[Congratulations!]
[You have gained 33IP!]
[Your Level has increased!]
[All Stats +10]
[Activating Recovery]
[All abnormal status effects removed]
[Peak physical condition recovered]
Just like that, my wounds were healed and strength returned to my body.
'Ah, the Integration System has this level up function too?'
It did not even occur to me that the Integration System would restore me to peak condition when my level of influence increased. I should have known though, since it happens in games and other systems, however, this system was not designed to make things easy for explorers, so I disregarded it.
'Let's see the results of my first quest'
"Display profile"
[Explorer Profile]
[Name: Mikhail Henry]
[Synchronised Form: High Elf]
[Age: 22]
[Influence Level: 1]
[Integration Points: 33]
[Stats]
[Vitality: 47]
[Magic: 57]
[Stamina: 47]
[Agility: 47]
[Strength: 45]
[Defence: 42]
[Charm: 72]
[Abilities]
[Unique: Emulator]
[Innate: Synchronised Explorer Vision]
[Traits]
[Acquired Trait: Adaptability]
[Skills]
[Acquired Skill: Boundless (Active) Lightning Reflexes (Passive) (Reaper's Pride (Passive)]
'Sheahran wasn't kidding about having to risk my life to increase my level...'
I shuddered at the thought of only having ten additional stats following my level increase. I thanked my past self for allowing me to obtain my unique ability, otherwise I would be screwed.
Seeing the two shiny new skills listed beside Boundless made my heart race. If even one of them was missing, I would have died five times over.
It came as a shock when the Integration System allowed me to select another passive skill following my selection of Lightning Reflexes.
'Is it because it's a passive skill that it allowed me to select another passive one?'
'Would it limit me to one active skill selection then?'
I could not be certain. Once the thirty-day cooldown ends, I would have to test it.
Overall, I felt satisfied with the results of my first quest, given the circumstances.
'Should I check the Integration shop now?'
*Grrrrr
'Huh? I'm starving…and thirsty. How did I not notice until now?'
'It's strange, I haven't had anything to eat or drink since last night... Can I still consider it to be last night?'
My sense of time felt warped.
I could not determine whether a day had passed or only a few hours. Granted, I lost consciousness multiple times, so it's to be expected, I guess.
The sensations brought my attention back into focus, causing me to survey my surroundings.
'I think it would be best to leave this place before more goblins show up. I can look for food and water along the way.'
Goblin scouts meant that a goblin settlement would be close by.
Even with my upgraded stats, It would be difficult to survive another encounter so soon. I was certain of it.
And with my luck, another encounter was imminent.
I removed the dagger from the goblin and stored it in my inventory, then headed in the opposite direction the goblins came from.
I progressed through the forest with more caution than before. My anxiety doubled since my fight with the goblins, which was only natural. Having been close to death multiple times already, it would be strange if I was unaffected. I was not an overpowered protagonist; those goblin scouts made it abundantly clear.
With that said, I needed to find water fast. Using that as motivation, I pushed through the anxious feelings and continued along a narrow path.
It was hard to tell how much time had passed since I started walking, but I was nowhere near the exit, at least that's how it felt.
It occurred to me that I could climb a tree and survey the area, but just the thought of climbing one of the giant trees made my hands tingle uncomfortably, like pins and needles on my palms.
I needed to conserve my energy for emergency situations, so I decided against the idea.
I walked a good distance away from my last rest point, although, I could've been walking in circles and not even realise it. Just as that troubling thought crossed my mind, I heard the faint sound of rushing water in the distance.
I decided not to run towards the sound, even though my excitement was bubbling over. The possibility of tripping and spraining my ankle was incredibly high at this point, it would drastically reduce my chances of making it out of the forest alive.
I calmly walked towards what I hoped to be a drinkable water source.
As I exited through the treeline my eyes widened in awe.
If the view from the cliff overlooking the Lake of Rebirth gave off a feeling of entering paradise, then the current view gave off a feeling of tranquillity.
A majestic snow-capped mountain towered in the distance. The valley below it had many hills, trees and grassy areas that spanned for hundreds of kilometres. A herd of ten, what appeared to be deer-like animals, grazed a few meters from a pristine river.
'I should probably wash off the dry blood while I'm at it'
I stored the tattered training robe in my inventory and headed to the river without delay.
