Salt hits the air as waves roll onto the shore. A young man lies face down on the wet sand. His fingers twitch first. Then his arms press into the ground with slow effort. He lifts his head. His eyes open to a bright sky. His breath shakes. His heartbeat pounds in his ears.
His mind sits empty. No name. No family. No history. The emptiness hurts more than the cold. He pushes himself upright and grips his chest as he tries to remember anything. Nothing returns.
A sharp sound pops in front of him. Blue light forms into text.
[Survival Odyssey System Online]
[Player Count: 100000]
[Primary Objective: Outlast all other factions. Secure a stable territory. Survive.]
[Memory Extraction Protocol Complete]
He stares at the last line. His throat tightens. This system did something to him. It took everything he once knew. His hands curl into fists in the sand.
Another panel appears.
[Assigned Trait: Endurance Start]
[Minor boost to stamina. Minor boost to natural recovery.]
He lowers his hands and looks at his body. Rough cloth pants. Light shirt. Bare feet. Thin frame. Sand sticks to his skin in patches. A cold breeze runs across his back. The beach stretches far to the left and right. Dark trees rise behind him.
A small object sits near his leg. He picks it up. It is a crude stone knife. The grip feels rough and uneven. He tests the blade with his thumb and flinches at the sharp sting. A thin line of blood appears on his skin.
Broken crates lie scattered along the shoreline. Wood fragments. Ripped rope. Shattered containers. He walks to the nearest crate and pushes aside the broken pieces. Inside sits a torn rope and a small chunk of dried meat. He pockets both. He moves to another crate. Empty. The next one holds a metal shard. One edge looks sharp enough to cut. He keeps it.
A low growl breaks the quiet. He freezes and turns toward the tree line. Leaves shift. A small creature steps out. It looks like a thin boar with long legs and red eyes. It sniffs the air and stares at him.
A new panel flashes.
[Threat Level: Minor]
[Warning: Early stage aggression likely.]
He steps back with slow control. The creature tilts its head then loses interest. It trots back into the forest. His breath takes time to steady.
He turns inland. Footprints cover the sand. Different shapes and sizes. Many recent. He follows a set of deep prints. The path leads into the forest where the light grows dim under the canopy. Broken branches and scattered leaves show signs of rushed movement. Voices echo in the distance. Hard to judge how far. Tension rings through each word.
He continues forward and spots a destroyed starter crate near a small cluster of trees. Cloth strips lie inside with a broken stone hatchet and a small pouch. He opens the pouch and finds smooth white pebbles.
[Resource: Rune Pebbles]
[Used for basic mana tasks.]
He pockets the pouch and keeps moving.
A scream cuts through the forest. Sharp. Close. He turns and sprints toward the sound. Branches scrape his arms as he pushes through the undergrowth. His legs feel weak but the Endurance Start trait helps him keep pace. The ground tilts downward. He jumps over roots and bursts into a clearing.
A young boy runs across the open space with a beast close behind him. The creature stands larger than the thin boar on the beach. Thick fur. Long claws. Dark eyes that fix on its target. The boy stumbles. The creature closes in.
The man runs forward. His knife stays tight in his grip. The boy falls. The beast leaps. The man slams the blade into the side of the beast's throat. The beast shrieks and swings its claw across his ribs. Pain shoots through his side and knocks him back.
The boy scrambles to his feet and grabs a rock. He strikes the beast from behind. The beast turns toward him. The man pushes himself up again. He lunges and drives the knife deeper into the beast's throat. Warm blood runs across his hand. The beast jerks and collapses.
The man breathes hard and holds his ribs. The boy backs away but keeps his focus on the man.
"Thanks," the boy says with a shaky voice. "I need to leave. Players near 'the ridge' attack anyone. Do not trust them."
The boy runs into the trees and vanishes.
A panel appears
[Skill Increase: Basic Combat LV1]
[Minor boost to strength and control.]
The man sits on a fallen log and presses a hand to his ribs. The pain throbs. He steadies his breathing and waits for the pain to fade a little. No memory comes to him. No name forms in his mind. The emptiness stays.
He stands and looks at the dense forest. Tall trunks block much of the sky. Thick vines hang from branches. Sounds hide between layers of foliage. Every shift in the leaves sends a jolt through him.
He gathers basic resources with small steps. A strong stick works as a crude club. A flat stone fits in his pocket. He follows a thin stream and kneels to drink. The water feels cold and clears some of the fog in his head. He washes the blood off his hands. His reflection shows short dark hair and tired eyes. Nothing looks familiar.
Metal hits wood somewhere ahead. He freezes and crouches behind a thick tree. Voices follow.
"We build here," one person says.
"Take everything from anyone close to us," another responds.
He peeks through the leaves. A group of five players surrounds a small fire. They wear rough armor made from bark and hide. They carry metal scraps shaped into weapons. Their movements stay alert. Hard. They move with a level of confidence that suggests experience or violence.
He watches them place sharpened stakes into the ground. One of them checks the trees with narrow eyes. Another sorts supplies taken from defeated players. He sees bags, tools, and scraps of clothing.
A 'prompt' forms at the edge of his vision.
[Faction: Ridge Hunters]
[Behavior: Hostile]
[Threat: High]
He tightens his grip on the knife. He steps back with slow care to avoid making noise.
He moves away from the 'ridge' and follows the stream deeper into the forest. The light grows dim as the trees block the sun. He finds a narrow area between two large roots. It sits hidden from sight. He crouches and collects small branches for a shelter frame. His hands shake from pain and fatigue but he forces himself to continue.
As he works, he hears distant shouting. Aggressive. A fight breaks out far from his location. Metal on metal. Cracking wood. A scream follows. Silence returns after brief chaos.
The man lifts his head. He studies the forest and tries to gauge distance. Danger stays everywhere. He sets the frame of his shelter and ties the rope around the branches. The structure looks weak but enough for the moment.
He sits against one of the roots with the knife in his lap. His breath slows. He closes his eyes and tries to summon even one memory. A face. A voice. A place. Nothing arrives. Only the empty space in his mind.
Another panel appears.
[Night Cycle Approaching]
[Threat Levels Increase After Sunset]
[Recommendation: Secure shelter and prepare weapons]
He opens his eyes and looks at the darkening sky. The light fades. Cold air drifts through the forest.
He stands again. He cannot stop. He gathers more branches for a fire. He picks up a few stones and shapes a small circle for heat and light. He keeps the flame low so hostile players will not see it.
A large shadow moves far beyond the trees. Heavy steps. Slow rhythm. The sound grows faint as the figure moves away.
The man waits with the knife tight in his hand.
He does not know his name. He does not know his past.
He knows one thing.
He must survive the night.