Wazsh was looking at the angry human while sipping on his beer.

“What has gotten you so riled up?” he asked.

“I dug up almost the whole patch and did not receive a single level in Gardening for it. What kind of bull-BLEEP- is that? Aaargh.”, Duncan replied.

Wazsh blew beer from his nose at that reply. As he wiped of his shirt and face with a napkin he smirked at Duncan.

“I have been doing Gardening for over 150 years and I am level 8. And you expect to gain a level for digging up a patch. You are ridiculous,” Wazsh said and started laughing.

Duncan was watching him but then had an idea.

“Do some more Gardening so I can observe you,” Duncan said.

“Nah. I had enough Gardening for today. One hour of digging and four hours of watching you dig is plenty,” Wazsh replied.

“I dug for four hours?” Duncan asked.

“Four maybe more. You know how time flies when you are having fun?” was Wazsh’s answer.

“Ahh. I need to go,” Duncan said and left for upstairs. He quickly sat on his bed and transferred back to his home world to deposit another diamond and return another blob of toothpaste.

He went straight away on Youtube and searched for Gardening in 60 seconds.

Duncan started the video and activated Observe.

[

You have Learned Gardening Level 2.

Strength +0.2

Dexterity +0.2

Agility +0.2

Vitality +0.2

Endurance +0.2

Perception +0.2

Wisdom +0.2

]

[

You have Learned Observe Level 3.

Perception +0.3

]

[

You have Learned Learn Level 3.

Intelligence +0.3

Wisdom +0.3

]

All he learned is how to prepare soil for the winter in a raised bed but it was somehow enough for the system to give him bonuses. What came to be even a bigger surprise was Observe and Learn skill leveling up.

“When it rains it pours. I guess hard work rarely pays off. F you Wazsh!” he thought.

He quickly watched another two Gardening videos at 2x speed using Observe getting it to level 4.

Duncan was about to abuse his newfound power even more when his mobile carrier interrupted his plan.

He spent all his credits. Duncan wanted to cry.

“I’ll be back!” Duncan said in an Austrian accent, before he tossed his phone on the bed and jumped in right after it.

“Well, at least I have my toothpaste…” he consoled himself.

Getting out of bed on the other side he stretched his body.

“Things to do. Move loot. Save time for the jeweler. Buy another prepaid card for mobile data. Find paper and something to write with here so I can write this down,“ Duncan quietly mumbled as he went downstairs.

“Check stats,” he exclaimed as it has been a while.

[

Name: Duncan Russel

Race: Human – Earth - UC3455788899332

Age: 22 – Earth years

Class: Jack of all trades

Level: 13

Strength: 16.6

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Dexterity: 21.1

Agility: 11.7

Vitality: 17.1

Endurance: 6.1

Perception: 22

Intelligence: 15.4

Wisdom: 16

Charisma: 3.7

Acid resistance Level 1

Lightning affinity Level 6

Lightning resistance Level 10

Mental resistance Level 9

Pain Tolerance Level 9

Poison resistance Level 1

]

Duncan nodded in satisfaction. His stats were growing nicely, except for the glaring holes in Endurance and Charisma.

“No sex for me until I fix that,” he mused in his head.

Coming into the kitchen he saw Wazsh peeling some unknown tubers. Their eyes met when Wazsh pointed at a stack of clothes on a counter.

“Clara brought those. I took the liberty to pay for them since you were out it.”

“Thank you,” Duncan said and settled his debt.

“Where are you off too?” Wazsh asked as he saw Duncan putting on his armor.

“I think I will visit Bolgar. Maybe try Timor again,” Duncan said occupied with straps.

“Why are you putting on your armor then?” Wazsh inquired.

“I raised a couple of stats and want to try it out how it feels. You know the weight of it. Also, the sword. I got a lot of added strength.” Duncan replied as he finally managed to clasp the last strap.

“A good idea actually. You figured to do that by yourself?” Wazsh teased.

After seeing Duncan giving him an angry stare he continued.

“You know yow class really screws with your stats per level at the beginning. But the longer you survive the easier it will be. For the rest of them it’s the opposite. Your one skill level up later could bring you more stats as they get for a level,” Wazsh explained.

