Chapter 3: CH 2 – First Solo Hunting Turned Into Disaster

This world is truly unfair. How? You ask?

It's nothing other than the Classes and Jobs!

Take me for an example.

I, Axel Blaze, have a Non-Combat Class and a Trash Grade Job.

You may think—It's just something made up by people, no job is trash, it's how you use them.

Well... You are right and you are wrong. 

You are right that all jobs have their own uses and none of them is useless. After all, even if Farmer is a Low Grade Job, without them the High Grade Job people can't enjoy having delicious food can they? With their jobs they won't consider farming over hunting.

Now, you are wrong if you only look at the positive side. The unfairness of Classes and Jobs doesn't come from their variety, but from their perks.

For example, the most revered job Hero has a job perk of 'All visible stats bonus +100%'. This 'bonus' word here is the main culprit of the unfairness. The bonus stats mean that a bonus percentage will be added to the end of the stat bar. So a +100% boost will be always applied on the base stats. It's like a permanent buff.

So if one has 100 VIT at level 1, their VIT increases by 100% making it 200. At level 2, when their VIT should be 200, now because of the perk, it is 400. Now you understand how unfair it is for the other jobs right?... This shit is totally broken!

Though these higher grade jobs also suffer from decreased Experience Points gained per kill compared to lower grade jobs, it doesn't matter when you look at their overall stats growth. After all, a level one Hero is already way stronger than a level 1 Sword Master who has the perk of 'All visible stats bonus +50%'. See, can the stats from the 100% bonus of Hero be compared with the stats of 50% bonus of Sword Master? I don't think so.

Even though the Hero may level up slower than the Sword Master but at the same level, the Hero is always way stronger than the Sword Master. 

Also a better Job means better Skills and Titles!

A Trash Grade Job like mine, doesn't come with any perks. So that's why it's called a Trash Grade Job. Now you guys understand, right?

Now moving to the six Classes...

Without any Class or Job perks, it is said that everyone starts with 100 VIT, 20 MP and rest of the stats at 15 points each. With every level up they gain, +100 VIT, +10 MP and 10 SP.

Now looking at the Class Perks...

The Warrior Class gives you +100 STR points, +15% physical and magical defense and a 5% increase in attack.

The Mage Class gives you +100 INT, +50 MP and +5% MATK.

The Support Class gives you +100 DP, +10% physical and magical defense and +20 END. Though you won't have any MP, I don't think you need that when all your skills consume DP rather than MP.

The Ranger Class gives you +100 DEX, +5% STR and +10% CRIT.

The Rogue Class gives you +100 AGI, +5% DEX and +5% CRIT.

And at last, our dear, lovely, Non-Combat class gives you... The middle finger.

Hehehe, yes, it gives you nothing! Nothing!... Fucking unfair world. Where is the justice?!

Sigh... My sad life...

Which won't be sad anymore~ Why?... Muahahaha, muhahahaha... Why?— Because this dude here now can use Skills!

"Yes motherfucker! I can use Skills!" "Muahahaha..." Axel Blaze suddenly started laughing crazily while walking towards the smithy of grandpa Oberon.

"What the fuck!" A passerby yelped with fear. "You bastard! Have you gone mad? My heart almost jumped out of my chest." A middle aged man held his chest while cursing at Axel Blaze.

"Chop it into small pieces, apply some ginger and garlic paste, sprinkle a bit of salt and fry it in olive oil." "Ooomah! Delicious." Axel Blaze bloomed his fingers in front of his puckered mouth making n 'ooomah!' sound. "Fried heart goes well with booze. You should try it." He licked his lips.

"You bastard! You want to eat my heart?" The man picked up one of his slippers and threw it at Axel Blaze.

Axel Blaze dodged then ran away while laughing.

It is early in the morning. Around 8:00 am, Axel Blaze arrived at the smithy.

The smithy is quiet except for an old, dwarf man snoozing at the counter, sitting on a chair with his head hanging, almost dropping down from time to time.

"Slam!" Axel Blaze slapped the desk with his palm.

"Waa!" With a shock, the poor old fellow stood straight in alarm. "What happened?! What happened?!" He yelled looking here and there.

On the other side of the desk, Axel Blaze stood straight, dignified, with his hands crossed behind his back.

