I sneak through the tower once more after extinguishing my makeshift torch, top to bottom, to make sure nothing got past me. There is no notification, but I feel like my [Stealth] skill improved a little anyway and every little bit counts as far as I''m concerned.


    As far as I can tell, there are no more enemies hiding among the detritus. Sadly there isn''t anything else of note either. No hidden treasures or anything really, which is too bad. I really wouldn''t mind a little reward for completing my tutorial dungeon right now.


    Of course it isn''t that easy. I sit down on one of the broken timbers up on the roof. On one hand to think about my course of action. On the other hand to look around a little. After all, my perch up here affords me a rather grand view. The setting sun makes it even grander. Yes, the view really is pretty nice.


    There is more to it than just that though. The setting sun provides some additional context too. I have kept my eye''s open earlier too, but only now I''m able to properly figure out the cardinal directions.


    A whispered notification lets me know that even a small success like that can come with a reward.


    [*Ding!* Your skill Survival has leveled up to level 2!]


    I allow myself a little grin. That is all though. There won''t be any grand celebrations. I don''t have any time to waste.


    Instead of dawdling any longer I get back up. The next order of business is to secure the tower. At least a little. The front door is missing after all and although I can''t exactly replace it, I can at least block up the empty entrance a little. I grab a wooden beam of decent length, that is still in a decent enough shape too, and head back down with it.


    I make this trip several more times, bringing some more beams from the destroyed roofing and even some of the broken shingles along. With these materials I build a crude, not quite hip high barricade to block up the empty door frame. It won''t hold up against any determined assault, but it should buy me some time. Probably. At the very least it will serve as an early warning system. There is only so much I can do with the materials at hand.


    My brows furrow a little as I stare at my handiwork. Apparently this isn''t enough to earn me a skill. It seems it doesn''t count towards progress of my [Survival] skill either. Too bad.


    My muscles are starting to ache ever so slightly, but I''m not yet done. I should still build myself a little fire for the night. Considering the fact that I have neither a bedroll nor a blanket or anything else, like a cushion, for that matter, I''ll need it and the warmth it will provide.


    I may be tired, but I''m really not looking forward to sleeping on the cold, hard stone floor. No, that really won''t be fun. Not at all.


    If I come think about it, maybe I shouldn''t stay here? Sure, the view from the top is grand and the air is fresh and clean too, but that is it. Where am I supposed to get food? Should I try my hand at foraging or maybe hunting? I''m not sure about that. More important though, I don''t really feel like becoming a mountain hermit. Nope, no thanks! No, I want to meet people. I want to have beer, music and fun in general! I want a social life!


    I retreat back down and gather up bits and pieces of the broken furniture. They are bone dry and should burn better than any of the timbers or shingles from the rooftop. Torn cloth and straw will serve as kindling. This will have to do. Thankfully there is still enough broken furniture left to get me through the night. Well, at least that is my best guess. I''ll probably find out soon enough.


    I take some time to build a little fire, while piling up more wood for the night along the outside wall. It isn''t a neat stack, but that is alright. Broken furniture simply isn''t suited for neat stacking. Besides I''ll burn most of it before long anyway.


    As night falls and darkness descends outside I break out flint and steel once more to light my little fire for the night. It takes a little while for the sparks to catch, but eventually I''m rewarded with more than just a little light and some warmth.


    [*Ding!* Your skill Survival has leveled up to level 3!]


    It really isn''t an impressive fire, but I''m glad to have it anyway. For a little while I just sit there, feeding fresh wood into the fire every once in a while. Then my stomach decides to let me know that I haven''t had anything to eat yet. Although there is no one else around to hear the rumble I blush anyway.


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    There is no helping it. I need to eat something. And it isn''t like I have much of a choice regarding what either, as the loaf of bread from my backpack is all I have on me right now. Well, there really is no helping it. And besides, I don''t want to let the bread go bad.


    I tear off part of the loaf, as I doubt that I''ll be able to eat all of it. It isn''t that big, but still too big for a single meal. Just as well. That means I''ll still have something to eat tomorrow.


    The bread is surprisingly tasty. Very much so even! It''s a a little sour, but at the same time a little sweet as well. The crust is crunchy and the interior is fluffy. It really is just right. I still wish I had something else to go with it, but that can''t be helped. Not right now anyway. It is something to keep in mind though.


    Before long I''m done with my scarce meal and I''m left sitting at my little fire all alone. I''m not quite tired enough to sleep though. I put another piece of broken furniture on the fire, while I think about ways to change that.


