NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 13: First Time Ever
After just about an hour, the familiar cold and monotonous voice of the System proved the usefulness of the skills that he had bought and upgraded.
[Acquired potential "Archery" (F-)]
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[Archery] (F-) (!)
Description: Archery is one of the most powerful and mobile combat arts. This is the first time you've touched a bow in your life. But everything has to start from zero!
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"Oh, we did it, Fumiya!" Ryoshu cheered with his favorite bow pet thingy...
Anyways, Ryoshu channeled Mana into it, and the sand flew out to embrace his hair. 'Perhaps it's even happier than I am... Haha.' He tried to hug it to express his intense love for cute things. But since it had no physical body, that was impossible, so instead, Ryoshu decided to praise it: "You did great, Fumiya."
Getting a new potential made him much more excited. Because when playing games, what Ryoshu wanted to see most was the process and numbers becoming larger. Perhaps that's why most people really like genres like idle or clicker games and RPG leveling games.
'It wasn't a waste to buy these two skills.' While thinking to himself, he aimed at the target. "Just from the first two basic skills, I've unlocked three—no, two new skills. This is what you call a good investment! System, show me my Magic potential." Ryoshu spoke into the void while the sand was still coiling around him, making it look puzzled by his sudden monologue.
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[Magic] (F) (!)
Description: You are on the path of a mage. Just starting out, you've already achieved very admirable accomplishments! Continue to pursue the path of a mage!
-Mana Concentration (Level II)
Increases the effectiveness of your Mana concentration ability by 7.5%.
-Mana Transformation (Level I) (!)
Increases the effectiveness of your Mana transformation ability by 3%.
-Fire Magic (Apprentice) (!)
Description: Fire is the most common element, but its power cannot be underestimated. With the intelligence of a mage, the flame will burn even stronger. And you are just beginning to grasp how to create that flame.
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'Everything is going in the right direction.'
Ryoshu smiled proudly at his progress.
----0w0----
Whoosh. Ryoshu released his grip. The arrow immediately flew out, slicing through the wind smoothly. It drew a straight line to the target he had drawn on the tree.
Thunk.
The arrow pierced straight into the tree trunk, landing just below the center and only about two or three centimeters away from it. This was the first time he had shot so close to the target.
[Potential "Archery" has ranked up to rank F!]
When the Archery skill rose to a new rank, Ryoshu's mind seemed to sink into the void, and a quantity of new knowledge entered his brain. That enormous amount of information almost made him faint on the spot.
'That was just reaching rank F... and it's already like this...' Ryoshu thought about the scenario of the potential reaching a whole new rank, meaning rank E in his case, and wondered how much more it would be.
'When I reach rank E, what new skill will I unlock?'
Ryoshu was very excited, imagining that he would receive a new skill. Because it was a reward for those who continuously strive to rise to a new rank. And usually, that skill would be quite related to what Ryoshu had done at the previous rank, so it would be even more suitable for his fighting style.
Despite being eager, he knew better than anyone how difficult the process of reaching a new rank was.
After practicing all morning, he was quite tired, so Ryoshu rested for a while and took the opportunity to get more water from the stream to quench his thirst. "Fumiya, you did well, now let's rest a bit." At the same time, he didn't forget to summon the soul of his weapon.
The sand flew out, not as energetically as in the morning, so Ryoshu guessed it was quite weary. It just lay lazily on his pitch-black hoodie, before his laughter, which was no less tired than the sand.
"I guess we're not too different from each other. Haha. Let's eat something." Ryoshu made the suggestion based on his stomach's demanding rumbles.
'Come to think of it, since yesterday I haven't put anything in my mouth... I mean food, not a bunch of... that stuff.' Ryoshu recalled eating the seven-year-old ginseng root and felt so disgusted that it gave him goosebumps.
"Today I really crave meat... How about hunting some wild animals? It'll be like practicing archery too, right?"
Ryoshu took the Hidden Mask from his space ring and put it on. And taking the opportunity to use the reflection on the water's surface to look, he couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the mask.
