Everything was there. Stats, skills, and traits.
But more than that, the entries most wanted to see were displayed.
Favorability and trust level.
He wasn’t even nervous, but the moment he saw them, it felt like all the strength drained from his body. A weak “haha” slipped from his mouth. The status window for Zentia floating before his eyes remained steady in place.
Interesting. Now it really felt like he was stepping into a game. In this world, adulthood was marked at fifteen. His current body, Yuda’s, was eleven years old this year. That left four years ahead. He’d need to learn as much as possible in that time to collect fragments in this harsh world.
‘I can’t do it alone.’
Unless he could obtain something like 〈Ryusen Ardahan〉which was an autonomous golem that was one of the fragments of the lord Fernlern, he would desperately need companions.
‘For that, I’ll need exceptional allies.’
Yuda shifted his gaze back to the status window.
──────────────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Zentia]
[Title: Tracker]
[Real Name: None]
[Level: 49]
[Occupation: Mercenary (C)]
[Race: Beastman _ Tiger]
[Strength: 63 (B) / Potential B]
[Stamina: 69 (B) / Potential B]
[Agility: 79 (B) / Potential A]
[Mana: 50 (C) / Potential B]
[Mana Resistance: 51 (C) / Potential B]
[Knowledge: 49 (C) / Potential C] ◀ Special
[Luck: 55 (C) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Favorability: 10 (Neutral)]
[Trust: 30 (Belief)]
「Traits 4/5」
[Primal Instinct] – Rank: B
[Tiger and Dragon Rivalry] – Rank: B
[Hunter] – Rank: C
[Virtuous Wife] – Rank: C
「Skills 5/5」
[Beast Transformation] – Rank: B
[Spear Mastery] – Rank: C
[Mercenary Left-Hand Dagger Technique] – Rank: C
[Stealth] – Rank: B
[Ambush Attack] – Rank: C
──────────────────────────────
Judging a capable companion wasn’t so complicated. You could check their stats, traits, and skills, but even simpler was whether they had a real name or not.
Unlike a title—a bonus effect earned through specific achievements or fame—a real name was different.
A real name was like a certified guarantee. No matter how lowly or miserable someone’s life was in the present, if they possessed a real name, their future was bound to be extraordinary. The difference between those with a real name and those without was overwhelming from the start. Their stat potentials were naturally exceptional, and they were far more likely to possess—or eventually awaken—traits and skills of A-rank or higher. They also had more slots for skills and traits than the average person. Back when this world was just a game, checking for a real name was the very first thing players did.
Of course, lacking a real name didn’t mean someone was useless. They could still have A-rank or higher skills or traits—it was just less likely, and the stat gap was unavoidable.
‘….…’
And unfortunately, Zentia had no real name. Her skills and traits were mostly basic, and her stats weren’t particularly high either. She’d nearly maxed out her potential, but that was only because her level points had been distributed well—otherwise, they’d be noticeably lower.
In short, she wasn’t exactly an ideal companion. And unlike in a game, he couldn’t just leave her at an inn and swap her out with a few mouse clicks. Asking her to join him on an adventure wasn’t something he could do lightly.
‘No, it’s too early to decide.’
It was far better to travel with someone trustworthy than a potential betrayer. He resolved to rethink it later, four years from now, when he set out on his journey.
‘…’
Yuda let out a small sigh and closed the status window. Sitting on the living room sofa, he stared blankly at the ceiling. It was plain, devoid of any patterns, and boring. Staring like this didn’t make him sleepy, but it sparked random thoughts.
Why am I even here.
What if my desire to return home fades over time?
Do I really need to go back? I could live here, have fun, and enjoy myself. If I return, I’d get a brief joy of seeing family and friends, but then I’d have to struggle through job hunting to make money… wait.
A sudden realization hit him. No, he wouldn’t need a job. The advance payment he’d received for developing a virtual reality game was massive—money he hadn’t even touched, still sitting in his account. It was enough to live off for at least ten years, plus future royalties. And he’d need to delete the stuff on his computer’s hard drive too.
‘Guess I do need to go back.’
With his resolve oddly reaffirmed by such trivial reasons, Yuda stood up. Stretching, he felt hunger creep in. Checking the time, he saw it was already lunchtime.
The mercenary guild wasn’t far from here, so if Zentia wasn’t directionally challenged, she’d be back soon. He decided to prepare food for them to eat together. Heading to the kitchen, he pulled out some meat he’d been saving. The flat, thick cut from the fridge was freezing cold. While it thawed, he gathered other ingredients to prep.
The meat and everything else in the fridge and pantry were bought by Kaseun. Every two weeks, he’d personally shop at the market and bring supplies to Yuda. Each time, he would cook his dish which was beef stew.
