Jack pulled up his status.
[Name: Jack
Race: Direborn
Exp: 100/300
Class: N/A
Profession: N/A
Path: N/A
Level: 3
Strength: 17
Agility: 17
Dexterity: 12
Wisdom: 4
Intelligence: 3
Charisma: 2
Constitution: 12
Endurance: 12
Free Points: 4
Health pool: 120/120
Mana pool: 30/30
Stamina: 120/120
Attunements: N/A
Skills: Identify (Level 3), Awareness (Level 1)
Spells: N/A
Titles: N/A
Resistances: N/A
Abilities: Savage Roar, One with the Elements
]
Scanning his new Status, he noted with satisfaction his increases in Strength and Agility. On the other hand, his Endurance and Constitution worried him. He had nearly run out of stamina in that last fight. If his stamina had reached zero… well, he wasn’t sure what would happen. That was an uncertainty he needed to rectify.
It didn’t seem that regular physical activity drained stamina. Jack had checked before while walking and hadn’t noticed any decrease in his stamina bar. That probably meant that only strenuous activity- like fighting- drained stamina.
He figured that if vigorous physical activity drained stamina, then the best way to test out what happened when he ran out was to do something he had hated in high school. Running laps.
He could still picture sweaty, red-faced Coach Pearson barking orders and the monotonous rhythm of his sneakers hitting the track. He had hated the whole pointless nature of it all. He was never going to join the track team and he far preferred exercise in the form of the baseball games he and his friends used to play after school. But now, in this strange new world, running laps took on a whole new significance. It could very well be a matter of survival.
Jack waited for his stamina to refill to full. It took about an hour of him just resting on the ground. Then he started running laps around the pool. It was a bit bigger than the track at his old high school but not by a huge margin. As he did so he kept an eye on his depleting stamina.
After about 20 minutes and ten laps around the pool his stamina bottomed out. He staggered to a halt and fell over on his side. He had no energy left. None. He tried to move, to stand, to do anything. Nothing. It was only when his stamina ticked back up into positive numbers that he was able to stand. If he had hit this point in the fight with the Tuskbeast, he would have died, he was certain of it.
Jack rested for another hour until his stamina refilled. When he was back to full, he did some quick math in his head. It had taken 20 minutes of running to drain 120 Stamina. That meant he consumed about 6 Stamina per minute while running. He had regenerated 120 stamina in about 60 minutes. That meant his regeneration was 2 stamina per minute. But those first 2 stamina points didn’t appear until a full minute had passed.
If he had bottomed out in the fight with the Tuskbeast it would have had a full minute to skewer him to its hearts content. Just to confirm, Jack repeated the experiment two more times. It was the same each time. However, at the end of his last series of laps he received a pleasant surprise.
[You have driven your body to its limit]
[You have gained + 1 Endurance]
So, stats could be increased the old-fashioned way too. At least, Endurance could. He groaned aloud as he realized this meant he was probably going to end up running more laps than he ever had in high school. Coach Pearson would laugh himself silly if he ever found out about this.
Looking over his status one more time Jack decided to allocate 2 points to Dexterity, one point to Endurance and one point to Constitution. He had resolved not to let Dexterity fall too far behind and his Constitution determined his overall health. Jack didn’t know for sure that he would die if his health hit 0 but he wasn’t exactly keen to find out.
Stats taken care of; he turned his attention to the body of his fallen foe. The Tuskbeast still lay where it had fallen, its scales glimmering in the light of the setting sun. He walked over to it, his mind considering the possibilities of what to do with it.
First, he turned the carcass over to look at its underbelly, his new Strength making the task far easier than it should have been. Despite the coating of scales on the upper part of its body the underbelly was covered in coarse, bristly hair. Next, he examined the implements that gave the beast its name.
Even in death those tusks still shimmered with a chill blue glow. Jack wrapped his fingers around the tusk nearest to him, braced his foot against the Tuskbeasts hide and pulled. The extraction proved difficult. Even with 17 points in Strength it took several minutes of hard effort to extract the tusk. Once it was free, he used the sharp end to scrape away at the hide surrounding the second tusk. This made the second extraction significantly easier and soon Jack was holding two glowing tusks in his triumphant fists.
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This victory was somewhat marred by the gore that got all over his hands during the process. Walking over to the pool and dipping his hands in, he marveled at how the gore didn’t just slide off, but seemed to completely vanish as the pool purged the contaminants. This pool really was an amazing find. He dipped his broken walking stick into the pool as well and it came out free of the Tuskbeasts gore.
Returning to his newly won prizes he Identified them.
[Icy Tusks
Rarity: Uncommon
Material: Ice-infused Tusk
Properties: Retains a natural icy enchantment
Uses: Can be used in the crafting of weapons or tools; may provide a frosty effect to attacks.]
Jack grinned at his find. The idea of crafting his own icy weapon excited him. However, for now he had a more mundane use in mind for them.
Before that though he had another that. He focused on the Rarity part of the description hoping for more explanation.
[Rarity is a measure of how scarce a particular item is. The Rarities are from lowest to highest
Common
Uncommon
Unusual
Special
Rare
Epic
Heroic
Mythical
Apex]
Short and to the point. Jack appreciated that. Looking at the beasts hide he used Identify once more.
[Azure Scalehide
Rarity: Unusual
Material: Water-infused Scales
Properties: Offers moderate protection against physical and water-based attacks
Uses: Can be used in the crafting of armor or shields; may enhance resistance to water-related effects.]
