Chapter 2: 2, Digging for Classes and Sister's Bliss
"What are you up to, Lena?"
Lily was slightly surprised to find herself digging into the ground without a fight. After several strikes, she uncovered a large ore.
"Lena has gained 1 level in the Mining skill and 1 level in Tool Handling! You can now select a new class!"
Oh, I can choose a class now… Following the on-screen guide, she navigated the system interface, revealing a list of available classes:
- Siscon
- Apprentice Blacksmith
- Miner
- Tool User
What a bizarre list of classes… And what on earth is 'Siscon'? Could it be a result of the first question? I can't show this to my sister... "Wow! I'm so glad you care about me!" I could almost hear the smug tone in her voice from behind me. She must have seen it…
"Seriously, what's up with this game? Siscon? And why are you so hyper, Lily? Is that really you?"
Lily, who was usually perceived as cool and collected, responded cheerfully, despite the stark contrast.
"It's role-play, silly! Right now, you're a beautiful girl, so why not act a little feminine?"
"Please, no… Weren't we supposed to be talking about making weapons? For now, let's just go with Apprentice Blacksmith, okay?"
As I said that, I set my class to Blacksmith Apprentice. Instantly, the status screen displayed the words "Blacksmith Level 1" among the skill list.
"If changing my class lets me learn skills, it seems wise to at least try other classes..."
"Oh, you can't do that. Once you choose a class, you need to spend money according to its rarity and level to switch to a different one. You can only access a higher-tier class by completing specific quests."
Hmm... what a complicated system. But with a brother complex, what skills will I even learn...?
Another question nagged at me: the ore I'd just unearthed. It certainly looked like iron ore, but the system screen labeled it as an unknown mineral. Oh, it just changed to "Iron Ore." The system now displayed, "You have acquired the skill: Appraisal Eye."
"If I've chosen Blacksmith, the first step is to level up and improve my stats. Let's fight, Lena! If I intervene, the efficiency of gaining experience will drop."
"…Do I really have to fight with a shovel? Can't I borrow that sword at your waist?"
Thanks to acquiring the Appraisal Eye skill, I was able to see the stats of the sword hanging at Lily's side on the system screen. I quickly compared it to the shovel, and it was obvious that her sword was far superior.
"I'm sorry, but this weapon has certain requirements, so Lena can't equip it right now."
"...I understand. I'll make do with a shovel."
Determined to fight with the shovel... How did it come to this just to craft a weapon?
I approached a nearby horned rabbit, gripping the shovel like a spear, opting to use it for thrusting rather than bludgeoning.
The enemy was already aware of my presence and in combat stance. With no hesitation, I launched a thrust!
But the rabbit wasn't going to take it lying down; it leaped sideways to dodge my strike. Aiming to hit next time, I swung the shovel in a wide arc and connected with the rabbit.
The horned rabbit fell as the shovel struck, and with a decisive motion, I raised it high and brought it down with all my strength!
"You've defeated the horned rabbit! You gained 3 experience points and obtained rabbit hide."
The rabbit, hit with my full-force strike, shattered into a flurry of red box-shaped effects.
"Do you and Lily do this kind of thing often?"
"Of course! If you're leveling up, you have to hunt a lot. But taking down rabbits so easily with a shovel? Impressive, big brother! I guess your work has really helped you master your weapon knowledge, and your real-life fencing and spear skills are paying off."
"So, how many more do I need to defeat?"
Battling creatures for hours to craft a weapon is something I'd rather avoid...
"Are we going to the later stages?"
"Got it… I'll fight hard."
"Wait! If Lena can move, let's go somewhere a little tougher; it'll give us better experience points!"
Lily said that, but even though I don't play games often, I know the basics of this kind of game.
"Are we really going to a difficult area with only starting gear?"
You're supposed to prepare your equipment and level up before tackling tough challenges. Beginners venturing too far beyond their means with starter gear won't last long.
"It'll be fine! If things get rough, I'll step in and help, so don't worry!"
"Oh, right… Lily's high level. I'll follow your lead then."
Since she specifically asked me to craft weapons, she must be well-versed in the game. For now, I'll trust my skilled sister.
After ten minutes of walking, guided by Lily, we found ourselves in a dense, forest-like area.
"This is one of the dungeons that marks a beginner's escape. There are a lot of plant and insect monsters here, so it's considered a nightmare for anyone who dislikes bugs."
"Wait, there are bugs…?"
"Ah… right, you can't stand bugs, can you? Don't worry; I'll take care of them!"
Lily must have seen the color drain from my face, trying to reassure me.
"I believe you, okay!? Please take care of it, little sis!?"
With that, we started to explore the forest.
"Ahh! No, not the bugs!?"
What I encountered first in my exploration was a monstrous creature resembling a gigantic mantis. Its bulging eyes made my skin crawl, and all I wanted to do was run away.
"Quick Slash! Aero Burst!"
Despite my fear, Lily calmly sliced through the mantis as if she were used to it. How can she be so unfazed? I just don't get it.
"Relax! No G-types or centipedes will pop up, I promise!"
