3

  Darren opened his eyes to see that he was standing in a forest. As he tried to gain his bearings, a System window filled his vision.

  Welcome, Darren Peterson, to your System Tutorial. You have been assigned to the Forest Laborinth, Tutorial. Here you will gain XP (Experience) and Skills as you navigate your way through to the Laborinth in the center of the area. You will be confined to the tutorial for the next 90 Days. Your goal is to survive the dangers, reach level 5, and make it to the center of the Laborinth. Those who can complete these goals will be greatly rewarded.

  Things to keep in mind while in the tutorial:

  

  
1. Until you reach level 5, you are subject to permanent death. If your HP (Health Points) reach 0, you will die.


  
2. Once you reach level 5, you will be able to evolve your base class. Evolving your base class will grant you additional Attribute Points, dependent upon your class.


  
3. Until you reach level 5, you will gain 2 Attribute Points per class level.


  
4. As you explore and survive, you will gain skills in a multitude of subjects. The System highly encourages you to gain and level these skills.


  
5. You are not the only being from your world in this tutorial. As you explore, you may run into people from across your world, and how you interact is entirely up to your discretion.


  

  Swiping away the message, Darren looks around his location. Ok, this is starting to sink in now. I’m alone in a forest with nothing but some armor and a pair of axes. What should be my first steps? Should I see if I can find higher ground? That’s something I’ve seen in old western movies. The trees are dense; maybe I should climb one? Looking around, Darren spots a tree that looks like the best candidate. The closest branch, being just out of his reach, Darren takes a running leap. He grasps the branch briefly, as his hands slip and he falls on his back. A notification pops into Darren’s view.

  You have taken 2 points of falling damage.

  Current HP (Health Points) 138/140

  Current SP (Stamina Points) 125/140

  Alright, what did we learn? Fall damage is a thing, and running and jumping drain my Stamina. Good to know. Picking himself up, Darren looks at the tree. Maybe if I try running up the trunk before jumping, that can give me a better grip to pull myself onto the branch. Taking several steps back, Darren takes a breath, then he sprints towards the tree. As he reaches the trunk, he takes two steps up the trunk before jumping. With a firmer grip on the branch, Darren pulls himself up. Once he’s securely on the branch, another notification pops up.

  Congratulations, you have gained the following skills.

  

  
1. Running (Basic) Level 1: The stamina cost for running is decreased by 2%, allowing you to increase the distance you run by 2%


  
2. Jumping (Basic) Level 1: Your Jumping distance has increased by 2%, and the stamina cost for jumping has been decreased by 2%


  
3. Climbing (Basic) Level 1: The stamina cost for climbing is decreased by 2%, allowing you to increase your climbing speed by 2%


  

  Congratulations, you have gained 50 XP. XP to next level, 200.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Darren had to smile. Who knew trying to climb a tree would be so beneficial? Making sure he has safe hand and foot holds, Darren begins to climb the tree. About halfway up, Darren began to feel shaky. What is going on? Why do I feel so weak? With thought, Darren pulled up his status screen.

  HP (Health Points): 139/140

  SP (Stamina Points): 25/140

  MP (Mana Points): 150/150

  That would explain it, my Stamina is low. I wish there were a better way I could keep track of that. Searching the status screen, Darren noticed a small gear icon. Mentally clicking on it, a menu pulled up.

  View Options:

  

  
1. Hide Bars (Selected)


  
2. Display Bars along the top of your vision


  
3. Display Bars along the bottom of your vision


  
4. Display Bars in the corner of your vision


  

  Selecting the first option, three bars show along the top of Darren’s field of vision. The Blue Bar was full, the Red was nearly full, and the Green was nearly empty. Playing around with the options for a couple of minutes, Darren settled on the Bar being visible in the lower-left corner of his vision. As he sat on a branch, he watched as this Stamina bar began to refill itself. Good to see that Regeneration isn’t a slow process, though I wish it were faster. Right now, I’m calculating that my Stamina regen is around 15 points per second. While it looks like my Health regen is around 1 point per minute. Hopefully, that’s something I can level up.

  After a few minutes, Darren continued his climb, keeping a close eye on his Stamina. Several minutes later, he reached the top of the tree. Looking around, Darren saw a sea of greens and brown. Off in the distance, he could see a rocky outcropping. Well, that looks like a good place to head towards. Looking at the sun, I’d say I need to head north-west of where I’m at. With a plan in place, Darren started making his way down the tree. As he did, he noticed what looked like a hole in the trunk. Staring into it, Darren noticed a small gleam. Reaching in, Darren could feel a leather pouch. Pulling it out and looking at it, a System alert popped up.

  Congratulations, you have discovered a Ranger Cache. You gain the following:

  

  
1. You gain the Investigation Skill. Investigation (Basic) Level 1: You gain +2 to your Perception when searching an area.


  
2. You gain a Leather Pouch. Leather Pouch (Basic): Increase your Inventory by 5 slots. Current Inventory Slots: 10.


  
3. Leather Pouch contains the following: 2 Health Potions (Basic), Regain 25 HP (Health Points). 2 Stamina Potions (Basic), Regain 25 SP (Stamina Points). 2 Mana Potions (Basic), Regain 25 MP (Mana Points).


  

  You gain 10 XP. XP to next level 190.

  Score! These potions will be helpful, plus a new Skill. Darren continued down the tree, smiling at his new gains.