I open my eyes

I am laying on the ground on a soft bed of lush grass, looking up and gazing into a brilliant blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds.

There is a gentle breeze blowing. It smells fresh and clean, like a spring day in the mountains.

No smell of pollution, no city noises. No sounds of blaring car horns. Just peace and tranquility.

I stand up and stretch my arms and legs out.

Looking around, everything is so green. The forest seems endless.

I have never been in a true forest. There weren't many near where I lived on Earth. However, despite simply seeing trees, I can't help noting how beautiful they are.

They seem to reach forever into the sky, giving off a strong sense of permanence. The leaves are like jewels, glistening in the sunlight. Some of these trees are hundreds of years old, and yet still alive.

One tree looks especially ancient as it sways gently in the wind, its trunk covered in moss.

All around me, the forest is filled with life. Birds fly overhead, and insects buzz about.

Bees hum from flowers.

A squirrel runs across the ground, hopping over small rocks and fallen twigs.

Crickets chirp.

Insects flit through the air.

Dragonflies zoom past, their wings flashing.

Suddenly a large bird swoops down in front of me. It lands on a branch of one of the nearby trees and stares at me, its beak opening and closing. Its feathers look like black velvet.

Its bright golden eyes glare at me. I stare back, mesmerized by the bird's magnificence. I wonder what type of bird it is. It sort of looks like a raven or crow. However, it doesn't give the same presence one would.

Instead of feeling evil and dark, it feels peaceful and serene.

I continue staring until a loud peal echoes from the trees causing the bird to fly away.

I wonder if this is a product of Goddess Alana. She loved the forest and all of life. This place was truly alive.

I study the bird, curious about what it will do next. But it flies away without another peep.

Then more birds suddenly appear, swooping down and landing on branches above me.

Their beaks open wide.

My heart speeds up. I get butterflies in my stomach when I see the birds.

One of them lands on a branch right before me. Its beak opens and closes, its eyes glaring at me.

I freeze in fear. I don't know what to do. What does the bird want? Is it going to attack me?

Before I can move, the bird jumps onto my shoulder. I gasp in shock, but then a smile spreads across my face.

I ponder this moment. A wild bird just jumped onto my shoulder!

I have no idea why it did it. Maybe it wants food. I don't have anything to feed it. All I have are the clothes Alana gave me.

I worry that it might attack me. But the bird seems content sitting on my shoulder. I notice its beak opening and closing again as it bobs its head up and down. I feel like its eyes are gazing into my own.

It's so strange that something as small and as fragile as a bird could have such a strong presence.

"Hello," I say to it. "I'm new here."

The bird stops moving for a moment and stares at me. Then it chirps and hops off my shoulder.

I watch it walk around the tree, looking for insects or berries.

I feel calmer that the bird flew away. I remember a movie where swarms of birds would attack people. It was kind of a terrifying concept. I took a deep breath and relax my shoulders.

As I take in the sights of the forest, I realize how much I like it here. It's peaceful. The birds are beautiful. And the plants and trees are so green. It looks like paradise.

A pang of sadness hits me as I think about Earth. In a flash, my mind goes back to the accident. Everything comes flooding back. I relive the moment when I heard the screeching tires coming straight for me. And the horrific impact.

That was the last thing I remember.

I used to love to go on walks through the woods. There was something magical about it that drew me in. Whenever I walked through a forest, I felt like time slowed down. As if everything were happening at a slower pace.

And now that I've woken up here, I feel the same way. Perhaps this forest is supposed to be my place of peace; a reminder that I can enjoy my life again, That this is a chance to start over.

But I can't help but feel angry at myself. I should have been more careful. If only I had looked both ways. Or maybe I wouldn't even have crossed the street at all.

All these thoughts swirl in my head.

When I finally stop thinking, I look around the area.

I see a dirt path leading deeper into the forest. It stretches out before me, winding and twisting between the trees. Something about it makes me curious. Maybe I'll follow it and find out where it leads.I leave the clearing behind, walking along the path. The ground is bumpy, but the dirt is soft underfoot. I try not to step on any rocks or sticks.

