The forest felt different now. Time had returned, but it moved like a weight pressing against his chest. Every leaf, every rustle of wind, every distant birdcall reminded Eli that he was alive—or at least, that his consciousness still functioned.
He stared at the two floating holograms: the Basic Fire Spear and the Basic Bow and Arrow. The SYSTEM pulsed faintly behind them, its blue glow unwavering, cold, impartial.
Eli's lips pressed together. Fire spear… flashy, elemental, dangerous. Someone's bound to notice it. And me? I'd probably explode it in my own face.
So he chose the bow. The blue light folded around him, solidifying the weapon in his hands. It was crude—rough-hewn wood, the string taut but squeaky—but it felt lighter than the spear. Somehow, it felt safer.
His fingers brushed the grip. The faint hum of the holographic interface resonated with his nerves. The bow wasn't strong; he wasn't strong. But the thought of using it to survive was… possible.
He drew the first arrow and released it. The thunk of impact against a tree a few meters away was pathetic, almost laughable. The arrow quivered, bouncing off the bark, barely embedding.
Yeah, that's skill level 1.2% all right, Eli muttered. The SYSTEM displayed his stats in crisp white letters:
[Archery Skill: 1.2%]
[Strength: Insufficient for full draw — 68%]
Even the interface seemed to mock him.
He drew again, exhaled slowly, and this time it grazed the tree's center. A small improvement, almost imperceptible—but a seed of confidence rooted itself somewhere in his chest.
Movement flickered in the underbrush, a ripple among the moss and ferns. Eli froze. His heart hammered, muscles tensing.
A Forest Nyrad emerged.
It was humanoid, but wrong. Its limbs were long and wrapped with vine-like growths, pulsing faintly with green bioluminescence. Its eyes glowed, focused, unblinking. Every motion was deliberate, fluid, and alien.
Eli felt the weight of his inexperience crush him. One wrong move, one missed shot, and this thing could end him.
[Detected: Forest Nyrad — Threat Level: Low]
[Caution: Previous Death Count — 4]
His pulse quickened. He hadn't expected a "low-level threat" to look this dangerous.
He crouched behind a fallen log, drawing the bow with trembling fingers. His vision blurred slightly. Not from fear—he noticed, almost distractedly, that his hands felt smaller. Lighter. More nimble than they should.
A flicker of unease ran down his spine. Something's… wrong. I feel smaller, younger. My reflexes feel off…
He shook his head, trying to dismiss it. Now wasn't the time to think about biology. Survival came first.
The Nyrad stepped closer, careful, almost studying him. Its glowing eyes seemed aware—too aware. Eli held his breath, calculating. The SYSTEM offered no advice. The interface simply pulsed in its detached rhythm, a reminder that he was alone in choice and consequence.
He aimed. His first shot flew, missing the creature entirely and embedding in a tree behind it. He swallowed hard, trying not to panic. Another arrow followed, grazing its arm. It hissed, recoiling slightly.
Eli's third arrow found its mark, striking the creature's shoulder. The Nyrad's movement staggered, and for the first time, Eli felt something unfamiliar: hope.
The battle was chaotic. He rolled behind the log as the creature lunged, narrowly avoiding the vine-wrapped limbs. Each movement took everything he had—his stamina was low, his aim shaky. But slowly, methodically, the bow carried him through.
Finally, with one desperate leap and a trembling release, his arrow struck the creature's throat. The Nyrad's glowing eyes flickered once, then dimmed. Its body dissolved into faint motes of green light, scattering across the forest floor.
[Enemy Defeated: Forest Nyrad]
[EXP +15]
[Level Up: 1 → 2]
Eli collapsed against the log, panting. His hands still felt strange—smaller, lighter, the veins barely visible. The bow rested across his knees, battered but intact.
[SYSTEM: Survival Probability — 13%]
He laughed quietly, bitter and exhausted. "Thirteen percent? You really think I'd last, huh?"
