Feet brushed against soft white sand. The movement set fine sand swirling as if whirlpools could form on land. The feet paused, turned after a moment, and admired. The sight was something from fantasy, beyond just the sand in front of them. Clear blue waters that swam with fish. Tall trees sprouted from the very ocean floor, piercing the water like the sky, to match the height of those on land. As if the very thought of being outdone was ludicrous. Colorful sealife swarmed the shaded areas produced by the wonderful trees. 

A hollow crack against rock shot loudly out across the water. Some of the fish closer to the surface flinched but then relaxed near immediately. The sound was one often heard in the last few days. It would come and go.

Tearing in half the weakened hard-shelled fruit the owner of the feet was rewarded with its watery contents. Milky thin water ran down a chin, torso, and finally feet. The fruits were always saturated with water, they lacked any other taste save for the delicate presence of milk. Satisfaction.

An arm came down from serving a mouth, a jaw soaked in water. The hard-shelled fruit was drained, thrown to the sand for miniature creatures with pincers to scavenge. They emerged from the sand in small droves, always avoiding the feet, but arriving at the empty shell nonetheless. The shell was pulled under the sand in seconds, no trace left behind.

The man smiled, his feet enjoying the sand.

Golden irises soaked up the sights like sand did water. It couldn't have been said if the man saw the view as it was or something more. The smile on his face was large and unapologetic. And genuine, if only for the fact no one save himself was present. The man had learned to smile when he felt like it.

In fact, it was one of the first things he learned.

He did not know how he arrived at this island. He did not know where he came from. He did not even know his name. He did not know many things. And, perhaps, for him, that was the most exciting part. Because, even if he did not know the word, he was an explorer, through and through.

An adventurer.

Aside from smiling, there was this too.

Skill: [Survival 5] (Common)

The ability to adapt to your environment and persevere through the worst of it. The habit to flourish when the very land works against you. The propensity to find food, water, and shelter, in the most unforgiving of surroundings. The determination to struggle against the very things asking you to die.

Effects:

5% increase in sustenance from food and water

He was sure that it had been [Survival 4] not too long ago. Some part of his being inexplicably accepted this information as part of him. Because of that, the man accepted it too. He would now enjoy that 5% increase in sustenance. He did not question the fact because the man only cared for the unknown. This? This he knew within his soul. 

So instead, the man wondered at perhaps the possibility of other Skills. What did catch his eye was the Common tag, he wondered briefly at that but found no information forthcoming.

Only a single day had passed. In that time, the man had figured out the hard-shelled fruits to be a form of both food and water. If he did not have that, he would have been in much more dire straits. He realized this, but luckily for him the trees that bore the fruits littered the perimeter of the entire island. It was a fact that he knew because he had just verified the information.

It had taken him the better part of yesterday and most of the morning.

He turned his sights to the center of the island. He smiled, as he did, wide and unashamed. Then he began his trek. The tropical fronds did little to bother him, they brushed past both chest and arms but his hands kept most out of his face. Eventually, the sound of rich soil crunched under his feet. 

His eyes were simultaneously wide with delight and narrow with caution. Despite his tendency towards awe and child-like glee, he was no fool. He was cautious. He stuck to the thicker brush, moving in the shadows when he could. Life teemed here, but he would truly be the fool if he thought nothing hunted it.

Trees became thicker, more forest than tropic until he couldn't even reach around one trunk and touch his hands. Smooth tropical wood became rough bark. The man frowned when he supported himself on one such tree, feeling the difference before seeing it.

Smaller bushes and brush made way for semi-large rock formations. Crags, jagged and sharp in places, smooth and cold on the opposite. He'd be careful not to cut himself on them as he moved passed them. He chose a path through them making sure to keep away from the bright fungus he had spotted between them.

Carefully he made his way around, finding a way up the crag on its other, smoother side. There, elevated, he could admire the walk he had made. It was so long in distance than it was in mind. He sighed in content, smiling as he took in the view he was confident only he had ever seen.

But the unknown lay ahead.

He passed by small watering holes. Only taking drinks when he noticed small mammals doing the same before climbing up into the trees above. Other watering holes were void of any animals. Beside them, the bright fungus which he had opted to avoid on sight alone.

Rushing water sounded ahead and the man paused, tilting his head at the out-of-place noise. His frown turned into a smile as he broke through the fronds and brush barring the clearing. It was a beautiful screen of water, flowing from a small cliff. He realized he had been walking uphill. He was thirsty. His golden irises scanned for something, finding it in the small animals opposite him drinking hastily from the pool. He opened his mouth eagerly as mist from the falls poured over him.

He relaxed with another content smile. His thirst somewhat abated, he approached the pool languidly allowing his tiredness to show. He idly noticed the small animals scurry away, splashing water away at their hindlegs propelled them away. 

