The morning mist clung low to the grass as I stepped out of Elton's gates, wooden tag dangling loosely around my neck. The faint chill in the air carried the scent of wet soil and pine. A reminder that even a peaceful morning could be deceptive in this world.
The guild's first task they gave me was simple.
[ Quest: Gather ten Lifeblossom leaves near the outskirts.]
Staring at the poster I thought
A beginner's errand.
And yet, this was the perfect test ground.
I followed the dirt trail until the sounds of the city faded behind me. The forest beyond Elton was calm, the kind of place that lulled unprepared adventurers into a false sense of safety.
***
As I knelt by a creek, the faint shimmer of emerald-green leaves caught my eye. Lifeblossoms.
Their soft glow pulsed in rhythm with the flow of mana in the air.
I crouched and carefully plucked them one by one, humming quietly to myself.
"Lifeblossoms thrive where mana flows gently… not too dense, not too thin," I murmured. "That's why you never find them near dead zones or corrupted soil."
As I walked I found some familiar herbs too
Somehow I get the urge to hoard those materials
I mean come on it might come handy
"Ooh what's this red petals, I recognize this one" excitedly I grab the red flower
The little facts came to me naturally relics of hours spent memorizing game wikis and dungeon maps back in E.F.O.
Funny how that useless knowledge now felt vital.
I placed the herbs into my pouch and straightened up, stretching my arms.
"That's ten… maybe eleven if I count the small ones."
The quest was technically done.
But that wasn't why I came out here.
I glanced around, scanning the treeline. It's quite very unlikely for a forest
"Alright… now for the main reason of this trip."
My first hunt.
If I wanted to grow stronger, I needed data real combat experience, not simulations or forum theorycrafting.
But I had to be careful. I wasn't some sword prodigy or martial artist.
In real life, I'd never even thrown a punch that landed.
In my defense I got sick when I was 16 which robs me the chance to property enjoy the life of an teenager
I also used to resolve conflicts either tounge which somehow works in some situation.
'Now that I think about it I might have become a good politician I lived normally'
As I slowly thread the forest I heard something
A faint rustling broke the silence.
Through the brush, I spotted a small green creature fumbling with a stick — a goblin.
It was smaller than I expected, barely reaching my waist, with leathery skin and thin limbs. Its yellow eyes darted nervously, sniffing the air.
But don't be fooled by its small appearance it's classified as a 12th tier moster.
However their individual power was actually considered insignificant
Because what matters is how many goblins are out there
There's even an old saying that says 'If there is a goblin means there's a horde of it'
That alone proves that there is probably a settlement nearby
I stalked the goblin slowly, careful for it to not notice
After I while I confirmed he is just mearly alone
"Perfect," I whispered. "A lone one."
I circled around quietly, keeping my steps light. Every twig, every leaf I avoided them with care.
When I got close enough to smell its foul breath, I took a deep breath.
"Alright… now."
I lunged forward, swinging my short sword down
but the blade sliced only air.
The goblin had jerked its head aside with surprising reflexes.
Its eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, time froze.
Then it screamed a high-pitched, angry shriek and charged.
"Wait— hey, hold on—!"
It swung its crude dagger. I twisted aside, but the edge grazed my arm. Pain flared, hot and sharp.
It was faster than I thought.
Too fast for a beginner.
We clashed again my blade scraping against its dagger, my heartbeat thundering in my ears.
It pushed. I pushed back.
The two of us stumbling like drunken brawlers more than warriors.
Then, out of sheer desperation, I kicked its knee.
The goblin fell, shrieking. I didn't hesitate I drove my sword through its chest.
It froze mid-scream.
Then fell still.
"Huff huff.... I almost died" a small chuckle escaped
Silence returned.
Only my ragged breathing filled the air.
I stood there for a while, staring down at the small corpse.
My first kill.
It was ugly. Clumsy. Brutal.
But I was alive.
I muttered, forcing a shaky laugh. "I got lucky."
I crouched beside the body, prying the blade free.
The goblin's blood stained the soil — and something faintly glimmered within its chest.
A black crystal, small enough to fit in my palm.
The monster's core.
I wiped my sword on the grass and picked it up.
The moment I did, faint text shimmered in my vision:
[Sub-skill: Absorption available]
[Would you like to absorb the core?]
"Right… this is where I'm different."
In this world, there were no level-ups.
No easy experience points.
Strength came from training, and growth demanded pain, time, and patience.
But my trait Broken Vessel came with something extra.
A curse with a loophole.
[Absorption E]: The user may absorb fragments of mana essence from monster cores.
Success rate depends on stability of the vessel. Risk of mana pollution: High.
Most people would never dare use it.
But I wasn't most people.
I found a small cave nearby shallow, but dry enough.
Sitting cross-legged, I placed the core in my hands.
The crystal pulsed faintly, almost like a beating heart.
"Alright," I whispered, "let's see how this feels."
I activated the skill.
The core cracked.
Then the world burned.
A wave of raw mana surged into me like liquid fire.
It coursed through my veins, scorching and freezing at once. My chest tightened, vision blurred my whole body screaming in protest.
Every breath felt like inhaling lightning.
The sensation was eerily similar to the cultivation scenes I used to read in webnovels where heroes refined spiritual energy through sheer will.
Except this wasn't heroic. It was pain.
I forced myself to guide the mana circulating it in a spiral through my limbs, compressing it around my heart like I'd learned from the in-game manuals.
The energy twisted, resisted, then finally—
settled.
A faint chime echoed in my head.
[Absorption successful.]
[Integration Rate: 12%]
[Excess mana: dispersed.]
[Available enhancement: Strength / Agility / Endurance]
I exhaled slowly, collapsing backward against the cave wall.
Half of the energy had leaked out — wasted. I could almost see the faint wisps of mana fading into the air.
"What a waste," I muttered. "Still… not bad for the first try."
I stared at my trembling hand, feeling a faint pulse of power beneath my skin.
Tiny, but real.
"Endurance," I whispered. "I'll need that."
[Stat increased: Endurance +0.2]
It's very small upgrade but somewhat I was content
The glow faded, and exhaustion washed over me.
But beneath the fatigue, I felt it
a small ember of strength, flickering inside the broken vessel that was my body.
It really hurts
But
And as long as it worked… I could keep going.
Even if it killed me.
---
✦ End of Chapter.