I stood awake, eyes reflecting the dancing sparks of the flame.
I was, quite literally, a moth drawn to fire.
Still… it was peaceful.
Very, very peaceful.
“Can this peace and quiet last?” I muttered. “For, like, all of eternity? Pretty please!”
Short answer?
No.
A notification interrupted me.
? Skill unlocked!
? Creating a campfire has uncovered the 【Carpenter】 skill!
It showcased not more than just one single skill, but it would soon prove to be the main ingredient for all of my future progress.
Naturally, I looked into it.
【Carpenter】
Grants the user the ability to reshape one or more non-brute materials with extreme precision.
Permitted Actions: Splitting. Fusing. Compressing. Reforming. Limited DNA alterations.
Applicable Materials: Wood. Plant matter. Fibers. Similar naturally occurring non-living resources.
【Skill Tree】
Leveling this skill does not increase its level directly.
Instead, it unlocks related skills within the same branch.
“That... IS OP AS FUCK, ISN'T IT~!?”
However, I decided to venerate the ability another time. I was too cold to care about anything other than the warm atmosphere of the lovely campfire.
I dismissed the window and returned my attention to the full-HD show of sparks before me.
???????
Apparently, I’d been staring into the fire for nearly an hour. I guess time flies when you’re successful in avoiding existential dread.
With eyes glued to the campfire I began thinking of what I could use Carpenter on.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
I thought deeply.
Then I thought some more.
Then—
Groooowl.
My stomach betrayed me.
For some reason, my face started burning—despite feeling zero shame about this perfectly natural, manly bodily function.
And my voice?
It squeaked.
“Hungy…”
I chirped like a zombie.
Not a human zombie.
More like a mouse zombie.
Or… a hamster zombie.
Fantastic.
I gathered nearby branches, stacking them neatly beside the split tree trunk which I decided to keep as a seat—it was surprisingly comfortable, shaped perfectly to my ass.
Then I gathered more wood.
Dry grass.
Bark.
Anything usable.
After grouping the forest debris into organized piles I begun their processing. I held my hand forth, towards the stacked items and used that newly acquired Carpenter skill.
The air compressed, then veiled both me and the rubble.
I had designed in my mind the perfect picture of the tool I wanted: a portable source of light!
Step one: restructure the twigs in order to create a solid wooden stake.
Task completed!
Step two: reshape leaves and bark into thin shavings, then further upgrade them into a crude paper-like sheet.
Task completed!
Step three: wrap the sheet around the stake’s head.
Task completed!
And just like that—
An unlit torch!
【Torch】
? Duration upon ignition: 03:00:00
Three hours.
Now that was efficient!
But I needed more than just a torch.
I needed a weapon, something pointy.
I started with a long branch.
Sharpened the tip for stabbing.
Carved a grip at the base.
Refined the edge until it could function as a cutting blade—we're still talking about wood here, right?
Then...
There it was!
A wooden sword!
The tool apparently unlocked a Weaponry page in my stat window, however I was too focused onto the real star of the show...
It's stats...
【Wooden Sword +1】
? Uses Left: 35
"Unacceptable garbage!"
So I made a second one.
Which was worse, somehow...
【Wooden Sword +0】
? Uses Left: 25
I stared at both of them.
"How am I supposed to beat anything alive with this? Actually, I bet the already-dead would be just as hard..."
Then enlightenment struck.
I dismantled the swords and started the process again.
I shaved a longer shaft, then reinforced it.
I focused my mind into its piercing capability.
And there it was.
【Wooden Spear +3】
? Uses Left: 100
"What?" I chirped in awe... "Why is it so much better than the swords?"
It was just a pointy stick made from trashy trash.
Alright then, keep your secrets.
It's not like I'm curious as to why good things happen to me!
I take the rare W's and move on!
??ι══════?
With the spear's success, I now had both items from my checklist completed:
1. Three hours of torchlight.
2. One hundred spear strikes.
You may wonder why would I need 100 strikes? What's wrong with lasting just 35 strikes?
The answer is simple: PARANOIA!
Low chances, sure, but what if a high level enemy required 81 strikes?
A spear would outlast the two swords, and still have 19 strikes left!
Decision?
Easy!
I then, pressed the head of my newly crafted torch into the campfire—
And watched it catch.
Flame bloomed.
My journey for food began.
? STATUS WINDOW ?
══════════════════
Name: No Name
Surname: No Name
Race: H?um??aN?
Sex: Female
Age: 17
══════════════════
Level: 1
XP: 0 / 1
══════════════════
System Points: 0 ??
Dice: 0 ??
══════════════════
? VITALS ?
══════════════════
HP: Don’t Die ?
MP: 10 / 10
MP?: 1 / Min
SPD: 21 Km/h
══════════════════
? TITLES & SKILLS ?
══════════════════
? Reincarnator ?≡
├ Status Window
├ Appraisal
└ Converse
══════════════════
? Extra Skills ?≡
├ Dice「D4」
└ Morph
══════════════════
? Unlocked Naturally ?≡
└ Carpenter
══════════════════
? KNOWLEDGE ?
══════════════════
? Arcana ?≡
├ Fireball Ⅰ「3MP / Cast」
└ Torch Ⅰ「5MP / Min」
══════════════════
? Weaponry ?≡
├ Sword
└ Spear
══════════════════
?? MORPH ?≡
══════════════════
