Stealthing towards the giant bush I keep my eyes peeled for anything out of place, well anything more than what seems to be a giant strawberry bush with fist sized strawberries and arm length thorns.

Arriving at the base of the plant I begin grabbing as many of the fruit as I can, odds are the food in the game gives a benefit of some kind even if I don’t need to eat. Hell, that beetle was hanging out here maybe I can use them as bait or something.

Suddenly hearing rustling, I look between the twisted branches to see a large shadow passing on the far side. Freezing in place I slowly push my most recent acquisition into my inventory and remove my trusty branch. Checking it over for cracks or dents it seems to be holding up sufficiently.

Beginning my attempt to sneak to the far side I take care to stay hidden from the shadow, passing the side of the bush it is walking away from. I let it gain some distance while I get into position.

Passing the far side of the bush I get my first glance of my newest prey. It is another beetle, maybe of a different species instead of the dark shade of blue like the two previous, it is more of a mottled brown and gray with a large head resembling a rounded cylinder with little-jagged spikes forming intricate swirls along the sides. Blending into the forest floor and sparse undergrowth almost perfectly. If I couldn’t see it moving, it would be almost invisible. Focusing my eyes just above its head I suddenly see

(Elite) Level 2 Adolescent Forest Hunter

Eyeballing the elite title, I consider if it is worth attempting the kill, on one hand experience. But on the other elites are typically much harder, with much higher base stats and abilities. But it is an adolescent… Hell with it, without a little risk, there is no reward. And if it does drop an amazing item, it can only help at my low level.

Looking over the bush, I wish I had taken the time to grab a thorn. Then again with all the noise breaking one off would have made, I would have most likely alerted the hunter.

Watching the beetle, it stops every meter or so to eat the lower hanging fruit. Like something out of a nightmare, the front of its head splits down the middle opening into a gaping mouth filled with what looks like large human incisors.

Shit... Repressing a slightly hysterical giggle I creep my way up towards the backside of the oblivious monster.

Watching it eat another fruit I get an idea. Bringing out my latest haul I gently lean my wooden rod against my leg and toss a double fistful of the red fruits into the inner branches of the bush along its side. Following the sudden movement, it swings its enormous head towards the sound, pushing its way between the branches it begins rooting around.

Using its obliviousness to my advantage. I grab my stick and hold my makeshift kilt, and begin softly stepping up behind the forest hunter. Making my way forward I get within a meter of its backside before it finds the thrown fruit. Making crunching noises.

Knowing I only have a second to act. I wind up and swing with everything I have against its rear leg joint, hopefully slowing its movement. Hitting the shell, I smash completely through the leg, leaving just a nub dripping a syrupy green fluid. The beetle begins thrashing, swiftly pulling itself between the branches and swinging around. Knocking me onto my back in the process. Quickly getting to my feet I bring my club around just in time to fend off a sideways swing of its head, the jagged spikes catching on the wood ripping it from my hands and flinging my weapon into a distant tree. Crawling backwards I do everything I can to stay away from the rampaging creature. I can feel the wind against my legs from Its head swinging back and forth smashing into the ground missing me by a hair's breadth.

I can hear my self releasing whimpering sounds every time the beasts head comes smashing down. How is this happening! It is so much stronger than the other beetles, and it’s a lower level than the last one I fought. That elite title easily doubled its power if not more. Shit, I don’t want to feel what death is like or feel my legs pulverized.

Feeling my back catch up against a tree I roll to the side, just as the beetle's head comes crashing down. Getting to my feet I make my way around the backside of the tree as the beetle sits there in a daze.

Feeling adrenaline rushing through my system, I look around trying to find any kind of weapon, seeing nothing but dirt and dead leaves.

My branch! Where did it go, If I can get to it I may have a fighting chance. Shit, I should have just hunted around for those other beetles, what happens if something else hears our fight. I should never have messed around with an elite, I don’t have any magic or skills yet.

Quickly sprinting around the backside of the enormous tree. Peering around the far side I catch a glimpse of my weapon sitting on some roots next to a tree about 20 meters away. Suddenly I hear a squeaking cry followed by the sound of the beetle charging behind me tracing my steps.

Sprinting as hard as I can I head towards my only chance. Gasping for breath I scoop it up, dodging between trees roots; praying to any god listening not to trip. Making it to the nearby tree, I place it at my back. Steadying my shaking hands, I watch as the beetle charges my way.

You got this Michael! It is just like the last one, only a baby, oh fuck that’s a baby! So, they get bigger….

Failing to psyche myself up I steady my hands as best I can as the monster nears, now or never. Tensing my legs, I prepare to jump to its bad side before it crashes into me leaving it hopefully to hit the tree and not my sweet meats.

