Chapter 2: New World
"I wonder," I muttered, "how far my skills can reach in this world."
I looked around and activated [Analyze].
[Ding! New Resources Detected]
[Forest Wood Tree]
[Type: Tree]
[Rarity: Common]
[Binding Vine]
[Type: Vine]
[Rarity: Common]
I frowned. Trees and vines hadn't been considered resources in the game.
I walked closer and placed a hand against the trunk. The bark felt rough beneath my fingers—every groove, every imperfection painfully clear.
I pulled my hand back slowly. The air felt heavy. Humid.
"That's new," I muttered.
I swallowed, then spoke again. "System. Am I still inside the game?"
There was a brief pause.
[Ding!]
[Status: User is no longer within a game environment.]
I froze.
The words didn't feel real at first, but my body reacted before my mind could catch up. My heartbeat quickened, and for the first time since arriving, something cold settled in my chest.
"You said death is permanent," I said carefully. "Does that mean I can't respawn? What about resurrection using high-tier magic?"
Another pause.
[Ding!]
[Respawn: Unavailable]
[Resurrection: Possible only through high-level magic.]
I exhaled slowly.
So this world had rules—and they weren't forgiving.
A sudden rustling came from the forest.
I turned and tried to activate [Analyze].
[Error]
[Mental State: Unstable]
I clicked my tongue and raised Purpify. Shifting my weight into a defensive stance, I focused on the nearby bushes.
A white, one-horned, rabbit-like creature pushed its way out. Red, demonic eyes locked onto me.
As I steadied my breathing—forcing my racing thoughts into order—the rabbit lowered its body and coiled its legs. A brief magic circle flared beneath it.
Then it vanished.
A boost skill.
The realization startled me, but I forced myself calm. As I tightened my grip on Purpify, the sword responded with a faint vibration—eager, almost impatient.
The rabbit reappeared in a blur, closing the distance fast.
I swung.
[Miss]
Too early.
As I pulled the blade back, I instinctively stepped left, turning my body to guide the rabbit away from a direct collision—but its horn grazed my hand, tearing skin.
Pain flared.
[-1 HP]
The creature shot past me. I pivoted immediately, eyes locked on it as I dropped back into a defensive stance. The exchange replayed in my mind in an instant.
I was nervous.
That hesitation had cost me.
The one-horned rabbit activated its ability again. The magic circle flickered beneath it as it lunged straight at me—faster than before.
This time, I didn't rush.
As it entered my attack range, I tightened my grip on Purpify and activated Electrify.
Energy surged through the blade. The cracks along its surface pulsed rhythmically as sparks leapt from the edge, neon-purple arcs sizzling through the air.
As I swung, my arm ached—not from the cut, but from my own form. In the game, stamina was just a number. Here, my body had to keep up.
The blade sliced cleanly through the rabbit. Electricity detonated on impact.
[-400 HP]
The corpse dropped, rolling forward with what little momentum it had left. The sharp scent of burnt meat filled the air.
…Yeah. I overdid it.
As I approached, I glanced at the small wound on my hand, already replaying the fight—where I mistimed my swing, where my footwork faltered, and how I could've done better.
When I reached the body, I steadied myself and activated [Analyze].
[One-Horned Rabbit]
[Rarity: Common]
[HP: 0 (100)]
[AP: 2]
[DP: 1]
[Ability: Swift]
[Status: Dead]
"So," I muttered, "two attack points and one defense."
Because my mental state hadn't stabilized before the fight, I hadn't controlled the flow of magic properly. Now, a dull mental fatigue settled in—followed quickly by hunger.
I wiped the blood from my hand, the sting a sharp reminder that even a common creature could injure me. Every movement felt slightly heavier as I stepped over roots and rocks.
I looked down at the corpse.
"I guess you're my dinner," I said. "First, I need a camp and a fire."
I hoisted the body over my shoulder. I wasn't sure if storing it would affect the smell in my inventory—and I didn't want to find out.
