Free Web NovelChapter 4: Chapter 4: Unboxing the Primitive Starter Pack
The holographic cat flicked its tail, and the massive tech tree collapsed into a specialized shop window A long, depressing column of grayed-out, locked icons rolled past Kellar’s eyes Literally everything was restricted, carrying absurd costs of fifty, one hundred, or a thousand points.
At the very top, however, three lonely options glowed with a faint green light, each costing exactly one Tech Point.
"Take a look, Host" the cat said, hovering near the list "These are your current options for your single point But remember, none of these are physical weapons or gear They are fundamental blueprints for your brain".
Kellar leaned in, his engineering mind instantly analyzing the three basic options available to him:
[Basic Flint Knapping & Shaping]: The foundational knowledge required to knap flint, obsidian, and chert into razor-sharp, reliable cutting edges and scrapers without shattering the core material.
[Primitive Leather Tanning & Curing]: A chemical and physical methodology using animal brains, smoke, and basic scraping tools to turn stiff, rotting raw hides into soft, durable, and weather-resistant leather clothing.
[Fire-Hardening & Wood Selection]: The technical understanding of cellular moisture in different wood types, allowing the host to slowly bake green wood over a low fire to double its density and tensile strength for spears and clubs.
Kellar rubbed his chin, nodding slowly.
"Okay, so no plasma rifles or steel swords just yet It’s pure, raw knowledge to optimize what’s already around me" said Kellar. "That’s smart If I suddenly walked around with a titanium machete, the chieftain would probably kill me just to steal it".
"Exactly Introducing high-tier items too early invites immediate doom" the cat purred, landing gently on top of the floating screen "However, you asked about a physical starter pack earlier I never said the system left you completely empty-handed Look at the tab below".
A small, flashing bundle icon appeared in the bottom right corner of his vision, glowing with a golden aura.
[Notification: ’Noob Starter Pack’ detected in Host Inventory!] [Contents: 1x Basic Iron-Wood Club, 1x Vitality Nutrient Potion, 1x Map of the Fire Bear Territory].
Kellar’s eyes widened, a wide, wicked smirk returning to his face.
"Oh, now we’re talking! A solid club, a health potion, and the layout of the land" said Kellar. "Hey, ghost cat, let’s open that bad boy up right now I want to see what kind of ’club’ the system gave me to start conquering this wild paradise".
With a faint golden flash, the three items materialized right on the dirt floor in front of Kellar’s feet.
He leaned down, eagerly anticipating sleek, high-tech gear, but the moment the light faded, his face fell into an expression of profound disappointment He picked up the "Vitality Nutrient Potion" first Instead of a luxurious, beautifully blown glass vial filled with glowing crimson liquid like he had pictured, it was literally just a small, wrinkled red fruit that looked suspiciously like a deformed cherry tomato.
"Are you kidding me? This looks like a raisin that fell behind a refrigerator" said Kellar, poking the squishy fruit with his finger.
He dropped it and unrolled the "Map of the Fire Bear Territory" Calling it a map was a massive insult to cartography It was a rough, stiff piece of cured animal hide covered in charcoal doodles There was a wavy line that probably meant a river, a triangle that might be a mountain, and a couple of stick-figure bears.
"Holy shit, this is hideous" said Kellar. "My old wiring diagrams for three-phase motor control panels look like fine Renaissance art compared to this abstract garbage, I can’t even tell which way is north!".
Finally, he reached for the grand prize: the Basic Iron-Wood Club Kellar had imagined a beautifully carved, heavy bludgeon with ergonomic grips Instead, he lifted what could only be described as a lumpy, crooked tree branch Someone had literally just hammered three cracked animal fangs into the thick end with raw brute force.
"And this... this shouldn’t even be called a club" said Kellar. "This is a sad stick with three teeth glued to it, if I swing this at the chieftain, he’s going to laugh himself to death before I even hit him".
The holographic white cat hovered right in front of his face, its glowing blue eyes narrowing into a sharp glare as its tail flicked with pure annoyance.
"It is called a Noob Starter Pack, not an Advanced Starter Pack, you ungrateful brat" said the cat, its sweet voice dripping with attitude "If you are going to complain about free, life-saving resources, I can easily delete them from existence right now and leave you to fight the wild world with your bare, skinny hands".
Kellar immediately pulled the sad stick close to his chest, a defensive, nervous grin breaking across his handsome face.
"Whoa, whoa! Relax, ghost cat! I was just doing a quality inspection, force of habit as an engineer" said Kellar with a laugh, quickly tucking the ugly map into his leather belt "Free stuff is free stuff, I’ll take it!".
The holographic cat turned its head away, raising its tiny chin in a classic gesture of pure disdain.
"Hmph You better show some gratitude, boy, or you won’t be seeing any of the other free packs" said the cat.
Kellar’s eyes practically turned into dollar signs, and he almost dropped his tooth-studded stick as he leaned in closer, a desperate grin splitting his face.
"Wait... more? More free packs?! Give them to me, give them to me! What are you waiting for? Come on, that whole quality inspection thing was just a big misunderstanding!" said Kellar, waving his hands in a frantic plea.
The cat lazily flicked its tail, looking back at him with a wicked, smug expression in its glowing blue eyes.
"I didn’t say they were available right now, nor did I say they were entirely free" said the cat, its voice dripping with corporate smugness "For every major milestone you achieve, a milestone reward package will be unlocked For further details, please consult the Terms and Conditions Please note that all Terms and Conditions are subject to my absolute will".
Kellar froze, his jaw dropping as he stared at the floating, translucent feline in utter disbelief.
"Wait, wait, wait... are you a bloody commercial advertisement now?" asked Kellar. "And what the hell do you mean by ’subject to my will’?! What kind of scammy system is this?".
