Colin awoke several hours later, a soft breeze washing over him as he lay under a shady tree atop a large hill. As he sat up, he began to take in more of his surroundings. It was a beautiful scene—rolling hills and tall trees stretched out around him, with a simple dirt path about a hundred feet below. In the distance, he could see a village surrounded by tall wooden walls.
“Well, I guess now’s as good a time as any to start walking…” Colin muttered to himself. He stood up and did a quick stretch, allowing himself a moment to adjust to this strange dream world. His mind felt a bit fuzzy, so he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Something was nagging at him, but he couldn’t quite place it. Pushing the thought aside, he made his way down the hill toward the trail.
It was a beautiful day. The trees along the path offered brief spells of shade on the cool, sunlit day. Colin felt the warmth of the sun sink into his skin when the trees gave way. As he walked, he suddenly realized he wasn’t wearing his usual joggers and hoodie. Instead, he had on light linen trousers, a soft woolen tunic, and a pair of supple, yet sturdy, leather boots.
“Huh… That’s weird. I guess it fits the vi—” A soft rustling from a nearby bush interrupted his thoughts. Colin didn’t feel immediately alarmed, but curiosity got the better of him. He crouched down and silently waited to see what would emerge from the bush.
[Stealth skill obtained, level 1]
[Passive skill Perception obtained, level 1]
Colin barely reacted to the notifications that appeared before him. He had almost forgotten about that part of his dream. But before he could dwell on it, a shadow darted from the bush toward his legs. A sharp, stinging pain radiated from his upper thigh.
Wincing, Colin looked down and his eyes widened. A crude, rusted dagger was lodged in his thigh, and blood had already started seeping from the wound, staining his pants. The hand gripping the dagger was strange, green-tinged with only four fingers. As his eyes followed the arm up to its face, he realized just how real this dream felt. Time seemed to slow as he locked eyes with the creature—a goblin.
[Identify skill obtained, level 1]
[Passive skill Combat Time obtained, level 1]
[Identify activated: Target: Goblinoid]
[Goblin, level 1. 5/5 hp remaining]
Instinct took over as Colin drove his fist into the creature’s face. He felt something give under his knuckles, followed by a sharp crack. His hand throbbed with pain, but there was no time to dwell on it. The goblin rolled backward, landing in a crouch, its bared teeth shining in the sunlight. Its nose was smashed sideways across its face.
[Goblin, level 1. 3/5 hp remaining]
[Combat skill Unarmed Fighting obtained, level 1]
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
[You have been poisoned by Rusty Dagger, -1 hp per hour until poison is removed]
"Wait, I have hit points??? How many do I have?" Colin's thoughts raced as the sharp pain in his thigh dulled to a throbbing ache.
[Colin, level 1. 3/6 hp remaining]
Colin’s face paled as he read the notification. He was already at half-health after a single attack. Remembering his father’s advice on treating puncture wounds, he left the rusty dagger in his leg. Removing it could risk further blood loss, and with no treatment, he knew he only had about three hours before the poison killed him. Running wasn’t an option with a knife in his leg, so he decided his only chance was to fight.
He tried to sound confident. “Come here, you little freak, let’s do this,” he taunted, immediately cringing at his own attempt. He was never good at trash talk. But despite his terrible delivery, it seemed to work. The goblin snarled and charged at him again.
[Combat skill Taunt obtained, level 1]
There was no time to process the notification as the goblin shot toward his legs again. This time, Colin moved faster than he thought possible, jerking his knee up and out. The goblin, unable to stop its charge, slammed face-first into Colin’s knee.
Seizing the moment, Colin used his size to his advantage, tackling the stunned creature to the ground. The goblin didn’t even resist as he pinned its hips beneath him and began raining punches down on its head.
[Unarmed combat leveled up, level 2]
[Unarmed combat leveled up, level 3]
It was over after two more hits. But Colin didn’t stop. His fists kept pounding into the goblin’s face until it was nothing but a bloody, bruised mess. He knelt there, his hands sinking into the dirt on either side of the goblin's head, panting. His fists ached, his thigh throbbed, and his mind went blank. He had just beaten something to death with his bare hands.
His stomach churned, and he vomited his last meal onto what remained of the goblin’s face. Rolling off to the side, he lay on his back in the middle of the path, staring up at the bright blue sky. The thoughts he had pushed aside now came rushing back, and one thing was abundantly clear—this wasn’t a dream.
Colin lay in a daze until a soft ding snapped him back to the present. He focused on the notifications in front of him. He barely remembered the skill level-ups, but other notifications caught his attention.
[Goblin defeated. 10 EXP gained]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up! Please confirm the level-up to proceed]
[You have lost 1 HP from blood poisoning]
[You have lost 1 HP from blood poisoning]
[You are critically low on health]
His eyes widened as he realized he had been lying there for at least two hours. He was down to just 1 HP and had no idea how long until the next hour. Panic surged through him. He focused on the level-up notification, willing the confirmation to appear.
[Congratulations! You have leveled up! Please confirm the level-up to proceed.]
[Note: Leveling up will restore your HP, provide you with a set number of “Free Points,” and heal any status conditions. Would you like to proceed? Yes or No.]
Colin let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. Relief washed over him. A soft ding pulled his attention again.
[Calm Mind skill obtained, level 1]
As he read the notification, his mind suddenly cleared. For the first time in hours, he felt in control again. With his thoughts sharpened, Colin considered his options. He could yank the dagger out of his leg, but that was risky. He could level up first, heal, and then remove the dagger before it poisoned him further—a safer bet, though it might cost him some HP. Or he could try something riskier: time his level-up with pulling out the dagger to avoid losing health altogether.
He wrapped his hands around the dagger and brought up the level-up confirmation again. He was going to take the risk. With one swift motion, he tore the dagger from his leg while mentally screaming “YES” at the confirmation.
His health hit zero, and the world around him faded to black. A soft ding echoed in the distance.