Initiating Resurrection Sequence - ERROR

Retrying…

Retrying…

Retrying…

Analyzing error…

Identified Root Cause. Key Source missing. Searching for alternatives

Three Matches Found. Top Source Selected

Integrating selected Source into System - Complete

Initiating Resurrection Sequence - SUCCESS

WELCOME

I woke up flailing my arms, attempting to push away the glaring brightness in my face. Alia knows better than to open the curtains wide on the weekend. Disgruntled, I slowly opened my eyes, adjusting to the bright sunlight. Shaking off the drowsiness, I looked around blearily and could only see tall trees and dense canopy of vegetation all around.

I drew a blank as to where I was or how I ended up here. My ears seem to be ringing with a low key buzz that seemed to be coming from everywhere. I tried to focus on that and jerked backward as a large semi-transparent screen popped in front. I briefly glanced over the text

Name: Rokthar Dreseus

Title: None

Class: None

Level 0

Age: 17

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Stats:

Strength: 5

Dexterity: 7

Constitution: 6

Wisdom: 5

Perception: 5

Will: 5

General Skills:

Active Skills:

Passive Skills:

Huh. Was I smoking anything before going to bed to be dreaming so vividly?

With a thought, the screen disappeared and once again, I took in the surroundings. I seem to be in the middle of a forest but something felt off. I stood up leaning on a nearby tree and really looked at it. Then it struck me; I don’t recognize any of these trees. I am not an outdoorsy guy and have never been camping but I did visit a few state parks and watched enough nature documentaries to realize that nothing seems familiar. This is not a forest on Earth.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The tree I am leaning on is tall enough that its top is out of sight and is about 30 feet wide. The ground is covered with dense vegetation and blossomed flowers I have never seen the likes of. They covered the ground in a pattern of colors so beautiful that I find it hard to pull my gaze away from. I closed my eyes and breathed in the cool air that felt like wisps of joy. This might be the prettiest place I ever dreamed of.

With a deep sigh, I opened my eyes and looked down at my body. Yep, just as I thought, this ain’t my body. I consider myself tall at 6’1 but I am sure my body now is at least seven feet tall. While previously I am in decent shape, I have always had a bit of belly that sticks out with a bit of fluff in my sides. Now, I look like one of those low-fat diet posters with lean muscle wound taut in my biceps and abs fully on display. That brings up the next question…why am I naked?

I suppose to become truly part of nature, being naked is the way to go. I snorted and looked around to see if there were any clothes lying nearby. No such luck. Well, not like that matters in a dream so I started walking. The first steps felt a bit wobbly but I adjusted to the new perspective soon enough. I was so full of energy and my steps were so quick, it almost felt like I was running. The terrain is pretty uneven and giant roots spread across with blooming plants covering the rest with only a few patches left unmolested. Surprisingly, it's only a minor discomfort walking with bare feet and it soon faded into the background. I still kept an eye out for any thorns or such in my path.

What if this isn’t a dream? With every step I take, with every sound I hear, with every sight I see, with every shrub grazing my legs, every sensation hammered the unpleasant truth into my mind until I came to a halt. This is real.

But how? Why? What about my family? Where am I really then? No, it doesn't matter, not right now. What matters is what should I do? Survive. The key things I need are water, food and a safe place to sleep. While it is pleasantly warm now, I don’t know how chilly it might get by night. I don’t even know which direction the closest town is.

The forest around me is dense enough that I couldn’t see anything beyond a couple feet. I looked around just in case there are bears or other animals nearby but didn’t find any trace of any. Yet I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I am being watched. It has been there for a while, so it is probably not one of the worst scenarios popping in my mind. Never have I ever been in a forest alone by myself and it’s already making me paranoid.

Maybe the system screen has more information. With a thought, the screen reappeared displaying the character sheet. My name is Rokthar? Seems I am younger now, going from mid-twenties to being 17yrs old. I am surprisingly tall for such a young age. I suppose, the stats are not a bad starting point although I can’t tell for sure.

“Man, there’s nothing here that helps me right now. Aren’t you supposed to start with a tutorial or at least spawn me in a safe place?” I yelled at the sky. “Tutorial! Guide! Inventory!” Nothing happened. “Quest!”

No Active Quests Found

Updating…

Active Quests:

* Survivor(Hard): Survive encounter with the Horned Serpent agitated by your wails.

Reward: Rare Accessory

“What the…” I fell silent as it dawned on me. I turned around and gaped at the biggest snake monster I have ever seen crawling silently across the forest ground. Its scales glistened menacingly in the sunlight as it weaved through the trees. My body froze in fear as the monster coiled its body and raised its head 15 feet above ground. With my utmost resolve, I was barely able to move my gaze from its coiled body to its head held high. A single spiraled horn protruded from its head, shimmering like polished ivory and I could feel it brimming with power. A window materialized above its head

[Horned Serpent - Lvl ??]

General Skill Identify acquired

Upgrade: Identify Lvl0 -> Lvl5

Upgrade: Will +1

I internally shooed the notifications away but my body still refused to move even an inch as the serpent’s large bulbous eyes fixed on me. I felt every muscle tense, the intensity of its gaze holding me in a spellbound state. It opened its mouth wide enough to swallow a car whole and I couldn’t help but lament on my cursed fate.

This world isn’t a dream come true; it’s my nightmare made flesh.

Why couldn’t I be summoned as a Hero or born a Prince? Heck, at this point, I’d even be grateful to be reincarnated as an ant, if it meant escaping this certain death. I am sorry Alia, Mom and Dad. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye or even figure out what happened to me in the first place. All this trouble to present myself as a tasty snack to my worst nightmare

The serpent whipped its head down in an instant with its jaws wide open, revealing the dark living tunnel of its body insides. I refused to close my eyes, staring defiantly at the abyss about to swallow me whole. The moment seemed to last forever till it struck me that the snake was holding still. I felt as if broken from a spell and crumpled onto the ground. The serpent was still transfixed with its mouth wide open around me and I hurriedly crept back till the forest came back into view. As I finally began to make sense of my surroundings, the view in front of me sent a chill down my spine.