Priam walked through the forest as quietly as possible, thinking how beautiful this world was. For the first time since he arrived, he was really looking around, identifying trees, plants, insects, and birds. The colors around him were vibrant. Almost alive. It was partly due to his superhuman perception but primarily to the aether. Everything, from the living to the inert, from matter to energy, was impregnated with aether, giving them a touch of... Magic.

The young man felt that his body was also adapting. He was increasingly "touched" by the aether and gradually felt accepted by this world. Something in the atmosphere he breathed or in the light that bathed him seemed to envelop him tenderly and reassure him. It was an unforgiving world, yes, but a beautiful one.

As Priam smiled while moving forward carefully, he felt something. Like a new sense that was trying to tell him something. A whisper. An instinct. Nearby, perhaps a little to his left, was a higher concentration of aether.

Priam began to move towards the source he sensed. As he went along, his vague feeling became clearer. After a hundred meters, there was no doubt: something was here. He advanced another hundred meters before stopping, hidden awkwardly behind a tree.

He held a sharpened stick in his right hand, the remnant of a dead tree, which he had painstakingly made sharp by rubbing it against a rock. The makeshift weapon wouldn't kill a bear, but it was better than fighting with his hands. Currently, he was using it to push aside the vegetation and observe what must have intrigued his instincts.

There, only a few meters away, was an abandoned tower. The dilapidated-looking stone building appeared to have been a military installation. Narrow openings, reminiscent of the loopholes - or arrow slits - in castles, were present in the walls. The ruins of a massive wooden doorway could be seen at ground level. The height of the door must have been no more than one and a half meters. The builders were small. Or maybe they didn't walk upright...

The stone, gray with black flecks, looked like nothing he had ever seen before. The roughness of the material told Priam that it was not metal. Besides, does this new world have the same metals as on Earth? The same periodic table? I'll think about that later... Priam had always been curious, but he knew his curiosity sometimes played tricks on him. It reminds me of when I put laxatives in my cousin's food. I was five, she was eight, and she kept telling me that girls don't poop. She was lying... Sorry Jade, I never got to look you in the face again.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Priam refocused on the tower. I shouldn't forget that I'm in mortal danger anyway. Maybe that's more important than stirring up old, horrible memories!

Although the original occupants seemed to have disappeared, the ruined tower was still inhabited. Scarlet webs covered part of the outer walls, blocking holes and windows. On closer inspection, silk threads were strung between the trees closest to the tower and would undoubtedly raise the alarm at the slightest touch. Priam hadn't gotten close enough to disturb them, but he was now in a cold sweat. The spiders - or their monstrous cousins - must not have settled here for long, or the alarm system would have been perfected by now.

Okay, let's back up calmly and without haste. The little spiders of Europe don't scare me, but their exotic cousins are repulsive. I have a feeling that giant spider monsters will not be my cup of tea... And that they will want me for a snack...

New Quest: Hunter

Being a prey is a tiring condition. But even prey can sometimes become the hunters. Exterminate the 34 Trichonephila Aether clavipes. Reward: A scarlet silk ball. Potential + 50.

Difficulty: Medium

Maximum time: 7 Days

Is this a joke?

Priam paused. The System was not wrong. Being prey was not a condition he enjoyed. But he was not yet a hunter, and he knew it. He thought about the problem.

The tower is full of spiders, and they have recently settled in. There are thirty-four of them at the moment, and each one could kill me quickly. Then eat me... But if I decide to do this quest, I have several advantages. First of all, the preparation time: I can become stronger, develop new skills, think of a plan of action, etc.

Priam looked coldly at the situation, assessing his possibilities.

The spiders are inside a building, which seems to be filled with web. If the web is flammable, it can be elementary to win. But I would rather not have to burn the web. If the reward is a silk reel, that silk must be valuable and useful. I mean, they don't know I exist. I should be able to lure them individually with their own alarm.

One of the silk-sealed openings began to shake and then to stir. Holding his breath, Priam pressed closer to the tree to observe. A spider slid out of the silk trap. It was about forty centimeters high, which was quite frightening to see. To think I always laughed at Ron Weasley. He was courageous to take on giant spiders for his mate. He deserves to marry Hermione!

[Identification][Trichonephila Aether clavipes] - A spider easily recognized by its golden color and the feathery enlargements on the segments of each of its legs. Low in venom, it is not very aggressive. Its silk is exceptionally durable and resistant to physical forces.

Taking a slow breath and mentally noting the ruin's location, Priam turned and continued on his way. He had made his decision.

"A week of preparation? If the quest exists, it is possible. I can do it. But not now. Other points of interest must exist..."

Weaving along the tower as if to insulate the interior from the weather, the spider did not detect the visitor. Unfortunately, it was not smart enough to access the System quests. So it would not receive a defensive quest. This one might have warned it of the coming tragedy. Stretching its legs, the mindless beast continued its monotonous work.

Priam threw himself to the side. A spider out of a nightmare had leapt at him from the foliage. As he quickly got to his feet, the monster began to move painfully in his direction.

