AT THE SAME TIME
XAVIER
I approached the task board with the same mix of dread and curiosity that had become my constant companion. The translucent screen hovered in front of me, pulsing softly.
"Task assigned: Beginner adventurer. Objective: Gather 5 unique herbs. Reward: Adventurer badge. Survival recommended."The system said.
I blinked.
"Survival recommended?"I whispered.
My stomach flipped, okay, small steps. Tiny, careful steps. I could handle this. I stepped outside, heart thudding in my chest. The town square was alive: merchants shouting prices, children running in circles, adventurers striding past like they owned the world. And me hovering near the edges like a nervous little mouse with copper hair and green eyes.
"Okay herbs," I muttered. "Just five herbs. I can, I can do five." My voice cracked, but I hoped no one noticed.
I activated my skills menu.
"Skills: Basic herb gathering Lv. 1. Simple potion crafting Lv. 1. Survival instinct Lv. 1."I checked the list.
I hesitated, then clicked Basic herb gathering. A faint blue outline appeared around five small plants scattered around the square. I bent down and grabbed the closest one.
"Herb collected: Mint leaf. EXP Gained: 5."A soft chime confirmed my success.
I straightened, a small thrill running through me. Okay, step one done. The second herb was near a stall selling bread. I crouched, careful not to knock over a basket of pastries, and plucked it.
"Herb collected: Lavender leaf. EXP Gained: 5."Another chime.
I glanced around nervously. A few adventurers passing by glanced at me curiously, probably wondering why the 'Weakest herbalist" was crouching in the middle of a busy square like a squirrel on a mission.
"Yep. Totally normal. Just me and my herbs. Nothing suspicious."I muttered under my breath.
The third herb, a tiny blue sprout, was closer to the forest edge. My Omega instincts screamed danger, but I forced myself to step forward.
"Herb Collected: Blue sprout. EXP Gained: 5." Fingers brushing the leaves, I plucked it with a soft chime.
Two more to go, I could do this. Maybe. I grabbed the fourth and fifth herbs, both glowing faintly, and deposited them in my satchel.
"Task complete. Reward: Beginner adventurer badge added to inventory. Survival Index: minimally improved."The system said.
I sank against a tree, hands gripping the satchel. I had survived. Not gracefully, not heroically, but alive. My chest heaved, adrenaline mixing with awe and fear. I pulled out the badge in my inventory. A small holographic pin hovered in front of me. I tapped it awkwardly, as if that tiny badge could somehow prove I was competent.
"Okay." I muttered, voice shaking. "Five herbs. Not dead. Badge check. Introverted, awkward, socially paranoid… also check."
I found a quiet inn on the edge of town. Renting a room was easy enough with the Mega coins I had from a tutorial reward I had nearly forgotten about. The bed was soft, the room warm, and for the first time since waking up here, I felt safe. I sank into the mattress and tried to remove the headset. Nothing. I tugged, twisted, wiggled. No response.
"Uh… system? Hello? Log out?" My voice cracked in panic.
"Logout unavailable. You are synchronized with world parameters. Removing the headset is not recommended. Survival is mandatory."The system said.
I froze, staring at the HUD floating in front of me. My stats, inventory, badge, everything I had earned still there, blinking softly in blue light.
"No. No no no." I buried my face in the pillow. "This is insane. I just wanted to play a game! Five herbs, get a badge, maybe, maybe sleep? And now I am stuck?"
I peeked over the edge of the pillow. The inn looked normal, warm, cozy. But everything else real. The world breathed, the wind rustled the trees outside, and my stomach churned at the thought that this wasn't VR anymore. I sat up, gripping my knees. Weakest omega herbalist, healer, beginner adventurer. Stuck in a world where survival wasn't optional.
"Okay somehow, somehow I survive. Somehow, I make it."I muttered to myself. "Somehow, I leave this game."
Night settled over the town like a heavy blanket. Not ominous. Just too quiet. I lay on the inn bed staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Every creak of wood made my shoulders tense. My survival instinct kept pinging faint warnings, like a mosquito buzzing in my skull.
"Danger nearby. Low threat. Remain alert."A voice said.
"Remain calm." I whispered back. "Easy for you to say, ominous voice in my head."
I couldn't just lie there, not knowing, not when logging out wasn't an option. So I slipped out of the inn, keeping my hood low, boots soft against the dirt path leading toward the forest edge. The forest at night was different. Breathing and watching. I swallowed.
"Just a quick look." I told myself. "I grab some herbs. Then I leave. I do not die. Very important rule."
A faint blue outline shimmered between tree roots another herb cluster. My skill activated automatically, guiding my steps. I crouched, reaching out a rustle. Not wind, my heart slammed so hard I thought it might alert the entire forest. Something skittered between the bushes.
"Warning: Hostile entity detected. Threat level: minor.
Recommended action: Avoid."The system chimed.
"Yeah, I would LOVE to." I hissed, backing up.
The bushes exploded outward. A creature lunged out, something like a rat, but wrong, too big, too many teeth. Yellow eyes reflecting moonlight, saliva dripping from its jaws. Its body was mangy and twisted, claws scraping the ground as it hissed at me.
"Enemy identified: Night gnawer – Lv. 2."The system explained.
I froze.
"I am level one." I whispered. "Why is everything here allergic to fairness?"
It leapt as I screamed very unheroically and stumbled backward, tripping over a root and hitting the ground hard. Pain shot through my spine. The creature skidded, turned, and lunged again. My vision tunneled. My hand brushed against something rough, wood, a fallen branch. I grabbed it and rolled just as the Night gnawer snapped where my face had been. Adrenaline flooded my veins, my survival instinct screaming at full volume now.
"Weapon required improvisation suggested."The system said.
"Right." I panted, scrambling to my feet. "Stick, I can work with stick."
The branch was long, uneven, and splintered at one end. I slammed it against a rock, snapping it shorter, sharper. Wood cracked. My hands shook, but the point was jagged now ugly, but lethal. The creature circled me, growling low.
"I don't want to do this." I whispered. "I am a healer. An herbalist, I make tea."
It lunged again, but this time, I didn't run. I stepped forward. The world narrowed to the creature, the stick, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. My body moved before my fear could stop it. I drove the sharpened stick forward with everything I had. The wood pierced soft flesh. The Night gnawer let out a shrill, choking screech. It thrashed, claws raking the air, then went limp. Warm blood soaked into my hands. I stood there, frozen, breathing hard.
"Enemy Defeated. EXP Gained: 40. Survival instinct Lv. 1 moved to Lv. 2."The system said. "Improvised Weapon Proficiency unlocked."
I stared at the corpse. I killed it with a stick. My stomach flipped violently. I staggered back, dropping the weapon as it had burned me. My hands trembled, my breath shallow and fast.
"I, I just." My voice cracked. "I just killed something."
The system didn't congratulate me, it just observed.
"Threat neutralized. Survival probability increased."The system said.
I slid down against a tree, hugging my knees. My chest hurt. My mind replayed the moment over and over the resistance, the sound, the sudden stillness. I hated that a tiny part of me felt proud. I looked at my hands, still shaking.
"Okay." I whispered. "Okay, Xavier. New rule." I glanced at the broken stick on the ground. "From now on, even the weakest omega fights back."
The forest rustled softly around me, and for the first time, it didn't feel like it was laughing.