Ryan walked through the forest clearing he had cut days ago, the area now resembling the future of a dirt road. He paused for a moment, surveying his work with a sense of satisfaction.
"Now that I think about it," Ryan muttered, "let's check my character profile."
He tapped the air, bringing up the holographic menu, and navigated to the Character tab. The screen displayed his stats and attributes:
[Name: Ryan James Cooper
Gender: Male
Traits: Creative, Strategic, Gray Morality, Funny, Observant, Eloquent, Industrious, Iron-Willed…
Customization Points: 56
Customize (100 Customization Points Required)
Construction: Level 7.3
Mining: Level 7
Plants: Level 7.6
Animals: Level 7.1
Cooking: Level 7.1
Crafting: Level 7.4
Artistic: Level 4
Combat (Melee): Level 7
Combat (Ranged): Level 7.1
Medicine: Level 3
Social: Level 10
Intellectual: Level 7
Magic (locked): Level 0]
Ryan frowned as he scanned the screen. "After all that, it only increased a little? Ugh… It's really hard to level up the attributes, isn't it?"
He sighed, closing the window with a swipe of his hand. "Well, at least I'm halfway to unlocking customization again. Let's continue what we came here for."
Ryan focused, muttering under his breath, "Enable hunt mode."
[Hunt Mode: Enabled]
The world around him shifted slightly, his vision now overlaid with holographic details—highlighted tracks, potential prey, and environmental cues. Ryan moved silently through the forest, his camouflage robe blending seamlessly with the foliage. His bow was at the ready, an arrow nocked and waiting.
Much later, Ryan crouched inside a bush, his eyes locked on his target—a fawn grazing peacefully in a small clearing. His vision displayed details of the creature:
[Luminhart Fawn
Distance: 43 meters]
Ryan's focus sharpened, the holographic crosshairs and predicted projectile path shrinking as he adjusted his aim. He aimed slightly higher, accounting for the parabolic arc of the arrow. The wind speed was stable, and the trajectory line showed a clear path to the fawn's vital area.
With a steady breath, Ryan released the arrow. It flew through the air with a soft whoosh, striking the fawn in the belly. The creature let out a pained cry and bolted, the arrow still lodged in its side.
"Yes!" Ryan whispered, a grin spreading across his face. "I haven't had deer meat in a while. Let's just follow it. Sooner or later, it'll go down."
Ryan moved quickly but quietly, following the trail of blood and disturbed foliage left by the wounded fawn. The hunt mode highlighted the tracks, making it easier for him to stay on course. After an eventful scouting session, he finally spotted the fawn lying in a patch of tall grass, its breathing labored and its eyes wide with fear.
Ryan approached cautiously, his stone knife in hand. He knelt beside the fawn, his expression softening. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "It had to be you. Let me end your misery."
With a swift and precise motion, Ryan ended the fawn's suffering. He placed the corpse in his inventory, the system automatically storing it for later use.
As Ryan stood and brushed himself off, he couldn't help but reflect on the hunt. "It's not just about survival," he muttered. "It's about respect. I take what I need, but I don't waste it. That's the balance."
He glanced at the forest around him, the sunlight filtering through the trees. "Still, it's not easy. Every hunt, every step forward, it's a reminder of how far I've come—and how far I still have to go."
As Ryan made his way back to his cabin, the forest around him was eerily quiet. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird. But then, a noise broke the silence—guttural chattering and the clinking of crude weapons. Ryan froze, his instincts kicking in.
His eyes scanning the area. Without hesitation, he climbed the nearest tree, his movements swift and silent. He settled on a sturdy branch, the leaves providing ample cover as he waited for the source of the noise to approach.
Through the foliage, Ryan spotted them—three small, green humanoid creatures with long ears, hooked noses, and goat-like eyelids. They were naked except for loincloths, their wiry bodies carrying crude weapons: two held spears, and the third wielded a short sword. Their eyes darted around, their movements furtive and predatory.
"Shit! Goblins," Ryan whispered, his mind racing. "Where did they come from? They must be looking for that deer. Sucks for you."
He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. "Enable combat mode," he whispered.
[Hunt Mode: Disabled]
[Combat Mode: Enabled]
[AI Assisted: Melee Only]
Ryan's vision shifted, the goblins now highlighted through the obstacles. The system displayed their positions clearly:
[Goblins: 3
Distance: 8, 6, 5 meters]
"This still feels like a damn cheat code," Ryan thought, a wry smile tugging at his lips. He pulled two arrows from his quiver, biting one between his teeth as he nocked the other. His focus narrowed, the holographic crosshairs and predicted projectile path shrinking as he aimed at the goblin farthest away—8 meters.
He let go of the arrow, the projectile flying through the leaves with a soft whoosh. It struck the goblin square in the head, the creature collapsing instantly with a gurgling cry.
The remaining goblins screeched in their gibberish language, their heads whipping around as they searched for the attacker. Ryan quickly nocked the second arrow, aiming at the goblin 6 meters away. The creature was readying its spear, its eyes wide with panic.
