Chapter 1: Hunger

A familiar scent filled the air, reminiscent of the first drops of rain touching the earth—refreshing and comforting. "Just a few more minutes, and I'll wake up," I said.

But abruptly, I was jolted awake. Pain, confusion, and disorientation flooded back all at once, causing me to vomit.

My stomach twisted, tears streamed down my face. Nothing came out, but it felt as though I was slowly regurgitating my organs, one by one.

Attempting to stand, my legs felt weak, and the world spun around me. After a few moments, I managed to steady myself, only to be thrown off balance once again by my surroundings.

A forest.

I found myself standing in the midst of a forest, an incredibly vivid illusion, so lifelike that even the grass beneath my feet felt fresh, slightly damp from the morning dew.

"This is a dream right?"

[Initializing...]

"Whoa!"

Suddenly, a screen appeared before me, its borders glowing blue.

"Were virtual reality games always this realistic? I don't recall them being able to stimulate all five senses."

[Choose a weapon]

[1. Sword]

[2. Spear]

[3. Dagger]

[4. Bow]

[5. Shield]

The list went on and on, with many of the weapon names unrecognizable to me.

"Spear... weren't they commonly used in wars?" I pondered.

Uncertain, yet drawn to it, I selected the spear.

[Weapon choice: Spear]

[Survive and find the exit]

"Survive?"

And then, I heard a growl.

A feral, angry, and hungry growl. I turned around to behold a creature—its true nature eluding me, but it was undoubtedly not a wild animal.

Standing on two legs, with thin, gray skin and sharp black claws, it emitted another growl, revealing rows of menacing, pointed teeth filling its entire mouth.

A thud caught my attention, and I noticed a spear beside my feet.

In that split second, the creature charged towards me. Neither slow nor fast, it displayed a clear intention—it hungered and sought to devour.

Fumbling, I grasped the spear and swung it like a makeshift staff.

A metallic clang resonated as I took a step back.

The creature recoiled momentarily before lunging at me once more.

Unfamiliar with spear techniques, I knew the pointed tip hurt.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Taking a deep breath, I tightened my grip, thrusting the spear forward in an attempt to kill the enigmatic beast.

I felt the spear pierce its flesh as the creature pushed back, roaring in response. The weapon maintained a constant distance between us.

Roaring, the monster tried to pull the spearhead from its stomach, but I continued to exert force.

Blood trickled from the wound, and it collapsed. I pressed deeper, encountering a hard obstruction—perhaps a bone—prompting me to twist the spear.

The weapon rotated, intensifying the monster's screams.

Now, it desperately tried to secure the spear in place, preventing it from moving further.

I yanked the spear free and thrust it back in.

Lacking the precision of a skilled spear wielder, I inflicted a new wound—though I had no complaints.

The creature shrieked once more, and I gazed into its face.

I froze.

Tears streamed from the monster's eyes, silently pleading for mercy, begging to be spared. Its screams had transformed into whimpers and sobs.

I hesitated. For a second, the spear stopped and the monster shrieked, swinging its claws as they pierced my forearm.

I screamed as I kicked the monster's arm and once again thrust my spear, albeit with a little less force.

I once again stared at the creature's face, grit my teeth, and stabbed.

Stab after stab after stab after stab.

At some point, the light in the creature's eyes faded, but I didn't notice, relentlessly thrusting the spear into the lifeless body.

A window materialized before me, snapping me back to my senses. I glanced down at the pockmarked corpse, not bothering to read what appeared on the screen. Dropping my weapon, I collapsed to the ground, curling up into a ball.

My body trembled, tears welled in my eyes, but something within me held them back.

And I blacked out.

--------------------------------------

*splash* *splash*

The sound of water splashing accompanied my every step.

Was it water?

Everything appeared dark, and I couldn't determine how long I had been walking.

My body ached, feeling heavy.

My feet were partially submerged in a black, mysterious liquid.

Yet, I continued walking.

--------------------------------------

I woke up to the sound of a growl, my own growl.

My head throbbed, and confusion enveloped me.

Wasn't I waiting for the bus, thinking about going home and planning my evening out?

Then it hit me.

The dizziness, the forest, spear, and the creature.

The creature...

I quickly turned my head, searching for the corpse, and there it was.

Not too far from me, not yet decomposing.

Still warm.

"It's not a dream..."

The body lay there, like a rock beside the road.

I slowly rose to my feet and approached it.

The eyes, devoid of their former gleam, continued to stare at me—the one who stole that light.

Bending down, I picked up the spear and walked away.

I could feel the corpse's gaze on my back, but all I wanted was to escape.

To distance myself from that place.

After wandering in a random direction for a few minutes, I surveyed my surroundings for any more 'monsters.'

Eventually, I found a tree to sit under and attempted to 'summon the window.'

[Killed a Goblin. Experience gained]

[Bonus experience for being in a Trial Tower]

[Initialization: Success]

[Starting Floor 0: Tutorial]

[Find the door]

[Status Available]

Floor 0? Tutorial? Trial Tower? What Door?

Was that creature really a goblin? Aren't they supposed to be green and short? Even the voice in my head felt different, more natural? I couldn't say for sure but something had changed.

And what is this 'Status' thing?

---

[Status]

Name: Ray

Species: Human (F)

Bloodline: None

General Skills: None

Class: Trainee

Strength: 11

Agility: 11

Endurance: 12

Vitality: 10

Dexterity: 10

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 10

Perception: 15

Bonus points remaining: 2

---

Everything continued to grow stranger and more perplexing, so I decided to focus on a more pressing matter:

Finding food.

There were no animals to hunt or any signs of life besides the goblin.

The forest seemed devoid of living creatures, with only trees and grass surrounding me. I couldn't even spot or hear any insects.

My arms still hurting from the previous claw wounds, "I hope this is similar to how games work," I wished and added two points to 'Vitality'.

I felt slightly warm and the pain on my hand reduced considerably.

"Well it's something."

Choosing a random direction, I ventured forth, hoping to discover something, anything in this lifeless forest.

Perhaps not more goblins.

After walking for a considerable time, the sound of running water reached my ears.

It reminded me of my thirst, and within minutes, I caught sight of a river a few dozen meters ahead.

However, a small obstacle prevented me from simply diving into the river.

I wasn't alone.

Goblins crouched by the riverbank, dipping their hands and faces into the water, gulping it down as much as they could.

Yes, Goblins.

Three, Goblins.