Experience is a number relative to the person who accumulates it. If the game is easy, maybe turning off your brain and constantly killing monsters can bring great satisfaction.
However, being low-level undeniably sucks.
Using basic starter items, having to walk around with your character dressed like a total noob, drooling over the ones who opened their wallets and dropped a thousand bucks just to make their virtual avatar look cooler.
That's why Luke was going on a goblin-killing spree through the streets.
He craved the sweet dopamine hit of a "You leveled up," the rush of messages popping up one after another without pause.
That could easily become a reason to live, a monstrous motivation to scream at pea-brained creatures running across the night asphalt and slice off their limbs.
He took a deep breath after killing another goblin by slashing its belly. The thing vanished into a pile of virtual data without leaving a trace.
The system hadn't lied, it was just that Luke had majorly underestimated things. The goblins in this area were faster, tougher, and stronger, without a doubt.
If it were one-on-one, he could probably win, but he'd come out bleeding. The real issue was fighting more than one of them with bare hands.
The game-changer here was that +3 katana. Luke had underestimated the power gap between levels, thinking it wouldn't be a big deal just because it had taken him about a week to reach this point.
He couldn't have been more wrong. That little weapon was literally carrying him through every fight. And to top it off, the equipment of the sewage-colored monsters had improved too.
Before, they'd wield random sticks that would fall apart at the lightest touch, and the archers used horrible-quality bows and arrows.
Now, they were in a slightly better state. The clubs were made of halfway decent wood, strong enough to withstand one or two katana hits if used right.
The bow-wielding goblins had been replaced with slingshot users. At first glance, it seemed like a joke, but one of those pebbles hitting your hand, arm, or even your face could do more than leave a bruise.
Luke ducked, feeling a stone graze his hair. An ugly little monster was aiming another shot in his direction, but without wasting time, the young man threw his katana.
"Gwaahh!"
The goblin was pierced through and died shortly after.
You leveled up.
A new SP is available.
"That's what I'm talking about!"
A total of 9 goblins had been killed, they always came in patrols of three, so that made three groups.
The numbers were a bit lower compared to the tutorial mobs, but it didn't matter. Counting the ones he'd killed earlier, he still needed 10 more to complete the secret condition.
He summoned the system with his mind, and the skill trees appeared one after another.
His eyes landed on a single box that had been catching his attention for a while.
Golden Pinky 0/3
Increases drop rate from monsters by 10x.
"Hey, system, the more dangerous the area I'm in, the higher the drop rate?"
Due to changes in creature parameters, hidden stats were adjusted for balance purposes. These stats include: monster spawn chance, rare monster spawn chance, boss spawn chance, item drop chance, and chest spawn chance.
Other mechanics not yet unlocked by the player are disabled.
"I see. In other words, the farther I am from the safe zone, the better the drops, the stronger the monsters, and the higher the EXP. Pretty basic progression system, I gotta say… but now it makes sense why those earlier creatures never dropped anything, the percentage must've been way lower than these guys."
He scratched his chin like a wise Chinese sage, suddenly blessed with the superior knowledge of understanding basic game mechanics and not embarrassing himself like a streamer in front of thousands.
However, that meant it was actually worth going to even more distant areas to kill stuff and level up. The problem, obviously, lay in two things the system mentioned:
Bosses and rare monsters. The boss was self-explanatory — just a stronger mob that would beat the crap out of you unlike the others. But the rare monster… that one was trickier to define.
It could be a goblin with a bag full of gold that created magical portals and vanished, or maybe a goblin god reincarnated from a life full of martial arts, now the strongest goblin in the world.
Whatever the case, this thing reeked of danger. There was even the possibility of eventually facing only bosses, or maybe finding a rare monster that was impossible to kill.
There was always the option to run away, but Luke would rather not do that.
He sat against a wall to rest a bit. The fatigue was catching up to him too, since he had ended up abusing a certain illicit substance.
Alchemical Energy Drink
The item sucked away any sign of sleep in exchange for completely messing with your internal clock and stamina later. The rebound effect was kicking in right now, making it hard for his brain to process anything properly.
The last thing he wanted was to stop.
"Damn, this system is worse than gambling..."
Luke tried on the past betting platforms, but his terrible luck always made him lose everything. He preferred not to even try anymore, even when the odds were in his favor.
The screen still floated around him. He tapped on the Golden Pinky box.
Skill Unlocked.
The chance of monsters dropping items increased by 10x!
Well, unfortunately, addiction beats even the best of us.
He pushed against the wall behind him, using the momentum to stand up.
"Status."
Class: ?????
Level: 10
Fat melts under the sun's heat, your muscles threaten to break through the fat. The old titles that haunted you no longer apply. Please, spare the goblins.
