When he woke up, Steve was in a warm, dry place, wrapped in something soft. For a few seconds, he thought about going back to sleep, until his memories flooded back. The feeling of being chased and passing out on the forest floor. The cold is slowly coming. The wet mud under his feet and the pain all over his body.

Then his eyes snapped open. He was definitely in it because he had a wooden roof and walls around him. He was also neatly tucked into a blanket in a small basket. Slowly, he looked around and felt a dull ache in his body, legs, and back again. In addition, they are wrapped in ...... Bandage? Status?

Status:

|Unnamed|

Level: 5

Species: Common Mopava

Title:

Health: 8/17

MP: 15/15

Speed: 20/20

Intensity: 8

Vitality: 8

Dexterity: 10

Dexterity: 24

Intelligence: 7

Wisdom: 6

Willpower: 5

Luck: 8

Ability Points: 1

Skill points: 150

Gold: 204

His health seems to have recovered somewhat, which is good. So, what's that? Ha-ha? The maximum SP has decreased? What kind of nonsense is that? Damn it! Well, at least it's full, and after determining his own situation, he can see why it has decreased. Then Steve moved around the bed, trying to see what kind of room he was in. It looks like a wooden house. The space itself is not small, about 25 square meters. He seemed to be in a basket on the table. From his field of vision, there are a total of two beds on the left wall and an oven on the right wall. One of the old stone houses with a fireplace and a metal plate on it for cooking. There are also some chairs around the table, several cupboards and ovens for storing items next to the bed, and some kind of trapdoor on the floor.

The short version should say it's comfortable. The midday sun shines through the windows, and the dust dances in the sunlight. Steve stretched, ignoring the slight pulling pain in his legs. After that, he squirmed from the blanket and jumped twice on the chair before jumping to the floor again, feeling a little more refreshed. Now, Steve wasn't stupid enough to think that the environment was dangerous, but at the same time, he didn't want to be at the mercy of anyone, and he really, especially didn't want to be treated like a house. Cat. Even the mere thought of being called "Shaggy Sizzle" sent chills down his spine. So, he began to make an escape plan, when the door suddenly opened, and a grumpy middle-aged man stamped in.

His hair was brown but had begun to turn gray, and his beard was disheveled and unkempt. He also wears a green tank top with a brown shirt underneath, as well as pants and boots of the same color. His brow furrowed even deeper when he saw the cat on the floor, and he shook his head and bent down to grab it while talking to himself in a language that Steve didn't understand. He didn't really care, though, because there was something more pressing now than listening to a grumpy fellow who looked like he was from a medieval rangers' convention. He used it without hesitation, rushing out the door before the old man could blink.

Steve didn't stop to admire the woodwork on the porch. He quickly looked around to confirm his location, and found himself in the middle of the forest. For him, it was a godsend. Judging by his health, he only slept for about half a day, so he also knew that he could not be carried too far, that is, he was still on the same mountain. This, in turn, meant that if he searched near the top of the forest, he would be able to find his way back to the logs, which made his plan surprisingly simple: go up the hill until he found the grass, then return to the height or so of the logs. Then, drive left and/or right at a fairly fast pace for a few hours. He had a chance to find his log again, and if he didn't, it would certainly be in the other direction.

It's the perfect plan for a true mastermind like him.

After a while, Steve did start to slow down, turning a full-throttle sprint into a jog as he got farther and farther away from the cabin. The reason is simple, one is to save the SP, and the other is not to let the wound re-injure. He wasn't too keen on hindering the healing process, even though he probably did. Oh well, what can you do. His dignity deserves a little pain. Seriously, even the opportunity to be branded stupid has to be avoided entirely. Then again, he didn't even know what language the man spoke. Maybe there are such skills? He'll have to check out the skill shop, too. How painful.

Luckily, Steve didn't have any trouble on the way back. In addition to that, he chose the right direction to access his log on the first try. Combining these two factors, he ended the trip at dusk, when the familiar logs finally appeared in front of him. He breathed a sigh of relief on the spot, and quickly returned home, lying in the middle of the familiar jagged lines on the wall.

