In the endless darkness, a sound rumbled. A black cube, pitch-dark, swirled and twisted—a wormhole feeding on living, hot red light that reflected off the floating dust.
From the darkness, a human silhouette began to emerge, imprinted line by line
Those eyes slowly opened, from a long slumber.
Thanwa felt a chilling cold spread across his bare skin. He tried to move, but a mysterious pressure made his body feel light, as if floating in the air.
The black cube floated above his chest, making soft mechanical clicks in the silence.
{Welcome to Endros. Please name the clone.}
A faint female voice echoed in his head. Thanwa blinked, his heart pounding with a strange sensation. The voice echoed again.
{Please name the clone.}
He tried to calm himself, but the confusion made his head ache.
"Where is this…?"
His voice echoed in the rusty container. Dim light filtered through dry vines. The black Rubik's Cube floated around, like a playful puppy.
"Thanwa…" The voice in his head spoke again, gently, evoking something he couldn't recall.
"My name is Thanwa," he replied immediately with confidence.
Suddenly, the black cube floating on his chest glowed blue. Patterns flowed like water droplets on glass.
{Welcome back, Thanwa.}
The voice whispered softly, with a trembling, hopeful feeling. The blue light slowly faded, leaving only a rhythmic flicker, amidst the profound silence broken by the soft voice in his head.
{Hello Thanwa, I am 'Eris', the processing system and personal assistant of the clone owner of 'Black Box'.}
{Eris will help guide you through basic functions and survival on the planet Endros.}
Thanwa tried to concentrate, listening to the voice in his head gradually becoming clearer, while sensing a certain power connected to himself.
{Currently syncing data with the clone, which is a newly created body, to help you adapt to the environment efficiently.}
A status screen appeared in the air.
Health Points (HP): 100/100 — If depleted, you will enter a "dead" state and cannot be revived, or will be permanently deleted from the Black Box system.
Energy Points (EP): 50/50 — Used for movement and special skills.
Strength (STR): 10 — Determines attack power and crafting ability.
Agility (AGI): 12 — Affects speed and evasion.
Thanwa nodded slowly, feeling as if he was being evaluated and prepared for a new beginning.
He took a deep breath before moving, feeling as if he didn't have enough strength to support himself. He carefully stepped out of the container box. Outside was a forest mixed with the ruins of an old, desolate civilization. Vines covered corroded metal structures. Tall trees and dark green leaves contrasted with the gray hues of rusty iron.
{You can check your status by saying "Show Status" or "Status".}
{Main Quest added: "Endros" Condition: Conquer or Destroy. No time limit.}
{Side Quest added: "Survival Guide01" Condition: Collect Wood 0/10, Stone 0/10. No time limit.}
"Understood… Eris," he said softly with firm resolve, looking at the motionless black cube. It wasn't just an ordinary toy; it was the key to his destiny in this world.
Thanwa began to explore the surrounding area. His eyes caught sight of broken wood fragments scattered around and various shaped stones lying on the ground. He picked up a small piece of wood.
{System: The clone can inspect surrounding objects with the command "Scan" or "Scan".}
He used it immediately. The cube emitted a blue signal wave, showing a spot where there was stone. He tried to bend down and pick up a stone that seemed light but strong. In an instant, the stone disintegrated into dust, with a report in his head.
{System: Received 1 "Stone". You can view items in the Black Box with the command "Open Inventory".}
Thanwa collected enough wood and stone.
{System: You can call up the crafting menu by saying "Open Craft" to create basic tools.} Thanwa decided to try the command.
"Open Craft Bar," he said in a low voice. The black box moved in front of him, and a transparent menu bar appeared in hologram form.
{Recommended Menu: Create "Stone Axe" or "Stone Hammer".}
{Materials: 1 Wood, 1 Stone.}
Thanwa thought it over and finally chose to create a stone axe, as it would likely help with cutting wood more easily. He selected "Stone Axe" and waited for the system to process.
{System: Creating "Stone Axe". Please wait a moment.}
Soft mechanical sounds came from the black box, along with blue light forming the shape of an axe, with a wooden handle and a rough stone blade.
{System: Stone Axe is ready for use in inventory.}
Thanwa smiled confidently. He tried to summon the axe from his inventory. The axe handle emerged from the black box.
"This is more interesting," Thanwa said, looking at other craft tabs that were still locked.
{Level 1: Basic Tools (Wood, Stone) Level 2: Improved Tools (Metal,"""animal hide) Level 3: Intermediate Tools (Electric Crafting and Synthesis) Level 4: Advanced Tools (Alien Technology) Level 5: Legendary Tools (Must be discovered and unlocked)}
"It looks like I'll need a lot of stuff to unlock everything," he looked at it with wide eyes, like a child with a new toy. A feeling of excitement mixed with challenge awaited him.
