The Whispering Glade, with its sun-dappled openness and relatively passive wildlife, felt like a distant memory. Kael pushed deeper into the woods surrounding the starting zone, the trees growing thicker, their leaves casting the forest floor in perpetual twilight. Strange, bioluminescent fungi clung to bark and roots, casting faint, eerie glows. The air grew heavier, carrying the scent of damp earth and something faintly metallic.
He quickly found the area's new inhabitants: Gloomfang Spiders, their chitinous bodies the colour of charcoal, scuttling between trees on spindly legs tipped with razor-sharp points. They were roughly the size of dinner plates, fast, and spat a weak corrosive acid.
His first encounter was messy. One dropped silently from a branch above, latching onto his shoulder. Searing pain flared as its fangs sunk in. [-25 HP], followed quickly by a [-3 HP/sec, 5 sec] poison debuff. Kael yelled, ripping the spider off with brute force and slamming it against the tree trunk. It exploded into particles.
[System]: Gloomfang Spider defeated! +100 EXP! [System]: Loot Drop: Spider Fang x1 [System]: Spider Fang detected. Transmuting via Absolute Assimilation... +35 EXP! [System]: Loot Drop: Corrosive Acid Gland x1 [System]: Corrosive Acid Gland detected. Transmuting via Absolute Assimilation... +40 EXP! [System]: Total EXP Gain: 175 EXP. Applying 3x Multiplier... +525 EXP!
Level 8: 855 / 1800 EXP
The poison ticked away, draining his health, but the EXP gain was substantial. He quickly learned to watch the canopy and listen for the tell-tale skittering. Their acid spit was harder to dodge reliably with his still-average Dexterity, often splashing his bare arms or legs for minor damage. [-15 HP]. But his growing Vitality and HP pool allowed him to soak the hits, relying on his overwhelming Strength to crush them quickly before they could gang up or wear him down.
Soon after, he reached the next milestone. After pulverizing a particularly large spider that guarded a shimmering cluster of fungi:
[System]: Congratulations! You have reached Level 9! +15 Stat Points available. Health and Mana fully restored.
The familiar, welcome wave of healing washed away the accumulated acid burns and bite marks. Kael paused only for a moment. The temptation to add Dexterity, to become harder to hit, was growing. But the feeling of his fists connecting with monstrous force was addictive. He stuck to the plan: 10 more points into Strength, 5 into Vitality. Raw power and endurance. He could worry about finesse later.
He continued his relentless hunt. This deeper section of the woods presented minor navigational challenges. He came across a small chasm, maybe ten feet across, spanned by a single rotting log. He saw another player across the way easily toss a grappling hook, secure it, and swing across. Kael eyed the gap, then the log. He lacked the balance (Dexterity) to cross the log confidently, and without any items, tools like grappling hooks were completely out of reach. He could try to jump it, but a fall wouldn't be pleasant, even with his HP. He grunted in frustration, forced to backtrack and find a longer route around, wasting precious grinding time. His unique skill offered immense power, but its restrictions were a constant, nagging annoyance.
The next few hours blurred into a cycle of hunting, killing, and the satisfying chime of EXP gains. He cleared spiders from around ancient, moss-covered ruins peeking through the trees. He punched Thorn Boars, whose charging attacks hit like trucks ([-30 HP]) but whose thick hides transmuted into significant EXP boosts. He learned their patterns, timing his heavy blows between their attacks, using the environment like tree trunks to block charges when possible.
He saw other players occasionally, usually in pairs or small groups, struggling with the same creatures he was now dispatching solo with brutal efficiency. A group of three, clad in mismatched leather and iron bits, were having a tough time with two Thorn Boars. Kael, still displaying Level 2, took down a third boar nearby with three swift punches. One of the players, a warrior type with a shield, stared openly.
"How the—? Did you see that?" he muttered to his companions. "That level 2 guy just melted that boar!"
Kael didn't wait for them to approach. He faded back into the shadowed woods, circling around to find a new, undisturbed patch of monsters. Attention was dangerous. Misunderstanding was inevitable. Solitude was safety.
He felt the shift before the system notification confirmed it. The EXP bar, which had been climbing at a satisfying pace, suddenly seemed to hit cognitive sludge. After crushing another Gloomfang Spider and watching the EXP numbers pop up, the purple bar barely nudged forward.
Level 9: 14500 / 25000 EXP
He checked the EXP required for Level 10. It was astronomical compared to the jump from 8 to 9. The concept document had mentioned this: the first major EXP wall. Every 10th level required ten times the normal amount of experience. Even with his triple gain from Absolute Assimilation, this single level felt like it would take as long, or longer, than reaching Level 9 from Level 1.
He punched another spider, watching the numbers.
[System]: Gloomfang Spider defeated! +100 EXP! [System]: Loot Drop: Spider Silk Gland x1 [System]: Spider Silk Gland detected. Transmuting via Absolute Assimilation... +30 EXP! [System]: Total EXP Gain: 130 EXP. Applying 3x Multiplier... +390 EXP!
Level 9: 14890 / 25000 EXP
A gain that would have been a significant jump just levels ago now felt like a drop in the ocean. Kael frowned, cracking his knuckles. The easy ride was over. Genesis was starting to demand its pound of flesh, multiplying the grind just as his skill multiplied his gains.
He squared his shoulders. Fine. If the game wanted a grind, he'd give it one. He spotted another Thorn Boar lumbering through the undergrowth. The wall was just another obstacle to punch through. He charged, fists ready. The hunger for the next level, for the next surge of power, was stronger than any frustration.