When Kenny played games on his smartphone, they usually gave him lots of tips. For instance, if he found a stick like this, the instructions would tell him how to use it and how to make it better. They might even suggest tying a stone to the stick to make a more powerful club. And then the power rating of the club might show him how many hits he needed to make to defeat a monster.

But here… Here, nothing was clear. He just knew that since he had the stick, it meant he was going to have to fight. The stick’s power rating had to be used on someone, right?

Kenny swung his stick around, went back to his tiny house, and smacked the tree that was blocking his door.

You have inflicted 2 Damage on the Tree. Tree’s current durability: 98/100.

That was interesting. It seemed he could chop down a tree… With a stick. Very realistic! With a snort, Kenny struck the tree again to see if his guess was right.

He hit the tree fifty times in total. Each hit did two points of Damage. With the last blow, the tree vanished. Kenny rubbed his eyes. What had just happened? One moment the tree was there, and then—poof!—it was gone.

Whiskers was just as surprised. He meowed in disbelief.

You have gathered Log (x1).

He’d chopped down a whole tree and got a Log. Just one. What was he supposed to do with it? And where had it gone? As soon as he thought about it, a clear chest appeared before his eyes. An explanation hovered over it:

Kenny’s Inventory

Kenny reached for the lid, but the chest opened itself. A single, tiny replica of the Log lay inside.

Log

Type: Crafting Material

“More than timber, it’s the canvas of creation! What wonders will you craft today?”

From the heart of the forest comes the humble Log, waiting to be transformed. Will it be the framework of a shelter, the handle of a legendary weapon, or perhaps fuel for a roaring bonfire? Every adventure starts with a single Log.

What story will yours tell?

Kenny picked up the Log and turned it over in his hands. Then he groaned in disappointment. The Log was much smaller than the tree he had cut down. It was also very light. In real life, a log this size would be too heavy for him to carry.

Then something weird happened. He felt as if a shower of light was washing over him. When he looked at his hands, Kenny saw they were glowing.

A second later, the light faded. A trumpet sounded, and a message popped up:

Lumberjack Skill - 1st Rank Mastered!

Type: Resource Gathering

Swing that ax, Kenny!

Imagine the first people who gazed upon giant trees and thought, “I can use that!” Now, that spirit’s in you. Chop down trees, get that wood, and start crafting—from basic tools to majestic wooden palaces. Dreaming of a treehouse or a log cabin? The woods are calling!

Lumberjack Skill Points: 1/10

Chance for a One-Swing Tree Chop: 0.1%

Keep on chopping! More wood, more wonders.

Bonus: Earned +1 Experience Point. You’re at Level 0. Just 9 XP to Level Up!

Now this is interesting! thought Kenny. It seemed he was actually inside a game, likely a role-playing one. That was the kind of game that had experience points, levels, and skills.

The message stayed on the screen, letting him read every line.

Kenny read the message twice. He needed nine more Experience Points to get to level up, but where could he learn nine more skills? What else could he do besides chopping trees?

Looking around the forest, he spotted a lone stalk a couple of meters away, one of the plants with a triangular leaf on top. That could be another opportunity to gain a skill. Jumping forward, Kenny grabbed it and pulled, hoping that by uprooting the plant, he might acquire another skill…

…but he was disappointed.

Want that One-Leaf Stalk? Whip out your Herbalist’s Knife!

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“Thanks!” Kenny shouted at the sky, where he suspected invisible admins must be monitoring his game. “Where am I going to find an Herbalist’s Knife? Take your stalk and get lost!” He spat on the ground.

Whiskers stopped grooming himself and meowed, and Kenny understood him perfectly: “It’s not polite to spit.”

“But how can I not spit when nothing makes sense?” Kenny growled, kicking the trunk of a short tree. “What am I supposed to do? Look for an Herbalist’s Knife in the house? Or should I make it myself?”

“The main thing is to tay alive, not to die,” Whiskers replied. “Otherwise, the game ends. What’s so hard to understand?”

“What if I don’t want to stay alive?” Kenny asked. “Ugh, I didn’t mean that. I mean, what if I don’t want to play this game? I want to go home!”

“Aren’t we near home?” Whiskers seemed surprised, pointing a paw toward the Shelter. “We can return, and we’ll be at home.”

“At home,” Kenny agreed, then yelled, “But that home is not at our house, it’s somewhere weird and unknown! And I don’t even want to know where this place is!”

“So what do you want? You wanted to play a game, didn’t you?” Whiskers continued to question him.

“Yes!” Kenny stomped angrily. “At home, on the couch, on the console!”

“Well, you’re almost at home now. Let’s go back. Sit on the couch and play sitting down, if you can’t do it otherwise.”

“I don’t want to play like this! Why are you messing with me, Whiskers?”

“‘Don’t want to’—how do you know that when you yourself don’t know what you want?” Whiskers meowed, sounding offended, and began to lick his paw—the right one, his favorite. “You just keep arguing with yourself, I’m going to lie down at home.” He turned his back to Kenny with his tail held high.

“So go, then!” Kenny shouted. “All you want to do is laze around! Mom was right when she said you’re a useless animal!”

