Venturing into the forest and leaving the safe zone, Camir quickly spotted a group of enemies passing by. There were five of them, of medium height like him, with blue skin, ugly, covered in furs, and armed. These creatures were called Serkas, and they almost always traveled in groups and were hostile. Their names appeared in red, meaning they posed a serious threat, with levels ranging from 12 to 18.

  From a distance of 30 meters, he observed them. Obviously, he had no intention of confronting such enemies. He could only memorize their location and look for another prey.

  Camir moved like a ghost, invisible, silent, and untraceable. Every step he took, he made sure not to leave any footprints. He blended perfectly with his surroundings and even used leaves to disguise his scent. Whenever he was near an enemy, he hid and held his breath for several minutes. He did the same when approaching animals; he could be just three meters away, and they wouldn’t even notice.

  Soon, he found an easy target, a ringed fox. Its level was 6, and its name was white. He followed it until it stopped to hunt a level 4 snake. From 15 meters away, he drew his bow, aimed, and fired.

  Swoosh!

  As expected, the arrow hit its mark, and the fox fell instantly.

  "12 XP"

  "You have leveled up to Level 3."

  Each level granted one attribute point and one skill point. At the beginning, it was common to invest in stamina up to a certain value. Stamina was initially too low, causing fatigue very quickly, which was dangerous when escaping or moving for extended periods. Many players died before reaching the safe zone if they encountered a dangerous enemy.

  "Stamina has increased to 49."

  The number of skill points spent determined whether one could unlock or strengthen a specific ability. In Bellaris, players could choose any skill, creating their own skill tree. Skills could also be evolved and fused.

  "-1 SP"

  "You have unlocked Light Step (Passive)."

  "Effect: Agility +5."

  This skill was cheap and perfectly complemented the stamina boost, allowing him to do more in less time and time was money.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "-1 SP"

  "Light Step (Passive) +1."

  "Effect: Agility +6."

  Now, he could visit the safe zone more often, meaning he could heal faster, gain more time, and earn more experience. Having achieved what he was looking for, he quickly changed his hunting method. Most of the time, he set traps all over the forest. Sometimes, he found himself surrounded and had no choice but to fight and return to the safe zone to heal. Other animals, like the Submarine Boar, were impossible to take down with normal methods. Its skin was too thick and tough, so Camir crafted a poison dart blowgun using a nearby bamboo cane, mixing various poisonous herbs and mushrooms. By aiming for the eyes, the poison quickly entered the bloodstream and paralyzed the heart.

  Skinning the boar, he obtained hide and meat. The hide smelled bad, so he had to wash it in the river and rub it with aromatic herbs. The poison was neutralized when cooking the meat, making it safe to eat. Of course, he used the inventory to store everything, so he didn’t have to carry it all.

  While he was out hunting, his traps continued to work.

  "23 XP"

  "16 XP"

  "12 XP"

  "37 XP"

  "29 XP"

  "15 XP"

  ...

  "You have leveled up to Level 12."

  All of this took him four hours.

  Returning to the safe zone, he lit a fire and started cooking meat. While waiting, he sent friend requests to all his in-game friends. Once he finished eating, he logged out and stepped out of the cabin for a real meal. It was nighttime, so he went to bed. Before sleeping, he took out his phone and checked the forums. The Top 7 and Top 5 were arguing as usual. The Top 2 was trying to calm things down, but then the Top 1 joined in and mocked Top 2. This triggered a wave of threats, and the community became chaotic again.

  "Nothing new in the forums."

  The next day, he took out the dog he had bought that morning. He went to several stores to buy its favorite snacks and then left it at Mera's house so it could socialize with her pets. Mera was deeply immersed in Bellaris, but her mother always opened the door for him. Back home, he had some toast with jam and then entered the cabin again.

  Setting traps everywhere and shooting with the blowgun along the way, Camir approached a river he had spotted in the distance. He waded into a shallow part and started catching fish with his hands.

  "You have caught a Trout."

  "6 XP"

  "Fishing has leveled up to Level 2."

  "You have caught a Salmon."

  "12 XP"

  "Fishing has leveled up to Level 3."

  "You have caught a Perch."

  "10 XP"

  "You have caught a Pike."

  "6 XP"

  "Fishing has leveled up to Level 4."

  ...

  "Fishing has leveled up to Level 10."

  "You have advanced from Beginner to Apprentice. You can now catch more types of fish and use bait."

  Meanwhile, the traps continued working...

  "41 XP"

  "54 XP"

  "47 XP"

  "79 XP"

  "72 XP"

  "66 XP"

  ...

  "You have leveled up to Level 30."

  "You have advanced from Beginner to Apprentice. You can now choose your class."