Ash lay on the bed, frustrated. What he read on the first page of the diary added to his need to escape the game.
A cold fear filled him, colder than the cabin's damp air. Every word mocked his helplessness, showing him was truly stuck in this strange, dangerous world.
He closed his eyes, hoping to make the words vanish, but they stayed in his mind.
"System," he called, his voice weak. His throat felt dry from the worry that at him.
Ting
A complex screen appeared before him. It shone with a strange light, its edges clear, unlike the simple messages he knew.
Ash frowned. 'The screen's look has changed,' he thought as he studied it.
The screen displayed clear options: Inventory, Statistic, Level, Skill, Map, Stage, Setting, and Guide.
"Why didn't it have a display like this from the start?" he grumbled, the words filled with anger. He thought how much easier his first fights could have been, how many close calls he could have avoided.
This made him angry. It felt like the system kept important facts from him, making him struggle blindly at first.
His biggest problem was the constant ting-ting-ting sound. It was always there, a buzzing annoyance.
It was how the system told him everything, from the new quests to items he picked up. It had almost killed him.
Just yesterday, the sound gave away his spot to the assassin rouge. He had to fight hard for his life. The memory made him shiver.
He needed to silence it. He pressed Settings, his fingers firm on the button. He had to find a way to turn off the sound.
Ting
Another sharp chime. But this time, it led to something good. The settings screen appeared, neat and clear.
Some lines quickly caught his eyes, and a wide, true grin spread across his face, lighting his tired look.
[System notifications ON.]
[System notification OFF.]
"Aha! Got it!" he exclaimed, a quiet, winning sound escaped him. It was a small win, but in this harsh world, even little relief felt huge.
He immediately pressed the option to turn off the notification sound. The screen flashed, then stopped.
Finally, he could enjoy some peace!
Then he looked at the main screen. He pressed Stage, his finger staying there a moment.
He half expected another chime. But nothing.
But nothing. A new screen appeared, quiet and calm. No sound at all this time.
Still grinning, with a hint of hope in his eyes, Ash looked over the Stage screen.
[Stage 1.]
[Player obtains the Quest.]
[Success in completing the Quest will increase the Player's Level.]
Ash pressed Quest.
[Player: Ashborn Locke]
[Player Number: #23875]
[Quests:]
[Get the Magic Ring inside the Giant Spider of Kulam Cave.]
[Find the Supreme Magus's Grimoire at the Oriental Hotel.]
Ash put his left hand under his head as a pillow, sinking deeper into the bed. He felt both curious and confused.
'What does inside the Giant Spider mean?' he thought, the strange goal jolted him. Was it a real beast or a place?
The game's harsh rules were still a puzzle.
He pressed the map screen. The map changed. He zoomed it, looking for the quest spots, noting how far they were.
'Hmm, the nearest is the Oriental Hotel,' he thought, thinking about ways to get there and what dangers lay ahead. Being close was key in this risky world.
He closed the map and quest screen, then pressed Stats.
[Player: Ashborn Locke]
[Player Number: #23875]
[Level: #1.5]
[Stats:
- Strength: 5
- Endurance: 5
- Agility: 5
- Intelligence: 5
- Magic: 5]
[Extra Points: 90]
[Profession:
- Hunter: Level: #3]
[Sword Skill:
- Shadow Sword: Level: #4]
The list was clear, short. Ash looked at the "Extra Points." Ninety points. That was a big number. He needed to learn how they worked.
He pressed Guide, then Points, and read every detail.
[Points: Obtained if you get an item.]
[Regular Item: 1 point.]
[Special Item: 10 points.]
[Rare Item: 20 points.]
Ash went back to look at his stat screen. He saw he had 90 points. Two Rare Items gave him forty points.
The Tenebris sword was a Special Item, worth ten. The last forty points came from regular items he found.
'Hmm,' he mused, a plan started to form. He then pressed Skill on the Guide screen, wanting to learn more of the game's hidden rules.
[Skill Level Up: Obtained if you successfully catch prey.]
He nodded to himself. When he killed the boar, his Hunter skill went up by one level.
This showed his idea was right: fighting meant growing. This meant he got one level each from Goblins and Robbers.
His Sword Skill was at level four. It went up by one each time he fought the boars, one when fighting patrolling goblins, one when fighting robbers, and one when fighting assassins.
Each fight sharpened him, made his moves better. It built his skill with the sword.
He returned to the main Guide option, looking for what Extra Points meant.
[Guide.]
[Extra Points: Extra Points can be allocated to the Player's Statistics.]
'My guess is right, Extra Points can be put into Stats,' he thought, a burst of clear thinking. This was key. He could make himself stronger, a better survivor.
Without hesitation, he put twenty points each into Strength, Endurance, Agility, and Intelligence. The last ten points he put into Magic.
And Ash started to understand how to play this game.
What he needed to do most was finish the Quest.
***
Ash woke up with a slightly stiff body. As he stretched lightly, he remembered he had not checked the chest at the other passenger cabin.
"I'll do it later after lunch," he decided.
He ate breakfast on the bow, then read the Captain's diary, leaning on the hull.
The fiftieth day.
Today is the day I have lived on this island for forty-nine days.
This island is very comfortable for old age, but I'm still young.
I really want to go back to my time. But what can be done?
I will find a way out of this and I will definitely see you again, my son.
Ash skipped pages with just the author's sad thoughts. He did not want to feel despair again. The captain's pain was too well known, too strong. He did not need a reminder of the hopelessness that could take over him.
He turned to the next pages and read what he thought was important.
Day two hundred and thirty-eight.
I remember when I first came to this world. The confusion, the fear. It was all unclear.
I met several players and we worked together as a team to complete missions. Numbers brought safety, a shared load against the unknown.
I also met John, a player with thirty years in the game, who also owns a team. The team has players from all jobs. John also explained that most Finding Objects players group up to level up quickly. It is the best way to live and grow.
That's why my team and I have joined John's group. They needed their safety, their things.
And we often have wars between groups, the harsh truth of this world. Land fights, resource battles, betrayals. It is a constant struggle.
Ash was stunned to read it.
The war between groups...
The words echoed in his mind, cold and sharp. Groups working together, big teams, endless fights.
He was alone. Truly, terribly alone.
How could he survive if he was alone?