +0.07!]
William couldn't help but laugh. "Good, good!" he exclaimed. Everything was falling into place. Not only had his level gone up, but his talent had kicked in, boosting his stats again. This game was becoming more thrilling by the second. The potential for growth, the excitement of battle, and the promise of more powerful enemies to defeat, it was all driving him forward.
For William, the hunt was just getting started. And he had no plans to stop.
Upgrading twice, win-win!
William's excitement was hard to contain. He had leveled up not once, but twice, and the rush of newfound power surged through him. Being cautious by nature, he decided to play it safe for now and distributed his three free points evenly between his physical and mental energy stats.
He pulled up his player panel:
[Player ID: Wallace Beethovenish]
[Level: 2]
[Constitution: 1.5 (1.9)]
[Spirit value: 2.2 (2.6)]
[Energy value: 1.6 (2)]
The numbers in parentheses reflected the attribute limits, which had been increased by his talent, [Killing to Prove the Way]. Though he had only killed two black crows, the talent had already rewarded him with a +0.1 increase in both his physical and mental value limits, and a +0.14 boost to his energy limit. The potential this talent held was staggering, and William could feel its effects already. Not only was it a promising skill for the future, but it had an immediate impact as well.
The full benefits of increasing his attribute caps would only become apparent over time, but the immediate increase in his physical abilities was undeniable. His body, once a little frail, felt stronger and more capable. He could now pull back his slingshot with ease, where previously it had required all his strength. He marveled at how he could now draw the bowstring to full tension, as though preparing to unleash a shot that could pierce the heavens.
It was a significant change. William's physical fitness had taken a leap forward, and with it, so had his confidence. Still, despite the rush of newfound power, he kept his emotions in check. He wasn't invincible, he knew that. There were far stronger creatures lurking in this strange world, and he wasn't ready to face them just yet.
However, it seemed the creatures of Crow Ridge were onto him. After taking down two black crows, no more appeared. The forest was eerily silent, as if the creatures were lying low, waiting for the right moment to strike. Not wanting to waste time, William moved to a different area, hoping to attract more magical creatures and continue his hunt.
He soon found himself on a steep mountain road. The terrain was rugged and dangerous, but the forest below was unnervingly quiet. It felt like a trap, as though something; or someone, was waiting for him to stumble into their lair. William, though not the most perceptive, could feel that something was off. He approached cautiously, his slingshot ready, senses heightened.
Then it happened. A blur of movement from above.
A spider the size of a human head descended from the mountain wall, gliding down in a graceful arc.
[Battle Tip: You have encountered a wolf spider.]
Thanks to his high spirit value and sharp reflexes, now even faster after his recent upgrades, William instantly reacted. He aimed his slingshot at the wolf spider, releasing the shot with perfect precision. The stone hit the spider dead on, but to his shock, it didn't stop. The wolf spider froze for a moment, then continued its descent, swinging through the air like a nightmarish version of Spider-Man, leaping effortlessly between the trees.
William's heart skipped a beat. How could my attack not work?! His mind raced. That strike should have been enough to incapacitate an ordinary creature, but the wolf spider shrugged it off like it was nothing. Clearly, this creature had stronger defenses than he anticipated.
The wolf spider's movements were unnervingly fast, its body swinging through the air on nearly invisible silk threads. Knowing that ordinary stones wouldn't be enough, William reached into his backpack and pulled out a special magic stone. His arms tensed as he drew the slingshot back to its maximum limit. This time, he wasn't holding back.
Whoosh!
The stone flew through the air with deadly precision.
Bang!
The hit was critical. It tore through the wolf spider's abdomen, splitting it open in a gory burst. The spider's body hung suspended in midair, its legs twitching as sticky, thick liquid oozed from the wound. It didn't fall to the ground, still held up by a thin, almost invisible silk thread.
William took a closer look and realized the spider was hanging by its own web. The thread glistened faintly in the moonlight, barely visible but strong enough to support the creature's weight. William felt a small surge of satisfaction. He had taken down another foe, and his skill was proving itself in battle.