I searched for a suitable campsite somewhere defensible, with enough space to process the carcass properly.
I looked for flat, level ground—well-drained and clear of sharp rocks. Camping under dead trees or heavy branches was out of the question. I needed a water source nearby, but not close enough to risk flooding. Windbreaks like ridges or dense bushes would help, and shade with a light breeze mattered just as much, especially to keep bugs away.
I wasn't a survival expert, but years of optimizing environments in Manual Mode—and half-remembered advice—surfaced when I needed them most.
Eventually, I found a suitable spot a good distance from where I'd woken up. I set the rabbit's carcass beneath a sturdy tree and scanned the area for something to hang it from. The only viable option was the vines winding around the trunk.
After testing a few, I chose one that looked strong enough and cut it to length with Purpify, hoping my estimate was close enough.
Finding a branch high enough to tie it to took longer than expected. As I worked, my thoughts drifted to the next steps—how I'd skin the rabbit, and how to remove the horn without damaging it.
Once the vine was secured, I gave it a firm pull. It held.
Satisfied, I tied the carcass by its leg and let it hang.
My hand throbbed faintly as I worked—a small but persistent reminder that pain wasn't optional here.
[Minor Injury: Hand – Precision slightly reduced]
I scanned the immediate area for usable materials: stones, dry twigs, branches, vines, and leaves.
[Ding!]
[Twigs Collected]
[Stones Collected]
[Branches Collected]
[Vines Collected]
[Leaves Collected]
[Ding!]
[Warning: Inventory Full]
"Huh," I muttered. "Either my capacity scaled down… or this world isn't as generous."
The light was already fading, so I searched for a spot close enough to the ridge for shelter, but far enough to safely build a fire. Once I found it, I took everything out of my inventory, dug a shallow pit, and arranged stones into a rough circle. Half the twigs went into the pit.
I pulled out my engraving pen and a single twig.
Activating [Jack of All Trades – Omni Class], a skill that allowed me to use up to eighty percent of any class ability—custom or standard—I began carving a small magical circuit designed to create a spark.
Distant noises echoed through the forest.
[Completion Probability: 80%]
I sped up. Too much.
The engraving pen slipped as pain shot through my hand.
[Completion Probability: -3% (Injury)]
I stopped.
Exhaled slowly.
Steadied my hands. Controlled my breathing.
Then I resumed.
[Completion Probability: 79%]
As the final stroke connected—
[Ding!]
[Spark Stick]
[Rarity: Mid Common]
[Ability: Spark]
I tossed the stick into the pit and activated its ability. Sparks flared, catching on the twigs. Moments later, a small fire crackled to life.
With the fire secured, I gathered leaves and layered them beneath the ridge, forming a crude but functional resting spot.
I returned to the fire and sat down, my gaze drifting to the rabbit carcass. I wondered if there was a way to butcher it using magic instead of my hands.
An idea clicked.
I gathered several stones and pulled a single twig from my inventory. Crouching near the fire, I flowed mana through the twig and activated [Jack of All Trades – Omni Skill (Alchemist)], carefully drawing a transmutation circle into the ground.
This time, I worked slowly. My lines were steadier. My movements deliberate.
When the circle was complete, I placed the stones at its center. I closed my eyes and pictured the result—thin edges, balanced weight, sharp enough to cut cleanly.
As I activated the circle, the stones softened, melting into a silvery liquid before reshaping exactly as imagined.
The success came at a cost.
Mental fatigue pressed in as I lifted each stone blade, inspecting them one by one. They were close to perfect, but small flaws remained—uneven ground, rushed lines, and growing exhaustion.
Good enough.
I set the tools aside and returned to the hanging carcass. Untying it, I carried it back to the circle and laid it at the center. I crouched and focused, imagining a precise separation of horn, flesh, bone, and organs—just like when I'd first mastered monster butchering in the game.
