As Jera opened his eyes, the blue sky greeted him, and he felt the soft grass beneath his back. He had nothing on him—not even the gear he had packed for his planned camping trip. Everything was gone, as if it had vanished into thin air. All he had left was himself and the clothes on his back.
Moments later, a message suddenly appeared before his eyes—a translucent violet screen that read:
"You are now the vessel of the God of Absorption."
He answered, "Okay."
When Jera said "Okay" softly, another message popped up. This one was his very first quest:
YOUR FIRST QUEST!
"Choose the path to be the strongest"
– Survive the wilderness.
Confused and unfamiliar with the mechanics of this strange new System, Jera replied with another "Okay." As soon as he did, the message disappeared from his view.
Then, on the left side of his vision, two bars appeared: one for his HP and one for his MP.
He had only 100 HP and 50 MP.
"Huh? Is this really a game? And aside from that… Only 100 HP and 50 MP? That's way too low… How am I supposed to survive like this?" he muttered, concern growing in his voice.
Below the MP bar, something else caught his attention—a line that read:
Unique Skill:
"Wait… Unique Skill? What's that? There's an info icon here…" he said, reaching to open the information tab.
Another message appeared:
"Unique Skill: Soul Absorption (Req. Level: 10) to use."
"So I can't use this until I reach Level 10? That's gonna be rough… I might die before I even get there."
He let out a deep sigh, thinking of his favorite anime, Solo Leveling.
Jera stood up from the grass and started walking, still exploring the unfamiliar System he now had.
"This System is real… but it's nothing like Sung Jin-Woo's," he said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin while staring at his Unique Skill.
As he walked, a wave of hunger hit him. With all his belongings gone, he had no food and had to think of a way to deal with it.
"I'm starving… If my stuff hadn't disappeared, I'd have something to eat by now… Wait!"
He quickly reached into his pocket, remembering the bread he had stashed earlier—but it was gone too.
"Ugh, so it really is just me now... I need to find food."
He scanned the area and noticed a bush with small, glowing yellow, round fruits sparkling under the sunlight. Curious, he approached the bush and cautiously examined the fruit. He didn't recognize it, so he didn't pick or eat it right away. Instead, he observed it closely, watching for any signs of toxicity or danger.
When he finally touched the fruit, a message popped up:
"Item Scanned: Sun Fruit. A delicious fruit that lights up when the sun hits, when eaten restores 10% of MP and stamina."
Jera lit up with excitement.
"So the System can scan items I touch… That's actually amazing!"
Encouraged by the System's message, he tried one of the fruits.
"Whoa… It's so sweet, and the flavor just bursts in my mouth," he said joyfully.
He eagerly gathered more Sun Fruits, stuffing his pockets and shirt full.
As he continued picking the fruits, a mysterious item fell from the bush—it was Tinder.
He picked it up, and another message appeared:
"Item Acquired: Tinder – Use to weave garments and primitive tools."
He answered"Okay," and the message vanished. Jera went back to collecting more fruits.
Then suddenly—a loud growl echoed through the forest. Jera froze.
"What was that…?"
He quickly looked around and spotted a strange creature walking toward him.
It was a Dwarf—twisted and feral-looking—about half his height, thin-bodied with jagged, glass-like teeth and long, sharp claws that scraped against the dirt as it walked. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto Jera with hunger.
Without warning, the Dwarf leapt at him with surprising speed.
Startled, Jera stumbled backward and fell to the ground, spilling all the Sunfruit he had painstakingly gathered. His hands trembled.
The system flashed above the creature's head:
[Wild Dwarf - Lv. 7]
[Jera D'Ros - Lv. 1]
"Why is it Level 7?! This can't be…" he gasped, crawling back.
His heart pounded in his chest like war drums.
He suddenly remembered his first quest:
Survive the Wilderness.
Terror gripped him. He had no weapons. No armor. Nothing but fear in his chest and dirt on his hands.
"This… This isn't just a game… I have to survive. I have to," he thought, voice trembling in his head.
He scanned the forest floor frantically—then spotted them:
Sharp stones, jutting out near a broken tree root.
The Dwarf roared and lunged again.
Jera rolled sideways just in time, narrowly dodging the slashing claws that gouged deep lines in the earth where he'd been.
He scrambled to the stones, hands scraping the ground as he grabbed three sharp-edged rocks. One sliced his palm open, but he barely flinched.
He turned just as the Dwarf snarled and sprinted again, its jaws snapping.
"Take this—!"
Jera hurled a stone wildly. It flew past the Dwarf and hit a tree.
The monster laughed—or at least it sounded like it, a sick gurgle of delight—as it lunged again.
Jera ran, weaving between trees, dodging roots and ducking low branches. The Dwarf chased relentlessly, its claws tearing through vines and bark.
Suddenly, he pivoted and threw a second stone, this time with focused rage.
CRACK!
It embedded into the Dwarf's shoulder—deep. The creature howled as its arm was severed at the joint, spraying black ichor.
