Name: Falko Grandveil
Sex: Male
Age: 19
Parameters+
STR - 10
AGI -13
VIT -10
INT -14
END -10
CHR -25
Skills: Appraisal (Lv:2), Battle Instincts (Lv: 2), Sword of the Man (Lv: 1), Phantom Step (Lv: 1)
Quests/Tasks
Main Quest: Retake the Rondavalu Queendom
Sub Quests:
1. Find the Legendary Herbs of Viragora Continent
2. Take Revenge for Brina
3. Kill 10 different types of monsters (1/10)
4. Complete the first contract Shalana brought
Falko looked at his own stats to gain a better understanding of his current position, feeling immensely grateful for the clarity it provided him. It helped him see what he needed to improve and showed the effects of his daily training.
Appraisal," Falko mused, focusing on the skill. "It's a basic but useful ability, but at this point, it gives me the edge in analyzing opponents or items more thoroughly. I can uncover weaknesses or hidden properties that others might miss. It's not perfect, though. I can only appraise people or things within a certain range of power, and if they're too strong, I can't see much at all. Still, knowing even a little more can make all the difference in a fight, but things might change when I strengthen this skill."
Then his mind shifted to another key skill. "Battle Instincts. This one's probably saved me more times than I realize. It's not about thinking; it's about reacting—moving before I even understand why. A punch, a sudden attack, even an arrow shot from behind—it's like I can sense it right before it happens. I'm faster, more aware, but it's still not fully honed. There are times when I hesitate, and that's the difference between life and death."
Then he chuckled. "Sword of the Man. This one's more symbolic than practical right now. It enhances my strikes based on my determination as a real man as described in Tyrant's and Gamer's worlds, which, let's face it, is a bit of a confusion to me since I have only seen men in this world. But every swing with this skill is supposed to carry my resolve, my desire to stand equal, even if the world doesn't see me that way yet. Maybe with time, it'll become something stronger—something that will let me face the women who outclass me without feeling so outmatched."
Finally, his eyes narrowed as he thought about his movement skill. "Phantom Step. It's still rough, but when I get it right, it lets me move faster than the eye can follow—briefly. I've only pulled it off a few times in practice, but when it works, it feels like I'm not even touching the ground. I just appear behind my opponent in the blink of an eye. It's not reliable yet, but if I can master it, it might be my best tool to even the odds in a world where raw strength isn't on my side."
Over the past few years since arriving in Sommeral, Falko had been relentlessly working to improve his physical, mental, magical, and other attributes as much as possible. But at some point, he began to understand the disadvantage of being a man in this world. After all, Rhea easily surpassed his abilities, doubling his stats without much effort.
"Ugh, what a pain! Does this mean that no matter how much I train, there will always be a woman who can overpower me?" Falko wondered, though he knew that strength and the numbers shown in the system weren't everything.
[Yes, even the most powerful enemies can be defeated with a bit of preparation and strategy. In battle, nothing is constant. For example, a powerful warrior who tramples most opponents with a hammer could be brought down with a single arrow to a vital spot.]
Tyrant added to Falko's thoughts, while Gamer also nodded, understanding the importance of strategy. However, he added another point.
[But don't forget, sometimes there are forces so powerful that no strategy or preparation can overcome them. When facing such opponents, retreat or death may be our only options.]
"..." Falko absorbed every advice silently, grateful that he wasn't alone.
He sat near the edge of the camp, his gaze scanning the surrounding woods. The soft crackling of the campfire and the occasional clink of weapons being polished filled the air. It was a quiet night, but they all knew that wouldn't last.
They were waiting for a Nightcrawler, a vicious creature that had been terrorizing the nearby village for weeks. Falko clenched his fists, feeling the tension in the air.
The Nightcrawler was no ordinary monster. According to the witnesses, it was a large, shadowy creature that hunted at night, striking swiftly and retreating before anyone could react. Its body was said to be almost invisible in the darkness, blending seamlessly with the shadows, and it had left nothing but devastation in its wake. Dozens of livestock had been slaughtered, and a few villagers had gone missing, presumed dead.