Axel Blaze spoke with vigor. "Old man Dike! How dare you sleep at work? Don't you want to get paid? What is this behavior?" He asked with his nose raised.

"Umm... Umm..." The old man, still somewhat dazed, made some confused movements, kinda accepting his mistake. But he soon regained his senses. He stared at Axel Blaze like he wanted to eat him raw. Chew his bones and spit it out.

Looking at such an intense glare, Axel Blaze instantly lost all his haughtiness and his demeanor changed to that of a meek little girl. He started playing with the hem of his shirt. With his head down. Not daring to look at grandpa Dike.

On the other hand, looking at this fragile flower, which the old men of smithy have raised after he lost his parents, the old man Dike couldn't bring himself to scold him. But he also couldn't help but feel somewhat like puking looking at this brat's demeanor.

He cleared his throat. "Why are you here? What do you need?" Dike asked.

Axel Blaze understood that he had escaped from any punishment, so he instantly stopped acting.

"Hehe, Grandpa Dike, hehe-" Axel Blaze spoke as trying to butter him up.

"Stop your disgusting act so early in the morning. You will ruin my whole day." Dike raised his hand to stop Axel Blaze. "Get to the point."

"Ahem!" Axel Blaze made a serious look. "Please, lend me a set of armor and a weapon. I just learnt a new skill yesterday and want to try it on monsters."

Dike made a surprised look. "Skill? Doesn't your job don't allow you to learn any skills? Where the hell did you get this skill from?"

"I am not sure myself, but it seems to be some hidden job task or something. It was completed yesterday and I got a new skill. On top of that, I got two skills, both of which are good for combat and also..." Axel Blaze gave somewhat of a gist of what happened and explained the two skills he got. Still hiding most of the facts and also about the Deck feature.

"Hmm..." Dike nodded slightly. After that he went inside leaving Axel Blaze at the counter.

He returned after a while holding some equipment.

"Here take these." He put a set of leather armor and a short sword on the desk.

"Inspect." Axel Blaze instantly used a command on the item.

'Inspect' command lets one check a cut down information of anything. Be it living things or non-living things. Though unlike non-living objects, people will notice it if you use Inspect on them. So it is considered manners to ask them before using Inspect on them. After all, no one likes others to pry into their private information. It may lead to conflicts.

A small window popped out of the items, describing their information.

Leather Breast-Armor

Grade : Uncommon

Stats : VIT +50, DEF +50, MDEF +30

Leather Boots

Grade : Uncommon

Stats : AGI +20

Leather Arm Guard

Grade : Uncommon

Stats : STR +5, DEX +20, DEF +10

Short Sword

Grade : Rare

Stats : STR +10, ATK +30%, DEX +5%, AGI +5%

The stats from the items are temporarily added to the character stats of the person wearing it. It remains till they wear the items or the items are destroyed.

"These-These items are too good Grandpa Dike, give me something from the common grade, right?" "If I carry these, I would be looted by the town's gatekeeper before I even step out of the town." "Especially this sword... A Rare grade item... Even if I sell myself, I don't think I can afford one. And you are lending this to me just for hunting some level 1 slimes. Siiiii... Too much. Just too much." Axel Blaze pushed the items back, flustered.

"I will fuck the gatekeepers if they dare to snatch anything from you. And I am not lending these, these are yours." Dike harrumphed.

"Mine?—What do you mean by mine?" Axel Blaze asked, confused.

"Ahem! These are the payments for your prior work in our smithy. When you lived here you used to help us with our work, didn't you? This is the payment for that. Take it." Dike ordered while bobbing his hand.

"Work? What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to receive such great items." "I am an orphan, it was you guys who took me in and gave me a place to grow up at, I should be returning those favors rather than receiving more favors." Axel Blaze looked somewhat sad.

"Return my ass! Can you return those favors at your current condition? Moreover, did we ever ask you to return any favor? How dare a snotty brat like you talk about such things? You dare to talk about favors with your family!" Suddenly grandpa Oberon walked in from inside the room, scolding Axel Blaze in one breath.

"Ah-no-no, I didn't mean it like that, it's ju-just..." Axel Blaze stuttered, shaking his hands in front.

Then he frowned. "Wait! Family? When did I become your family?" He asked with confusion.

"We are not family? I thought we were." Grandpa Oberon suddenly looked betrayed.

