Kureous

  Where have I been transported to? I asked as I traversed the forest, searching for any clues I could find. I always wondered what I would do if something like this were to happen, but now that I was smack dab in the middle of it, I was lost. There was no Goddess or king to expin anything to me, and as ridiculous as it sounded, I started ruling out the possibility that this could be a novel world.

  Could this be a game, then? I wondered. It all felt somewhat familiar and nostalgic, everything from the greenery that surrounded me to the mountains in the distance, but I had to be certain, so I continued my search until I stumbled upon a pack of wolves or rather, HellHounds. Their characteristic bck fur with orange-tipped ends gave them away as they ripped an antelope to shreds

  At once, I hid behind a tree, my heart thumping loudly as I desperately tried to still my movements. I wasn't the only resident of this forest. How could I have been so careless? Fortunately, they were too distracted with their prey to notice me, which opened up a window of opportunity. Taking advantage of that, I quietly started tiptoeing my way out of there until the scent of blood in the air vanished and their eerie growls grew faint. I didn't want them to sniff me out when they were done, so I ran with all the strength my little legs could muster once I felt I'd gotten far enough.

  Out of breath, I stopped by an Oak tree and practically colpsed as I sat down to take cover. I'd seen those creatures before. They were enemy monsters in Everst Dynasty, a game I used to py. Those things were notorious for their speed, so if they had seen me... I shuddered when I thought about it. I wouldn't have escaped with my life.

  I took a deep breath and stared intently at the "bow" in my hands. If this were Everst Dynasty, it could only mean one thing. Somehow, I ended up with the worst css in the game. I sighed at this thought as I remembered some of the csses: Padins, Generals, Dragon Riders, Mages. I could have gotten anything, so why was my luck so bad? Archers had nothing but weaknesses! They couldn't attack at close range and started with some of the poorest stats in the game. "Ugh, I'm finished," I felt like crying as I stared at the "bow" in my hands. This was the only weapon I had at the moment, and I would be stuck with it for a while, so I had no choice but to improvise.

  I took some time to catch my breath that morning... or afternoon? I didn't know what time it was or how they even told time in this world. Probably by the rising of the Sun or something, was my guess as I enjoyed the cool weather from under the Oak tree's shade. My clothes were drenched in sweat from all that running and the dirty, almost slimy feeling was deeply uncomfortable. I never imagined it would come to this, but I need to find a river! I decided on this with two objectives in mind. First and foremost, I needed to take a bath, but I also wanted to check my— I mean, behold my new appearance in this world.

  This time, I would follow a different path while still keeping myself on high alert. Any misstep would spell the end for me, so I hid at every noise as I wandered through the sea of trees. Ooh, an apple! I spotted it at a distance and thanked my good fortune, as I was starting to get hungry. Would I be able to climb that tree with this body? I wondered for a while before casting off my doubts. I'll never know until I try! I thought to myself as I ran towards the tree and jumped, getting a grip of it with my small hands. However, I fell a few times, probably depleting some of my HP in the process, but it proved to be a worthwhile experience. Why? Because I could finally see the river I had been looking for from atop the tree branch!

  Finishing the apple, I slowly made my way down. This is going to be so good! I thought as I nded on the forest floor. From there, I resumed the journey with a clear destination in mind. As it was still a considerable distance from where I was, I spent what felt like hours walking until I could hear the sound of flowing water. It's nearby! With a little more searching, I eventually stumbled upon it in all its glory.

  The river was clear, and wide, and looked serene enough for someone to bathe in. A rapid would've been a nightmare, I thought to myself as I unbuttoned my clothes, inspecting my new body as I removed them. They're small, I thought to myself as I looked at my chest. I would be lying if I said wasn't disappointed, but the main event was still ahead of me, so I had to cheer up. You can do this, Dougs! I encouraged myself as I took a step forward. I would be seeing my face for the first time, so my curiosity got the better of me, and I started imagining all sorts of bizarre scenarios as I inched ever closer to the river. It could be a fish, bird, or hideous beast. Who knows? It could be so beautiful that I'd fall in love with my reflection and die like Narcissus, but I quickly dismissed these thoughts as I bent to take a good look at my face.