That's right, this is his home now. It might be wise to mark the area around him so he knows if he's nearby. Well, that can wait until tomorrow. Although he was not short of breath, he did not want to work, so he began to carve runes again. By now, the combination of doing this and meditation has become more relaxing than most other things. But just as he was about to start carving, his stomach suddenly rang loudly. Yes, he was going out hunting, and someone decided that they needed to be rescued. Steve sighed again. Hunting at dusk is not as easy as at night. After all, visibility is better. Damn it. He does, though, at least to make things easier. Oh, he's kidding, when it comes to exterminating rats, this ability is absolutely ruined. In that way,

Then, when he returned to the log, he began carving. After two runes, he meditated for a while, two more runes, meditated, and after another one of the lower strengthening runes, he saw a pop-up window.

[Upgrade!] ]

And so it happened. His rank has risen again. This time it took a bit longer than his previous upgrades, so it was better to be worth it. It's time to examine the fruits of his labor.

Status:

|Unnamed|

Grade: 5 -> 6

Species: Common Mopava

Title:

Health: 9/17

MP: 19/19

Speed: 28/28

Intensity: 8

Vitality: 8

Dexterity: 10 -> 12

Dexterity: 24 -> 25

Intelligence: 7 -> 8

Wisdom: 6

Willpower: 5 -> 6

Luck: 8

Ability Points: 4

Skill points: 250

Gold: 207

Damn, his SP has really increased a lot now. Well, he's curious if his ceiling is still reduced as before, although there's nothing he can do about it. He'll see how his stats evolve over time. Now he should be happy that he has reached an acceptable SP level, as he may now be able to focus on MP. The ability to carve more than two runes at a time shouldn't be too far away, especially with his intelligence steadily improving.

So, Steve kept carving the runes until the world was bright again, and in the hours before sunrise, his eyes finally closed. When he carved the last two of the six runes, he stopped even meditating, but closed his eyes and fell asleep. The next day he will definitely go and mark his surroundings.

When Steve woke up, his wound was already feeling much better. The pain was getting farther and farther away, and he stretched comfortably and looked outside. Dusk hasn't quite fallen yet, and it looks more like late afternoon than night. Before going out hunting and, he checked his status again, just to see how his HP was doing.

Health: 12/17

Speed: 30/30

It turned out that his maximum SP was also increased. This soon led Steve to discover that his SP was reduced because he was injured. He had only suffered back and body injuries before, and his legs had never really been injured. Injuries have prevented him from playing to the fullest, thus lowering his stats, which is reasonable. It looks like this system is actually a bit realistic, and that's it other than. After stretching for another second, Steve went out to mark the trees.

At the moment he is not too far from his base. He couldn't just use his claws to make marks on the tree, because the marks were difficult to discern, so he used runes on the tree, carving jagged lines into the bark. In this way, he can only mark two trees before meditating, but he still prefers to do so inside his cabin, as it is by far the safest place for him. After recovering, he went out again to mark two more trees. When he was done, he marked a space of about 20 x 20 meters. It's not big at all, but if he gets lost, it will still make it easier for him to find a home. It even took him an entire night to complete it, after all, he had carved sixteen runes and hunted three rats for the day's food. Now he carved the lower-level enhancement runes much faster than before. In the intermediate, he might have a good chance, but he wanted to wait at least one more level. Yes, he just needs to move up one more level.

In the evening, he returned to his log, only to find a man sitting on it. Immediately, an alarm went off in Steve's head. It must have been a man, but not the grumpy old man in the hut. The man had long, smooth brown hair that hung down on his back. Her face was far less wrinkled, and her blue eyes were nowhere near as sharp as his. With the same hair color as he had worked so hard to maintain, and dressed in the same clothes as the old man, he could easily see that there was some kind of connection between them, although the girl looked much younger. Maybe it's a daughter or something.

Steve didn't get close for a few minutes, instead hiding behind a tree, barely glancing out from behind it to see if she had done anything. The girl did not leave her place. All she did was occasionally raise her head to scan her surroundings, at which point he would retract his head and let her eyes fall to the floor again. She must have been waiting for someone. Could it be that without his knowledge, he made her rendezvous his home? Ah, shit. If he was already getting closer to her — which he had to do, and he hadn't given up his journal — he wanted to at least understand her. Luckily, he only had 50 skill points, so he joined his arsenal. He felt that knowledge quickly filled his mind, though not as much as he wanted. He knew a few words, but not enough to understand a complete sentence. Well, maybe he could at least understand some of what she said. If he learns the right language......

