Chapter 3: Grinding the Basics
Ren woke to the chirping of crickets and the first pale light of dawn filtering through the cracks in his shutters. For a blissful moment, he felt… good. Unusually good. His body felt lighter, the lingering aches from yesterday's ordeal entirely gone. The [Status] screen, already hovering faintly in his vision, confirmed it: HP 115/115, SP 90/90. The extra points in Vitality and Agility, combined with the restorative magic of a level-up and a healing potion, had worked wonders.
He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of his simple straw mattress. The silvery scar from the Grootslang's attack was barely visible on his leg, a faint reminder of the danger that had kickstarted this new, game-like existence.
The "Foundations of Strength" quest was his immediate priority.
Objective 1: Perform 100 successful repetitions of a basic physical exercise (0/100).
Objective 2: Successfully craft 1 [Standard Bandage] (Requires [Clean Cloth] x1) (0/1).
Objective 3: Reach Level 3.
First, the [Standard Bandage]. That meant finding [Clean Cloth]. His current clothes were tattered and bloodstained – definitely not 'clean'. He had a spare shirt, worn but washed, tucked away in a small wooden chest. It was thin, but it would have to do. Sacrificing it for a quest reward and skill progression seemed like a fair trade.
He retrieved the shirt. It was a faded blue, patched in several places. He mentally focused on the [Basic First Aid Lv. 2] skill description. It now said: "Can now craft [Standard Bandage] (requires Clean Cloth x1)." There wasn't an explicit crafting menu beyond initiating the skill with the material.
"Okay, system," Ren murmured, laying the shirt flat on his small, rickety table. "Let's see how this works." He imagined initiating the crafting process, focusing on his intent to make a bandage.
A new prompt appeared:
[Consume 1x Old Shirt (Clean Cloth equivalent) to attempt crafting Standard Bandage? Estimated success chance: 95% (Basic First Aid Lv. 2)]
[Y/N]
Ninety-five percent. Good odds. He confirmed.
The system didn't provide tools. It seemed to expect him to use what he had or his bare hands. He carefully tore the shirt into long, even strips, his INT and AGI stats likely contributing to his dexterity. He then folded them neatly, creating a compact, clean dressing. It was a far cry from the sterile, packaged bandages of his old world, but it was much better than the leaf-and-rag concoction he'd used in the forest.
[Crafting Succeeded!]
[Standard Bandage x1 created.]
[Basic First Aid Lv. 2 (EXP: 50/200)]
[Quest Update: Foundations of Strength]
Objective 2: Successfully craft 1 [Standard Bandage]. (COMPLETED!)
One objective down. The bandage appeared in his inventory, neatly labeled. Easy enough. Now for the less pleasant part: physical exertion.
He eyed the first objective: 100 successful repetitions of a basic physical exercise. The system suggested push-ups, sit-ups, or squats. His current Strength stat was a measly 6. This was going to hurt.
He decided on push-ups. They seemed like a good measure of upper body strength, something he desperately lacked. He cleared a small space on the wooden floor of his hut.
"Alright, body," he muttered, getting into position. "Time to earn your keep."
The first push-up was shaky. His arms trembled, and he barely managed to lower himself and push back up.
[Push-up: Repetition 1/100. Quality: Poor. Minor STR EXP gained.]
He gritted his teeth and continued. Each repetition was a struggle. By the tenth, his muscles were burning, and his breath was coming in ragged gasps.
[Push-up: Repetition 10/100. Quality: Poor. Minor STR EXP gained. Fatigue building.]
He collapsed after the twelfth, his arms giving out.
[SP: 65/90]
[Temporary Status Effect: Muscle Fatigue (Minor). Reduces STR effectiveness by 5% for 10 minutes.]
This was pathetic. His adult mind knew the principles of exercise, of pushing through limits, but his ten-year-old body was a harsh reminder of his physical reality. He remembered Gon and Killua undergoing ridiculously intense training. They were prodigies, operating on a different level entirely, but even so, this was a stark wake-up call.
He rested for the stipulated ten minutes, watching the [Muscle Fatigue] timer count down. As soon as it vanished, he was back at it. This time, he managed eight before collapsing.
Then six. Then five.
It was a grueling cycle of exertion, failure, and short, system-mandated rests. The system was a relentless, impartial judge.
[Push-up: Repetition 37/100. Quality: Awful. Minimal STR EXP gained. Are you even trying?]
Ren glared at the mental pop-up. "Yes, I'm trying, you digital taskmaster!"
He switched to sit-ups, hoping to work different muscles. They were marginally easier, but still a grind. Then squats, which his legs, despite yesterday's injury, handled a bit better thanks to the points in Agility and Vitality. He alternated between exercises, trying to stave off complete muscle failure in any one group.
