[Year 11 Month 2]
Mari has been deeply interested in her learning packet, she has been indulging in it for months, though that ended sadly when the monsters started surging. She had to put herself in their shoes and had to help the wounded.
Though, sadly. It's the only thing she could do. She sometimes asks why God had gifted her a specific skill even though she already knew why. She was good at it and she was the best at it.
But solving numbers could not help right now, she continued helping in a way she could instead. Since the number of monsters in the forest was increasing, the village had to stop foraging. They started cultivating berries but that was too long, way too long.
They don't eat every day so that's an advantage in itself. Right now Mari has to tend several plants and help some farmers prepare food for the yak.
And worst of all, winter. Winter is not so far. She could already feel the cold. Winter is their greatest killer. Their number always gets whittled down every time winter comes.
It's the very same reason why her mother was gone, the only reason she survived is that every adult in the village would gather as much tall grass as they could and bundle them up.
There's only so much work she could've done. She almost blamed Hadro for her sorrow. Good thing she didn't, she was at least now better unlike when her mother passed away.
Mari lifted a stack of leaves, neatly tied by another dried leaf. She huffed and wiped the sweat off her head. Thanks to the Yaks they no longer suffered the same in winter. The arrival of the other tribe was a blessing, they brought yaks, chicken and the Ikkins.
Though their life was better, she still couldn't help but have a bitter feeling, it was probably her mother's time up when she passed away.
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard. Mari was cautious while she was working, their life in the village stoned her of such ability. When she turned around she saw a dark-skinned young man with very familiar orange eyes.
"Lazarus!"
Mari's eyes shone, she liked Lazarus. He was helpful to the village. The title of son of God isn't a thing for him, he enjoys the company of others and is very compassionate.
And all of that, he knows maths! She taught him maths and with that, they shared maths questions as exercises together.
"Hello, Mari. I'm here to help."
"Oh! Thank you!"
"You're welcome." Lazarus gently smiled.
Lazarus helped Mari to carry some stalk up, thanks to his origin he could do so easily. Mari also carried some stalk with her but to a lesser degree.
"So, Lazarus. Have you created another exercise with me?"
"Yep, it's on a piece of bark, you could get it back home later."
"Sweet!" Mari laughed heartily.
The two engaged in small talk while they worked, moving stalks back to the village to prepare for the harsh winter and against the beasts and monsters that roam the forest, meanwhile, Hadro continues his journey.
As he scoured the Abyss he encountered something that reminded him of his past world.
"W-wild rice!"
Out of curiosity, he went northeast and he found a marshland, something that he didn't expect. The marshland probably contained some dangerous animals so he didn't dare explore further.
But that changed once he saw the overly familiar rice stalk, though the rice he has is far from modern times as his rice is darker than usual.
Though, thanks to that addition he could duplicate it through his system. The best case is that the rice is only 0.03 SE which is super cheap!
"Haha! Nice! Going here is worth it!"
But of course, he isn't going to leave peacefully. An animal of old, where humanity has yet to evolve, an animal so ancient crawled and soil split as it went.
Its teeth were crooked, and its savage snout displayed itself as it looked at its prey, a natural-born God. Naturally, Hadro noticed the wild animal. Its scales were rough, displaying its toughness by the number of scratches it had.
Hadro naturally dashed away, running. However, that didn't fix his predicament, he heard some galloping noise just to see the beast running after him.
"WHAT THE HELL!"
Hadro speculated that crocodiles don't hunt on land, and yet the beast was hunting him, clearly set on his flesh. Hadro doesn't want to confront the crocodile but he has heard of Gustave the croc who withstood a machine gun, he doesn't want to stop here and shoot a tree at a fantasy animal while learning that the world he is in is unlike his previous life.
He decided to just use SE to raise the ground to deter the galloping crocodile. But he still heard the gallops so he didn't stop running, his heartbeat dropped when he heard the tiny wall of earth was blasted away by the crocodile.
Hadro suddenly heard a roar-like noise out from the crocodile, it was a deep bellow that could be mistaken for a roar.
