When Lukas awoke, he didn’t find himself at home wrapped up comfortably in his blankets; instead, he found that he was still lying in a dirt hole. Covered in gritty dirt, dried blood, and sweat that all came together in an unholy grime that covered him head to toe. As his hazy mind cleared out the remnants of sleep, the aches and pains returned and he let out a low groan.

  It was strange, knowing that as he woke up a part of him was glad this wasn’t all just some strange dream. He had just gotten started with this world and wasn’t going to give it up so easily.

  Lukas had opportunities here. Sure, he didn’t know what, if anything, lay beyond this forest—he could very well be the only person on a whole planet covered in monsters and beasts, for all he knew. But here, he had a chance to leave his mark and make something of himself. He didn’t have that opportunity back home, and now that he was here he sure as hell wasn’t content with building a little cabin and waiting out his life.

  Here, in this new world, Lukas didn’t plan on taking anything for granted. He was going to take every opportunity and chance he could, so long as it meant growing stronger and experiencing more. That would mean more fighting and more pain, a fact that Lukas wasn’t exactly thrilled about. But there were a lot of video game-like elements in this world. So surely, that meant that killing led to experience and levels. Granted, he was never big on video games but had been forced to play them with his sister.

  For now, he had all he needed: a sword and the drive to get stronger. He’d take an upgrade in the clothing department, though. Lukas would have to play things smart going forward; however, he had a lot to learn and didn’t plan on dying early. He wouldn’t take on enemies that were too strong, nor would he fight multiple at once. He’d fight one beast at a time, preferably only one or two levels above him.

  The first few levels would no doubt come rather quickly. Lukas had already killed two beasts, one at level 2 and the other at level 3; he couldn’t be far from the first level-up by now. He could almost feel that first level and couldn’t wait to see what he’d get for reaching it.

  Lukas almost wanted to spring up out of his little hidey-hole and go on a hunt, but he was forced to quash his enthusiasm. Lukas was filled with determination and had healed while he slept, but still felt like he’d been squashed by a giant bug swatter.

  Then there was the fact that it was morning, but not the same morning. Lukas hadn’t slept for just a few minutes and woken up the same day. No, he had slept for over twenty-four hours, maybe even longer. His body obviously still needed rest, and he was happy to oblige.

  Sure, Lukas wanted to get out there and start working on his level, but he wasn’t going to be stupid about it. He could feel that he was still in no state to go out and fight things to the death.

  With that in mind, he checked his status:

  Health: 124/160

  Stamina: 70/70

  Mana: 70/70

  Lukas stared at the numbers in confusion for a moment. His stamina was topped off, which wasn’t surprising since it had been nearly full when he went to sleep. His mana was still full, as he hadn’t yet figured out how to use it. His health, though—it puzzled him. Despite having more health than before he fought the wolves, he still felt beaten up.

  He wasn’t sure exactly how these three attributes worked, but he guessed that as his resource pools increased, certain thresholds changed. Once he was fully healed, he’d be in perfect condition again, and it would take more to knock him down.

  Not wanting to dwell on the intricacies of his stats, Lukas pushed those thoughts aside. He shifted to make himself more comfortable in his dirt hole and pulled his sword from his inventory, just in case.

  Above him, the sky was brightening as another day began, the orange and pink hues of sunrise stretching across the horizon while the forest filled with birdsong. Lukas planned to take it easy for the rest of the day, recover, and hopefully be in good enough shape tomorrow to start leveling up.

  Hours passed as Lukas rested, letting his body heal. Meanwhile, he had nothing to keep him occupied but his own thoughts. It was boring as hell. He would’ve given anything to have one of his puzzles with him, something to keep his mind busy. Instead, his thoughts ran wild, leaping from one fantasy to another—fighting legendary monsters, wielding magic, riding dragons, exploring underwater cities, and traversing caves so vast they hosted entire ecosystems. He imagined himself visiting cities more magnificent than anything Earth could dream of, fighting in battles that would be remembered for centuries. People often say everyone is the protagonist of their own story, and Lukas dreamed of being the biggest protagonist this world had ever seen.

  As his thoughts raced, Lukas realized he should probably be scared out of his mind after everything that had happened to him. Normal people would be. But not Lukas. It wasn’t because he was special or anything—it was because, until now, he had lived his life completely indifferent to everything around him. Now, he was determined to make something of himself or die trying. He wasn’t going to allow fear to paralyze him or let opportunities slip away.

  Time passed, and Lukas grew increasingly restless. His body, though sore, was buzzing with energy he couldn’t release by sitting in a hole in the ground. The occasional roar or snarl from the distant forest didn’t help either. Beasts were fighting out there, gaining levels and experience, while he sat there uselessly.

  By an hour past noon, Lukas couldn’t take it anymore. He gripped his sword tightly, the pent-up energy and temptation winning out. He knew he was being reckless, but he had to get out there and fight.

  Sure, he was a little worse for wear, but he had more health than when he fought the wolves. The extra points would give him a buffer while his body was still recovering. Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to fight multiple enemies at once. He’d fight one, gain experience, and return to his little hole. Maybe he’d even level up, especially if the beast was level two or three.

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  With that, Lukas got to his feet. His stiff body protested every movement, but he ignored it. Once standing, he stretched to loosen his sore, bruised muscles. It hurt like hell, as though his body had been through a blender, but the pain couldn’t smother his burning desire to fight.

  He picked up the wolfskin cloak from the ground with a grunt, brushing off the dirt stuck to the fur. It was still matted and dirty in places, but Lukas didn’t care. He was still caked in dried blood, so what was a little dirt? As long as it covered his nudity, he didn’t care if it was drenched in mud.