There's a small creek running alongside the path, flowing from one side of the road to the other. The is an old wooden bridge made of simple planks laying over the creek. The water runs fast, splashing against the sides of the wood.

I look at the creek thinking that I recall some article talking about how fast-moving water is generally safe to drink.

I decide to take a risk and take a sip. It's surprisingly refreshing. if I will be walking for a while I will need to drink something. I don't know where the nearest source of water is, I would rather not risk waiting too long to possibly not find any water.

I'm still walking along the path, letting the cool breeze blow across my face. The sun is shining brightly overhead.

Suddenly, my body jerks forward. Before I even realize what happened, I fall flat on my face.

The pain shoots through my stomach. I groan as I pick myself up. I check my arms, legs, and chest. They're fine.

I get up and brush the dirt off my clothes.

I wonder why I fell, and notice a root sticking out into the path. I must have been too busy gazing at the surroundings to pay attention to my feet.

It doesn't matter. I have to keep going.

I stand up and continue walking down the path. After a few minutes, the trees begin to thin out. I walk through a small clearing where there are several large trees with thick branches stretching high above my head.

I look up and see a blue sky peeking through the canopy of leaves. A slight breeze flows through the air, ruffling my hair.

It feels wonderful after being cooped up in buildings for so long.

I hear the sound of rushing water and turn around. I see the stream from earlier flowing past me, merging with a much larger river.

I'm standing right next to the border of the forest which opens into a vast meadow.

On the other side, I see the beginnings of more forests. Further, beyond I see towering snow-capped mountains so tall they reach beyond the clouds.

I suddenly become aware of how tired I am. I have been walking for quite some time now since I came to this world. Perhaps my stamina is low?

I pull up my system status to see if my tiredness somehow is reflected by the system.

─ Name: Richard Bell

─ Age: 23

─ Race: Human

─ Skills: None

─ Class: Unassigned

─ Magic attributes: Unknown

─ Magical Proficiency: Unknown

─ Level: 1/1

─ Health: 58/60

─ Stamina: 28/45

─Mana: 218/218

─ Stat Points: 0

─ Strength: 9

─ Dexterity: 4

─ Intelligence: 18

─ Wisdom: 5

─ Agility: 9

─ Luck: 6

─ Willpower: 12

Appearance:

─ Skin: Pale complexion, reddish hair

─ Eyes: Blue

─ Hair Color: Ginger

─ Clothing: Light brown leather cloak, faded white tunic, leather belt, brown trousers, light brown stockings, brown leather boots.

I see my stamina stat is down to about half. That's probably it. I will need to take a rest soon. I hope to find a town or something before nightfall.I walk along the edge of the meadow towards the woodlands beyond. I continue down the path. Sure it will lead me somewhere.

After a few minutes, the path begins to fork off in multiple directions. I had assumed the path would eventually lead to the edge of the forest where I could enter, but I guess not. I honestly have no clue which direction to go. Either direction continues through the forest and there is no sort of street sign or anything like that.

I decide to follow the path that seems most likely based on what I've seen. If I get lost, I can always retrace my steps and try another way.

The path leads deeper into the woods. I pass by several streams as well as several small copses of trees and bushes.

As I walk further into the forest, I begin to notice an increasing number of birds chirping and flying overhead. The sounds of the forest seem to be coming from everywhere at once. My head throbs again as I continue walking. I am worrying that I am possibly pushing my stamina. I have no idea how long I have been walking as this path never seems to end. Sure the forest and everything are pretty but I needed to find a place to stay. Possibly somehow find food. I do not know the plants here and I don't want to risk eating a berry or mushroom that may make me sick. I desperately need to find a village or town.

