Venerable Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Grind

Read chapter 6 of Venerable by Jade_White on NovelPedia.

The morning sun breached the thick canopy of the forest. Dustin sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He had slept deeply and without interruption. He leaned back against the rough bark and stared out at the dark leaves hanging in the distance. He watched a massive silver spider spin a thick web between two branches far away. He watched the grey light slowly shift as the sun climbed higher into the unseen sky. He waited for the familiar feeling of peace to settle over him. He usually loved doing absolutely nothing. Back in his apartment he could stare at a loading screen or a dirty ceiling for hours without a single complaint. However this was different. He lacked his computer. He lacked a comfortable mattress. He was just a guy sitting in a dark wooden hole waiting for time to pass. "I am so bored," Dustin muttered to himself. "I have never been this bored in my entire life." He stretched his legs and let out a long sigh. Surviving by hiding was a highly effective strategy but it was also incredibly tedious. He needed something to occupy his mind before the sheer monotony drove him crazy. He raised his left arm and tapped the metal band clamped around his wrist. A holographic screen flickered into existence in front of his face. He quickly reviewed his personal status window to confirm the gains from the previous night. [ Level Two ] [ Physical Strength: 5 ] [ Vitality: 5 ] [ Agility: 14 ] [ Stamina: 4 ] [ Perception: 18 ] The numbers were still remarkably low but they represented a percentage increase over his starting baseline. The rabbit meat had given him a permanent boost to his stamina. He felt noticeably less fragile today. He started swiping his finger across the glowing green display in random directions. He wanted to see if the system had hidden any other useful information behind the basic attribute page. He opened the inventory tab and confirmed it was still empty aside from the slot for his rusted dagger. He swiped past a blank social menu and a locked map feature. After swiping down for a third time the digital screen finally rippled and changed its layout. A new list of text appeared under a bold header. [ Milestones ] [ 1. Obtain one additional skill at Level 4 ] [ 2. Unlock advanced statistical information at Level 10 ] [ 3. Obtain one additional skill at Level 25 ] [ ... ] Dustin stared at the short list and frowned at the glowing dots at the bottom. "Just three items," Dustin muttered as he read the screen again. "They are not showing the rest of the milestones. Whatever." He closed the digital window and thought deeply about the new information. The promise of a new skill at level four was a massive incentive. His current combat strategy relied entirely on sneaking up on harmless animals and stabbing them while they ate grass. If he encountered a real predator he would be completely defenseless. A magical skill could give him a much needed safety net. A cloaking ability or a speed boost would make his lazy survival plan significantly easier to execute. He crawled to the edge of the hollow and looked down at the forest floor. 'I can at least hunt a few more low level beasts today,' Dustin thought inwardly. 'If I target level one and level two creatures I can safely gain some experience points. Reaching level four for a new skill will help me survive more comfortably for the next few days.' He swung his legs over the edge and began the slow climb down the massive charcoal trunk. The descent took him roughly five minutes. He pulled his dagger from his waistband and began walking slowly through the dense forest. He was ready to grind some safe levels. Miles away in the deep center of the tutorial zone a vastly different kind of hunt was taking place. The forest here was littered with ancient grey stones covered in thick green moss. A terrified man in a torn business suit was crawling frantically through the dirt. His fingernails were bleeding and his breathing was ragged. He dragged his heavy legs