Taking one of the tusks in his hand, Jack positioned it at the edge of a scale on the Tuskbeast's hide. He applied firm but controlled pressure, using the sharpness of the icy tusk to cut through the tough, scaled exterior. The enchanted nature of the tusks made the task somewhat easier, as the icy enchantment seemed to assist in separating the scales from the underlying flesh. Jack wondered if it was because of the similarity between the magic in the tusks and the water magic in the scales.
He worked methodically, moving along the creature's body, alternating between tusks to carefully pry and cut away the scales. He took advantage of the natural weaknesses in the scales' structure, ensuring that the process was as efficient as possible.
Occasionally, he would encounter tougher areas, and in those instances, Jack would use a combination of strength and precision to overcome the resistance. The beast's hide proved to be a formidable opponent, but Jack's Strength, combined with the unique properties of the tusks, allowed him to make progress.
Throughout the process, Jack remained mindful of the delicate balance between harvesting the materials he needed and respecting the creature's remains. He focused on extracting the scales with minimal damage, preserving the integrity of the hide for potential future use.
As Jack worked, the icy tusks left a faint frosty trail on the scales, highlighting the enchantment's presence. The air around him carried a chill, a testament to the magical essence contained within the tusks. The rhythmic sound of scales being separated from flesh filled the air as Jack steadily progressed in his endeavor.
Suddenly a notification popped up.
[Congratulations! You have acquired the Skill Skinning]
Jack read the description.
[Skinning
Rarity: Common
Type: Passive
Level: 1
Description: Increases efficiency when extracting materials from dead creature creatures. Reduces the risk of damaging valuable components during the extraction process.
Note: Skill level can be increased through use.]
Well, that was interesting. Jack wondered how easy it was to gain different Skills. He had only skinned a single beast since coming here and had gained Skinning Skill but had run for hours without gaining a Running Skill.
Jack shook his head and returned his attention to the scales. He took off his hoodie and used it as a makeshift sack to carry the scales over to where he had marked the Glowleaves on his mental map.
The leaves weren’t exactly too hard to find in the first place since, well, they glowed. Reaching the spot just as night fell, he dug a small hole near the Glowleaves with his hands, burying the scales there. He then plucked 2 Glowleaves, crushing one in his hand putting the other in his improvised hoodie/bag. The crushed leaf glowed even brighter than before it had been plucked.
According to Identify, this version of the Glowleaf would glow brighter but would only last for a short time. If Jack hadn’t needed the extra light to see in the pitch darkness, he would have kept the leaf in its whole form. As it was, he used the brighter illumination to make his way back to the pool.
Jacks leaf still glowed once he reached the pool and Jack knew what he was going to do with the extra light. He was going to roast himself a pig. His father and uncle Roy had shown him to spit and roast a boar after successfully hunting and killing one when he was 15.
Using the light of the leaf he found a flat patch of ground away from overhanging branches or dry vegetation. Next, he gathered up dry leaves, twigs, and small branches for kindling. While looking for larger logs his Glowleaf went out.
Congratulating himself for his foresight, Jack lifted the other leaf, which he had been holding in his teeth, out of his mouth and crushed it.
Using the renewed light, he found a few larger logs to use as main fuel and some rocks that he used to create a fire ring.
Finally, he used a long sturdy green stick he had found to spit the Tuskbeast over the fuel. He then began to rub 2 of the sticks he had found together vigorously. The friction generated heat, and he could see the embers forming. It was a technique he had seen in survival shows.
His father had used a lighter to ignite his fire but that wasn’t exactly an option here. Luckily, after a few failed attempts, the sparks from the sticks ignited the fuel and the fire roared to life.
The aroma of roasting meat filled the air as Jack patiently tended to the fire. The flames danced and crackled, casting flickering shadows in the darkness. The Tuskbeast's carcass sizzled and popped as the fat dripped onto the hot coals, creating a mouth-watering scent that made Jack's stomach growl in anticipation.
While he was waiting for Tuskbeast to be ready he passed the time by whittling. He had had an idea about how to use the Icy Tusks and now was as good a time as any to try it out. Using one of the tusks as a crude knife he started carving the end of his broken walking stick. It took longer than it would have with a proper knife, but after about an hour of hard work, Jack had what he wanted. He smiled in satisfaction as he looked at his work. His smile got even bigger as he read the notification that popped up in his vision.
[Congratulations! You have gained the Skill Woodcarving]
[Woodcarving
Rarity: Common
Type: Passive
Level: 1
Description: Increases efficiency when carving wood. Chance to improve final product rarity and quality increases with skill level.
Note: Skill level can be increased through use.]
Once the meat was ready (meaning it was warm enough to eat but not so hot as to burn his mouth) Jack went and washed the Tusks in the Pool of Purity. Returning to the spot, Jack used one of the tusks to carve a hunk of pork off the Tuskbeast.
It seemed unreal that a beast that had almost killed him could taste so good. The meat was succulent and tender, practically melting in his mouth. The surface of the flesh, browned to perfection by the open flames, offered a satisfying crunch, giving way to a juicy and flavorful interior.
The natural sweetness of the meat was subtly complemented by the infusion of the icy enchantment from the tusks. It imparted a refreshing coolness, reminiscent of a crisp winter breeze, which played harmoniously with the inherent richness of the boar. Each bite released a burst of savory juices, creating a delightful symphony of tastes on Jack's palate.
He devoured the hunk in his hand and began carving off more pieces.
Jack was just about to carve off yet another piece of roasted goodness when he noticed something in the corner of his vision.
Turning, he saw something that almost made him crap his pants. The biggest wolf he had ever seen was coming out of the trees. The beasts eyes flicked over the boar then to Jack.
Jack stood up slowly. He identified the wolf.
[Alpha Greatwolf
Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 12
Health: ???
Mana: ???
Skills: ????
Abilities: ???
Description: ????
]
Well. That can’t be good.