For a moment, the forest was still. Only the morning light filtered through, shafts of gold cutting through mist. Then he noticed movement—a subtle shift among the trees, faint but deliberate. Another figure, humanoid, moving with precision and purpose.
Eli froze. The outline was perfectly human, nothing monstrous, nothing obviously hostile. Yet he knew instinctively: if he misjudged this… he wouldn't survive.
The SYSTEM didn't intervene. It never did.
Not everyone is weak like me, he thought. Some were strong, some… dangerous.
From somewhere deeper in the forest, he heard muffled voices. Not distant, not clear—but real. Other players, maybe, or… something else. He couldn't tell. Some were trapped like him, perhaps, and some were oblivious, playing normally, thinking this was just a game.
And then there was the subtle, growing unease: the way his reflection caught in a still puddle beside the log looked… off. His jaw softer, shoulders narrower, voice higher in pitch. Not enough to notice immediately, but enough to plant a seed of fear.
The feedback loop, whatever caused it, had started. Slowly, surely, the glitch that trapped him was reshaping him—body and mind. He swallowed.
He glanced at the shadows between the trees again. One figure lingered, perfectly still, almost observing. Too human to be a monster. Too quiet to be another player, perhaps.
Eli gripped his bow tighter, nocked another arrow. His hands trembled, yes—but for the first time, he felt purpose. He was alive. He had killed. He could survive. Maybe.
The forest was no longer just dangerous—it was alive. Watching. Calculating. Full of things that could kill him, and things that might… teach him.
He exhaled, almost smiling. "Yeah… I can do this."
Then came a faint rustle, soft but deliberate, from deeper in the shadows. Eli's heart froze. The arrow was already in his hand. His body tensed, every nerve screaming.
And the blue glow of the SYSTEM pulsed once, cold and indifferent.
[Survival Mode — Permanent Death Active]
Eli swallowed hard, his breath visible in the morning mist. "Yeah, I got that the first time…"
The forest waited.
And Eli, barely sixteen in body but twenty-two in mind, drew another arrow.
The forest felt different now. Time had returned, but it moved like a weight pressing against his chest. Every leaf, every rustle of wind, every distant birdcall reminded Eli that he was alive—or at least, that his consciousness still functioned.
He stared at the two floating holograms: the Basic Fire Spear and the Basic Bow and Arrow. The SYSTEM pulsed faintly behind them, its blue glow unwavering, cold, impartial.
Eli's lips pressed together. Fire spear… flashy, elemental, dangerous. Someone's bound to notice it. And me? I'd probably explode it in my own face.
So he chose the bow. The blue light folded around him, solidifying the weapon in his hands. It was crude—rough-hewn wood, the string taut but squeaky—but it felt lighter than the spear. Somehow, it felt safer.
His fingers brushed the grip. The faint hum of the holographic interface resonated with his nerves. The bow wasn't strong; he wasn't strong. But the thought of using it to survive was… possible.
He drew the first arrow and released it. The thunk of impact against a tree a few meters away was pathetic, almost laughable. The arrow quivered, bouncing off the bark, barely embedding.
Yeah, that's skill level 1.2% all right, Eli muttered. The SYSTEM displayed his stats in crisp white letters:
[Archery Skill: 1.2%]
[Strength: Insufficient for full draw — 68%]
Even the interface seemed to mock him.
He drew again, exhaled slowly, and this time it grazed the tree's center. A small improvement, almost imperceptible—but a seed of confidence rooted itself somewhere in his chest.
Movement flickered in the underbrush, a ripple among the moss and ferns. Eli froze. His heart hammered, muscles tensing.
A Forest Nyrad emerged.
It was humanoid, but wrong. Its limbs were long and wrapped with vine-like growths, pulsing faintly with green bioluminescence. Its eyes glowed, focused, unblinking. Every motion was deliberate, fluid, and alien.
Eli felt the weight of his inexperience crush him. One wrong move, one missed shot, and this thing could end him.