He had to try to find out. Before walking towards her, Steve also prepared stones from his inventory. He no longer carries it around, as it proves to be a priceless hunting tool, capable of hitting a mouse at a time. He was ready to grab the rock and smash it into her face with all his might.

As Steve approaches, he quietly hisses at the girl and bares his fangs. He really didn't want her there. Hearing his words, she jumped, which made him feel better. That's right, his house isn't a goddamn chair. He hoped she would keep that in mind. The small gesture at least made him stop hissing, even though he remained close to the ground, ready to pounce on her, and even though her eyes were fully fixed on him, his expression softened.

There was a moment of silence between the two, and the woman seemed to be thinking about something. She must have noticed through the bandages on his limbs and chest that were still wrapped around him, for he couldn't see any reason to remove them. Then, after a while, the woman bowed deeply, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and her hair surged forward, almost touching the ground. At the same time, she hurriedly blurted out a sentence that Steve heard three of the words: "Thank you - something - save - something - bear it." ”

Well, yes, he didn't expect the old man to be chased by a bear. He looked too professional. For this ...... For girls who are about twenty years old, carelessness does make more sense.

"Meow," Steve replied. It is also a high-pitched meow of a kitten. Great. He sounded really pathetic there. 10/10 Working Steve. He actually tried to tell her to be more careful, but trying to talk wasn't the most ...... him Thoughtful choices. Anyway, no one is perfect, but the girl shrugged her shoulders with a smile, straightened her waist, and nodded quickly. Did she mean she understood him? No way, no way, no fucking way! Then she took a step towards him.

Now, Steve isn't usually the kind of person who pushes others away from himself. Most of the time he doesn't care too much, but this time he's also a cat, so it's a little different. He was frightened by some of the options available. She could capture him with something like a net or a cage. She can pick him up, hold him with both hands, and take him home. She could even try to tame him or something. This was a risk he was not willing to take, after all, he cared a lot about his freedom and independence, so as she took a step, he also took a step back. Well, one step for a human being is about three steps for him.

At that moment, the woman's face froze and her smile dimmed a little. She didn't look angry or anything, just the corners of her mouth were lowered. Apparently, she felt sorry for something, but after a while, she shook her head and the smile returned. Then, she put something on the ground and took a step back, back to the distance he had kept from her before. He is not stupid, he is willing to accommodate her a little, at least he has the confidence to outperform her. So, he went to investigate the mysterious object.

It turned out to be meat. Actually, it was a small packet of meat, which he could see when he pushed the leaf package aside. He glanced at the girl, but she didn't seem to leave her place. Was this her attempt to tame him? She may have saved him that day, but he was still against being someone else's cat wholeheartedly. He was reincarnated as a cat, yes, but he wasn't a house cat, or at least he didn't want to be one. If it's domestic, you won't be poisoned if you eat raw meat, right? No, he was determined to stay wild, so he took a step back from the package and shook his head slowly.

This made the girl's face sink again. But he really can't control it, and it's not worth the risk at all. If it was just meat, he could now get it from rats. Later he might even try to hunt down rabbits or something. No matter what she gave him, no matter how good it tasted, it wasn't worth eating. If she wanted to thank him, he wanted no strings attached. The girl hesitated for a moment, then nodded, and walked to the package, making Steve take a step back as well. She got at least the distance part.

When she returned to the package, she picked it up and put it in her pocket again. Then, thinking about it for a moment, and sitting down on the log again, Steve immediately put his hand on the stock rock and hissed. He didn't want the girl to be disrespectful to his family. It's not cool. The girl, as a matter of course, quickly got up, bowed again, and apologized to him again. She seemed to understand that he wasn't at least a normal stupid cat. Well, if she sat on the log again, he would still throw a stone in her face, there is no doubt about it.

The girl looked like she understood, and continued to think on her legs. She wanted to reward Steve in some way. Then, she seemed to have an idea. When a notification popped up in front of Steve, she quickly tapped a few times in the air.

[Che

y Silve

s offers to make a transaction. Accept? ]

He did it. After all, it's a deal, so it shouldn't be too much of a headache for him. Soon after, another window popped up showing him what he could trade, and Steve's face turned a little paler. He can of course trade items in his inventory, but when he looks closely, he can also provide skill points or ability points. Just a few seconds later, the girl confirmed what she had to offer, and the other side of the negotiation window showed what she had to offer in large letters. [3 ability points, 100 skill points] is written. This girl is serious about giving him a full set of upgrade rewards. Well, from her point of view, he did save her life.

