As I leaned against the rock, trying to catch my breath, the system text glowed in my mind. Probability of hostile creatures present: 68%. It was a terrifying statistic, but I had no other choice. The thirst was so intense that even thinking about water burned my throat.
Slowly and cautiously, I crawled out from behind the rock. The cold light of the twin suns cast long shadows on the sandy plain. The endless vista of stone and sand was wearisome and monotonous. Every little rustle—whether the wind or the movement of some small creature beneath the sands—made me tremble.
[Active wayfinding enabled. Route to the east marked with a yellow arrow.]
A line of light, yellow like a virtual guide, appeared on the ground, leading eastward. One of the system's useful features. Cautiously, I moved along it. Every step was painful. My feet, not made for this rugged terrain, had quickly blistered. But I had to keep going.
After moving about two hundred meters, I saw signs of change. The sand seemed damper, and faint traces of moisture hung in the air. Ahead was something like a shallow valley or depression. The system's guide line pointed straight toward it.
[Warning: Distance to possible water source decreasing. Probability of conflict increasing.]
I pressed my body to the ground and carefully approached the edge of the depression. What I saw ignited a spark of hope within me. Below, there was a small, stagnant pool of muddy water. It didn't look very clean, but for me, on the verge of dying from thirst, it was heaven.
But heaven had a guardian.
Lying in the shadow of a small rock beside the pool was a creature. From my distance, I couldn't see the details clearly, but it was roughly my size, perhaps a bit bulkier. It had mottled, earth-colored skin that blended with the environment, a hunched back, and a short, thick tail. Its mouth was open, revealing needle-like yellow teeth that glinted in the sunlight. Its eyes were closed, but its large, thin ears twitched occasionally.
[Identification: "Koviderat" (Desert Reptilian type). Level: 2. Threat: Medium. Weaknesses: Eyes, soft underthroat. Behavior: Aggressive in defense of territory and resources.]
Level two. Only one level higher than me. But in this world I knew nothing about, that one level could mean the difference between life and death. It was asleep, or resting. The element of surprise was mine, but my body was wasted from hunger and thirst, and my combat skills in this new body were zero.
The system didn't offer ready-made solutions. It only provided data. The rest was up to me.
I quickly reviewed my options: 1. Direct attack: With my physical condition, sheer madness. 2. Wait: It might leave. But how long could I wait? Hours, maybe. My body couldn't endure that. 3. Distract it and steal the water: This seemed the most logical path.
I looked around. There were a few scattered small stones. Carefully and silently, I picked up a relatively sharp, suitable one. I needed to create a noise by throwing the stone somewhere away from the pool to distract it.
My heart was pounding so hard I thought the creature would hear it. I took a deep breath (which caused a painful rasp in my throat) and threw the stone with all the strength of my scrawny arm toward a rock about ten meters to the right of the Koviderat.
Tock!
The sound of the stone hitting the rock was clear in the desert silence. The Koviderat immediately jumped up. Its large, yellow eyes snapped open and swiveled toward the source of the sound. A low, heat-filled growl emanated from its throat. But it didn't move. It just stood on guard, turning its head from side to side.
Damn its alertness. It was fully awake.
I was still in my hiding spot, hoping it hadn't seen me. But I needed another plan. A few seconds passed. The Koviderat was gradually relaxing back to its original state, but now it was fully awake and alert.
Suddenly, a fairly strong wind blew, shifting the sands. A dangerous idea came to me. The wind was blowing from me toward it. What if I could get my scent to it? White Goblin. Maybe I'd smell like prey or a rival.
Carefully, I tore off a piece of the rotten cloth I was wearing (an indistinct, worn tunic). I tied it to another stone and took careful aim—this time not to make a noise, but to land the stone near it, with that piece of cloth carrying my scent.
The throw. The stone fell wide, landing about five meters away. But it was enough. The Koviderat's large nose twitched. Its head quickly turned toward the stone and the piece of cloth. Now its eyes were fully focused on that area. It let out a louder growl and cautiously took a step toward it.
This was my chance.
Silently, with a speed I didn't think this wasted body possessed, I crawled toward the water hole. The distance was about fifteen meters. Every second felt like an hour. The sand crunched under my hands and knees. When I was halfway, the Koviderat turned its head back.
Its yellow eyes locked directly onto me. A moment of confusion, then pure rage.
It lunged toward me with surprising agility. I was only three meters from the water. A choice: either run for the water and likely get attacked from behind, or stand and fight—empty-handed.
Instinct screamed: Run! But logic said: If you turn your back, you die. It's faster.
With a scream of fear and determination, I turned toward it and threw myself to the side. Its sharp claws grazed past my face, leaving a stinging pain on my cheek. I felt the warmth of blood. I rolled on the ground and immediately tried to get up. The smell of blood had further enraged the creature.
The Koviderat attacked again, this time with its mouth open to bite. I had no chance to dodge. At the last moment, I thrust my hand forward—not to block, but to aim for the weakness: the eyes.
My claws went straight for its left eye. The creature had attacked recklessly. My claws made contact with its eye, touching something soft and squishy.