Bringing the stick back in front of him to protect himself from the creature's mandibles, Priam saw that it was sick. Or it was injured. Probably both. Blue blood oozed from its fur, and while the color was standard for a spider, the blood indicated a critical condition. Three of its legs were blown off, and Priam would bet that most of its eyes were blind. It moves slowly and would rather jump on me than lure prey into its traps. It looks... strange. I'm no expert on spider psychology, but it's got some sleep to catch up on!

Priam sat up straight. This new world quickly made the young man understand his place. He knew he was no match for the smaller predators in this forest. But he was twice as strong as the average man and three times as fast. Armed with a sharp stick and against a spider at death's door, he wanted to take his chances. Priam wasn't a defeatist by nature, but getting run over and mocked continuously since the Tutorial was eroding his confidence. He needed a win to build momentum and stop a losing streak. Even if it was a win against a spider in a bad way.

"The fact that I hate spiders has nothing to do with my overwhelming desire to kill you. Well, it does a little. But mostly, I want to win at least one fight!"

As the spider reached his level, Priam began waving his improvised spear, hoping to blind the creature further. His staff penetrated an eye with a sickening sound. Priam shuddered in disgust, and before he could withdraw his weapon, his opponent's mandibles snapped. Part of his staff remained in his hand and part in the creature's head. Priam noticed that his staff had been beveled. I can still hurt it, but I've lost my reach. I have to avoid being caught by those mandibles!

He turned around and began to run erratically in the opposite direction. On his heels, the spider followed, the end of the stick still stuck in its head. As it hit the foliage, it shook, aggravating the wound.

Priam was fast. With three times the agility of an average human, he moved at the speed of a regional sprint champion. An exceptional performance considering he was running in a forest full of obstacles and not on a road. It's crazy how complicated a natural forest is to run through!

The counterpart of this speed was that he could no longer count the number of branches that had scratched his face or other parts of his body. Despite his constitution, he was starting to bleed. A medieval monk adept at flogging would have appreciated the effort. He hoped that the smell would not attract a predator. Running without caution was nevertheless necessary to not end up in the stomach of a sick spider. This one seemed slow enough, but the slightest injury could maim him and potentially poison him. That would be the end for Priam. If my perk [He who eludes Death] makes me appear in its stomach, it will indeed be the end!

His favorite video games inspired Priam's strategy for the next few minutes. He would run away, increase the distance between himself and the creature that had escaped from a Harry Potter movie, then turn around and attack the creature's eyes. This one was obviously at the end of its life, and the System seemed to agree. Ahah, long live the "Hit and Run"!

[Identification][Trichonephila infected] - An infected creature closer to death than life. In the early stages of infection, the hosts are the most vulnerable. Those that survive the first few hours of weakness mutate and grow stronger until they become problematic. Beware of contamination.

From what Priam understood, the spider was not sick but infected. It must have overeaten fast food... What kept his attention was that he had to get rid of it as soon as possible before it became dangerous. He was also careful not to let himself get infected. He had read enough horror novels to know that mutations were not the best way to find a pretty girlfriend. Except maybe to eat her.If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

About ten minutes after his encounter with the infected creature, Priam stopped. The creature was now totally blind and could only follow him by the vibrations of his footsteps. It had lost a lot of blood and was struggling to stand. Priam moved closer again, his spear ready to strike. The spider turned toward him. Bending down, he grabbed a pebble and threw it behind the creature. The creature turned, exposing its body.

Priam prepared his move. He had only one pointed stick and wanted to exploit it to the fullest. The young man consciously imagined all the muscles of his body, from his feet to his arms, through his chest. The muscles of his chest contracted like springs. In a burst of power, using his dexterity to the maximum, Priam delivered a mighty blow. The makeshift spear penetrated the opisthosoma - the large part of the spider's body - behind its head, finding an easy way through thanks to the ongoing mutation. The weapon penetrated the heart first, which was at the top, and continued into the creature's gut. It collapsed.

Priam was breathing heavily. The fight had been extended but not surprising. He had not encountered any other forest dwellers. He had not been hit or infected. Despite all this, Priam had only gained a few skill levels for his trouble. Being close to death, with no extra life, terrified him.

Lvl Up: [Art of moving] lvl 3AGI +1PERC +1

DEXT +1

Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 2,3,4

AGI +3

You have unlocked a new skill [Strike].

[Strike] - Not all conflicts can be settled with words; you understand that. Your ancestors spent millennia resolving their disagreements by penetrating their enemies with foreign bodies. If they could see you today, they would be proud of you.

Now get dressed and stop showing off your spear.

Lvl Up: [Strike] lvl 2,3

STR +3

Wonderful idea. But where am I supposed to find clothes here, oh mighty System? No answer? I thought so.

With his heart pounding, Priam moved away from the corpse. He didn't want to risk infection by looting it. He didn't even know where to start. Maybe some wire in its abdomen? As he walked around the corpse, he did see the wire holes. Behind them were glands hanging in the open because of a previous wound. Sericigenic glands?!

The sericigenic glands contained a liquid that produced silk in contact with the air. Priam was torn. These glands were potentially contaminated, but he could create some silk if they weren't. A lot of silk, even, given the size of the glands. And in his situation, it might one day be the difference between life and death.