His hands cupped the water, bringing it to his mouth in glorious gulps.

A swirl in the pool caught his attention. The sound of rushing water was a constant but too so should've been the sound of the birds above. Another swirl. Were the animals running away from him or something else?

Quickly, he scrambled away. Nothing came for him, but the second his mind had even entertained the idea was the moment he needed to move. Something was in the pool. His gut told him so.

On his backside, he slowly reached for a small pebble, tossing it into the pool. It arced perfectly, landing exactly where he had seen the previous swirl of water.

Nothing happened.

Then like a tidal wave, a bulge formed in the water from below, before a massive beast erupted from the surface.

For a moment, all he saw was the initial emergence of the beast frozen in time surrounded by displaced water droplets. His eyes widened to saucers. And then time resumed and the water assaulted his face in more volume than mist ever could.

He scrabbled backward, bare feet and hands pushing off smooth pebbles in a cacophony of desperation. He managed to turn himself around and get his legs pumping.

Two glances. One to the trees. One between them. He felt the beast behind him, matching his every step. It was as if the beast was pushing back on his every step with the weight it brought to bear behind him.

He dived through the trees in an explosion of splinters and bark, some wetly sticking to his face. Soil stuck to him, wet and clumped. The sound of sloshing water was still fresh, so laden with liquid was the beast. Water sloughed off the creature in such volume that it created a small pond with him in the middle.

It had crashed right between two trees, roaring violence. The man wasted no time, he ran away, moving uphill and weaving between as many trees as possible. He took care to watch for any bright mushrooms, knowing them to be poisonous. 

Unknowingly, or unconsciously he had run straight up and around the small cliff. He found a large stream and realized it fell straight off a cliff. The waterfall. He was at the waterfall. Breathing easier, aware of the lack of pursuing earthquake, he peered over the edge of the moist cliff, careful he was secure less he fall off the edge. 

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

The beast was shaking its head, disoriented. It had pried itself from between the trees and only now was it clear that the thing had a plate of natural armor across its face. Rigid and jagged, its body was nearly serpentine, sleek. Yet its mass was large. In short, it looked very dangerous, a far cry from any of the innocent animals encountered so far. It roared with such volume that the entirety of the forest quieted, even muffling the crashing sound of the waterfall.

The man frowned, observing the unknown beast. His eyes were burning with interest, it was exactly the type of thing he lived for. The mysterious and unknown. His heart hammered, both with exertion and fading adrenaline. Eventually, the creature descended back into the pool, the birds started chirping once more, the smaller animals timidly came to the pool's shore and drank in quick gulps.

The man eyed the calm waters, nodded and left. He should've noticed the behavior of the smaller animals earlier. He needed to be more careful.

He spent the better part of the day exploring the island. There wasn't much he knew about himself, to be truthful. He had simply awoken one day, surrounded by things he did not know. It wouldn't have been far off to presume he didn't know anything. He was clueless, and yet somehow, he had some inkling of how to survive. Whether this was due to instinctual knowledge belonging to whatever species he was, or the fact he had attained a Skill, was something he actually had been pondering.

His hand gripped the summit of the mountain. Having walked its entirety, there really was nothing left to do but conquer it next. With an effort of burning will, he hauled himself upward, throwing his body unto the highest point on the island.

For a moment, he stared only at the sky. It was a sudden refreshment from the constant trees poking into his view of the beautiful sky blue. Clouds seemed to move faster at this altitude, he watched them crawl by, just enough for his eyes to detect the movement. 

He smiled. Rolling over, he got his legs under him and swung them over the side of the vertical face. His arms were thrown back busy in supporting his weight. His chest heaved with effort but the exertion was all welcome.

The island was beyond beautiful. No less than if he were up close, but suddenly from a different perspective. From here, it almost looked peaceful. Bright and vivid, it looked like it was, alive. Teeming with life. Barely audible, the cacophony of noise he had become so accustomed to, now only a whisper.

New Title: [Island Explorer] (Unusual)

Not many can claim they have fully scoured entire islands, observed their animals, enjoyed their fruits and discovered their beauties. Not many even take the time let alone dare the voyage. Islands are isolated and are as diverse as they are bountiful and numerous. True wonders lay in these undisturbed and undiscovered treasure troves.

Effects:

+5% increase in island yield

+5% likelihood of discovering hidden areas

The man grinned, feeling an immense wave of satisfaction. He noticed another tag, this time one called Unusual. Quickly, however, his eyes were drawn to the benefits of the Title. He must've gotten it for exploring the island. The effects were a hassle to prove. He didn't have an extra hand or bag to bring one of the hard-shelled fruits up with him on his climb so the first effect couldn't be immediately tested. However, he did stare over the island straining his eyes to find something hidden. No such luck.

After sating his curiosity, he turned his inquisitive mind to internal matters. 

