“Phew! They left at last,” I muttered, letting out a heavy breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
I had been paralyzed by worry from the moment I saw a group of heavily armed individuals approaching the village. In this world, equipment was a clear indicator of status and power, and no one in Hajzenfels possessed gear that could even remotely compare to theirs. They appeared remarkably organized and experienced—the kind of people who didn't just survive in the wilderness, but mastered it. I had no desire to risk my life just as I was beginning to live out my dreams.
To stay safe, I had quietly climbed a nearby hill, positioning myself where I could observe the village from a distance without being spotted. From my vantage point, I used my unique abilities to get a closer look at the newcomers.
***
Elisa Unsheffar
Race: Dragonkin
Sex: Female
Status: Normal
Equipment:
Two-handed Steel Sword??
Steel Breastplate??○
Steel Gloves?
Steel Footwear?
Golden Earrings?
Mithril Amulet?○
Silver Ring?
Job: Knight Lvl 30
***
***
Steven Rashenberg
Race: Elf
Sex: Male
Status: Normal
Equipment:
Two-handed Steel Sword??
Steel Breastplate??
Steel Gloves?
Steel Footwear?
Silver Earrings?
Silver Amulet?
Golden Ring?○
Job: Knight Lvl 25
***
***
Zhein Bashirov
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Status: Normal
Equipment:
One-handed Steel Sword?○
Leather Breastplate??
Leather Gloves?
Leather Footwear?
Golden Earrings?
Silver Amulet?
Silver Ring?
Job: Adventurer Lvl 31
***
Shit! They seem really strong, I thought, my heart sinking as I reviewed the information. I didn't even know how one went about acquiring the "Knight" job in this world. I knew that the "Adventurer" job was tied to being an explorer or a dungeon raider, but the specific requirements were still a mystery to me. If that group had decided to attack the village, there would have been absolutely no way for us to mount a defense.
I continued to watch from the shadows of the hill. While most of them were knights, others held roles like explorer or adventurer. The knight named Elisa was clearly the leader. Even from a distance, she was beautiful and elegant, and her men seemed to obey her commands properly; she was a remarkably capable woman.
As she issued orders, I noticed how quickly the group shifted into tight, professional formations. Every one of them looked professional, especially Elisa. She seemed somewhat expressionless—almost dull—but she possessed an imposing aura that commanded respect.
The village chief and several villagers had initially welcomed them with visible anxiety, but as the conversation continued, the tension began to bleed away. They were invited into the village, and to my surprise, the visitors didn't treat the villagers or the chief harshly.
Once I was certain they weren't there to cause trouble, I prepared to return to the house Grandpa had allocated to me for the time being. But just then, a commotion broke out. It appeared that some of the village children had wandered off into the dangerous woods on their own.
The visitors seemed eager to help the villagers. After a quick exchange of information with the chief, they departed quickly into the trees. I found out what the trouble was a while later, when the group returned with the two children. There was blood on some of them, suggesting a struggle. Did they fight against some beast? I wondered.
The children were reunited with their frantic families, and after the parents offered their thanks to Elisa, the party departed. I watched them go, relieved that the encounter had passed without incident.
It was the second time I had felt such a deep sense of unease since arriving. The first time was when I had first woken up, terrified of being weak and vulnerable. At that moment, I had been a mere Level 1 Villager—arguably the weakest class in existence. Even though I was no longer that weak, I was still far inferior to the warriors I had just witnessed.
***
Han
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Status: Normal
Equipment:
*One-handed Iron Sword
*Leather Breastplate
*Middle-scale Iron Shield
*Leather Helmet
*Leather Gloves
*Leather Footwear
Job: Villager Lvl 6
Hunter Lvl 6
***
This was my current standing. Having two jobs was just one of the many exclusive advantages I possessed—a system that granted me a significant edge over the other inhabitants of this world.
The memory of how I gained these advantages was still vivid. After I had accepted the mysterious voice’s offer, I had suddenly been transported into a vast, featureless white space. A game window flickered into existence before me. I was overjoyed that I hadn't been tricked; I couldn't believe it was real, and for a long time, I just stood there dazed, smiling like an idiot.
