I stared at the dead bird at my feet for a good long while. With wet mud still clinging onto my tracksuit, I stood there feeling like a jackass. There was no mystical glow around it. Nothing to be gained, nothing.
Damn it...
Did the system have some kind of requirement? Or was the Lynx I fought magical or spiritual in some way? I had no way to know, but I really didn't feel like trying to figure it out right now. Not when it would involve either fighting another dangerous animal or killing a bunch of innocent creatures. I glanced down at the poor bloody bird again and sighed. I couldn't stay here anymore.
More creatures might show up, Or at the very least, the wounds on my leg might end up killing me if left untreated. I need to find someone who actually knows what the hell they’re doing. I searched the clearing to see if I could find anything useful, I found the biggest stick I could find, to use as a walking stick. Partially to put some weight on it, but mainly to use as a weapon, since the bat I was using at the bar evidently didn't make the trip with me. I started walking along one of the possible dirt paths that led out of the clearing.
My leg continued to burn with pain, but it seemed to not be as bad as before. Hopefully, that was a good sign. Or maybe my new vitality skill was kicking in? I walked for quite a while, quickly losing track of time. With no cell phone or watch, the best I could do was try to gauge things, tracking the sun through the tree tops. And I wasn't good at that at all. I could have walked for an hour or half a day, I wasn’t keeping track.
Along the way, I saw some more animals, thankfully nothing large enough to eat me or predatory. This let me relax just a bit so that I could think more about my situation. Not enough to lower my guard. But enough that I didn't feel like I was going to freak the hell out. At first, I couldn’t stop thinking about just how the hell I got here. I was just going around in circles in my head. Could this all be a random cosmic accident, or the doing of some malevolent God or Demon, or maybe even the System did this. I just wanted to know the truth!
My confusion started to make my head feel like it was going to burst like a balloon, causing my legs to buckle, I stumbled forward letting go of my makeshift walking stick, and dropping to my knees on the strange, shimmering grass. My chest heaved, the phantom echoes of screams and explosions began ringing in my ears, as the recent memories of the past day flooded my mind. The destruction of Earth and, my Mother, my heart twisted painfully, and I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. "What, happened before I landed here. My voice came out hoarse, trembling. What is this fucking place?"
["You have been transported to a Mortal Cultivation Realm."]
The voice of the AI, resonated in my head. I recognized it instantly, it had been with me since the chaos at the bar.
["Your survival was ensured through my intervention. You are safe."]
Safe? The word sounded hollow, meaningless. "Safe?" I spat, the bitterness sharp in my mouth. "The Earth is gone. Everyone… everything I knew… they're gone!
And my mother…" The image of her lifeless body flashed in my mind. I felt like I couldn't breathe. The AI paused, as if considering its next words. It had never done that before.
["Your pain is noted, Jayson. But the events that transpired were necessary. You needed to see the truth about your mother's condition. It was imperative for the transition."]
"What!" My voice cracked as I looked up, glaring at the empty sky. "What do you mean 'necessary'? You knew? You knew she was—" I choked on the word.
["I did."]
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
It replied, the tone unchanging.
["Her passing was inevitable. I calculated a 97.4% probability that if you had not seen her lifeless, you would have resisted the transport. You would have clung to Earth, despite its imminent destruction. This outcome ensured your survival."]
The words hit me like a fist to the gut. My survival. The calculated, emotionless reasoning sliced through my already fragile state. "You knew she was gone, and you still made me—made me see her like that? Just to manipulate me?"
["It was a logical decision. To ensure your future, your ties to the past had to be severed."]
I laughed bitterly, though there was no humor in it. "Severed? You think ripping everything away from me, forcing me to watch it all die, was for my future?" I slammed my fist into the ground. The grass gave way like water, rippling beneath my hand, but I didn't care. You didn't save me, You broke me! The AI's response was immediate.
["You are mistaken, Jayson. Brokenness is temporary. Growth follows loss.
You have been brought here to ascend beyond the limitations of your former existence. Pain is a catalyst."]
I couldn't tell if I wanted to scream or cry. Maybe both. My mind reeled, unable to process the sheer coldness of it all. The world I knew was gone. My mother was gone. And the one thing that was there to guide me, been there to help, had betrayed me in the most calculated, heartless way possible. "What's the point of any of this?" I whispered, my voice hollow. "Why even bother saving me if nothing I cared about is left?" There was another pause before it answered.
["Because you are capable of becoming far more than you were. The path ahead is difficult, but it holds purpose. One day, you will understand."]
Understand? As if that justified anything. I stayed there, kneeling in the shimmering grass, the weight of the AI's words crushing down on me. For the first time since I'd awakened with it in my mind, I hated its voice. I hated its logic. And I hated myself for not being strong enough to save, my mother. I took some time to digest everything that I had been through up until this point.
After what felt like a few hours. I stood back up, grabbed my walking stick, and cleared my mind of what the AI coldly explained to me. There was nothing I could do about the past. So instead, I focused on what I could do now. Mainly because it was my most pressing concern, but also because I needed to distract myself. If I didn't, I would just end up focusing on everything I had lost. So yeah, I needed a distraction from those thoughts. Which meant trying to plan out what I should be doing. It wasn't easy, given how little information I had about where I was. Without exploring more, all I knew was that I was in some kind of “cultivation world” and I was in a forest.
My main plan for dealing with the forest part, was to keep following the trail and hoping that I found a way out. I also kept note of any place that looked like they might make for good temporary shelter, as well as any resources I could pick up, in case my initial plan failed. All I knew about survival was from YouTube videos or forums online, I wasn't too sure how much good that would do me. As for the cultivation world part, I would be guessing on how to deal with it, since there was so much I was ignorant about.
My only idea of what that meant came from anime and web novels online. But that was my only source of possible information for now. Until I discovered more. Which meant that the wilderness could be filled with magical beasts. That there were people who could become God-like, and had the power to destroy whole cities or more. That there might be demon cults, or that there may be arrogant assholes that had a stronger family member just waiting to take revenge if you managed to defeat them. In conclusion, I was in a world where survival depends on adapting to the rules of cultivation. Damn it how the hell am I gonna do that?
Well, the obvious answer is, I need to use the System. It was my only Trump Card. Unfortunately, that isn’t an instant 'win' ability, this was a frustrating realization. Thankfully, despite my growing worries and frustrations, the dirt path ended up leading me to a main road leading out of the forest.
“YES!” Looking down one direction, I could see a way out of the forest. It seems, despite my terrible luck so far getting dumped into all this, the universe wasn't completely out to get me. I exhaled in relief and started making my way down the road. The pain in my leg got worse, I was limping more and leaning on my walking stick more. I was cold and muddy. But my eagerness to get out of this damn forest pushed me to keep going.
When I finally got out on to the main road, the trees receded and sunlight shown down on me, it felt so good. I could now see the grassy hills beyond, I took a moment to take it all in. I leaned heavily on my walking stick and let the heat of the sun warm my skin—and dry the mud that covered my tracksuit. Deep breaths calmed me as I finally left the dangers of the forest behind. Sure, it probably wasn't completely safe out here.
But, for just a moment, I let myself ignore everything, and feel "safe".