Finn lay on a simple mattress filled with dry straw, tucked into the corner of his cottage. The night air slipped gently through the open window, carrying the scent of pine and damp soil.
The village outside was quiet, but not at peace.
A single lantern flickered on a low stool beside him, casting a soft light across the pages of the book in his hands.
Its title, carved plainly into the cover, read, "The Natural Order: Beast, Man, Hero."
The cover was plain brown, the edges worn as if many hands had flipped through it over the years. Yet when Finn opened it, the ink looked fresh, the drawings crisp.
He didn't know how long he had been reading. Minutes? Hours? The book seemed to pull him in, word by word, line by line.
=====
"Levels of the Wild."
"Wild creatures are not equal.
Even within the same Level, one may be swifter, another tougher, and another more vicious.
A Level 1 Wild Animal may have:
– High speed but poor defense (e.g., Blackfang Hare)
– Thick hide but slow movements (e.g., Mudback Tortoise)
– Sharp instincts and aggression but weak stamina (e.g., Cliffjackal)
These traits sharpen with each level gained.
Upon reaching Level 5, a wild animal undergoes its first evolution.
It becomes a Level 1 Wild Beast, marked by a surge in overall physical prowess, intelligence, instinct, and often… cruelty."
=====
"I see," Finn muttered. "No wonder my strength did nothing on the beast just now."
Only now did he realize how foolish his action was. He was lucky to have the warriors and of course, to have Old Hann at that time.
"I might have been killed if I were alone."
Finn was glad that instead of spending the Builder Points blindly, he chose to build the Reading Hut first. With all the knowledge and information in the provided books and scrolls, he had learned a lot.
He then flipped the page, ready to read whatever the book had for him.
The text was neat and direct, with simple charts drawn in black ink beside short descriptions. One chart showed a stick-figure man trying to lift a boulder. Another showed a blurry shape sprinting past trees.
=====
"Strength of a Human - Level 1."
"A Level 1 human is, by all accounts, the weakest among living beings with sentient thought.
Their stats, if measured from 0 to 100, usually fall between 0 and 10 in all categories.
- A Strength of 1 means one can lift 1 kilogram.
- A Speed of 1 means one can move at 1 meter per second.
- A Stamina of 1 means one can perform mild activity for five minutes without collapsing.
Most villagers, farmers, and untrained individuals are between 2 to 6 in these values."
=====
He didn't know why but the book seemed as if it was telling him everything according to his situation.
He wondered if others read this book, would they read the same thing in the same explanation, or in a different way?
"This system is really a mystery."
That was all he could say right now as he stared at the page, again.
"Four..." he muttered as he recalled something.
That was his Speed when the system first activated.
Four meters per second.
And yet, he had outrun a wild beast.
No real training. Poor food. Years of malnutrition. No wonder his stats were so low.
But still, it didn't make sense at all.
"How did I survive?"
Even without exact numbers, he was sure that the beast had at least 50 in Speed since a Level 1 wild beast is as strong as a Level 5 human.
It moved like lightning. It should've caught him. Should've killed him.
Yet it didn't.
It almost did, but something had stopped it.
He narrowed his eyes.
"The system…"
He had no proof. But he felt it in the way his legs had moved, in the way the wall rose just in time, in how the beast missed by inches.
The system must have helped him. Even though it was quiet and subtle, it had helped. That was all he could think right now.
He let the thought fade. What mattered was that he had survived.
And now, he was different. He had points, he had stats and the most important thing, he had control.
With more missions completed, they would make him stronger. Most of his points had gone into Strength, Speed, and Stamina. His body felt it—his steps lighter, his breath steadier, his grip firmer.
In a few more days, he would have a few more upgrades.
And by then, he'd surpass most villagers. If he could do that, he could lead without worry. He could protect whatever the system was giving him with his own hands.
But one question stayed with him.
"If others level up by reaching certain stats…"
He glanced at the page again.
If someone reached Strength 20, Speed 20, and Stamina 20, they might become Level 2. That was the warrior's path. To grow stronger, push harder.
But not him.
His growth wasn't tied to stats.
It was tied to EXP.
To actions.
To missions.
No matter how high his numbers got, he wouldn't level up unless he did something.
"I'm getting dizzy trying to understand all of this."
Still, he turned the page. The next chapter bore a bold, inked title.
=====
"The Path of Heroes."
His eyes scanned the lines, taking in each word with quiet focus.
"To become a Hero, one must reach at least Level 20 and undergo the Rite of Ascension at a designated Hero Altar. Upon success, the individual will be granted the title of One-Star Hero.
However, those who wait—who ascend later—may gain greater potential.
– Level 20: One-Star Hero
– Level 40: Two-Star Hero
– Level 60: Three-Star Hero
– Level 80: Four-Star Hero
– Level 100: Five-Star Hero
Each Star unlocks further potential of broader access to Heroic Skills, higher thresholds of power, and deeper synchronization with their powers. It is said that Five-Star Heroes can bend the rules of the world itself."
=====
Finn blinked.
"Five-Star Hero…" he whispered.
He couldn't even imagine what that looked like.
He slowly let out a breath.
This was the kind of knowledge no one in Riverwood had ever spoken of. Not because they were hiding it… But because they probably didn't know it existed.
The Hero Altar. Heroic Skills. Stars.
He closed the book halfway and stared at the flickering lantern beside him.
"I thought the strongest people in this world were just high-level warriors…"
But this was something else. Something beyond, and somewhere deep inside, something stirred.
Not greed. Not pride. But a question.
"Could I… ever reach that far?"
He looked down at his hands. Small and scarred. But not shaking anymore.
He had survived. He had built. He would keep on building.
And if he kept moving, if he kept growing, then maybe… just maybe…
One day, the world would whisper his name.
Just like it whispered theirs.