Frieda and I arrived back at the cave entrance. Her breathing had turned slow and regular, so I imagined she was sleeping.

Actually, I felt extremely disoriented, but I wasn’t sure why. It was like I’d tuned out of the world for the walk back to base, and at some point, flashed back into reality.

It was disturbing, but I couldn’t think of any causes of the confusion, so I shook it off, and lay on the ground, leaning so Frieda would slide off gently.

I put the packets of herbs down in the corner of the room and yawned. It was still night time, so there was still some time for me to get some rest. But since I’d plopped Frieda onto my nest, I had to sleep on the cold floor.

I guess I deserved it, after what I made her do. I didn’t regret what I did. If I hadn’t been there, she would’ve needed to fight that stalker off herself. I was doing this for her benefit.

But that didn’t stop me from feeling guilty. A hollow feeling filled my chest as I tried to rest. I couldn’t get comfortable, but I wasn’t sure if it was the floor or my emotions that caused it.

Eventually, I fell asleep.

When I woke, I saw that Frieda still snoozed in the comfortable nest I’d left her in. She’d rolled over, and a hand rested across her chest.

I will admit I was tempted to find some sort of whipped cream equivalent and do the ole “tickle the face” prank.

But I didn’t. It was light outside, and I didn’t think it was a good time to bother her. I stood up, stretching my stiff muscles, and groaned as I kickstarted the blood flow.

Maybe sunbathing would be nice again today. Though it felt like a waste of a day. I exited the cave again and made my way back towards the river Frieda had shown me.

No way I was gonna drink from the Watering Hole anytime soon. Like, sorry boys, but the chef ain’t tasting his own soup today.

It was a long walk to the river, but in the daylight, it was actually very interesting. All kinds of plants dotted the trailblazen path I took. Crimson berries shined in the light of the day, but when I observed them, I could see they were poisonous.

Hmm. I wonder if other people can see that, or if they have to experiment and find out the hard way…

As I headed towards the stream, a strange tickle ran up my spine. Quietly, I lowered myself to the ground, moving towards a cluster of long grass, and tried my best to blend into my surruondings. I surveyed the area, taking in every detail and trying to find the cause of the strange feeling.

Nothing…

I gave the area a second scan, but saw nothing. Hmm. There might not have been anything out there that my eyes could detect, but I’ve seen horror movies. I know that the bad guy always strikes after the good guys get goosebumps, but think they’re just hallucinating.

And in a world like this, where anything could kill you, and deadly predators hide around every corner? Yeah, no thanks. I’ll remain careful.

The tingling feeling on my spine continued, so I did my best to sneak away through the large leafy bushes. After I’d moved away a significant distance, I picked up speed, and within a few minutes, my nerves calmed.

Perhaps I had an overactive imagination, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Wow.

That thought was so much unlike my old self who, without fear, would rush into most battles, and almost never played stealth unless playing a solo campaign. Which, by the way, is one of the best ways to play.

Then again, could I consider this new world a singleplayer game? Was it a campaign mode? Or was it battle royale?

Whatever it was, I was determined to win it, or at least survive it. No more “dashing in without a plan” moments for me. So far, those had worked out terribly. And if I was going to be stealthily observing an area ahead, I’d make sure to scout out my surroundings carefully before approaching.

And I would definitely stay away from any edges. There would always be at least a foot’s worth of space between me and an edge, unless it was necessary for me to go further in.

These were rules I noted down mentally, ways that I might improve my “gameplay”. Until I had a clan, or a guild, solo play was going to be very dangerous. I didn’t expect to be going out with Frieda every night, because I didn’t think that to be sustainable.

Just for now, while I level her.

A pang of guilt bit at my stomach as I stopped my sneaking and resumed my hiking pace. Yeah, it would certainly hurt to force her to fight, but if she was going to be around me, it was only asking for danger.

Within the hour, I reached the river, and peered out from the trees before approaching. Various creatures hung out in groupings around the river, but it was thinner than it had been last night, almost half the size. Huge spiked shells, the size of my old forearm in length, sat around the edge of the water, fat wet tentacles laying out of the openings.

Those things look dangerous...

Cronto [Lvl 1]

These creatures float down rivers, collecting algae with their tentacles. Sometimes, they wash up on shore during low tide, and wait for the water to pull them back in.

Ironic that they look so strong, but they’re only level one…

I next observed a group of dinosaurs drinking from the river, and chewing on leaves and grass nearby. These dinos had massive armored plates covering their body, with a huge round mane of scales jutting out from around their necks like frilled lizards. Each possessed a single nasty horn which stuck out from the center of their heads, reaching an armslength away from their faces.

Aspisaurus [Level 23]

These creatures are strong pack animals. They travel everywhere together, rarely ever venturing off alone. When they sleep, they form an outer facing circle, linking the natural shields around their necks together, and forming an impenetrable wall to protect their young.

Wicked!

I could tell they were herbivores from what they were eating, and from their builds, they didn’t move that fast, so it was probably safe for me to approach the river.

Just as I was about to, a lone creature exited the forest on the other side, approaching the river to drink.

The best way I could describe this thing was a fusion between a saber-toothed tiger and a porcupine. Sharp quills lay around the beasts neck, like a collar of needles. They were flat against its speckled pelt, and dotted the rest of its body, sticking off of elbows, ankles, and the tip of the its tail.

Fat claws emerged from each of its paws, and even when they weren’t extended, they bit into the earth as it walked towards the river.

But the scariest part about it was the boiling red liquid.

Trickling out of the beasts mouth, and sizzling when it reached the ground, the drool of apparent lava dripped lazily as it opened its mouth, causing steam to rise up as it drank. I observed it, insanely curious, and also alarmed.

Then I remembered that there were creatures that could sense it. I instantly tried to cancel my observation, but the magic box appeared before me, as though saying “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Torvus, Prowler of the Depths [Lvl ???]

As the steam cleared, and Torvus hadn’t moved, I noticed something.

His yellow eyes, which gleamed with intelligence, were looking directly at me.