After the difficult night I had endured, I found myself awake in an interesting situation, lying next to the corpse of the person who had been the cause of my greatest challenge since arriving in this new place.
The light of dawn was beginning to filter through the holes in the cave, covering it with a beautiful glow due to the ash-white walls reflecting its light. The embers of the campfire were still alive, providing me with their cozy warmth. Perhaps my good condition was partly due to it; after all, one could not underestimate a freezing night.
My physical condition was wonderful. My wounds were completely healed, and my strength had been restored. I felt full of vigor and better than when I arrived here the day before. It was a fitting reward for my previous victory.
Because of this, I had to reread the system messages. After all, due to the glitch, there were several things that, although I noticed their appearance, I couldn't read. I opened the challenge system screen and looked carefully.
I looked at the messages with surprise. Now I could see some things that I hadn't noticed before.
"Goblin memory... this is new. I won't complain, thanks to it I got the experience to level up."
The loot from hunting the murderous goblin had been greater than I expected. I had hoped to get two experience points at most, after all, that was what the first goblin had given me. But I was surprised that not only did I get an extra point, but I also got two more points due to the level difference between us. The goblin was level three and I was only level one.
I didn't consider this a reward after all. Although the goblin was two levels higher, the difference in total stats wasn't that big. This meant two things: that the stats of a level one goblin were lower than mine and that the level difference had its rewards.
With a frown on my face due to the doubts that arose, I asked myself.
"Do I get an extra point per level, or does it depend on how high the levels are?"
I continued reading the rest of the messages I hadn't been able to read before.
Oh, I remembered these, but I wasn't sure. So, leveling up from one to two grants ten stat points, but it says...
"Distributing?"
With doubt and even a little disgust, I looked at this last message. After all, I was hoping for something like the possibility of choosing which stat to increase on my own. It was great just to imagine it, after all, I had an idea of what I wanted.
I wanted to focus on increasing my magic so I could continue learning [Pulse] without having to wait so long for mana to recharge. Apparently, I recharge about three points per hour, one every 20 minutes, which is very slow...
"I'm also interested in speed."
Being faster meant better chances of escape. If the enemy couldn't even reach me, wouldn't I be invincible?
Finally, there were some extra messages.
I stared in amazement... I had gained a total of twelve stat points just by acquiring a skill from my enemy, even more than the amount I had gained from leveling up. It almost felt like a scam for all the effort I had put into leveling up.
"The [Pulse] skill had given me six magic points as a common stone, and being a rare stone not only gave me double the exp but also double the stat points."
It seemed clear that the way to become stronger was by acquiring skills. Not only did they provide useful powers that defied all human logic, but they also provided an instant increase in the abilities of those who consumed them.
This looked totally different from the first time I had seen my data, and a feeling of pride was born in my soul. I felt truly rewarded for my efforts within this place.
A smile appeared on my face, giving me the confidence to face the next day.
"That's what I was talking about. I think I've gained about 28 new points since I've been here, and... and I can really feel it. I feel stronger than when I arrived."
After all, I had to be here for a long time, and confidence would be necessary if I wanted to survive.
The physical stats were the ones that had increased with my new level, things like my strength, speed, and even health, leaving out the more ethereal stats like magic and perception.
It wasn't a problem after all, as acquiring the support stone had maintained a proper balance. Finally, all that remained was to see what the new skill was about. When I see it on a monster's panel, it doesn't seem to let me see the details, but that changes when it's in my possession.
{Skill: Goblin Vision}
{A passive skill that improves vision in the dark}
A skill that fit the assassin goblin perfectly. After all, making no noise with his footsteps and seeing in the dark were perfect qualities for an assassin. If it hadn't been for his desire to execute me himself instead of waiting for me to die of exhaustion, he would have killed me by stalking me in the dark without me even being able to see him.
A feeling of terror and happiness ran through my body. It was an incredibly useful skill, a passive one that would allow me to move better in the dark.
From what I saw with the previous goblin, it doesn't seem to be perfect. After all, it's just a rare skill, and the possibility of better skills existing remains.
"An improvement of at least 20% in each statistic and a new skill. I'm ready. Let's get out of here."
I prepared to leave, armed with my sword at my waist, my hunting knife ready in my right ankle pocket, and a gift left behind by my green enemy: a dagger with a stone handle and a steel blade with a long, sharp tip, perfect for stabbing and quick removal.
A simple but terrifying weapon that could leave you riddled with holes in an instant, I had felt it in my own flesh, so I knew its effectiveness. I put it in my left pocket so that I could access it with either hand if necessary.
I put out the embers of the campfire and left the cave to be dazzled by the sun's rays of a new day. I had successfully survived the first night.
I took my canteen to drink a little and, looking at my shirt stained with both my own blood and that of the goblin, I set out for the river to take a bath and refill the canteen. If something was going to happen to me for drinking that water, it would have to happen.
Once at the river, I looked at the water and saw that it wasn't strong enough to sweep me away. I took off my shirt and went in to cool off in the cold river water. My shirt, which was impossible to get all the blood out of, had lost its pure white color and taken on a soft pink hue, as if a red sock had escaped along with the laundry load.
"Oh well, now I look like one of those K-pop guys, fabulous..."
As I thought about how hilarious my new outfit was, I got a cold feeling of being watched. Now, with my new level of magic, I could use five attempts at [pulse] with at least a range of ten meters each, or try a few attempts with more force.
I aimed in the direction of the forest. Behind me was the cave I had come through, so the possibility was low.
"Pulse"
The sonar detected nothing.
"Maybe it's just nerves."
I looked at my hand in surprise. Unlike what I expected, my pulse reached further; the range of ten meters had extended by at least 20%.
"So the range wasn't just related to the amount of magic injected. Could it be strength or perception?"
I had finished my bath and was dressed and ready to go out and explore the forest. I needed to collect more wood for the next night, and who knows, maybe I could hunt some lone enemy or acquire a new skill stone.
While I was in the forest, I remembered that there was a survivors' panel. I had forgotten to check the status because I was focused on my own survival.
"I should make a habit of checking this at least in the morning and at night to review the status of the situation, right?"
"Who am I supposed to ask? Could this already be affecting me?"
I took a look and couldn't help but pale with horror. The sound around me disappeared, a buzzing began to ring in my head, I was dizzy... cold sweat began to run down my temple.
"My God."
<878,952,875 vs 1,999,998,895>
The first night had demanded a cruel payment. The cost was overwhelming. Just looking at the number made my legs tremble and my blood run cold...
"One hundred million... more than one hundred million human beings had died."