Osric didn't realize how close he was to collapsing until the adrenaline faded.
The forest slowly returned to him — the rustling leaves, the distant chirping of insects, the cold night air brushing against his skin. His chest rose and fell heavily as he lay on the ground, staring at the dark canopy above.
Everything hurt.
Not sharply like before, but deep and heavy, as if his body had been wrung dry.
He turned his head slightly.
The Dire Wolf lay motionless a short distance away, its massive body pierced through the chest. Even in death, it looked terrifying.
Osric swallowed.
I really killed it…
The realization sent a shiver through him.
If he had mistimed his move by even a moment, he would be the one lying there now — torn apart and forgotten in the forest.
His hands trembled as he pushed himself up onto an elbow. The motion drew a pained grunt from his throat, but he forced himself to stay upright.
Then the familiar text appeared once more.
[ Host is suffering from extreme fatigue and blood loss. ]
[ Recommended that the Host receives medical attention and gets proper rest. ]
Osric knew a little about first aid thanks to getting many injuries over the years.
He reached into the small bag that stuck to his belt and took out some ointment and bandages.
After covering all his wounds he leaned against a tree and decided to shut his eyes for a bit.
Osric thought about all the crazy events that transpired today and his multiple near death experiences.
If someone called this luck, he would laugh in their face.
Luck didn't bleed for you.
Luck didn't crawl through the dirt with broken bones.
No — this was survival.
And next time, he wouldn't just survive.
With those as his last thoughts, Osric quickly fell asleep.
Exhaustion dragged him down faster than caution ever could.
Osric was woken up at sunrise with incredibly sore muscles by the voice of the system.
[ The Host can now check his Status Information by thinking the word 'Status'. ]
Osric stood up while grunting.
He was still in pain, but his wounds didn't hurt as much as they did yesterday.
'Status?'
A blue screen appeared before him with information about him.
Name: Osric
Potential: E
Strength: 8
Agility: 8
Stamina: 6
Endurance: 7
Vitality: 8
Mana: 0
Skills:
Pain Resistance (F)
Osric stared at the numbers.
Low.
Weak.
…But not zero.
Osric was very intrigued by the status screen.
He could feel that this was a big opportunity that could help him get stronger, even though it came with risks.
He clicked on the skill next.
[Pain Resistance] (F)
Effect: Slightly reduces pain interference.
'It doesn't look impressive at first glance but I know the potential this skill must have.'
'It will definitely be helpful in a tough situation.'
'I wonder what stats other people have. I especially want to know how mine compare to Ruben.'
Osric was certain that his stats were at most average for a normal adult male.
'The stats are pretty much self explanatory, but I am not so sure about the potential part.'
Osric suspected that it had to do something with growth since that was in the name of the system.
He was now more determined than ever to grow stronger.
Osric was currently at the edge of the forest that was right next to the town he lived in.
The town was called Ashbrook and it was filled with poverty and low trust.
It was the Barony of Ashbrook.
It was located next to a small forest with low ranking monsters.
The barony was poor, neglected and expendable.
It was ruled by House Greydell.
They were exploitative, cruel and indifferent.
Ashbrooks people were treated as resources, not citizens.
The current ruler was Baron Alric Greydell.
He was cold and calculating but cowardly in combat.
Baron Greydell delegated all his work to subordinates and believed in ruling with fear instead of loyalty.
He considered low born citizens and orphans as disposable.
They are all encouraged to join the noble household guards, border patrols or monster bait expeditions depending on how useful they are.
Since Osric failed enlistment, he was labled as completely useless.
The poor districts were taxed way too much and when they couldn't pay they were forced to do labor.
When they didn't do as they were told, some would disappear.
The town of Ashbrook consisted of Lowbrook which were the slums and where Osric grew up and still lived in.
The market square where it was guarded by the noble soldiers, though only the merchants were protected.
And lastly the Greydell Keep, a stone fortress overlooking the town. It was the symbol of authority and fear.
Baron Greydell was the main reason why Osric hated nobles and understandably so.
He was currently on his way back to town and home in the slums.
As Osric limped toward Ashbrook, the familiar outline of the slums came into view.
Smoke rose lazily from crooked chimneys. The same broken roofs. The same narrow alleys.
Nothing had changed.
But he had.
Osric clenched his fists.
He didn't know how the system worked.
He didn't know how far it could take him.
But he knew one thing.
If he stayed weak, Ashbrook would grind him into dust just like it had always tried to.
This time—
He would grow strong enough to survive it.
No matter the cost.