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Chapter Three: The Novice Village
Crow's vision blurred, then cleared as he found himself standing in a vibrant, pixelated village. The crisp green fields stretched out in front of him, dotted with small homes and bustling NPCs. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, and the air felt almost too real. The virtual world had absorbed him entirely.
He took in his surroundings: the Novice Village, where every player started their journey. The only difference? Crow knew everything about this place already—every hidden quest, every NPC with secret abilities, and the best places to grind for experience.
But there was one problem. As much as he wanted to break the game immediately, his stats were just like every other new player's. Weak, insignificant. This wasn't the world where he had evolved into an unstoppable force.
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[Status Window]
Level: 1
Name: Crow
Class: Beast Tamer (SSS Rank)
HP: 100/100
Mana: 50/50
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 10
Charm: 5
Luck: 1
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Talents:
SSS-Rank: Eye of Insight (Works without Levels—Sees hidden truths, weaknesses, and evolution paths.)
SSS-Rank: Unlimited Contracts (Can tame infinite beasts, but no beasts tamed yet.)
SSS-Rank: Hyper Evaluation (Transforms lower beasts into their strongest form—no tamed beasts to evaluate yet.)
SSS-Rank: Infinite Exploration (Can perceive all hidden locations, treasures, and beasts in an area.)
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Crow stared at the numbers on his stat panel. His heart sank. This was not what he expected.
The game had intentionally set the stats of all new players to the bare minimum to maintain balance. It was a world where people were weak at the start, meant to grow through their experiences, and Crow was no different right now.
He clenched his fists. "No matter... this is just a temporary setback."
But there was one thing Crow couldn't ignore: his Eye of Insight. Despite the weakness of his base stats, his Eye of Insight could still analyze anything in the world around him.
As he looked around, his vision sharpened.
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Eye of Insight: Analyzing...
[Novice Village]
Level: 1
NPCs: Limited Knowledge
Hidden Quest Locations: 2
Nearby Beasts: 4 Low-Level Beasts (Level 1-2)
Special Loot: 1 Hidden Chest (Requires Exploration to find)
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Crow grinned. The Eye of Insight never failed him. He could already see the key to advancing quickly in this weak state: Hidden Quests and Nearby Beasts. These early advantages were his to control, and once he got the beasts and resources he needed, he'd be unstoppable.
But for now, he had to stay low and play by the game's rules—at least until he was powerful enough to manipulate it.
A voice in the distance called out:
"New adventurer! Come receive your first quest!"
Crow turned to face the NPC calling to him. It was time to take the first step.
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[To Be Continued…]