Jera didn't stop. He sprinted past it while it wailed, jumped onto a large root, then spun around and roared back, "COME ON!"
The Dwarf—now limping but burning with rage—screeched and charged.
Jera crouched low, gripping the last stone like a knife.
As the creature neared, he didn't throw it.
He waited.
Every second stretched like hours.
Then—just before the Dwarf lunged—Jera ducked under its jump and slammed the stone upward into the underside of its chin with both hands.
A wet crunch followed.
The Dwarf froze mid-air, then collapsed in a heap.
The stone was embedded in its skull.
Black blood pooled at Jera's feet. His arms trembled. His breath came in sharp gasps.
Suddenly, a system message flashed in front of him:
You defeated the Wild Dwarf!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Stats absorbed: +2 STR, +1 AGI, +3 INT
Jera fell to his knees, panting. His hands were covered in blood—some his, some not. He looked at the sharp stones in his bloodied grip and muttered:
"…This is real. All of it."
Jera looked at his current stats as he noticed that he leveled up.
Total Stats:
Level: 4
STR: 5
AGI: 4
INT: 6
VIT: 3
DEX: 3
Unique Skill: ??? [i]
Jera stared at his updated stats, analyzing them closely.
"So when I kill an enemy… I absorb stats from them? That means I can grow stronger just by defeating creatures like that? Sounds simple… but doing it won't be easy…"
He glanced at his health and saw it had dropped to 37/110 HP, while his MP was at 51/55.
From that, he realized something important—his HP and MP increased every time he leveled up.
"Nice! I think I'm starting to understand how to grow stronger in this System. But… now that I remember, that first message said I'm the vessel of the God of Absorption… That must be why I absorb stats from the enemies I defeat. Makes sense."
While thinking through all of this, Jera walked back to the scattered fruits he had dropped earlier. He quickly gathered them again, stuffing his pockets full of Sunfruit.
Then, he turned toward the Wild Dwarf's corpse—and another message appeared.
Item Acquired: Pelt Flesh (Uncommon)
Jera's mind drifted back to the Tinder he had gathered earlier from the bush, and the Pelt Flesh he had just taken from the Wild Dwarf. He reached into his pocket with his right hand, pulling out the Tinder, while his left hand still held the Pelt Flesh. The moment his fingers brushed the two items, a strange sensation filled the air. In mere seconds, both the Tinder and the Pelt Flesh began to glow, disintegrating into particles that swirled around his hands. They fused together, and before Jera could even blink, they solidified into a single, old-fashioned bag. A message appeared before him.
"You have crafted the Basic Satchel."
The bag shone brightly, its form dissolving into shimmering particles that merged seamlessly with Jera's body. It settled onto his back, but within moments, it became invisible—nothing but a faint outline against the air. Jera blinked, stunned. The bag had automatically integrated with him.
"Did... did it just merge with me?" he murmured, his voice barely a whisper as confusion clouded his mind.
He felt around his back but couldn't sense the bag at all. His hand passed through the space where it had materialized, still unable to grasp its presence. "Why can't I feel it? Maybe... maybe it's because of the System? It must be activating the item automatically, turning it into some kind of passive skill." The thought lingered in his mind, making him pause. He wasn't sure whether to be awed or unsettled by this new development.
"I'm not used to all this...," he began, but then his words faltered when another message flashed before his eyes.
"You have used the Basic Satchel.
Inventory added slot '10'."
A wave of excitement washed over Jera. He had an inventory now—just like in the games he used to play. The concept was familiar, but experiencing it firsthand felt surreal. He wasted no time, eagerly grabbing the Sunfruits he had collected earlier and one by one, placing them into his new bag. As his fingers touched each fruit, they vanished from his hand and reappeared inside the Basic Satchel. Within moments, he saw that his inventory now held twenty Sunfruits.
Basic Satchel
20x Sunfruit
Jera grinned, the weight of the fruits no longer a concern. With the Basic Satchel crafted, he no longer had to worry about carrying his haul. It felt like a small victory—one step closer to being prepared for the challenges ahead. But then he remembered something else: he still had no weapon. His gaze shifted, searching for something to defend himself with. He spotted a few rocks scattered nearby, sharp and jagged. They would have to do.
Basic Satchel
20x Sunfruit
12x Sharp Stone
"These should be enough for the battles I'm about to face today," he whispered to himself.
Jera continued walking through the forest, his thoughts racing. "If I was able to craft a bag, maybe I could also craft my own weapon?" He walked deeper into the woods, pondering how he might create a weapon for himself.
"Even if I try to make a weapon, I don't know how to craft it since I don't know what materials are needed..." he muttered to himself.
"If I had a weapon... I'd want a dagger, like Jin Woo's. I've always wanted a dagger so I could move quickly," he thought as he imagined the weapon he desired. As he walked, his eyes caught a pile of vines not far off. Curiously, he approached and gently touched the vines. A message from the System appeared in front of him.
Item scanned: Rogue Veins
Can be used for making magical staffs.
