His arms were not very strong, but he kept going.

  Finally, the smaller tree he had been chopping gave way and collapsed beside him. There was something deeply satisfying about watching it fall.

  John took a moment to breathe.

  Woodcraft (+5): lvl 1 (5 / 100)

  “I have a feeling I’m going to need more than that.”

  He could not believe people used to do this all day, every day, despite how exhausting it was. Yet it felt good to move his body and use it for something real.

  Man was not made to sit in a cubicle staring at a screen. He was meant to explore, go on adventures, and conquer the unknown.

  John wiped sweat from his forehead and felt a growing sense of confidence. He raised the axe again and began chopping a second tree.

  After hours of work, he gathered enough wood for six stacks. His skill improved steadily during the process.

  Woodcraft (+25): lvl 1 (30 / 100)

  To say he was pleased with the progress would be an understatement.

  And to say he was tired would also be an understatement.

  John summoned his character status, not surprised by what he saw.

  Warmth: 80 / 100

  Stamina: 10 / 100

  Hunger: 10 / 100

  Hydration: 10 / 100

  Injuries: Calluses on hands

  He leaned against a nearby tree and stared at the results while taking deep, heavy breaths.

  Right now, he would have killed for a microwave dinner—something he could heat in minutes and devour immediately. He still needed to find food, but at least he had wood.

  Summoning what strength remained, he dragged the woodpile back toward camp. It was not far. He dropped the logs near his stone fire ring. Then he trudged down to the stream and crouched to splash cold water onto his face.

  Even though it did not restore stamina, the cold water felt reviving as it washed sweat from his skin. He ignored the canteen, sitting back in the tent, and simply leaned forward and drank directly from the stream.

  He did not know if that was the cleanest thing to do. But he was thirsty.

  As he drank, he noticed movement across the water.

  He lifted his eyes and saw two deer standing there. They looked like the ones from the previous day, with vines and flowers woven through their fur. Neither had antlers. It must have been a mother and a fawn. They watched him calmly, waiting for him to move away before approaching the stream themselves.

  “Don’t mind me,” John said gently as he stepped back toward camp.

  The deer descended to the water, lapped briefly, and then dashed into the forest across the stream.

  A few embers still glowed in the fire pit, but not enough to ignite new logs on their own. John placed a piece of wood in the center of the ring and used his ferro rod and striker with some dry twigs. It did not take much effort this time.

  Soon, a small flame began to grow again.

  Hearthcraft (+5): lvl 1 (10 / 100)

  The warmth felt good against his body after the cold water.

  John sat down to rest for a moment and pulled out one of the government ration bars. He only had a few left. As he ate, he realized he had never given his homestead a name.

  John summoned the homestead system interface.

  “Let’s go with Meadowreach Homestead,” he said aloud, chuckling.

  The system responded to his choice.

  [ HOMESTEAD ]

  Name: Meadowreach Homestead

  Tier: Common

  Homestead: lvl 1 (10 / 100)

  The name was plain, just like him. But he did not mind. It felt honest, which is what he always strove to be.

  As he stared at the fire burning before him and the stream flowing just beyond the clearing, the woodpile stacked beside his legs, he acknowledged that though the name was boring, perhaps he did not have to be boring anymore.

  John grinned slightly.

  At least he could try not to be.

  The wrapper crinkled in his hand as he finished the ration bar. When he looked down at it, he realized he was still ravenous.

  “All right,” John said to himself as he stood from the fire, thankful for the rest.

  Now it was time to find some real food.

  4

  I AM NO CHEF

  John’s belly grumbled as he knelt beside his survival kit and pulled out the survival guide. He flipped through its pages, looking for information on plants documented in Meadowreach, along with any fruits the government had identified.

  He was by no means a cook. But his father, who had been a great chef, always reminded him to check ingredients carefully before using them.

  Out here, he would have a bigger problem. Not just spoiled ingredients, but poisonous foods and things he should never eat.

  Flipping through the pages, he found illustrations of berry clusters, edible plants, glowing algae that clung to river stones and could be brewed into tea, and several pages warning about dangerous berries.

  Some could knock him out. Others could cause anaphylaxis.

  John’s mind soon became overwhelmed by all the possible dangers. It only grew worse when he read a note from one of the government editors.

  “There is still much to explore here in Meadowreach. These observations are only the beginning. Settlers are encouraged to record their discoveries.”

  “So they don’t have much,” John said, grimacing.

  As he considered where to find food, he noticed another item tucked behind the guide. It was a large leather-bound journal with a strange pen beside it.

  He picked up the pen.

  Endless Ink Pen (Common) — Issued by Portal Co. for settler recordkeeping. Writes smoothly on most surfaces and never runs out of ink. Durability: Standard.