Once I calmed down, I began to explore the window. It was divided into several categories: points, stats, bonus skills, bonus spells, handicaps, equipment, and coins.
***
Player Window
—
Name: Han
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Sex: Male
Age: 20
—
Total Points: 50
Remaining Points: 50
—
Stats:
HP: 100
MP: 50
SP: 50
Strength: 5
Endurance: 5
Vitality: 5
Agility: 5
Dexterity: 5
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 5
Sense: 5
Charisma: 5
Regeneration: 5
—
Bonus Skills
Bonus Spells
Handicaps (First Time Use)
Equipment
Coin
***
It looked exactly like a character customization screen from a video game, making my heart flutter with excitement. I began testing every button on the screen to ensure I didn't overlook a single detail, starting with the stat panel.
I discovered that increasing a stat like Strength to 6 cost 2 points. Raising it again cost 3. Through trial and error, I figured out the math: from 1 to 5, each point spent or returned was 1-for-1. Beyond level 5, the cost increased by one for every additional level. I also learned that each point in Vitality granted 20 HP, Endurance provided 10 SP, and Intelligence gave 10 MP.
Next, I opened the Bonus Skills window, which was filled with options that seemed designed by someone with a real head for numbers.
***
Skill Name: Increase Exp Drop (Level n)
Description: Multiply the Exp gain of the killed enemy by (n + 1).
Point Cost: n*(n+1)/2
—
Skill Name: Decrease Required Job Exp (Level n)
Description: Divide the Exp required for jobs by (n + 1).
Point Cost: n*(n+1)/2
—
Skill Name: Extra Job (Level n)
Description: Add n number of new job slots.
Point Cost: 2^n
—
Skill Name: Identify
Description: Can see information on animated and inanimate objects.
Seen information: Name, Race, Sex, Status, Equipment, Job
Point Cost: 25
—
Skill Name: Player Window
Description: Can use the player window after the first access.
Point Cost: 25
***
The math for the Exp skills was interesting—Level 1 doubled your gain for 1 point, but Level 9 multiplied it by ten for 45 points. It was the same amount for the "Decrease Required Job Exp" skill. The "Extra Job" skill was even more exponential, doubling in cost for every new level of the skill. I realized that I had to have at least one job slot if it said "add". I could add five more job slots by spending 32 points, but I didn't know anything about jobs yet.
What was most important was the "Player Window" skill; its description implied that if I didn't take it now, I might lose access to this interface forever. "Identify" was also essential. It was costly, but considering I was going to a new world, it had to be taken. In every story I’d read, no protagonist ever regretted having an information-gathering ability. I selected both, which immediately brought my remaining points to zero.
Even with no points left, I looked through the other categories. The Bonus Spells window offered several impressive options:
***
Spell Name: Warp
Description: A spell that opens a pathway to another location.
Point Cost: 10
—
Spell Name: Meteor Strike
Description: Cast a meteor strike that inflicts powerful fire and earth damage to a wide area.
Point Cost: 10
—
Spell Name: Distant Vision
Description: Can see faraway places.
Point Cost: 5
—
Spell Name: Chant Shorten
Description: You can chant a spell just by saying its name.
Point Cost: 25
—
Spell Name: No Chant
Description: You can create a spell just by thinking of its name.
Point Cost: 50
***
These spells looked incredible, especially "Warp". Teleporting effortlessly felt like a true fantasy come to life. I wanted it, but I was out of points. I consoled myself with the thought that I couldn't use it immediately anyway, as it would likely be most useful for places I had already visited, and I didn't know anywhere yet.
Next, I turned to the "Handicaps" section. It sounded weird and uncommon.
***
(Info: Handicaps can’t be recovered by any normal means)
Handicap: Memory Loss
Description:
- Lose all your memories that belonged to the world you came from.
- You don’t forget experiences, but how you got them.
- Losing memories doesn’t affect personality.
- Recommended to use with other handicaps related to losing something intangible.
