The sounds of thunder faded away as he pressed deeper into the forest, clutching his still-healing left arm close to his chest. Despite the horrible pain from the burns, he still retained enough sense of mind to keep a watchful eye on his surroundings, looking for any hint of further danger.

As he made his way across the forest floor, he came upon a strange flower with blood-red petals and a slim, thorny spine. Not wanting to take any chances that even this tiny innocuous plant might try to kill him, he cast Observation.

Leo knelt next to the plant after reading its description. It appeared to be safe, but he was still hesitant to trust an ability he hadn’t come to fully understand yet. Could the information on his skill display ever be wrong?

After a moment’s consideration, he decided now was as good a time as any to start learning the workings of the world. Motivated by the throbbing pain in his left arm, he reached over and plucked a bright red petal before slowly placing it in his mouth.

The saliva on his tongue quickly dissolved its surprisingly dry and brittle structure, releasing an overpowering bitter flavor that spread down his throat. He shivered as the unpleasant taste transformed into a gentle, cooling sensation that spread throughout his body. The pain in his arm was still horrible but he noticed a visible increase in the speed at which the remaining burns were normalizing.

Bloody Widow grants +10% health regeneration. Duration: 2 minutes.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill Herbalism! Rarity: Common, Skill level: Novice level 1. Destroying nature one plant at a time. 1% higher chance to successfully pick an ingredient of Rare class and below.

Needing a place to store the ingredient, he took off his shirt and tied the ends of both his sleeves and the opening at the base to create a sort of rudimentary knapsack. Then, very gingerly, he pulled the entire flower out of the ground and stowed it away, ensuring to avoid the thorns on its stem as he did so.

It was a few more minutes of aimless wandering before he spied the same type of ingredient. As he went to harvest this one, the stem snapped in his hands. Immediately, the petals wilted while the rest of the plant shriveled up and turned black as if it had been drained of all its moisture. Apparently, there was a trick to this.

For the next one he came across, he tried digging around its roots, getting them to relinquish their hold on the earth before pulling up the entire plant. Much to his satisfaction, nothing broke and the flower didn’t degrade.

Skill level-up! Herbalism: Level 2! (1% -> 2%) higher chance to successfully pick an ingredient of Rare class and below.

Leo continued onwards, stopping occasionally to try to harvest any useful sounding ingredients he came across. He quickly found that each type had to be harvested in its own unique way or else it would decay much like his first failure had.

After over an hour of slow-paced travel through the dense underbrush and increasing his Herbalism skill another two levels, he stopped and listened. It was faint but the distinct sound of trickling water could be heard over the ambient rustling of leaves. Picking up his pace, he raced over to the source of the sound, ducking under low-hanging branches and hopping over roots as his thirst drove him eagerly forward.

The forest gave way to a peaceful clearing where a large pond was being fed by a small waterfall. The clear water reflected the blue sky and his disheveled appearance as he trampled over to the edge of the pool. It was entirely possible that drinking this water could get him some weird magical disease, but after being electrocuted and tromping around in the forest for several hours, he didn’t really care.

Leo set down the odd assortment of plants he had gathered, deciding to take an appropriate accounting of them later. Restraining the urge to drink directly from the source, he knelt and cupped a small handful of the life-giving substance. When the liquid didn’t melt his skin, he brought it up to his lips to take a sip. It had the faintest trace of pine to it but otherwise appeared to just be regular water. Still, he watched his health bar and status window for any anomalies to indicate it was poisonous. After roughly ten minutes passed and nothing happened, he greedily drank until his stomach was sloshing with the refreshing fluid.

Your body is hydrated, Mana Regeneration increased by 10%.

Well, that was a relief. He had found a source of water and it hadn’t tried to kill him. Leo sat back on his hands and closed his eyes, taking a moment to reflect on his situation. He had been cast into a foreign world with no memory of how he arrived, as a level-one, stuck thousands of feet in the air on a large, floating island that happened to be inhabited by terrifying lightning-shooting birds.

