After committing to memory the map of Crey, Liam returned to the market street he had started in. According to the map, that street cut right through the center of the town and he had started at the Southern end. The town itself was not quite as large as he had originally thought. Supposedly, it was only one of many cities in a large Empire. Although he would have known that if he had bothered to listen to the masked meister, he did not regret ignoring the bastard.

Upon reaching the market street, Liam headed North. After all, he did not want to fight any wolves. Well, Cici had pronounced it differently, but they were basically wolves if Liam's guess was correct.

Oh, I forgot to ask about the military. Actually, on second thought, I think I will stay away from the military here. Fifteen years of service is already enough. Liam thought while sauntering toward the Northern end of town. Some others appeared to be heading the same direction with the same purpose.

Along the way, he took a mental note of any place that caught his eye. There were a few stalls, shops, and restaurants that interested him. Even if he never went to any of them, it was good to know where they were.

Liam neared the northern entrance and noted that there were two armored sentries stationed on top of the gate. While crossing through, he waved to them. Surprisingly, they waved back.

The area outside the city walls was fairly open grassland, probably due to logging. A dirt road led straight toward the forest in the north. From what Liam could tell, it would not take long to reach the edge of the forest. Along the road, there were three paths that branched off toward farmhouses. There were two to the west and one to the east.

“Hmm... it seems corn is in season. Maybe I can obtain some of it later.” Liam muttered while stroking his chin. Of course, when he said 'obtain', what he really meant was 'steal'. A thief's gotta do what a thief's gotta do.

Liam followed the dirt road to the forest edge. Upon reaching it, he admired the several kinds of trees, shrubs, and flowers that grew in the forest. Apparently, the road cut through the forest and continued on to the next city, but his goal was here. He needed to find things to kill.

Now, if only these inexperienced pricks would get lost... Liam thought while glaring at the ignorant adventurers following behind him. There were four of them and they were all chattering excitedly about what kinds of monsters they would get to kill or if any items would drop from them. Honestly, Liam thought they were idiots. For what reason would a monster drop items?

Sharpening his honed senses, he traipsed into the woods. For a few minutes, he set about the task of searching for prey, but still, those young fools followed him. If it was going to be like that, then why not kill them?

Stop it, Liam... don't murder them for no reason. He told himself while taking a deep breath. I'll have to put in effort, anyway, if I want to kill monsters. Losing them can be a warm up.

Deciding such, he accelerated and hustled deeper into the forest. The young people that had been following him were startled by the sudden change and tried to keep up. Although Liam was not sure why they were trying to follow him, he knew they would be a hindrance. The fact that the last few times he had been followed was in the field only served to make matters worse in his mind.

Traversing through the woods with utmost skill, he quickly lost the followers. Since he had now lost them, it was time to head in a different direction. There was limited daylight left and he needed to make the most of it. Weaving his way between trees, he returned to the dirt road, though further down than where he had started. After making sure nobody was around, he darted from the cover of the foliage to the opposite side.

Alright. Time to get serious.

Assuming monsters would actually fight, unlike most wild animals, Liam unsheathed his dagger. The hilt fit snugly in his hand as though it was made just for him. Even the indentations for his fingers were almost perfect. The blade itself was just short of the length of his forearm and was double-edged. It was a good weapon. Recalling his training in using combat knives and similar tools of war, he twirled the blade around his fingers.

Experience with equipped weapon recognized. Adjusting skills.

….....

Skills adjusted.

Experience in stealth recognized. Adjusting skills.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

…...

Skills adjusted.

“What?” Liam spouted in shock. “What the hell? How do I see this update?” Forgetting what he had originally come to the forest for, he tried to figure out how to see his skills. Deciding the best course of action would be to open his status screen, he willed it into his sight.

Status

Name: Liam Foxworth

Age: 33

Primary Class: Thief (Lv.1)

Race: Human

Lv. 1

Available Classes:

Class Description:

HP

100/100

Warrior

Physical melee class

MP

0/0

Strength

15

Dexterity

18

Agility

15

Intelligence

8

Wisdom

14

Charisma

3.1

Luck

2

“It looks like the update had more than just the addition of the Luck attribute...” Liam observed. “...I guess my low luck makes sense. Never had good luck no matter where I was.”

Pursing his lips and stroking his chin, he pondered on how to see his skills. If it was anything like the status screen and inventory screen, then he just needed to think about it. Just as he suspected, a second screen appeared.

Skills

Class Skills

General Skills

Stealth (Passive)

11

Dagger Mastery (Passive)

23

“Whoa... not sure how good that is, but at least I'm starting somewhere. Wait... couldn't this work with all skills? Not sure what else I can do that counts as a skill, but I'll need to experiment with it later.”

Since checking the updates was out of the way, he closed the two screens and resumed his hunt for monsters. Once again, he deftly weaved his way through the forest. However, he was the hunter and not the prey this time.

I wonder if I can see how the stealth skill works. Liam pondered while searching for footprints or skat. Most likely, seeing the skill description was the same as everything else thus far, and he was right in thinking so. While reading the description, he hid underneath a large shrub.

Skill: Stealth

Allows the user to go unnoticed in most situations.

Effect increases proportionately with dexterity and skill level.

Effect increases by 50% when crouched.

Effect increases by 50% when in cover. Increase changes based on cover used.

Effect lessens in proportion to enemy perception.

I see. Would have been nice to have back when we infiltrated the Nazhad stronghold. Liam thought. Now that he knew the precise effects of the skill, he resumed his hunt. Several minutes passed before he found odd footprints he did not recognize. They likely belonged to a monster of some sort and were fresh enough to be worth pursuing.

Lowering himself into a crouching stance, he began crouch running. Technically, he was still crouching, so he hoped the effect from the skill would stay in effect in spite of his increased speed.

Actually, I feel faster than before. Must be from the extra points in agility or something.

Cool wind pushed against him. Trees and shrubs were naught but a small obstacle. Nothing would stand in Liam's way. He was in the zone. Such a feeling was both nostalgic and euphoric.

Several minutes passed like this until he noticed that the ground was becoming rockier. He slowed down in order to more clearly see the strange footprints.

The footprints led him to an outcrop. What had been mostly flat ground sloped down to a central point, a cave. Just within, Liam spotted movement. Most likely, it was the prey he had been seeking. Although it was surprising to find a target so soon, he decided now was the opportune moment. Not much daylight remained, so fighting the monster now seemed like the best choice. Fighting at night was doable, but not ideal.

Crouched behind the tree closest to the cave, he picked up a stone the size of his fist and examined it. This will do, he thought. After preparing himself mentally for combat, he hurled the stone toward the cave. The sound of the stone colliding with rock echoed throughout the cave.

Liam was ready. He was prepared. However, he could never have been ready for a horde of ants the size of a German Shephard.