C12 Arc 2 – Stone Age Chapter 11 – A New Beginning
The morning after the storm was unusually quiet.
Sunlight shone through the wet leaves, making the entire island sparkle.
Drops of water slowly fell from the trees.
The cool breeze carried the fresh scent of earth and grass.
Aiden stood outside his wooden hut, taking a deep breath.
"This place feels different."
The island had changed overnight.
The storm had washed away broken branches and dead leaves.
The pond looked clearer.
Even the air felt fresher.
Then...
Ding!
A familiar blue screen appeared before him.
---
Weekly Missions Available
Duration: 7 Days
Mission 1
Reach Level 5.
Reward:
- Survival Points ×100
- Basic Skill Book Chest ×1
---
Mission 2
Build 3 New Structures.
Reward:
- Builder EXP
- Basic Furniture Blueprint
---
Mission 3
Harvest your First Crop.
Reward:
- Farming EXP
- Random Seed Chest
---
Mission 4
Defeat 10 Monsters.
Reward:
- Weapon Upgrade Material
---
Aiden carefully read every mission.
"So..."
"There are Daily Missions and Weekly Missions."
He liked that.
Daily Missions helped him survive.
Weekly Missions gave him long-term goals.
---
He closed the screen and looked toward the forest.
"I won't rush."
"If I chase rewards blindly, I'll only make mistakes."
Instead, he picked up a stick and wrote today's plan on the ground.
1. Build a Storage Rack.
2. Search for fertile land.
3. Collect more stone.
4. Explore only the eastern forest.
5. Return before sunset.
He nodded with satisfaction.
"A plan first."
"Then action."
---
Before leaving, Aiden opened his Status Window again.
His eyes stopped on the five unused Stat Points.
He had ignored them for several days.
Now, he finally made a decision.
"I need to survive."
After thinking carefully, he distributed them.
Strength +2
Vitality +2
Agility +1
A warm current flowed through his body.
His muscles felt slightly stronger.
His breathing became steadier.
His legs felt lighter.
---
Updated Attributes
Strength: 8
Agility: 6
Vitality: 7
Intelligence: 5
Spirit: 5
Luck: 1
Free Stat Points: 0
---
"It isn't a huge change..."
"But I can feel it."
For the first time, Aiden truly understood the value of Stat Points.
---
He grabbed his Stone Axe and walked toward the eastern forest.
The trees here were older than those near his camp.
Birds sang high above the branches.
Small Forest Hoppers jumped between bushes.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Until...
He noticed claw marks on a tree.
Three long scratches.
Almost as tall as his chest.
Aiden slowly touched the bark.
The wood was still fresh.
"Something made these recently."
His expression became serious.
"This isn't from a Fang Rabbit."
Whatever had left those marks...
Was much larger.
He quietly marked the tree with a small cut from his Stone Axe.
"I'll remember this place."
Then he walked in another direction.
He had no intention of meeting the creature today.
---
About an hour later, he reached an open field.
Soft green grass covered the ground.
Bright yellow flowers bloomed everywhere.
Near the center of the field...
He noticed several strange plants.
Each one had tall golden stalks with heavy grain growing at the top.
"They look like..."
"Wheat?"
Aiden walked closer.
The System immediately reacted.
Ding!
---
New Resource Discovered
Wild Golden Wheat
Quality: Common
Growth Stage: Mature
Description:
A natural grain suitable for farming. Can be harvested for food or replanted using its seeds.
Collection Book Updated.
---
Aiden smiled.
"This is exactly what I was looking for."
He carefully harvested only part of the wheat.
He left several plants untouched.
"If I take everything..."
"There won't be any seeds left."
After finishing, he received:
- Wild Golden Wheat ×8
- Wheat Seeds ×6
His Weekly Mission updated.
Harvest Your First Crop
Progress:
Harvest Seeds Obtained
Current Objective:
Create Farmland
---
"So harvesting isn't enough."
"I actually need to grow them myself."
That made sense.
Anyone could collect wild plants.
A farmer created food.
---
As Aiden prepared to return...
A distant roar echoed through the forest.
ROOOAAARRR!
Birds immediately flew into the sky.
The Forest Hoppers disappeared into nearby bushes.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Aiden instinctively gripped his Stone Axe.
His heart pounded.
"...Definitely not a rabbit."
He slowly backed away.
There was no shame in avoiding danger.
His goal wasn't to become a hero.
It was to survive.
When he finally reached his camp before sunset, he placed the wheat and seeds beside his hut.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Tomorrow...
He would build his first farmland.
The Stone Age had officially begun.
Far away, on another island...
A young woman in silver armor drove her sword into the head of a giant wolf.
As she reached Level 6, a System announcement echoed across the world.
[The first player has reached Level 6.]
[The race for civilization has begun.]
Aiden looked up as the announcement faded.
"So..."
"I'm already behind."
Instead of feeling discouraged...
He simply smiled.
"This isn't a race to be first."
"It's a race to survive."
With that thought, he fed another branch into the campfire as night slowly settled over the island.