"I can't relax! Ants and spiders are already too much for me!"
From the outside, my brother's dignity has completely evaporated, but some things are just unacceptable. My sister seems accustomed to his weaknesses, though.
"If you die, your PC can respawn right away, but please don't panic and fall to your death, okay? By the way, if an NPC dies, it's gone for good. Terrifying world, isn't it?"
"Then you better protect me! I'm not equipped for this and I know I'm out of place! One hit could kill me! Can we even level up? And do we really need that last piece of info?"
As we entered the forest, I spotted other players who clearly regarded us with puzzled looks. They wore sturdy leather armor and metal chest plates while I felt ridiculously underdressed in my simple clothes that looked like pajamas.
I held my shovel like a shield, trying to fortify myself, but I felt exposed. Can we really fight? Doubt began to creep in.
"Hah! Hah! Heavy Slash!"
Lily deftly chopped at the bugs, but since she wasn't attacking herself, she wasn't gaining any experience points. Clearly, she was straying from her goal, but she had no desire to swing a shovel at these creatures. Where were the plant monsters?!
In the dense forest, it was hard to tell which creatures were plant-type monsters… Just as I feared I would be stuck fleeing from bugs endlessly, my arm suddenly felt as if it had been immobilized. My surprised body nearly toppled backward, but instead of hitting the ground, something cushioned my fall.
"Wha—?! L-Lily!" I thought of calling out for her help, but before I could scream, something yanked me forcefully, leaving me voiceless. Unfortunately, Lily was too busy battling a bug right in front of her and hadn't noticed me; in an instant, she vanished behind the trees.
Confusion washed over me in this bewildering situation. The word "kidnapping" flickered through my mind, but I was a guy, right!? Oh wait, I was currently in a girl's body!
As thoughts raced through my head, I managed to turn my neck to glimpse the direction I was being pulled. There, looming behind me, was a spider larger than I was, its white threads extending out—one of them wrapped tightly around my arm.
I could only picture myself being carted off by a bug, destined to become its prey. I wished desperately for Lily, or anyone, to hear me, but despite my effort to scream, no sound emerged…
In the upper left corner of my vision, I spotted an icon of a surprised person near my green bar. I instinctively understood that this was the reason I couldn't speak. As a level 1 character, all I could do was grip my shovel tightly to avoid dropping it. At least, while I was being dragged, I wasn't taking any damage—thank goodness for small mercies. But was it better to be pulled along like this than to be crushed to death like some sort of grated vegetable?
Right now, it felt less like a fantasy game and more like a horror game.
I had no idea how long I'd been dragged. Fear had warped my sense of time, leaving only the desperate urge to log out. But it seemed that a forced logout wouldn't occur unless it was a true emergency…
Just when I thought the direction of the pull had changed, I was unceremoniously dropped to the ground, as if I were just some cargo.
"Ugh…"
I felt almost no pain, yet a sound escaped my lips. My vision flickered, and when it cleared, a massive spider was staring down at me.
"..."
As I braced for death, the spider turned its back on me and began consuming what looked like a cocoon. Was it a creature it had captured earlier? Some form of preserved food? With the way things were going, I had no doubt I would end up as one of those cocoons myself.
But this was my chance. The white silk binding my one arm was stuck fast to another cocoon, leaving that arm immobile. However, my other arm— the one holding the shovel—was free. If I acted quickly, I could use the shovel to cut through the silk and escape. I made my decision and swiftly attempted to slice through the white threads binding me, the spider's web ensnaring my arm.
I had to be careful not to alert the spider, but I felt an urgent need to act before it finished its meal and turned its attention towards me. Why was I even playing a horror game? Yet, despite those thoughts, I managed to sever the white thread binding my arm.
As the thread disappeared, glowing with the game's signature red effect, the cocoon that had been gripping my arm also tore apart, revealing a faint glimpse of its contents. "!?" I almost gasped, but I stifled the sound—drawing the spider's attention risked everything.
Inside the cocoon was… a living creature. With striking blue hair and the delicate features of a game-style beautiful girl, she had a tiny, almost doll-like body ensnared in white threads. Yet, despite the dire situation, I couldn't help but be captivated by her beautiful wings—so enchanting that 'fairy' was the first word that came to mind.
Moreover, she was alive. Just then, a system screen appeared to confirm it.
**First Quest**
**Despair, Fairy, and Shovel**
**Success Conditions:** Lena and the fairy must reach a specific location alive or reunite with party members.
**Failure Conditions:** Death of Lena or the fairy.
**Success Reward:** N/A
**Failure Penalty:** N/A
**Special Notes:** If declined, you will warp to party members' location. If no choice is made within three minutes, it will be auto-declined.
**Will you accept the quest?**
"Wait, wait, wait! What is this—this quest name looks like it was cobbled together on the spot rather than carefully crafted! There's nothing written about the rewards for success or the penalties for failure!?
And the most important thing on this screen is… if I refuse this quest, I can flee. But judging by the wording, it seems that I will be the only one to warp away, leaving zero chance for the fairy to be saved if I turn it down.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone