Chapter 7: Metabolic Cost

  The Western Woods were different from the riverbank. Here, the digital canopy was thick, filtering the sunlight into shafts of pale green and gold. The air smelled of pine resin and damp earth, a heavy, organic scent that masked the faint ozone smell of the distant village.

  Yuta crouched in a patch of ferns, his breath held tight in his chest.

  Twenty meters ahead, a creature grazed on a patch of clover.

  Target: Iron-Hoof Stag (Level 4).

  Type: Beast.

  It was magnificent. It stood five feet at the shoulder, its coat a tawny brown that shimmered with a metallic sheen. Its antlers were massive, branching out like jagged lightning made of bone. But it wasn't the antlers that worried Yuta. It was the legs. Those muscles were coiled springs, built for explosive speed.

  Yuta looked down at his hand. He held the Broken Skinning Knife. The blade was three inches long, rusted, and the tip was missing.

  Distance: 20 meters.

  Target Speed: Approx. 50 km/h.

  My Speed: Approx. 15 km/h.

  "Physics doesn't favor the chaser," Yuta thought. "If I step on a twig, it runs. If I charge, it runs. I can't catch it."

  He needed a projectile. But he had no bow. He needed a trap. But he had no rope.

  He watched the stag. It took a bite of the clover, chewed rhythmically, and then its ears swiveled. A bird chirped in a tree above Yuta.

  Snap.

  The stag’s head snapped up. It looked directly at the fern patch where Yuta was hiding. For a second, predator and prey locked eyes.

  Then, with a burst of motion that blurred the air, the stag was gone. It didn't just run; it vanished into the trees, leaving only the sound of thundering hooves fading into the distance.

  Yuta didn't chase. He didn't even stand up. He just sighed and leaned back against a tree trunk.

  "Fast twitch muscle fibers," Yuta muttered. "High anaerobic capacity. I can't compete with that biology."

  He opened his inventory.

  6 Copper.

  Chipped Mortar.

  2 Empty Vials.

  Broken Skinning Knife.

  He couldn't beat the stag’s physics. So, he had to attack its chemistry.

  He stood up and began to walk, but not after the deer. He looked at the ground. He looked at the roots of the trees. He activated his Scavenger focus, scanning the flora.

  Most players saw "grass" and "bushes." Yuta saw a pharmacy.

  He ignored the Healing Herbs (Green). He ignored the Mana Mushrooms (Blue). He was looking for something darker. Something the game guide probably listed as "Trash."

  He found it growing in the shadow of a rotting log.

  Item Identified: Widow’s Nettle.

  Rank: F.

  Description: A common weed with purple veins. The sap causes numbness and lethargy if ingested. Bitter taste.

  "Alkaloids," Yuta whispered, kneeling. "Neurotoxins that inhibit the nervous system."

  He pulled the gloves from his inventory—his starter gloves, tattered and thin, but better than bare skin. He carefully harvested the nettles, avoiding the thorns.

  He had the poison. Now he needed the delivery system. The description said "Bitter taste." No animal would eat this willingly. He needed to mask the flavor.

  He searched for another twenty minutes until he found a Sweet-Berry bush. The berries were bright red and bursting with sugar.

  Yuta sat down on a flat rock. He placed his chipped mortar between his knees.

  He put the Widow’s Nettle into the bowl. He began to grind.

  Crunch. Squelch.

  The uneven surface of the mortar made it difficult, but he wasn't trying to make a refined potion. He just needed to extract the sap. A dark, purple liquid began to pool at the bottom of the bowl. It smelled acrid, like old vinegar.

  "Concentration is key," Yuta murmured.

  He took the Sweet-Berries. He didn't grind them. He simply crushed them by hand, dropping the pulp and juice into the mortar. He mixed it with the purple sap. The sugar from the berries would bind with the bitter alkaloids, masking the taste.

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  He stirred it with the pestle until it became a thick, jam-like paste.

  Item Created: Sedative Bait (Rank F).

  Effect: Induces "Drowsiness" and "Minor Paralysis" in small to medium beasts.

  Duration: 5 Minutes.

  It wasn't a weapon. It was a biological hack.

  Yuta stood up. He walked back to the clearing where he had seen the stag. He knew how grazing animals worked. They had circuits. They returned to food sources.

  He placed the glob of purple-red paste on a flat stone in the middle of the clover patch. It smelled sweet, cloying, and irresistible.

  Then, he retreated.

  He climbed a nearby tree—a difficult feat with his low Strength stat, scraping his knees against the bark—and perched on a thick branch about three meters off the ground.

  And then, he waited.

  In most games, you pressed a button to skip time. In Elixir Online, you just sat there. The sun moved across the sky. Shadows lengthened. A squirrel ran up the trunk of his tree, looked at him, and chattered before running away.

  Yuta didn't mind the wait. It gave him time to think.

  He thought about the market. The Ember Balm was a good start, but it was seasonal. Once players got better gear, they wouldn't need it. He needed a consumable that was always in demand. Food? Potions? Or maybe materials.

  Leather. Everyone needed leather for armor.

  Rustle.

  Yuta stopped breathing.

  From the tree line, a stag emerged. It wasn't the same one as before—this one was slightly smaller, its antlers less developed. A Level 3 Young Iron-Hoof.

  It stepped into the clearing, its nose twitching. It smelled the clover. It smelled the wind.

  And then, it smelled the sugar.

  The stag walked straight to the flat stone. It sniffed the purple paste. Yuta’s hand tightened on the handle of his knife. Don't be picky, he prayed. Just eat.

  The stag took a lick. Then another. Then, it ate the whole glob in one bite.

  Yuta watched the timer in his head. Metabolism. Digestion. Absorption into the bloodstream.

  The stag wandered away from the stone, chewing. It took a few steps, then stopped. It shook its head, as if a fly were buzzing around its ears.

  It took another step. Its front leg buckled slightly.

  "The alkaloids are binding to the receptors," Yuta whispered.

  The stag let out a low, confused bleat. It tried to run, sensing something was wrong, but its movements were sluggish. It looked like it was moving underwater. It stumbled, its heavy body swaying.

  It collapsed onto its knees, then rolled onto its side, breathing heavily. It wasn't dead. It was just stoned.

  Yuta dropped from the tree. He landed in a crouch and sprinted toward the fallen animal.

  The stag saw him coming. It tried to stand, thrashing its legs, but the paralysis was setting in. Its eyes were wide, filled with panic.

  Yuta felt a pang of guilt. This wasn't a monster attacking him. It was a passive creature. But then he remembered the 6 copper in his pocket. He remembered the price of a real meal.

  "Sorry," Yuta said.

  He didn't hack at it. He was efficient. He aimed for the neck with his broken knife.

  Slash.

  He connected.

  There was no blood. No visceral horror.

  The moment the knife dealt the fatal damage, the stag froze. Its body cracked like shattered glass. Bright blue fissures spread across its hide, glowing with intense light.

  SHING.

  The stag exploded into a shower of blue data particles. The sparkling dust drifted in the air for a second before vanishing, leaving three items hovering on the grass, glowing with a soft loot aura.

  Target Eliminated.

  Experience Gained: 25.

  Yuta picked up the items.

  Item Acquired: Poor Quality Stag Hide.

  Item Acquired: Raw Venison (x2).

  Item Acquired: Iron-Hoof Antlers.

  He looked at his inventory. The Poor Quality Stag Hide took up a massive amount of space. His grid was flashing red: Inventory Full.

  He stood up. He was clean. No blood, no dirt. Just a clean digital kill.

  He walked back toward Riverwood.

  As he neared the village gate, the ground trembled slightly. A group of five players marched past him. They were a different breed entirely.

  Level 14.

  They wore matching silver plate armor that reflected the sunset. Their weapons glowed with faint magical auras—one held a staff topped with a blue crystal, another a greatsword that hummed with energy. They were loud, laughing and joking about a "Raid Boss" they were planning to attempt next week.

  "I'm telling you, the tank mechanics are broken," one of them laughed. "We need more DPS."

  Yuta stepped to the side of the road to let them pass. They didn't even look at him. To them, he was just part of the scenery, a Level 3 noob in a starter tunic holding a broken knife.

  Yuta watched them go. He didn't feel envious. He felt invisible. And right now, invisibility was good for business.

  He entered the village and went straight to the crafting district.

  He found Gerta, the NPC Tanner. She was a burly woman working under a canvas awning, stretching a large wolf pelt on a rack.

  "Shop's closing," Gerta grunted, not looking up.

  Yuta placed the Poor Quality Stag Hide on the counter.

  Gerta stopped working. She looked at the hide. She poked it with a thick finger.

  "Thin," she critiqued. "Scrawny animal. Rank F material. I can't make armor out of this. It would tear if a goblin sneezed on it."

  "I don't need armor," Yuta said. "I need space."

  Gerta raised an eyebrow. "Space?"

  "Can you make a pouch?" Yuta asked. "Something to attach to my belt. My inventory grid is full."

  Gerta nodded slowly. "I can stitch a Scavenger’s Pouch. It's not pretty, and it won't hold much weight, but it unlocks a secondary item tab. 5 slots."

  "How much?"

  "5 Copper. For the labor and the thread."

  Yuta checked his funds. 6 Copper.

  If he paid her, he would be left with 1 Copper again. But he couldn't keep hunting if he couldn't carry the loot. It was an investment in infrastructure.

  "Do it," Yuta said.

  He handed over the 5 Copper coins and the hide.

  Transaction Complete.

  Current Funds: 1 Copper.

  Gerta worked quickly. A loading bar appeared over her head: Crafting...

  Ten seconds later, she handed him a rough, brown leather pouch.

  Item Received: Rough Leather Pouch.

  Effect: Adds +5 Inventory Slots.

  Yuta equipped it immediately. A new row of empty squares appeared in his menu. It felt like he had just taken a deep breath after being underwater. Space. Possibility.

  He walked over to the open fire pit in the center of the square. It was crowded with players cooking their evening meals.

  Yuta found a spot. He skewered one of the Raw Venison steaks on a stick and held it over the flames.

  System Alert: Cooking...

  The meat sizzled. The fat rendered, dripping into the fire. The smell was incredible—rich, smoky, and savory.

  When it was done, Yuta took a bite. It was tough, gamey, and lacked salt.

  But as he chewed, watching his Satiation bar fill up to 100%, he felt a sense of satisfaction that no exam score had ever given him.

  He looked at his stats.

  Level: 3.

  Funds: 1 Copper.

  Inventory: Mortar, Vials, Knife, Antlers, 1x Venison, Pouch.

  He was broke. He was tired. But he had expanded his capacity.

  "Tomorrow," Yuta whispered to the fire, "I fill the pouch."

  He logged out.