Two full days had passed since Kai began his journey. The initial adrenaline had long since faded, replaced by a deep, gnawing ache that had settled into his bones. His hurried walk had slowed to a weary, shuffling stagger. Veridia was proving to be a harsh and unforgiving world. The endless green plains that had seemed so beautiful at first now felt like a vast, empty prison. They offered no comfort, no shelter—only dry, rustling grass and strange, foreign plants he was too afraid to touch.
A faint, ghostly memory from his past life as Eren—a snippet from a survival documentary, perhaps—hinted at what might be edible, but the profound weakness clouding his mind left him uncertain and terrified of making a fatal mistake. Hunger was no longer just an annoyance; it was a merciless predator, clawing at his insides. His stomach growled angrily, the sound echoing in the oppressive silence of the open plains. His vision began to blur at the edges, dark spots dancing in his sight as he staggered forward, each step a monumental effort.
Just as his knees buckled and the ground rushed up to meet him, a desperate, last-ditch thought struck him—What if my system can help me? It showed me a path… maybe it can show me more.
He whispered the words, his voice a dry, cracking rasp: "Stats… open."
He didn't have the energy to look for a screen. But he didn't need to. At once, faint, glowing overlays flickered directly into his vision, highlighting the flora around him with an otherworldly light.
[Crimson Dewberries: Edible, Restores Stamina] [Mooncap Mushrooms: Edible, Minor Energy Boost] [Nightbane Blossoms: Poisonous, Causes Paralysis and Death] [Ashvine Leaves: Not Edible] [Silverleaf Sprigs: Potion Ingredient, Mana Catalyst]
The faint glow guided his blurry gaze toward clusters of berries, mushrooms, and wild plants scattered nearby, each one now labeled as if it were an item in a game. Heart pounding with a surge of desperate relief, Kai scrambled on his hands and knees to the nearest bush, which was heavy with Crimson Dewberries, their ruby skins shining like tiny jewels in the sun. He plucked one, his trembling fingers barely able to hold it, and bit into it. The sweet, tangy juice that flooded his mouth felt like life itself, a cool balm easing the fiery ache of his starvation.
Encouraged, he gathered handfuls, chewing quickly as a gentle warmth spread from his stomach through his tired body. Next, he spotted pale-blue fungi growing in the shade under a rotting log—Mooncap Mushrooms. The system's label was a godsend. Though their taste was bitter and earthy, they sent a faint but immediate rush of energy through his limbs, clearing some of the fog from his mind. His eyes then flicked to the deadly Nightbane Blossoms, their beautiful crimson petals glowing with a faint, malevolent red aura in his system-enhanced vision. A shiver of pure terror ran down his spine; one wrong bite, and he would have never woken up.
Cautiously, Kai avoided them and instead pocketed a few of the Silverleaf Sprigs, unsure of how to use them but sensing their inherent value. For the first time since embarking on this lonely trek, he felt a fragile flicker of hope—Veridia was dangerous, yes, but if he played it smart, if he used the tools he was given, maybe he could actually survive this.
Curiosity gnawed at him as he rested, studying the Silverleaf Sprigs. Their slender, silvery-green leaves seemed to catch the faint light, almost glowing on their own. The system marked them as a Potion Ingredient and a Mana Catalyst, but no further details appeared. His stomach had stopped its painful growling, but a different kind of hunger remained: a hunger for power, for a way to refill his dangerously low mana. Against his better judgment, Kai decided to experiment.
He tore a few of the leaves, crushing them between his palms. A sharp, minty fragrance filled the air. He dropped the mashed pulp into his nearly empty water pouch and shook it vigorously until the liquid turned a faint, shimmering green. The first sip was intensely bitter and metallic, making him grimace. But within seconds, a powerful warmth surged through his veins, far more potent than the mushrooms. He quickly checked his stats. The blue mana bar on his interface, which had been stubbornly low, was visibly climbing. It works… it really works! he thought, a wild, triumphant excitement flashing across his tired face.
But then came the backlash. The world tilted violently. His vision blurred, and his body grew unsteady, as if the ground beneath him were swaying. A heavy, pounding dizziness pressed against his skull, and he felt a burning sensation, as though the new mana was too volatile, too powerful for his body to handle. Kai dropped to his knees, clutching his head, his breath coming in ragged, painful gasps. "Damn… I overdid it…" he muttered, realizing the terrible danger.
For a moment, pure fear gripped him—what if he had just made things worse? If the Silverleaf had boosted his mana at the cost of his stamina, he could collapse right here, unable to move before nightfall. He quickly lay back on the grass, forcing himself to take slow, deep breaths, letting the chaotic energy settle inside him. The dizziness lingered, a nauseating pressure behind his eyes, but slowly, his body stabilized. A weak, self-deprecating laugh escaped his lips. "So… Silverleaf is real mana fuel, huh? But deadly if I don't know what the hell I'm doing…" He clenched his fist. Lesson learned—Veridia's world offered power, but always, always at a cost.
Night fell quickly, and the vast plains became a sea of oppressive shadows. Kai managed to start a small, sputtering fire, its warmth barely holding back the encroaching chill. Just as his eyelids began to droop with exhaustion, a low growl split the silence.
His head snapped up, every nerve ending screaming with alarm. Two crimson eyes gleamed from the tall grass just beyond the firelight, steadily advancing. The creature stepped into the flickering light—a Shadowfang Wolf, its black fur blending almost perfectly into the dark, its powerful muscles rippling under its lean frame. Saliva dripped from its long, sharp fangs as it circled him, the firelight reflecting off its intelligent, predatory gaze.
Kai's pulse thundered in his ears. His body screamed to run, but his legs were frozen, refusing to obey. "I'm not dying again," he hissed through gritted teeth, scrambling to his feet. The wolf didn't hesitate. It lunged, a blur of black fur and teeth.
On pure instinct, Kai threw up his hands. "Barrier!" A faint dome of light shimmered into existence around him, but it was weaker than before, translucent and wavering. The wolf crashed into it with a sickening crunch. Cracks spread across the surface like shattered glass. The raw impact threw Kai backward, and he felt his mana drain like water from a sieve. The shield shattered, sending him sprawling into the dirt.
The beast recovered instantly, pouncing again. In a moment of sheer desperation, Kai snatched a burning branch from the fire. The end was a glowing, angry red. He swung it wildly. The flames licked the wolf's fur, and the beast let out a pained yelp, recoiling for a moment. It circled once more, its initial confidence replaced by a furious snarl.
Kai, panting, staggered up, clutching the makeshift torch in one hand. With his other, he tried to gather what little mana he had left, a faint red glow flickering around his fingers. When the wolf lunged for the final time, a dark shape intent on ending him, Kai thrust both hands forward together—the burning wood and the flickering mana. The two forces collided in a chaotic, uncontrolled burst of light and heat. The wolf, caught mid-air, yelped as it was slammed to the ground. It twitched once, then went limp.
Kai collapsed, his chest heaving, the burning branch falling from his trembling, scorched hand. The smell of ozone and burnt fur filled the air. His heart hammered with disbelief. He stared at the still form of the wolf, then at his own hands. He was alive. He had won. Not with skill—not yet—but with luck, instinct, and a sheer, stubborn refusal to die again.
Above him, the system flickered, its calm, orderly text a stark contrast to the chaos of the fight:
[Shadowfang Wolf defeated – +50 EXP]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 2]
[All Stats Increased]
[Health, Stamina, and Mana Restored]
A warm, soothing energy washed over his body, easing his exhaustion and healing the burn on his hand. The feeling was intoxicating. He let out a shaky, breathless laugh.
"Guess… I'm not completely useless after all.".