The successful deer hunt, made possible by his new 'Aimed Shot' ability, significantly boosted Kael's confidence and his larder. He spent the next day butchering the large buck, a task that, while still physically demanding, felt more manageable with his slightly increased STR and CON. He smoked a large quantity of venison, ensuring he had a good supply of preserved food. The heavy deer hide would require another lengthy brain-tanning process, which he decided to postpone for a day or two.
He was only 25 XP away from Level 4. He considered his options. Another successful hunt of a Level 2+ creature with 'Aimed Shot' would likely do it. Or perhaps a significant crafting project.
He decided to focus on crafting. He still needed better protection for his legs, and perhaps some simple pouches or a quiver for his Sylphwing-fletched arrows. He had leftover pieces of the first deer hide, the one he'd used for his tunic.
Using his 'Basic Crafting (Rank E)' skill, he carefully cut and stitched together a pair of crude leather leggings. They weren't pretty, but they offered some protection against thorns and scrapes.
[System Notification: You have successfully crafted 1x Crude Leather Leggings.]
[Item: Crude Leather Leggings. Quality: Common. Durability: 35/35. Armor Value: Low. Special Properties: Minor Abrasion Resistance.]
[Due to successful crafting of functional clothing, 'Basic Crafting (Rank E)' proficiency increased. XP Gained: 10 / 250 for Level 4.]
[Current XP: 235 / 250 for Level 4.]
Fifteen XP more. He then fashioned a simple quiver from a larger piece of cured hide, stitching it with sinew. It was much better than just tucking his arrows into his belt.
[System Notification: You have successfully crafted 1x Basic Hide Quiver.]
[Item: Basic Hide Quiver. Quality: Common. Durability: 20/20. Capacity: 10 arrows. Special Properties: None.]
[Due to successful crafting of a functional accessory, 'Basic Crafting (Rank E)' proficiency increased. XP Gained: 10 / 250 for Level 4.]
[Current XP: 245 / 250 for Level 4.]
Only 5 XP left. He looked around his small camp. His A-frame hut was sturdy, his fire pit well-maintained. He had tools, clothing, a weapon. He had come a long way from the terrified, freezing boy who had awakened in the forest.
He decided to spend a little time reinforcing the entrance to his hut, weaving more branches and vines into the crude door to make it more secure. It was simple work, but as he finished, the familiar chime sounded.
[System Notification: Minor camp improvement completed (Reinforced Hut Entrance). Consistent application of basic construction principles. XP Gained: 5 / 250 for Level 4.]
[Current XP: 250 / 250 for Level 4.]
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 4!]
[You have 5 unspent Attribute Points and 1 unspent Skill Point. Open Character Screen (Y/N)?]
Level 4! A broad smile spread across Kael's face. Each level felt like a significant victory.
"Yes," he projected.
The character screen displayed his progress.
Name: Kael
Race: Human (Variant: Unknown)
Age: Approx. 8 cycles (Physical)
Status: Normal
Title: The Reborn
Level: 4 (0/400 XP to Level 5)
Attributes (Base):
Strength (STR): 5Agility (AGI): 4Constitution (CON): 5Intelligence (INT): 10Wisdom (WIS): 8Charisma (CHA): 5
Unspent Attribute Points: 5
Unspent Skill Points: 1
He considered his attributes. His STR and CON were now respectable for his level, thanks to his previous allocations. His mental stats remained his strong suit. He decided to continue bolstering his physical capabilities, as they were still his primary bottleneck in many situations.
"Allocate 2 points to Strength."
[2 Attribute Points allocated to STR. New STR: 7.]
"Allocate 2 points to Agility."
[2 Attribute Points allocated to AGI. New AGI: 6.]
"Allocate 1 point to Constitution."
[1 Attribute Point allocated to CON. New CON: 6.]
His new base attributes: STR 7, AGI 6, CON 6, INT 10, WIS 8, CHA 5. He felt a distinct surge of power, a greater sense of physical competence. His movements felt quicker, his muscles stronger.
For his skill point, he looked at his Rank E skills: 'Basic Crafting', 'Bow Proficiency', and 'Stealth'. 'Axe Proficiency' was still Rank F. Upgrading 'Basic Crafting' to Rank D would cost two points. He decided to bring his axe skill up to par with his bow and stealth.
"Allocate 1 skill point to improve 'Axe Proficiency'."
[1 Skill Point allocated. 'Axe Proficiency (Rank F)' has been upgraded to 'Axe Proficiency (Rank E)'.]
[Axe Proficiency (Rank E): Moderately increased damage and accuracy when wielding axes. Increased chance to inflict bleeding. Unlocks basic ability 'Power Strike' (Active - next axe attack deals increased damage at a moderate stamina cost).]
This was a duplicate notification of the ability unlock, but the rank increase was what mattered. Now both his primary combat skills were Rank E.
As Kael closed the character screen, feeling the subtle enhancements of his new level, Corvus, the Alpha Crow, landed on the roof of his hut with an unusually agitated caw. Several other Shadow Crows joined him, their calls sharp and urgent.
Kael stepped outside, looking up. Corvus was staring intently towards the deeper part of the forest, in a direction Kael hadn't explored much – a direction that, according to the sun's position and his vague sense of the landscape, might align with the riddle's "where shadows deepen."
"What is it, Corvus?" Kael asked.
Corvus let out a series of harsh, guttural caws, then took to the air, circled once above Kael's head, and flew a short distance in that specific direction before landing on a high branch and looking back, cawing insistently. It was clearly trying to lead him, or warn him about something.
The other crows echoed the urgency. This wasn't their usual playful or demanding behavior. This felt serious.
Kael's 'Keen Mind' and his improved WIS (8) registered the genuine alarm in their calls. The riddle fragment about the Whisperwood mentioned "The Silent Watchers" and warned of danger. Could the crows have detected something related to that?
A shiver of apprehension, mixed with a surge of curiosity, ran down Kael's spine. His new level, his improved attributes and skills, suddenly felt less like an achievement and more like a necessary preparation.
The forest was calling, and his feathered allies were sounding an alarm.