Suddenly the beetle catches one of its clawed feet on a root, completely ripping away its leg with a spray of greenish mist and face planting into the ground, causing it to roll forward onto its back directly in front of me.

Looking at the beetle in shock, I shake my head. Now is my chance!

Not wasting my good fortune, I pound away at its abdomen, working my way across its shell to its legs as I see it trying to right itself. Suddenly I Feel like a weight has been lifted from my arms, and my club becomes slightly lighter. Looking at my stamina bar it is still mostly full so nothing to do with exhaustion. Finally, I finish breaking the legs off one of its sides.

Taking a moment, I consider using mana leech, before deciding it is too dangerous. This fight has been going on long enough and I have no way of knowing what could be coming to investigate.

With the bug immobilized on its back, I glance at its highly armored head, with no chance of breaking through that shell I raise my branch up high and jam it as hard as I can right between the armored plates on its underbelly causing large cracks to form. Lifting it again I stab downward into its abdominal shell, striking completely through. I feel my trusty branch pierce into the opposite sides shell with a jolt.

With one last pitiful squeak, the monstrous insect falls still.

I quickly loot the corpse leaving the inspection for later. Grabbing my branch, I give it a pull. Feeling it stuck fast, I brace both legs and get a good grip. Straining with my back I jerk as hard as I can, as I feel it start to give I suddenly hear *Crack!*  Looking at my hands I see the broken off remains of my only weapon.

Damn, searching around I catch sight of the fruit covered thorn bush. Heading towards it I keep a wary lookout for any more monsters. Not seeing any movement, I race towards the bush and make my way between its branches. Finding a small area clear of vines and thorns I drop down exhausted.

 Taking a moment to catch my breath, I look over my notifications.  

(Elite) Level 2 Adolescent Forest Hunter Defeated!

Level Up!

 New Skill Unlocked!

Blunt weapon mastery (Novice Rank 1, 0%)

(Passive)

Rarity: Uncommon

Increased skill with blunt weapons, 1% increased damage, attack speed, and critical chance.

Achievement Earned!

David and Goliath: You have defeated Elite creature of a higher level solo while under level 10, +100 fame. Title earned HERO, While equipped you deal 10% more damage and take 10% less damage to and from all sources.

Damn, I finished out my level and earned an achievement on top along with a new passive damage skill. Should probably avoid elites for now, until I have actual gear that is and better offensive abilities. Once I do I'm betting they are a treasure trove of experience.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Too close of a call the only reason I wasn’t sent for respawn is pure luck. If the beetle hadn’t fallen over that branch and rolled, I would be a red smear in the dirt, getting eaten by an overgrown bug. Hell, if anything else had wandered up during that fight.... No better to not think about it.

I decide from here on out I can no longer treat this as just another game, between the pain and unknowable amount of time I’m going to be stuck here. I need to plan everything and be careful. Build myself up safely. Some risks I will have to take if I have any chance of gaining info to sell once I get out. But that’s no reason to be a noob about it, I need to plan everything, every time, every chance I get.

Michael Black Title: THE TORTOISE

Bloodline: N/A Age: Immortal Race: Hollow Level: 2, 37%

Class: N/A Profession: N/A Health:90   Stamina:102(175)   Mana:75 Armor: 2 Thirst: 96/100 Hunger: 98/100 Fame:1100 Infamy:0 Constitution: 10 Intelligence:8 Strength:6 Wisdom:6 Agility:5 Charisma:3 Dexterity:7 Luck:3 Unused Attribute Points:4 Resistances: N/A

Taking a quick glance at my character sheet I see I have the same amount of points to distribute as my first level, as well as already having a good amount of experience into the next level. I decided to mull over my options on the way back to the cave, being too hasty only leads to an early grave. If I was a little stronger could I have crushed its back instead of its leg on my first swing or if I was a little bit faster how many more legs could I have taken out? I made it through without taking any damage so were all my points to Constitution truly necessary. Things to consider.

Glancing at my stamina bar it shows barely a tenth missing, with the bar regenerating at an extreme rate now that I am no longer moving. I decide to leave the turtle title on for now. More damage dealt and less taken is nice with that hero title but until I have a shit ton more stamina, no way can risk running out. The title alone doubles my current amount and adds an insane regen effect, far too valuable for now. Not knowing the consequences of running out, I add it to my mental list to test.

Feeling once again full of energy I break off one of the massive thorns to use as a make shift weapon until I find a new branch. Then I check my inventory, seeing that the fruit from earlier is stacking in one slot I begin collecting every piece I can reach In and around the bush.