It made the aura around him look much less terrible. Ryoshu tried taking it off while still looking down at that natural mirror.
"Ugh, it looks much more horrible. I didn't used to look this bad... but at least I know the mask works pretty well."
Ryoshu put the mask back on again and this time looked at the stat panel to see if there were any changes.
[Charm: 6 (Unranked)]
But as soon as he held or revealed his face even a little, the mask would immediately lose its effect and no longer add stat points.
'So it can't be exploited that way... What a pity.'
Ryoshu put it back on properly and began to search for his target, or rather, both his lunch and dinner. Ryoshu remembered the location of some unranked mutant rabbits around here.
As he approached the spot, Ryoshu had already spotted his first victim in this world... including the real world outside. A brilliantly white rabbit with cherry-colored eyes was enjoying the lush green grass peacefully with no one to disturb it... At least until soon.
Although it was regrettably quite cute, his stomach completely opposed the idea of giving up the next meal. Ryoshu immediately channeled Mana into the mask he was wearing to try out its invisibility function.
Right after that, Fumiya transformed back into a bow in Ryoshu's hands as he got into an archery stance. But this time, he did it very quickly and efficiently without having to make many corrections.
'Almost no unnecessary movements... Is this the effect of Super Memory, right? Doing things so smoothly feels somehow satisfying, doesn't it?' Ryoshu felt quite excited about his rapid progress.
This time, Ryoshu tried to concentrate Mana into the arrowhead to increase its damage. At first, the Mana stream refused to go, but later it gradually enveloped the bow and emitted a bluish-white color around the arrow.
Although he wanted to try this feeling a little longer, Ryoshu's hand was getting more tired, so he had to release the arrow. The arrow drew a straight and decisive line, but instead of hitting its head and causing instant death, it pierced straight into its leg.
'Oh no! I missed the shot!'
But contrary to his panic, the rabbit, although crying out in great pain, couldn't escape because the arrow had pierced its leg and penetrated quite deeply into a portion of the soil underneath, acting as a stake in the ground.
The snow-white bunny that had been enjoying its breakfast deliciously was suddenly disturbed by an inexperienced hunter. It didn't know what to do other than writhe in pain as blood flowed from its leg more and more, painting a deep red of fresh blood around its favorite grassy patch.
Ryoshu felt quite sorry for it because, due to his incompetence, he had to endure this unnecessary and somewhat inhumane pain.
"I'm really sorry." Ryoshu quickly went to the rabbit and pulled out the slightly rusty katana. Then he used all his strength to reach out while the rabbit was still crying out in pain.
And just a second later, it was cut in half. Fresh blood splattered onto the already crudely painted picture, making it look chaotic. But fortunately, those blood drops didn't splash onto Ryoshu, so his clothes remained safe.
Looking at the blood scattered everywhere made Ryoshu feel quite nauseous. However, Ryoshu still forced himself to look at the rabbit's corpse for a while with that terrible mood, as if wanting to pray for its soul to be at peace.
His hands, when clasped together, shook like a trembling leaf. Even Ryoshu himself could see his own cowardice and couldn't contain it anymore.
But then Ryoshu's hungry stomach betrayed his emotions. His instincts had almost completely suppressed the remorse for that rabbit. Ryoshu took off his hoodie to prepare to process it.
He picked up the knife while his hands were still shaking with fear.
Just in a moment when he let his guard down, something flew out from the bushes and delivered a direct blow to his chest.
Ryoshu was thrown back several meters. He rolled miserably on the ground.
And only when his back hit a tree trunk did he stop shifting on the ground.
Ryoshu clutched his chest tightly and tried to breathe desperately. His tears didn't obey him and kept flowing uncontrollably. Perhaps that kick had directly impacted both his heart and lungs at the same time.
But it seemed that the owner of that sudden kick didn't really intend to aim at his stomach. It was more like it accidentally kicked that spot. The evidence was that it could have completely attacked his head directly, the most important part of a human.
