As the hours dragged on, Luka pushed his body to its absolute limit.
His legs trembled with each squat, his arms burned with every push-up, and his core ached from relentless sit-ups.
He had long lost count of the reps, focusing only on pushing through the exhaustion.
The timer for his daily quest ticked down—two hours remaining.
Gritting his teeth, Luka forced himself to keep going, ignoring the fire in his muscles and the sweat dripping down his face.
His breath was ragged, his vision hazy, but he refused to stop.
Then, at last, the sound he had been waiting for echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Daily Quest Completed: (Train to Survive)]
[+1 Attribute Point | +1 Skill Point]
Luka collapsed onto his back, gasping for air, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His body screamed in agony, but a victorious grin crept onto his face.
He did it.
He survived.
"Holy fucking shit… I actually did it…" Luka laughed aloud. The rush of victory drowned out the pain.
If anyone saw him now—sweat-drenched, sprawled out on the ground, laughing like a lunatic—they'd probably think he had lost his mind.
And honestly? Maybe he had.
After all, if he had failed this daily quest… the penalty would have been absolute.
Becoming fully disabled. A fate worse than death.
A life stripped of all hope, which would've left Luka powerless to change anything—let alone kill the main character.
For what felt like the hundredth time, Serene came running over with a cup of water, having been caught in an endless loop of fetching and delivering, yet never once did she complain.
Without hesitation, she did as she had countless times before…
Lifting the cup and pouring the cool liquid over him…
"Good job, Young Master! You really pushed yourself today!" Serene beamed, her voice filled with genuine pride:
"I'll go ahead and have the kitchen prepare a hearty meal for you right away. I'll also prepare your bath at once. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to let me know!"
Serene immediately left.
"That sounds nice…" Luka muttered as his stomach let out a deep, guttural growl.
He had been so focused on completing the daily quest that he hadn't eaten a single thing all day.
And so, his hunger clawed at him, a deep emptiness that made him feel like he could devour an entire feast without pause.
Yet, right now, his mind wasn't on food.
Luka's gaze remained fixed on the sky, watching as the last light of day bled into the darkening horizon.
He exhaled slowly before speaking, barely above a whisper. "Open Status."
Instantly, the system windows he wanted to see materialized before his eyes:
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[Attributes]
Attribute Points: 1
Mana (MP): 0
Strength (STR): 1
Agility (AGI): 10
Stamina (STA): 10
Vigor (VIG): 5
Dexterity (DEX): 10
Intelligence (INT): 0
Luck (LCK): 1
—————————
—————————
[Skill Tree]
Skill Points: 1
𖣂
Skills Unlocked: 0
—————————
With a single point to allocate for each, Luka licked his lips, taking a brief moment to weigh his options.
It didn't take long for him to decide—Vigor was the clear choice.
'The more health, the better,' Luka thought.
Having only 10 / 10 Hit Points was unacceptable. It was too low, too fragile.
He placed his attribute point into Vigor, watching as his health increased to 12 / 12.
'Still low, but better than before. Progress is progress,' Luka reassured himself.
Now came the skill point, something he wasn't willing to waste on impulse.
His weary fingers hovered over the system window, as he then tapped on the skill tree.
The interface flickered briefly before he began scrolling, eyes scanning the Level 1 skills.
Surprisingly, there were a few viable choices available for just one skill point.
Luka's eyes flickered with interest:
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🔹 Hunter's Step – Increases movement speed by +10% in forests, grasslands, and mountains. (Enhances travel efficiency in natural terrain. Passive, no stamina required.)
🔹 Survivalist – Improves foraging success and reduces stamina drain while traveling. Passive, no stamina required.)
🔹 Quick Draw – Increases weapon swap speed by +15%. (Faster transitions between melee and ranged weapons. Active Skill: Consumes Stamina)
🔹 Steady Aim – Reduces accuracy loss by 20% while moving with bows/crossbows. (Better hit rate on the move. Passive, no stamina required.)
🔹 Eagle Eye – Increases Perception by +10% and Critical Chance by +5% on ranged attacks. (Enhanced vision for spotting traps, enemies, and weak points. Passive, no stamina required.)
🔹 Beast Whisperer – Improves communication with wild monsters/animals. (Higher success in taming or calming neutral creatures. Passive, no stamina required.)
🔹 Camouflage – Increases stealth effectiveness by +15% when stationary in foliage or shadows. (Blend into the environment for ambushes or evasion. Passive, no stamina required.)
—————————
Having read through all of these skills, Luka's eyes gleamed.
His mind was set.
The Beast Whisperer skill was exactly what he needed—a skill that would provide him with an edge, especially early on in the game, and one that could turn things in his favor.
He was fortunate to have it so early, and he wasn't about to let that slip away.
Without hesitation, Luka tapped on the Beast Whisperer skill, and suddenly more system text appeared:
—————————
[Purchase Confirmation]
Are you sure you want to purchase Beast Whisperer?
Cost: 1 Skill Point
[Yes] [No]
—————————
Luka didn't waste another second. He clicked yes immediately, and the familiar system voice echoed in his mind:
[Congratulations, you have learned the skill Beast Whisperer!]
A wave of satisfaction washed over Luka. A small smile tugged at his lips as he swiped away the system windows.
The weight on his chest seemed to lift just a bit, and he slowly stood, feeling more confident than before.
"Perfect... It seems some luck is on my side," Luka muttered under his breath.
With this skill now in his arsenal, Luka knew exactly what he had to do next. His next steps were clear in his mind:
'Now I can tame that baby dragon!'
Grr-rrrumble!
"...But first... a bath, food, and some sleep. Can't risk fainting in front of a dragon, even if it's just a baby... and low-leveled."