On the side, old man Dike also made a disappointed look, shaking his head.

"Ah, er-er..." Axel Blaze doesn't know how to answer.

"Sigh!... Your father and mother were our close friends, so we always looked at you as our family. But if you don't feel the same then..." Oberon shook his head.

"Aa... Umm..." Axel Blaze is lost for words.

"I miss the Apple Pie, Sister Sophia used to make." Dike shook his head, reminiscing about the past.

"Me too..." Oberon also got lost in the past.

Looking at these two Axel Blaze forgot what he is here for. He only stared at Oberon and Dike one by one.

Axel Blaze's parents used to be adventurers. After retiring from their career they decided to spend the rest of their lives in this far away village. They lost their lives defending the village from a monster stampede.

They used to be the neighbors of these old blacksmiths, so they were close as family. After their death, the house was seized by some village residents by unfair means. The 2-3 years old Axel Blaze lost everything that day after he monster stampede.

These old blacksmiths took care of him along with Luna who lost her father. Losing their means of income, Luna and her mother received tremendous help from these kind-hearted old men. But after Luna gained some success in life... As you can see. Sometimes, wealth and fame makes people selfish and greedy.

Luna even threw away her childhood sweetheart to chase after her own dream, let alone if these old men ever crossed her mind.

Even after she appointed her mother as the chief of the village and later as the lord of the town with her influence, the mother too didn't show any sympathy to Axel Blaze or these old men. She acted like she never saw any of these men in her whole life.

...

After a while Dike came back to his senses.

"What are you waiting for? Don't you want to go hunt monsters? Take these and get lost!" He yelled at Axel Blaze.

Axel Blaze flinched, made a weird look, grabbed the equipment and ran towards the door.

He stopped at the door, turned back and shouted. "Grandpas. We are family." He smiled brightly, with his eyes slightly moist.

"Didn't I say so? Of course we are." Grandpa Oberon smiled back.

Axel Blaze slightly nodded before turning back.

"Will you be ok by yourself? The only time you ever hunt a monster was when accompanied by one of us. If you wait a few days, our current order will be completed. One of us can take you out for hunting then." Grandpa Dike suddenly suggested with worry.

"Don't worry, I will be ok. Unlike the last time, I have got Skills now, hehe." Axel Blaze replied without turning back.

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"Humph! Only if the Skills you mentioned are good enough to fight monsters. If it's not, I will make sure you stay inside the town. I will help you open a shop or something. Forget about being an adventurer and just live a normal life then." Grandpa Oberon warned.

"Don't worry. I have already wasted a lot of my lifetime. I just caught a ray of hope this time. If this fails, then I will totally give up on my dream." Axel Blaze promised with a solemn voice.

"Take care." Grandpa Oberon spoke softly.

Axel Blaze raised his hand and shook in farewell before leaving.

The two old men sighed as the young man left.

Exiting the town gate, Axel Blaze walked towards the Meru Forest.

The name of this town, Meri, indeed came from the name of the adjacent forest Meru.

It is said that this forest has no end. It extends far towards the north. The deeper you go into the forest, the more high level monsters you will face.

...

Standing within one of the grasslands outside the forest, Axel Blaze caressed the armor he was wearing. "Thank you grandpas. I will use these well." He mumbled with a happy smile.

"Open Status Window." "Open Stats Tab." Axel Blaze commanded in one go.

With a blink, his blue colored and floating Status Window appeared in front of his eyes, with the Stats tab open.

Basic Stats

VIT : 150/100

MP : 20/20

Advance Stats

STR : 30/15

INT : 15

DEX : 37/15

AGI : 37/15

END : 15

Support Stats

VRR : 1% per minute

MRR : 1% per minute

SP : 0

"Seems like the item stats are working fine. This '37' in DEX and AGI should be '36.75' but it seems the system rounded it off." Axel Blaze nodded with satisfaction.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled out the short sword and started searching for a level 1 Normal Slime.

Just after searching for 10 minutes he found one Normal Slime hopping in the grass field.

Without wasting any time, with all his might, Axel Blaze slashed on the Normal Slime.

With a springing sound the sword rebounded, throwing the slime away and pushing Axel Blaze back.

"Woah..." "That was unexpected." "I forgot that slimes are resistant to physical attacks." Axel Blaze slapped his forehead. "I am such an idiot."