But the more I walk, the more anxious I grow. I feel like I am lost deep within the woods. It doesn't help that my legs are beginning to ache. I should take a break soon. However, I can't take a break. I need to keep walking. I do not know what kind of dangers this forest could have at night, I do not wish to take any chances.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

As I am walking I think back to what the system advisor told me about magic. About how there are four magic attributes. Water Earth Air and Fire. I have no idea how it works but I wonder if I can use any. I think back to my time reading books and playing games. often there were higher tiers of magic using concepts similar to dark and/or light magic. Sometimes there were far more intricate magical elements or fields of magic.

As I am walking I think to myself holding my hand up in the air imagining a fireball or something like that coming out of my hand. I quickly realize this is probably impossible. I mean I just woke up from death, and I'm not entirely sure my brain has fully processed all of this yet. But hey, maybe I can cast some fireballs? I thought to myself. I imagined shooting a fireball into the sky. Nothing appeared to happen.

I laughed at how silly I probably looked waving my hand in the air. As I was laughing, a bird flew down and landed in front of me on a branch. She looks at me for a moment before hopping off her perch and flying away.

That gave me an idea. what about wind or air magic? That would be cool to try. So I stood still and closed my eyes. I concentrated and tried to visualize a tornado or something swirling around me. I envisioned my hands moving through the air. I felt nothing. Then, suddenly, I heard a loud crackling sound. I opened my eyes and saw a gust of wind blowing past my feet. I watched as leaves flew off the trees above. This was so cool! It was far from the tornado I imagined,

but it did seem to blow the leaves away. I had never seen anything like this before.

Suddenly, I realized I was standing under a tree. I looked around and noticed that the other trees nearby seemed to be moving too. They were swaying from side to side. As they swayed, their branches moved, and leaves fell to the ground.

"What the hell?" I whispered.

I looked up again. What I saw was unbelievable. A small vortex of wind was blowing in a circle cycling down to the ground. I could hear the leaves rustling and falling. I started to laugh. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had created this wind vortex with only my mind. I was so excited I jumped up and down clapping my hands.

The wind grew stronger, then dissipated. I was a little disappointed. But I am startled at the realization that I used some sort of magic. I know the system advisor talked a little about magic but seeing it with my own eyes was a whole different experience.

─ You have gained access to the Wind Attribute. Proficiency Rank Unproficient

I am startled as a notification pops up in front of me in a transparent window. I look around confused. "WTF!?" I shout.

Then I notice that several more notifications are floating around in front of me.

─ You have Successfully Experimented with your mana for the first time. Congratulations you may be able to use the Wind attribute but have no idea how to use it or control it. To safely hone this form of magic, it is recommended to seek out a professional for guidance. Please don't get blown away. Your mana has increased by 5%

I blink in surprise and realize the system is probably right. It is probably a bad idea to play with magic without really knowing anything about it.

I call up my system status to see if the system added this information to my page, as well as to see if my mana took a toll from that.

I am surprised to find that my Mana has increased from 218 to 228.

─ Name: Richard Bell

─ Age: 23

─ Race: Human

─ Skills: None

─ Class: Unassigned

─ Magic Attributes:

─ Wind: Unproficient

─ Health: 58/60

─ Mana: 140/225

─ Stamina: 20/45

─ Stat Points: 0

─ Strength: 14

─ Dexterity: 6

─ Intelligence: 19

─ Wisdom: 10

─ Agility: 8

─ Luck: 7

─ Willpower: 13

I guess I must have gotten a little buff from playing with the idea of magic. Though given that my mana dropped by over a quarter. I mentally order myself to not play with magic. If I get carried away with playing with little gusts of wind I may bottom out my mana. I don't know if Alana will be able to spare me if I die from something as clumsy as that.

Well, I'm going to go try and find a teacher for Wind Magic. I figure that if I can learn to control my magic better, maybe I could become an adventurer. As much as I like the thought of exploring the world. I want to make sure that I am safe and protected.