"It's greedy, but... If I start to lose my courage even when the reward is at hand, I won't survive long in this new world. Acting cautiously is good, but it shouldn't be an excuse to be cowardly."

After motivating himself, Priam quickly picked up a stick and a stone. Pulling the glands towards him with the stick to get them out of the carcass, he crushed the tissue connecting them to the spider's body. This one must have had a high constitution because it was difficult for him to damage the spider. I was lucky that it was infected. If it was in shape, it would not have missed its first leap, would have caught up with me quickly, and I would have been digested.

After several minutes of catastrophic effort, he finally managed to separate the glands from the corpse. They did not appear contaminated as far as he could tell visually, but he wrapped them in the rest of his burnt clothes. Maybe there were other exciting things, but Priam stepped back. He might as well be out of the way when a predator or scavenger came to pick up on the smell of blood.

"I'll get a chance to see that later. I still have the quest to slaughter your kin, right? Besides, there are still thirty-four spiders to take out... Once infected, it's not part of their family anymore."

Deciding that talking to the corpses of his enemies was not an excellent way to keep his sanity, Priam walked away.

"I'm going to need a new stick..."

Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 4

AGI +1

A few hours later, as the light was fading, Priam stopped. He remained hidden, standing at the edge of the forest. He had continued on his way, following an imaginary circle with a radius of about two kilometers around the gate. A few minutes earlier, he had smelled lavender. His new perception, like all his attributes, made him superhuman, which he appreciated. He had approached, half intrigued and half nostalgic. As a child, his parents would hide a small bag filled with dried lavender under his pillow to keep certain insects away.

A few meters away from him, the forest was replaced by a burnt-out field. There were no more brambles, vines, or ferns on an area the size of a tennis court, only dirt mixed with ash. If there had been a crater, Priam could have sworn a meteorite had hit here. On the other side of the field, a river following a loop approached him before flowing away again.

In the center of the area, a shape could be seen. Like the remains of a tree, a stump that had survived longer than the others. Perhaps out of nostalgia, Priam let his guard down and approached.

[Identification][Tal Quercus - Dead] - The Tal Quercus is a scarce tree. It was born from the sacrifice of a Royal Elf. At the end of his life, unable to return to his native land, a member of the Elven royalty transformed here to continue his journey. After centuries of growth, the Tal Quercus chooses a path: to become a legendary tree and move towards Yggdrasil or to transform into a new Royal Elf. Each road is blocked by a Tribulation. This noble Tal Quercus did not survive it.

Lvl Up : [Identification] lvl 2

MEM +1

Priam took a deep breath. A tribulation... He felt the word had a certain gravity. Every user of the System, if they wished to reach the Zenith, would one day face this test.

"The tree is dead, but even so, just standing a few feet away from it, I feel some pressure. Quercus is in the oak family, known for their tough wood," Priam remembered. "If I plant my Habitat Seed here, there may be some synergy. There's a river next door, I'm pretty close to the gate, and from the lack of insects and birds, I think the tribulation has scared off the wildlife... Which is fine with me for now!"

The night was approaching, and Priam had only a faint desire to sleep under the stars. According to the seed's explanations, it should germinate quickly and grow to its initial size in a few minutes. All he had to do was pour some of his DNA on the seed, put it on the ground, and choose a tree feature.

Priam spat on the seed - he didn't see the point of putting his blood on it, except to create a dramatic effect - then leaned over the burnt carcass and put the seed in a crack that seemed to cut the tree in two. This could have been caused by lightning if a particularly titanic bolt of lightning had fallen there.

Before he could even consider whether he should place the seed on the ground directly rather than inside the trunk, he felt a change in the aether. A siphon had opened in space, sucking in all the surrounding aether.

Within seconds, green and golden veins seeped into the trunk, branches, roots, and soil from the seed. The crack closed as if time was going back. The trunk, lying down a few moments before, stood upright. A giant, invisible, mystical hand grabbed the dead tree and repaired it, stretching it towards the sky again, its branches towards the horizon and painting its leaves with golden colors. Where a charred stump had stood a few minutes earlier, a tree some twenty meters tall now seemed to breathe. Massive at the trunk, five men would have had to hold hands to encircle it.

Priam was stunned. A synergy between the tree and the seed had indeed taken place. Despite the incredible spectacle that had just taken place before his eyes, he was not afraid. He felt it in the back of his mind like a new member that he could manipulate. The tree was his. If it could potentially accommodate a spirit, it was currently more an algorithm that controlled it.

"My new home... Fantastic! I feel like I'm back in childhood with a tree house," Priam smiled.

Select the initial theme of the "Hut":

Abundance - Life II

Abundance - Aether II

Protection III

Camouflage

Attraction

Underground

Comfort

Volume

Secret

Priam laughed. He had always loved strategy games...

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)

PHYSICAL:

Strength 23

Constitution 35

Agility 34

Vitality 51

Perception 24

MENTAL:

Vivacity 60

Dexterity 17

Memory 29

Willpower 44

Charisma 36

META:

Meta-affinity 8

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