The question of what these odd screens were never entered his mind. Like everything before him, it was a reality he had to accept. This detail did not stop him from pondering the differences between Title and Skill. In fact, it only pushed him to discover more about them.

It was in this internal search that he instinctually willed something unexpected into existence.

Name: ??? Level: 1  Race: Human Class: None Points: 0 Stat Points: 0 STR: 5  CON: 5  DEX: 6  INT: 7  WIS: 7  CHA: 9 

Titles

(Unusual)

[Island Explorer]: Not many can claim they have fully scoured entire islands, observed their animals, enjoyed their fruits and discovered their beauties. Not many even take the time let alone dare the voyage. Islands are isolated and are as diverse as they are bountiful and numerous. True wonders lay in these undisturbed and undiscovered treasure troves.

Effects: +5% increase in island yield, +5% likelihood of discovering hidden areas

Skills

(Common)

[Survival 5] : The ability to adapt to your environment and persevere through the worst of it. The habit to flourish when the very land works against you. The propensity to find food, water, and shelter, in the most unforgiving of surroundings. The determination to struggle against the very things asking you to die.

Effects: 5% increase in sustenance from food and water

He was something called a human, apparently. A quick glance at all his values and he inexplicably understood their meanings. They were measures of himself.

Strength (STR) determined the physical power he could muster. The force he could apply. It is the quality or state of being physically strong.

Constitution (CON) refers to the body. It is the physical state with regard to health, vitality, and endurance. It measures stamina and his body's ability to last.

Dexterity (DEX) measures agility, balance, coordination, and reflex. It is the mastery of his body. It denotes nimbleness and agility, speed and control.

Intelligence (INT) encompasses deductive reasoning, knowledge, memory, logic, and rationality. It was the magical power he could muster. The quality or state of being magically strong. Mental strength.

Wisdom (WIS) measures self-awareness, common sense, restraint, perception, and insight. It is the rationale that directs a person's effort. It is not only experience and knowledge, but the good judgment that comes as a result. It is control and mastery over magic. His mental prowess.

Charisma (CHA) measures force of personality, persuasiveness, leadership, determination and successful planning. It is the inexplicable magnetism that gathers attention. His ability to interact with others.

Judging from his values he was somewhat charismatic. True, there was no scale from which he could measure himself to yet it was his highest attribute. Behind that were his intelligence and wisdom values. Dexterity followed, with constitution and strength right behind.

He understood that he didn't really know much of himself. But, his attributes told a story, at least, that was how he saw it. It looked and seemed that, generally, he was an intelligent person who was good with people. His mental strength and prowess were substantially better than his physical attributes. He presumed he might be decent at magic.

He noticed he was Level 1 and he understood this served as a general marking of power and ability. With higher levels, he would attain greater opportunity, and perhaps even the chance to explore the unknown beyond this tiny island. Certainly, he would acquire the power to make it possible.

He noticed Points and Stat Points and implicitly knew the difference. Points were spent to buy things. Beyond that, he was clueless. Stat Points , on the other hand, were used to raise your attributes, usually attained on level ups.

He was also without a Class. He was unsure what this meant. It was peculiar to him, intriguing, that he was only implicitly aware of a few of these things. He gathered that those directly tied to his being were intrinsic to his knowledge. It seemed Points and Class were excluded from this. As he only understood them very broadly, leaving much to his imagination.

He knew his Skills and Titles. Both [Survival 5] and [Island Explorer] were boons to him and he understood them for what they were. He knew they would help him stay alive in their own way. [Island Explorer] would, presumably, contribute to interesting findings and increase the yield of whatever valuables he might run into. The problem in his mind, however, was that he didn't know exactly what a Skill or Title was. His mind blanked beyond the two he already had.

His best guess was that a Title was earned from a feat of note. Some kind of achievement. As for Skills, he wasn't sure at all what they were. Perhaps he had to show some type of proficiency in something? He hadn't really been doing anything but exploring the island and eating the fruits.

Eventually, he realized he didn't have a name. It was such a novel thing to forget about. How could he have not realized he had no name? He found that he wasn't terribly bothered by it. Perhaps he might run into someone he could communicate with that might need to use it, but currently, there was no need. 

He found himself content with waiting to pick out the perfect one.

The man stood up on the mountain. The breeze here was stronger than anywhere else on the island. He peered over the edge of the cliff, finding a deep, clear oasis. He had climbed past it before stopping to drink as he watched the wildlife do the same. There was no risk of a predator, the pool was perfectly clear. It was very deep. He was almost certain it connected to the ocean somehow. It was a reservoir of sorts.

He must've been at least a hundred meters up.

His face cracked into a smile, heart beating. Something about the world at that moment was perfect. It was pure contentment and joy. The absolute height of living. He felt alive.

He stared down and jumped.