Jera quickly grabbed one of the long vines. But as he pulled it, something shifted in the trees above him. To his shock, a giant creature dropped down from the branches—a Gianoboa, a massive serpent with a single horn, violet scales, large fangs, and two arms. Before he could react, the creature lunged, spitting acid in his direction.
Jera's reflexes kicked in just in time, and he narrowly dodged the corrosive attack. He jumped back, his heart pounding, and immediately thought, Inventory. He concentrated on the sharp stones he had tucked away in his Basic Satchel. His right hand began to glow, and one of the sharp stones materialized in his grip. He took a deep breath, positioning himself to throw.
The Gianoboa was only level 5, not far level than Jera, but still a formidable opponent. With a swift motion, Jera hurled the sharp stone with all his strength. It struck the Gianoboa directly in the head, blood spurting from the wound. A message instantly appeared in front of him.
You have defeated the Gianoboa
Level up!
As with his previous battle against the Wild Dwarf, Jera moved toward the defeated beast, hoping for some loot. But to his disappointment, nothing appeared. He sighed heavily, feeling the sting of frustration.
"Maybe the Gianoboa is just a common creature, that's why it was so easy to kill," he thought in mind, eyeing the bubbling acid that the beast had spit. "But it was still a dangerous opponent."
"If I only had to face one of them, it would have been easy… but if there were many, I might not be here now..." he mused, the weight of the battle settling in. "And… what a waste. No loot." His thoughts were filled with disappointment as he gazed at the spot where the Gianoboa had fallen.
A new message from the System appeared in front of Jera, revealing his current stats.
Total Stats:
LEVEL: 5
STR: 6
AGI: 5
INT: 6
VIT: 4
DEX: 3
Unique Skill: ??? [i]
He reached out and pulled the Rogue Vein once more. This time, he successfully harvested it, and just as expected, it vanished and was stored directly into his inventory.
Jera recalled that Rogue Veins were primarily used to craft magical staffs. But he wasn't interested in becoming a sorcerer.
"Used to craft magical staffs, huh? Not for me. I still want a dagger... something fast, just like Jin-Woo's," he muttered as he resumed walking, hoping to find more enemies to fight. His thoughts wandered back to his unique skill.
"Level 10… Unique Skill… Soul Absorption… Just five more levels. I'm almost there," he whispered to himself, eyes fixated on his open palm.
Then he suddenly paused. His body felt... different.
His eyes widened when he noticed his arm had filled out with muscle. Back outside Biringan, his body had been thin and frail from years of undernourishment and inactivity. But now—his physique had changed. Curious, he lifted his shirt and stared in awe. His body had regained vitality and strength. He was back to a healthy, strong state.
"Is this… because of the System? Wow. My body feels alive again."
He lowered his shirt and continued walking, feeling lighter, stronger. He was thrilled by the sudden transformation.
As he scanned through the System, memorizing its interface, something caught his attention—a small letter 'P' next to his level.
LEVEL: 5 [P]
"Hmm? What's this 'P'?" he wondered aloud as he walked. He tried to recall if it had appeared in any games he played or anime he watched. Nothing came to mind.
"Pass... Passion... Passive?!" The moment he said the word passive, a new screen popped up in front of him. It listed a set of skills and their levels.
Passive Skill Levels
Unarmored: 2
Inventory: 1
Foraging: 2
"So these are passive skills?" he said, amazed at what he was seeing.
He tried to understand where each one came from. Unarmored probably developed from all the damage he had taken while wearing no armor. Inventory made sense—it granted him 10 slots, which he learned was the weakest tier. Foraging... he guessed it must've come from collecting Sunfruit.
Still, they didn't seem to contribute much to his leveling up, so he didn't think much of them. They felt minor, at best.
The rest of the day passed with Jera encountering nothing but Gianoboas and Wild Dwarves. Eventually, he noticed he had reached Level 9. Just one more to go.
"Damn... so close to Level 10, and now I've nearly cleared the forest of enemies," he grumbled, disappointed as he glanced at his stats.
Total Stats:
LEVEL: 9 [P]
STR: 19
AGI: 11
INT: 12
VIT: 8
DEX: 4
Unique Skill: ??? [i]
"Just a little more... maybe I should rest for now."
He wandered around to find a safe place and eventually came upon a cave-shaped opening tucked beneath a hill. Quiet, dark, and hidden—perfect for rest. He made his way to the side of open entrance of cave and settled down. As dusk fell, the skies turned orange, and twilight spread across the forest. Jera, tired but content, pulled out a Sunfruit and began to eat.
But then, a chilling growl echoed through the cave.
A System message blinked into view.
"Defeat the Wilderness"
Kill the White Dire Wolf.
Jera froze. Slowly, he turned his head toward the darker recesses of the cave—and saw it. A pairs of glowing red eye gleamed in the shadows.
The Dire Wolf stepped into the fading light. Massive, majestic, its fur the color of snow. It radiated menace.
Then it let out a deafening howl.
The sound slammed into Jera like a wall, disorienting him, leaving a ringing in his ears as everything else faded into silence.