Just as he was beginning to think the grave that had been dug for him couldn’t get any deeper, the sharp crack of a nearby twig proved otherwise. Leo spun to find a group of wolves attempting to sneak up on him, saliva dripping from their open mouths.

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Skill level-up! Listening: Novice level 2! Distinctly pick up any sound you focus on up to (5 -> 10) feet away.

Skill level-up! Observation: Novice level 2! Access general information about your target up to (5 -> 10) levels higher than you.

“Easy now, you don’t want to eat me. I got charred a little too much recently.” He spoke in a soft, calming tone while slowly standing to face the beasts. It might’ve been the way the lead wolf was licking its chops, but he was beginning to doubt his words were getting through. The term wolfish gaze had never felt so accurate.

The pack let out a low, guttural growl as they spread out in a rough semi-circle, eyeing him like a dog might a delicious-looking steak. Leo looked around in rapidly rising panic, trying desperately to find a way out of the situation that didn’t result in him becoming a very painful chew toy. There were six of them and even though they didn’t look to be fully grown, if he was as weak as his character sheet implied, they’d tear him to ribbons.

He backed away as the pack began to advance. The splash of water as his foot entered the pond let him know just how screwed he was. There was no way he could swim across the pond faster than the wolves could run to the other side. Even if the wolves didn’t swim after him, the pack only needed to surround the pond and he’d be stuck treading water until he drowned from exhaustion. Raising his fists in what he thought was a defensive posture, he waited to see which wolf would make the first move.

His rapidly floundering brain snagged onto a hopeless idea, and Leo backed into the pond until the water came up just below his waist. A maniacal grin spread across his face as the pack moved to follow his retreat, padding up into the shallows. The largest of the wolves made a quick growl and broke out of formation, slowly closing in while the rest stayed back.

A quick Observation told him that this one was probably the leader of the small pack at level three. The wolf steadily kept moving forward until the water rose to its gaunt stomach. Then right as the muscles in its back haunches tightened, Leo triggered his new skill Arc Bolt!

An immediate headache akin to a jackhammer driving into his brain made him stumble as his mana bar dropped to nothing. Blood began to trickle from his nose and a sense of nausea washed over him, but he had already fully committed to the attack.

He could feel the power coursing through his body, routing to the focal point he had imagined in the palm of his hand. Blue motes of energy broke through his skin, gathering for a heartbeat before shooting out in a burst of lightning! It slammed into the large wolf’s face, catching it just as it began its leap. Sparks jolted off its fur as the electricity moved down the beast’s body and used the conductivity of the water to spread across the pond’s surface.

The already tense muscles of the wolf seized up and it fell face-first in the water, stunned. The others of the pack fared better as they were hit indirectly by the shock, but still another two found their bodies go rigid from the dissipating electricity.

The combined pain of the mana depletion and his own electric shock threatened to overwhelm his senses. Leo gritted his teeth, trying to ignore it even as half his health vanished in an instant. It was fortunate he hadn’t ended up in a similarly stunned state as before. Despite the pain that ransacked his body, he knew he wouldn’t get another chance. He dove headfirst into the pond, desperation giving strength to his limbs as he swam for his life to the opposing shore, hardly noticing the frigid cold waters in his adrenaline-fueled panic.

The remaining wolves hesitated for a few seconds, clearly not wanting to leave their leader and fellow pack members behind, but their anger and hunger must’ve won them over. They quickly rushed out of the water, racing to cut Leo off at the far shore. It was that moment of hesitation he witnessed that allowed him to reach the other side first.

When he stumbled back on shore, the wolves were only about halfway towards his position. He waded out of the shallows and sprinted for the cover of the towering trees, hoping to lose them in the thick undergrowth.

It felt like the forest was against him as the low hanging branches and hazardous roots forced him to slow his pace. He glanced at his mana bar and cursed its slow regeneration. There was no way he’d be able to cast another Arc Bolt before the pack reached him. Already he could hear their yapping growing closer behind him.

