Kazuki patted his empty stomach as it rumbled like a broken washing machine. Hunger sharpened his senses, making him actually take in his surroundings. Trees with impossibly vibrant leaves. Wildflowers that seemed to glow. The crispness of the air that tickled his lungs with each breath.
"Wow, the graphics are amazing," he mumbled, walking past a butterfly with wings that shimmered like oil on water. "Must be running on the latest engine. Loading time was decent too."
He wandered through the forest, occasionally stopping to poke at mushrooms or peer into hollowed logs. The system windows continued to float around him, displaying various warnings and errors that he completely ignored.
[NAVIGATION ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE]
[WOULD YOU LIKE DIRECTIONS TO NEAREST SETTLEMENT?]
[PLEASE RESPOND TO PROMPT]
Kazuki walked face-first into a tree, stumbled backward, and rubbed his nose.
"A mini-map would be nice. Or at least some fast travel points."
The system window flickered and displayed a pulsing blue arrow pointing east.
[NEAREST SETTLEMENT: 2.7 KILOMETERS]
[FOLLOW DIRECTIONAL INDICATOR]
[TUTORIAL OBJECTIVE UPDATED: REACH CIVILIZATION]
"Oh, there's the waypoint." Kazuki nodded appreciatively and followed the arrow.
After twenty minutes of walking, he stumbled upon a dirt road cutting through the forest. The packed earth showed signs of regular travel—wagon wheel ruts, footprints, and what might have been animal droppings.
"Road textures could use some work," he commented, kicking at the dirt. Looking down the road, he spotted distant structures on the horizon. "Finally. The draw distance in this game is pretty good."
Kazuki strolled down the road, hands in his pockets, whistling a tune from a ramen commercial. The sun warmed his back, and birds flitted between branches overhead. It was almost peaceful.
Until a man jumped out from behind a tree.
"Stop right there!" The man brandished a rusted knife. His clothes were patched and dirty, his beard wild and unkempt. A crude mask made of cloth covered the lower half of his face. "Hand over all yer coin and valuables, and I might let ya live!"
[HOSTILE ENCOUNTER: FOREST BANDIT]
[THREAT LEVEL: LOW]
[RECOMMENDED ACTION: FLEE OR FIGHT]
Kazuki tilted his head. "Are you an NPC or a player? Your character model looks really detailed."
The bandit blinked, momentarily confused. "What? Stop talkin' nonsense! Coin! Now!"
"Oh, I get it." Kazuki smiled and extended his hand. "You want to shake hands. Nice to meet you, I'm Kazuki."
"Are you stupid or somethin'?" The bandit waved his knife menacingly. "This ain't no meetin'! It's a robbery!"
"That knife looks rusty. You should really take better care of your equipment."
The bandit's face reddened with rage. "That's it! I'm guttin' you!"
He lunged forward, thrusting the knife toward Kazuki's stomach with murderous intent. Kazuki, still thinking they were going to shake hands, reached out casually to grab the knife.
[WARNING: ILLOGICAL ACTION DETECTED]
[COMMON SENSE: OFF SKILL ACTIVATING]
[CONVERTING ILLOGICAL ACTION TO PASSIVE SKILL: STEEL SKIN]
[TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE BOOST APPLIED]
The knife made contact with Kazuki's palm—and shattered into pieces. The metal fragments scattered across the dirt road, gleaming in the sunlight.
The bandit stared at his now-empty hand, then at Kazuki's unharmed palm. "What the—"
One of the metal fragments had ricocheted directly into the bandit's eye. Blood trickled down his face as he clutched at it, screaming in pain.
"AAAAHHH! MY EYE! WHAT ARE YOU?!"
Kazuki frowned. "That was rude. I was just trying to be friendly."
The bandit stumbled backward, still clutching his injured eye. "STAY AWAY FROM ME, DEMON!"
He turned and fled into the forest, crashing through underbrush with the grace of a panicked elephant.
[ENEMY FLED: FOREST BANDIT]
[EXP GAINED: 50]
[PASSIVE SKILL DISCOVERED: STEEL SKIN]
[ANOMALY DETECTED IN SURROUNDING AREA]
Kazuki looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers. "Weird guy. Must be having a bad day."
He continued down the road, completely oblivious to what had just happened. Behind him, where drops of the bandit's blood had fallen, small metallic flowers began to bloom from the soil—silver petals unfurling toward the sun. The system window flashed red alerts, but Kazuki had already turned away.
The distant structures grew larger as Kazuki approached. Stone walls surrounded what appeared to be a small town or village. Smoke rose from chimneys within, and flags fluttered atop watchtowers. Two guards stood at the main gate, eyeing travelers with suspicion.
[LOCATION DISCOVERED: GREENFIELD VILLAGE]
[POPULATION: 1,273]
[QUEST HUB AVAILABLE]
"Finally," Kazuki muttered. "I hope they have food."
When he reached the gate, one of the guards stepped forward, hand resting on his sword hilt. "Halt, traveler. State your business in Greenfield."
"I'm hungry," Kazuki said plainly.
The guard's expression hardened. "Not good enough. We've had bandits and monsters causing trouble. Need to see some identification or travel documents."
[QUEST ADDED: OBTAIN ENTRY PERMISSION]
[RECOMMENDED ACTION: FIND OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS]
Kazuki patted his pockets, finding nothing useful. Then his fingers brushed against something crinkly—a metallic blue candy wrapper from Earth, the only thing that had apparently traveled with him to this world.
"Will this work?" He pulled out the wrapper, its foil surface catching the sunlight.
[WARNING: INAPPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION]
[COMMON SENSE: OFF SKILL ACTIVATING]
[REALITY MODIFICATION IN PROGRESS]
The guard's eyes widened as he stared at the candy wrapper. To him, it appeared as an ornate seal emblazoned with royal insignia—a magnificent blue crest that seemed to shimmer with magical energy.
"By the gods," the guard whispered, immediately dropping to one knee. "The Royal Eastern Isles Seal! Forgive my impertinence, sir. I didn't realize we were hosting nobility."
The second guard hurried forward, also bowing. "Please, enter at once. Shall we escort you to the inn or perhaps the mayor's residence?"
Kazuki looked at the candy wrapper, then at the bowing guards. He shrugged and pocketed the wrapper again.
"Uh, no thanks. I just want food."
"Of course, of course!" The first guard stood, gesturing toward the gate. "Open the gates for His Lordship!"
The massive wooden gates swung open, revealing a bustling village street. People stopped to stare as Kazuki entered, whispers spreading through the crowd about the "noble visitor" who had suddenly appeared.
Kazuki ignored them all, his attention focused solely on his growling stomach. He spotted a tavern down the street, the smell of roasting meat wafting from its open windows.
"Where's the best food in this town?" he asked a passing villager, who nearly dropped her basket in surprise at being addressed by "nobility."
Behind him, the system window continued to flash urgent messages, completely unnoticed.
[REALITY CORRUPTION SPREADING]
[USER ANOMALY EXPANDING]
[WHAT HAVE WE UNLEASHED?]