Viktor's exhaustion vanished as a surge of strength coursed through his body.
He felt lighter, stronger, and… different. A flood of prompts filled his vision, and as he instinctively opened his updated status screen, he saw the changes—his level had increased, his stats had improved, and his innate ability had finally awakened.
….
Status : —
Name : Viktor
Race : [Human — Lv.1]
Innate : [ Branded By Fire and Steel ]
Innate Rank : [ 1st Stage ]
….
Attribute(s) : —
Health 140/140
Stamina 18/60 → 28/70 +
Mana 30/30
Strength: 12
Agility: 9
Constitution: 14
Spirit : 6
Undisturbed stats : 2
….
Innate Skill(s) : —
[Man of Tempered Steel (A)].
….
Viktor blinked, dumbfounded. The changes were more significant than he had expected.
Critically wounding the young wolf was one thing, but actually defeating it and leveling up? That was another matter entirely.
His Strength had increased by 1.
His Spirit had increased by 1.
And his Constitution had surged by 2 points.
He pulled open the previous notifications, eager to understand what had just occurred.
….
[You have successfully defeated the Young Dire Wolf (Lv.3)]
[Your race level rises by 1]
[Racial Level Up Bonus: +1 Spirit, +1 Constitution]
[Level Up Bonus: 2+ Undistributed Stats Obtained]
[You have reached Level 1 and your Innate ability [1st] Stage has been unlocked]
[Innate [Branded By Fire and Steel] has been unlocked]
[Innate Skill Effects: 1+ Constitution, 1+ Strength]
….
Viktor carefully reread the notifications.
At first, he had assumed that leveling up simply increased his stats. But now, the system was making something clear—stats weren't distributed in just one way.
There were three separate sources of stat gains:
Racial Stats – Automatically assigned based on race. This time, his race-level bonus had granted +1 Spirit and +1 Constitution.
Undistributed Stats – Freely allocated points he could assign however he wished.
Innate Skill Effects – A completely new factor, something he hadn't learned about before.
Viktor frowned. Innate Skill Effects…?
He clearly remembered the system's level-up description: each level granted Racial Stats and Undistributed Stats—but nothing had mentioned Innate Skills affecting stat gains.
Viktor exhaled, rubbing his temples.
Still, now wasn't the time to overanalyze things. He had two large wolves out there, likely furious after he had just killed their pup.
Pushing aside his unease, Viktor focused on the most important part—his newly awakened Innate Ability.
Branded By Fire and Steel…
Viktor smirked. Sounds cool.
A second later, he coughed, clearing his throat. Not the time to get carried away.
With a sharp inhale, he concentrated, willing the system to display more details.
….
Innate Ability: [ Branded By Fire and Steel ] (1st Stage) — You possess an incredible talent towards metalworking, where due to your upbringings and blood, You are blessed by the flames of steel, granting you an high affinity for metal, heat, and craftsmanship. Your proficiency in blacksmithing and related craft skills is significantly enhanced, making it easier to master techniques and perform exceptionally well in any metalworking task. Any action related to blacksmithing or crafting will gain an enhanced bonus.
Current Innate Skill(s): — [Man of Tempered Steel(A)]
….
Viktor's brows furrowed.
Metalworking?
He had expected something combat-oriented—something that would help him survive. Instead, his Innate Ability seemed centered around craftsmanship.
...What the hell am I supposed to do with this?
Rubbing his temples, he exhaled deeply. For a moment, he was back in his forge—back home. If this was his old life, this ability would have been a gift.
A chance to finally surpass his grandfather, the man who had raised him and taught him everything he knew about metalworking skills.
"….."
A flicker of emotion passed through him.
As his thoughts wandered, Viktor caught himself—this was not the time for distractions. His life was on the line, literally.
Shaking off the memories, he refocused on the system.
And that's when he noticed it.
Hold on—a skill?
His Innate Skill.
[Man of Tempered Steel].
….
Innate Skill: [Man of Tempered Steel] (A) – Your body and will, like the finest metal, has been tempered through years of work with the forge. Every callous on your hands, every burn and scar, has been a testament to your dedication. You are resistant to common burns, and stamina drains less while blacksmithing or crafting.
Passive Effect [1] — Bonus: With each level-up, your strength and constitution will gain bonus stats.
Passive Effect [2] — In the face of adversity, your Will becomes unyielding as iron.
….
"That's why…," Viktor muttered in realization, as he recalled how his Constitution and Strength had both increased by 1 with his level-up, in addition to his racial stat bonuses.
Yet…
Viktor paused, confusion clouding his thoughts. Frustration slowly began to bubble within him as he mulled over the first passive effect of his skill.
Resistant to common burns? Stamina drains less?
The first passive effect was useful, no doubt. Viktor recognized that it would significantly benefit him in the long term, especially when it came to increasing his stats, but… it didn't seem as immediately useful in his current situation.
And the second effect? It was—utterly useless.
Aren't I in freakin' adversity right now?!
Viktor shouted inwardly, not wanting to alert the wolves, if they were nearby.
A Rank? Isn't that pretty high for a skill rank?
The second passive effect—his unyielding will—felt like a cruel joke. Where was his will to survive when his body had no way of defending itself?
Viktor ran a hand through his hair in frustration. This doesn't help me survive.
The sudden tension surged in his chest, the weight of his situation sinking deeper. His exhaustion had vanished, sure, but that wasn't enough. Not in the face of wolves, not with only a chisel for a weapon.
But then, something clicked. The Commission.
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. It wasn't just his level-up. The First Step Commission had promised rewards—real, tangible rewards for completing the task.
His hand clenched into a fist. He didn't know exactly what those rewards would be, but it had to be something useful. A weapon, maybe? Some kind of tool to help him survive?
The thought steadied him, like a cool breeze cutting through the fog of his panic. He still can survive.
Viktor took another deep breath, refocused, and with a final glance at his updated status screen, he narrowed his eyes, willing the system to show his previous notifications.
...….
UPCOMING NEXT - CHAPTER 4 - A Way Out.
...….
GLOSSARY -:-
[1] Nine Ranks : In the Continental Strife, everything is categorized into nine ranks: G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S, EX. These ranks apply to skills, items, equipment, and more. G-F represent low to common tiers, E, D, C are considered average to above-average, and B, A are high-tier, reflecting exceptional power. However, S and EX ranks stand at the pinnacle. S is reserved for rare and legendary items or abilities, while EX is the highest possible rank, signifying items, skills, or equipment of almost godlike rarity and power, often considered mythical or beyond comprehension.
...….