"Let's see if I have any magic type skills I can use..." Saying this, he started to browse the Cards tab.

After looking for two minutes, he only found two cards which looked somewhat useful.

Ignite

Rank : Common

Level : 6

Light a small flame which deals 6 magical damage per second on touch.

MP Cost : 2 MP per second

Flare

Rank : Common

Level : 3

Launch a flare that blasts after 5 seconds, spreading a bright red light. If used as an attack, it deals 15 magic damage.

MP Cost : 5

Cooldown : 10 seconds

With somewhat of a disappointed look, Axel Blaze equipped these two cards in the Deck.

"It is what it is. Better something than nothing." He closed the Status Window when suddenly a blue liquid blob zoomed into his face.

With a quick reflex Axel Blaze stepped back, losing his balance and hitting the ground with his butt.

"What the heck! What was that?" Shocked, he looked towards the direction that liquid blob went.

It is the same Normal Slime he fought a while ago.

Axel Blaze scratched his head, somewhat confused.

"Aren't the Normal Slimes usually non-aggressive? Even if you deal damage to them, they run away but never attack you. What is wrong with this one?" "Inspect." Still confused, he used the Inspect command on the slime.

Name : Normal Slime (Buffed/Enraged)

Level : 1

VIT : 600/500

"Pu!" Axel Blaze stared at the slime with utter shock with his cheeks puffed.

He stood up with a jerk.

"Vitality 600 out of 500? What the fuck? How?" He yelled. "Wait! Besides its name, those characteristics are showing up which only appear when the target's condition is abnormal... This 'buffed'... Is it because of this that the vitality is over the normal range?" He was still muttering when the Normal Slime shot at him again.

"Ah!" With a yelp, Axel Blaze sprinted away from the slime.

After running for 5 to 6 minutes  he somehow managed to get rid of the Normal Slime.

Looking at his surroundings, he realized he had unknowingly arrived closer to the forest.

Boing! Boing!

A green slime passes in front of him.

"Inspect." Axel Blaze instantly spoke the command.

Name : Acid Slime (Buffed)

Level : 2

"Siiii..." Axel Blaze sucked in close air. "This one too has that abnormal condition... Don't tell me..."

Axel Blaze picked up a stone and threw it at the slime. With a springing sound the stone flew away.

"Inspect." Axel Blaze quickly used the command.

Name : Acid Slime (Buffed/Enraged)

Level : 2

VIT : 1200/1000

Seems like the VIT stat doesn't appear till you hit someone. Or to say, till you enter combat mode?

"Fuck! As I thought, this one's vitality is higher than normal too." "Just what is going on? This has never happened before. At least I have never heard of something like this in my whole life." Axel Blaze scratched his head.

"Ptui!" With a spitting sound, the Acid Slime shot a green fluid towards Axel Blaze.

"Ah! The 'Acid Shot', I forgot about its Skill. I almost lost all my hair." Axel Blaze ducked, holding his head. The Acid Shot hit the grasses past him turning them into burnt goo.

It was another scene of running and chasing between the slime and a human.

But this time things turned for the worse. Just as Axel Blaze was about to get rid of the slime, a large and ugly, green dude with a thick stick in his hand jumped out of nowhere attacking Axel Blaze.

It is a level 5 HobGoblin. Quite a rare find in the outskirts of the forest. They usually reside quite deep into the forest.

So this encounter was totally unexpected.

"Mommyyyy!" With a cry for help, Axel Blaze ran inside the forest. Even though he doesn't want to, even though he knows it's dangerous. This is the only way the HobGoblin left open for him.

A level 1 weakling has entered a place, where he can lose his life in the blink of an eye.

He still couldn't understand what was going on? Such bizarre things have never happened in the outskirts of the forest before. It was never so dangerous. Is he so unlucky to encounter such a disaster just after he grabbed a sliver of hope in his dull life? Is he cursed or what? He has already lost everything and the only thing he has left is his life. Does the gods even want to take this away from him? Just what sins he has committed to deserve this?

With all negative thoughts running through his mind he ran with all his might.

Unlike the slimes, a humanoid monster is quite fast. The HobGoblin stuck close to Axel Blaze like he was his lover playing the game of tag.

But the tag from the HobGoblin will not be of love but death.

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