The *DING* sound snapped him back from his dark thoughts.

Confused, he looked around for the source of the sound. In his dazed state, he saw a small window pop up in the middle of his view.

"Great, now I'm hallucinating too... Damn it, what a shitty life I had, and now I'm going to die in my underwear."

He leaned on the tree and noticed that the window was persistent, not wanting to go away even after waving his hand to dismiss it. Having no other option but to wait for his death, he tried reading what it said.

*ALARM: You have slain a Giant Centipede Hatchling. You earn 18 experience points.*

*Congratulations: you have acquired enough experience to activate your guide. You can now interact with it. Good luck to you.*

"What a guide! What the hell is that."

He pressed accept, the only button available, and suddenly all the pain, dizziness, and fatigue washed away in a second, and he felt better than he ever felt.

"What is going on? I feel so refreshed. What was that screen just now?"

Feeling good, he stood up. Remembering the pain from his leg a few seconds ago, he looked at it.

"The wound... it's gone? Only the trace of blood remains."

Then another notification appeared, vying for his attention once more.

*Alarm: you have leveled up. All stats effects and wounds have been cured.*

*Alarm: you have 5 stat points waiting to be distributed.*

"Leveled up? Am I inside a game?"

Feeling extremely confused, he kept reading the two notifications again and again. Then he thought of something and pressed accept on both notifications.

"If I'm in a game and I can level up and gain stats, then there must be some kind of status screen."

The moment he said that, a bigger window than the alarm one popped up.

"Hahaha, I have stats... This is so weird. Okay, so what do I have here?"

status screen [https://ibb.co/mbsnDsH]

"What? All my stats are 1... Am I that stupid and weak? Hmm, I'll upgrade intelligence. It never hurts to be smart."

Upon investing 3 points and embracing a cascade of fresh insights, he experienced a profound realization, shedding light on his previous misjudgments.

"I am that stupid. I should have checked what the other stats do... Wait, I can't? Hmm, so I have to kind of guess? For now, I think spending the remaining 2 points in strength is the best thing to do. I'm too weak; killing a centipede took me many hits." Looking at the oversized bug gave him chills. "I think next should be agility to get better stamina, but i think being low in any of the other stats won't be good either."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Looking around his status screen, the titles and skills section caught his attention.

"Wait, 'Jack of All Trades: 'people spend decades mastering a craft, training a skill or studying a subject but not you, you can acquire any skill but never master it', swordsmanship tier 1: 'it is the art of wielding a blade with precision, finesse, and mastery', luck, and appraisal..." Aren't those the skills I chose on that ad game? Am I inside that game? This makes no sense, but also kind of does... So, I chose a character in an ad game, and now I'm in that game?"

Looking back at his stats, he saw that near the name part was Kyle, and his age was set to 16.

"What? I'm 16?? Kyle is the name I picked up, but I never picked 16 as my age. Is it the minimum default?"

Rushing to the side of the river, he saw his face, but not the one he is used to seeing. It was him at 16, but not how he remembered it. There was no acne, no blemishes, no scars, and no bags under the eyes. His face was smooth, not to long hair, and the start of a beard.

"Haha... I'm 16 again? I remember being way uglier back then. I look kind of hot if I don't say so myself."

The sound of animals in the forest snapped him back from his contemplation of his newfound beauty.

"Okay, I'm getting sidetracked. My clothes should be dry by now. I'm still near a river, so water is no problem, but food is what I need. I should be able to find some berries or mushrooms that are edible. Next is self-defense. I should be able to make a spear from a sapling or long branch."

After putting back his clothes, Kyle crafted the spear, sharpening it with his Swiss knife. When done, a *DING* followed by a notification came up.

*Alarm: You have unlocked Weapon crafting (Tier 0).*

"Weapon crafting?"

*Weapon crafting (Tier 0): weapon crafting is a long road. You can craft weapons from raw resources or items you find and acquire to give you an edge in combat.

+2% crafted weapon damage (2%).

+2% crafted weapon attack speed (2%).

+2% crafted weapon durability (2%).

"This is awesome. I can deal more damage with items I craft on my own?"

After accepting the new skill, a bit of information became apparent, like remembering a past memory. He knew how to craft some basic weapons like a flint-tipped spear or a flint knife. Feeling good about his newly acquired skill, he went into the forest. After a while of diligent searching, he found a bush full of berries.

"This looks like a blackberry bush. I hope it is not poisonous."

With cautious anticipation and a growling stomach, he plucked a handful, ready to savor their flavor, mindful of potential dangers. He remembered he had a skill to help him with that.

"Maybe I can use my Appraisal skill for that, but how would it work? There is no explanation."

He tried saying "Appraisal" out loud multiple times, looking at the berries, then the bush, and closing his eyes and thinking of the berries. None worked. Giving it one last try, he looked at the berries in his hand and thought of the skill.

Blackberries: A cluster of glossy, obsidian-hued orbs, each bursting with a rich, sweet flavor that tingles the taste buds. These succulent berries are prized for their deep, complex taste and are often sought after by foragers.

Happy with his success, he looked at the bush and used Appraisal again.

Blackberry bush: A thorny tangle of green foliage adorned with clusters of juicy, dark berries. It thrives in diverse habitats, offering a bounty of sweet rewards.

Then the spear he made.

Makeshift spear: A basic weapon fashioned from a wooden shaft with a sharpened tip. Simple yet functional, it serves as a versatile tool for hunting or self-defense. Damage: 7.5

+2% crafted weapon damage (2%).

+2% crafted weapon attack speed (2%).

+2% crafted weapon durability (2%).