[We've ran 10,000 scenarios, the best performers in these scenarios have been consistent. You are one of the humans that are worthy of representing mankind for this next battle.]
[The ability you will soon gain is the most compatible ability you have based off of tests, we expect you to perform well in the future. Remember, your whole world is watching.]
[First stage of the inter-dimension tournament, island survival. Duration: 14 days]
Paolo, 24 years of age, Mechanical Engineer. Along with 999 other "Worthy" humans has been sent into an inter-dimensional tournament that will decide the fate of his dimension.
"Survival huh? What do I even have on me, right now?" Paolo came into this blind, the scenarios ran by the system are hypothetical ones using his likeness but the real Paolo has no memory of even stepping foot into a scenario.
"A pamphlet?" In the small pamphlet in his hand, short explanations were given.
"'Uhuh, so the gist of it is that we have supernatural abilities that have been proven and tested to suit us and we're now here to represent our realities." He first looked around and grabbed a stick. "I can gather materials for camping for now since the ability they gave me won't play a role until I actually get something useful."
[Tech Upgrade] Personal Skill
You have the ability to slightly upgrade technology based on your own knowledge. This skill takes both mana and materials, so be prepared for both when using it.
"Mana is some sort of energy source that all living creatures apparently have, but what does it even count as technology? Theoretically it should count basic tools as technology… let's test this out when I get some shelter." Paolo had a habit of talking to himself whenever he needed to solve a problem.
It would take less than an hour, but he managed to get sticks for starting a campfire, some usable rocks for the point of a spear and some for making a hammer. "I see, it doesn't automatically do it but using what I have on hand and knowing the process of making it makes it easier. The spear and the hammer are far better than what I could've made on my own. This is not a bad ability… surviving the island should be easier with these tools."
The forest was vast but as someone who was raised by a wilderness expert, and his own skills as someone who loves camping, surviving a forest with nothing but his clothes and shoes on him was more than doable.
"First things, first. Water, I can find shelter after I secure something to drink." Finding water didn't take him long.
The forest sloped downward the farther Paolo walked, the soil growing darker and more compact beneath his shoes. The air felt cooler too, damp with the promise of running water nearby. He slowed his pace, eyes scanning the ground for tracks while his ears strained for sound. After a few more minutes, he heard it. A steady flow, soft but constant.
"A river," he said quietly. "Good."
He pushed past a cluster of low hanging branches and stepped onto a small clearing where sunlight reflected off moving water. The river was wider than he expected, clear enough that he could see smooth stones lining the bottom. Relief washed over him immediately, but it did not last long.
Something was already there.
Paolo froze.
On the opposite bank, several figures crouched near the water's edge. They were humanoid, but only barely. Their limbs were longer than a human's, joints bent at odd angles, skin a dull gray with patches of coarse fur along their arms and backs. Their faces were sharp and narrow, eyes too large, mouths filled with uneven teeth.
Above their heads floated red letters.
[Hostile from Reality 312]
Paolo's grip tightened around his spear.
"So that is how it is," he muttered.
The pamphlet had mentioned this. Other realities. Other representatives. Creatures that did not belong to his world. The color coding was simple enough. Green meant ally. Orange meant neutral. Red meant kill or flee on sight.
Red left no room for misunderstanding.
He slowly crouched behind a tree, keeping the trunk between himself and the riverbank. The creatures had not noticed him yet. They were focused on the water, scooping it up with clawed hands and making low, guttural sounds as they drank.
"Three of them," Paolo whispered. "Maybe four."
He forced himself to breathe slowly. Charging in would be suicide. Running blindly could be worse. He studied them the same way he would any threat, breaking the situation down into parts. Distance. Terrain. Escape routes.
The river was shallow but wide. Crossing it would slow him down. The forest behind him was dense, but he knew how to move through it. The upgraded spear felt solid in his hand, but even then, taking on multiple hostile entities alone was a gamble.
"Water is important," he said under his breath. "But staying alive is more important."
As if sensing something, one of the creatures lifted its head. Its ears twitched. Its gaze swept the forest and landed on the tree Paolo was hiding behind.
Their eyes met.
The red letters above its head pulsed faintly.
The creature hissed, a sharp sound that cut through the air. The others reacted instantly, straightening and turning toward Paolo's position. Their postures changed, bodies lowering, muscles tensing.
"So much for stealth," Paolo said.
He did not wait for them to charge.
Paolo stepped out from behind the tree and threw his spear.
The motion felt familiar now. Clean. Efficient. The spear cut through the air and struck the closest creature in the chest. It let out a choking cry and fell backward into the river, red staining the clear water.
The others screeched.
Two of them rushed forward, feet pounding against the soil, claws digging in for traction. Paolo grabbed his hammer, heart racing, mind sharp.
"This is bad," he said. "This is very bad."
The first creature reached him seconds later. Paolo sidestepped and swung the hammer with everything he had. The impact connected with the side of its skull. There was a dull crack and the creature crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
The second one was smarter.
It feinted, then lunged low, aiming for his legs. Paolo jumped back, barely avoiding its claws. He felt mana surge as instinct and intention aligned. He brought the hammer down again, this time targeting the shoulder joint.
The creature howled as the blow shattered bone.
It tried to retreat.
Paolo did not let it.
He retrieved his spear from the riverbank, ignoring the blood soaking his hands, and ended the fight with a single thrust.
Silence returned to the clearing, broken only by the sound of the river flowing past the bodies.
Paolo stood there, chest heaving.
"Okay," he said after a moment. "Okay."
His hands trembled as the adrenaline faded. He wiped them against his pants, then crouched near the river and stared at his reflection in the water. His face looked pale, eyes wide, jaw clenched tight.
"I just killed three things that were not human," he said quietly. "And I did it without thinking too much about it."
A system notification appeared.
[Hostiles Eliminated: 3]
[Survival Points Earned: 25]
[Performance Rating Updated: Above Average]
Paolo let out a slow breath.
"So this really is a tournament," he said. "And they really do expect us to fight."
He filled his hands with water and drank cautiously. It was cold and clean. He drank again, then filled a makeshift container using a folded piece of bark sealed with sap. It was crude, but functional.
Technology did not have to be complicated.
Before leaving, Paolo examined the bodies. Their anatomy was strange, but not incomprehensible. Muscle structure similar to mammals. Bones lighter than human, but strong. Useful information, even if he hated himself a little for thinking that way.
He left the clearing soon after, moving upstream to avoid any others that might be drawn by the noise.
As he walked, his mind worked nonstop.
"Red means kill or flee," he muttered. "But what about orange. What about green. Are there humans out there too, or is it just us alone on this island."
He stopped near a rocky outcrop and marked it mentally. High ground. Good visibility. A potential camp site later if he needed to move.
Shelter came next. He found a spot elevated enough to avoid flooding but close enough to the river to access water. Using his tools, he began working again, mana slowly draining as the Tech Upgrade skill subtly reinforced every decision he made.
By the time the sun began to dip, Paolo had a sturdier shelter than before. Better angled supports. A reinforced frame. Small improvements that added up.
As he sat by his fire that night, eating dried meat and listening to the forest, Paolo stared into the flames.
"This is only day one," he said. "And I have already run into hostiles from another reality."
He tightened his grip on the hammer resting beside him.
"If this is what they consider the opening stage," he continued, "then I cannot afford to stay average."