As James stood there, taking in his surroundings, a distant roar echoed through the forest. The sound was deep and guttural, sending shivers down his spine. Something stirred in the depths beyond, a shadowy presence that reminded him he was not alone in this strange new world.

"What was that!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and curiosity.

The earth began to shake with an unsettling intensity. The tremors grew stronger, and the roars grew louder, reverberating through the forest like the growl of a massive beast. James was frozen in fear, his eyes wide as he watched the distant trees sway and then fall, crashing to the ground with deafening thuds. The air was filled with the loud creaks of trees being torn apart, their branches snapping like brittle bones. The roars intensified, each one more ferocious than the last, and the shaking of the ground grew more violent.

"Something big and heavy is making its way even closer," he thought, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Something's coming this way," he whispered, barely able to voice his thoughts over the cacophony of destruction around him.

"No really, you would think that you would not have to say that as it is pretty obvious that something is getting closer. But here we are," the system responded in cold sarcasm.

(fake) "*hahaha-hehhhh"

despite his attempts to laugh it off, his body remained tense, every muscle on edge as he braced himself for whatever was about to emerge from the shadows of the forest.

his heart beat faster, and he ran for cover. But he was too slow, turning around, his hope had been lost.

Suddenly, the trees in front of him parted, and a colossal creature lumbered into view. Its massive form towered above the forest canopy, its skin covered in scales that glinted like dark, polished stone. The beast's eyes, burning with a fierce, primal light, scanned the surroundings as if searching for something.

James's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back, his foot snapping a twig. The creature's head snapped in his direction, and for a moment, James was certain it had seen him. His breath caught in his throat as he stood there, paralyzed with fear.

The beast roared again, the sound nearly deafening at such close range. It began to move, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground with each step. James turned and ran, his mind racing with panic. He could hear the creature behind him, its roars echoing through the trees. It was chasing him, he was sure of it.

He darted through the underbrush, his heart pounding in his ears. Looking behind him, it was right behind him, knocking down trees as he ran. It was moving parallel to his path, crashing through the forest with a single-minded determination.

James's breath came in ragged gasps as he pushed himself to keep running. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being tormented, something that big could surely move faster. And the thought of being eaten by the thing, dying right after being given a second chance. The thought terrified him, and he pushed himself harder, his legs burning with the effort.

After what felt like an eternity, James stumbled to a stop, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He could no longer run, the large beast kept getting closer, James ducked and tried to protect his head and vitals. He waited to be attacked, he waited for some type of damage.

"Is this really the end" A tear streaming down his cheek.

The beast getting closer, it was the end, Bracing himself further, he prepared for the worst.

Clenching his fists he prepared.

However the beast ran right over him, not stepping on him. It continued running into the distance.

Looking closer he realized it was chasing some type of deer (a little larger then "normal")

? - ............

"wha-"

...

"I am, alive?"

"pfft, h-ah *Sounds of trying to hold back a laugh*"

"why are you laughing" adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"I'm sorry, but what have you been wearing this whole time -_- "

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

"Rags, and a cape, why?"

"Read what it is and does -_-"

Checking the item's description he is angered as he sees that it is titled "Shadow Cloak Of Invisibility" and it "Removes the presence and "existence" of the wearer as long as the item is KEPT on.

"Why didn't you tell me before hand! and why can you still see me?"

"You never asked, I thought you would have read it when you put it on, and of course I can see you with it on. I am not a part of the world, I am nearly an assistant for the player. Nothing more, nothing less."

"DAMNIT IF I COULD PUNCH YOU I WOULD" said while holding his fists up and flailing them around nonchalantly.

"You are feeble minded, even if I had a body, I would not be so easy to punch. I have been around for-"

...

"... I, don't even know. 20,000 no 30,000?... Maybe more."

Ignoring everything and putting his own feelings first. He responded with a totally new conversation.

"ok, so whats next? I wanna level up my stats!"

The system did not seem bothered by this, like it was normal.

"Meditate, kill monsters, chop trees, walk, run, jump, spin, breathe air—anything grants you experience and stuff," the system explained.