Hadro was pretty sure this was different from the Deity he first fought, he was a hundred percent certain that if he threw a rock at an accelerated rate it would just bounce off its scale.
However, he had a spear. A wooden spear.
"Take this you prehistoric fossil!"
He threw a spear at the crocodile, its initial launch velocity is not great, but thanks to Hadro's concept of power 'particle' he has domain over everything. So he accelerated the speed of the spearhead toward the crocodile.
It soared through the air releasing a scream as it hit the beast it was destined to fall. The spear crashed, crunched and released a thunderclap but it didn't stop the beast.
It only made it angry, Hadro noticed that the scale it landed on was starting to change colour. It just bruised the tank and Hadro couldn't be more anxious.
He kept running, though not blindly, he started weaving through the trees to slow the crocodile down. The tactic worked as the beast's speed slowed down as the terrain changed, though not enough to stop it.
Hadro didn't bother stopping the beast, he just continued running and weaving out of the marshland to the forest. He is not adverse to the biology of crocodiles but he is pretty sure that they aren't made to hunt on land and are best only in water.
He also believes that they don't have a strong smell above the water, they aren't meant to hunt on land after all.
He continued running, and sure enough, the beast disappeared out of his worries. Once the beast was out of sight he finally found respite.
Hadro knew he was still powerless, even though his Subject Domain which is Particles is strong and might even seem overpowered, would be useless without SE.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
He needs to save such resources. Anyway, Hadro went back to his Territory and spent his time there to finally do what he came to the Abyss for.
First, he took the frame he had made earlier, properly setting it up to prepare for the next step.
The next part was the easiest, shredding a total of 4 trees and with those, he collected a total of 3 tons worth of pulp. He made a frame with another set of wood and made a mesh made of bark as well.
It was a tedious process but Hadro was fast, his hands and power coalesced with each other and the work that usually would be done in days was done in hours.
He made paper in a matter of hours, he took out the paper from the frame and hung it to dry it out. It would take a while before making a proper sheet of paper.
Hadro then went to create another tool, a charcoal pencil, just burning off the edge and characterising it enough for the item to be recreated.
Hadro looked at the system, he still had a day left. It's better to change the System interface for his followers to better determine their future.
"I'll call this… User Status interface version 1.0"
Right, Hadro noticed this earlier, the system looks exactly like his past life's computer interface. It works exactly like it, but it's more like a game interface than a computer, so it just works like it.
Hadro cracked his neck, a lot of brain power would be placed on this one. He opened his system. It is time to properly make this system accessible.
For it, to be accessible, he willed it to start with a blank slate. But there is something he didn't know.
"W-what!?"
The system disappeared. Not the power of the system, but the interface only. He felt a slight disconnection from his followers.
"Oh shit! I last an entire year here!!"
He wanted to go back to the Material world, but doing that would be stupid, he has yet to finish his time here. Two days, two years. He had to make significant changes or else it would be all for nought.
He started mingling with the blank slate, this was for his worshipers and followers. He made three small icons on the left side, no, he made it four. One for the settings icon.
He planned to put a few things on the settings icon, he felt that it would be important later on.
Hadro created an image of a heartbeat line inside of a circle, a status icon, once the icon was finished he began filling the intricacies.
The status of the user displays strength, agility, intelligence, spirit, and luck. These might be the key components but Hadro begs to differ. Few things could encompass the true status of a person.
He changed strength for might, agility to mobility, intelligence for cunning, and kept spirit and luck as it was. But he added endurance and recovery.
Might, mobility, cunning, spirit, luck, endurance and recovery. 7 status checks, instead of putting them in numerical digits Hadro designed a better concept plan.
He created a heptagon that is stacked 10 times, which is a numerical indicator of the human limit. If all indicators are at first and innermost heptagon it would be equated in 1 in numerical form like the first system.
In the upper right corner, there are three buttons, 1st button is the human standard, 2nd button is the superhuman standard, 3rd would is the champion standard.
There's no fourth because it would mean they would be a deity, well, if the chance is given Hadro also added a hidden fourth button of a deity.