─ Richard Bell

─ Status: Healthy

─ Condition: Fatigued

─ Location: Mirida

─ Time: 16:00

─ Weather: Sunny

I look at the notification. reading the few details. Nothing too informative but it did tell me one important detail. It was 16:00 so in Earth time it would be considered 4:00 pm. I do not know how long the days are on Mirida

I put the rest of my thoughts aside knowing it is probably late in the day. I need to stop playing and keep going. The sun isn't set yet and there is still plenty of light.

I walk through the forest and come across a small village in the distance. There don't seem to be many people around here. But then again this place is in the middle of nowhere. So it makes sense that there wouldn't be too many people around.

The village is a decent-sized farming village with trees cut down for fields and livestock pastured in the surrounding area.

There is a large house near the center of the settlement, surrounded by farms. A couple of the houses have smoke coming from chimneys. I notice a group of women working together in the field, and two boys tending to the animals.

As I approach the village, I see a young boy walking towards me. He looks about ten years old, wearing a straw hat and carrying some sort of tool. When he sees me, he smiles widely before running back to his home.

─ Richard Bell

─ Status: Healthy

─ Condition: Fatigued

─ Location: Village of Findrel

─ Time: 18:15

─ Weather: Sunny

─ You have discovered a village. You navigated from essentially nowhere to here. You picked the right path. If you took any other route you would not have arrived at a village or town by nightfall.

─ Luck +1

Finally people. The first people I've seen since I've come to this world. I hope they don't treat me too badly as a foreigner or a stranger. I have nothing. This is the best chance I've had so far of moving on in this life.

I continue down the road toward the village that the system told me was called Findrel.

I walk into the village and start looking around. It's very quiet but there is activity all over the place. People are going about their daily lives. Women are hoeing the fields, children are playing outside, and men work in the workshops.

The village has a lot more people than I realized. I've counted easily 40 people so far

A man walks out of the nearby workshop and heads straight toward me. He is a good bit taller than me, but I realize something is odd about him.

His face is reptile-looking, His skin is dark green with scales, and his eyes seem a glittery golden-red. They look like some sort of predator's eyes, with slit-like pupils instead of a human's round pupils. He has an extremely sharp hooked nose and short ears. It almost seems like he has small horns growing from his head and back. His back tapers into a long tail. I am started by his appearance.

"Welcome to Findrel." He says with a low voice. "Are you lost?"

"Uh... yeah..." I say nervously. "How do I get to the nearest inn?"

He stares at me for a moment before responding,

"You're new here, so I'll let you in on a little secret. Inn is what we call our tavern, and the closest one is behind that building there," he points to a wooden structure with a sign hanging above it reading "Albres's Rest".

"Do you need help finding your way? Perhaps someone can escort you there if you wish."

"I appreciate it," I say. I notice there is a problem I don't have any money. I was foolish to think I could get a room or even food without money. Everyone knows everything costs money.

I am looking down thinking. My luck is really bad. First, I die and then end up in a world I know nothing about with no clue how to survive. Now, I've got no money. What else could go wrong? I'm starting to feel depressed.

"Come along then, sir! We will show you where the inn is!" The lizardman says excitedly.

"Sorry sir, I appreciate the help. The thing is I have no money. I doubt that the folks who run the inn would allow me to stay there for free."

"That's unfortunate, but I'm sure you can find a way. You have a strong build, so maybe you could earn some money doing manual labor."

I stare at the man for a few seconds.

"You have anything you need help with that would be enough to cover the night?" I ask.

"Well, I have a few projects I'd like to complete today, but nothing that would pay more than a few coppers. How about you do some work for me, and I give you dinner and lodging for the night."

"What type of work?"

"Oh, do you have any experience with smithing or metal work?" he asks.

"Not exactly. " I respond.

"Don't worry, you'll pick it up quickly. Do you mind if I take a closer look at you? To see if you're capable of such a task?"

"Sure," I reply cautiously.

He looks me over. I watch as he examines me closely. He holds me up and reaches under my armpits, then lifts me off the ground. I stand there unmoving.