"The weakest and most out-of-shape human to exist," Those words hurt more than a goth bombshell's cold rejection.
A smile appeared on Luke's face. He was happy for the first time in a long time. Looking up, the lights of the streetlamps merged with the stars.
It was a beautiful sky, even if it was fake.
'Sigh. Thanks, mom, for not giving up on me.'
A life spent holed up in his room, no friends, no one to talk to besides the pet cat. Well, life was still kind of like that, but change was now within reach.
He moved forward through the blocks, destroying any goblin in his way with a joy — maybe even a psychotic one.
Either way, his plan was to turn his situation upside down. With the system's help and in this crazy world, changing his life was more than possible if he gained enough power.
If he could at least get an honorary job, some way to prove he was capable, he'd be more than happy even starting in the lowest rank.
That would already be better than scrubbing crap out of toilets.
Luke's eyes locked onto every enemy in sight. Suddenly, he was on autopilot, obliterating the little green men in his path.
Each strike deadlier than the last, tearing through the monsters' guts or sending heads flying.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
His dopamine levels spiked, his smile growing even wider with virtual goblin blood splattering across the sidewalk. He kept killing non-stop, eventually triggering the secret condition.
A total of 22 goblins had died by his katana. He was dead tired, could've collapsed on the pavement and slept like a baby, but he refused to.
Before turning around to go home, he spotted one last mob, standing alone.
'Nothing to lose, one more won't hurt.'
Luke rushed in and quickly sliced up the green, butt-scratching man. No level-up, which only added to the disappointment.
He started walking toward the Tutorial Area, until he caught something out of the corner of his eye — a strange glow coming from the fading monster's body.
A small plant dropped to the ground, some sort of herb with a bluish-green hue. His eyes widened.
It wasn't some stinky, estrogen-repelling loincloth!
Congratulations, you got an item!
Morning Herb
Rarity: Common
A peculiar medicinal plant used in all societies as a basic treatment for wounds. Said to be blessed by mana, hence the blue tones.
"Finally, something useful!"
Luke held the little plant high with the greatest joy in the world. He had gotten something good, a more than satisfying result considering the point he spent.
On top of that, he was already level 12. Four levels in just one expedition, a massive leap from his original one-level-a-day pace.
He never felt so happy, and the reward now seemed even more radiant. Carefully storing it in his backpack, Luke headed home.
Part of the purplish sky faded, giving way to a purple-gray gradient near dawn.
He entered his room without much ceremony and hid both the katana and the plant.
Goblin loincloths would never be in his possession! As for the rewards from the secret condition, he was storing them in the closet.
He laid on the bed for a brief moment, until the sun's rays hit his eyes and the infamous mission appeared.
Basic Mission: Daily Training.
Increase your attributes through basic training and improve your physical performance.
Requirements:
0/40 push-ups;
0/40 sit-ups;
0/40 squats;
0/60 jumping jacks;
0/60 lunges;
0:00/3:00 plank;
0.0/5.0km walk;
0.0/2.0km run
Luke shrugged. Since he was already in his workout clothes, he immediately started on the floor of his room.
Slowly, the progress bar began to fill, leaving only half of the push-ups and the remaining running and walking.
Out there, the weather played along, throwing a chilly morning breeze against his face. The elderly and guys walking heavyweight dogs were heading the same way.
It didn't take long before he ran into Vivian and Nataly, who joined him since they were doing the same thing.
Some time later, the mission was completed. Luke took advantage of a bench to rest, and Vivian approached offering a water bottle.
"You're doing great, huh? What happened?"
"I unlocked an achievement in a game last night."
"Ah, gotcha…"
She didn't really know what else to say, so that was all she managed. It was an obvious lie, Luke would never admit he'd been slaughtering goblins in the dark.
"Heeey, I was thinking," Vivian continued, pouting a little. "Can I ask you for a favor? I'll pay, I swear."
"Depends on what it is. I don't know how to fix a car, just so you know."
"No, no, no, it's way simpler! You know that idiot of a student I have?"
She pointed at the big-headed girl running across the square with an annoyed look.
"I seriously need someone to motivate her, remember? I was thinking of asking you that favor. Train with us, come on! It's mostly about keeping her company, I won't ask much from you since I have no idea what your power does."
"I don't have a power. I'm just a normal guy."
"Wait, you don't? That's far from normal, but it might be even better."
Vivian, now excited, grabbed Luke by the collar of his hoodie and shook him back and forth like a ragdoll.
"Pleaaaase, do this for me! I'll give you whatever you want!"
"Whatever I want?" Luke looked at her, trying to judge if she meant it. "Deal!"
With that, he shook Vivian's hand, sealing a contract to help the troubled Nataly become a decent human being.
If only he knew the headache that was coming, he'd never have accepted the job.