I opened my eyes, realizing that I must have dozed off. Glancing at the countdown for the night, I saw it read:

6 hours and 8 seconds.

The pink creature was still there, almost back to its normal shape, happily chewing away. I yawned and asked with a smile :

"Almost done?"

It stopped moving, looked at me, and growled.

"No rush," I said kindly.

I reclined in the grass, afraid to make any sudden movements. That small creature could easily devour me. That thing, whatever it was... Oh, wait.

I slowly sat up and focused on the animal, using FOCUS on it :

"Cutie-Pie Level 22; Mob

The Cutie-Pie mainly inhabits the bottom of the Tower and dense forest areas. They have a simple existence, focused on eating and sleeping.

Cutie-Pie dislike being disturbed while eating and can spend up to 20 hours chewing and digesting their meals, depending on the quantity.

Usually, they won't attack unless threatened... or hungry.

Loud noises irritate them.

Their drops have high value and can be sold to potion makers."

"Level 22!" I thought, astonished. "This doesn't make any sense."

I checked my Status and discovered I was still at level 1. This creature was far more advanced. I lay back in the grass, gazing at the sky and keeping an eye on the night countdown.

BUUURRRPPPPSS

I looked up to see the small Cutie-Pie burping, causing its mouth to ripple with the force. It looked like something out of a cartoon, almost like Homer Simpsons. This creature was truly bizarre.

It glanced at me and hopped back toward the forest, disappearing into the foliage.

"It's gone!" I exclaimed. "Finally!"

I stood up, picked up my knife, and returned it to the holster on my leg. Then, I walked toward where the Cutie-Pie had been feeding. Among the blood-soaked ground, something shiny caught my eye.

I activated my "FOCUS":

"Cutie-Pie Drop: 6 grams;

Expelled by a Cutie-Pie after digestion. Can be sold to Potion makers or used in Alchemy."

I moved closer, the item lying amidst the blood and goblin flesh. Disgusting as it was, it could be my first source of gold.

I cautiously picked it up, contemplating my next move.

"Wait, how do I place it in my inventory?" I pondered aloud.

I paused, recalling my previous experience with the hoverboard and the Gem Loot Box.

"Intention," I acknowledged.

With the intention of adding it to my inventory, I focused for less than a second, and the Cutie-Pie drop disappeared. I quickly accessed my inventory to ensure it worked.

Sure enough, it was there.

"That was easy as pie!" I exclaimed and laughed at my own pun.

Before moving on, I glanced at the goblin arm.

"Can I take it too?" I wondered.

I picked it up and used FOCUS :

"Goblin Arm, deceased. Belonged to Gnoz, level 7 Goblin."

No further information appeared, but I noticed a ring on one of the fingers. I removed it and used FOCUS once more:

"Iron Ring of Strength: +2 Strength."

"Cool!" I remarked.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Sliding the ring onto my finger, it glowed briefly. I then checked my stats. As expected, my Strength had increased to 17.

It was time for me to continue. I dropped the arm on the ground and surveyed my surroundings. Still deep within the forest, there wasn't much else to see. I consulted my map; the visible radius around my location was limited, but I spotted a path to the north. That seemed like a possible direction. Determined to reach a safe area before nightfall, I set off walking.

As I traversed the forest, my thoughts turned to the previous encounter—a battle of sorts, if you could call it that. I got lucky. If that Cutie-Pie hadn't shown up for lunch, I would have surely die - for good. I wasn't prepared, clueless about fighting or how to react. I always imagined myself as a fearless hero in situations like this, but the reality was different. Fear gripped me, paralyzing any action. This was no video game; there were no restarts, no saving and loading. All my skills existed solely in my mind. I hoped that my newly acquired class and stats would make me formidable, but without the ability to move, they were meaningless. How would I escape this place? How could I reach the top? Suddenly, I wished I had died in the accident.

"I never asked for a second chance..." I muttered.

Finally reaching the path, I discovered a narrow dirt trail cutting through the forest. Glancing at my map again, I realized I could see more now that I had traveled some distance.

"NPC," I mentioned.

Further down the path, a white dot caught my attention. I headed in that direction, trying to push aside my dark thoughts and focus on the immediate task.

"I've got this," I said to myself, lacking true conviction.

As I drew nearer, I noticed the NPC—a figure moving slowly, hunched over and pulling a small wooden cart. I quickened my pace to catch up.

"Hello!" I greeted upon reaching the walker.

