The sun—or whatever this strange, frozen sky was pretending to be—barely moved. The light filtered through the canopy above in a hazy glow, too white, too still. It felt like the world had forgotten how to turn.
I didn't stop walking.
My legs ached with every step, and the soles of the sneakers—ones I'd worn casually back home—were already starting to peel. I didn't know where I was going. I just kept moving. Forward. Away. Anywhere but here.
The system hadn't said much after that fight. No new pop-ups. No map. No guide. Just that blinking [Level 1] marker pulsing faintly beside my name, like a constant reminder that this wasn't home anymore.
But my body didn't care about systems or stats.
It cared about food.
And I was starving.
My stomach growled loudly—again.
I stumbled to a stop in the middle of the woods, clutching it with a grimace. Every breath hurt now. My limbs felt heavy, like my blood was turning into lead.
If I didn't eat something soon...
I searched. Every few feet, I stopped to check shrubs, trees, low vines. I wasn't exactly an expert at identifying safe plants, and this world didn't exactly come with a survival manual.
Eventually, I spotted them—berries, clustered along a thick thorny bush. Bright blue, laced with thin red veins that almost pulsed like they were alive.
I crouched down, staring at them for a long moment.
[Unknown Plant Identified]
Warning: Unregistered in system database.
Helpful. Really.
My stomach twisted again, and I picked one.
I hesitated. Sniffed it. Rubbed the juice onto the inside of my wrist like I'd seen in documentaries. No burning. No rash.
I waited.
Nothing.
Maybe…
I popped one into my mouth and chewed slowly. It was bitter—almost metallic—but I forced it down. Waited again.
Still nothing.
I ate two more. Then four.
They held me over—barely. But it was something.
Still, I knew I couldn't rely on luck. I needed something better. Something real.
I started gathering what I could—roots, nuts, maybe edible leaves. I found a hollow log with what looked like moss growing on it and ran a system check.
[Survival Scan Activated]
Edibility: Low. Nutritional Value: Minimal.
Still better than nothing.
I chewed it slowly, letting the dry texture fill my mouth, pretending it was bread, or rice, or anything but what it was.
And then I heard it.
A rustle—not wind. Something heavier. Deliberate.
I froze, crouching low behind the log, eyes scanning the woods.
Then I saw it.
Not an animal. Not a beast.
Something upright.
Tall. Humanoid. Its skin was pale and stretched like wax, armored in dark growths fused into its flesh. A sword—white as bone—hung across its back.
It didn't walk. It glided.
And it felt wrong.
[New Entity Detected]
Designation: Forsaken
Danger Level: ???
This being was once human. Now twisted by survival, abandonment, or choice.
Forsaken.
I pressed my back against the bark, hardly breathing.
Once human?
Was this someone like me?
Or what I'd become if I stayed here too long?
It stood for a moment, sniffing the air. Then it moved again—slipping deeper into the trees like a shadow.
I stayed frozen for what felt like forever.
And then I ran.
That night, I climbed into a tree.
It was hard. My arms shook. But I managed to wedge myself between two thick limbs and hold still, trying to ignore the ache, the hunger, the fear.
I didn't sleep much.
And when I did…
The system whispered in my dreams.
[Survival Milestone Achieved]
Trait Unlocked: Vigilance
Your instincts sharpen in unfamiliar terrain. Detection radius expanded.
Day 1: Complete. 7,263 Remain.
What?
I blinked awake, heart racing.
Seven thousand what?
Was that how many days I had left?
Or how long I'd already been here?
The system didn't answer.
Only the wind.
And it was starting to sound like whispers.