Ash lay on the bed, frustrated. A cold dread seeped into his bones, far colder than the damp air of the cabin.
What he read on the first page of the diary added to his desperation to escape the game. Every word seemed to mock his helplessness, cementing the reality of his confinement in this bizarre, dangerous world.
He squeezed his eyes shut, a futile attempt to make the words disappear, but they were etched into his mind.
"System," he called in a weak voice, the word barely a whisper against the silence of the cabin. His throat felt dry, rasping from the constant anxiety that gnawed at him.
Ting
The sharp, metallic chime sliced through the quiet, a jarring sound that always put him on edge. A screen, far more complex and detailed than anything he had seen before, materialized before him.
It shimmered with an almost otherworldly luminescence, its edges crisp and defined, unlike the crude, rudimentary notifications he was used to.
Ash frowned, a line forming between his brows as he studied the intricate display.
'The screen's appearance has changed,' he thought, a flicker of surprise cutting through his frustration. It was a significant shift, implying layers of complexity he hadn't yet uncovered.
The screen displayed a series of prominent, clearly labeled options: Inventory, Statistics, Level, Skill, Map, Stage, Settings, and Guide.
"Why didn't I have this display from the start?" he grumbled, the words laced with bitter resentment. The thought of how much easier his initial struggles might have been, how many near-death experiences could have been avoided, fueled a fresh wave of irritation.
It felt like the system had deliberately withheld vital information, forcing him to stumble through the early stages blindly.
One of the most persistent causes of his frustration, a constant, buzzing annoyance, was the ceaseless ting-ting-ting-ting sound. It was the system's way of announcing everything, from a new quest to an item he accidently held, and it had nearly been his undoing.
Just yesterday, the relentless chime had given away his position to the assassin rogue, forcing him into a desperate, scrambling fight for his life. The memory sent a shiver down his spine.
He needed to silence it. He pressed Settings, his finger firm against the ethereal button, determined to find an option to turn off the damn notification sound.
Ting
Another sharp chime, but this time, the sound led to a promising outcome. The settings display appeared on screen, a clean, organized layout.
A few lines immediately caught his eye, and a wide, genuine grin spread across his face, lighting up his tired features.
[System notifications ON.]
[System notifications OFF.]
"Aha! Got it!" he exclaimed, a triumphant whisper escaping him. It was a small victory, but in this suffocating reality, even the smallest reprieve felt like a monumental achievement.
He immediately pressed the option to turn off the notification sound. The screen flickered, then settled.
Finally, he could enjoy some peace!
His attention then shifted to the main screen. He pressed Stage, his finger lingering for a moment, half-expecting another chime. But none came.
A new screen materialized, silent and serene. This time, without any notification sound!
Still grinning, a hint of genuine hope now in his eyes, Ash traced the Stage screen with his gaze.
[Stage 1.]
[Player obtains the Quest.]
[Success in completing the Quest will increase the Player's Level.]
The word "Quest" stood out, bold and demanding. He pressed it, his curiosity overriding his caution.
[Player: Ashborn Locke]
[Player Number: #23875]
[Quests:]
[⇒Get the Magic Ring inside the Giant Spider of Kulam Cave.]
[⇒Find The Supreme Magus' Grimoire at the Oriental Hotel.]
Ash put his left hand under his head as a pillow, settling deeper into the bed, a mix of intrigue and bewilderment washing over him.
'What does 'inside the Giant Spider' mean?' he thought, the bizarre nature of the objective jarring him. Was it a literal creature, or some kind of location?
The game's brutal logic was still a mystery to him.
He pressed the map screen, the interface shifting smoothly to a topographical layout. He zoomed in, scanning the map for the locations mentioned in the quest, noting their distances.
'Hmm, the nearest is the Oriental Hotel,' he thought, mentally calculating potential routes and dangers. Proximity was a crucial factor in this dangerous world.
He closed the map and quest screen, then pressed Stats. He needed to understand his own capabilities, his very foundation in this digital construct.
[Player: Ashborn Locke]
[Player Number: #23875]
[Level: #1.5]
[Stats:]
[⇒ Strength: 5]
[⇒ Endurance: 5]
[⇒ Agility: 5]
[⇒ Intelligence: 5]
[⇒ Magic: 5]
[Extra Points: 90]
[Profession:]
[⇒ Warrior: #3]
[Sword Skill:]
[⇒ Shadow Sword: Level: #4]
The list was clean, concise. Ash's eyes lingered on the "Extra Points." Ninety points.
