The jarring transition from the sterile account verification screen to the vibrant, sun-dappled greenery of the Verdant Threshold almost gave Drake whiplash. He stood in a small clearing surrounded by impossibly lush trees and foliage, the air thick with the scent of loam and unfamiliar blossoms. A generic orchestral swell faded, replaced by chirping birds and rustling leaves – standard tutorial zone ambiance.
<< Synchronization Complete. Welcome to the Verdant Threshold, Adventurer! >> << Quest Received: [Basic Extermination] - Eliminate 5 Forest Sprites dwelling nearby. Reward: 50 EXP, 10 Copper Coins. >>
"Alright, tutorial time. Let's see what this 'hardcore' game throws at level one."
Drake immediately accessed his character sheet. The interface was clean, modern.
Character: Drake
Level: 1
Class: Warrior (Base)
HP: 100/100
MP: 50/50
Stamina: 120/120
Attributes:
Strength (STR): 10
Agility (AGI): 8
Endurance (END): 10
Intellect (INT): 5
Spirit (SPR): 5
Precision (PRE): 7
Equipment:
Weapon: [Basic Shortsword] (Normal)
Chest: [Tattered Leather Vest] (Normal)
Legs: [Roughspun Trousers] (Normal)
Feet: [Worn Leather Boots] (Normal)
Passive Skills:
[Eidetic Execution] (Innate)
[Perfect Recall] (Component of Eidetic Execution)
"Okay, baseline stats. Sword feels light. That passive... right, the legacy reward. Let's see how it plays out."
He spotted his targets easily – small, flitting Forest Sprites, barely knee-high, shimmering faintly near a cluster of oversized mushrooms. They looked utterly harmless, low-poly cannon fodder reminiscent of countless other games. He targeted the nearest one, raising his shortsword.
"Alright, [Basic Slash]. Should be simple enough."
He initiated the skill [Basic Slash]. Instead of a simple button press resulting in an automatic animation, a barely visible, phantom line seemed to trace the optimal path for his blade through the air for a split second, demanding precise mimicry and timing he hadn't anticipated for such a fundamental action. His ingrained muscle memory from Kingdoms of Gods reacted instantly, but the required path and timing were completely different. Miss.
<< Skill Failed! SCR 45% >>
Drake blinked. "Failed? A basic attack? What the... Right, the SCR system. Follow the phantom line... They weren't kidding." He tried again, consciously focusing on tracking and matching the fleeting, ethereal guide with his sword's movement. Clumsy swing.
<< Skill Failed! SCR 52% >>
A flicker of annoyance sparked. This was a Level 1 mob! He focused harder, anticipating the phantom line's appearance, trying to match its trajectory and speed perfectly. Swing.
<< Skill Success! SCR 64%! Damage Dealt: 7! >>
The sword connected, but it felt weak, inefficient. The sprite barely reacted, its tiny health bar decreasing by a sliver. But before Drake could feel the frustration fully bloom, a subtle internal shift occurred, a sense of… lock-in.
"Wait... [Peak Performance Replication]... did it just lock that 64%?"
He targeted the sprite again, initiating [Basic Slash]. This time, the swing felt identical to the previous successful-but-clumsy hit, his body moving almost automatically to replicate that exact 64% timing. Hit.
<< Skill Success! SCR 64%! Damage Dealt: 7! >>
He attacked again. Same result.
<< Skill Success! SCR 64%! Damage Dealt: 7! >>
"It works. Guaranteed success, locked at my best attempt. But... 64%? That's barely over half potential damage according to the guides. This is going to be slow as hell."
He continued attacking the sprite. Each swing landed consistently, always hitting that 64% SCR, always dealing that minimal 7 damage. The sprite, despite its low health, took several more hits before finally dissolving into glittering particles.
<< Defeated Forest Sprite! EXP +5 >> (Quest Progress: [Basic Extermination] 1/5)
Drake turned to the next sprite. The process repeated: consistent, automatic 64% SCR hits, frustratingly low damage, slow kill. He methodically worked his way through the required five sprites, each kill taking far longer than it felt like it should.
<< Defeated Forest Sprite! EXP +5 >> (Quest Progress: [Basic Extermination] 5/5) << Quest Complete: Basic Extermination! Reward: 50 EXP, 10 Copper Coins! >>
The paltry quest reward barely nudged his EXP bar. He looked at his sword, then back towards the village area where the next quest giver likely waited.
"Okay. Talent guarantees I won't outright fail anymore, huge advantage over anyone else struggling below 60%. But 64% baseline is garbage efficiency. Killing anything tougher than these sprites will take forever. Priority one: Push that SCR higher. The grind starts now, just... a different kind of grind."
With a newfound focus not just on completion, but on quality of execution, Drake headed towards the next objective marker, already planning how to practice his timing.