Pain. Not the sharp, chemical burn of the lab explosion, but a deep, throbbing ache. Kaelan Vance opened his eyes to a nightmare painted in twilight greens and greys. Towering trees, wider than subways tunnels, clawed at a bruised purple sky. The air stank of damp earth, rotting leaves, and something metallic. Blood. His blood, soaking through rough-spun fabric on his shoulder.
"Where...?" His voice was a rasp. Memory flooded back – the containment breach, the searing light, the crushing silence of death. Panic surged. "This isn't St. Mercy's ER..."
[Critical System Alert: Host Biometrics Stabilized. Soul Integration: 99.8 Complete.]
A translucent blue screen, crisp and alien, flickered before his eyes. Kaelan flinched.
System? Like a game? Is this reincarnation?The concept felt absurd, ripped from novel he'd binge-read during exams breaks. Yet, the pain, the alien forest, the impossible screen – denial crumbled.
[Initial Scan Complete.]
[Host Designation: Kaelan Vance]
[Origin: Earth (Designation: Sol-3), Deceased]
[Current World: Aethelia (Designation: Mundane Sphere Gamma-7)]
[Physique Reset: Peak Human Baseline (Age: Approx 18)]
[Status: Injured (Minor Laceration - Left Shoulder), Dehydrated, Mild Shock]
"XP? Titles? Okay, system, real helpful," Kaelan muttered, scanning the dense undergrowth. A distant howl echoed, primal and hungry. His grip tightened on the knife. Priorities: Water. Shelter. Don't get eaten.
He spotted a glint through the trees – sunlight on moving water. Moving meant noise, risk. Staying meant bleeding out or becoming prey. Choice made, he crept forward, every rustle of leaves magnifying his heartbeat.
He reached the stream's edge – clear, fast-flowing water cutting through stone. Relief warred with caution. He scanned the opposite bank. Nothing. Kneeling, he scooped water with his good hand, gulping it down. It tasted pure, cold, life-giving.
[Objective 1 Complete: Secure Hydration!]
A guttural snarl ripped through the calm. Kaelan spun, knife raised. Three creatures emerged from the ferns. Dog-sized, reptilian, covered in coarse brown scales, with saliva-dripping maws full of needle teeth. Their eyes glowed a sickly yellow.
[Analyze: Forest Scavenger (Juvenile)]
[Level: 1]
[Threat Assessment: Low-Moderate (Pack Behavior)]
[Weaknesses: Underbelly (Softer Scales), Eyes]
[Resistances: Minor Physical Blunt Force]
Low-Moderate? There's three of them! Kaelan's mind raced. Pack behavior. Divide and conquer? No time. The lead Scavenger lunged, a blur of scales and teeth aimed at his injured shoulder.
Instinct took over. Kaelan twisted, avoiding the direct bite. The creature's flank scraped his tunic. He brought the knife down hard, not on the tough back, but aiming for the neck joint. The blade bit deep, grating on bone. The Scavenger shrieked, thrashing.
[Critical Hit! Damage Dealt: 15 (Slashing)]
[Forest Scavenger (Juvenile) HP: 5/20]
The other two attacked simultaneously. Kaelan kicked out, catching one in the snout, sending it stumbling. The third latched onto his boot, teeth grinding against the leather. Pain shot up his leg. He stomped down hard on its head, once, twice, feeling something crunch. It released with a yelp.
[Damage Taken: 3 (Piercing)]
[Kaelan Vance HP: 17/20]
[Damage Dealt: 8 (Blunt)]
[Forest Scavenger (Juvenile) HP: 12/20]
The injured first Scavenger was recovering. Kaelan saw its beady eyes fixed on him, hateful. Focus! He feinted towards the one he'd kicked, then pivoted, driving his knife straight into the open maw of the one he'd stomped. It gagged, choking on black blood.
[Critical Hit! Damage Dealt: 22 (Piercing/Internal)]
[Forest Scavenger (Juvenile) DEFEATED! +15 XP]
One down. The uninjured one lunged again. Kaelan sidestepped, slashing wildly across its exposed underbelly as it passed. A spray of dark ichor.
[Damage Dealt: 12 (Slashing)]
[Forest Scavenger (Juvenile) HP: 8/20] (Bleeding)]
The first Scavenger, still bleeding from the neck, saw its packmate falter. Fear flickered in its yellow eyes. It snarled, but the sound lacked conviction. It backed away, then turned and fled into the undergrowth. The injured one followed, whimpering.
Kaelan stood panting, adrenaline making his hands shake. The stench of blood and reptile filled his nose. He'd survived. Barely.
[Combat Concluded!]
[Experience Gained: 30 XP]
[Level Up! You are now Level 2!]
A wave of warmth washed over him. The ache in his shoulder lessened, the pain in his bitten foot faded to a dull throb. His senses sharpened. Five glowing points appeared on a new screen.
[Attribute Points Available: 5]
[Strength: 10]
[Dexterity: 11]
[Constitution: 12]
[Intelligence: 15]
[Wisdom: 14]
[Charisma: 10]
Intelligence and Wisdom are high... probably leftover from my old life. Need survivability now. He allocated quickly: 2 to Constitution (HP boost, healing), 2 to Dexterity (speed, evasion), 1 to Strength (damage).
[New Skill Unlocked: Basic Blade Mastery (Lv.1)]
Knowledge flowed into him – proper grips, basic slashes, parries, footwork. It felt instinctive.
[Title Earned:
[Effect: +5% Damage vs. Monstrous Humanoids (Goblins, Scavengers, etc.)]
Goblin-Bane? Guess Scavengers count. He wiped his bloody knife on the ferns, eyeing the dead creature. Food? The System prompted:
[Harvest: Forest Scavenger Carcass? (Y/N)]
He selected 'Y'. With disturbing efficiency, his hands moved, guided by System knowledge, skinning the beast and retrieving surprisingly clean, lean meat.
[Item Acquired: Scavenger Haunch x3]
[Item Acquired: Coarse Scavenger Hide x1]
[Objective 2 Complete: Procure Basic Sustenance!]
Shelter remained. The light was fading fast, painting the forest in dangerous shadows. Another howl, closer this time. Kaelan spotted a potential refuge – a massive, hollowed-out tree trunk nearby, its entrance partially concealed by thick ivy. It smelled of damp wood and earth, but not predators. He dragged the scavenger hide inside, a rudimentary barrier against the chill.
[Objective 3 Complete: Establish Safe Location!]
[Quest: Survival Protocol Alpha - COMPLETE!]
[Reward: 100 XP, Title:
[
[Kaelan Vance Level: 2 (130/200 XP)]
Exhaustion hit him like a physical blow. He huddled in the hollow trunk, gnawing on a raw (but magically safe, the System assured him) piece of scavenger haunch. The events of the day replayed – death, rebirth, monsters, a System granting power and purpose. Fear still coiled in his gut, but it was tempered by a fierce, burning determination.
I died once. I won't die here nameless and forgotten. He looked at the System screen glowing faintly in the dark hollow. This 'Mundane Sphere'... it's just the start. Whatever this System is, whatever this world wants... I'll climb. I'll survive. I'll find out why I'm here.
He closed his eyes, the sounds of the alien forest his lullaby. The path from Zero had begun. Tomorrow, he'd find civilization. Tomorrow, he'd take the next step.