A flash of grey to his right let him know that his pursuers had caught up to him, and he tried to pivot to his left, desperate to throw them off his trail before they could box him in completely. His feral mind struggled to come up with a plan as he barreled through the forest like a wild animal, the feeling of being hunted whisking away all rational thought.

Sudden pain shot through his leg as a pair of jaws clamped down on his calf muscles, throwing him off balance and rolling on the ground. Leo reflexively punched the wolf in the snout, forcing it to tear a chunk out of his leg as it let go. Another wolf darted in, looking to take advantage of his downed state, only to jump back in surprise as he lashed a kick with his other leg at it.

The pain from his injuries had become an afterthought in his frantic need to get away, and he crawled desperately in the dirt, flailing limbs to keep the surrounding canines off him. Somewhere in the back of his panicked mind, he realized the danger his flashing red health bar meant.

He tried to find his feet but his body failed him and he fell back down to his knees. The growling of the wolves grew in intensity as they encircled their prey. They knew their game of chase had come to an end, that they had finally caught their quarry.

Leo looked up in despair. All he could see was the sharp gleam of fangs as the pack closed in from all sides. His shoulders slumped in defeat. He was out of ideas.

You have killed Forest Wolf (Level 3) by drowning. You gain 117 Exp.

DING!

Congratulations! You have reached level 2! You have gained +3 attribute points.

The notifications flashed through his screen with a high-pitched chime just as an aura of golden light exploded from his body. Immediately, his health and mana bar completely refilled. His torn leg mended itself, regrowing the missing flesh before his eyes as a refreshing wave of energy flooded his body. The sensation of being restored from the brink of death was pure bliss.

The wolves hesitated for another second, the sudden burst of light his level-up had caused making them wary. Leo took that moment to throw two of his attribute points in Dexterity before jumping over the back of a surprised wolf and taking off again.

Newfound power surged through his limbs, and the forest that had been so treacherous before suddenly felt open to him as the branches and roots became easier to anticipate and avoid. He banked left around an outcropping of rocks, glancing around at the surrounding environment, looking for anything that might give him the edge he needed to survive!

The forest to his left didn’t hold any promising options—he could climb a tree and hope the pack would lose interest after a while, but that relied on the pack actually losing interest, and he had just killed their leader. On his right protruded the steep granite face of a mountain in an unscalable wall.

Just as he was growing desperate, he spotted something up ahead. An indentation in the rocky slope seemed to lead back to the narrow confines of a cave. The wolves were several dozen paces behind him; it seemed his improved dexterity slightly outpaced theirs, but he doubted he could outlast them. If it came down to a fight, he would rather be the one picking the terms.

He headed for the narrow passage, more of a crevice than an actual entrance. Its side walls were too close together to allow for more than one wolf to enter at a time, while the ground was peppered with sharp-looking stalagmites he hoped his boots would cushion.

Leo reached the opening and had to angle his body slightly to fit through the entrance. The air inside the crevice grew cooler and damper the farther in he pressed, while the rough stone walls lost their warmth.

He was halfway in when the five remaining wolves reached the entrance. The first one hesitated at the narrow confines of the opening, unsure of what to do. Until once again, hunger drove the group forward. They slowly filed in after him, nervous growls and yaps reverberating off the cave walls.

After just a little bit farther, he could see the entrance open up into a mid-sized rocky cavern that held a tunnel branching off its far side. Leo was breathing hard and he didn’t know how much farther he could push this chase. He looked back; his pursuers were having trouble avoiding the smaller stalagmites dotting the rocky floor. More than one wolf had a bloody paw, and the one in front ran with an obvious limp.

You have entered the Garden of Erreth.

