Morning arrived quietly in Riverwood. Soft sunlight filtered through the small window of Alex's room at the Silver Leaf Inn, casting warm light across the wooden floor. Outside, the town was already beginning to wake. Merchants prepared their stalls, travelers packed their wagons, and the distant clang of a blacksmith's hammer echoed through the streets. Alex slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, he lay still, staring at the ceiling as he tried to remember where he was.
Then everything came rushing back.
The forest.
The wolves.
The Alpha.
The system.
"Oh… right," he muttered.
He sat up and stretched, his muscles still slightly sore from yesterday's battles. But compared to how he felt last night, the pain had already faded significantly. The Vital Recovery skill had worked surprisingly well.
Alex swung his legs off the bed and stood up.
Almost instantly, the familiar glowing interface appeared before him.
Host: Alex Varyn
Level: 5
Strength: 4
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 1
Mana: 0
Skills:
• Analyze Lv.1
• Vital Recovery Lv.1
Alex nodded to himself.
"Still level five."
He expected that.
Leveling up probably wouldn't stay this easy forever. Still, something from last night lingered in his mind. The system warning.
Unknown Energy Detection
Signal Detected — Source: Unknown
Alex rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"What was that about?"
The system had never shown anything like that before. And whatever the signal was, it had disappeared almost immediately.
"Maybe it's nothing…"
But deep down, Alex wasn't convinced. Something about it felt important. Or dangerous.
After a few minutes, he grabbed his new leather armor vest and strapped it on. The armor felt comfortable and flexible—perfect for moving quickly in combat. Next he attached the new dagger to his belt. The polished steel blade caught the morning light.
Alex smiled slightly.
"Much better than the old one."
He grabbed his bag and headed downstairs.
The innkeeper was already awake, cleaning mugs behind the counter.
"Morning," she said.
"Morning," Alex replied.
"Heading out already?"
Alex nodded.
"Adventurers don't get paid for sleeping."
The woman laughed.
"That's true."
After a quick breakfast of bread and eggs, Alex stepped outside.
Riverwood was fully awake now. The streets were filled with people moving in every direction. Merchants shouted prices, travelers negotiated with wagon drivers, and several adventurers walked toward the guild building with weapons at their sides.
Alex headed the same way. If he wanted to keep getting stronger, he needed more quests. The large wooden doors of the Adventurer Guild creaked open as he stepped inside. Just like yesterday, the hall was full of activity. Some adventurers were drinking even though it was still early morning. Others studied the quest board, arguing over which missions were worth taking.
Alex walked straight to the board. A large collection of papers covered the wooden surface. He began reading them carefully.
Quest: Gather 5 Healing Herbs
Reward: 5 Silver Coins
Quest: Escort Merchant Caravan
Reward: 15 Silver Coins
Quest: Goblin Sightings Near East Road
Reward: 12 Silver Coins
Alex stopped at the last one.
"Goblins…"
He had heard about them yesterday while listening to other adventurers.
Small monsters.
Weak individually.
But dangerous in groups.
Alex crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"I could probably handle that."
Just as he reached for the quest paper—
The system suddenly appeared again.
New Quest Generated
System Quest: Goblin Threat
Objective: Eliminate 8 Goblins near the East Road.
Reward:
• 250 EXP
• 1 Skill Point
Bonus Reward:
• Hidden Item
Alex blinked in surprise.
"A hidden item?"
That was new.
The system had never mentioned something like that before. Alex looked back at the quest board. The guild quest and the system quest were practically the same. Which meant he could complete both at the same time. He grinned.
"Now that's efficient."
Alex grabbed the quest paper and walked toward the counter. The red-haired receptionist looked up when he approached.
"You again," she said with a small smile.
"Already looking for another quest?"
Alex handed her the paper.
"Goblin hunt."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Those can be dangerous for beginners."
"I'll be careful."
The receptionist studied him for a moment before nodding.
"Well… you did kill a Shadow Wolf Alpha."
She stamped the paper.
"Quest accepted."
Alex took the document and turned toward the door. Another hunt awaited him. And this time… The system itself was guiding him.