Chapter 4: Stance and Strategy
Ren woke feeling not just rested, but renewed. The jump to Level 3, combined with the full restoration of HP and SP, had left him invigorated. His base stats were slowly climbing, and with them, a subtle but tangible increase in his physical capabilities. He felt less like a fragile doll and more like a sturdy, albeit still very young, sapling.
Name: Ren
Level: 3 (EXP: 150/400)
HP: 145/145 (Base VIT 13 -> 145 HP)
SP: 120/120 (Base VIT 13 -> 120 SP)
MP: 45/45
STATS:
STR: 7
VIT: 13 (11 base + 1 from Lvl 2 + 1 from Lvl 3)
AGI: 10
INT: 16 (15 base + 1 from Lvl 3)
WIS: 13 (12 base + 1 from Lvl 3)
LCK: ?
Stat Points Available: 6 (5 from Lvl 3, 1 from Quest)
Skill Points Available: 2 (from Lvl 3)
His Vitality had received automatic point increases with each level, as had his Intelligence and Wisdom. This was a pleasant surprise; the system seemed to reward general growth alongside dedicated allocation.
His gaze immediately went to the new item in his mental inventory: [Skill Book: Basic Combat Stance Lv. 1]. It was depicted as a simple, leather-bound booklet. He focused on it.
[Skill Book: Basic Combat Stance Lv. 1]
Type: Consumable (Skill Book)
Use: Upon consumption, grants the user the [Basic Combat Stance Lv. 1] skill and fundamental knowledge of its execution.
Description: "Everyone has to start somewhere. Try not to trip over your own feet."
The system's dry wit was becoming a familiar companion. Ren mentally selected 'Use'. The image of the book in his inventory glowed brightly for a moment, then shattered into countless particles of blue light that seemed to flow directly into his mind.
He felt a sudden influx of information – not just text, but a kinesthetic understanding. It was as if he'd spent hours with a patient, if uninspired, instructor, learning how to position his feet, distribute his weight, hold his hands for optimal balance and readiness. It wasn't advanced martial arts, not by a long shot, but it was a coherent, foundational stance designed for stability and quick reaction.
[Skill Book Consumed. New Skill Acquired!]
[Basic Combat Stance Lv. 1 (EXP: 0/100)]
Description: A fundamental stance that improves balance, readiness for action, and provides a slight bonus to defensive maneuvers and the execution of basic attacks.
Effects at Lv. 1: +5% to Dodge chance when actively holding the stance. +5% to accuracy of basic melee attacks initiated from the stance. Reduces SP cost for maintaining combat readiness slightly.
This was excellent. A concrete, combat-applicable skill. His first one, really. [Throwing] was more of a general action, and [Stealth] was for avoidance. This was for a fight.
Before practicing, though, he had points to allocate. Six Stat Points. He was still painfully weak physically. Strength was an obvious dump stat, but Vitality meant more HP and survivability. Agility governed speed and dodging, also crucial.
He thought about the future, about Nen users whose physical prowess was often superhuman even before aura was applied. He needed a solid base.
He decided on a balanced approach for now:
2 points into STR (7 -> 9)
2 points into VIT (13 -> 15)
2 points into AGI (10 -> 12)
HP: 175/175
SP: 150/150
The increase was immediately noticeable. He felt a greater sense of solidity, his muscles thrumming with a little more power, his movements feeling a fraction smoother.
Next, Skill Points. He had two. He looked at his skills:
[Basic Survival Lv. 2]
[Herbology Lv. 1]
[Stealth Lv. 0]
[Throwing Lv. 0]
[Basic First Aid Lv. 3]
[Basic Chores Lv. 1]
And now, [Basic Combat Stance Lv. 1].
[Basic First Aid] was already decent. He considered [Stealth] or the new [Basic Combat Stance]. Given his recent encounter, being harder to hit and more effective if forced to fight seemed paramount. He decided to invest in the stance.
[Allocate 1 Skill Point to Basic Combat Stance Lv. 1? This will advance it to Lv. 2.]
He confirmed.
[Basic Combat Stance Lv. 1 -> Basic Combat Stance Lv. 2 (EXP: 0/200)]
Effects at Lv. 2: +8% to Dodge chance. +8% to accuracy. SP cost for readiness further reduced. Minor improvement to resisting stagger.
He put the second Skill Point into [Stealth]. Being able to avoid a fight was still the best option.
[Stealth Lv. 0 -> Stealth Lv. 1 (EXP: 0/100)] (The previous EXP was absorbed into the first level)
Effects at Lv. 1: Reduced noise from movement by 10%. Slightly harder to detect by mundane sight when not moving.
Satisfied with his allocations, Ren turned his attention to practicing the [Basic Combat Stance]. He cleared the center of his hut, just as he had for the exercises.
He focused on the knowledge the skill book had imparted, letting his body fall into the prescribed position: feet shoulder-width apart, one slightly ahead of the other, knees bent, weight balanced, hands held loosely before him.