Hours passed. The sun climbed higher, casting brighter beams through the cracks in his hut. He was drenched in sweat, every muscle screaming. But with each completed set, however small, the numbers on the quest objective ticked up, and tiny slivers of EXP were added to his STR, VIT, and AGI stats.
It was the most basic, unglamorous kind of grind, the sort that montage sequences in anime conveniently skipped. But Ren knew this was the foundation. He couldn't even think about complex Nen techniques if his basic physical vessel was this weak. His knowledge of future events, of the monstrous power levels some characters achieved, was a constant, terrifying motivator. He had to get stronger. He had to survive.
Finally, after what felt like an entire day of torture, with his SP bottoming out multiple times and his body aching in places he didn't know existed:
[Squat: Repetition 100/100. Quality: Barely Acceptable. Minor VIT/AGI EXP gained.]
[Quest Update: Foundations of Strength]
Objective 1: Perform 100 successful repetitions of a basic physical exercise. (COMPLETED!)
Ren lay sprawled on the floor, gasping for air, a triumphant, if shaky, grin on his face. He'd done it. His muscles felt like jelly, but a deep sense of accomplishment warmed him.
His [STR] stat had nudged up by a whole point, from 6 to 7, just from that grueling session. Small gains, but they felt monumental.
With two objectives down, only "Reach Level 3" remained. He checked his current EXP:
Level: 2 (EXP: 150/250)
(He'd gained 100 from the Grootslang quest completion, and 50 from miscellaneous skill usage like crafting and the initial survival). The physical exercises themselves hadn't given direct Level EXP, only stat EXP. He needed 100 more EXP to hit Level 3 and complete the quest.
Where to get that EXP? More combat was out of the question for now; he was in no condition. He scanned his [Skills] list. Most were at level 0 or 1. Leveling up skills seemed like a viable, safer path to EXP.
His [Stealth] was at Lv. 0 (15/50). [Throwing] was Lv. 0 (10/50). [Makeshift First Aid] was also Lv. 0 (25/50) before being superseded by the [Basic First Aid] skill. His [Herbology] was Lv. 1 (10/100).
He thought about the [Skill Book: Basic Combat Stance Lv. 1] that was part of the quest reward. That sounded incredibly useful. He needed to complete this quest.
An idea struck him. His hut was small and dusty. Perhaps some… cleaning? It was a long shot, but some games gave EXP for the most mundane tasks, especially if they could be quantified as improving one's environment or skills.
He looked around. A broom leaned in the corner.
"System," he ventured, "is there a skill for, uh, domestic chores? Tidiness?"
No direct response, but he focused his intent on cleaning his hut, not just randomly, but methodically. He started by sweeping the floor, trying to be efficient.
After a few minutes:
[New Mundane Skill Discovered: [Basic Chores] Lv. 0 (EXP: 5/20)]
Description: The ability to perform simple household tasks with competence. Might make your living space slightly less of a hovel.
Comment: Even future warriors have to sweep sometimes.
Ren blinked. It actually worked! He continued with renewed vigor, sweeping, dusting his single shelf, airing out his mattress. It wasn't much, but it was something. Each completed section of his small hut gave a tiny trickle of EXP to the [Basic Chores] skill. When he finally finished, the skill had reached Lv. 1 (EXP: 10/100), and he'd gained a precious 5 EXP towards his character level.
Level: 2 (EXP: 155/250)
Not enough. He needed more.
He thought about his other low-level skills. [Stealth]. He could try sneaking around his own hut, practicing silent movement. He spent half an hour doing just that, focusing on his footfalls, trying to be as quiet as possible. It felt ridiculous, but the [Stealth] EXP bar slowly crept up. He got another 10 EXP from that, pushing [Stealth] to Lv. 0 (25/50).
Level: 2 (EXP: 165/250)
He then gathered a few small stones and went outside to the tiny patch of dirt behind his hut. He practiced throwing them at a crude target he marked on the village palisade (making sure no one was around to witness his terrible aim). More tiny gains for [Throwing] and another 5 EXP.
Level: 2 (EXP: 170/250)
This was slow. Excruciatingly slow. He needed bigger chunks of EXP.
The Grootslang encounter had given him 50 EXP for survival. The quest completion gave 100 EXP. Mundane skill grinding was clearly not the primary path to leveling, but rather a supplement.
He sighed. He was still aching from the exercises. He needed to rest more before attempting anything strenuous.
He looked back at the quest: "Reach Level 3." It didn't specify how.