"So, what's the best way to level up quickly?" James asked, eager to gain strength.

"sigh You should start off by farming monsters. Everything grants you experience, but the monsters will grant the most," the system replied, a hint of exasperation in its tone.

"Hmm, okay. Sounds fun," James said, his excitement barely contained.

he ventured into the forest, seeking out the weakest monsters he could find. His first targets were a group of goblins.

He approached them cautiously, trying to recall any combat techniques he had seen in movies or read in books. The goblins, however, were not as accommodating as he had hoped. They noticed him almost immediately, their beady eyes gleaming with malice.

"Alright, let's do this," James muttered, gripping his sword tightly.

The first goblin lunged at him, and James swung his sword with all his might. Unfortunately, his swing was slow and clumsy, missing the goblin entirely. The goblin retaliated with a swift punch to his gut, knocking the wind out of him. James staggered back, clutching his stomach in pain.

The rest of the goblins joined in, surrounding him and pummeling him from all sides. James tried to fight back, but his movements were sluggish, and his strikes lacked any real force. Within minutes, he was on the ground, covered in bruises and nursing a severely bruised ego.

"That... was embarrassing," he groaned, struggling to stand.

"Indeed," the system chimed in, not bothering to mask its amusement. "You are unbelievably weak. But don't despair; every great warrior starts somewhere."

James dusted himself off and limped back to a safer part of the forest. He needed a new strategy. Clearly, direct combat was not his forte. He decided to focus on other activities to gain experience while gradually building up his strength.

He spent the next few days chopping trees, meditating, and doing basic exercises. Each action granted him a small amount of experience, and although it was slow, he felt himself getting slightly stronger. The system kept track of his progress, providing occasional updates.

"Experience gained: 5 points for chopping trees."

"Experience gained: 3 points for meditating."

"Experience gained: 10 points for running."

The training was tedious, but James kept at it, determined to improve. One day, while he was practicing his sword swings on a tree, the system provided him with an unexpected suggestion.

"You know, you could try hunting something weaker than goblins," it said.

"Weaker than goblins? Like what?" James asked, genuinely curious.

"Slimes," the system replied. "They are slow, have low health, and pose minimal threat."

"Slimes, huh? Alright, let's give it a shot," James said, feeling a renewed sense of optimism.

He ventured deeper into the forest until he stumbled upon a clearing filled with small, gelatinous creatures. The slimes wobbled around aimlessly, their bodies shimmering in the sunlight. James drew his sword, ready to test his mettle against these weaker foes.

His first encounter with a slime was surprisingly easy. He swung his sword, and it sliced through the creature's jelly-like body with minimal resistance. The slime dissolved into a puddle, leaving behind a small, glowing orb.

"Experience gained: 15 points for defeating a slime."

James grinned, feeling a surge of satisfaction. He continued hunting slimes, gradually growing more confident with each victory. The experience points started to add up, and he noticed his stats improving bit by bit.

"Level up! You are now Level 2," the system announced one evening, much to James's delight.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

With his newfound strength, James decided to try his luck against the goblins again. This time, he was more prepared. He approached the goblin camp with caution, using the cloak of invisibility to mask his presence. When the goblins spotted him and attacked, he was ready.

Although he was still not a match for a group of goblins, he managed to fend them off for longer and even land a few solid hits. By the end of the skirmish, he was once again covered in bruises, but this time, he had managed to defeat a goblin.

"Experience gained: 50 points for defeating a goblin."

James collapsed on the ground, exhausted but triumphant. He knew he had a long way to go, but for the first time, he felt like he was making progress.

"This leveling up thing might not be so bad after all," he muttered to himself, a small smile playing on his lips.

As he lay there, staring up at the canopy of trees above him, he couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of his situation. Here he was, in a strange new world, getting beaten up by goblins and slimes, but somehow, it was all starting to feel like an adventure. And as long as he kept moving forward, he knew he would get stronger, one step at a time. Forgetting not only about the powerful skills he has, but also his plans to go to the city.