[Quest Complete: War Ration Preparation (1)]
[Reward: +50 EXP, Venison Jerky (2kg)]
[Level Up! You are now Level 6]

It took Amelia a little over three hours to make thin stripes out of the venison and by the end of it all, the system had issued several other notifications. A satisfied grin spread across her lips, she had been hard at work for several hours and was content with the rewards... as befitting her labor.

With a satisfied sigh, she murmured softly,

"Status"

[Name: Amelia Calvindotr]
[Job: None]
[Gender: Female]
[Level: 6] [Next LV: 8%]
[Title: Village Hunter's Daughter]
[Age: 15]
[Species: Human(Dúnedain/Númenórean)]

[HP: 390/390]
[HP Regen. 3.6/Min]
[MP: 330/330]
[MP Regen. 3/Min]

STR: 14(+4)
VIT: 13(+1)
DEX: 17(+2)
INT: 11(+1)
WIS: 10
LUK: 15
|Free Points: 10|
|Money: GC0/SC0/CP5|

|Inventory|
- Common Bow*1
- Quiver*4
- Arrows*100
 - Bodkin*25
 - Broadhead*50
 - Barbed*25
- Venison Jerky*2Kg
- Hunting Knife*2
- Shortsword*1
- Spear*1

***

Amelia eyes the panel carefully, over the week she had gained several attribute points and a wide variety of weapons, the former from working in the butchery and the latter by completing everyday mundane quests. Best of all, she had also gained several new skills,

"Skill Board"

[SKILL BOARD]

{Passive}

|Gamer's Body(MAX)|

|Gamer's Mind(MAX)|

Basic Butchery (Level 5)
Effect: Increases the efficiency of butchering and there is a 5% chance to obtain extra resources while doing so.

Novice Blade Mastery(LV.3)
Description: Allows the user to handle bladed weapons with greater proficiency and inflict 3% additional damage while using them.

Basic Archery (Level 1)
Effect: Allows the user to handle bows with greater proficiency and inflict 1% additional damage while using them.

Cooking (Level 1)
Effect: Allows the user to cook edible food. Chance to restore HP and MP while eating cooked food.

Gathering (Level 2)
Effect: Increase the user's chance to gather resources in the wild by 2%.

Tracking (Level 1)
Effect: Increases the user's ability to track creatures and people in the wilderness.

{ACTIVE}

Sneak (Level 2)
Effect: Increases the user's ability to move quietly and remain undetected by 2%. 100% chance of remaining undetected from those 10 levels below the user and 0% chance from those 10 Levels above the user.
- 1MP/Sec

***

Amelia nodded contently, even though most of the skills were of no use in actual combat, they were still filling up her panel quite nicely.

She stretched, three hours hunched over a butcher's block weren't exactly conducive to a healthy back. Still, she had managed to cut the meat into thin evenly sliced strips that would be smoke-dried by her mother when she returned from wherever she had gone off to.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and the thud of metallic boots upon wooden planks reached her ears.

Amelia stopped whatever she was doing and with the butcher's knife clutched tightly in her hands, she made her way to the living room. 

"Amelia!"

A gruff voice called,

"Where 'ave ye gone off to lass?"

It was Hallbera, her mother, only that it wasn't her at all. In the middle of the living room stood a tall armored and hooded figure, with a longbow clutched in one hand, its worn leather grip contrasting with the new quiver of arrows slung across her back.

Amelia froze, the voice may be the same but the figure couldn't have been her mother, she couldn't imagine the grumpy woman armored and armed to her teeth. Still, she called out cautiously,

"Ma?"

The hooded figure turned and at once Amelia saw the face hidden under the hood, it was Hallbera, and yet, she looked older, more care-worn and tired. Her eyes were now deep, deeper than the doe's eyes she had gauged only a few days ago and there was purpose in her stride,

"There ye are lass,"

Hallbera exclaimed, turning to look at Amelia and her hardened eyes melted into a soft smile,

"been lookin' for ye all morning."

Amelia quickly shelved the blade clutched in her hands and wiped her hands on her apron, forcing a smile,

"Aye, ma. Just finished with the jerky."

Hallbera peeked inside and scanned the workshop, her gaze landing on the neatly arranged strips of meat hanging over a makeshift drying rack. She smiled once, before scanning Amelia and sighing in relief,

"Good work, lass, you did well."

Her tone had changed, or rather, she no longer talked with the slight slur that all the other villagers had in their tone.

"Anything else I can do to help?"

Amelia asked, almost instinctively, stepping closer and noticing a faint tremor in her mother's gloved hand.

"You've done enough, love."

Hallbera forced a smile, but Amelia could see something hidden deep beneath the surface. Some unknown fear gnawed at the woman's bones and she loathed to reveal it in front of her little girl.

"What's happening, Ma?"

Amelia finally broke it, the silence that had settled upon them, her voice barely a tone above a whisper.

Hallbera hesitated, then sighed, her hand resting on the long sword strapped to her waist.

"The council meeting just adjourned. Those old fools make light of goblins and wargs... have I ever told you, my grandfather died while hunting for wolves."

Well... she hadn't.

Hallbera never mentioned her family; it was unclear if she had any living relatives. Father or Mother? Siblings? Uncles? None. The only one she ever mentioned any word of was her grandfather... and that too in bits and pieces.

Calvin never questioned her past and Amelia in the past was too afraid of getting her buttocks smacked for bothering her mother.

Amelia sighed sadly, in her mind, her ever-rough, ever-strong mother suddenly looked ten years older under the armor. The mention of goblins and wargs seemed to cause her great grief, more so than it caused to the others. Perhaps she could probe a bit further,

"But... they can't be that scary, right?"

She whispered. Smirking and repeating an old children's rhyme,

"Caves all dark and goblins creepin', Wargs out prowlin', children sleepin'."

A flicker of amusement ran across Hallbera's face,

"There's more heart in a good story, love, than in all the dusty tomes a wise man can read."

Silence settled after Hallbera's overly dramatic statement, Amelia couldn't stand the proud look in her eyes, and she burst out,

"What did the council decide then?"

Hallbera ran a hand through her daughter's hair, sweeping away a stray strand that fell across her face.

"They squabbled, as usual...