[Actively Holding: Basic Combat Stance Lv. 2. SP drain: -0.1 SP/second.]
The SP drain was tiny, easily manageable with his current pool. He held the stance, trying to get a feel for it, making micro-adjustments, focusing on his balance and the sensation of readiness the system described.
After a few minutes of just holding it:
[Basic Combat Stance Lv. 2 (EXP: 5/200). Good form for a beginner. Try to maintain it during movement drills.]
Movement drills. Right. The stance wasn't just for standing still. He tried shifting his weight, taking small, controlled steps forward, backward, side-to-side, all while maintaining the core principles of the stance. It was harder than it looked. His movements felt awkward, jerky.
[Basic Combat Stance Lv. 2 (EXP: 8/200). Clumsy. Focus on fluidity and maintaining balance through transitions.]
The system was a harsh critic, but an accurate one. He spent the next hour just on this – holding the stance, moving in the stance. Sweat beaded on his forehead. It wasn't as physically taxing as the push-ups, but it required intense concentration. Slowly, very slowly, his movements became a little smoother. The EXP bar for the skill crawled upwards.
By the time he was starting to feel a different kind of fatigue – mental, from the focus, and a deeper ache in his legs and core from maintaining the unfamiliar posture – he had managed to get the skill to:
[Basic Combat Stance Lv. 2 (EXP: 55/200)]
It wasn't a level up, but it was progress. He could feel a subtle difference. He felt more…grounded. More prepared.
He took a break, drinking some water. His mind, as always, drifted to Nen. This stance, these exercises – they were all just mundane efforts. Nen was the real game-changer in this world. Gon and Killua had learned it relatively quickly through Wing. He didn't have a Wing. Could his system provide a path? The "MP (Will become AP - Aura Points upon Nen awakening)" line on his status screen was a constant, tantalizing hint.
Perhaps certain skills, or reaching a certain level of physical or mental proficiency, would unlock a quest for Aura Awakening. He had no way of knowing yet. All he could do was keep improving his fundamentals and hope the system would guide him when he was ready.
He needed more EXP to level up again. The crafting of bandages had provided a decent boost, especially the skill level-up bonus. He had no more easily sacrificed clean cloth. He could try hunting small game for [Basic Survival] EXP, or practice [Throwing] more seriously. Or, dare he risk it, venture a little further into the woods to gather more herbs for [Herbology], hoping to avoid another Grootslang.
The thought of the Grootslang made him glance at the simple, crudely sharpened stick he kept by his door – less a spear, more a pointy deterrent for stray dogs. It was utterly inadequate. He needed a proper weapon, even a basic one, and the skill to use it. The [Basic Combat Stance] would be more useful if he actually had something to attack with.
A new thought occurred to him. Could he craft a weapon? There was no [Weapon Crafting] skill visible. Maybe it needed to be unlocked, perhaps by attempting to make something, just like [Basic Chores] had appeared.
He looked around his hut. Wood was plentiful. He had his small flint knife, mostly used for gutting the occasional rabbit or fish he managed to scrounge. Could he try to fashion a simple wooden spear or a club?
This seemed like a more proactive approach than just waiting for the system to hand him everything. He needed to experiment, to push the boundaries of what The Interface offered.
He spent the rest of the afternoon outside his hut, carefully selecting a sturdy, straight branch from the woodpile everyone in the village contributed to and drew from. He began to work on it with his flint knife, slowly, awkwardly trying to sharpen one end into a serviceable point and whittle down the other into a comfortable grip.
It was slow, painstaking work. His hands weren't used to it, and the flint knife was not ideal for woodworking.
After an hour of frustrating effort, with a few nicks on his fingers to show for it (he mentally noted to be more careful; HP was precious):
[New Mundane Skill Discovered: [Basic Woodworking] Lv. 0 (EXP: 10/30)]
Description: The ability to shape and work wood using simple tools. Currently, you're more likely to produce oddly shaped sticks than fine furniture.
Comment: Don't quit your day job. Oh wait, you don't have one.
Despite the sarcastic comment, Ren felt a thrill. He could unlock new skills through experimentation! This opened up a whole new avenue for development. The crude spear-thing he was working on was far from complete, but it was a start.
He also gained a few character EXP points from unlocking the skill.
Level: 3 (EXP: 160/400)
As evening approached, Ren ate his meager meal, his mind buzzing with plans. He'd continue his physical conditioning daily – push-ups, sit-ups, squats. He'd practice his [Basic Combat Stance] until it felt like second nature. He'd try to finish his spear and perhaps even practice with it. And he'd keep an eye out for opportunities to level up his other mundane skills.
He was still a long way from confronting Phantom Troupe members or Chimera Ants. He was a long way from even being a competent pre-teen Hunter. But for the first time since waking up in this dangerous world, he felt like he had a measure of control, a path forward, guided by the silent, ever-present blue screens of The World's Interface. The grind was tough, but every point of EXP, every new skill level, was a step further away from being helpless prey.