That was a significant number. He needed to understand how they worked.
He pressed Guide then Points, and read its contents, absorbing every detail.
Points: Obtained if you get an item.
⇒ Regular Item: 1 point.
⇒ Special Item: 10 points.
⇒ Rare Item: 20 points.
Ash went back to his stat screen, reviewing the points he had received. Two Rate Items meant forty points.
And the Tenebris sword was a Special Item, accounting for another ten. So, the remaining forty points were clearly from regular items he'd acquired.
The system was starting to make sense, a grim logic beneath its fantastical elements.
'Hmm...' he mused, a plan beginning to form in his mind. He then pressed Skills on the Guide screen, eager to unravel more of the game's hidden rules.
[Skill Level Up → Obtained if you successfully catch prey.]
He nodded to himself. When he killed the boar, his Warrior skill increased by one level. This confirmed his theory: combat meant growth.
This meant he gained one level each from goblins and Rogues—the first small victories that had forged his nascent abilities.
Meanwhile, his Shadow Sword skill was at level four. It had steadily gone up by one when fighting boars, the patrolling goblins, then Rogues, and finally, the assassin.
Each life taken had sharpened his edge, honed his reflexes, building his proficiency with the blade.
He returned to the main Guide option, specifically seeking the explanation for Extra Points.
[Guide.]
[Extra Points: Extra Points can be allocated to the Player's Statistics.]
'My guess is correct: Extra Points can be allocated to Stats,' he thought, a surge of tactical insight. This was crucial. He could tailor his growth, shaping himself into a more formidable survivor.
Without hesitation, he allocated twenty points each to Strength, Endurance, Agility, and Intelligence. There were the core attributes for survival, for fighting and moving in this brutal landscape.
He allocated the remaining ten points to Magic, and started to understand how to play this game. The underlying mechanics, once opaque, were slowly revealing themselves.
What truly urgent was how to complete the quest. That was his immediate, life-or-death objective.
***
Ash woke up in the morning with a slightly stiff body, the precious day's exertions a dull ache in his muscles. He stretched slowly, methodically, working out the stiffness.
As he did, a thought surfaced, something he had meant to do yesterday. He remembered that he had not checked the chest at the other passenger cabin.
"I'll do it later after lunch," he decided, pushing the thought aside for now. He had more immediate needs.
He had breakfast on the bow, a simple, meager meal, then settled in to read the Captain's diary while leaning on the hull. The worn pages rustled softly in the morning breeze.
The fiftieth day
Today marks my forty-ninth day on this island.
This island is comfortable for old age, but I'm still young. My bones ache less here, my mind finds a strange calm amidst the quiet isolation.
But i'ts not my home. I really want to go back to my time. I miss the clamor of the city, the faces of strangers, the simple certainty of tomorrow.
But what can be done? This game holds me captive.
I will find a way out of this, and I will definitely see you again, my son. That is my only certainty. That is my only purpose now.
Ash skipped the pages that contained only the author's outpourings; he didn't want to drift back into despair. The captain's anguish was too familiar, too potent. He didn't need a reminder of the hopelessness that threatened to consume him.
He turned to the next pages, searching for practical information, for anything that could be his salvation. He read what he thought was important.
Day two hundred and thirty-eight.
I remember when I first came to this world. The disorientation, the fear. It was all a blur.
I met several players, and we worked together as a team to complete missions.
There was safety in numbers, a shared burden against the unknown.
I also met John, a player with twenty years in the game who also owns a team. His group was massive, a sprawling network of individuals, a true force. The team consists of many players from all professions: Finders, Warriors, Rouges, Mages, Healers, a truly diverse collection of skills.
John also explained that most 'Finding Objects' players group up to level up quickly. It's the most efficient way to survive and thrive.
That's why my team and I have joined John's group. We needed their protection, their resources.
And we often have wars between groups... the brutal reality of this world. Territorial disputes, resources battles, betrayals. It's a constant struggle.
Ash was stunned to read it. The diary dropped slightly in his hand.
War between groups...
The phrase echoed in his mind, cold and sharp. Alliances, large groups, constant conflict.
He was alone. Utterly, terrifyingly alone.
How could he survive if he was alone?