Kazuki spent the next five minutes looting a goblin's corpse with the grim focus of someone who didn't want to starve to death again. It wasn't glamorous. There was green goo. There were smells. But in the inventory screen, his reward sparkled like treasure:
Rusty Ladle of Sadness (Damage: 2–4)
Goblin Meat (Possibly Edible) x2
Filthy Cloth Scrap (Unwearable)
[Quest Complete: First Blood]
[Reward: 10 EXP, Basic Clothes, Slightly Rotten Apple]
The clothes materialized in a puff of low-effort light effects: a tunic that smelled like an old couch and pants that were aggressively beige.
"Okay," Kazuki muttered, slipping into them. "Still alive. Still armed. Still incredibly confused."
He sat against a boulder and bit into the apple. It crunched like despair. Slightly sweet despair.
That was when the tutorial screen popped up.
[Welcome to the Infernal Path]This world operates under a modified stat and skill system. Your class is currently: UNKNOWN (Undiscovered Path).Your current traits include:
Pain Conversion (Lv. 1): Gain EXP equal to 5% of damage taken.
No Passive Regeneration. Have fun!
Emotionally Unstable (Trait): -5 Wisdom until you calm down.Tips for New Users:
Survive.
Level up.
Don't get attached to anyone. (Seriously.)
Avoid dying in water. The System doesn't handle that well.
Kazuki rubbed his eyes. "I feel like I'm being bullied by a sarcastic PowerPoint presentation."
Time passed. He found a stick that might qualify as a spear if you were generous and blind. He used it to poke at nearby bushes and tried to avoid thinking about the fact that goblin blood was still on his shirt.
[New Objective: Locate Shelter Before Nightfall]
"Because nothing bad happens at night, right?" he muttered, trudging down a narrow animal path that smelled like something had died on it recently. Possibly twice.
And that's when he heard it. A rustling. Then a voice—faint, but urgent.
"Damn it! Get away from me!"
Kazuki froze.
Another person?
He pushed through the brush and nearly got shot in the face with a crossbow bolt.
The girl from the quest notification—a wiry figure in leather armor, blood on her cheek, eyes narrowed—lowered her weapon an inch when she saw him.
"Oh great," she snapped. "Another idiot."
Kazuki opened his mouth.
Then something massive barreled through the trees behind her. Fangs. Eyes. Way too many legs.
[New Threat Detected: Cave Leaper – Lv. 9]
The girl didn't hesitate. She aimed.
Kazuki just screamed and charged with his stick.
A truly heroic moment, if you ignore how much of it was flailing.