The women in the villages close to the appearance of the nightcrawlers had been getting diseases which ultimately cause them to become infertile, and this had affected more families than people could ever imagine.
The request to take it down had come from one of the official, a human named Gareth. He had investigated the case from afar and advised them to wait by a clearing near the woods, where the Nightcrawler was most likely to pass. They would set a trap, luring it with bait, and then ambush it when it appeared.
Shalana advised that direct confrontation before it biting the bait, which will weaken it is out of the question because the last thing she wanted was anyone from her group to get injured.
The bait in question was nothing more than the campfire, as the monster was attracted to the heat signals.
Falko sighed, his eyes briefly drifting to the fire where Rhea was tending to the stew they were preparing. She moved gracefully, her movements calm and collected, though he could tell she was on edge like the rest of them. Near the other side of the camp, Shalana and Leena were busy checking their weapons. Shalana, the dark elf mercenary, was sharpening her enormous sword—a weapon almost as large as she was—while Leena fiddled with a few magical trinkets, ensuring her spells were ready.
Falko's eyes flicked to Rhea once more. Curious, he activated his Appraisal skill, the familiar tingle of magic flowing through his mind as he focused on her.
Name: Rhea
Sex: Female
Age: 20
Parameters:
STR - 22
AGI - 21
VIT - 20
INT - 14
END - 26
CHR - 13
Falko raised an eyebrow. Rhea's growth was nothing short of remarkable. Her stats had jumped again, which wasn't surprising given her relentless training, but it still frustrated him to see how quickly she was advancing compared to him.
"She's growing absurdly fast," Falko muttered under his breath, though he quickly realized the truth. "No… it's not that she's growing too fast. I'm just growing too slowly."
The realization hit him harder than he expected. Rhea's abilities, Shalana's mastery with the sword, and Leena's proficiency with magic—each of them was becoming more powerful by the day. Meanwhile, despite all his training, despite his discipline, his own growth felt painfully slow when he didn't rely on his skills.
Since others didn't have any system, none of them were aware about the skills, though most of them used them without knowing they were developing the skills.
He glanced toward Shalana, who was methodically sharpening her sword. The blade glinted menacingly in the firelight, reflecting the strength of its wielder. Shalana's reputation as a top-tier mercenary wasn't for nothing. She had taken on enemies far more dangerous than Falko could dream of.
"That sword..." Falko thought, staring at the massive blade. "It's not just a weapon. In Shalana's hands, it's like an extension of her body. She doesn't just fight with brute strength—she fights with precision, skill, and a terrifying amount of experience. A true mistress of blade."
Then his eyes drifted to Leena, who was sitting cross-legged near the fire, her focus on the arcane symbols glowing faintly on her palms. She had always been more reserved, but there was no denying her magical prowess.
"Leena's magic skills…" Falko's thoughts continued. "I don't even know the full extent of them. Every time I think I've seen the limits of her power, she pulls something new out of her sleeve. It's frustrating how easily she handles complex spells, especially when it takes me so long to even grasp the basics."
Falko clenched his fists, feeling the bitterness well up inside him. They were all powerful—Rhea with her strength and agility, Shalana with her unmatched combat skills, and Leena with her magical knowledge. And here he was, trailing behind them, struggling to keep up.
"Why am I the weakest?" Falko muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "No matter how hard I push myself, it's like the gap just keeps getting wider. Is there no way for me to catch up with these powerful women?"
He kept feeling down about his own situation, until Shalana's eleven years suddenly perked up, which was easy for both Leena and Falko to notice.
"It's here!" Shalana suddenly muttered in a low tone, as her face went fully serious knowing, it was time for her to embrace the action. " As we planned, Leena will handle the bidding of the monster. We don't take any risk, I will attack it with my sword, Leena will bind it, Rhea will flank it and Falko..."
Shalana paused for a minute. "Warn us, if you see any other monsters approaching,"