...
The sun sank into the distant western mountains as the sounds of slaughter gradually died down. The goblins that had raided Salard Village retreated into the distant woods, leaving behind nearly a hundred corpses.
Under the direction of the militia captain, the village militia rushed onto the battlefield to salvage any usable weapons and equipment, gathering the goblin corpses to burn them in a pile.
Most goblin weapons were crudely made, but in these desperate times, the militia couldn't afford to be picky—as long as they worked, they would do.
Roger slung his shortbow over his shoulder, climbed down from the watchtower, and followed behind the militia. Although he wasn't a member of the militia, he had contributed to defending the village, so they tacitly allowed him to scavenge for things he wanted on the battlefield.
“Why did these goblins suddenly make such a huge fuss? I heard they even alarmed the noble lords above.”
“These beasts are numerous. If they attack a few more times, we won't be able to stay in the village anymore.”
“Then we can only hope the gods and the lord will resolve this quickly.”
“I'm not too optimistic. I heard even the noble lord's castle couldn't hold off the goblins. If you ask me, when more goblins attack, the whole village will have to move.”
As the battlefield was being cleared, the conversation between two militia members drifted over from a distance. Roger walked a bit further away. Making sure no one was paying attention to him, he looked down at the two short swords in his hands and muttered in his mind:
“Recycle.”
The two short swords instantly vanished, and a cold, synthesized voice rang out in his mind: “Points +40.”
Afterward, Roger pretended nothing had happened and snatched a spear and a bone necklace from the nearest goblin corpse.
The spear seemed to have nothing special about it, but the necklace appeared to be strung together from the teeth of some creature, carved with twisted, warped patterns.
This was the only goblin in the vicinity wearing such a necklace.
Roger didn't know what these patterns meant, but he kept his guard up out of habit. Although he had only transmigrated three days ago, he had learned that this world had non-human races and extraordinary powers represented by magic. It never hurt to be cautious.
“Appraise.” Looking at the necklace, he sent another command to the system. A transparent holographic interface immediately popped up in front of his eyes:
【Item Name: Bone Necklace
Quality: Common
Description: A necklace made from the teeth of the monster, the Sharp-Fanged Rat. The patterns engraved on it enhance the strength of the wearer and their allies, but prolonged use will cause the affected individuals to gradually lose their sanity.
Recycle Points: 120】
“...How much?” Roger almost thought he had misread it.
Killing a single goblin only yielded 40 points, and recycling junk from the battlefield only brought in between 20 and 30 points. Yet this seemingly ordinary necklace was worth over a hundred points, likely because it was connected to extraordinary power.
Roger issued the recycle command to the system again. The necklace and spear in his hand vanished instantly, and 150 points were credited to his account.
While keeping it for when he needed it was a viable option, the information provided by the system was limited, and the origin of the patterns was unknown. He didn't dare use it lightly.
Roger then continued to pretend nothing was out of the ordinary, looting nearby goblin corpses in hopes of finding another necklace. If his luck held out, his points might break a thousand today.
But he didn't find a second one.
The battlefield cleanup ended as the sky darkened, and fatigue finally washed over Roger's body and mind. By killing goblins and scavenging junk, his points had accumulated to 666. However, he was in no hurry to use them and turned to head back to the village.
Passing by villagers kneeling and weeping before the corpses of their loved ones, and the militia who were still busy running around, Roger made his way to the village chief's house.
The village had no inn, so Roger, a self-proclaimed mercenary, had no choice but to temporarily stay at the village chief's house.
The door opened quickly, and a worried young girl poked her head out.
“Roger? You're back. Are you alright? Did you see my father?”
“I saw him still busy working. He'll probably be back a bit late,” Roger replied.
By Earth's standard of beauty, the village chief's daughter was reasonably attractive. However, Roger was in no mood to chat with a girl right now. After a few brief pleasantries, he returned to his room.
Roger shut the doors and windows tightly, sat down on the edge of the bed, and began to check his personal status panel:
【Name: Roger
Gender: Male
Level: Life Energy Lv. 1, Magic Lv. 1
Current Status: Normal
Inventory: Shortbow, One-Handed Sword, Common Arrow *10, Basic Healing Potion *5
Martial Arts: None
Magic: None
Specialization: Bow and Crossbow Lv. 2
Current Points: 666】
As a transmigrator, Roger had bound a cheat like his predecessors, and it was a system with a relatively low difficulty curve.
The main functions of this system were checking his personal panel, appraising and storing items, and gaining points by killing enemies and scavenging junk. These points could be used in the shop to exchange for skills and equipment, as well as to repair damaged items.
The advantage was its low barrier to entry.
The disadvantage was that its guidance was virtually nonexistent.
During his three days in this world, Roger had found that aside from giving prompts, the system was completely silent. It hadn't given any rewards other than a starter gift pack, nor had it issued any mandatory quests. It was as if he had been left to fend for himself by the system after transmigrating.
On the bright side, at least he didn't have to worry about being led by the nose by various quests or being obliterated due to a failed mission.
The system was simply a tool to help him grow stronger. How far he could go in this world depended entirely on himself.
Roger closed the panel and opened the shop. He spent 30 points to exchange for 30 common wooden arrows, then searched for any life-saving equipment or skills he could obtain.
These six hundred-odd points probably couldn't buy anything powerful, but his immediate priority was to survive and get through the rookie phase. He had to spend what was necessary.
Looking at the wide array of goods in the shop, Roger temporarily ruled out magic.
Magic in this world wasn't weak, but its exchange price was more expensive than other skills. Furthermore, his current magic level was low, making him reliant on items like wands to cast spells. If he bought a wand, his remaining points wouldn't be enough to buy anything else.
Therefore, magic could wait. He would focus on growing rapidly once he accumulated enough points in the future.
“I should probably buy this...” A few minutes later, Roger found a skill that aligned with his ideas.
【Name: Iron Wall
Description: Stimulates life energy to generate a transparent shield on the body's surface, which can block a portion of damage. The shield's defensive power depends on the level of life energy and the skill.
Max Level: Lv. 5
Learning Requirement: Life Energy Lv. 1
Exchange Points: 400】
Life energy was positioned similarly to internal energy or battle qi, and its effects were more or less the same. In any case, it was a power that martial arts practitioners in this world had to master.
After purchasing the skill, Roger closed the shop. Just then, the village chief's daughter brought over dinner.
He ate the coarse bread while it was still warm, downed the wild vegetable soup in a few gulps, and left his room to place the tableware on the table. Then, he locked himself back in his room to practice his new skill.
Every skill had an experience bar, and the way to grind experience was to use it continuously.
Practicing until late at night, Roger eventually lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and wished in his heart that he could return to Earth when he woke up.
Rate on N.U.