A pained screech erupted from the Koviderat. It shook its head in horror and backed away. I seized the opportunity and ran on trembling legs toward the pool. I reached the muddy water and without pause, plunged my face into it, drinking greedily. The water smelled foul and tasted of earth, but at that moment, it was the best drink in the world.
But the fight wasn't over. Behind me, I heard an angry hissing and heavy footsteps. The Koviderat, with one injured eye, but still very dangerous, was regrouping.
[Status: Thirst quenched. Hunger remains. Superficial injury (facial laceration). Stamina depleting.]
My body screamed to lie down. But I knew if I did, I'd never get up again. I looked around. There was a fairly large rock and a few dry fallen branches on the ground. I ran to the rock and with difficulty lifted it—it was unexpectedly heavy.
The Koviderat attacked again, but more cautiously this time. Its movement was unbalanced due to the eye injury. It lunged at me. Instead of retreating, with a cry of rage and despair (a strange, grating sound), I hurled the rock directly at its head.
The rock struck its hard forehead, stopping it for a moment. It made a dull thump sound. I was thrown back by the force of the throw and fell to the ground.
The Koviderat also backed away, shaking its head, dazed. But it was still standing. Now both of us, wounded and exhausted, stared at each other. We were panting. Blood dripped from my cheek and its eye.
This was no longer a mere animalistic brawl. It was a tactical stalemate. I couldn't run—it was faster. It couldn't attack safely either—I could still inflict damage.
Slowly, without taking my eyes off it, I reached for one of the dry branches. I grabbed it. It was firm but light. A primitive weapon.
I made a move as if to attack again. The Koviderat reacted instinctively, jumping back slightly. In that moment, I made a quick dash to the left—toward its good eye—and thrust the branch like a primitive spear toward its soft underthroat.
It swatted the branch aside with its claws, but that was exactly what I expected. As it lost its balance, I hurled a smaller stone I'd hidden in my other hand with all my strength toward that same injured eye.
This time the aim was more accurate. The stone struck the eye wound directly.
Another screech, this one full of real pain. The Koviderat completely turned its head away and began rubbing its eye with its claws. This was the moment.
With my last reserve of energy, I threw myself forward, gripping the dry branch with both hands, and drove it like a spear into the spot beneath its throat—the weakness mentioned by the system.
The wood sank into soft flesh. There was resistance, then suddenly it gave way into something softer. Warm, dark blood spurted out. The Koviderat shuddered, a loud but choked growl came from its throat, and then it fell heavily to the ground. A few more tremors, and then it was still.
I knelt beside it, still holding the branch in my trembling hands. I was gasping for air. My whole body was shaking. The smell of blood and something alien hung in the air.
[Experience gained. Level increased.]
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 2.]
[Attribute points available: 1. Apply?]
The blue screen appeared again. Next to my profile, the level number had changed from 1 to 2. A warm, energizing feeling, though faint, flowed through my body. The fatigue lessened slightly, and the cut on my face hurt less. The magic of leveling up.
But I felt no great triumph. Only exhaustion, and a hollow feeling from the kill. This was the world. Kill or be killed.
I looked at the dead creature. A hunter just defending its territory and water. Now I was the hunter. I looked at the system screen. Attribute point. I had to choose wisely. My body was weak. Strength? For fighting. Agility? For fleeing and dodging. Stamina? For longer survival.
Considering the recent fight, what I really needed was more endurance. Making a quick decision, I focused my mind on Stamina.
[Stamina increased. Effect: Greater resistance to fatigue, hunger, and thirst. Minor improvement in stamina recovery.]
I felt my lungs breathe a little deeper and the trembling in my legs subsided slightly. I was still weak, but no longer on the verge of collapse.
Now, another opportunity: the carcass. Meat. I was a goblin, and the system said hunger remained. Maybe this creature's meat was edible. But how? I had no fire. I'd have to eat it raw.
Reluctantly, I used the broken branch to pry open a section of the Koviderat's hide. A stronger smell arose. The meat underneath was a dark purple color. With a small, fearful test, I cut off a tiny piece and put it in my mouth. Tough texture, a bitter, earthy taste. Hardly palatable, but probably nutritious.
As I chewed the meat with distaste (and the system concurred with a message about hunger being alleviated), I looked around. Night was approaching. The smaller sun was setting, and the sky was turning a deep purple. The air was rapidly growing cold.
The water hole and carcass would attract other hungry creatures too. This was no place to stay.
With more chunks of meat (which I awkwardly bundled in cloth) and another drink of water, I climbed out of the depression. The system's guide line was now off. The short-term objective was complete.
[New objective suggested: Find safe shelter for the night. Probability of surviving nocturnal predators in known caves located 1 km northwest: 32%. Warning: This area is potential territory of Green Goblins.]
Another danger. But the night and the cold were greater threats. At least the system now gave a probability. 32% was better than zero.
With a deep sigh, which came easier this time, I headed northwest. My body still ached, but now I knew I could fight. I could survive.
My steps were firmer. I was no longer just a terrified White Goblin. I was Cyrus. A survivor. And Level 2.
Night, with all its strange stars appearing in the twin-sunned sky, was falling fast. And I, in the midst of the merciless desert, sought shelter—the first step on a long and bloody path I hadn't chosen, but now was forced to walk.