But Steve wasn't a mean person. He can choose to confirm that his or her party has completed the transaction after sending another confirmation prompt to both parties, or to reject her transaction outright. He chose the second. This is too much. way, too many. That way he will feel like a liar, and Steve doesn't like liars as much as he doesn't like stupid names. Now that I think about it, this girl's name is really cool.

The girl, Cherry Silvers, now frowning, actually raised her offer. What? Is she stupid? 5 ability points and 200 skill points? Seriously? Never. No, there is no chance. Steve refused again and walked over to his log, a few steps closer to her. Then he started scraping things inside. It's a line. As he was busy with his work, the girl looked at him intently, staring at the line of words trying to figure out what it meant. A line. One. He doesn't want more power points, he wants fewer power points. The girl smiled, sighed, and changed the proposal again. [1 Ability Point, 50 Skill Point]. Well, she didn't give up skill points, but at least she got his message. She wasn't stupid then. Steve nodded at the same time, confirming the offer, and the two closed the deal. The girl had a happy smile on her face, although it was different from the first time they met.

Her eyes were a little different. The blue didn't become more intense or softer, but the way she looked at him did. From seeing a cute pet to being impressed by him. She no longer looked at him with the kind of pet owner look that seemed to disparage him to a house cat. If that was the case, he might be able to trust that she wouldn't try to tame him in the future.

Looking at the girl's bright smile again, she bowed again in thanks, and ran away, it seemed that he might have made a friend.

He nodded again in acknowledging his reward, then returned to his home, walked in a short circle, and lay down. Just as he closed his eyes, a beep struck. Steve just sighed deeply and forced himself to open his eyes.

[Side quest: "Build a small territory!] Completely. You have earned: 100 XP, 50 gold. ]

[Upgrade!] ]

[Submission: "Defeat the Great Stag!"] Add. Rewards: 2 Ability Points, 100 Skill Points, 250 XP]

[Side Quest: "Defeat the Mother of Spiders!"] Add. Rewards: 2 Ability Points, 100 Skill Points, 250 XP]

[Side Quest: "Defeat the King Wolf!"] Add. Rewards: 2 Ability Points, 100 Skill Points, 250 XP]

[Side Quest: "Defeat the Black Bear!"] Add. Rewards: 2 Ability Points, 100 Skill Points, 250 XP]

[Side quest: "Defeat the Forest Lord and take over!"] Add. Rewards: 5 Ability Points, 200 Skill Points, 500 XP Points, 1000 Gold. ]

Damn it. These are some important notices, damn it. Then those marks can be regarded as creating territory, right? The next few tasks...... Doesn't that mean the beginning of his rule over the forest? . It's a bit sudden, isn't it? In order not to make mistakes, he wants to be king, but this is progressing a bit fast. Also, what exactly does the Black Bear and the Forest Lord mean by that? Yes? Is there a lot of things that walk around like that bear? And there is something more powerful? He's only just reached the seventh level, what does that mean exactly? Well, he will get benefits between fights, but there is no guarantee that he will not have to fight multiple opponents at the same time. The only thing that looks possible is the Great Bucks. Maybe he had little chance of fighting that thing. A bear can tear him apart with a single blow, a wolf may be the leader of the pack, and the spider is called the mother, so she must have an army. Quite simply, he simply does not have any means to fight them. Nothing, he ran out of ideas. He didn't even know where they were. Well, if only he had a map.

Well, it's time to at least check his level before going to bed. Status.

Status:

|Unnamed|

Rating: 6 -> 7

Species: Common Mopava

Title:

Health: 13/17

MP：32/32

Speed: 32/32

Intensity: 8

Vitality: 8

Dexterity: 12

Dexterity: 25

Intelligence: 8 -> 11

Wisdom: 6 -> 8

Willpower: 6

Luck: 8

Ability Points: 8

Skill points: 350

K: 260

What?! What happened to his mana just now? How exactly are his points distributed? What's the point? What kind of nonsense is this? He can't even use offensive runes, he can't even use offensive spells. It was simply stupid that he had now obtained these attribute enhancements! He needs strength! Vitality! Those statistics, not intelligence! Yes!