The NPC stopped and turned to face me. It wasn't a man or a woman; it resembled an anthropomorphic fish-like person. With a flat face, big gel-like eyes, and pale green, nearly transparent skin, they wore clothes made of what appeared to be leather. They seemed aged.

"Um, hi," I continued, trying to not stare or act surprised, "Could you help me find the nearest inn? I seem to be a bit lost."

"Hello, stranger," she replied in the voice of an elderly woman.

Slowly, she turned to face me more directly and continued:

"You'll find Green Tree Village in that direction," she said, pointing back the way I came, "It's about three miles away."

I peered in the direction she indicated, but the dense forest masked any possibility to see the village.

"Thank you," I replied.

She nodded, and I bid her farewell.

As I began walking, she continued on her way. Glancing at the night countdown, I noted :

5 hours and 42 seconds.

I still had time. Three miles didn't seem far, unless I encountered any complications.

"Help!" someone shouted suddenly.

I turned around to see the old fish woman being attacked by some kind of animal resembling a wolf or coyote, but with green fur instead of the usual dark tones. I rushed toward her as she fell to the ground, struggling to fend off the beast's bites. Drawing my knife without a second thought, I prepared to attack, but I couldn't as I stopped a few feet from the beast. I was once again paralyzed with fear. In front of me that old fish lady was begging for help, and I stood there. My thoughts racing in my head. I needed to do something, I could help if only I could move. The wolf teared scratched the woman's arms with its teeth, drawing blood.

"I can do this!!" I shouted.

And finally, for an instant, I won over my fear. I leaped forward and stabbed the creature in the head, the blade slicing through its skull with ease. The beast dropped lifelessly onto the old lady.

I lifted it off her and helped her to her feet. A yellow star flashed in the corner of my HUD, accompanied by some numbers:

"+127 XP"

"I gained XP!" I exclaimed, filled with joy.

"Thank you, thank you." the old fish woman expressed her gratitude.

She cleaned the dirty on her cloth and readjusted her hat then she reached inside her coat and handed me a moss-covered stone.

"Here, this is for you, as a token of appreciation," she said.

"Thank you, but it's not necessary," I replied.

"I insist," she smiled.

Relenting, I accepted the stone. Covered in algae and moss, it seemed like it had spent a long time submerged underwater. There was some blue marking on it. I used FOCUS :

"Knowledge Stone of the Water Breather; Category I.

Allows you to learn the Water Breather spell if requirements are met.

Requirements:

Intelligence: 10 Dexterity: 10 Strength: 10"

Meeting all the requirements, I wondered how to utilize the stone. I decided to ask the fish woman directly.

"Thank you so much for the stone. By any chance, do you know how to use it?" I inquired.

She chuckled.

"You're amusing, stranger. This is merely a decorative stone from my village. You don't need to "use" it. These stones are found deep in the ocean, they are a reminder of how we used to be living in the water many eons ago, it brings back memories and nostalgia of these time. Now, we have them on our home to bring luck."

Assuming the NPC didn't possess full knowledge of the game's mechanics, I decided not to pursue the matter further. I would figure it out on my own eventually.

"Alright, it's time for me to continue. The night is approaching, and if you want to reach the village, you should probably get moving as well," she advised, pointing down the road.

I nodded, thanked her once more, and resumed my journey.

As I walked on the path, I once again got lost in my thoughts. I had just slain my first mob. I glanced at my hand and then at my knife, securely back in its holster. I needed to have more faith in myself. Perhaps I could do this.

"That was an easy prey, probably low-level, unlike..." I stopped mid-sentence, abruptly slapping my forehead.

"The loot! I forgot to check its inventory and use FOCUS," I exclaimed to no one but myself.

I hurried back to where the mob's body lay, but the woman had already distanced herself along the road.

"I must remember to make a habit of checking inventory and using FOCUS," I reminded myself.

Examining the lifeless creature on the ground, its head split open to reveal fragments of its brain, I focused my attention:

"Evil Dog, Level 4; Mob.

The Evil Dog is a solitary beast that typically preys on easy targets traveling along roads and paths within the forest."

"Not as fearsome as I thought, but still Level 4," I mused.

I checked its inventory and found two pieces of Evil Dog meat and one Evil Dog fur. They didn't hold much value. Resuming my journey toward the village, I glanced at the night counter:

5 hours and 7 minutes.

I picked up the pace, eager to cover more ground.

I smiled and said to myself :

"I gained XP, I slayed a beast. I can do this."