Ryoshu struggled to find his breath while writhing to sit up to see who had kicked him.
And what caught the terrified boy's eye was another rabbit, though it was a head larger than the other rabbit but a thousand times fiercer. It was standing in front of its fellow's corpse as if trying to protect its child.
"Damn it, does the game need to be this realistic?!"
Finally, Ryoshu regained his composure. He quickly took rapid breaths, filling his lungs that were extremely deprived of oxygen.
Ryoshu angrily summoned the bow again and aimed to shoot at it as quickly as possible.
The monster, seeing this, became even more ferocious. It charged straight at him.
'How is it so fast?!'
Its Agility stat must be at rank E or higher. Ryoshu couldn't aim at it.
Especially when it both approached and dodged from side to side to continuously disorient him in a dizzying manner. And his mind right now wasn't very clear either.
But even so, Ryoshu still formulated a proper plan in his head. He stubbornly kept aiming straight at it while the rabbit was getting closer and closer.
6 meters, 5 meters, 3 meters, It activated the Speed Dash skill, the special move it had used earlier to kick him. In just a moment, it had shortened the distance of 3 meters to half a meter and was proudly charging right in front of him.
But before Ryoshu could do anything, it launched a kick aimed straight at his stomach again.
Thud.
Once again, fresh blood splattered everywhere and onto both opponents. But those bloodstains weren't his, but the rabbit's. It was motionless in mid-air, and what held it was a short knife that Ryoshu had ready in his hand just now.
The rabbit seemed to have realized its inevitable end. It looked at him with hatred. And perhaps love is a much stronger force than hatred when, in its final moments, it still tried to turn and look at its fellow despite the fact that this action would further open its wound and cause more bleeding, leading to a quicker death.
Ryoshu did nothing but stood frozen, observing them. He had completely regained his composure after his lungs had received enough oxygen. Ryoshu's mind gradually became clearer, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.
But he realized that he had been a spectator for quite some time and began to move his bruised body.
Instead of holding the knife, Ryoshu lifted the rabbit up so that its wound wouldn't tear any further. The white rabbit, having lost too much blood, couldn't do anything anymore and ignored him to focus on finishing its unfinished business.
Ryoshu carried it very gently and walked to where the young rabbit he had mercilessly killed was. Then, he knelt down and placed the dying rabbit so they lay next to each other.
The mother rabbit realized his intention, and now it looked at him with a gaze that held some gratitude. But he thought it was looking at him with pity. Because now he still had to continue living in this world full of death and fear.
Next, it looked at the other rabbit, and something was flowing from its eyes, but it wasn't very clear. Later, its tears became more apparent. No, those were Ryoshu's tears that accidentally fell on its body.
Ryoshu realized this and immediately wiped his face so they wouldn't fall on them anymore. But he still didn't close his eyes and let the remaining tears flow down his cheeks.
Ryoshu was still kneeling before them with both hands gripping his knees. His body trembled violently with his chaotic emotions that couldn't be expressed in words. Ryoshu's lips stammered as he tried to say something but couldn't.
"I-I... s-sorry." Finally, Ryoshu could only whisper what he wanted to say, fearing that if he spoke louder, his voice would shatter completely like his current emotions.
The sky had turned pitch black without notice and was now releasing its first raindrops. The ground around the two rabbits began to turn dark brown as if it was softening before his pain. Ryoshu strained his voice at the current scene and repeatedly apologized in words that the rabbits couldn't understand.
"I-I'm s-so sorry."
But the mother rabbit was no longer alive. It had closed its eyes and died while embracing the body of its child, which was no longer intact. Now the two rabbits had completely passed away peacefully. That's what Ryoshu wanted to believe, but it was hard to lie so blatantly.
He could no longer control his tears and let them pour down along with the sound of rain. Ryoshu screamed, and with that, the rain began to pour harder.
It started to rain much harder.
And the sound of the late summer downpour drowned out the extreme screams of the boy but... couldn't soothe his crying heart.
For the first time in over two years, Ryoshu had finally rediscovered his human side.