Leo barely acknowledged the notification as he stepped into the cavern, as the wolves were more dangerous than some garden. He put his last remaining stat point into Origin as Arc Bolt was his only offensive weapon, bringing his total mana pool up to twenty. A fight was inevitable, and he wouldn’t get a better chance than this.

The first canine had almost made it through the entrance, rushing towards him at a half-limping, half-running gait. Leo lifted his hand, and streams of electricity raced down his arms to launch from his fingertips. The bolt of energy crashed into the body of the injured wolf, causing it to seize up and slide across the ground in a tumble with the momentum of its headlong charge.

Without breaking stride, the next wolf in line leapt over its comrade and barreled through the entrance. Leo’s dexterity was just enough to allow him to evade the first jumping snap of the beast’s jaws as it fell in a heap behind him right as another entered the room. Before the newcomer in front had a chance to attack, Leo struck it too with an Arc Bolt, downing it, and nearly paralyzing himself with the backlash of the mana headache that followed.

You have killed Forest Wolf (Level 2). You gain 65 Exp.

You have killed Forest Wolf (Level 2). You gain 62 Exp.

The remaining two wolves flowed in, nimbly avoiding the bodies of their comrades that crowded the entrance. Not wanting to give them time to coordinate, he leapt at the wolf behind him with a flurry of blows, striking it across the head and stomach and eliciting a pained yelp from his target.

A heavy weight slammed into his back as sharp claws pierced his body. Leo desperately threw his back against the wall as the canine tried to use its position to go for his throat. The wolf clinging to him was crushed with his body weight, and it slumped to the ground. He had just enough time to deliver a sharp kick to its fallen form before another attack forced him to dive out of the way.

As he rolled to his knees, another set of teeth clamped down on his forearm, trying to drag him to the stone floor. He ground his teeth against the agonizing pain and clawed at the eyes of his attacker. The pack would tear him apart if they managed to bring him to the ground.

The wolf pulled back with a savage bark, letting go of his gored arm as an eyeball hung limply out of its socket. The other canine still standing went to make a pass at him, but it backed off as he swung his bloodied hand its way with a yell. “You think I’m done for! I’ll kick any one of your overgrown Corgi asses!”

He staggered to his feet, his vision a hazy red as he looked for his next target. The wolf he had slammed against the wall was slowly picking itself back up, bringing the number of wolves still standing to three. He stepped forward, releasing a low growl of his own, his eyes focused on the surviving pack members he needed to take down. If he was going to die, he would take at least one more of these mutts with him.

Raising his blood-splattered arms, he prepared to pounce on the uninjured surviving pack member. Fear and hesitation seemed to flicker through the wolves’ eyes as they reevaluated their decision. What they must’ve thought was easy prey had ended up killing off half their pack. Their moment of indecision came to an end when Leo stepped forward with a bestial roar. The wolves took a step back and fled out through the crevice, tails tucked firmly between their legs.

Leo stood frozen in the same position, his mind refusing to believe the fight was over. The wolves would return, another enemy would appear, something would happen! With a great mental effort, he lowered his arms, trying to force the tension of the brutal conflict out of him. The red haze that clouded his vision slowly dissipated and he staggered forward, the weariness and pain hitting him all at once.

“Owwww...” he breathed, sliding to the ground as he clutched his ruined arm. The fight had been a blur from his crazed escape to his last stand in the cave. He had never been through something so intense in his life! The idea that he had just fought off a pack of wolves was ludicrous, but he had made it! He had survived!

He started to chuckle at the whole situation. He had almost died twice and it hadn’t even been more than five hours since he landed in this dumb world.

I must have the worst luck imaginable, he thought before realizing with his stat at one that statement might actually be true. The thought turned his chuckling into laughter. He didn’t know why he found the idea so funny or how he was even able to laugh in the situation he was in, but it continued for what seemed like ages until all the nervous tension he had accumulated upon arriving here seemed to drain out of his body. As the last of his fit finally subsided, his eyelids grew heavy, and he leaned his back against the cold stone wall and let his mind drift away.