After leaving the forest, the dawn's light greeted me. I halted my flight.
Having been on the run throughout the night, my lungs were ablaze and my eyes were heavy with exhaustion.
My head was spinning uncontrollably.
An arrow remained stuck in my arm and my severed ear's wound throbbed painfully, pulsing through the left side of my face.
This was the direst condition I've been in since this game started four days ago.
I desperately needed to find a safe place to rest and recover my strength, or better yet, level up quickly.
I found myself standing on a dirt road, a pile of rocks in the distance.
Deciding to inspect the rocks for any potential cover, I was relieved to discover a small cave hidden on the other side, just enough to provide shelter and protection from any potential rain.
Resting on the dry ground and amidst a few twigs, I tore a piece of my t-shirt and fashioned makeshift bandages for my ear and arm, deciding against removing the arrow for fear of worsening the injury.
With temporary relief established, it was time to assess my situation.
Reviewing my profile, I had 15 health points (HP) out of a possible 54 and 7 endurance points (EP) out of a surprising 70.
Was the significant increase in EP because of my improved strength or speed?
In any case, I was in a dire situation.
The most startling realization was that my debt bar was now full, reading 150 out of 150.
Puzzled, I requested the system to show details of my debt point gains.
A single entry popped up: "YOU HAVE KILLED PLAYER H349JJHP5! POINT TOTAL TOO HIGH! YOU GAIN 150 DEBT POINTS!"
Killed? Why? I hadn't killed him; he was alive when I left him battling the monster.
Was it a system glitch? I couldn't bring myself to believe what I was reading.
The prospect that this player might be dead sent a chill down my spine.
The player, despite trying to sell me out, was a human and very strong at that!
His death implied the monster was a real threat, a thought that sent another shiver through me, and I fearfully scanned my surroundings.
Shaking off the grim thoughts, I asked the system to display my experience points (XP) gains.
According to the system, I had gained 30 XP for my first player attack, then 20 XP for my first 20 miles and 30 XP for the following 30 miles.
In total, considering the past conversion of my PP into XP, I had accrued 95 out of the 250 XP needed to reach level 9.
The problem is," I murmured, "I have no idea how to level up besides eating those strange fruits or exploring the map."
I recalled the message on the screen that mentioned quests as a means to level up. But how could I undertake quests?
"Show me how to undertake quests," I demanded, hoping for clarity.
The screen displayed three available quests:
SLAY THE STEPPES BEAR: 105 XP and 35 PP
SELL 20 BLUE BERRIES TO THE SYSTEM: 75 XP and 20 PP
NEGOTIATE WITH ANOTHER PLAYER: 30 XP and 5 PP
Slaying the bear promised the highest rewards, but it seemed perilous.
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Negotiation was unfamiliar territory, and I preferred to avoid encountering another player.
That left me with selling berries.
However, the concept of selling was alien to me, and the term "system" referred to the screen itself?
"How do I sell to the system?" I inquired.
The screen responded: "TO SELL TO THE SYSTEM, SIMPLY SAY 'SELL'! THE SELLING INTERFACE WILL APPEAR ON THE SCREEN!"
So, the screen was indeed called the system.
Intrigued, I decided to give it a try.
A loading screen appeared, the first I had encountered, and after a few seconds, a large empty square appeared.
This was the designated space for selling items.
I picked up a rock, placed it in the square, and it disappeared.
However, the system deemed the rock as valueless, yielding 0 XP and 0 PP.
This straightforward process was encouraging and made me contemplate selling more items later, but for now, I needed rest.
I placed my right ear, the one still intact, on the ground and instantly fell asleep.
.
I awoke after a dreamless sleep with the sun at its zenith, it was 1 PM.
I had slept for 7 hours, restoring 30 EP for a total of 37 EP. But no HP.
The pain in my ear had become more pronounced, and my arm was almost immovable due to the severe pain.
I needed 155 XP, and I needed it fast.
Upon requesting more information about the blueberry quest, the system revealed a location marked in red further north of my position, approximately 5 miles away.
“I should be able to reach it within an hour” I thought. And so, I embarked on my journey.
Throughout my journey, I collected any unique or rare items I stumbled upon to sell to the system.
However, I didn't have much success, a feather and a bird carcass yielded only 1 XP and 1 PP, and 10 XP and 5 PP, respectively.
I was still 138 XP short.
Nevertheless, the selling system was indeed convenient, and I could level up swiftly if I continued this way.
Less than an hour later, I arrived at the area marked in red on the map.
It was roughly 500 yards in diameter, relatively small, and I believed finding the blueberries wouldn't be too difficult.
I explored the forest cautiously, not encountering another tree monster but remaining alert nonetheless. I found some violet berries but no blue ones.
To my surprise, the violet berries sold as antidote berries for 8 XP and 8 PP! I was still suspicious of the fruits the other player gave me, thinking they might be poisonous.
Despite the system not showing any special status, probably due to my lack of perception, I ate three of the violet berries.
The system showed no effect.
Either I wasn't poisoned, or the berries weren't effective against my possible poisoning, but the system didn't provide any further clarification.
All I knew was that I had wasted 12 potential XP.
After converting the 8 PP into XP, I found that I needed only 122 more XP to level up.
After walking a few Yards between the trees, I finally stumbled upon a cluster of bushes.
I approached cautiously, hoping to spot the coveted blue berries.
Disappointingly, none were in sight.
I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for not investing more talent points in perception.
"If only I had asked the screen for detailed information about the objects and plants around me," I mused.
Nevertheless, I reminded myself that my choices had been for survival.
The strength I had cultivated was proving its worth. Movement came easier, and my injuries, though severe, were more manageable.
After about an hour, I decided to rest against a tree, the pain from my arm injury flared again.
The injury was usually bearable, but any pressure exacerbated the pain.
I considered removing the bandage to inspect the wound but decided against it for fear of what I might find.
I needed to find the blueberries quickly, but I had searched everywhere in the area, and there were none.
Thinking about where else I might look, I happened to glance upwards and spotted tiny blue dots on the trees.
Excited, I realized that those were the blueberries I needed! But how was I going to reach them with an injured arm?
Almost instantly, the answer came to me.
The strength I had invested in would come into play.
Approaching the tree, I drew back my fist and punched it with all my might.
The tree shook, dislodging the berries, which fell to the ground.
Though my hand throbbed with pain, the effort proved worthwhile.
I collected all 30 berries, a quantity that should be enough to level up.
Placing the berries in the selling square on the screen, a message appeared: "QUEST COMPLETED: SELL 20 BLUE BERRIES TO THE SYSTEM! GAINS: 75 XP AND 20 PP!"
Perfect, but I hadn't gained any additional rewards beyond the quest's specifications.
Had I been tricked by the system?
Scouring the ground, I discovered a few blue berries I had overlooked earlier.
Placing it in the square for sale, the message displayed: "QUEST BLUE BERRY: 0 XP 0 PP!"
There was no doubt—these berries were solely meant for the quest and held no other value, not even for gaining a few extra points.
I felt a mix of disappointment and satisfaction at successfully completing the quest.
Converting my PP to XP, I checked how many points I still needed to reach the next level—27 XP.
Only 27 XP remained.
The joy of being so close to my goal evaporated as I examined my profile more closely.
I had a mere 3 HP and 7 EP left.
Unbeknownst to me, I was on the brink of death.