After running for a while, I decided to take a short break before continuing on the path towards Green Tree Village. As I walked, my mind drifted back to my previous life, my work, and my passion for creating games. It had been my lifelong dream, and I had worked tirelessly to make it a reality. I had poured countless hours into my craft, sacrificing weekends for crunch time, giving up on any social life. And finally, I had been given the opportunity to develop my own game.
With the help of my fantastic coworkers turned friends, we had come so close to achieving our goal. I was on the verge of presenting the prototype of my idea, almost reaching the pinnacle of success. And then, the car accident happened. Why? How could something so tragic occur?
Amidst my thoughts, Cleo's image flashed in my mind.
"Where is she?" I wondered aloud, "Is she doing better? Is she close to me?"
I glanced around, futilely searching for any sign of her presence. But it was just me and the silent forest.
Shaking off those thoughts, I refocused on the immediate task at hand - reaching a safe place before nightfall.
The countdown to the night displayed on my HUD :
4 hours and 22 minutes.
I decided to inspect the knowledge stone in my inventory. I held it in my hands, examining its surface. Covered in moss and dry algae, it didn't seem particularly special.
However, upon closer inspection, I noticed hidden markings beneath the moss. Stopping in my tracks, I carefully removed the moss covering the strange symbols.
As the dry moss fell away, the markings became clear - there was blue letters etched into the stone.
"Abzu?" I read the revealed text.
As I spoke the word, the stone suddenly emitted a soft, luminous blue glow. It levitated in the air and then flashed brightly, disappearing from sight.
"What the..." I exclaimed in surprise.
The stone was gone. Alarmed, I immediately checked my status, a sense of panic welling up within me. Had I made a mistake?
To my relief, I discovered a new spell tab with one entry :
"Water Breather; Category I" with the following details:
Cost: 4 Mana
Duration: 1 second for each Dexterity and Intelligence point
In addition, I now had a Mana bar displayed beneath my health bar, indicating a total of 10 Mana.
Furthermore, a new system appeared on my main HUD - a circular selection wheel with empty icons, except for one depicting a fish with a Roman numeral I. Activating FOCUS on it revealed its name as "Water Breather Cat. I."
I marveled at the convenience of this new feature, easily rotating the circular panel with my thoughts.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"Convenient!" I exclaimed to myself, appreciating the newfound abilities.
Yet, uncertainties remained. I was unsure how Mana was calculated and I realized I didn't know how to trigger my abilities. It seemed like the perfect time to call on Calexa for help.
"Calexa!" I shouted.
Nothing happened. I scratched my forehead in my "third eye", attempting once more, this time louder :
"CALEXA!"
Still, there was no response. I tapped my forehead, trying to establish a connection somehow.
"Calexa?" I called out again.
Silence enveloped me, and the white gem remained unresponsive.
Again, a sense of loneliness washed over me, reminiscent of when Calexa had left me earlier. Dark thoughts began to consume me, and I fought to resist their pull. Hopelessness settled in. There was so much about this world that I didn't fully grasp. Some aspects felt like a video game, but so much more was foreign and unknown. I looked up at the sky, through the fog and clouds, catching a glimpse of vast, towering structures that stretched into infinity. This place was colossal. How could I ever reach the top? Fear gripped me, and I found myself breathing heavily, losing control as scary thoughts swirled in my mind.
"I can't do this. I can't... I don't want to..." I whispered amid heavy breaths.
Out of habit, I instinctively reached into my pocket, searching for my Clonazepam. However, as expected, it wasn't there. Panic attacks had been a constant presence in my life for years, and the absence of my medication left me uncertain of how I would manage to overcome them.
"CALEXXXAAAA!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, desperately trying to dispel the fear and hold back tears.
But there was no response. I was alone. Collapsing to my knees, I questioned why I was even trying.
In that moment, I remained there, lost in my thoughts, struggling not to succumb to the tears welling up in my eyes. I missed my old life. It had only been a few hours, and I was already on the brink of giving up. I didn't want to face this. I didn't believe I deserved it. I felt defeated far too quickly. I had always thought of myself as someone brave, someone special.
"But I'm not," I admitted, my voice filled with defeat.
Motionless, I lingered in my despondent state, questioning my weakness. How could I be so feeble?
"Pathetic," I muttered aloud. "Pathetic. A few hours and you're already giving up? What a JOKE!"
Enraged with myself, I found myself stuck, lacking the will to move. I wondered if I was the first one to surrender so easily. Just a few hours - was that all it took, really?
Channeling my frustration, I delivered a forceful punch to the ground. To my surprise, the impact shattered the surface, creating a small hole.
I peered at the hole in astonishment, realizing that I wouldn't have been capable of such damage in my previous life. The ground now featured a small crater with cracks radiating outward. Glancing at my clenched fist, I noticed no sign of injury.
"My Strength Stat," I concluded, acknowledging the impact of my attributes on my physical abilities.
Stats did affect my body. I was stronger, faster. I paused, alternating my gaze between my fist and the ground. If only I hadn't been crippled by fear, I could have rekt those goblins.
"I am a coward," I declared, recognizing that no amount of Stats and abilities could assist me if I was too afraid to take action.
Suddenly, a beeping sound echoed in my mind, and the countdown to night flashed red a few times before ceasing.
4 hours remained.
I needed to move, but I didn't want to. A conflict arose within me - I knew I was stronger and would continue to grow stronger, but at the same time, I still saw myself as a geek, a computer programmer fueled by frozen pizza, Twix bars, and Diet Coke. I had never been in a real fight before, aside from enduring the bullying that all geeks experience. But I couldn't consider those fight as it was mainly one sided.
3 hours and 58 minutes remained.
If I truly wanted to overcome this challenge, I had to act now. Though still seated on the path, I glanced at the sky.
"I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if..." I began, interrupted by a thunderous voice.
"CHHHHHAAAOOOOOSSS!"
A deafening sound echoed, causing my HUD to flicker and disappear momentarily. Powerful winds whipped around me, causing trees to bend and swirls of dust to scratch at my face and exposed skin.
"Chaos, again?" I remarked, shielding my eyes with my hand.
As swiftly as it arrived, the sound and wind vanished. My HUD reappeared, and I surveyed my surroundings, searching for any discernible changes. Standing up, I checked my own body, anticipating if anything had been upgraded or altered. But then, three glowing lights materialized around me, gradually forming three bear-like creatures. These beasts stood between 6 and 7 feet tall, possessing dark fur and formidable, elongated and scary claws.
"I'm fucked," I muttered.