Wow, he is strong. I know I wasn't heavy but I was easily 200 lbs before this. He puts me down and then inspects me again.

"What type of work experience do you have? Are you skilled with a blade?"

"No, I can barely use a knife. Before I died, I worked as a clerk in a shop. Used to haul things. Sometimes heavy things "

"Hmm, well you seem pretty fit. Not as strong as someone who has been working a field or anything like that but maybe you got potential."

"So you work with metal?"

"Yes, mostly tin, copper, and bronze though I can make other things too."

"I assume you are some sort of smith?" I say.

"Yeah, I work with all sorts of metals. I also repair items. If you want to become a smith, I can teach you the basics tonight. It's not hard to learn, but you will need to practice."

"Sounds good. I'd love to learn." I ask. Maybe this could be my new life. Working with metal. It sounds like a harsh profession. I only what I've seen in movies and read in books. I am pretty sure they deal a lot with extremely hot metals. They have to work something called a billow...and other things. I have no idea what the job would be like. But perhaps I could at least turn this into a marketable skill here in this world. I don't know if I don't try

He said he works with copper, tin, and bronze. Other things as well. I wonder if he makes swords and stuff like that. I wonder if I learned enough I would be able to make a sword. Every nerd and geek has fantasized about swords in books and movies. I could one day make my own. I start doubting myself. I have no business in this field. But, he said he'd offer me lodging and dinner for the night. If I can prove I am good enough maybe he won't have to waste his time with me.

The man introduces himself.

"I am Ka'Illian. And you are?"

"Richard. Nice to meet you. Uh...I mean you too." I stammer out awkwardly.

He laughs and shakes my hand. His grip is strong. Like amazingly strong. If a bodybuilder shook my hand... that's the closest I could compare to this.

"Um, sir Ka'Illian I struggle to say. " I tell him.

"Oh, sorry. Its Ka'Illian. It means 'beautiful'."

"Beautiful? Really?"

"Yeah, it is what my mother named me as a hatchling. I know the name isn't fitting" he laughs.

I don't know how to respond. I guess any mother would think her child is beautiful.

"What are you? I hope I am not being too blunt in asking this." I ask.

"Why do you think that?" he asks.

"Well, I have never seen anyone or anything like you before. I only have seen humans so far. So you are a bit different than anything I have ever seen. You have scales on your head and back. Your eyes look like reptilian eyes. Plus, you got those long claw fingers." I point to his hands.

"You see, I am part of the Lizardfolk. We are a race of people who evolved in the jungles of Vinikir. As you saw we tend to have scales covering our bodies. Our tails are also a giveaway. We tend to get prefer warmer weather." He tells me.

"So what are you doing here?" I ask.

"Eh, long story. I would rather not talk about it," he says like I said something wrong. Maybe I touched on a sore subject.

"OK then. What is the pay for working with you?" I asked him.

"Come now, you don't need to be so suspicious. I am offering you lodging and food for the night." He replies.

"Uhhh, alright. You said you were going to show me a few things to do with smithing?" I ask.

"Yes. First off though, let us go inside. It is starting to chilly out here." he says.

We walk towards the shop that he came from, which I now figured was most likely some sort of smithy. When we get there, I see a table set up against the wall. There are several wooden bowls filled with various metal parts along the table. A forge rests near it and a couple of tools.

"Go ahead and take a seat on that bench. I will be right over." He tells me. I sit down. The bench is pretty comfortable actually. I begin looking at all of the junk in front of us. I notice some pieces are made of various types of metal. Some of them just look like scrap iron. Others appear to be silver or gold.

"Now, what type of metals do you know?" he asks me.

"Maybe steel or iron. I know copper and bronze are usually similar colors. I know that bronze is made from copper and tin." I reply.

"That's a decent start. Now, let me explain to you what each of these different metals is," he says.

"All right." I nod.

"As you can see, the first one, steel, is a pure form of iron mixed with coal. This makes it stronger, harder, and more durable than normal iron. The second one, copper, is a soft metal used for crafting. Many of the tools around us are made from it."

