Second World Chapter 5 - 5. Skill Practice

Just before rushing out, Jack noticed several green spheres through his monocle that seemed to be highlighting specific items. Moving closer, he realized they were loaves of bread. He promptly gathered them up.

Bread (Normal consumable)Restores 5 HP every second for a duration of 6 seconds.Alleviates hunger.

"This bakery is full of bread, so why are only four of them glowing?" Curious, he grabbed a piece that lacked the green aura and examined it.

Bread (Junk consumable)Alleviates hunger.

After a moment of thought, he concluded that the colored items were those capable of providing him with mechanical assistance, whereas the colorless ones were merely mundane junk. He felt incredibly fortunate to possess the God-eye monocle; without it, distinguishing between useful loot and trash would have been a nightmare.

He collected all four pieces of functional bread, stashing three in his storage bag while eating the fourth immediately. His HP sat at 185/230. Having lost 45 points during the skirmish at the Trigitech building, the fact that his health hadn't budged since then confirmed his fears: this game lacked a natural healing mechanic. Recovery would depend entirely on consumables or specific items.

This realization meant the game would be far more demanding, requiring him to stockpile supplies constantly. He couldn't simply engage in combat and wait for his wounds to mend. Running out of food or medicine would be a death sentence. With this in mind, he made a mental note to scavenge for similar shops or pharmacies.

As he finished the bread, he watched his HP bar climb incrementally. After six seconds, it hit 215/230. Though he wasn't at full strength, it was sufficient. Eating another would be inefficient, wasting 15 points of the 30-point total healing capacity provided by a single loaf.

Stepping out of the bakery, he checked his radar once more. Two red dots were visible now. One was closing in, while the second remained at the radar's edge in the opposite direction.

"Let’s deal with you first," he muttered, his grip tightening on his weapons.

Okay, just treat this like any other VR game you’ve mastered, Jack told himself, taking a deep breath to settle his nerves.

The approaching monster was another zombie, identical to the ones he had previously fought. A quick glance through his God-eye monocle confirmed it was Level 1.

"Alright, let's go," he said, advancing. When he closed the distance to ten meters, the zombie finally noticed him and began its approach. These creatures weren't the stumbling, slow-motion corpses of old pre-hologram cinema, but they were still clumsy. Their movements were heavy and predictable, allowing him to easily map out a counter-strategy. Repeating his previous tactic, he waited for the zombie to lunge and miss before striking.

"Power Strike!" he cried out. The short sword in his hand vibrated with power before accelerating into the zombie’s flank.

36 damage.

The number was impressive, nearly matching the output of a critical hit. He suspected his increased Strength stat was playing a role. As the creature staggered from the impact, he followed up with a standard swing.

23 damage.

The zombie lashed out with its claws in a fury, but he stepped back, easily creating distance. He waited out the three-second cooldown of Power Strike. This time, he didn't call out the name of the skill, choosing instead to activate it through a mental command. The familiar vibration returned as he guided the blade into the monster. Another 36 damage appeared. This confirmed that skills did not strictly require voice activation.

Backing away again, he decided it was time to test his Magician abilities. Raising the staff in his left hand, he mentally triggered the Mana Bullet skill. The staff's tip flared with light, discharging a blue orb. However, the projectile sailed past the zombie and shattered against a nearby fence.

Crap. I really need to work on my aim! Jack cursed internally. He lacked experience with ranged classes, and the fact that he was using his non-dominant left hand made his precision even worse. He continued to kite the zombie, maintaining a safe distance while waiting for the Mana Bullet cooldown. After several more attempts and a few hits as his aim improved, the zombie finally dissolved into dust.

Since he had relied on his spells rather than the staff's innate energy for ranged attacks, the weapon's charge remained full. He noted that while HP didn't regenerate, his Stamina and Mana bars were slowly refilling on their own. Relieved by this difference in mechanics, he sat down for a few minutes to let his resources recover before heading toward the next red dot.

The advantages of a ranged class were becoming clear; he could whittle down enemies without taking damage, preserving his limited supply of bread. Using this kiting method, he dispatched the second zombie while simultaneously training his left-hand coordination.

He continued this pattern of grinding, utilizing his radar to hunt down isolated zombies. Whenever he spotted a group, he simply circled around them. Before long, his primary level experience had reached 98% of Level 2, while his Magician experience sat at 32%. Had he focused on a single class, he would have leveled up long ago.

Suddenly, the God-eye monocle emitted a soft beep as he neared a new target. He found himself near a public park enclosed by brick walls, with the red dot situated just on the other side. Looking in that direction, he saw a glowing silhouette composed of red lines. Level 2? He had finally encountered a stronger foe. He was thrilled to discover that his monocle could partially see through solid objects and provide warnings for higher-level threats.

Observing the silhouette, he realized it wasn't a zombie. Its gait was different, and it appeared to be carrying some sort of staff or stick. A mix of anxiety and excitement bubbled up at the prospect of a new monster type. He crept toward the wall, expecting the creature to detect him as he got closer, but the silhouette continued its path, seemingly unaware of his presence.

Is its perception range shorter than a Level 1 zombie? he wondered. Or perhaps the wall was blocking its line of sight? If monsters required both proximity and a clear view to turn hostile, it changed everything. This meant he could potentially use stealth to secure a preemptive strike, significantly increasing his odds of success.

Driven to test this theory, Jack shadowed the silhouette along the brick wall, using the see-through vision of his monocle to track its every move. He moved with silent footsteps, unsure if the creature could hear him but unwilling to take the risk. Eventually, the monster approached a gap in the wall, where Jack would finally be able to see his target face-to-face.