The forest was unnervingly quiet, except for the rustling of leaves under Kenji’s feet. He had barely caught his breath after escaping the wolf attack, still sore, still exhausted. The scent of pine filled the cool night air, but the silence wasn’t comforting—it was unsettling. His instincts screamed that something wasn’t right.
Then, he heard it. A heavy, snorting sound. It was low, almost guttural, and it came from somewhere in the thick underbrush. Kenji froze, turning his head slowly toward the sound. His heart immediately kicked into overdrive.
Kenji: “What the hell is that?”
Before he could even process the noise, the bushes exploded as a massive boar charged out of the shadows. It was twice the size of any wild boar Kenji had ever seen back home, its tusks gleaming like polished bone under the dim light filtering through the trees.
Kenji's blood ran cold. The beast’s eyes glowed with a murderous hunger, locking onto him as its hooves dug into the ground.
Kenji: “No... no, no, no—RUN!”
Without thinking, Kenji bolted. His legs moved on their own as he dashed through the trees, the heavy thudding of the boar’s charge shaking the ground behind him. Every instinct in his body screamed for him to run faster, but no matter how hard he pushed, the boar kept gaining ground.
The sharp crack of branches and the crashing of undergrowth filled his ears, drowning out the sound of his own ragged breathing. Kenji leaped over roots and dodged trees, but the boar was relentless, tearing through the forest like a bulldozer.
Kenji: “This thing is gonna kill me!”
His foot caught on a root, and he stumbled, barely managing to keep himself from face-planting into the dirt. The sudden jolt of panic shot through him like a surge of electricity, his heart hammering against his ribs. The boar’s snorting grew louder—it was right behind him.
Kenji could almost feel the hot breath of the creature on his back, the weight of its presence pressing down on him like a predator closing in on its prey.
Then it happened.
Kenji felt a rush of energy—a sharp, overwhelming force coursing through his veins. His vision sharpened, his body moved quicker than it ever had before. His feet seemed to glide over the ground, dodging roots, weaving between trees with a precision that felt almost unnatural.
Kenji: “What’s happening to me?!”
Everything around him blurred, but his reflexes felt heightened, his body moving almost by instinct. He didn’t have time to think about it—his only goal was survival.
Up ahead, a small cave entrance came into view. It was narrow, barely visible in the shadows of the forest, but it was his only chance.
Kenji: “That’s it! I just need to—”
The boar let out a deafening bellow, its tusks cutting through the air as it lunged toward him. Kenji barely had time to throw himself to the side, the creature’s massive body crashing into the tree behind him with a thunderous impact. Bark splintered and flew everywhere, the tree nearly toppling under the force.
Kenji scrambled to his feet, his legs burning with exhaustion, and dove into the cave entrance. He collapsed inside, tumbling across the cold, damp ground as the boar’s tusks scraped the entrance, narrowly missing him. The beast snorted angrily outside, pacing back and forth, its glowing eyes staring at the cave like it was waiting for Kenji to come back out.
For a moment, Kenji didn’t move. He just lay there, his chest heaving, his muscles trembling. The cave was dark and cold, but it felt like safety—at least for now. He glanced back at the entrance, where the boar continued to snarl and thrash outside, but didn’t charge in.
Kenji: “Why... why isn’t it coming in?”
It took him a second to realize—the entrance was too narrow. The boar’s massive body simply couldn’t fit through, and its tusks, meant for goring prey, were useless in such a tight space. Kenji let out a shaky breath, realizing just how close he had come to being torn apart.
Kenji: “Guess I got lucky... this time.”
For a moment, Kenji didn’t move. He just lay there, his chest heaving, his muscles trembling. The cave was dark and cold, but it felt like safety—at least for now.
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Kenji’s body shook from the adrenaline. The danger had passed, but his mind was still racing. The system chime echoed in the cave, pulling him out of his thoughts. A glowing blue screen materialized before him.
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[New Passive Skill Unlocked: Fear Survival Instinct]
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Kenji stared at the message, breathing heavily. His heart was still pounding in his chest, but curiosity quickly overtook the fear.
Kenji: “Fear... Survival Instinct? Is that what saved me back there?”
Before he could process the skill’s meaning, another notification appeared:
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[Temporary Reflex Bonus: +5]
[Temporary Agility Bonus: +5]
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Kenji’s eyes widened. That’s why he had felt so fast, so sharp—his reflexes and agility had spiked. He could feel the difference in how his body moved, how it reacted to the danger without him even realizing it.
He pulled up the system menu and navigated to his newly unlocked skill, eager to understand it.
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[Fear Survival Instinct: In moments of extreme danger, your body reacts instinctively to threats. Grants temporary bonuses to Agility and Reflexes, increasing your ability to dodge and escape in life-threatening situations.]
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Kenji: “So, when I’m about to die, I get stronger? Great. This world keeps getting weirder.”
He couldn’t help but let out a small, nervous laugh. The skill was useful, sure, but relying on fear to survive? That wasn’t exactly comforting.
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The adrenaline had started to wear off, but Kenji’s curiosity was now in full swing. That Reflex bonus had come out of nowhere, and he didn’t remember ever seeing it in his stats before. He opened his status menu again, searching for more information.
Kenji: “Okay... I know Agility, Intelligence, Strength, but Reflex? Where the hell is that?”
After a few moments of scanning through the menu, he noticed a small, unmarked icon. It was something he hadn’t seen before. Tapping it opened up a new screen—Sub-Stats.
Kenji’s jaw nearly dropped as a whole list of new stats popped up in front of him.
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[Sub-Stats Screen]
* Focus (FOC) → Governs precision and control, especially with staves. Affects staff mastery, concentration, and spellcasting efficiency.