He absolutely could not accept this. If he completes the main quest like he does now, he will surely die. There was no way, he had to improve his stats before this battle. The real question is how to do it. He can try to level up, but if he's just catching rats, it will take a long time. Now, he has to manually improve his stats, which means...... Training. He shuddered at the thought of this. He also has to multitask, and while developing agility, he may also throw stones to work on this skill and at the same time build strength. At the same time, vitality is expected to rise. The only statistic that doesn't worry Steve too much is agility, which is the only thing he's confident in at the moment.

Well, that's what tomorrow's Steve is worried about. He can close his eyes and end the day for a while.

The next day was ...... Harsh. Really, harsh than severe. He finally had to train, and there were no more excuses. He needs strength, energy, and dexterity, and a lot. So, he ran. This will definitely increase his physical strength, and if you're lucky, maybe even increase his vitality. As for strength, it's not that important, as long as the level is raised, it can be replenished, so he just keeps activating every two or three steps. As a result, his SP was quickly emptied, but his agility still didn't improve. It seems, he has to go further and not just empty his SP.

Steve didn't want to die. It's a simple concept, he just wants to live his life, really. Unfortunately, he was in a hostile environment. He didn't hate the forest, but he didn't feel safe in the forest either. The reason is simple: he could run into the bear at any time. And he's pretty sure it still has a grudge. Now, maybe he can run away. Yes, he might get away with it, but what's the point of that? It may destroy his home and continue to chase him. If that's the case, he might even fall into the territory of another big shot. Then he may have more than one in his throat. There is even a good chance that one of them is faster than him.

At the end of the day, he didn't have much choice. In order to survive, he has to get stronger, that's what the story is all about. If his stats are improved, he doesn't have to worry about his life. It makes him feel comfortable, and that's what he really needs right now. Ah, don't be afraid, what a good idea......

Steve continued to run forward with full concentration, one foot in front of the other, even though his SP was depleted and his breathing was getting heavy. His body was now eager to take a break, but Steve still showed no signs of giving in and was moving on. His pace slowed down a bit, of course, but it was still trotting, which was enough to make him even more tired. It wasn't until his legs began to tremble and he was almost about to give in that he was knocked back into his body and immediately collapsed to the ground. It wasn't the result he was hoping for, but at least it was a start. So, after one round, Steve didn't give up and kept running. The first run turned into two. And then three, four. Finally, when he had been training for a while and was about to give up, when the sun was just emerging from the horizon,

Agility 12 -> 13

It took a whole day for his agility to finally improve. It wasn't until his stomach rumbled that Steve realized he had missed his meal. He spent the whole day running and resting and nothing else. Damn, he needs at least a better training plan.

The next day's breakfast was three mice, which he quickly devoured, and then continued to exercise, while also activating regularly, at least to level up quickly. Although he could throw fast and far now, if he wanted to take down the bear, it was still far away. No, he needs more strength and a higher rank. He didn't know how to cultivate his power at all. He didn't have any weights around him, so he didn't know how to train his stamina.

Well, that's it so far.

Running proved to be the perfect time for Steve to clear his mind, so he did. If the power only increases the physical strength of his attacks and "punches", then he's going to have to make them stronger, right? In this case, running is not a perfect option because usually people run out of breath before their legs are really tired. He needed something that would make his legs wear out faster. It was then that he decided to climb.

Of course, this is only enough to make it a hypothesis. He's definitely going to test it. Unsurprisingly, he failed miserably. He had never climbed a tree like this before, so it was natural to lose grip and fall vertically, but Steve couldn't give up so quickly. He stuck his paws into the tree and tried to pull himself up over and over again, but each time he fell, he became more stubborn. He's going to let this damn tree know who's the boss!

But even after countless attempts, he was covered in wounds and still did not reach the lowest branch. He failed. He lost. It was a fiasco indeed, but Steve's eyes didn't touch the ground. He stared at the tree, the flames in his eyes burning, and he even felt a bead of sweat sticking to the trunk.

[Acquire skills through specific actions.] ]

And just like that, the fire in Steve's heart was extinguished. He- this-

Steve just let out a sigh big enough to knock out a dragon, and then trotted out in defeat. He quickly took out his anger on the other two rats and ate them. It is indeed handy to have a stone in his inventory.

The start of the second day was almost the same, with stretching exercises and a dead mouse. But now that Steve was no longer absent from his morning exercises, he made his steady progress through the woods until he ran out of energy. Then he faced the tree again......