“Looks like nobody’s around. Finally!” Corvin sighed, confirming with Echolocation that the area was free of enemies.
“Nera, let’s go steal some fruits while the harpies are gone and maybe repay a debt.” He led her along the trail where the Cave Boa had passed earlier, and goblins followed, leaving a trail of small footprints, until they reached a familiar narrow crevice.
The two squeezed through. Nera slipped easily, but Corvin had to exhale hard to push his way in. His body, now more muscular and defined after leveling up, made tight spaces a challenge.
Once through, he saw the small lake and the two trees still heavy with red fruits.
[Recovery Apple (Uncommon)]
When eaten, removes fatigue and restores vitality.
50 Health recovered per minute for five minutes.
No wonder that harpy was guarding this place. This is worth a fortune.
“Nera, my child, how about Daddy treats you with a sweet present?” Corvin grinned, leaping up the tree and tossing a red apple toward her. Nera opened her maw wide, crushed the apple, and swallowed it whole. Her eyes widened with joy as she grabbed another, savoring the taste this time.
“Eat as much as you want. Daddy’s keeping watch for any damn harpies,” Corvin called out, taking a bite himself. His eyes popped wide. “Holy, this is unbelievable! I can feel my mind clearing with one bite. Even my body aches are melting away!”
He shouted in delight as he began tossing as many fruits as he could into his storage.
For the better part of an hour, he and Nera feasted on the red fruits and drank fresh water from the lake.
“Ah, I feel as good as new. Well then… my first day in this world sure has been crazy. Almost died multiple times. Honestly, this feels like my second life. The last fight was way too close. I was down to less than 5 HP when the system recovery kicked in… I need to be more careful.” He sighed, then glanced at Nera resting nearby.
“For a deadly huge snake, you sure are cute.” He petted her head. I’ve lost my damn mind; a snake is cute to me now. Well… I am her father, I guess? He chuckled.
“We should find a place to spend the night. The caves could be dangerous; who knows if another goblin group will show up?” He stood and stretched.
“Nera, let’s go. If we find nothing safer, we’ll return to the caves.” Corvin motioned for the serpent to follow as they retraced their steps through the crevice.
***
The two moved northwest, farther from the caves and the place where Corvin had first appeared; he didn’t want to risk running into other monstrous enemies there.
They advanced slowly, pausing whenever his Echolocation was on cooldown, until they finally left the rocky terrain. Night descended, activating their Nocturnal skills to the fullest, making them faster and stronger than during the day.
“Let’s head into those woods. We might find shelter there,” Corvin said, pointing toward a stretch of towering forest whose trees looked massive and ancient.
Nera hissed in approval, and the two rushed forward at full speed, leaving a cloud of dust behind.
“Wooow… I’ve never seen trees this big before. How is this possible?” Corvin stared upward, barely able to see the tops as they entered the woods. This forest must be older than all of Eryndral. None of the books ever mentioned trees this massive, and even when I traveled with Boridus, I never saw anything this majestic. I need to figure out what this Tutorial Realm really is, he thought, his mind racing.
Nera nudged his leg lightly.
“Yes, you’re right, we should keep moving,” he nodded, and they ventured deeper into the forest.
They walked for half an hour before finding a colossal oak with sprawling branches.
“Let’s climb up there. I don’t sense anything dangerous nearby, and the higher we are, the safer we’ll be,” Corvin explained as Nera hissed softly in agreement.
The two climbed with ease until they reached a broad branch, at least two meters wide, with plenty of space for both to rest.
“Let’s try to sleep. You’ve had no time to rest since you were born, you poor, poor, violent baby,” Corvin chuckled as Nera coiled around a smaller branch above him.
He tried to stay awake, guarding her, but exhaustion overcame him despite the restorative fruits he’d eaten earlier. After a day filled with life-and-death struggles, simply lying in a safe place pulled him into a dreamland.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Above him, Nera kept watch for a while, until she, too, drifted into sleep.
***
Early the next morning, warm rays pierced through the thick branches and foliage, stirring Corvin awake.
“I fell asleep… damn it.” He sat up quickly, checking himself and then Nera, who still slept peacefully above him.
Look at her… Who would’ve guessed she’s already as strong as a Rare Icon wielder, and she’ll only grow stronger from here. Amazing. He smiled, but the smile soon faded into a frown as he checked his own status. “Still not enough. I need to be stronger… strong enough to kill them all.” His face darkened slightly.
“Nera, get up, you lazy snake! Time to find breakfast,” he called out, keeping his voice low so as not to attract nearby beasts.
Nera slowly opened her yellow eyes, blinking as sunlight bathed her dark scales and warmed her cold body. She shifted her head out of the light and stared at Corvin.
“Hungry? Fine. Here.” He tossed her an apple, which she devoured instantly, shaking her body in delight.
“She sure loves sweet things, huh? Haha.” Corvin laughed warmly. Despite the danger surrounding him, he felt a strange joy, finally free, living on his own terms, and fighting for survival. Having an innocent, mischievous companion made it even better. For someone who had longed for true companionship, this bond was priceless.