Acquired Bonus Point: 20
—
Handicap: Body Part Loss
Description:
- Lose one of your following body parts permanently (Arm, leg, eye, kidney, lung lobe, testicle, boob).
- Could result in stat losses.
Acquired Bonus Point: 20
—
Handicap: Last Name Loss
Description: - Last names are given to the Nobles in this world.
Acquired Bonus Point: 10
—
Handicap: Exp Gain Loss
Description: - Reduce exp gained from all activities by 5 times.
Acquired Bonus Point: 50
—
Handicap: No Mana Aptness
Description: - You can use mana for skills, but not for spells or healing.
Acquired Bonus Point: 50
—
Handicap: No Physical Aptness
Description: - You can’t use physical skills.
Acquired Bonus Point: 50
***
Just as expected, they were the worst. Losing a body part was too high a price. "Exp Gain Loss" seemed tempting because I could use 20 points to take a Level 4 Exp skill to neutralize it, but in the long run, it would be a fatal hindrance. If I instead spent those points on high-level Exp skills without the handicap, my growth would be dozens of times faster. So, that was a "no". "No Mana Aptness" and "No Physical Aptness" were also out of the question—lacking those qualities would be lethal in more than one way.
Ultimately, I chose "Memory Loss" and "Last Name Loss". While I had precious memories of my family, I felt that losing them wouldn't affect my practical survival in this new world. I decided to treat this as a completely fresh start. The description for "Memory Loss" even suggested using it with other intangible losses, which made "Last Name Loss" feel like a natural pairing.
With those two handicaps, I now had 80 points total.
I spent 50 points on "Identify" and "Player Window," leaving 30. Next, I looked at the Equipment option.
***
(Info: You can get back your points if you return the same equipment you took.)
Equipment Type: One-handed Sword, One-handed Axe, One-handed Mace, Short Spear, Mid-scale Shield
Material Cost: Copper & Wooden (1), Iron (3), Steel (7), Orichalcum (20), Adamantite (50)
—
Equipment Type: Two-handed Sword, Two-handed Axe, Two-handed Mace, Long spear, Towering Shield, Gauntlet, Body Armor
Material Cost: Copper & Wooden (2), Iron (5), Steel (10), Orichalcum (30), Adamantite (70)
—
Equipment Type: Helmet, Gloves, Footwear
Material Cost: Copper & Wooden (1), Iron (3), Steel (7), Orichalcum (20), Adamantite (50)
—
Equipment Type: Robe, Staff, Amulet, Ring, Earring
Material Cost: Copper & Wooden (1), Iron (3), Steel (7), Orichalcum (20), Adamantite (50)
—
Select Skill Crystal
—
Add n pieces of Skill Crystal
Point Cost: 10*(2^n-1)
***
The materials told me a lot about the world; copper and wood were the worst, while adamantite was the best. I decided to buy some basic gear to ensure I didn't die immediately upon arrival. I chose a one-handed iron sword, leather breastplate, middle-scale iron shield, leather helmet, leather gloves, and leather footwear. This cost me 20 points.
I had 10 points left. I spent 9 of them on stats: raising Strength and Agility from 5 to 6, and increasing Vitality from 5 to 7—which bumped my HP from 100 to 140.
The final selection was the Coin option.
***
(Info: You can get back your points if you return the same value and currency of coins you took.)
Coin Value: 1 Platinum Coin
Currency: Obscura
Point Cost: 100
—
Coin Value: 1 Gold Coin
Currency: Obscura
Point Cost: 1
—
Coin Value: 100 Silver Coins
Currency: Obscura
Point Cost: 1
—
Coin Value: 10000 Copper Coins
Currency: Obscura
Point Cost: 1
***
I could borrow coins and pay them back later, which was a relief. I used my very last point to get 100 silver Obscura coins to ensure I could survive my first few days in a town or city.
“All points are spent. Time to dive into the new world,” I said to the white void.
As I wondered how to leave the space, my vision began to fade. My heart hammered against my ribs. I was thrilled, but also terrified that when I opened my eyes, it would turn out to be a dream again. I didn't know what I would do then.
And I blacked out just like that.
[Edited]