* Endurance (END) → Governs proficiency with heavy weapons and increases toughness
* Dexterity (DEX) → Governs light weapons and craftsmanship for delicate tasks like lockpicking and crafting.
* Perception (PER) → Enhances awareness of surroundings and improves accuracy with ranged or finesse attacks.
* Reflex (RFL) → Governs Kenji’s reaction time and ability to dodge incoming attacks or threats. High Reflex improves his ability to react to sudden dangers quickly.
* Vitality (VIT) → Governs overall stamina and energy for extended tasks and prolonged battles.
* Luck (LCK) → Enhances stealth, pickpocketing, and lockpicking, and improves critical hit chances and rare item drops.
* Charisma (CHR) → Governs speech skills and bargaining, increasing chances for better deals, persuasion, and selling items for higher prices.
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Kenji: “Wait... there’s a whole other set of stats? Reflex... that must be why I was able to dodge so fast.”
As he scrolled through, he paused when he read the description of Focus.
Kenji: “Focus... improves concentration and control with staves... and wait—spellcasting efficiency?!”
The word spellcasting immediately stuck out to him. A small grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
Kenji: “Well, of course, there are magicians. This is a freaking RPG world! I’ve got an Intelligence stat, after all. There has to be magic users somewhere out there.”
The thought of learning spells and slinging magic excited him. His mind raced, imagining himself hurling fireballs or casting healing spells like the characters from the games he played back home.
Kenji: “So... if I can learn spells, there must be a spell screen or something, right?”
He quickly navigated through the system, looking for anything that might say "Spells" or "Magic." But after a few minutes of searching, he found nothing. No spell screen, no magic tab—nothing.
Kenji: “Seriously? No spell screen? Come on!”
He frowned, frustrated. The system clearly hinted at magic, so why couldn’t he access it?
Kenji: “Maybe... maybe I need to unlock it somehow. Or meet someone who knows magic first?” He sighed. “Guess I’m not becoming a wizard anytime soon.”
Still, the thought lingered in the back of his mind. The system had shown him just a glimpse of what Arcadia had to offer, and it left him wanting more.}
He smirked at the thought of meeting one. While he had no idea how magic worked in Arcadia yet, the mention of it gave him some hope that maybe he could learn magic
Kenji: “Alright, Focus affects staves and magic... makes sense. Not like I have any spells right now, but it’s good to know.
He scrolled through the rest of the sub-stats, marveling at how intricate the system was. It wasn’t just about brute strength or speed—there was a whole layer of depth to his abilities, from combat to crafting, even social skills like bargaining.
Kenji: “Okay, so Reflex boosts my reaction time... that makes sense. I need to figure out how to level that up.”
It was overwhelming, but it also made Kenji feel like he was finally starting to understand this world. The more he learned, the more control he could have over his survival.
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Kenji leaned back against the cave wall, letting out a long, tired sigh. His body ached all over, and now that the adrenaline had worn off, he could feel every bruise and cut from the day’s events. The wolf pelt he’d picked up earlier was still in his bag, and he quickly pulled it out, wrapping it around himself to ward off the cold creeping into the cave.
Kenji: “At least this thing’s useful for something...” he muttered, pulling the fur tighter around him.
The night had fully set in now, and the forest outside was pitch black. The cave, while small and cramped, was at least a temporary shelter from the dangers lurking outside. But that wouldn’t be enough for long. Kenji’s mind raced as he stared out into the darkness.
Kenji: “I can’t keep running like this. First the wolf, now the boar... what’s next? A dragon?”
He laughed dryly, though the thought wasn’t as far-fetched as it once seemed. This world—Arcadia—was nothing like the one he came from. It felt like a game, sure, but everything here could kill him, and the stakes were all too real.
Kenji: “If I don’t find some kind of civilization soon... I’m done for.”
He thought about all the stats he’d just discovered, all the skills he hadn’t even begun to master. It was overwhelming, but also... exciting. There was so much to learn, so much to explore, even if it was dangerous.
Kenji: “I’ve gotta get stronger. No more running. I need to figure out how to fight, how to survive... how to beat this damn world at its own game.”
He leaned his head back, feeling the weight of exhaustion on his shoulders. The cold night air nipped at his skin, but the wolf pelt helped stave off the worst of it. Kenji closed his eyes for a moment, but his mind wouldn't stop.
Kenji: “I’ve got to find people. I can’t keep doing this alone. Someone out there must know what the hell is going on...”
As the night dragged on, Kenji realized just how much he was in the dark about this world. The system was his only lifeline—his only source of clarity in a world full of unknowns.
Kenji: “I’ve got no clue how I got here, but if I’m gonna survive... I need answers. I need to find someone—anyone who knows more than me.”
He clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. Tomorrow would be the start of something new. No more running. He needed to take control of his fate.
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Just as Kenji was about to drift off, the familiar chime of the system rang softly through the cave, pulling his attention. He groaned slightly, but the notification that appeared was worth it.
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[New Quest: Find Civilization]
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Kenji stared at the message, a tired smile creeping across his face.
Kenji: “Figures... the system’s one step ahead of me again.”
He stretched out, feeling the weight of exhaustion pulling him down, but for once, he felt a glimmer of hope. Tomorrow, he’d find answers. He’d find people—somewhere out there was someone who could explain what was going on, or at least help him survive.
Kenji: “Alright, tomorrow’s the day. No more running... I’ll find a way to survive this world.”
With that final thought, Kenji drifted into sleep, the wolf pelt wrapped tightly around him, his dagger close by in case the boar—or something worse—returned. Tomorrow would be a new chapter, and he was ready to face it head-on.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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END OF EPISODE 3