Silas raised his wooden staff toward a lone rat chewing on a corn stalk. The staff felt light in his grip, nothing like the heavy blade he had swung for years in his last life. He had spent a decade fighting with steel and muscle. Magic was new to him. Yet when he pictured the spell in his mind, the motion came easy, almost natural.
'Was it the years of experience? Or did the SSS talent smooth it out for him?'
He did not have time to wonder long.
"Fireball," he said under his breath.
Fwish!
A bright orange ball of flame burst from the tip of the staff and flew straight. It slammed into the rat's side with a dull thud. The number floated above the creature.
-17
The rat screamed, a high-pitched sound that cut through the farmland. Flames licked across its black fur. It rolled once, trying to smother the fire, then scrambled up and charged at Silas, teeth bared and eyes glowing red.
Silas stood steady. The three-second cooldown felt long in the middle of a fight, but he counted it in his head. One. Two. Three.
He waved the staff again.
Fwish!
Another fireball hit the rat dead center. The creature stumbled, fur smoking, but kept coming. Its claws kicked up dirt as it lunged low, aiming for his leg.
Silas stepped sideways. The rat's teeth snapped shut on empty air. He brought the staff down hard across its back. The wood cracked against bone. The rat let out a weak squeal and fell.
He finished it with one more fireball while it tried to stand.
The body hit the ground and lay still.
Ding!
[Killed Level 1 Demonized Rat. Gained 10 experience.]
Silas exhaled slowly. His first real use of magic. It had felt strange at first, like borrowing someone else's arm, but the spell had left his hand clean and precise. No wasted movement. He liked that.
He stepped closer to the dead rat. A new panel appeared in front of him.
[Please choose something to extract from this monster.]
Three items glowed on the list.
[Rusty Sword (Common)]
[Black Rat Helmet (Common)]
[Beginner Backpack (Common)]
Silas did not hesitate. The backpack would help him carry more than just the clothes on his back.
He tapped it.
Ding!
[Beginner Backpack (Common) has been selected!]
A soft light rose from the rat's body. A small brown backpack appeared on the grass. Silas picked it up and slung it over one shoulder. It felt sturdy enough. The panel said it could hold five common or uncommon items. Good enough for now.
A few players nearby stopped fighting and stared.
"Holy! Did he just get an item drop?"
"We've killed four rats and got nothing!"
Silas ignored the whispers. He turned and picked another lone rat that had wandered away from the group. He raised the staff again.
Fwish! Fwish! Fwish!
Three clean fireballs. The rat never got close. It burned and fell without landing a single scratch on him.
He moved on. The sun warmed his back. The smell of burned fur mixed with the sweet scent of crushed corn. Other players shouted and swung wildly in small teams. One man missed his sword swing completely and got bitten on the arm. He yelled and dropped his weapon. Silas kept walking. He stayed away from the crowds.
Another rat darted out from behind a row of wheat. Silas cast Fireball twice. The third time the cooldown felt slower, but he still finished it before it could bite him.
Ding!
[Killed Level 1 Demonized Rat. Gained 10 experience.]
No extraction panel this time. He remembered the note from earlier. Only twenty percent of monsters would let him extract anything right now. He shrugged and kept moving.
He killed eight more rats the same way. Each fight was short and clean. Fireball, sidestep with Scurry when one got too close, staff to the head if needed. The rats were fast and mean, but they were predictable. They always lunged low and bit first. Silas learned their pattern in the first two kills and never let them touch him again.
After the tenth rat fell, a new notification flashed.
Ding!
[You have leveled up to Level 2. All attributes raised by 5. You have 4 free attribute points and 1 skill point.]
Silas opened his status with a thought and put all four free points straight into Spirit. His mana felt stronger right away. He saved the skill point for later.
Another panel appeared.
[You have completed the quest "The Beginning Of It All." Return to the silver-skinned elder for your reward.]
Silas turned back toward the village. Two successful extractions out of ten. Not bad for the start. He now wore a small helmet made from black rat fur on his head. It added a bit of physical resistance. The beginner backpack bounced lightly on his shoulder.
Players watched him as he walked past. Some looked jealous. Others stepped forward quickly.
"Hey, man, team up? We can split the rats and get experience together. I'm not asking for much, just a helmet if you get another one!"
"Brother! I'm a mage too. My damage is decent. I'll pay you back once I get money!"
A woman with wide eyes grabbed his sleeve. "Take me with you? I'm fast and can help carry stuff!"
Silas felt the crowd closing in. He stayed calm on the outside, but the attention made his jaw tighten. He did not need a team right now. Teams slowed him down. He had ten years of future knowledge and an SSS talent. Teaming up would only share the loot he needed for himself.
He squeezed through the group and raised his voice just enough for them to hear.
"Don't worry. If I get extra equipment, I'll bring it back to the village and set up a stall."
Before anyone could grab him again, he turned and walked fast toward the east gate. The crowd let him go.
Back at the gate, the old silver-skinned man still leaned against the wall. His tired eyes lifted when Silas stopped in front of him.
"Thank you," the elder said. His voice sounded surprised. "You are not as bad as I thought your kind would be."
Ding!
[Quest completed. Reputation with the Luminari villagers increased by 50.]
Silas nodded once. The old man gave him a small respectful dip of the head. That was enough for now.
Silas turned toward the alchemy shop at the edge of the village. The silver-skinned alchemist behind the counter looked up as he entered. Her silver skin caught the light from the window.
"Oh, hello, there," she said, as if they had spoken many times before.
Silas kept his tone polite. "Do you need help with anything?"
The alchemist rubbed her chin. "Now that you mention it… I need a few Blood Rabbit furs to finish a potion. Bring me five and I will trade you some useful goods."
Ding!
[You have triggered the E-Level Novice Village Quest: Alchemist Ingredients. Bring 5 Blood Rabbit Fur in exchange for potions and +25 reputation.]
Silas felt the weight of the new quest settle in his mind. He adjusted the backpack on his shoulder and stepped back outside. The forest lay just beyond the farmlands, dark green and thick with trees.
He started walking toward it without looking back.