His eyes fell on the [Basic First Aid Lv. 2] skill. It could craft [Standard Bandage] which required [Clean Cloth]. He had sacrificed one old shirt. He had another, even more worn, that he used as a nightshirt. It was barely holding together. Could that count as [Clean Cloth] if he washed it very carefully?
It was a gamble, but the potential EXP from leveling up a skill, and the utility of having more bandages, seemed worth it. He spent the next hour meticulously washing his old nightshirt in the communal village trough (thankfully empty at this time of day) and laying it out to dry in a sunny spot.
By late afternoon, it was dry enough. He tore it into strips, just like before.
[Consume 1x Worn Shirt (Clean Cloth equivalent - Low Quality) to attempt crafting Standard Bandage? Estimated success chance: 80% (Basic First Aid Lv. 2, Low Quality Material)]
The chance was lower due to the material. He braced himself and confirmed.
He focused, trying to be as precise as possible.
[Crafting Succeeded!]
[Standard Bandage x1 created.]
[Basic First Aid Lv. 2 (EXP: 100/200)]
+10 Character EXP!
Ten EXP! Not bad for one craft.
Level: 2 (EXP: 180/250)
He had enough strips from the second shirt for perhaps two more bandages. He repeated the process. The second one succeeded.
[Standard Bandage x1 created.]
[Basic First Aid Lv. 2 (EXP: 150/200)]
+10 Character EXP!
Level: 2 (EXP: 190/250)
One more. His hands were getting more adept at the tearing and folding.
[Crafting Succeeded!]
[Standard Bandage x1 created.]
[Basic First Aid Lv. 2 (EXP: 200/200) -> Basic First Aid Lv. 3 (EXP: 0/300)]
Effectiveness: +20% to healing. Can now craft [Medicated Bandage] (requires [Standard Bandage] x1, [Healing Salve (Minor)] x1). Treatment of minor infections improved.
+25 Character EXP! (Skill Level Up Bonus!)
A skill level-up bonus! That was new and very welcome.
Level: 2 (EXP: 215/250)
He needed 35 more EXP. He was so close.
He looked at his inventory: 3 [Standard Bandages]. What else could he craft or do? He had no more clean cloth.
His [Herbology] was still Lv. 1. Perhaps if he reviewed his knowledge? He mentally pictured the herbs he knew, their properties, where they grew.
[Reviewing knowledge of local flora…]
[Herbology (Kukan'yu Region - Novice) Lv. 1 (EXP: 20/100)]
A tiny bit of EXP. He kept at it, trying to recall every detail Old Hana had taught him. Slowly, painstakingly, the bar crept up. After about an hour of intense mental recall:
[Herbology (Kukan'yu Region - Novice) Lv. 1 (EXP: 50/100)]
+10 Character EXP!
Level: 2 (EXP: 225/250)
Twenty-five more. He was starting to feel the mental strain.
What else? What else? He looked at his other skills. [Basic Survival]. He hadn't actively used it since the forest. He quickly reviewed the knots he knew for snares, how to identify dry tinder.
More tiny gains. Another 5 EXP.
Level: 2 (EXP: 230/250)
This was agonizing. He stood up and walked around his hut, frustrated. He needed a more reliable source of EXP than just hoping his mental reviews would trigger something.
Then he remembered the very first quest reward: "+100 EXP." The completion of the "Trial by Fire" quest itself had given a large chunk.
He looked at the current quest: "Foundations of Strength." Two objectives were done. Only "Reach Level 3" remained.
What if… what if completing the other objectives somehow contributed more hidden EXP towards this final one? Or maybe the system was waiting for him to acknowledge his efforts? He had no idea.
He decided to rest. He'd done all he could for the day. His body ached, his mind was tired. He ate a meager meal of dried meat and a stale bread roll he'd saved, drank some water, and lay down.
Just as he was about to drift off, a familiar chime.
[System analysis complete. User has demonstrated significant effort and progress across multiple basic competencies.]
[Calculating… Adjusting… Commendation Protocol Activated!]
[Bonus EXP Awarded for Diligence in Foundational Training: +20 EXP!]
Ren's eyes snapped open.
Level: 2 (EXP: 250/250)
[LEVEL UP!]
You have reached Level 3!
HP/SP/MP fully restored!
+5 Stat Points available!
+2 Skill Points available!
[Quest Update: Foundations of Strength]
Objective 3: Reach Level 3. (COMPLETED!)
All Objectives for "Foundations of Strength" COMPLETE!
Calculating Rewards…
+150 EXP Awarded!
+1 Stat Point Awarded!
Obtained Item: [Skill Book: Basic Combat Stance Lv. 1]
He had done it. Exhausted but elated, Ren stared at the notifications. The system, it seemed, sometimes rewarded sheer grit. And now, he had a skill book. Things were definitely looking up.