Adam stood and stretched. He looked up at the sun and quickly made some assumptions. It had been at his back all morning, making behind him East in his mind. For all he knew there wasn't even an East in this world but he needed something to go by. The tent was behind him and campfire ahead meaning left was South and right North. To the left there were some mountains in the distance and some hills behind the small camp. Each direction seemed to have trees dotted around but they were denser to the right, or North. God this would be easier with a map.
Person started jumping up and down on his shoulder. Once Adam's attention was turned towards them there was a dramatic click of the fingers and Person was holding what looked like a map. Since Person was only the size of a carrot and the map at their scale, it wasn't that useful for Adam at the moment. He concentrated the same way he had when changing Person and the map slowly grew to a more human appropriate size.
Right he thought, looking down at the map. A frown quickly crept onto his face. On the map in front of him was simply a drawn equivalent of what he had just worked out in his head. There was a small tent in the centre with a campfire with a little green dot marked and then some vague impressions of mountains, trees and fields in the directions he had seen them. Well, it was a start. Adam mentally labelled the centre 'Camp" - the map adjusting and adding this word as he did so.
Hmmm thought Adam, then he looked down at Person. Did you make this map? Person nodded. So the map will update with anything I want it to, that's great. Person nodded again, then crossed their arms smiling. Adam thought they looked a little smug about the map but that was ok if it was going to be as useful as he hoped. He was no longer lost. Instead he knew where he was and it was in the middle of the map on an unknown world of unknown size and with no idea what else was around him. Good start.
A growl from his stomach brought him back to what he had been planning when he stood up. Priorities. Number one, empty bladder. He found some bushes not far from camp that would suffice. Numbers two and three food and water. Number four - shelter was taken care of and the temperature seemed quite mild so number five of not freeze to death tonight was covered. He made a list in his head. Person helpfully magicking up a notepad to write them down. Adam added a few more items as he thought of them.
Priorities Complete? Exp Empty bladder 100% n/a Find food 0% 10 Find water 0% 10 Find shelter 100% n/a Don't freeze to death overnight 0% 5 Don't get attacked and killed in the night 0% 15 Work out where I am 0% 40
Adam lifted Person down to his hand and looked over their shoulder. What's this column? Exp, for experience? Did you make that up? Person shook their head and looked back at Adam. They shrugged and gestured that it had just appeared. Adam considered this for a minute. Had the system added the column; did it mean he had to literally gain experience and level up? Another growl from his stomach brought him back to the task at hand. He put Person back on his shoulder, collected his pack from the tent and decided to be decisive setting off towards the hills South of camp.
The logic of going to the hills to get a view that might help him find water and food turned into a half hour slog up the smallest and therefore easiest hill that Adam was near to. He had not appreciated the extra combined effort needed to walk on an empty stomach and without a proper path to follow. His effort was not without reward though. As he reached the top of the incline and turned he had a much greater view of the surrounding area.
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The camp was nestled in against the foothills that Adam had climbed the smallest of for his view. The mountains that had been in front of him as he walked were now behind, curving away to each horizon. They reached out from the line to form a slight spur to the West the far side of which Adam could make out a river running North East into a forest dominating the Northern view. The forest was about the same distance to the North as Adam had walked South to get where he was standing. Finally to the West dotted trees and grass followed the curve of the mountains before rolling into what seemed dunes and the glitter of the sea beyond.
Adam stood for a short while taking in the view. It was beautiful. He could see signs of wildlife. The specks of birds in the sky and what looked like a herd of deer in the distance on the grasslands. He was surprised that there were no signs of civilisation, this was the perfect place for a town or settlement. There was water, land to farm and plenty of wood and stone for building from the forest and mountains. He hoped that this didn't mean he was here alone, well - with Person.
Decision time. The river was the obvious direction for water and he could check the trees and bushes on the way for signs of food. The deer obviously counted as food but given he had no way of hunting, butchering or cooking the meat that was probably beyond him at the moment. River it was. Adam set off purposefully making good time now he was going downhill. He aimed for the end of the river nearest the mountain, not wanting to get too close to the forest at the moment until he had a chance to explore more.
Soon after getting back to the flat ground where trees were scattered in copses of knee length grass he started exploring the trees for signs of something edible. To his surprise it did not take long to find a tree bearing fruit. Pears weren't his favourite and these were quite small and hard but thankfully edible. He took some time to fill his pack with extra fruit and then had a thought.
The map appeared in his hand now drawn in much more detail; giving a rough scale to the distances between the mountains and forest. It became hazy around the edges with no detail at all past the mountains. As Adam tried to find the area they were in he noticed the green dot had moved. It didn't take long to work out that he was the green dot which meant the map was much more interactive than he realised. Person jumped down onto the map, looked at Adam and waited.
"Yes, the map is great." Person rolled their eyes and continued to wait. "Ok, it's better than great, it's excellent." Said Adam. It felt odd talking out loud but less odd than trying to think at Person. No worse than talking to yourself or a cat or dog.
This seemed to be the thing Person was waiting for as they now dramatically (with several waves of their arms) caused the map to zoom in to the area they were standing and added a marker for the pear tree. Adam clapped his hands in appreciation and took his turn to roll his eyes as Person did a little bow in acknowledgement. Dramatics over, Person zoomed the map back out and then pointed at the camp and then their head. Adam quickly worked out what Person meant and thought about the camp. In doing so he gained a sudden awareness that the camp was located over his right shoulder and would he could get there in less than an hour. He looked down at Person who was looking smug again and lifted them onto his shoulder.
There were another two pear trees, an apple tree and a bush with some unidentified berries on the way to the river. All these were marked on the map although Adam didn't trust eating the berries as being poisoned probably wasn't a sensible idea. The rest of the walk was uneventful and a lot more enjoyable now that he had had something to eat.
The river was wide and shallow at the point Adam reached it with a mixed sand and pebble bank leading down to clean clear water. With nothing to hold or carry the water in Adam simply drank his fill before sitting with his shoes off and feet in the water to have a rest.
No rush to do anything else at the moment he went back to his list of priorities.
Priorities Complete? Exp Empty bladder 100% n/a Find food 100% 10* Find water 100% 10* Find shelter 100% n/a Don't freeze to death overnight 0% 5 Don't get attacked and killed in the night 0% 15 Work out where I am 10% 40 Collect? Y/N 20
There was a new line. He looked at Person who shrugged. So it was not Person that had added it. Ok, the system had added it then. Adam looked at the bottom line and thought Yes.