Chapter 7

It was mid day and, as always, the sun was sweltering in the large clearing located between the insurmountable mountain and the impregnable jungle. Not a creature could be seen in the vast expanse of unkempt grass. A heat haze rolled across the entirety of the fields. Had this been the pre-system earth, the heat certainly would have dried out the grass and caused it to combust within the hour. The jungle had a tall archway, large enough to comfortably fit a semi truck through.

On the opposite side of the field of grass, perfectly parallel with the entrance to the jungle was the mouth of the mysterious cave. If one were to listen closely they could hear a slew of curses being bellowed from within.

Within it's dark confines Vincent sat vigorously stirring a bubbling, purple liquid contained in a large plastic bowl. He was currently glaring across the cave at what appeared to be a plant based version of the man himself albeit, with much more child-like features. The being made entirely of vines was whistling a happy tune, swinging its hips in a little dance while it tended a small hand-made garden.

"Useless bastard." Vincent muttered, turning his attention back on the potion he currently brewed. The reason for his current dissatisfaction was a stroke of such bad luck, that it could only have been described as the gods screwing with him. It turned out his soul bound companion could not leave the cave as it's primary function was to tend the garden. The thing apparently had to dedicate at least 8 hours of its time a day tending the fields, even if there appeared to be nothing to do most days as they were so moderate in size. The rest of the thing's time it could brew potions, cook, craft pretty much anything as long as it didn't leave the cave.

"What a stupid directive for the system to give it. And he's just over there having the time of his stupid life. Bumbling idiot. You were supposed to be my body shield and you're in here tending the gardens while I still have to fight for my life to survive? What sort of sick joke is this? What did I do in my past life..?" He ranted out loud crying fake tears as he methodically stirred the simmering brew before him.

One thing that eased the pain a little was any skill experience his companion gained such as in farming or other skills, also went to Vincent. The spell had mentioned his companion gained half of Vincent's growth but it neglected to mention he gained some of his companion's as well. A happy little discovery, fortunately.

He didn't even need to be in the vicinity to gain the xp.

It had only been a week but Vincent was positive he was on the verge of finally getting his alchemy to level 25. And that wasn't the only thing. Continuing to stir, he took a quick glance at his skills.

Skills:

Sixth sense (rare) lvl 25

Identify (common) lvl 24

Complete tranquility (epic) lvl 8

Smithing (common) lvl 20

Farming (common) lvl 25

Sneak (common) lvl 24

Improved dash (epic) lvl 4

Cooking (common) lvl 15

Alchemy (uncommon) lvl 24

It seemed his Sneak and his Identify were also on the cusp of reaching 25, which he assumed would grant him two more trials. He knew he shouldn't expect one at every 25 levels of his skills as the description itself even said each skill was unique and evolved differently. Even so, he was becoming a bit spoiled. His cooking left a lot to be desired but he hadn't exactly had a lot of ingredients to work with. He did what he could, making stews, glazes and jellies from the jungle's inanimate contents and honestly he did quite well but he spent the least amount of time in that department overall.

As his companion finished it's chores he set it to work taking over his alchemy for him. He left the entirety of all his supplies as he made to leave the cave. He needed to find some way to vent his pent up frustration and besides, being in the grasp of danger seemed to force his skills to grow faster. It didn't take him long to decide which direction he wanted to go.

Before long he found himself close to the site of the battle between the colossal dragon and the impossibly quick, Fang of flame.

It was strange.. the battle had occurred only a couple weeks ago but the landscape had practically restored itself to its original state. That settled it. Even if this was somehow the earth it certainly couldn't heal itself before. Not in this capacity at least. The system had changed the very planet itself. Based on the intensity of the sun and the intense gravity here it may have altered the entire universe.

Vincent had been sneaking the whole way here, gathering materials as he went. Because of that factor, it had taken him far longer than usual to get to this point.

He was beginning to get a bit frustrated at his lack of progress. There had been plenty of deadly encounters throughout the day, ranging from razor sharp mutated praying Mantises that bounced around unpredictability, to acid secreting slugs that lazily cut off his path. This caused him to have to waste mana with a dash to avoid the deadly substance. What was it with this place and acid?