I was surprised to find that it was completely transparent. It had quite the collection of strange looking fish, however, I ignored them for the time being and formed a cup with my hand.
The water was cold, colder than I expected it to be. Now that I thought about it, the air felt a few degrees colder than inside of the forest too, not to mention the snow-capped mountain in the distance, it was rather peculiar.
I pushed those thoughts aside, as hydrating myself was of the utmost importance.
As I brought my hand towards my open mouth, something zipped by my ear. I looked up and saw the back of an arrow sticking out of the river bank across from me.
'Shit! Not now!'
I turned around and summoned my dagger.
A figure approached from the tree line, holding a bow with a drawn arrow aimed at me.
As the sun reflected off the arrow's tip, the figure emerged.
I lowered my dagger immediately.
"Oh, thank God!"
The figure tilted her head in confusion at the strange display, however, she remained on high alert.
I, on the other hand, was filled with relief and astonishment.
'Haha. What are the odds? If I didn't know any better, I'd believe that I was the protagonist of this world's story.'
I was two for two.
Instead of a second goblin encounter that would ultimately lead to a deadly battle, I encountered another beauty. A blonde-haired bombshell whose race rhymes with shelf….
Standing before me was a fair-skinned curvaceous blonde, wearing a tight fitted sea green crop top and mini skirt, paired with white knee-high boots.
Which is very functional in the forest of course… But who cares.
'Oh wait, she shot at me.'
I stared at the tip of the arrow, then shifted my gaze directly below it…subconsciously.
The woman coughed, which prompted me to look up at her flushed face. She was beautiful beyond words.
A long thick braid of silky blonde hair rested over her left shoulder. She appeared to be in her early twenties, however I knew that Elves had ridiculously long-life spans, so it was impossible for me to determine how old she was at a glance.
Unlike Sheahran and I, this woman was an authentic anime Elf.
'Damn…she's adorable. I could never get that sort of reaction from Sheahran'
I grinned in satisfaction.
She narrowed her piercing blue eyes at me.
The Elven woman scanned my body intently, her gaze lingering on certain places longer than others.
"I probably look quite menacing to you, don't I?"
She stared at my face with a complex expression.
"The blood belongs to me"
I dropped the dagger and slowly raised both arms in the air.
"And I mean you no harm, I simply want to have a drink of water, if that's alright"
"I-It most certainly is not!" she responded with a stutter.
"I don't mean to offend, but would a simple sip of water be that big of a deal?"
She took a deep breath then exhaled.
"You are trespassing on Nasu territory. All resources within our borders belong to our tribe. No outsider is permitted to partake of them" she replied.
'This is Elven territory? What does that mean for the goblin scouts I killed earlier?
'Do they share a border with the goblins?...Now's not the time for that'
"I understand. Please forgive my intrusion, it was not intentional"
"You say that you understand, yet you still intended to drink" she remarked, pulling on the bow string as she said it.
I sighed.
"That's not what I meant… Hey, can we start over? What is your name? Can you at least tell me that?"
"I swear that I am no threat to you"
I kicked the dagger to the side while maintaining eye contact with her. I wanted to show her that I would not do anything rash.
I kept my hands in the air, smiling as I slowly sat down, bending both of my knees.
She glanced at the dagger, which was completely out of my reach, then back down at me. I could see subtle hesitation in her eyes.
"Why did you enter the Sacred Forest? How did you pass through the barrier? And why are you covered in blood?" she asked.
"Hey now, I asked you for your name, didn't I?"
"You are in no position to make demands, outsider!" she said.
"I am not demanding but asking. How are we going to have a conversation as equals if we don't know each other's names?"
Her eyes widened. The grip on her bow string loosened a little, and the tip of her arrow lowered.
"I simply wish to talk. If you don't like what I say, you can shoot me. I wouldn't hold it against you"
That was a lie. I would totally hold it against her, I've been injured enough for one day,
I just wanted to make her as comfortable as possible.
She's the first person native to this world that I've encountered, so I needed to make her trust me.
"My name is Ferine" she said after a brief pause.
I smiled. "You have a beautiful name"
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed bright red.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Ferine, my name is Mikhail"
'Is this what I looked like when Sheahran did it to me?'