Chapter 8: Eager for Progress?
Day 2 had arrived, It was 00:05 when Zyle had solidified the decision of putting up fences around the perimeter of where everything else will be placed. Initially, when Zyle stepped out of the shelter, he was ready to go but a crucial thought had hit him. Remembering how uneasy and fearful it was to be out in the opening at night with no defensive measures made him prioritize the fencing before the cabin and everything else. Zyle sprung into action. He cleared the debris from the old shelter and salvaged what he could. He gathers thousands of long and short sticks from the nearby trees in order to fortify the fencing. He also used the saw and hatchet to cut down hundreds of small trees and then he would drag the logs back to his soon-to-be legit encampment and that was phase one.
He set up wood posts 12 feet apart to go all around in a 1.5-acre square concluding phase 2. It was already 15:00, Zyle had been working non-stop at an incredible pace and hunger was starting to creep in. In a hurry, he pulled out the blueprint for the wooden bucket, and he went to the nearby trees and walked until he found a large tree stump from a fallen tree. Then he used that stump to curve out and make a large wooden bucket. Zyle cut square holes through two elevated sides of the bucket to use as a handle. He then bolted towards the direction of the river with all his equipment, the Gumula flower, the sword, the fishing rod, and the newly made bucket.
Zyle had ample time to think earlier, although the first thing he thought about doing is going to get the meat from the creatures he killed the day before he had decided against it. He realized it had been well over 24 hours since they died and eating that meat could potentially make him sick. Without a doctor or any prior knowledge of the local herbs, it would be pretty risky to do so. Instead, Zyle thought it would be a good idea to use bits of the flesh as bait for the fish in the river and that is what he decided to do.
On his way to the river, Zyle finally reaches the corpse of the Aggro Grasshopper. However, Zyle had arrived just in time to watch it being dragged away by two other Aggro Grasshopper beasts. Zyle drop everything except for the sword and like a knee-jerk reaction or more accurately almost involuntarily he reacted. Zyle dashes forward towards them tightly gripping his sword one-handed. As he got close enough, he performed a wide horizontal swing with all his might. At that very moment, the blade cut through not one but both aggro grasshoppers with little resistance as the sword came to a stop right next to Zyle's own body. With a loud thud sound, it was evident that the upper halves of the two beast bodies were no longer attached to their lower halves.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
[ 2 Aggro Grasshoppers killed ]
[+10 exp gain]
[ 2/2 Quest Completed ]
[ Congratulations! you are now level 2]
[ Exp: 5/75 to level 3 ]
[ +10 AP obtain]
[+20 AP obtained ]
[ Total AP: 50 ]
[HP increased: 75/75]
[ MP&S Gauge increased: 75/75]
[+1 Growth Point]
[ Skill Unlocked: Charge-Up]
[ skill consumes 5 MP per use ]
[ This skill allows the user to convert any basic attack into a more powerful blow by gathering energy. Attack power multiplies per second for up to 10 seconds for every second the energy is held.]
[New Quest: Reach Level 5]
" Awesome, I can't wait to practice that skill but I'll do it once I get to the river, I gotta keep moving though," said Zyle as he pick up the backpack and everything else.
Before leaving, Zyle cut out a chunk of meat from both beasts and he also took some pieces of flesh from the first aggro grasshopper he killed since he couldn't eat it. He continued his journey towards the river bank, on his way there he also went past the dead giant fire ant he killed the previous day. As soon as Zyle a rivered at the river bank, he started the fire and begin to cook the meat he gathered. He examine two pieces of meat while it cooking and Zyle thought that they looked unappetizing considering where they came from. Also, he had a greenish color to it almost as if it had already gone bad and was already molding all over. Zyle undoubtedly thought that eating the meat of all those creatures was beyond disgusting and wishes he could have just eaten the fish every day instead. Although initially, he did it to satiate his hunger, now Zyle felt he has no other choice but to do this since doing so makes him stronger. Zyle recalled dying in his previous life and how helpless he felt but now that he had been given a second chance and he was not about to waste the opportunity to do things differently. More than ever, Zyle was adamant about passing his limitations and becoming the strongest.
As the meat cook, Zyle begins to practice his new skills {Charge up}. Following the description of the skill, Zyle pulls his fist back behind him, closes his eyes, and focuses his mind on gathering energy around his fist. All of the sudden, a feeling of flowing energy rushed through his entire body and was drawn toward his first. Zyle then threw his fist forward and a pop sound was heard, Zyle knew he had performed the skill successfully on his first try. The smell of the meat was starting to permeate but it also smell like something was burning. Zyle quickly stopped and rush to pull them out of the fire and begins to eat them after blowing on them a few times. Zyle consumed all of the food and as soon as he finished, another system message appeared.
<<<<<<<<<< SYSTEM MESSAGE >>>>>>>>>>>>
[ Sustenance skill: 2 growth points have now been obtained for the strength stat ]
[would you like automatically allocate your points received from the Sustenance skill from now onward - Yes/No ]
"Yes," said Zyle acknowledging the prompt. At the moment, Zyle has also decided to put the 1 growth from level up to the speed stat.
Strength: 4
Speed: 2
Defense: 1
MP&Stamina: 1
After it was all said and done, Zyle prepared the wooden bucket by filling it halfway with water from the river, grabbed his fishing rod, added the bait, and began fishing. Unlike the first time, It was much easier and much more efficient. Within the time span of 1 hour, Zyle manage to catch 10 fish, and the wooden bucket was already filled to the rim. Zyle was ready to make the trip back to camp but before he did so, he wanted to practice some more. Repeating the previous steps, Zyle threw out a charged punch but time it made a small boom sound as if the air have been struck with a heavier blow.
"Hey Obby, Baseline Stat," said Zyle quickly realizing a significant change in power.
" { Attack Power is 17.28 precisely - if an average adult is twice as strong as a child around your age, you are nearly 3.5 times stronger than that adult. At your current speed level, you can now run 14.4 mph which also means all aspects of agility as improved.}
"Okay thanks," said Zyle happy with his progress
Zyle spent the next hour practicing the skill the {Charge Up} skill and resting. Zyle realized he could use all of his extremities to perform the skill and he can perform it while moving. Suddenly, he had the idea to use the sword as he performs the skill. Holding the sword, he gathers energy once again, the sword began to illuminate and emitted a faint white glow. Zyle swung the sword downward, light slash can be seen leaving the sword and traveling a distance of 2 feet away. Initially amazed but now satisfied, Zyle took all his belongings and was making his way back to the camp. Before he even got a quarter way, He saw something in the distance. A large creature that was 10 feet long and looked 7 feet tall, was devouring the dead giant fire ant that Zyle had killed a day ago and it looked formidable...