Ryan focused again, the holographic circle shrinking as he adjusted his aim. He released the arrow, and it struck the goblin in the chest. The creature stumbled, crying out in pain as it fell to its knees.
The third goblin, now only 5 meters away, spotted Ryan and pointed its sword at him, spouting curses in its guttural tongue. Ryan didn't need to understand the words to know the creature was furious.
"He must be cursing me," Ryan thought, his grip tightening on his bow. But he knew close-quarters combat was inevitable. He stashed his bow in his inventory and drew his stone knife, his heart pounding as he prepared to jump.
Close-Quarters Combat:
Ryan leaped from the branch, lunging at the goblin with his knife. But the creature panicked, dodging sloppily to the side. Ryan landed hard, the impact knocking the wind out of him. He struggled to get up, his muscles protesting as the goblin laughed, its voice high-pitched and mocking.
The goblin raised its sword, preparing to strike. Ryan's vision flashed with a holographic prediction of the slash. He braced himself, his body moving almost instinctively as the AI-assisted combat mode guided his actions.
As the goblin slashed downward, Ryan lunged to the left, dodging the attack. He countered with a swift stab to the goblin's side, his stone knife sinking into its flesh. The creature staggered, its blood dripping onto the forest floor. Fear washed over its face as it turned and ran.
"I can't let it get away," Ryan thought, his mind racing. "There are probably more of them, and I can't afford a goblin raid yet."
He quickly grabbed the spear from the fallen goblin, heaving it upward with all his strength. The spear flew in a perfect parabolic arc, striking the fleeing goblin in the back. The creature let out a final, gurgling cry before collapsing.
Aftermath:
Ryan stood there for a moment, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. The forest was silent once more, the only sound the faint rustling of leaves in the wind.
"Hoooh," he sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. "That was quite an eventful day. Still, I'm glad I balanced my attributes rather than specializing in one field."
He glanced at the fallen goblins, his expression a mix of relief and grim satisfaction. "Guess I'll have to keep an eye out for more of them. Goblins don't usually travel alone."
Ryan collected his arrows and the goblins' weapons, stashing them in his inventory. He took one last look around before continuing his journey back to the cabin, his mind already racing with plans to fortify his home and prepare for future threats.
Ryan walked through the forest, his mind racing as he processed the encounter with the goblins. The adrenaline from the fight was fading, replaced by a growing sense of curiosity and determination. He glanced at the crude iron weapons he had collected from the fallen goblins, his fingers tracing the rough edges of a spearhead.
"The goblins came from the north," Ryan muttered, his voice low as he pieced together the clues. "But I haven't spotted any goblin settlements when I surveyed the area. If my hunch is right—and the fictional books I've read are anything to go by—they must have come from the mountains."
A slow, almost creepy smile spread across his face. "Which means… a cave." He chuckled softly, the sound devious and full of mischief. "Hehehe, they have weapons—iron weapons. That means there's an iron deposit near their settlement. Heheheh, if I play this right, instead of hunting animals, I'll hunt for goblins and their iron weapons instead. Heehehehe, it's my lucky day. Finally, my long-awaited world domination is near. Hahahaha!"
The system's voice interrupted his maniacal laughter, its tone dry and unimpressed. [Host, you're being too creepy.]
Ryan froze, his laughter cutting off abruptly. He blinked, his expression shifting from devious to sheepish. "Ahhh… sorry," he said, composing himself. "I should aim for world peace and protect the weak."
His face softened, adopting a heroic expression as he straightened his posture. "Let's get these goblin weapons stored. The iron scrap in them isn't nearly enough, but it's a start. I'll also make wooden spike traps around my cabin, just in case. I can't be too complacent with my peace here. I had nearly forgotten the threats this world had to offer. I underestimated it too much."
As Ryan continued walking, his mind shifted to practical matters. "First, I need to secure my cabin. Goblins are sneaky little bastards, and if they find my home, it's game over. Wooden spike traps should do the trick for now. I'll also need to reinforce the walls and maybe set up some early warning systems."
He glanced at the iron weapons in his inventory, his thoughts turning to the possibilities. "If there's an iron deposit near the goblin settlement, that changes everything. I can finally start building more advanced tools and machines. A blast furnace, steel ingots, maybe even a proper forge. But I'll need to be careful. Goblins might be weak individually, but in numbers, they're dangerous."
Ryan's expression grew serious as he considered the risks. "I can't just charge in blindly. I'll need to scout the area, figure out their numbers, and plan my approach. Maybe I can set up some traps or lure them out one by one. Either way, I need to be smart about this."
As he neared his cabin, Ryan's thoughts turned inward. "I underestimated this world too much. I thought I could just farm, build, and live peacefully. But the forest isn't just trees and animals—it's full of dangers I haven't even begun to understand. Goblins, who knows what else is out there?"
He sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I need to be better prepared. More vigilant. More resourceful. I can't afford to let my guard down again."
Ryan reached his cabin, the familiar sight of the wooden structure bringing a sense of comfort. He stored the goblin weapons in his warehouse, making a mental note to sort through them later. Then, he got to work on the spike traps, his movements methodical and precise.