Count Vermond rose from his seat, his amber eyes gleaming with determination. His raven-black hair, slicked back, revealed a faint scar above his left brow, a mark of battles long past. As his crimson cloak swayed behind him, he cast a commanding gaze over the gathered nobles.
"We shall expand our land! To the east lies the forest—we will claim it and make it ours!" he declares with authority.
"Count Vermond, even if we successfully claim a territory we would be constantly bombarded with monsters.. Even the kingdom of Allee wont dare to set foot in that forest" a hesitant advisor spoke with unease.
"All the more reason for us to take it. If they fear it, we shall own it. And monsters?" he let out a low chuckle. "Don't make me laugh. Just kill them— it cant be that hard."
"B-But, Count!" The advisor fidgeted with his fingers, his gaze shifting nervously.
Vermond's eyes darkened. He took a slow step forward. "Are you trying to say my decision is wrong?"
The advisor lowers his head. "No... Count"
A slow, creeping smile stretched across Vermond's face.
"Good, Now hurry up and expand our land!" Vermond swings his crimson cloak with superiority. "Bring anyone you need, Including Jaer and his troops with you— I want no unnecessary casualties"
The advisor straightened, his hesitation gone. "Yes, Count"
***
"I'm so tired, I've been walking for so long" I say, my breathing heavy
I glance up and see the river before me, its water sparkling in the fading sunlight, flowing gently.
"Finally... WATER!" I take of my clothes and jump straight into the river.
"SHIT. Its cold! ITS COLD!" I scramble to get out.
I sit on the riverbank, catching my breath. Well, I've been walking for a while and the sun is still out, it should be night soon.
I put my clothes back on— My work uniform a sharp suit and tie...
"THIS IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE"
I throw my blazer and tie into the river, watching it float away.
Now… what the hell do I do? No matter where I go, it's just the same endless stretch of green scenery and trees.
Wait! I'm an engineer! I should be able to build a shelter for myself.. Right?
Yeah! That's right! I'm an aerospace engineer! and a sergeant! this is nothing compared to the amount of suffering I endure in the field!
First, the materials. I'll need wood— that's easy. Rope? I can just use vines! Stone for the foundation, that's simple too... Wait.. How am I gonna do this without tools.....
I grab the tiny toothpick that was given to me, I glance down at the tiny toothpick on my hand.
Hey.. You must be useful, right?! Why else would he give me this?
My face shifts through a series of expressions—anger, confusion, and finally, a stern look—directed at the toothpick in my hand, as if trying to intimidate it into doing something, anything.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Ding
"Huh?"
-----C13314 (TOOTHPICK)-----
[TYPE:WEAPON?]
[RARITY: MYTHICAL]
[DURABILITY: ∞]
-----[Weapon Ability]-----
Piercing Strike: A deadly thrust, capable of piercing even the toughest of defenses—if only it was... larger
Your limit is your imagination: UNLOCKS AT LEVEL 50
---------------------------------
A UI? Well, typical... I've read some books before.. and yet I've never expected to experience it like this. Its like I'm playing an MMORPG.
Mythical? Seriously? This tiny useless thing? It's almost laughable. I look at the Ui that's in front of me... This is gonna be fun!
Hmm.. It has infinite durability. And an ability?
I step forward, holding the toothpick with a tight grip.
Here goes nothing.
"Piercing Strike!" I say, expecting nothing to happen
I thrust it forward, aiming directly at the tree.
Nothing.. Then—
CRACK
A sudden burst of force. The middle of the tree gone. The top the tree begins to fall.
"Shit!" I shout, diving to the side as the massive trunk crashes
I barely avoid the falling branches. The sound of the tree hitting the ground and shaking it. I lay there for a moment, trying to process what just happened.
What the hell?
"HELL YEAH!"
This is gonna make things so much easier. If only it could be bigger.
Using the toothpick, I scramble and collect what materials I can, cutting through branches and logs with surprising ease. The small tool proves useful, at least for now.
I look at the pile of materials, that I've collected already
Wood, done! Stone, done! now, I just need to collect a few more vines.
My stomach growls loudly
...
Right, I still need food.
I sit down, running my hand through my hair, my mind racing. Where the hell am I supposed to find food? I can't just eat leaves—I need proper energy if I'm going to build this house.
Fwoosh
I turn my head just in time, my instincts kicking in. The arrow grazes my cheek, a stinging reminder that I'm not alone.
A goblin suddenly appeared, a small and green creature with pointy ears. It holds a rusty sword.
"Graw aa!"
The goblin charges at me.
"pft... HAAHHAAH"
I couldn't help but laugh at the scene in front of me. The goblin, all puffed up and running at full speed, was already panting heavily after just a few steps.
Its small, round belly wobbled with each stride.
This goblin wasn't exactly the fierce creature I expected. It was... fat.
Thud
The goblin trips himself over.
I walk towards the goblin, I kneel down and with one swift motion using my toothpick Piercing Strike I dispose of him.
Ding
Goblin Defeated +50 xp
LEVEL UP!
I leveled up?
"UI"
----[Main Screen UI]----
Name: Kelvin
Level: 2
EP: 50/95
Class: Former Sergeant (Aerospace Engineer)
Health: 100/100
Mana: 0
Stamina: 11 +3
Strength: 8 +1
Intelligence: 6
Agility: 5 +2
Inventory:
C13314 (Toothpick)Basic Clothes (Work Uniform)
Skills:
Engineering Knowledge (Lv. 1)Basic Combat (Lv. 1)
[Button: System Settings]
[Button: Quest Log]
[Button: Inventory]
[Button: Skills]
---------------------
Sweet, I leveled up and my stats went up. It really is like an MMORPG.
I look back at the goblin
"You should've just used your bow. I wonder if you got lost, don't you guys travel in groups.. Oh well lucky me"
I grab it's bow and "store" the bow, it disappears from my hand
"Inventory"
-----[Inventory]-----
[Bow]
Weapon (ranged)
Rarity: Common
Durability:6/10
---------------------
It should be useful later on.
I quickly made a fire, using the goblin as my food source for now.
The moon is rising. Its cold
I stare at the goblin leg that I'm holding, thinking if Its edible.
Goblin meat, is edible as long as its cooked properly
"Huh? Who said that?"
Oh, come on! It's me. The gu— UI.
"Who?"
"..."
"Oh, well I guess Ill trust you for now."
I quickly bite into the piece of goblin meat, chewing through the tough texture and swallowing it down. It's not great, but it's food.
"Ahh, I'm so full"
I lay down and look at the moon
"This isn't so bad after all, I wonder how many day's it'll take to build a house."
As the cool night air surrounds me, my eyes begin to flutter shut, and before I know it, I've fell asleep.