The first stones he saw all looked similar. They were grayish, rough stones. He crawled between the rocks by the lake, examining each one individually.
"What does this flint stone even look like? I wish it had at least told me the color..."
After examining the stones for about an hour, he reached the other shore of the lake. His hands and knees had started to ache from crawling.
"Nothing here either..." he muttered, and just as he was about to give up, a different-looking stone caught his eye.
[Material detected: Flint.]
"Found it! Now for the iron..." he said and started looking around. "I wonder what iron-containing stone looks like?"
After walking a few more minutes in the darkness, the rocky area around the lake caught his attention. Following a winding path, he made his way between the rocks. Looking left and right, he examined stones that might contain iron ore. Finally, at the end of the path, he saw a dark opening between the high rocks – it was the entrance to a cave.
"Maybe I can find more iron ore inside..." he thought. "But it's very dark in there. And there might be rats too..."
He tried to peer inside the cave through the shadows. A light breeze was blowing from within.
"Maybe there's another exit... Or a safe place where I can take shelter. But first I need to find a stone containing iron."
Just then, he spotted a dark-colored stone with a metallic sheen.
[Material detected: Iron Ore.]
"Great! Now to gather some dry grass and leaves."
He collected dry leaves and grass from around. After making a small pile, he began rubbing the flint and iron ore together.
Nothing happened in the first few attempts. Then small sparks started appearing but couldn't ignite the leaves.
"Faster... Harder..." he muttered as he continued trying.
Finally, one of the sparks managed to ignite the dry leaves. He quickly bent down and gently blew on it, and the flames began to rise.
[Learned Craft Knowledge: Fire Making Level 1.]
"Now it's time to catch fish!" he said excitedly. He grabbed his Mediocre Spear and approached the lake.
He rolled up his pants and stood in the middle of the lake. He waited to spot any movement. The mist by the lake was less dense than by the road, but it still made it difficult to see in the dark.
When he saw the fish's movement, he quickly thrust the spear into the water, but the fish had already escaped.
"This won't work..." he said to himself. "I need to be more patient. I need to predict where the fish will pass."
After waiting a few more minutes, he saw movement under the water. This time he didn't rush. He tracked the fish's direction and aimed ahead of it.
[Learned Fishing Knowledge: Fish Behavior.]
[Note: Fish usually follow specific routes and avoid sudden movements. Predicting the direction a fish will take increases hunting success.]
Using this knowledge, Boran predicted the fish's path and slightly tilted his spear in that direction. When the fish passed exactly where he expected, he quickly thrust his spear.
[Successful catch! Fish caught: Carp.]
[Fishing Experience Points +10.]
"Yes! Finally, I won't die of hunger!" he said and quickly removed the carp from the tip of his spear and placed it on a stone by the fire. "But this won't be enough to fill me up. I need to catch another one."
He continued waiting in the middle of the lake. When he noticed a fish, he could predict its path using the "Fish Behavior" ability.
[Successful catch! Fish caught: Carp.]
[Fishing Experience Points +10.]
He came to the fire and picked up one of the stones he had used for making fire. The stones had developed a sharp edge from repeatedly striking each other. He began cleaning the fish with it.
[Learned Fishing Knowledge: Basic Fish Cleaning.]
[Note: Fish cleaning is one of the most important things after fishing. It's necessary knowledge for scaling the fish, removing internal organs, and preparing it for eating.]
[Fishing Experience Points +5.]
[Fishing Experience Points +5.]
After cleaning both fish, he pushed small branches through them and held them over the fire. He made sure both sides cooked well. After about 15-20 minutes, he was sure they were done.
[Learned Profession Knowledge: Cooking Level 1.]
[Note: Basic cooking skills acquired. At this level, you can cook basic foods like fish and meat.]
[Cooking Experience Points +10.]
"What exactly are these profession skills? I'd never heard of anyone gaining such things before. Maybe it's because no one ever sat in one of the dungeons trying to fish and make fire..."
After thinking for a while, Boran had an idea. "I wonder what those rats eat... Maybe I can try something with the leftover fish."
Taking one of the remaining pieces of fish, he walked straight back from the lake and made it to the dirt path where he had entered the forest. Before entering the forest, he headed toward a place where he had seen rats several times. He quietly hid behind a rock and threw the piece of fish into an open area.
He didn't have to wait long. Three rats, presumably having caught the scent of the fish, began approaching cautiously. First they sniffed around, then slowly approached the fish.
"There..." Boran whispered to himself. "Let's see if they'll eat it?"
After checking their surroundings for a while longer, the rats started fighting over the fish. Boran's eyes lit up. "So fish bait works! This... this is great."
As he carefully watched the rats, a plan began forming in his mind. "If I use fish as bait... and set up a trap properly..." He continued thinking excitedly. "and do all this in a place where I can easily take down the rats... if I keep repeating this... leveling up can't be far away!"
Through his military training, he had learned to fight quite well—through trial and error, of course. He could handle most weapons without issues, but his class description stated that he couldn't wield any weapons except for a shield. He had never fought with a shield before. Perhaps he should practice first. A mistake here could cost him his life. That's why he needed to take the safest path.