This world held many secrets for him to discover, and he would use every tool and every ability to survive and conquer this Endros star.
{System: Quest "Gather Wood 10/10, Stone 10/10" completed.}
{System: Added sub-quest "Check area security."}
{System: Sub-quest "Eliminate unknown creatures 0/3" 800 meters away.}
Thanwa checked the bow crafting equipment. It required string, which a scan showed was not in the area. He moved closer to the target, observing the decreasing distance to ensure he didn't get lost.
Along the way, he found large footprints, similar in size to bear tracks. Not far away, deep claw marks appeared on tree bark. His anxiety doubled as the footprints headed in the same direction as him.
He continued walking until the distance was less than a hundred meters. Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed through the forest. Leaves rustled and branches snapped under some kind of pressure. A large shadow moved behind the trees.
Thanwa quickly moved to hide behind a log, with the black box following closely. In front of him, a monster resembling a porcupine the size of a bear was using its long claws to slice through the neck of another monster, which looked like a giant doll. It shook its head and swung its tail, which resembled a club with hard bumps, hitting the other monster's face until it fell flat.
{System: Monster "Brubeast" found. Level: Unknown.}
{System: Monster "Grackol" found. Level: Unknown.}
Thanwa gripped his axe tightly, breathing heavily. The roar seemed to rip his soul from his body. He didn't know if it would kill him first, or if the other one would kill it first, but one thing was for sure... he had to survive.
{System: Sub-quest "Eliminate Brubeast 0/3" 800 meters away.}
The Brubeast's roar made the treetops tremble. Dust flew up from the impact.
It lunged and slammed into the Grackol, hitting the base of a tree with a loud thud!Orange maple leaves fluttered in the air.
Thanwa gritted his teeth, muscles tensed throughout his body. His right hand gripped the axe so tightly it hurt. His pulse pounded in his ears. He tried to calm himself, breathing softly, as if he were one with the log.
His eyes were emotionless. His pupils reflected the flickering shadow of the beast before him, like a wolf watching its prey.
Grackol rumbled, a gurgling sound in its throat, like opening a bottle. It spat a thick purple liquid from its mouth at the arrogant Broobeast.
It splattered everywhere. A drop of the liquid touched the bark in front of Thanwa. It fizzed into tiny bubbles, corroding into porous holes in an instant. Smoke rose in wisps from the bark.
The Broobeast thrashed, trying to slide its body through the bushes. Grackol seized the opportunity, opening its mouth and lunging at the Broobeast.
It slammed the ground, swinging its body and lashing its tail.
"Damn it…" Thanwa slowly backed away. The black box floated silently behind him. It trembled slightly, as if sensing the tension erupting before them.
The Broobeast flung spear-sized quills through the air. Grackol swished its tail, deflecting some. Several pierced its neck.
Followed by a dull thud, like a dart hitting a board. An arm-sized quill whizzed past Thanwa's ear. He reached out, touching it into his pocket, while glancing at Grackol, who was still relentless.
It shook its head, biting the Broobeast, sinking its fangs into its shoulder. A roar echoed through the forest floor.
The Broobeast swung its claws, raking Grackol's chest with a loud tearing sound. Grackol's body flew over Thanwa's head with immense force. He met its bulging yellow eyes.
Thanwa didn't wait for the fight to conclude. He lunged sideways, dodging the violent clash of the two monsters, using a large bush as cover.
The battle ended with severe injuries. Grackol left its tail as a souvenir at the Broobeast's lair. It panted heavily but didn't stop. It used its forearms to sweep leaves into a pile in the roots of a large tree.
Thanwa watched from a distant rock, using a tree to conceal himself. His body was still heaving from the escape, but his gaze was fixed, unblinking.
A low growl emanated from the Broobeast's throat. It panted rapidly, its body drenched in sweat. Its muscles twitched slightly with every movement. It wasn't preparing to fight again, but lay on its side beneath the mass of large tree roots, seemingly trying to gather leaves into a nest.
"Could it be…"
Its heavy breathing echoed in his ears. Thanwa's eyes widened slightly, immediately realizing this was not the time to startle it. He moved slowly, retreating from the rock line to the bushes on the opposite side, listening intently to his surroundings to ensure nothing was following him.
Looking back, Thanwa saw something moving beneath the Broobeast.
"Eris, look! Its baby…" The black box moved forward slightly, as if shielding its gaze.