It seemed his progress couldn't continue growing at the exemplary pace it had been, forever. He decided to begin his trek back, not wanting to get caught up in the jungle at night in this particular area. It had nearly been nighttime the day he had been ambushed by the Fang.. That bastard.

He was most of the way back when his sixth sense warned him of the growing presence of the birds in the trees above.

Congratulations! Skill: sixth sense has increased to 26!

Congratulations! Skill: sixth sense has increased to 27!

Vincent shuddered. Two skill levels at once wasn't a good sign when it came to that particular skill. He decided to hunker down for now and activate his camouflage. Without fully understanding why so many birds were beginning to congregate, Vincent figured he'd best be patient and observe the situation. Besides, he was almost to the cave. He was confident in his ability to reach safety should the need arise but truthfully the Hellspawn rarely seemed to target him anymore due to his growing capabilities, primarily in stealth. He was not the same man he was half a year ago..

He thought they had spotted him for a second due to the fact that every single one of the thousands of birds came cascading down to the jungle floor in a massive feathery wall all at once. There was a bone rattling vibration as the birds crashed down all throughout the jungle. Thankfully he hadn't been directly under any of the birds because not too far in front of him he witnessed what happened when something was.

Across from his hiding spot, under one of the massive swarms of birds was one of the bus sized boars he'd encountered before. He wasn't sure if it was one of those exact two or a different one altogether but it didn't matter because the birds descended relentlessly until the creature was a pile of bones. To the boars credit it did not go without a fight but it appears the birds were willing to lose the numbers game today.

Apparently this was what they did when they got hungry and couldn't spot any weak prey for long enough. They would dive bomb the ground and attack any moving life form they came across, even if it outclassed them. It seemed primitive but effective.

Turning green in the face Vincent supposed his life would have been a lot less disturbing if he wasn't present for the horror that happened next. All of the birds, blood covered or otherwise, began to mate.

An hour later they all dispersed, leaving a repulsed, sickened and quivering man in their wake. He was invisible to the average eye, of course so one couldn't tell any of these details.

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"Fucking disgusting.." He muttered shakily, while continuing his sneaky escape to his safe house.. or safe cave rather. A few moments later he got a notification that almost made the gut wrenching grossness of the last hour bearable.

Congratulations! Skill: sneak has increased to 25!

Warning.. error.. recalculating..

Congratulations! Your skill Sneak (common) has successfully evolved into Sneak (uncommon)

Warning: if the required amount of soulspace is not met, sickness and death may occur.

Congrat-! Error..

due to unusual circumstances the ambient Nectar in the air fuels the transformation of your skill. Please seek the nearest Nexus HUB or your local world's Tavern Owner for immediate assistance.

Vincent was a tad bit disappointed that he hadn't unlocked a trial for leveling up his skill but he supposed evolving one he already had to another rarity wasn't too bad either. He checked to see if the description had changed at all.

Skill: Sneak (uncommon) become one with the shadows, for the fastest punch thrown is the one unseen… Due to the (uncommon) rarity gain a moderate boost to effectiveness of sneaking based on skill level. Receives a large bonus from Agility. (Active skill)

It seemed as if only the scaling from the rarity had increased. Everything else remained the same. He kicked an exposed root "agh!" and continued walking with a huff, now sporting a throbbing toe.

When he exited the jungle and entered the clearing the sun was blocked by ominous black clouds. Rain began to fall in thick heavy thuds. "Shhahh what the fuck!?" Vincent hissed, jumping back into the jungle and out of what was apparently.. acidic rain. "Are you…" He looked up at the sky and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't have time for this shit."

If he were being honest he was somewhat petrified the birds would follow him and.. force him to participate in their orgy/feast but nobody in this Goddamn world or the next needed to know that.

He reached one arm out into the acid watching his health as he did so. He frowned heavily. The acid only ate about 10 health per second and he had 2200 so he would have nearly 4 minutes to reach the cave which was more than enough by a long shot.. But he wasn't a fool.

He knew there would be a massive difference not only in the amount of damage he took but the pain he felt when he fully submerged himself. And the burning sensation he currently felt in his arm alone was quickly becoming unbearable. He would have to hope his dash would carry him through the acid unharmed.