The human standard has 1-10 stat points, the superhuman has 11-100, and the champion standard has 101-999. And the deity would be 1000 and above. Well, 1000 to 100,000.
The Abyssal knowledge Hadro has considered the numerical unit for godhood would be 100,000 in stat points. It seems overpowered, but considering what Hadro can do, it's not far-fetched.
He's not the smartest, biggest or strongest. He's a god who is capable of destruction or creation, chaos and order. He's more of a natural disaster or blessing from a technical point of view. He soon remembered that there were titles in the previous status interface of the users so he added a button on the upper left corner of the interface.
This is a second page, it displays the documental status of the user. Hadro added the numerical digits of the user and the titles and he soon added another status identifier, traits and characteristics. Hadro made this so he would know if one has mutations or some type of magical characteristics. Anyways, the second page of the status is the person's status in numerical and letter formation of data.
Either way, he finished the first panel which is the Status icon. Next was the shopping icon, this one was the simplest yet most complicated in Hadro's opinion.
He made a catalogue, from food to learning packets, with a variety to choose from, one that is properly priced. Hadro also had to think of currency instead of just naming it SE.
He just shrugged and had it named C for credit. 1SE is equal to 1 Credit, a very easy and convenient way of currency. Hadro finished with the store panel with the SE conversion system in the sell option of the store.
The villagers would be able to buy and sell items in the store, but of course, Hadro knew of capitalism, he chuckled but shook it away. Hadro planned to tax anyone who wanted to sell and convert items into credit.
However, he would only tax about 2% so the remaining would go to the seller. Anyways, after the shop was set up he began to have the quest tab.
The quest interface is simple, it has a priority queue system and a tag system. The quest would be a rectangular tab as any quest game would have. The singular tab would contain the name and can be expanded, the quest name would be first and the next would be a priority status, which the user would be able to change. If the user wants to, the quest could be on the top. The tag system would entail the danger of the quest.
The settings would be next after the quest interface. The settings were as simple as they could get. Fonts, interface design choice, interface colour with a colour wheel. After that, Hadro was done with the changes and immediately implemented them.
He fully hoped nothing happened in the short few minutes he had recreated the user interface windows for his worshipers and followers.
***
Has God abandoned us?
Arkum fought off the monsters, their red-tinted skin displaying their rage for blood and flesh. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but doubt his faith in the one who gave him power. He could still feel the power bestowed over him. The skill [Thrust] is still within him. He could still use it and his power remained the same!
But that is just a matter of time, the system their god bestowed them has vanished and that created chaos within the village. Is this a test? Arkum couldn't help but ask himself.
-roar!
The scorn bear roared. Arkum was one of the best defenders of the villages and has been left with the heaviest burdens. He held his spear, he could feel his spirit rise and embed with it, with the enemy forward he cocked his hand back, readying the spear.
The bear launched, and beneath its feet dirt rose, clouding the air, the bear was running towards him, its fury representing its colour, it ran like a boulder falling downhill, it looked unstoppable, but not for Arkum, he only saw the bear like a giant hill before him, and he is climbing it, no, he WILL climb it, he will overcome it!
His spear was dyed blue, the air around Arkum was no simple air, his aura changed as the bear got closer, his spirit was personified, it intensified to a point, and the spear that he held, felt like his own body, it felt like an extension.
‘This! This is it!’
Arkum felt this sensation before but on a smaller scale, it was with Shavik and their hunt together to finish a quest. This. This is the thrill of soaring higher than his previous level. The spear and himself were coated with a blue hue. Power surging within Arkum. The bear was ultimately closer, it raised its paw with its momentum. If one was hit with this force the bear is exerting one would explode, and shatter. Arkum knows this, yet he isn't afraid, he was expecting it.
He shot his spear, and with his will, his body moved stronger than before, and the bluish hue rapidly coated his body and exploded outward, towards the bear, to the tip of his wooden spear. The bear seems to understand the meaning of the bluish hue. But it was too late. Everything was happening way too fast for the mortal eye to see, it was just simply too swift for the naked eye.
