My Skills Can Evolve Infinitely in a Game-Like World

Chapter 4: Dryad Forest

"Aurelius, I think it’s time for you to find a wife."

Hearing these words, Aurelius nearly choked on his food.

But facing the stern expression of the woman before him, who had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as him, and whose facial features closely resembled his, he could only remain silent.

Seeing his reaction, his mother softly exhaled.

"Anna told me what happened before. You—you..."

A trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

Aurelius knew full well why that was.

It was natural for a mother to be concerned about her son’s matters, especially for a useless playboy like his predecessor.

Although Aurelius felt frustrated to have to inherit this "debt", he could only try to comfort her.

"Don’t worry, mother. I won’t indulge in myself anymore. I’ll be careful in the future."

Unfortunately, these words didn’t make Elena feel relieved.

If anything, the disappointment in her eyes became even more apparent.

Obviously, this was not the first time Aurelius had claimed to have "changed his ways".

Such a reaction only served to make him more helpless. But he didn’t attempt to persuade her any further.

After eating his lunch, he said goodbye to his mother and left the mansion accompanied by a small team of guards.

His goal? The nearby Dryad Forest.

--

The Blood Sun City was located at the northern border of the Dawn Kingdom. It lay between the Dryad Forest in the north and the Goblin Mountains in the east—both habitats of extraordinary creatures.

Because of its peculiar location, it had attracted a large number of mercenaries and rogue Awakeners, who wished to use the environment to strike it rich.

At the same time, Blood Sun City served as the home for many minor nobles—among whom was Aurelius.

The circles of the two were separated for the most part, and the two parties would seldom interact.

Yet as soon as Aurelius arrived at the outskirts of Dryad Forest, he noticed several mercenaries and battle-worn Awakeners.

Some were walking into the forest, armed to the teeth with expectant smiles, while others were exiting it carrying the spoils of their battle, their bodies dripping with fresh blood.

Aurelius only observed them briefly. After a few moments, he entered the forest, following behind his trusted guards.

Instinctively, he couldn’t help but glance at the three armored men in front of him.

As his gaze lingered on them, translucent text appeared above their heads.

[Level 11 Soldier]

[Level 9 Archer]

[Level 12 Spearman]

This was something Aurelius had discovered not long ago. By focusing on other people, he could get a prompt regarding their identity and general level.

Aurelius was hardly surprised.

This world was deemed a game by the System, and he was considered an NPC. Being able to look at the information of other "NPCs" sounded outlandish, but made sense given the circumstances.

Accompanied by three Rank 1 Awakeners, Aurelius felt much more secure.

Sure enough, although the status of a noble bastard was embarrassing and accompanied by intrigues, it also carried advantages that ordinary commoners could not compete with.

--

"Young Lord, here it is."

A few minutes later, one of the guards called out. He held a small creature in his hands and approached Aurelius.

It resembled a rabbit, but its crimson fur and slightly elongated claws suggested that it was not.

The information above its head confirmed that.

[Level 3 Red Hare Rabbit]

Animals could also obtain extraordinary power matching that of Awakeners.

Those that did were referred to as monsters.

Red Hare Rabbits were relatively common among them.

Known for their weak strength but enormous population, they were the favorite monster for newly advanced Awakeners to practice their skills with.

Looking at the red creature that struggled within his guard’s hands, Aurelius showed no hesitation.

He reached to his waist, grabbing the dagger he had previously prepared.

Then, with a sudden thrust forward, he aimed its tip at the rabbit’s head.

He faced little resistance.

Soon after, blood splattered in every direction.

Aurelius reacted quickly, stepping back just in time to avoid getting hit by the spray.

He was about to wave his hand to clean the dagger in disgust when his movements suddenly paused.

A notification flashed at the corner of his vision.

"Killed Level 3 Red Hare Rabbit. EXP +1"

’It works.’ Aurelius thought, finally confirming his earlier guess.

Awakeners in this world relied on training, practice, and consuming resources to grow stronger.

However, the Player Panel stated that Aurelius was not only an NPC but also a Player.

He had suspected he could "Level Up" like ordinary players before. Now seeing this notification, he finally became certain of it.

’I can gain 1 EXP for slaying a Level 3 Red Hare Rabbit. In the panel, I need 100 EXP in order to reach Level 1.’

’Does that mean that I have to find and kill 100 Red Hare Rabbits?’

Given their high population, doing so was certainly possible. However, it was bound to take a lot of time.

Fortunately, just as Aurelius was wondering whether he should lead his guards to find a stronger type of monster, the chime of a bell rang inside his mind.

"Ding! Mission Issued!"

"Mission—Rabbit Killer: Hunt ten Red Hare Rabbits."

"Rewards: 1 Skill Point. 300 EXP. Title: Rabbit Killer."

Aurelius raised his eyebrows. The mission itself was nothing difficult and could be completed given time.

Yet the rewards were quite surprising.

The power of the Skill Points had already been shown before.

Using just three of them had allowed Aurelius to nearly double his Base Stats.

Similarly, the promised EXP was more than enough for him to Level Up.

As for the Title, it was the first time it had appeared. However, Aurelius was curious whether it was merely a cosmetic item or had actual effects.

Numerous thoughts raced through his mind, but only a few moments had passed in reality.

Seeing him in a daze, his guards believed that he was shocked to have killed another living being.

They didn’t speak, giving him the time to process that feeling.

In truth, Aurelius felt nothing about killing the Red Hare Rabbit.

He might have done so if the opponent was a human, but in front of a rabbit monster, he felt no guilt whatsoever.

"Okay, everyone," he suddenly spoke up.

"My goal today is to get familiar with the wilderness and survive in the wild. Red Hare Rabbits are suitable for this goal."

"Please catch a few more for me," he said with a smile.

He understood that other newly awakened Awakeners would find this task somewhat difficult.

But assisted by his guards, Aurelius faced no such issue.

’Being noble is indeed a great thing,’ he couldn’t help but mutter inwardly, breaking into a smile as he watched his guards get to work.