At least that was what he assumed he would do when the system suddenly interrupted his line of thinking.

Congratulations! Skill: acid resistance (common) achieved!

Acid resistance: user negates pain and damage when acidic based contact with skin occurs. Due to the 'common' rarity, a tiny bonus to damage and pain negation is gained per skill level. Endurance provides a small boost to this skill. (Passive skill)

Vincent hummed in thought as he withdrew his arm. Acid resistance huh? What the hell was it with this damn system and acid? Fine. He'd play their little game. As soon as he acquired the skill the damage he received was cut in half. He was confident that if he could just.. "Improved Dash!" He disappeared and reappeared 60 feet away.

Instantly he regretted the arrogant decision.

Whatever amount of acid he came into contact with before paled in comparison to the bath be was soaking in now. The acid clung to the grass, sticking to him, weighing him down and drenching him further with acid as he stumbled. The pain was agonizing.

It was strange to him how his skin melted yet the flimsy ass grass did not. He knew the system was warning him his health was dropping, while simultaneously he was gaining levels with his new skill, but it wasn't enough. With stark horror Vincent realized he couldn't see the cave, and didn't have a clue where he was. He was going to die.

As quickly as his aching, melting form would allow; he drank three health potions and dashed again, praying his sixth sense would take him to the cave. If he had been focused and in full health two dashes would have been more than enough to place him within the cave itself. As it was, with his mind jumbled from pain he barely cut the remaining distance in half.

He dashed twice more, crashing hard into the mountain, just two feet from the cave entrance. His nose was crushed upon impact.

"I fate my wife.." He sputtered, his words unintelligible due to blood and spit filling his mouth. As fast as he could, he drank his last potion, healing him just enough for his legs to function as he intended. He sprang through the mouth of the cave, rolling inside. He came to a halt on his hands and knees panting. He checked his health.

Health: 900/2200

Congratulations! Skill: acid resistance (common) has increased to level…

Congratulations! Skill: acid resistance (common) has increased to level 12!

This system was masochistic and cruel. That was the conclusion he came up with. It forces you to grow stronger by suffering unending pain and threat of death. Ultimately the environment was just preparation for the hunt. You either devour others for strength or allow them to do the same to you.

He closed the system and hoisted himself to his feet. As he looked up he noticed the vine copy of himself lumbering toward him gayly. Vincent scowled as the thing approached, raising one leaf strewn arm. Its index finger extended toward as if it wanted him to 'E.T.' it.

"Get the hell away from me you moron. I don't have time for your antics. I nearly died out there.. and dont think that i didn't see you tending the garden rather than increasing my alchemy you slacker. Your 8 hours are already up!.." He threw his hands up in exasperation and continued ranting. "That acid burns me at a rate of at least 100 points a second.. I need to get way stronger. not that you understand a damn thing I'm saying.." He muttered hair covering his eyes.

His sixth sense made it impossible not to know the child-like creature was still bouncing around. It danced in front of him with its finger extended, waiting for Vincent to reach out and touch it with his own. "What, do, you, waaaaant damn it??" He cursed.

The man from Earth groaned and rubbed his forehead. Fine.. If it was the only way to make the damn thing go away… he'd play its stupid game. Glaring, he slowly reached out and touched the creature's finger.

As soon as he did so his eyes widened to the size of saucers.

Congratulations! Health, stamina and mana restored!

There was a flash of light and then it was gone as soon as it came. The plant like being made its way back over to it's perosnal alchemy set up. He looked a little bit gray and moved with a lot less buoyancy but its childish smile remained.

Vincent observed the creature in silence, panting with the feeling of suddenly having all of his energy restored. 'You.. gave me your stats and took all the damage..?'

The creature had barely stirred the substance within the plastic bowl for but a few seconds when another notification arrived from the system. 'Heh.. and you deliberately waited until I got home for me to unlock my next trial… I guess I seriously underestimated you. Maybe this won't be so bad.." He pondered while opening his system window.

Congratulations! Skill: Alchemy (uncommon) increased to level 25!

Congratulations! 1 new trial available!

Trial(s) available:

Merchant shop.