The circle activated.
The corpse melted, flowing outward in five distinct streams. Solid forms emerged: the horn, chunks of meat, fur and skin, bones, and organs. At the center, a small white gem remained.
I skewered the meat with branches and leaned them over the fire. As they cooked, I returned to the circle and activated [Analyze].
[Ding! New Items Found]
[Monster Core]
[Rarity: Common]
[Ability: Swift]
[One-Horned Rabbit Horn]
[Rarity: Common]
[One-Horned Rabbit Bones]
[Rarity: Common]
"So that's how it moved so fast… and managed to hurt me," I muttered. "If this is common, there might be uncommon variants."
I stored the items.
Turning back to the remaining materials, I examined the fur and skin. Rabbit leather gloves would be useful. My gaze drifted to the bones and organs, hesitation creeping in.
The smell of cooked meat reached me then—sweet and rich. My stomach growled.
I ate. With each bite, the mental fatigue eased. By the time I finished, my thoughts felt sharper. The sting in my hand dulled—still there, but manageable.
[Minor Injury: Stabilized]
I walked to the nearby water source and crouched at the edge. My reflection stared back: blond hair, green eyes, an angular jaw. A familiar avatar wearing a black high-tech shirt, white jacket, cargo pants, and tactical boots.
My eyes were sharper than I remembered, the green almost glowing faintly in the low light.
I'd designed it years ago—borrowing traits from two anime characters—never expecting I'd one day be staring back at it like this.
{Image}
I washed my hands and returned to camp. Night had fully settled by the time I sat beside the fire again, watching the flames dance.
"System," I asked quietly, "do I have to speak out loud to talk to you? And did anything change with the jobs?"
[Ding!]
[User Can Use Thoughts]
[Unknown]
"Good," I muttered. "I'll have to experiment to see what's different."
A yawn escaped me.
As I stood to head toward the ridge, my gaze caught on the bones, fur, and organs still resting near the circle.
"…Hmmm."
Curiosity won.
I moved the remains aside and picked up a branch, flowing mana through it as I activated [Mechanic], adding magical circuits to the transmutation formula. Once complete, I tested it by shaping stones again.
This time, the process was smoother. Faster. The mental strain noticeably reduced.
I turned back to the remains.
An idea formed.
I placed the organs and bones onto the circle. Resting my hand against it, I activated [Mechanic: Robot Creation] alongside [Jack of All Trades – Omni Skill (Necromancy)].
I imagined a skeletal rabbit frame and an organic bio-core.
As the materials liquefied, my mental fatigue spiked sharply.
[Mental Fatigue: -6 Precision]
I'd pushed too much into a single night—but stopping now felt worse than risking it.
I kept going.
The bones fused into a frame. The organs compressed into a crude bio-core. Green, flame-like data streams flickered in its eye sockets, and a faintly glowing core pulsed within the skeletal body. A mental link formed.
I activated [Analyze].
[Skeleton One-Horned Rabbit]
[Type: Construct]
[Rarity: Low Common]
[HP: 50]
[AP: 2]
[DP: 1]
[Ability: Overclock]
"Looks like the experiment wasn't a complete failure," I muttered. "I'll need more testing—and better materials."
I took my engraving pen and etched a simple illusion circuit into the skull, overlaying the image of a white, red-eyed, one-horned rabbit.
When I finished, I gave a single command.
"Act as a lookout. Send a mental alarm if anything approaches."
The construct twitched, then hopped silently into the bushes, vanishing into the darkness.
I yawned again.
Grabbing the fur, I headed to the ridge. I laid it beneath my head and stretched out. My hand throbbed in time with my heartbeat. I clenched it once, then forced myself to relax.
Thoughts of the day blurred together as exhaustion finally claimed me.
A little while later—
A sharp mental alarm jolted me awake.
I shot upright, Purpify already in my hand.
From somewhere nearby came a sound.
Snap.