Chapter 4: Leveling Up by Doing Absolutely Nothing
Ren lay back on the grass, hands behind his head, watching the clouds drift lazily overhead. His stats kept climbing, and frankly, he wasn't complaining.
[Strength +1]
[Defense +1]
[Stamina +1]
"Man… this is the life."
The bandit leader was still embedded in the tree like a bad art project, and the other two were long gone. His "heroic victory" — if you could even call it that — left him with a loot crate and some gold. Ren wasn't sure what to do with the crate yet, though. Opening it sounded suspiciously like effort.
[New System Notification]
Reminder: Unopened crates contain randomized loot. Chances of better rewards increase the longer you wait before opening.
"Oh, now that's my kind of system," Ren chuckled.
He stretched, feeling the satisfying pop of his back. His HP was full, stamina barely touched. He wasn't even sweaty. If this world wanted him to be a hero, it was going to have to work harder than that.
A rustle from the bushes caught his attention.
Ren sighed. "More bandits? C'mon, can't a guy nap in peace?"
The bushes shook harder, and a creature emerged — but it wasn't a bandit.
It was a wolf. No, scratch that. A big wolf.
The thing stood as tall as a horse, midnight-black fur bristling. Its eyes glowed an unsettling crimson, and its fangs looked sharp enough to bite through steel.
[Wild Monster Encountered: Dire Wolf Alpha]
[Level: 12]
[HP: 900/900]
[Threat Level: High]
Ren blinked. "High? Aw, crap. I was just starting to get comfortable."
The wolf growled, low and rumbling. It paced forward slowly, ears flattened against its skull. Its muscles rippled with each step.
[Skill Activated: Rewarded for Inaction]
[Strength +1]
[Defense +1]
[Stamina +1]
Ren sat up, groaning. "Alright, alright. You made your point. I'll sit up for this one."
The wolf lunged, faster than anything that big had a right to move.
[Lazy Dodge Activated]
[Agility +5]
Ren tilted sideways purely to scratch his shoulder — the wolf missed, crashing into the dirt and skidding past him.
"Yeesh, buddy. Slow down, you'll pull something."
The wolf snarled, more annoyed than hurt. It circled him again.
[Agility: 45]
Ren glanced at his status. "Man, my agility's getting nuts. Am I supposed to be an assassin or something now?"
The wolf lunged again — this time from the side.
Ren yawned, leaned back to stretch, and the wolf whiffed again.
[Lazy Dodge Activated]
[Agility +5]
[Agility: 50]
The wolf growled in frustration. Its muscles tensed, and its fur began to bristle unnaturally.
[New Ability Identified: Alpha Howl]
Boosts pack members' stats by 30%. Causes fear in lower-level opponents.
Ren stared at the notification. "Wait… pack members?"
The bushes rustled again. Three more wolves emerged, slightly smaller but just as mean-looking.
[Wild Monsters Encountered: Dire Wolf Pack]
[Level: 8]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
Ren groaned. "Great. Backup dancers."
The alpha howled, the sound vibrating through the clearing.
[Status Effect: Fear Resisted!]
[Passive Counter Activated]
[Damage Reflected: 30%]
The shockwave from the howl rebounded, slamming back into the alpha like a physical blow. It stumbled, surprised.
Ren smirked. "Yeah, howl all you want. I'm not going anywhere."
[Strength +2]
[Defense +2]
The wolves charged as one.
Ren didn't move.
[Counter Slouch Activated]
The first wolf lunged — Ren leaned back to get more comfortable. It missed and collided headfirst with the second wolf.
[Agility +5]
[Agility +5]
The third went low, aiming to bite his leg — but Ren shifted his foot to shake a pebble out of his shoe. The wolf face-planted into the dirt.
[Agility +5]
[Agility: 65]
The alpha lunged last, jaws wide open — and Ren, completely by accident, flopped sideways to avoid a root poking his back. The alpha missed and skidded past him, eating a faceful of dirt.
[Counter Slouch Activated]
The force rebounded in a shockwave, slamming the alpha into a tree with a loud crack.
[Dire Wolf Alpha Defeated!]
Ren blinked. "Wait… that worked?"
The other wolves froze, staring at their defeated alpha. Then, one by one, they tucked their tails and bolted into the forest.
[Quest Complete: Survive the Pack!]
[Rewards: 200 Gold, Skill Orb (Rare), +200 XP]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 2 → 3]
[New Stats Unlocked:
Dexterity: 5
Magic Resistance: 3]
[New Skill Acquired: Slacker's Aura]
Enemies within 10 meters feel 20% less motivated to attack you. Boss-level enemies suffer reduced combat instincts.
Ren laughed, loud and unrestrained. "Oh man. This world is amazing."
He glanced at his loot: a glowing, pulsing Skill Orb sat next to the weapon crate.
Ren reached for the orb, tilting his head. "System, what's this thing do?"
[Skill Orb: Contains a random rare skill. Use immediately or save for later. Higher chance of stronger skills if used after leveling more.]
Ren leaned back, crossing his arms. "Yeah… let's save that for now. I'm doing just fine like this."
[Strength +1]
[Defense +1]
[Stamina +1]
He glanced up at the sun, then shut his eyes. "Wake me up when the next idiot shows up."
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