After nearly four years of this, Yuda had naturally learned how to make it too. It seemed like a safe, decent dish to serve Zentia, so he started preparing stew. For a twelve-year-old, he handled the cooking with surprising skill. Wearing an apron and wielding a kitchen knife, he looked anything but ordinary.
“I’m back, little one.”
Zentia’s voice rang out as the door opened. Watching the stew simmer, Yuda headed to the living room, still in his apron. Zentia was moving her belongings inside from outside—quite a lot of stuff, it seemed. He considered helping, but he was in the middle of cooking.
“Huh? What’s this, you cook too?”
Seeing him in the apron, Zentia let out a small “Oh” of admiration. Then, covering her mouth with one hand, she muttered quietly.
“So cute.”
Yuda gave a wry smile. She probably thought he hadn’t heard, but he had. Cute, huh? Well, he was only eleven, so to her, that’s probably all he could be.
“Need help?”
“Hm? Oh, no, no. Finish what you’re doing.”
Yuda nodded. Truthfully, even if he wanted to help, he had to finish cooking. It was just a polite offer. She’d apparently hired someone from the mercenary guild to bring her stuff to the doorstep, and now she was moving it into her room while Yuda worked on the stew. As it neared completion, he sliced some pre-bought baguette into manageable pieces and plated them. He’d also cooked rice alongside the stew, and it was steaming, just done.
He wondered if rice was necessary with bread, but he’d found it unexpectedly delicious with stew before, so he scooped some into bowls.
Once everything was roughly set, he went to Zentia’s room. Inside, unpacked items were scattered about.
“Let’s eat first.”
“Oh? Alright, shall we see what our little chef’s made? The smell’s already passing muster. Hehe.”
She’d apparently been quietly anticipating it from the aroma filling the house, and she followed Yuda to the kitchen. Seeing the food on the table, her eyes widened.
“Huh? This is the dish the Captain prides himself on.”
“I learned it. He comes over often and makes it for me. Thanks to that, I always have stew ingredients ready.”
“Hmm. Brings back old memories.”
Sitting down, she muttered, “Let’s see how it tastes,” and picked up a spoon with a “Thanks for the meal.” After one bite, she let out an impressed gasp.
“What’s this? It’s good, really good!”
The stew’s seasoning was perfectly savory, pairing well with the mixed-grain rice. She confirmed there was jam for the bread, planning to spread it or dip it in the stew if she ran out of rice. She must have been quite hungry, as she ate with great enjoyment. When he told her to ask if she wanted more, she immediately requested another bowl. Thankfully he had made plenty. Their eating pace was fast. Yuda had always been a quick eater, even back in his original world, and that hadn’t changed after coming here. Zentia, on the other hand, had grown used to eating quickly from years of mercenary life.
“Wow, that was delicious. It’s been a while since I had such a warm, hearty meal. Hehe.”
“Glad it suited your taste.”
Zentia smiled as she spoke, and Yuda smiled back. Watching him, she suddenly looked curious.
“Aren’t you scared of me?”
The random question threw him off, but his answer came quicker than he could think.
“Not yet.”
“Really?”
“Why do you ask?”
“No big reason. It’s just, you’re the first kid who hasn’t been afraid of me from the start.”
Her crescent-shaped eyes crinkled with a smile. As he stared blankly, his face flushing, she reached out with a grin and pinched his cheek lightly.
“Alright, dishes time, huh? I’ll help.”
She gathered her used dishes, and they washed up together. Afterward, Yuda offered to help with her unpacking, but she refused, saying days this relaxed would be rare moving forward and that he should rest. Hesitating at first, he relented at her insistence and returned to his room to relax.
And so began the cohabitation of a beastman and a human, a master and her student.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
***Author’s Note***
I’m relieved so many of you are enjoying it so far.
Honestly, I was worried whether a unique world beyond mythology would hold your interest.
Seems like our tastes align. Haha.
Thank you. Hearing you’re having fun reading this means a lot.
Oh, and of course, I’m super grateful for the coupons too. I’m a bit of a materialist, after all. Hahaha!
Q: 6,030 won for 1 hour… It takes less than 5 minutes to upload, so give us all 27 of your stockpile. That’s 130,000 won for 2 hours.
A: Why leave out writing time? T_T It takes way more than 2 hours to write… The real tyrant’s right here.
Q: By the way, how old is the protagonist’s physical body? Reverse age gap?
A: His current physical age is 11.
Q: Doesn’t age show in the status window, or did you skip it because it’s a hassle to set?
A: I meant to include age, but with some early skips, I got lazy and excluded it. It’s not that important anyway.