Vincent scoffed. The 'trial' was as simple as selecting the merchant shop and a notification telling him that he had unlocked a new system tab appeared. This was the current best way for him to gain power? What did that even mean? He decided to check out the systems shop and nearly choked on his spit as he did.

His current balance was zero. The first piece of equipment listed cost a little over one trillion gold. It was some sort of golden sword with abilities all listed as question marks because of course it was way too high a level for him to use. In fact that's about how everything listed was from the armor to the weapons, all he could see were the names. "Jesus fuck.. Just like every large corporation ever.. Greedy bastards."

He looked at the items page and was pleasantly surprised however, when he spotted a few cauldrons. He also saw some glass vials of multiple sizes and a wide variety of materials and minerals including ores he had never even heard of.

There were many elements he did recognize as well, such as iron and gold so it wasn't all entirely foreign. Scanning through the atomic composition of the ores, which was so graciously provided by the system, his eyes widened. He immediately discerned that half of these elements couldn't exist on earth from a few semesters in college which included chemistry courses.

The prices here were much more manageable.. or at least some of them were. The most expensive glass vials which were extra large only cost 3000 gold. The price of the cauldrons ranged from 10k to 100k gold.

He wondered how he was supposed to make the majority of his money though… He figured probably by selling items like potions he crafted or carcasses from the dead wildlife he scaveaged. Perhaps he'd get more for his fruits and vegetables from his gardens since the system rewarded effort and they took more time to produce.

Upon switching to the sell tab, the first thing he noticed was his hand crafted weapons and armor all sold for 5 a piece so that wasn't viable. In-fact most of the items he possessed weren't worth all that much. That was until he got to the various animal parts he had collected.

Titanium-tusk boar tusk (Supreme) sell? Y/N gold: 13k

Impenetrable elk hide (supreme) sell? Y/N gold: 27k

The list went on. Anything he had gathered from a creature of the jungle seemed like it was worth a small fortune. This was good news as he would have no shortage of cash for at least some of the more basic supplies. Dead creatures were difficult to find but not impossible.

What was impossible, at least for now was for Vincent to draw out the full potential of the items he used. So it made more sense to sell them for monetary gains. He was sure the stats of his items would get stronger as his smithing skill rose. He also couldn't yet kill these animals himself, reinforcing once again the idea that everything here was ridiculously over-leveled in comparison to himself.

He sold his items and purchased two cauldrons and as many flasks as he could as well as some basic ores. There was an option to purchase entire ingots as well but the cost rose sharply by a factor of ten compared to the plain ores from which they were made. Plus he decided he probably needed the skill XP for his smithing ability so he might as well go the extra mile.

As for why he had decided on two cauldrons, it would essentially allow both he and his companion to brew potions at once. This in turn would more than double their XP growth as they shared the resource gains which was compounded with their own.

He didn't have many of the red and blue crystals and he didn't see any in the system shop.. They were a bit of a bitch to come by honestly. More than likely the man would have to go out again soon, but he figured he could at least make 3 of each type of X-large potion: Health, Mana, and a mix of both. The extra large were about 5 times as dense as the large but volume wise apparently remained the same.

Not long after exiting the shop the two found themselves hard at work. While staring absent-mindedly at the fire beneath his cauldron Vincent couldn't help but get an… unwise idea. He reached his hand steadily towards the flame, hissing as he got close enough for the flames to lick his skin. His companion watched him with a lopsided frown. Sure enough after a portion of his flesh had been burned away he heard a familiar ding.

Congratulations! Skill: Fire resistance (common) achieved!

Fire resistance: user negates pain and damage when heat based contact with skin occurs. Due to the 'common' rarity, a tiny bonus to damage and pain negation is gained per skill level. Endurance provides a small boost to this skill. (Passive skill)

He smirked. 'Predictable..'

He couldn't help but laugh as his companion mimicked him from its spot near its own fire, shaking its vine appendage violently as it jerked away from the heat in fright and pain. That's one skill he would likely be leveling all by himself, he figured.

With a growing sense of appreciation for his pre-system life of luxury and safety, he groaned. He really was going insane with this isolation. His closest friend and biggest growing source of entertainment was this juvenile, plant person. You really didn't know how much you took things for granted until you lost it and were left with nothing at all. Something had to change soon.

End of chapter 7