“Nera, let’s go. Time to catch some real food, and after that, I’ll show you how to make fire,” he said proudly.
The two descended the tree and began exploring the ancient woods.
They moved through the maze of towering trees until they spotted prey, a Silverhorn Deer grazing on a grassy patch, unaware of the predators lurking in the shadows.
“Nera, just watch,” Corvin smirked, pulling out a spear.
He whispered, “Spear Throw,” focusing his mind on the deer. His body moved instinctively, channeling all his strength as he hurled the weapon with explosive force, his form like a living bow.
The spear flew in a perfect arc, piercing the deer’s neck and driving it into the ground with brutal precision.
[Critical Hit!]
[Instant Kill]
“Did you see that? Daddy’s the best hunter in the land!” Corvin laughed triumphantly as he dashed forward, retrieving the deer and storing his spear.
Corvin then swiftly returned to the woods where Nera waited.
“This is our food for today. Let me prepare the meat first. You know, I had to do this for those bastards every single time, ‘Corvin, skin the monster. Corvin, drag the beasts out. Corvin, why are you bleeding all the time?” He spat on the ground, his voice dripping with bitterness, while Nera tilted her head, unsure why he was upset.
“Fuckers… Corvin this, Corvin that. Can you believe it, Nera? Before all this, Daddy was a nice kid, very polite. And look at me now. My mother would lose her mind if she saw me talk like this. But such is life, born a noble, destined to be a crazy mole-man in the forest.” He rambled as he began skinning the deer with his new curved blade.
Nera watched as he worked with practiced ease, skinning and butchering the beast precisely. He used two spears to suspend the deer by its front legs while he cut and stored the meat in his inventory, already tested with apples to keep food fresh.
“Now, Nera, observe.” Corvin grinned proudly as the serpent rose above his crouched form. He gathered a pile of dry leaves, encircled them with a mound of dirt, and placed a wide strip of bark at the bottom. Then, using a stick as a drill, he rubbed his hands vigorously.
The stick spun faster than ever, thanks to his newfound strength, producing a tiny ember that ignited the leaves within minutes.
Nera’s eyes widened in amazement.
Holy shit… This never worked so fast. Usually takes me half an hour. Damn, this new body is useful. Corvin grinned as he added dry branches to the fire.
*** Skill Unlocked: Ember Lv. 1 (Active) ***
Produces a weak flame. Useless for combat.
Cooldown: 1 second
Mana Cost: 50 Mana
“Haha, look at that! This system turns everything into a skill. But fifty mana for a tiny ember? Seriously?” He sighed, though gratitude lingered in his voice; the system made survival easier, even if only a little.
“Okay, Nera, time for breakfast!” He cheered, carving sticks with his scimitar and skewering chunks of meat to roast over the fire. He prepared dozens, knowing Nera’s appetite.
Soon, the aroma of roasted meat filled the air.
“Here, taste this.” He slid the meat off the stick and served it on a large leaf.
Nera gulped it down instantly, hissing in satisfaction.
“I’m not even sure you can taste anything… but oh well, cooked is better for you anyway,” Corvin muttered, lost in thought.
He continued feeding her, taking bites himself. After nearly an hour, Nera was finally full.
“Damn, you can eat! Well, I must say, it was really tasty. That meat was top quality.”
He savored a few more bites, enjoying the mouthwatering flavor, when a familiar chime echoed.
*** Skill Unlocked: Cooking Lv. 1 ***
Increases the chance of prepared food being tasty. Higher levels may unlock extra properties.
Corvin read the pop-up and nodded. By now, he had a rough understanding of how the system worked: whatever he did efficiently would eventually become a skill, active or passive.
“Okay, time to move. Who knows what kind of beast this smell might attract? Let’s head further north and see what we can hunt to level up. Once we hit at least the high fifties, I want to return and investigate that area where the goblins came from. Might find something tied to that map piece, and also, I need to have my revenge on that damn harpy.” He ground his teeth.
He had decided to hunt down the other pieces after all. He still had no clue how to obtain a class, but since he was gaining skills anyway, he didn’t care much, though leaving without a class wasn’t an option.
Tremor! Tremor!
The ground shook violently, and Nera shivered like a leaf in the wind.
“What the hell now?” Corvin barked as Nera whipped her tail toward the meadow behind him.
He turned and froze.
A massive lizard was charging toward them from the clearing where they had hunted the deer. Its head was enormous, lined with countless jagged teeth. Two small forearms twitched against its chest, while powerful hind legs propelled its bulk forward. A spiked tail lashed behind it like a living weapon.
[Lesser Earth Drake Lv. 342] [HP: 117,464 / 117,464] [MP: 3,500 / 3,500]
“Aaaaaaaaah! Fuck my life! Ruuuuuun, Neraaaaaa!” Corvin screamed, snatching the frozen serpent and tossing her over his back as he bolted at full speed.
Behind them, the colossal drake barreled forward, crushing smaller trees like twigs.
Then the earth erupted, massive spikes shot from the ground, tearing through the soil as the monster unleashed its fury.
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