"The third one is brass. Brass is like copper but slightly more difficult to work with. It is an alloy of zinc and copper.

"I thought brass was made from tin and copper. I know you can make bronze from tin and copper but I was pretty sure there was another alloy you could make from tin and copper." I say.

"Oh, you are thinking of pewter. Pewter is a mixture of tin and small bits of copper. You know a thing or two about metals don't you?" he asks.

"Uh-huh. I guess I'm learning." I tell him.

"Good! Now, this next piece of metal is called bronze. Bronze is very similar to copper in the way that it is soft and pliable. However, it is much harder than copper. It can be used for making armor as well." he says.

"That's interesting. So if copper is softer than bronze?" I ask.

"Exactly. That means that bronze can be hammered into shape easily. Copper however will crack when hammering." he replies."you already knew bronze was made with tin and copper

which is good because we will be using a lot of it tonight”

"Alright then. Can I try? " I ask excitedly.

"Of course. Don't worry, it won't break easily," he assures me. "I will guide you through the process."

He picks up a piece of bronze and hands it to me. He shows me how to hold the piece. Then he takes a pair of tongs and places them onto the hot coals of the forge. I watch intently as he begins to strike the bronze against the side of the forge.

"You want to ensure that every single part of the bronze has been heated evenly. If one spot is too hot, it may warp your work." He explains.

"Can I try?" I ask again.

"Please do. But remember, only move the piece slowly and carefully," he says.

I take the tongs back and place the bronze on top of the glowing coals. I listen to his instructions intently. I feel the heat rise in my arm. I keep working until my arm begins to tingle.

"Okay, now we are ready to remove the bronze from the fire," he says.

"Take off the tongs slowly," he instructs.

I begin to ease the bronze away from the coals. I am surprised when it doesn't burst into flames and fall apart. Instead, it remains solid and relatively intact.

"Excellent! Now let's turn our focus to the next step," he says. "Now you will be hammering it."

"Um...okay," I reply hesitantly.

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it after a few tries," he reassures me as he hands me a large hammer.

"I'm going to show you the proper way to swing the hammer. First, grip the handle firmly with both your right hand and hold the tongs with your left. Next, start at the center point of the bronze and move your wrist quickly toward the bottom of the piece of metal. As you continue swinging, your arm should move down along the length of the piece of metal."

I don't notice the notification as I am trying to work the metal.

"Is there a particular shape I should be trying to make?" I ask him.

"No, not really. You should be aiming for whatever you think looks most pleasing. Just remember, you have to hammer each piece of metal in the same manner. Otherwise, they won't match."

The lizardman is watching me as I try to hammer the metal. After a few minutes, the skin on my arm begins to burn.

"Are you alright?" the lizardman asks concernedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I tell him. "Just a little clumsy."

"It is normal to be a bit uncoordinated at first. Practice makes perfect," he says. "So long as you aren't hurting yourself or damaging any of the tools, I wouldn't worry about it."

"All right then," I say. "Let's try this again!"

With renewed vigor, I attempt to hammer the bronze. This time I can keep the piece of metal in the place as my arm moves down it. I am trying to imagine this as a blade. I am pretty sure it is too short for a sword but perhaps a dagger will work.

"Well done! You seem to have gotten the hang of it," he tells me.

"Thanks," I reply.

We continue hammering metal for several hours. I don't even notice the sun has gone down. I am so focused on hammering metal that I forget all about everything else.

I don't even realize there is a notification until the system reminds me. The notifications flash in my vision. My arm is beginning to ache. I look over to the lizard man. His eyes are closed.

"Hey, um..." I say. "I need to stop soon," I say as my vision gets fuzzy and my head starts to spin.

The lizardman looks at me with concern. "Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah." I try to say but my voice is coming out all slurred.

"You're getting tired," he replies. "That is normal. It takes a lot of energy to do something like this."

I collapsed onto the smithy floor passing out.