I finish up the collection about thirty minutes later, looking in my inventory I see that the fruit stacks up to 99 pieces per slot for a total of 321 pieces so four slots. Not bad in thirty minutes of work. Looking at the decimated bush I go for round two. I start with harvesting the thorns inside the small clearing in the bush. Going almost on auto pilot I keep watch while adding thorn after thorn to my inventory.

As I reach for another thorn I grasp nothing but air, peering around I realize there are no more on the inner reaches of the bush. Checking my inventory, I see 37 thorns in one stack. Sufficient for now.

Hmmm so everything is stacking but those pebbles and branches, maybe they must be the same item and almost uniform in size? The testing list just keeps growing.

Shaking my head, I wish once again for a watch or time function. With no way to tell how close to dark it is other than guessing, I decide to head back to my cave entrance. I may not be physically exhausted, but my mind is starting to feel like it's stuffed with cotton.

With the chance of higher level creatures and elites spurring me on I make like a ninja, going from one tree to the next always looking around and listening before moving onward always following my markers. Interestingly, as I was looking for the next marker I suddenly see a small glimmer on a tree trunk followed by a notification.

 Congratulations!

Pathfinding is now Novice Rank 2, 3%

Pausing for a moment to read over the notification I then check the glimmer. It's the scar I left on the tree earlier when I marked it with a rock. It is flashing like sunlight on a prism.

Guess it wasn’t kidding about always finding my way, so if it ranks the skill progresses and gains new traits. Good to know.

Leaving the mark behind I pick up speed. Not having to waste time looking for each mark just the glimmer, I keep my focus on my surroundings. Watching for any monster sign.

Arriving at the downed tree from earlier I quickly go to the remaining branches and break as many off as I can. Smashing each one against the ground testing for rot, ending up with two sturdy arm length pieces and three pieces about a meter and a half in length. I load them into my inventory and continue onward towards the hill. Feeling much better with a tried and true weapon than an untested thorn shiv.

Once I get to the base of the hill I look around for any loose vines. Not catching any luck, I hitch up my man skirt and begin my climb.

As I climb I think about my inventory if not for the ability to hold such a large number of items I would not be returning with even a twentieth of the amount I found. As much as the map would have helped, the pathfinding skill almost takes its place.

After I reach the clearing I pull out some of my rocks looking for one with any kind of edge. Finding one that is a little flatter than the others. I go to some of the thinner vines covering the ground and place my biggest rock beneath then I use the flatter's edge to cut the vine between the two. Taking little breaks periodically to check my surroundings I see by the time the sun is starting to set I only have six lengths of vine, all of which are between three and four meters in length. Each had taken me almost an hour to cut through.

Heading inside the cave I check my level gains for the day. Looking at the sheet I see that the points I gain from my race per level have already been distributed leaving myself with the two free points and two bonus points. Hopefully, at some point players start gaining more than an average of just 2 points per level from training or whatever it is they are doing. Or NPC’s too if the stat gain is taking them into account as well. I could do with a few extra points. Looking over my attributes I decide to go ahead and drop one point into luck bringing it up to an even four if it affects random events and loot drops I don’t think it could hurt. Then boosting my overall combat ability by adding one point into strength, agility, and dexterity respectively. Feeling a small tingle of energy run through me I wave my arms around testing my new strength. Not feeling much of a difference if any. I stretch and look over my updated character sheet and skill levels. As well as the item's I looted from the earlier elite.

Larval stem fragment x 1

Carapace x1

Beetle meat x5

Michael Black Title: THE TORTOISE

Bloodline: N/A Age: Immortal Race: Hollow Level: 2, 37%

Class: N/A Profession: N/A Health:100 Stamina:185 Mana:90 Armor: 2 Thirst: ---/100 Hunger: ---/100 Fame:1100 Infamy:0 Constitution: 10 Intelligence:8 Strength:7 Wisdom:6 Agility:6 Charisma:3 Dexterity:8 Luck:4 Unused Attribute Points:0 Resistances: N/A

Skills And Magic Mana Leech

Pathfinding (Novice rank 1, 19%) Blunt weapon mastery (Novice Rank 1, 0%)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Inventory Acienth Thorn x 37 Dry Adder Branch Vash Vine Vash Vine   Acienth fruit x 321 Dry Adder Branch Vash Vine Granite Rock   Beetle Meat x 8 Dry Adder Branch Vash Vine Granite Rock   Carapace x 2 Dry Adder Branch Vash Vine Granite Rock   Larval stem fragment x 1 Dry Adder Branch Vash Vine Granite Rock