  Woah! I was... pretty cute. I had long brown hair and beautiful purple eyes, but my face... looked too young to be taken seriously. Ugh, now everybody's going to think I'm some brat, I thought to myself before checking the depth of a river with a nearby stick. It's pretty shallow, I concluded before slowly entering the river, starting from my toes. It was cold, but I could get accustomed to it. I could also come here for water whenever I'm thirsty, were my thoughts as I looked up at the sky. It was starting to get dark, so after a long and... interesting experience, I got out of the water and let the cool breeze dry me before donning my clothes once more.

  To ensure my survival, I had to find a few more things, and Spider thread was at the top of my priorities. It would serve as the best material for a makeshift bowstring I could acquire at the moment, but I had to be careful. I couldn't tell which one was worse between HellHounds and Spiders, not then and especially not now, but I knew I had a higher chance of surviving an encounter with a Spider. They were slower and had poor skill stats, but their strength was no joke, so it all depended on if I dodged. But that's the worst-case scenario, I thought to myself, as chances were that it wouldn't be at its nest. I hope that will be the case...

  I trudged on silently for what felt like hours on end until I found it: a giant web with eggs comparable to soccer balls in size everywhere. I felt like I had won the lottery as I didn't have to face a Spider. I just had to find the silky spider thread and make my escape. Isn't this easy? These monsters had two types of thread: sticky and silky and my experience pying the game allowed me to differentiate between them. I just needed to find the intersection between the different threads and create a spark. Of course, I brought my two friends along to help me with that, Rock-kun and Boulder-kun. It took a few tries, but eventually, I created a spark that ignited the sticky thread, leaving the silky thread mostly untouched. I never understood why the sticky thread was more fmmable than the silky one, but I couldn't stay here and wonder about it, so I left with a spring in my step.

  Things were looking good for me. I've gotten the thread. Now, only the arrows remain, but I was a bit too quick in thinking it was over because, on my way back, the rustling of the trees alerted me to danger. I looked back to see a Spider chasing me with fury in its eyes. Its massive size and intimidating aura almost paralyzed me with fear, but I forced my legs to move by sheer force of will. I can't die here!

  I had never run so fast in all my life. My system was on high-alert mode, and my thoughts were a swirling mess. I was practically acting on instinct, twisting and turning wherever I felt was safest. Today must not be my lucky day, I thought to myself as the Spider's thunderous footsteps and the falling trees grew louder with each passing second. Don't look back! Don't look back! Don't look back! I admonished myself in between quick, ragged breaths as my heart beat so fast it was almost painful.

  I tried to focus and think up a pn that would help me overcome my predicament, but nothing came to mind, and with every passing moment, my imminent feelings of despair only grew. That was... until I happened to spot a sturdy-looking branch nearby. Without thinking, I took the silky thread in my hand and flung it at the branch with all my might. It was not as sticky as its counterpart but could still tch onto surfaces to a certain extent. Please don't miss! I hoped and prayed my accuracy wouldn't fail me, so when it successfully tched onto the branch, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I wasted no time in using my momentum to swing myself up into the air like Tarzan.

  "Woah!" I excimed as I fell through the leaves, eventually grabbing onto the branch of another tree as I watched the scene unfold before me. Spiders are massive creatures, so if my theory is correct, it won't be able to stop its momentum in time. And it turned out I was right. The Spider couldn't stop itself in time, and it fell off the steep hill to its death as I gave a triumphant shout of victory. I had won. Even without a proper weapon, I had won! I defeated my first enemy, and just as it died, I could intuitively sense that I had gained 33EXP. I couldn't see my stats yet, but for now, I was happy. I just hope things will continue like this, I thought as I drifted into sleep due to exhaustion.