Nathan sat back down at his desk, hands hovering uselessly above the keyboard.
His room felt smaller than usual a the red system window still hovered faintly in his vision, no longer startling but still impossible to ignore.
[System Synchronization — 90%]
'Almost there.'
The thought made his stomach tighten, even though he should have been calm. He had spent years preparing for this moment.
And yet, now that it was actually started happening, his mind felt blank.
Nathan exhaled slowly and rubbed his face with both hands.
'Okay, slow down.' He told himself.
He stared at the screen for a few seconds, then began typing.
"What to do after synchronization."
Search results filled the page, forum posts and old guides.
Nathan clicked one at random.
He skimmed for a few seconds, then closed it.
This one was too vague. He then clicked another and ignored it, the poster behaved too confident almost like an influencer guru.
Nathan leaned back in his chair, frustration slowly creeping in. He knew this stuff or at least, he had thought he did.
But knowledge picked up secondhand felt different when it was suddenly personal.
This wasn't just a theoretical class in the academy anymore, neither was this anywhere close to backseating someone on a livestream.
'This is my actual reality now.'
He adjusted his search terms.
"Beginner hunter guide."
"Newly awakened what to do next."
"First steps after system awakening."
That was when a video result suddenly caught his eye.
A Beginner's Guide to Hunting – Starlight Guild
Nathan froze.
Starlight. This was a popular guild, ranking top 50 in the country.
He clicked on the video immediately.
The video loaded fast, as a man standing in a well lit room appeared on his screen. His had white hair and sharp red eyes. Nathan straightened in his seat without realizing.
'…No way.'
He knew that face. This was Nett Spencer. Even people who didn't follow hunting closely recognized the name as Nett was famous for clearing infamous rifts that most guilds avoided.
Nathan had watched breakdowns of his fights more times than he could count. Nett was a front liner, damage dealer and one of the best hunters known to mankind.
"Hey," Nett said. His voice was steady. "I'm Nett Spencer."
"I'm the vice guild leader of Starlight and a front liner."
He paused briefly, as if considering his next words.
"I've been a hunter for over ten years, awakening at fourteen."
Nathan's fingers curled slightly against the edge of the desk.
'Fourteen...'
Nett smiled faintly.
"This video isn't for veterans," Nett said. "It's for people who just awakened. People who don't know what they are doing."
Hearing his words, Nathan leaned forward.
"I'm making this because there are things I wish someone had told me back when I started." Nett continued.
"I've made many mistakes in my time, which have costed me a lot of injuries and friends."
Nett shifted slightly, leaning against the table behind him.
"First," He said, "understand this, hunting isn't a race."
"Everyone wants to move fast,"
"Some feel like they're behind, but I'll let you know, this feeling never goes away, no matter if you awaken early or late."
Nathan felt his words land heavier than he expected.
"If you rush," Nett continued, "you will get hurt or worse, lose your life."
He looked straight into the camera.
"Always remember, no guild or reputation is worth your life."
Nathan sat very still as the system window hovered quietly in the corner of his vision.
[System Synchronization — 91%]
He didn't look away from the screen.
"When a normal person awakens their system, the first thing that happens is synchronization-"
Nathan nodded slightly, even though no one could see him.
"-That process isn't random in nature, instead it is the system assessing you and your body"
"For a lot of people this scares them."
The screen shifted briefly to a simple graph, then back to Nett.
"But, here's the truth, bad stats were never a problem."
Nathan blinked.
"Everyone wants high numbers but it is important to note that starting low doesn't mean staying low."
He tapped the table lightly with one finger.
"The system rewards growth."
"When you kill a monster and that monster has a stat higher than yours, you gain a fraction of it."
"If you have five strength," Nett continued, "and you kill a goblin with seven strength, you get a fraction of that goblin's strength."
"But remember that if your strength is already equal to or higher than the monster's, you get nothing from that stat."
"That's why fighting weak enemies forever doesn't work," Nett said. "Once they stop pushing you, they stop feeding you."
The explanation was really simple.
Nathan glanced briefly at the faint red window in the corner of his vision.
[System Synchronization — 93%]
He looked back to the screen immediately.
Nett didn't rush his explanation.
"Every monster kill also comes with a small chance to drop shards."
The screen briefly showed icons as he spoke.
"Item shards, summon shards and ability shards."
Hearing this Nathan's ears perked up.
"Item shards are the most common," Nett continued. "Data puts their drop rate mostly at around one percent."
'One percent...' Nathan repeated inwardly.
"Summon shards drop at about half that and ability shards are rarer with about half the drop rate of summon shards."
Nathan noted these percentages in head.
"So no, you're not going to be drowning in rewards."
There was a faint smile on his face now.
"But yes, when you do get one, it changes how you hunt completely."
Nathan leaned back slightly, letting the information settle.
Nett shifted his stance, crossing his arms again.
"Now, let's talk about survival."
The tone changed subtly.
"Hunting isn't about damage," Nett said. "It's about staying functional."
Nathan nodded again, unconsciously.
"The first thing you should always carry is a government issued regeneration potion."
The words sounded mundane.
"These are cheap, mass produced and easy to get."
He held up a small vial as an example.
"They regenerate minor wounds, bruises and shallow cuts."
Nathan remembered hearing about them before.
"But here's the cost. They burn through your stamina, making you very tired and unable to continue hunting."
He looked straight into the camera.
"But if you're hunting without them then you're being really stupid."
"Secondly," Nett continued, "don't overthink equipment early on."
The screen shifted again briefly, showing a lineup of basic weapons.
"You can license your first weapon through the government for free."
Nathan's eyebrows lifted slightly.
Nett held his hands up saying. "It's just standard policy."
He gestured toward the images.
"Spear. Sword. Axe. Shield. Bow."
Nett's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Pick something you can control," he said. "Not something that looks impressive."
Nathan started thinking about what weapon he would be good with.
"Finally, use the privilege you're given."
The screen showed a city map with highlighted zones.
"Your Unit's government controlled Grade 0 rifts are there for a reason," Nett said. "These are regulated and are as safe as hunting can ever get for beginners."
Nathan's jaw tightened.
"Use them," Nett said. "Don't rush into unrecorded zones because you think it'll make you stronger faster."
He paused.
"That thinking kills people."
The words hung heavy.
'Is this what he meant by him losing friends.' Nathan thought hearing his words.
Nett continued talking, briefly covering weapon handling basics.
Nathan listened, but his focus drifted slightly, not because he was bored but because something else demanded his attention.
The red window pulsed faintly.
[System Synchronization — 97%]
His heart rate picked up again.
Nett was still talking but Nathan only half heard it now as he glanced at the corner of his vision again.
[System Synchronization — 98%]
'Almost there.'
His fingers curled into his palms as he waited.
Nett finished a sentence, shifting his weight.
"…and that's enough to get you killed less often," Nett said dryly.
Nathan reached for the mouse and clicked off the video as his screen went dark.
The red window expanded slightly.
[System Synchronization — 99%]
Nathan sat perfectly still.
His breathing was shallow now.
'This is it.'