[Detected: Forest Nyrad — Threat Level: Low]
[Caution: Previous Death Count — 4]
His pulse quickened. He hadn't expected a "low-level threat" to look this dangerous.
He crouched behind a fallen log, drawing the bow with trembling fingers. His vision blurred slightly. Not from fear—he noticed, almost distractedly, that his hands felt smaller. Lighter. More nimble than they should.
A flicker of unease ran down his spine. Something's… wrong. I feel smaller, younger. My reflexes feel off…
He shook his head, trying to dismiss it. Now wasn't the time to think about biology. Survival came first.
The Nyrad stepped closer, careful, almost studying him. Its glowing eyes seemed aware—too aware. Eli held his breath, calculating. The SYSTEM offered no advice. The interface simply pulsed in its detached rhythm, a reminder that he was alone in choice and consequence.
He aimed. His first shot flew, missing the creature entirely and embedding in a tree behind it. He swallowed hard, trying not to panic. Another arrow followed, grazing its arm. It hissed, recoiling slightly.
Eli's third arrow found its mark, striking the creature's shoulder. The Nyrad's movement staggered, and for the first time, Eli felt something unfamiliar: hope.
The battle was chaotic. He rolled behind the log as the creature lunged, narrowly avoiding the vine-wrapped limbs. Each movement took everything he had—his stamina was low, his aim shaky. But slowly, methodically, the bow carried him through.
Finally, with one desperate leap and a trembling release, his arrow struck the creature's throat. The Nyrad's glowing eyes flickered once, then dimmed. Its body dissolved into faint motes of green light, scattering across the forest floor.
[Enemy Defeated: Forest Nyrad]
[EXP +15]
[Level Up: 1 → 2]
Eli collapsed against the log, panting. His hands still felt strange—smaller, lighter, the veins barely visible. The bow rested across his knees, battered but intact.
[SYSTEM: Survival Probability — 13%]
He laughed quietly, bitter and exhausted. "Thirteen percent? You really think I'd last, huh?"
For a moment, the forest was still. Only the morning light filtered through, shafts of gold cutting through mist. Then he noticed movement—a subtle shift among the trees, faint but deliberate. Another figure, humanoid, moving with precision and purpose.
Eli froze. The outline was perfectly human, nothing monstrous, nothing obviously hostile. Yet he knew instinctively: if he misjudged this… he wouldn't survive.
The SYSTEM didn't intervene. It never did.
Not everyone is weak like me, he thought. Some were strong, some… dangerous.
From somewhere deeper in the forest, he heard muffled voices. Not distant, not clear—but real. Other players, maybe, or… something else. He couldn't tell. Some were trapped like him, perhaps, and some were oblivious, playing normally, thinking this was just a game.
And then there was the subtle, growing unease: the way his reflection caught in a still puddle beside the log looked… off. His jaw softer, shoulders narrower, voice higher in pitch. Not enough to notice immediately, but enough to plant a seed of fear.
The feedback loop, whatever caused it, had started. Slowly, surely, the glitch that trapped him was reshaping him—body and mind. He swallowed.
He glanced at the shadows between the trees again. One figure lingered, perfectly still, almost observing. Too human to be a monster. Too quiet to be another player, perhaps.
Eli gripped his bow tighter, nocked another arrow. His hands trembled, yes—but for the first time, he felt purpose. He was alive. He had killed. He could survive. Maybe.
The forest was no longer just dangerous—it was alive. Watching. Calculating. Full of things that could kill him, and things that might… teach him.
He exhaled, almost smiling. "Yeah… I can do this."
Then came a faint rustle, soft but deliberate, from deeper in the shadows. Eli's heart froze. The arrow was already in his hand. His body tensed, every nerve screaming.
And the blue glow of the SYSTEM pulsed once, cold and indifferent.
[Survival Mode — Permanent Death Active]
Eli swallowed hard, his breath visible in the morning mist. "Yeah, I got that the first time…"
The forest waited.
And Eli, barely sixteen in body but twenty-two in mind, drew another arrow.