Of course, a giant task like 'find a way back to Earth' has to start with something smaller.

Like... survive the next ten minutes.

"Status."

[Class: Healer]

[Bravery Bonus: +1 to most-used stat. (Currently: none)]

Well, that's useless.

"Stats."

Nothing.

"Spells list?"

Nothing.

"Abilities."

Nope.

"Alright, how about... Heal."

Given how useless my attempts to use the system have been so far, I don't expect it to do anything. To my surprise, something in the heart of my soul wells up and floods out around me in a brilliant golden flash of light and heat. I feel... different. Better. Stronger. Less weak. The aches and scratches and minor irritants of everyday life are washed away in an instant, leaving me feeling five years younger and ready for anything.

"Well, that's something." I crack my knuckles and stare down at the creature standing between me and not-being-stuck-in-a-tree-for-the-rest-of-my-natural-life. "Alright, dino, prepare to be punched."

The dino in question stares up at me, pausing only momentarily before going back to gnawing on my tree.

I raise one hand to the heavens. "Bless."

I say it more as a callback to the game I was playing the night before than out of anticipation of success, but again the word seems to call up some force from deep within me, lending a sort of clarity to my movements.

It's not like real foresight, more a feeling of the proper way to do a thing. I instinctively know the dinosaur's weak points and how to shift my punches to hit them.

I grin, or perhaps grimace, it's hard to tell, and drop out of the tree toward the dino waiting below.

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It sees me coming. Of course it does. No oblivious easy starter monsters for me.

With a snarl, it lashes its tail and backs up, gleaming gold eyes watching my descent as its mouth opens, saliva drawing strands between rows of horrifying teeth and dripping down its opening jaws.

I twist in midair. My foot connects with the dinosaur's snout a moment sooner than it had anticipated. Its jaws snap shut on nothing - my kick pushed me just out of reach.

Then I'm on the ground, spinning, fists raised. "Haste," I whisper, but this time there is no answering rush of energy.

[All available spell slots are filled. Please try again later.]

Ah, well. Life goals. Bless will suffice for now.

The dino charges, recovering in an instant and lunging right at my face. I duck and punch its jaw from beneath, one-two, clacking its teeth together as it's jarred upward. Then its claws reach me, tearing through the thin fabric of my t-shirt and drawing a line of mind-blanking pain down my chest.

I may be ready to punch things, but I've never felt anything like that before. For a moment I'm convinced I'm about to die, panic blanking out everything else.

(I'm almost certain that if the dinosaur had left me then, I'd have bled out in shock without another chance to save myself.)

But the dino doesn't leave. It roars in triumph and lunges down to bite my exposed throat.

Frozen shock flips over to rage in an instant. Before I even realize what I'm doing, I've grabbed the dino in a choke hold, one arm across its throat, the other fist pressed hard to hold it still.

"Heal," I whisper, and light flares up through me, washing away the agony and leaving only anger in its wake.

This creature attacked me. It challenged me, it hurt me. I'll show it who it's messing with is someone who shouldn't be messed with!

"You wanna fight? Then I'll fight!"

Its mouth makes only a strangled hiss of air, barely a gasp, but its claws continue to rake down my legs, tearing through the heavier jean fabric as easily as they'd shredded my shirt. It tries to push me over, to slam me against the tree, but I shift my weight in response - I'm not a small person, and the dino didn't have any momentum - and hold my ground.

I press harder, choking it off completely, the slashes no longer registering beneath adrenaline and fury.

Then its struggles slowly grow weaker, its strength fading, and I lower it to the ground. It doesn't resist, finally falling still.

For another minute I maintain my hold, unwilling to be deceived, but the light leaves its golden eyes and they stare blankly, and I know I have won.

"One down!" I scream at the sky. "This is only the beginning."

Then as the high of the fight fades, I finally realize my legs are torn almost to ribbons. My head feels fuzzy and empty. I wobble unsteadily as my strength leaves me, then topple to the ground. I've never seen so much blood.

"Heal," I croak out, trying to prevent myself from hyperventilating.

*DING!*

[Healer level increased! Keep up the good work.]

Then I'm submerged in a wave of healing light pouring out from my center, scars healing over in moments, bloody and tattered clothing the only evidence of the epic confrontation that just went down.

My stomach grumbles in protest, and I suddenly remember my interrupted family dinner. I wish I'd managed to eat more of it before coming here.

"Fighting for your life really works up an appetite."

I eye the dead dinosaur, then the tree. "Well, I guess there's no better time to learn to cook than when in the middle of an unknown magical system world."

I'm going to grill me some dino steaks or die trying.

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