Woken up by weird banging on the abandoned car. I hold my makeshift spear tightly. I brace myself for whatever is coming up.

  "Heeey. Are you still alive?"

  "Oi, are you sure he is still alive? Even if he is still alive, is it okay to disturb him like that? What if he's offended? What if he is not a good person in the first place??"

  "Oohh you, shut up! Can't you be more quiet!"

  "B-but you're the one who's being loud!"

  "You! You dare to talk back to me like that?!"

  "Hiiiiek, sorry"

  Other survivors? Is it a good sign? They didn't seem very threatening. Communication also seems feasible.

  "Hey, you two. You two shouldn't be disturbing people's sleep like that."

  I said, creating conversation while walking out of the abandoned car as calmly as possible to avoid creating any incitement that might lead to conflict, which I can't afford being one versus two in a situation where I didn't even know their capabilities.

  "And shouldn't you guys introduce yourself first in this kind of situation?"

  I add.

  "Oh, sorry about that. I'm Maya, and this is Bima. We're here to do our daily scout at that giant forest over there," Maya introduced herself and the boy beside her.

  Said a woman named Maya. She's a quite petite girl with a height of approximately 152 CM and black hair that shines a little bit golden through a sun ray at shoulder length. Her personality looks lax, and she has a bit of an overbearing attitude.

  "M-my name is Bima. N-nice to meet you."

  Said a teenage boy beside her, probably in his teens, with quite tall heights at 190 CM, short black hair, and few white hairs here and there, perhaps because he was stressed to live in this kind of world. He has quite a reserved personality, or maybe he was actually hiding himself and being calculative. Damn, I read too much detective comics. He could just be that timid instead. Either way, I can't be so sure about these two.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "My name is Rian, anyway, scouting? Is there some kind of dangerous entity in there?"

  Not to say it's a daily scout, which means it's a periodic thing to do. Them being scout also means they're not something I can underestimate either. Which also means they have a group backing them up.

  "You don't know? Man, where have you been?"

  Said maya.

  "You know that these kinds of sites appear suddenly after [the third migration]. And then after [the fourth migration] monstrous monster that appears on [the second migration] somehow they started to gather themselves in this kind of sites."

  She then explained.

  "Wait, didn't that mean this forest is hella dangerous? What about the government then?"

  I blurted out without thinking much.

  "What? Do you think the government would keep it together after [the second migration] when all monstrous monsters and these kinds of sites appear out of nowhere? Have you been hiding yourself away all this time?? But your status is actually pretty good for dudes who have been hiding themselves away."

  She said interrogatingly.

  "Status?"

  I try to change the topic right away.

  "Stats, don't you know it? It's just like in the games. Just say it out loud or think about it in your mind, and some kind of game window would appear. Some older people who didn't understand the game concept said they were just thinking about their body conditions, and it appears in the kind of things they understand. Mostly, they describe it as floating writing or something like that. Blind people are even more varied. Some said they see it clearly, as if their vision is back, even though everything else is still dark or blurred, while others who didn't even know the concept of seeing in their lifetime heard a whisper instead. Quite incredible, don't you think?" Maya explained, her knowledge shines through and is somehow full of enthusiasm.

  "All this thing's past the point of incredible ages ago."

  I said, commenting on her easygoingness.

  Thinking back, it seems her group accepts old folks and those with disabilities, too, which is quite unthinkable in this kind of scenario. Either their group is a great group that has the capabilities to accept these kinds of people, or they're fucked group that exploits disadvantaged people... There is also an option that they're just pushover group, but there is no way that kind of group would last this long... would they?

  "Hehe, you're right. Now, now, aren't you going to check your stats?"

  She urged me.

  She is right. I got lost in thought.

  "Ugh, fine. Status!"

  I comply.

  [Status]

  [Mana : 4.7]

  [Strength : 6.8]

  [Health : 6.2]

  [Special status]

  [Comprehension : 7.6]

  [Blessed body]

  "Now, what are your stats!"

  She keeps urging me.

  "Uuugh"

  Annoyed, I told her.

  "Nope, I won't tell you unless you tell me how these stats actually work."

  "Muu, fine, you don't actually ask how status works, right? Just want to know what the standards are right?"

  She corrected me.

  "R-right"

  I agree with her correction. Why would I ask something obvious? Am I overwhelmed by her? haaah.

  "Okay, let me break it down for you. People with an ordinary physique would have a stat range of 0.9 to 1.4, while those with strong physiques, like athletes, would fall between 1.6 and 2.2," Maya explained the stats system in simpler terms.

  She explained.

  "What? Mine is mostly above 5.1, tho?"

  I'm genuinely confused.

  "Aha!"

  She shouted out of nowhere.

  "That's the stats of people before they've ingested any essence. Ingesting essence, which looks like a gem that can be harvested inside a monster's body, would increase your stats. It seems you're quite productive in your hunt," Maya explained the concept of 'essence' and its effect on stats.

  Essence, what does she mean? Did she mean these pearls? I keep quiet cause I don't want her to read more about me.

  "Ingesting... How did you know that?"

  I ask cause I'm legit curious about it.

  "We observe it by how animals get stronger after eating it. Don't you do the same?"

  She explains.

  "Ah yes, it seems it all the same, it seems."

  I'm trying to confirm her.

  "What about special status thought?"

  Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm curious about it too.

  "Special status??? Do you have that? Is that why you felt different??

  She asks enthusiastically.

  Damn, am I just stepping on land mine just now?