Zavier paced the house, double and triple checking all the doors and windows. He itched to go outside. He wanted to see if the animals were actually dormant during the safe period or if they were just gone. If they existed and were dormant, he wanted to test killing them during a safe period to see if he could get free experience with very little effort, giving him a head start. If they didn't exist then that confirmed another theory he had - that The System created them as needed for the scenario. That would mean that the upcoming challenges would be strictly controlled by The System, since it only created them when it had a plan for them. The former, though, would mean that they could expect some sort of twisted version of animals they expected to find anyway.
He had been staring out of the window into the darkened woods behind his house for ten minutes, lost in thought. He shook his head to clear it and walked to the computer to check his scraper, dismissing the urge. Tess was right, no matter how much it grated on him to lose the potential free experience. Two new topics had appeared, the first was that people were realizing that any animal considered a pet hadn't been changed into an abomination like the local wildlife had. The second was that someone had discovered the ability to identify a system-produced item. It had taken some time to discover the skill since The System hadn't dropped many items, but evidently it had dropped some for different achievements. Zavier suddenly remembered the item dropped by the squirrel. He padded gently towards Cass's room. He could feel the effects of his increased agility already. He wouldn't be doing parkour any time soon but he could feel the increase in athleticism as he sneaked through the house.
Slipping into the room and back out with barely a whisper of fabric he returned to the kitchen and sat at the table where he could watch the woods through the window. He let his mind go blank for a moment and thought of his desire to know what the object in front of him was. A menu screen flashed across his vision.
Identify (Basic): Gain rudimentary details about objects, creatures, or persons created or directly altered by The System. All information provided by The System is true, but may not be comprehensive, and can be blocked or manipulated by other skills. Level disparity affects the amount of information obtained and the reliability of knowing whether or not the information provided is being manipulated by another skill.
With an immediate understanding of how to use it Zavier focused it on the item in front of him:
Item Name: Scamperer Coat
Type: Coat
Description: This luxurious fur coat exudes an aura of natural agility. Embodying the spirit of the creature it was created from it is designed to provide warmth and protection while blending seamlessly with the forest environment.
Stats:
Defense: +1
Effects:
Special Ability - Forest Camouflage: When the wearer stands still in a wooded area, the Scamperer Coat aids in blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings. This grants advantage on Stealth checks to remain hidden from enemies.
Additional Notes: The enchantment of the Scamperer Coat is activated automatically when the wearer meets the conditions of standing still in a wooded environment. The coat's design incorporates natural colors and textures, allowing the wearer to move undetected among the trees and foliage.
With a thoughtful hum Zavier slipped his arms into the coat. What appeared to be too small at first resized itself to fit perfectly. He pulled up his character sheet and saw that his defense score had gone from a one to a two. He didn't know how that applied in actual use but the concept seemed solid. He made some quick stretching movements with his arms and couldn't feel any stretch or pull. If he couldn't see it he would have forgotten it was on. With widened eyes he realized he never checked the garage.
He rushed through the garage to where the spiders fell. In their places were three jet black knives in sheaths. Pulling one out it looked part KA-BAR and part spider fang, slightly curved. He quickly inspected it:
Item Name: Toxic Weaver Dagger
Type: Dagger
Description: This sleek dagger is crafted from the fangs of a venomous spider. The blades gleam with a poisonous sheen, hinting at its lethal capabilities.
Stats:
Agility: +1
Effects:
Special Ability - Venom Strike: Upon a successful strike, the Toxic Weaver Dagger injects a potent venom into the target's bloodstream. This venom inflicts additional poison damage over time, causing the target to suffer from gradual weakening and paralysis.
Zavier put one in each hand and verified that his agility had increased by two points. To test it out he did a quick hop onto the hood of the car, the effort feeling no harder than hopping up a step. With an effective agility of 13 that put him over 50% above the human average and only seven points from the most peak gymnast in human history. He did a few more hops, rolls, and quick dodges around and over the vehicles. He judged his current skill level to be around a collegiate level gymnast. He wasn't Olympics material yet but he was far, far closer than he should have ever been able to get to.
Maybe he would be parkouring after all.
He continued to test out the abilities gained from the equipment. He confirmed that just holding the third knife did nothing to increase his stats. They only increased if he was wielding the two in a way that would allow him to use them. He tried holding the third one between his teeth, gripping two in one hand, and even holding the third with his toes. There wasn't any way for him to trick The System into giving him that third attribute point. Instead, he focused on getting acclimated to the new physical prowess. Although having the upgraded core stats did give him an innate knowledge on how to move, there was still muscle memory to contend with. He spent the next hour in the tight confines of the garage sprinting around corners, conducting tight rolls and cartwheels, leapfrogging from vehicle to wall and back, and leaping to his feet from his back. His body reacted quickly, though, and soon his actions felt natural. He set the knives aside and went through all the same actions and realized that, although his body still had the muscle memory, it just didn't respond like his brain expected it to. It was like not realizing there was one more step just when you thought your foot was going to hit solid ground. Re-equipping the knives had an immediate effect, though, and he didn't need to relearn any of the muscle memory.
He went back inside and sat at the computer to document the results of tonight's discoveries and experiments on Reddit. He figured there would be a time for secrecy later, but not now. He doubted anything he was going to discover in these first few levels gave any long term advantages, and the information might actually save lives. If what he posted could help someone then he was glad to share it.
With that done he leaned back in the kitchen chair, knives sheathed and sitting on his lap, gripped in tight fists. He needed to catch a few hours of sleep but he didn't want the deep sleep that came with a bed. He wanted to be able to jump straight into action with full agility if something came crashing through. The System had said it was safe, but he was not trusting the lives of his family to that.
He closed his eyes and drifted into a fitful sleep.