But he remained on edge. If this wolf spider had been that strong, what else was lurking in the deeper, darker parts of Crow Ridge? The thrill of leveling up was intoxicating, but William knew that every step forward brought him closer to even greater dangers.
This place was only beginning to reveal its true horrors, and William, although stronger than before, was still walking the line between life and death.
Looking up, William saw an invisible net hanging high between the mountain wall and the deep forest. It was a web, finely crafted and nearly imperceptible, likely a trap used by the wolf spider to snare unsuspecting black crows as they flew through the area. William shuddered. Good thing I can't fly, he thought with a smirk.
[You killed the wolf spider. Experience +7]
[Experience: 8/10]
[Your talent for killing to prove your way has taken effect and has been slightly improved.]
[Physical value +0.09! Mental value +0.07! Energy value +0.04!]
William raised an eyebrow. This creature must have been stronger than those black crows. Not only had it given him more experience, but the physical boost he received from killing it was substantial. That explained why his earlier stone attack had barely scratched it; ordinary stones couldn't break through its natural defense.
A new prompt appeared:
[Hint: You have obtained the corpse of the magical creature, Wolf Spider (click to view details).]
[The wolf spider is a magical creature that originally resided in the Black Forest. Due to changes in the deep forest, many magical creatures, including the wolf spider, fled to other areas like Raven Ridge. The wolf spider weaves its silk and waits for prey to wander into its trap.]
[Wolf spider silk: 20 meters long, tough, and transparent. A natural trap material. Only highly skilled hunters know how to use it.]
Curious, William looked back at the enormous web suspended in the sky. He climbed up the rocky face of the mountain, his muscles burning as he reached for the web. After a few tense moments, he managed to retrieve some of the spider silk. But as soon as he touched it, he realized something was wrong.
The moment the wolf spider had died, its web had lost its magical properties. The once strong and transparent silk now crumbled in his hands, brittle and useless. William sighed, No point in keeping this.
Undeterred, he continued exploring the area, staying vigilant and moving carefully through the forest. Along the way, he managed to kill two more black crows using his ordinary stones. Their feathers fluttered to the ground, and William collected four black crow feathers in total. However, these two crows, while slightly stronger than the first, gave the same experience value: +3.
Odd, he thought. As he checked his stats, he noticed something interesting. The attribute bonuses he gained from the talent [Killing to Prove the Way] were diminishing. Instead of receiving +0.05 to his physical stats, the bonus had decreased to +0.04 and even +0.03 for the most recent kills.
So the stronger I get, the less benefit I receive from killing the same creatures. It was a simple but effective way of the game balancing itself. He would need to hunt stronger creatures to keep progressing efficiently.
Before long, his experience hit the next milestone:
[You have leveled up to Level 3!]
[You have gained 3 attribute points, which can be distributed freely.]
William spread the attribute points evenly among his physical, mental, and energy stats, feeling a surge of strength ripple through his body. His muscles felt tighter, more responsive, and his senses sharper. A grin tugged at his lips as he prepared to hunt for bigger, more challenging monsters. But just as he was getting ready to venture deeper into Crow Ridge, a system notification flashed across his screen:
[Game Tip: You have been playing for nearly eight hours today. Please control your game time and find a safe zone to log out.]
William rolled his eyes. Here comes the health system again! He had almost forgotten about it in the midst of the excitement. With a sigh, he put his slingshot back into his backpack and began his retreat. His steps were light and quick, his body feeling as weightless as a feather, thanks to the newly acquired strength. Within minutes, he had left the eerie confines of Crow Ridge and was well on his way back to the safety of Moonlight Village.
The hourglass countdown on his screen ticked down to zero, and before he could voluntarily log out, the game abruptly ended. Everything around him faded to black in an instant.
When he opened his eyes again, William found himself back in reality, staring at the familiar ceiling of his room.
"Well, that was quite the run," he muttered, rubbing his temples. Though the game was over for the day, the thrill of battle still lingered in his mind, and he couldn't wait to dive back in and continue his journey through Crow Ridge.