“I already consider my stats gain to be fast. I got 0.7 points in stats just from level 1 Gardening,” Duncan said as Wazsh nodded.

“Then double that at level 2, triple that at level 3 and quadruple that at level 4,” Duncan explained and Wazsh nodded before the whole thing sunk in.

“You WHAT? You have Gardening at level 4?” Wazsh yelled. Duncan just smiled and waved, before he left.

“Just smile and wave. Smile and wave,” he mused to himself as he was walking out.

As he was walking towards Bolgar’s a figure ran past him. It stopped after he passed him.

“It’s you!” an armored man yelled at Duncan who showed a look of surprise.

“Tell me quickly. How did you survive in the mine?” he yelled.

“Survive what?” Duncan asked.

“The black things. Captain said they were Shades or something,” the figure blurted out in frustration.

“What’s going on? How do you know I was in the mine?” Duncan asked.

“You were seen from the guard tower. Entering three times. Once dragging the dwarf out. It does not matter. Tell me how you survived!” the man said growing frantic.

“I have a resistance to their mental attacks and a skill that can hurt them,” Duncan replied and prepared to leave the rude man.

“Mental attacks? No wonder, even the Captain went down so fast,” the man said and Duncan turned around.

“Where is your Captain now?” Duncan asked.

“Captain and two others are unconscious in the mine. I barely escaped. I am going to get help,” the man said.

“Go to Elland’s potion shop. You know it?” Duncan said as the man nodded.

“Tell him to give you all the Death magic antidotes he has. Say it’s for Duncan. I will go to the mine and try to get them out. I have only one antidote on me. Now hurry,” Duncan said before he started running.

His new stat gains really showed as he ran fast like he never ran before. Quickly pulling out a torch and lighting it at the entrance. Then taking out his sword he crossed into the darkness with a firm determination. He ran through the corridors towards the hole.

As he got there he slowed down. From here on, it was dangerous territory.

He still moved rather fast but he was walking. Duncan found the hidden trap door opened with a rope attached to the stone casket going down it.

“Smart guys,” Duncan remembered his rather unfortunate fall down the shaft and shook his head.

He slowly slid down with his torch in one hand and the other on the rope.

As he got down, he could see the casket still closed but the door on the other side was open.

Going around the casket he saw three bodies on the ground, with two shades alternating between them.

He took out his sword and started cursing. Shades were a non-factor for him. Easiest thing to kill he encountered on this planet. Even rats proved more difficult in hindsight.

The first shade that noticed him screeched and flew towards him and got kebabbed the second one soon followed. Two Shade kebabs wiggled as Duncan cursed and waited for them to turn to dust.

First one soon did and the other followed without surprises.

Duncan quickly checked the men. One had it really bad. The black lines of death poison covering most of his head. The other two had much less noticeable traces of poisoning.

Duncan took out the antidote, forced opened the man’s mouth and poured it in.

The poison somewhat receded but the man was still worse off than the other two victims.

“Hmmm. Let’s try this,” Duncan said before he started cursing while holding the man’s hands.

The man convulsed but the signs of poisoning receded even more. He gave him a few more jolts and a minor healing potion he got from Elland as the man finally came to.

“Where are…?” he started before he saw the other two guys on the ground besides him.

“It’s you. Where is Petris?” he asked.

“He went to get more potions. Go climb upstairs so you can pull them up,” Duncan said as he dragged a body to the slope in the wall.

The man quickly climbed the rope and Duncan gave the two unconscious men a few cursing jolts, before tying them up one by one. The man pulled them both up before he lowered the rope for Duncan.

“At least he didn’t forget me,” Duncan thought as he was being pulled up.

Once up he pulled up the rope, closed the trap door and ordered, “Let’s drag them towards the exit. Every second counts.”

The man just nodded.

Duncan wanted to make his makeshift mobile light, before he saw the man pull out something and lighting it. It was a bright light that floated besides him.

“I really need one of those,” Duncan thought.

“OK. Let’s GO!” Duncan yelled and dragged one of the men by the armpits. The boots of the victim scrapped the floor as Duncan dragged him. He soon passed the lone active trap and they were basically already safe.

The man picked up the other one and put him over his shoulder and started following Duncan. It looked effortless and Duncan cursed in his mind.

“How many bloody stats do these guys have in strength?” he asked himself.