  After wrapping the cloak around his waist as he had before, Lukas clambered out of the pit with a few groans. Once out, he held his sword at the ready and scanned the small valley. He listened intently for a solid minute before deciding that no beasts were nearby.

  Confident that the area was clear, Lukas began wandering around the small valley to familiarize himself with the terrain. Before he had passed out, he had been too exhausted to notice anything around him. Now, he was awake and on high alert.

  Nothing about the area seemed unusual. It looked much the same as the rest of the forest, with towering conifers, a thick carpet of old pine needles, and the occasional wildflower or bush. Thankfully, there were no surprises—had there been a monster den nearby, he could have been eaten in his sleep.

  Satisfied that nothing was out of place, Lukas began his search for an enemy. He left the valley and explored the surrounding hills and valleys, moving cautiously. He didn’t want to be ambushed like he had been by the wolves, so he kept his head on a swivel.

  Lukas made sure to memorize his path, so he wouldn’t get lost. The forest was alive with the sounds of birds and small animals, but he was listening for a roar. If he heard one nearby, he’d check it out. Maybe he’d find a beast weakened by a fight and finish it off.

  The idea didn’t excite him—he’d rather fight something at full strength—but right now, he was at the bottom of the food chain. He’d take whatever he could get. Besides, it probably wouldn’t give him much experience. That being said, he wasn’t sure how experience worked here anyway. For all he knew, you didn’t gain levels by killing things. Still, he was confident in his theory—his interface had told him he gained experience for kills.

  So Lukas spent the next few hours roaming the forest. Occasionally, he’d double back toward his valley to avoid going too far or becoming lost. He heard a few distant roars and snarls and moved toward the sounds, but by the time he arrived, the fights were over.

  Only once did Lukas come upon the aftermath of a battle. The victor had long since gone, and the body of a creature—a vipercat—lay dead. It was level 18, a strange hybrid of bobcat and lizard with two pairs of front legs and a stinger-tipped tail. Just looking at it made Lukas grateful he hadn’t faced it while it was alive. He tried to loot the corpse, but just like with the drakon, he didn’t have permission since he hadn’t killed it.

  Slightly disappointed, Lukas moved on. Eventually, he stopped to rest, giving his aching body a chance to recover. He sat with his back against one of the large conifers, his tired feet and limbs regaining strength more quickly than expected. It could have been his increased vitality, but Lukas had a feeling the magical nature of the trees was helping him recharge. He doubted he’d recover this fast if he were lying on the forest floor.

  Next to him was one of the wildflowers scattered throughout the forest. It was beautiful, with deep blood-red petals that curled at the tips. The anther was a lighter red, fading to white at the top. It was the only flower in a small bush, whose green leaves had red veins running through them.

  It was one of many gorgeous flowers Lukas had noticed while stumbling through the forest, most of them far prettier than anything he’d seen back home. He reached out, picked the flower by its stem, and immediately the red veins in the leaves began to fade. Moments later, the small patch of greenery wilted, as though it couldn’t survive without the flower.

  Lukas watched with interest. Perhaps this was just another sign of the video game-like aspects of this world—maybe this flower was a resource that could only be harvested once. How long did it take to regrow? Would it respawn in the same place, or appear elsewhere?

  He turned his attention to the flower in his hand. Focusing on it for a moment, an identification box appeared:

  Blood Moon Lily (Uncommon)

  Lukas had hoped for more insight into the flower. The rarity tag confirmed it was some kind of resource, but there was no description. It would have been nice to know what it was for, but apparently, that was too much to ask.

  He brought the flower to his nose and sniffed. Unsurprisingly, it smelled like blood, but not in the unpleasant way he’d experienced after fighting the wolves. It was a warm, soothing scent, almost sweet. A wave of relief washed over him, easing the stinging pain in his body. It felt like the first breeze of spring after a long winter. Lukas sighed contentedly as his muscles relaxed.

  The feeling didn’t last long, though. A moment later, the pain crept back in, and Lukas grimaced at its unwelcome return. Breathing hurt his sore chest. The brief respite had allowed him to forget how messed up his body was, but now he remembered all too well.

  He took another deep breath of the flower’s scent, hoping for the same effect. This time, however, the relief wasn’t as strong, nor did it last as long. His toes still tingled with discomfort. It seemed the flower’s effect diminished with use, or perhaps his body was building a tolerance.

  Whatever the case, Lukas knew he’d need to keep an eye out for more of these blood moon lilies.

  Deciding it was time to move again, Lukas stored the flower in his inventory for later examination. For now, he had to keep going. With a determined grunt and the kind of groans that would make any dad proud, Lukas got up and resumed his cautious trek through the forest.

  Things went much the same as before his break. He wandered through the woods, hearing distant fights but finding nothing nearby. He kept an eye out for more lilies, but had no luck. After two hours of searching without any action, Lukas grew frustrated.

  All he wanted was one damn fight. Those wolves had found him easily enough, but maybe that had just been a stroke of bad luck.

  Lukas was still lamenting his lack of success when an earth-shaking roar echoed through the forest. The ground trembled, and all other sounds vanished. A primal fear gripped Lukas, making his hair stand on end as he froze in place.

  All his earlier thoughts of leaving a mark on this world and refusing to live in fear were swept away. Lukas was at the bottom of the food chain, utterly insignificant compared to whatever had unleashed that roar.

  With adrenaline flooding his veins, Lukas scrambled back to his little hole, ignoring the pain in his body. What had he been thinking, going out into the forest while still injured? If he wanted to survive, he needed to hide, heal, and be smart about his next steps.

  He would cower in his hidey-hole and lick his wounds. He’d definitely have to start thinking smarter from now on