Arkum’s spear hit the bear’s ribs just where the bear's paw arm is attached. It was bloody, the bear’s arm exploded like a popping bubble and its bits were flying, spraying the floor with blood and flesh. The power of the bear, Arkum set his gaze on his work, the power of the bear! His heart was racing, this is the power of the bear!
He was no longer in the plane of mortals.
Arkum has become a warrior, one beyond human standards, he has finally achieved and set foot in the realm of superhumans. Arkum shook his head if he doubted the god that had bestowed him power it was no different from betraying his trust.
Arkum stepped forward. The battle against the bear isn't over yet.
* °•°•°•
Arkum's Info
Name: Arkum
Species: Human
God patron: Hadro
Titles:
~0~0~0~
Str: 22
Agi: 14
Int: 10
Spirit: 14
Luck: 7
Skills:
[Spear Hunter D+]
[Hunter Aura D]
[Piercing Blow D+]
[Thrust D]
***
Shavik the forest, who is the same age as Arkum but isn't on the same level as him, remembered their hunt, so he could just gain his skill [hunter instinct] he almost placed their lives in danger. He had to mature more! He told himself in deprecation.
What would he do when his friend died that day because of his carelessness and impatience? He needed to learn more and become worthy of the skills they had worked for. [Hunter instincts] are still on the F rank, he knew that repeatedly doing something would raise its rank. Therefore, in this turmoil in which monsters are at an all-time high, he decided to raise its rank.
By repeatedly relying on hunter instincts to gather experience and raise it to a degree, he would become worthy of this ability.
“Yip!”
He heard the yelp of a fox, the fox, however, isn't an ordinary fox. He has been trapped in its illusion, he has no idea how long it has been since he has fallen into its trap. He hears noises somewhere but in truth, nothing is in that area. He relied on his instinct, raising the obsidian knife he received back at the village.
He scanned his surroundings, walking toward a tree, he had seen this tree multiple times now, and he was walking around in circles. He stopped and stood there for a second, how would he get out of such a predicament?
The fox had ensnared him, he couldn't go out, his instincts were of no use in this situation, he was on full alert, knowing the dangers in his surroundings. If he couldn't get out of there…what about his family? He shook his head, his will would not falter.
He sighed, why couldn't he think of something else?
Then, suddenly, he saw a black and white fur brush up his ankle, yet he didn't attack, there was no danger, and he didn't need to move, he felt that a piece of leaf brushed up his ankle, not some sort of fur. Then, he had a realisation.
‘Don't rely only on your eyes, it's the eyes!’
Shavik closed his eyes, he felt the wind of the forest coil around him, his ears gave him wrong information, his ears were fooled, by his smell, and his sight. He soon further learned that the skin also sees! His ears heard the wind-up north, but his skin felt it in the south. He focused himself to a point.
He threw away his sight and ears. He removes those senses till he becomes selfless.
“Yip!”
The sound! But he didn't hear by the ears, he felt the vibrations by the skin, it was strong off the south. He felt that the location there produced the sound stronger. With his new enlightenment, he ran towards that direction, the rustling of leaves was enough indicator of what to avoid.
“Yipp!!”
The fox was distressed, and the human it trapped gained awareness of its surroundings. The scorn fox is weak by default. But it has a powerful weapon that cannot be touched, illusions. It traps the victim in a coat of illusions, making it run around in circles till it gets tired, starves then dies.
But now? The hunter becomes hunted.
The fox ran, its four legs running with all its might, but the human, the human kept running towards it. The human's eyes were closed, yet they avoided every single obstacle as if a path was laid before him. The scorn fox breathed heavily, it had been running for hours.
But the human didn't relent, this was just another chore for him, the persistence of the human was poison for the Fox.
With its legs heavy from running it laid down, snout open panting for air. It saw how the human avoided other predators, and other monsters as if it could see it.
The human ran, it ran as if it was hunting the usual beast, the Fox felt scared, its instincts told it so.
The illusion was no more, but the hunter did not open its eyes. It walked slowly, sweat covering it. The human stood before the fox and then opened its eyes.
“So this is what you look like.”
It raised its obsidian knife and struck the helpless scorn fox.