Whiskers seemed not to hear. He leapt toward the Shelter and only his tail flickered, the one Kenny knew all the stripes on. And Kenny was left alone. Anger ate at him; he paced back and forth, and kicked a flat stone the size of his palm that happened to be lying in his way. A text block appeared above it, but Kenny didn’t get the chance to read it before it vanished. Text only appeared above useful things, which meant he had to pick up the stone and examine it.

It hadn’t flown far. As soon as he touched it, the text returned:

Ordinary Stone

Type: Crafting Material/Weapon

Damage: 1

“It’s round, it’s solid, and it’s ordinary. But toss it, craft with it, or give it to someone as a pet.”

Underestimating this little rock? Think again! Every great fortress, monument, or slingshot started with an Ordinary Stone. While it may not be the star of the show, it sure knows how to play a supporting role. So, whether you’re building, battling, or just skipping it across a pond, it’s got your back!

Kenny eyed the stone thoughtfully. It wasn’t just a simple stone; in his hands, it could transform into a useful tool. With a quick twist, he slid it into his Inventory, opting to clutch the stick closely in his hand instead. This forest was unpredictable, and he didn’t want to be caught off guard.

The forest, which had initially felt ominous and unwelcoming, now beckoned him to explore its depths. It reminded Kenny of those long summer days when he’d gone mushroom hunting with his dad in the Catskills. The excitement of spotting one mushroom would fuel the hunt for more, even when their basket overflowed.

Using the stick he carried, Kenny began carving arrows into the soft forest floor. These markings would serve as his breadcrumb trail, guiding him back to the house and ensuring he wouldn’t lose his way. Initially, every rustle sent shivers down his spine, making him stop and scan his surroundings for potential threats. But as time wore on, his nervousness waned. By the time he spotted the distinctive cap of a mushroom ahead, any remnants of fear had vanished. The thrill of discovery had taken over, just like those long summer days.

Energizing Mushroom

Type: Consumable

Effect: +25% speed for 10 seconds

“Who needs coffee? Pop this in your mouth, and you’ll be zipping around faster than a squirrel on a sugar rush!”

Forget energy drinks! This tiny fungi packs a punch. Packed with mystical energy, this little guy is the ultimate pick-me-up for any adventurer on the go. Gobble it down and you’ll find yourself turbo-charged, ready to tackle any challenge.

Just remember to chew—no one likes mushroom indigestion!

The mushroom looked pretty normal, with its stout white stem and a light yellow, velvety cap. Kenny had found similar ones with his mom and dad in Central Park.

Kenny stared at the mushroom for a few seconds. How did it energize? Would it cheer him on? Pat him on the back? Nod sympathetically? After waiting a little to see what would happen, he smacked his forehead—it was a mushroom! He’d need to eat it to get the effect. But he wouldn’t be able to pick it. The game would probably ask for an Herbalist’s Knife again…

In the end, while he was worrying, he reached for the Energizing Mushroom anyway, grabbed it, and pulled it toward him. The little mushroom came up easily.

“Aha!” Kenny realized. “Apparently, not all plants need an Herbalist’s Knife!” Rightly so, because a mushroom wasn’t a plant. They had started biology in science last year and Kenny had learned from the teacher that mushrooms had characteristics of both plants and animals. And if a mushroom went bad, it smelled like a carcass, not like a rotten tomato. He’d been super surprised to learn that at the time, and now he was happy that he’d remembered.

Kenny wondered if he should eat the mushroom to move faster. He was very interested in finding out what would happen. Fast-forwarding videos always made the people in them rush around, with their voices all chirpy; he pictured himself doing that and laughed.

No, better to save the little mushroom. He might need to run away from someone. Or chase someone.

The Energizing Mushroom went into his Inventory. And a minute later, Kenny stepped into a sunlit glade. In the middle of it was a rotten stump that looked like a forest sprite, and above it was a sign:

The Save Point is currently inactive.

Not believing his luck, Kenny thought about how to activate it. Maybe he needed to touch the stump? He did just that and a text appeared in front of him:

Kenny, would you like to create an active Save Point at the Sunny Glade?

He was so happy that he nearly hugged the rotten stump, and he shouted, “Yes! Create!”

Hold tight! Save Point getting ready in 20… 19… 18…

Excited about the possibility of soon returning to the real world, Kenny shouted the remaining time along with the countdown: “Seventeen! Sixteen!”

When the countdown reached “fifteen,” the stump shook as if it had come to life, and bits of rot started flying off.

“What in the world?” Kenny backed away, brandishing his stick in front of him.

A menacing screech echoed from beneath the stump. The stump toppled over, revealing a massive bug-like head with horrific jaws that looked like two curved, serrated knives. The monster’s head resembled a hybrid of a colossal cockroach and a porcupine.

Above that ugly head, a title appeared:

Predatory Roachyx

Kenny didn’t continue reading; the word “predatory” was enough. He ran as fast as he could. He glanced over his shoulder mid-run, tripped over a branch, and noticed from the corner of his eye that the Save Point activation timer had dropped to eleven seconds. Could he last those few seconds against the monster?

Turning around, Kenny saw the Predatory Roachyx, propped up on dirt-covered, spiky legs, slowly emerging from underground. It was definitely larger than a motorcycle, maybe even a car. It could easily bite off his head! And then, Kenny would die. But would it be a game death, which would send him back to his world, or a real one? He didn’t want to test that out.

Kenny jumped to his feet and dashed toward the Shelter, sure that the giant roach would tear him apart faster than the Save Point could form.