The waves crashed relentlessly against the shore, their roar akin to the mighty breath of an ancient dragon. The beach was littered with the remnants of a shipwreck, the scattered planks and masts floating amidst the churning sea. Among the wreckage, strange creatures—beetles as large as fists—were tossed ashore by the waves, scurrying back into the water as if fleeing from some unseen terror.
In the distance, the eerie calls of monkeys echoed through the dense forest that bordered the coast, their cries sharp and otherworldly, as if they were the wails of spirits long forgotten. Rico, now in a form utterly alien to him, gazed down at his body with growing disbelief. Long golden hair cascaded down his back, his limbs slender and unfamiliar, clothed in strange garb. The realization struck him like a thunderclap: his technique had succeeded. The clone of his main body had been resurrected, now residing in this new form. His memories surged, and he understood—this was no simple accident. He had been transported to Gaia, a world unlike his own, in the form of a golden-haired boy, a stranger in an unfamiliar land.
Moments before, he had been in the fog realm, but as soon as the spell had been cast, he awoke on this forsaken shore, surrounded by the ruins of a shipwreck. The lifeless bodies of those who had perished lay scattered across the beach, their souls long departed. Among the fallen, an orc with a lion's head—a creature of legend—lay slain. This was no dream; this was a cruel reality. Centuries had passed in Gaia during the few weeks the spell had been cast in the main dimension, and now orcs roamed freely, monstrous beings from the darkest corners of folklore walked the earth.
A crude, yet sharp dagger lay at his feet, the first weapon this new world had offered him. His gaze drifted to a virtual status bar that hovered before him, a manifestation of the magic that governed this place. It was not merely a clone he had become, but an entire new system was woven into his being, one he had set in motion through his experiment:
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[HP] 43/100 (You need immediate treatment! Rest and sustenance will gradually restore HP.)
[Endurance] 51/100 (You are slightly fatigued; rest to regain strength.)
[Satiety] 30/100 (Hunger gnaws at you; food is essential.)
[Water] 40/100 (Thirst burns within you; drink quickly!)
[Body Temperature] 27°C (Cold; find warmth by the fire.)
[Level] LV1 (Experience required to level up: 0/100)
It was as if he had been transported into the heart of the very game he had once played, but this was no mere simulation. No, this was his reality now—alive and breathing in a world where even the laws of nature seemed to bend at his will.
The growl of his empty stomach pierced the stillness, a stark reminder of his dire need for sustenance. The sea offered no aid—its waters too salty to drink, its very touch a death sentence. Yet fortune smiled upon him in the form of a coconut tree rising from the sands. Simple though it seemed, its fruit promised life.
With dagger in hand, Rico, his mind now sharpened by this new reality, set to work. He would not scale the tree like an ordinary man; no, he would fell it. With each swing of his dagger, the trunk groaned under the pressure, as if recognizing the will of its new master. The virtual notifications rang in his mind, confirming his success:
[News]: You chopped down the coconut tree! You gained 3 coconuts and 4 logs!
Excited by his triumph, Rico drank the sweet nectar from the coconuts, feeling his thirst and hunger ease with each gulp. The nourishment was simple, but it was life. His strength returned, his hunger waned, and his vitality increased ever so slightly.
Rico had a new understanding: he would thrive. The abilities granted by this strange, game-like system would be the tools with which he would carve his path forward. A shelter must be built, food and water gathered, and in the end, he would craft Gaia into the true fantasy world it was destined to be. The way to God was through the world itself—by mastering it, shaping it. Rico had grown too strong, but the world had remained stagnant. Now, with this system, he would bring Gaia to life and make it a realm worthy of the gods.