The forest floor was damp beneath Kenji's boots, the air heavy with pine and moss. He exhaled, blades dripping faint light as another wolf dissolved into ash.
[+6 EXP][42 / 100 EXP]
It was grueling. Every kill ate time, stamina, and attention.
Something glimmered faintly in the dirt. Kenji crouched, heart quickening.
[Drop Acquired: 5♣ — Five of Clubs]
His first card drop.
He pulled it into his inventory.
Inventory — Cards:[10♠ — Ten of Spades (Tier 0)]
If registered: +15 Critical Rate, +10 Spell Pen.
Permanent. Irreversible.
[5♣ — Five of Clubs (Tier 0)]
If registered: +5 Armor, +5 Block Chance.
Permanent. Irreversible.
Kenji's jaw tightened. So his 10♠ was Tier 0 as well. A strong Tier 0 card, yes—but still just the bottom rung of the ladder.
He thought back to the forums.
ArcticHound: "Spades = crit + magic damage...."
HealingHands: "Hearts = HP & healing buffs...."
TradePrince: "Diamonds = loot and crafting...."
Stonewall: "Clubs = defense, block, resist...."
It was all starting to make sense. Each suit carved a different path.
His 10♠ wasn't trash. It was good. But still only Tier 0. Someday, higher-tier regions would offer far more.
For now, he had to survive long enough to reach them.
Hours bled by. Wolves. Boars. Spiders dropping from trees. Kenji fought, dodged, and carved his way through.
Finally, his bar chimed.
[Level Up — Lv 2 Reached]
[+10 Attribute Points Gained]
Kenji collapsed against a tree, breathing hard. He opened his stats. putting all his point on DEX.
GrayWolf — Lv 2 (Commoner)
Base Attributes (from Leveling):
STR: 10
VIT: 10
DEX: 20
INT: 10
Item Bonuses: None.Card Bonuses: None (unregistered).
He grinned faintly. His movements already felt lighter, his strikes sharper. For the first time, progress was visible.
The next fight brought something unexpected.
A wolf lunged, stronger than the rest. Kenji rolled, slashing its side with [Twin Slash]. The beast yelped, staggered, then collapsed in ash.
A faint glimmer remained.
[Loot Acquired: Cracked Iron Bracers (Common)]
Tier 0
+1 Strength
Kenji turned them over in his hands. Rusty, bent, clearly scrap metal hammered into shape. And yet—they were gear. His first piece.
He slid them on.
Item Bonuses: +1 STR.
It wasn't much. But it was proof that drops existed at all. And if a single Common was this rare, Epics and Legendaries were the stuff of dreams.
Shouts echoed deeper in the forest.
Kenji crouched low, peering through the trees. A group of five players was circling wolves, shouting orders. Together they cut the beasts down easily, laughter filling the clearing.
But when the last wolf fell, their faces soured.
HunterKing: "Only +2 EXP?? Are you kidding??"
BlitzArrow: "It splits between us. Parties get less per person."
CrimsonAsh: "Then why the hell did we group?!"
Kenji exhaled softly. Grouping made the fights safer, but it also made progress slower. Efficiency mattered more than safety.
He turned away. He would fight alone.
By nightfall, Kenji had slain dozens. His EXP bar crawled toward halfway to Level 3. His body ached as if the weight of every strike were his own.
He stood at the edge of the forest, scanning the horizon.
That was when he saw it.
At the far side of a clearing, a man was struggling—an NPC woodcutter, axe in hand, surrounded by three wolves. His face twisted with fear as he swung clumsily, barely holding them back.
The villagers had ignored Kenji since the start. But now?
His heart thudded.
This… this could be his chance.
Kenji tightened his grip on his blades and stepped into the clearing.