    There is only one option that seems sensible. Maybe I''ll fall asleep more easily if I exhaust myself using up some of my Mana. The quickest way to achieve that probably would be to use my [Change Shape] racial skill, except I don''t want to use that one without some way to check the result. Thus practicing that particular skill will have to wait.


    Instead I decide to give [Identify] a good workout. Yes, that sounds sensible. Except, pretty much the only things worth identifying are the clothes I''m wearing right now. Can I even use the skill on my clothes while I wear them? I''m not sure. There is an easy way to find out though.


    My gaze shifts a little until it finally settles on my boots. I focus and activate the skill. The effect is immediate and it eradicates all uncertainty. Some of my Mana drains away. I can feel the familiar mental fatigue accompanying the expenditure of Mana.


    There is no divine whisper informing me of a level up this time. This isn''t unexpected. It isn''t entirely unwelcome either, as it allows me to properly focus on the information revealed by the skill.


    [Leather Boots (Leather, Common) – A sturdy pair of leather boots. These boots aren''t anything special. Boots like these are nonetheless popular among the people of the frontier lands. After all, they are both protective and comfortable. They don''t look bad either. Category: Clothing, Defense: 2]


    No big surprise there. Just as well. Anyway, what next? My pants or the blouse? I could, in theory, but these seem almost too mundane. Oh, right! My gloves!


    I focus my attention on the gloves I''m wearing and activate the [Identify] skill once more. At first everything is as expected and I take in the information revealed by the skill.


    [Fingerless Gloves (Leather, Common) – A soft pair of leather gloves that don''t cover the fingers. They are comfortable and don''t impair your sense of touch. At the same time they aren''t quite as protective as proper gloves would be. Category: Clothing, Defense: 1]


    This much is no surprise either. The divine whisper that follows right after is though. It is unlike any notification I have received so far.


    [*Ding!* Achievement unlocked! [Curious Kitten] You have used an identification skill on ten different objects or creatures. Keep going, to earn higher levels of this achievement as well as rewards!]


    I blink in surprise. Well, that sure is something else. Achievements and rewards, what an addictive combination. What are those rewards though? And how tough will getting them be?


    I''m tempted to keep going. I could identify some more of my spare gear after all. Except, I suspect that I''ll have to use [Identify] a whole lot more to reach the next level of that particular achievement.


    Considering that it popped up surprisingly after using the skill on ten different things it seems to follow a progression unlike my level progression so far. If I had to hazard a guess, I''d say that the next level of the achievement will take at least an order of magnitude more effort to reach.


    I let out a long, drawn out sigh. That will take a while and using [Identify] on my pants or my blouse right now will hardly make a difference in the long run at all.


    This development gets me thinking though. Are there similar achievements for other skills? Maybe even for mundane ones like [Running] or [Jumping]? I''ll have to keep my eyes and ears open. Hmm, if anything those are probably harder to reach, otherwise everyone would have them, which in turn would mean that acquiring them wouldn''t be much of an achievement at all.


    I yawn. I can''t help it. Maybe I''m tired after all.


    I stoke my little fire with a stick and put on one of the bigger remaining pieces of wood. That one should last a while.


    Then I curl up next to the fireplace. Eventually I stretch out though instead, to lie straight on my back, with an arm for a pillow. The stone floor is still quite uncomfortable, but this is the best I can hope for right now.


    Just the thought of going to sleep, after a day like this has me chuckling. How can I even think about it? Shouldn''t I be a little more excited about being reincarnated into a strange world? How am I so calm about these developments? Why doesn''t it bother me at all?


    Ah, no, never mind. I can''t change the past. Not as far as I know. And maybe, just maybe, I don''t even want to? Is this it? Am I happy with this strange turn of events? Or at least content? I guess I''ll have to find out. One step at a time.


    I yawn again.


    Yes. I''ll just have to find out. And, hey, I haven''t been eaten by a grue yet! That has to count for something. I probably should try hard to keep it that way.


    I chuckle once more and close my eyes.


    Yep, not getting eaten by anything should be one of my top priorities. Hopefully I won''t catch anything sleeping on the cold floor without a blanket. Hopefully my back won''t murder me in the morning. Gods and goddesses, the night hasn''t even really started yet, and I already regret sleeping like this. I really need to find my way back to civilization. Civilization means proper bedding after all. Real meals too.


    Those thoughts too evaporate eventually, as sleep claims me at long last. Thankfully it is a dreamless sleep. Nightmares are not among the things I need right now. Thank you, but no thank you.