He saw two small pairs of front legs slowly emerge. Then, its entire body, covered in clear mucus, slowly moved out. The small, dull-colored body, the size of a small dog, was covered in soft fur. It squirmed and let out soft, high-pitched cries.
The Broobeast gently licked the little one, nudging leaves under its baby with its nose.
Its face was unusually pale gray, especially around Grackol's bite wound, which had turned a dark reddish-brown. Its pulse in its neck slowed steadily. Cold sweat beaded on its fur. It was forcing itself despite being poisoned.
The little Broobeast burrowed for its mother's teat, unaware that its mother was breathing her last.
"…It's just a mother animal…" Thanwa murmured softly, feeling strange inside, as if what had once seemed terrifying had become another ordinary life in an extraordinary world. A life fighting for another life. Thanwa ordered Eris to sneak in and scan for data.
{System: New data recorded: "Broobeast" Species: Predator, Mammal, Territorial. Tends to avoid combat when new offspring are born.}
{Toxic residue from Grackol detected in bloodstream: Moderate severity.}
"Search for antidote for Grackol's poison." Eris was silent for a moment, before her voice returned clearly in Thanwa's head.
{Searching… Checking Grackol poison in field data archives.}
{Partial data found: Grackol's poison contains Gravas Bioacid Type B+. It causes nervous system paralysis, destroys tissue around the wound, and infiltrates the bloodstream.}
{Antidote: No ready-made antidote found nearby.}
{Suggestion: Extract basic antidote from Silver Fenril Leaves + Crossnite Root Bark + Protein from Winged Insect Mucus and Grackol Blood.}
Thanwa clenched his fist. He glanced at the mother Broobeast's body, which was still trying to push itself up even as its strength began to fade.
"…Show me sample images of those plants and insects."
A small hologram displayed images of the three ingredients: thin, shimmering silver leaves, bark resembling dry, cracked muscle, and a transparent insect.
{System added item: "Antidote" Duration 11:59} Time was counting down.
Objective:"""Gathering Materials 4/4
"Just be patient..." Thanwa turned his back on the new mother in the roots. He didn't turn back again, but his heart was filled with a strange feeling... as if something in this world wasn't completely dead yet.
It seemed the antidote required another level of crafting skill that needed skill points. According to Aris's calculations, killing that Grackle should yield one or two levels, which would be enough to unlock the skill. So, the Grackle was a suitable first target.
The black box led the way, scanning footprints as it went.
The footprints led them down to a flooded area, thick with dead black roots.
It was possible that the scavenger might return to attack the weakened prey. As for the mother and child, even though she had given birth, she probably wasn't ready to fight much. Thanwa stopped briefly along the way, wiping blood from a leaf for Aris to analyze.
[System: No acidity found in the biological sample.]
He stopped, lurking under the misty gray shadows of the trees. The air carried a fishy smell. He scanned his eyes towards the sound of dragging vines. The folded earth and large roots formed a natural wall for the Grackle.
It squawked, true to its name. Its head emerged from the hole, its glowing eyes blinking.
Thanwa quieted his breathing as much as possible, looking around the area. He crept along the tree hollows, moving above the nest. One hand grabbed a small, palm-sized stone and threw it in another direction.
A "thud!" from the stone hitting the tree trunk immediately rang out. The Grackle instinctively flinched, turning towards the sound.
That's it...
Thanwa lunged from the shadows just as the enemy turned its back. He soared above its head, raising his axe, and swung it with his hand, striking the center of its skull.
The Grackle roared loudly, thrashing wildly, its claws missing his head by less than a palm's width. Thanwa didn't retreat. He slid down its neck, using the momentum to throw himself and strike the axe into its back. The sound of bones shattering was clear.
"You won't touch them..." He gritted his teeth, striking again. The beast collapsed motionless.
Thanwa stood panting for a moment. The hot breath in his chest slowly subsided. Amidst the smell of blood and the rustling of leaves, he looked back towards the Brubeast's nest. Although it was too far to see, he knew it was still there, holding its child tightly under the roots.
"The gift I gave you... is another night of peace."
[Level Up: Level 1 - 3]
[Skill Points Gained: + 3]
[Health +20] The black box shook slightly as if pleased, then quieted down.
"Aris, can I put this in the box?" The black box moved away.
{N-no, living creatures cannot be put in there.} She reported, her voice trembling.
An image of the equipment crafting bar appeared, specifically highlighting the red Grackle leather pouch.
Thanwa smiled faintly at the corner of his mouth. "But it's dead now, isn't it? Just put it away, I'm too lazy to skin it."
{I'll pass.}
***
{Aris here. Please cheer on the Brubeast, everyone!}