  “Never runs out of ink. Interesting,” John said, turning the pen over in his hand.

  Surprisingly, he felt more excited about the pen and journal than he expected. He had always wanted to try journaling after hearing about the benefits of writing down thoughts. But he had never tried. He had always been too busy scrolling social media and drifting through his day.

  Now, without that distraction, he could try it.

  Standing up, he turned toward the forest, planning to search for fruits and vegetables while keeping the survival guide in his back pocket in case he forgot which plant was safe.

  But before he took a step, he saw several silverfish leap from the stream. His stomach growled at the sight of meat instead of berries.

  That settled it.

  He would try fishing first.

  Unfortunately, he did not have a fishing rod. He double-checked the survival kit and found nothing except cordage.

  All he could think of was the videos he had seen online where frontier explorers fashioned simple spears and stabbed fish in shallow water.

  That could not be too hard.

  John decided to try that instead of gathering berries.

  He grabbed his axe and headed into the nearby woods. He did not want to use the firewood he had already chopped. It was too short, and he wanted to preserve it for the coming days.

  After testing several branches, he found one that felt strong and straight enough.

  A few minutes later, he returned to the stream and sat near the fire pit, which still warmed his back.

  “Alright, let’s make you pointy.”

  He laid the branch across his lap and began shaving the tip with his axe. Slowly, the wood narrowed as shavings fell into the grass beside the stream.

  To his surprise, the work felt satisfying.

  When the tip was sharp enough, the system notified him.

  Woodcraft (+10): lvl 1 (40 / 100)

  John examined the crude spear in his hands. It was far from perfect, but it was usable.

  The system confirmed it.

  Frontier Spear (Common) — A basic spear fashioned from a sturdy branch and sharpened tip. Crude construction limits its lifespan, but it serves well for early survival. Durability: Low.

  “I’ll take it,” John said. But as he stood and prepared to fish, he realized something.

  He was about to stab a fish.

  The thought made him pause. He had never killed an animal before. He had always liked animals and enjoyed visiting the local zoo. Admittedly, he usually went alone. He did not have many friends outside the ones he interacted with through gaming.

  The idea of ending the life of a fish made him feel slightly guilty.

  But his belly groaned louder.

  “It’s for a good cause,” John told himself as he stepped into the shallow water.

  Cold mountain water rushed around John’s legs and filled his boots, sending a tingling chill through his toes. He waded deeper until the stream reached his waist and paused before trying to fish.

  For a moment, he simply watched the water.

  The stream bent gently through the meadow and disappeared into the surrounding forest. Afternoon sunlight reflected across the surface in soft golden ribbons.

  As he stood there, he noticed glowing algae clinging to several stones beneath the water. They shone with a faint blue-green light and hummed softly, giving off a calm and pleasant glow. He made a mental note to gather some later, just as the survival guide had mentioned. The guide itself lay on the stream bank where he had placed it before wading in.

  “All right,” John said to himself, adjusting his grip on the spear as he turned his attention to the fish.

  He watched them for a moment.

  There was a wide variety of fish swimming through the water. Some resembled silver trout. Others looked boxy, and several were round and prickly, reminding him of tiny puffer fish.

  They looked too cute to stab.

  John closed his eyes. It’s for a good cause.

  When he opened them again, he thrust the spear downward.

  He missed.

  The spear struck only water while the fish darted away. A moment later, they drifted back into the same spot.

  “Come on, where’s my beginner’s luck?” he muttered, stabbing again.

  This time, he leaned too far forward and slipped into the water up to his collarbone. Now his entire body was soaked except for his head, and his plaid shirt clung tightly to his chest.

  It washed away the sweat, but he was completely wet.

  Nevertheless determined, John struck several more times, but each attempt hit nothing but water and the occasional rock. Thankfully, the spear did not break, though its durability was low and it would not last forever at this rate.

  An hour passed as he continued trying to fish while the afternoon sun slowly descended. By then, his stomach was loudly complaining. Doubt began creeping into his mind.

  I can’t even catch a fish. Maybe I wasn’t meant to explore or do any of this in the first place.

  It took effort to keep those thoughts away. But thinking about Steven and returning to his old job was enough to push the doubts aside for now.

  For a moment, he considered damming part of the stream to trap the fish. But that would take hours. And he was too hungry.

  A school of fish darted past him, gliding easily through the water, completely unbothered by his efforts.

  John laughed quietly.

  The fish had clearly won today. At the very least, the system rewarded him for trying.

  Fishing (+5): lvl 1 (5 / 100)

  “I’ll try again tomorrow,” John said, stepping out of the stream.

  Gathering fruit and algae would not be easier tonight as the light faded. He started with the glowing algae on the river stones. Kneeling by the water, he gathered a small clump and checked the system overview.

  Glowmoss Algae (Common) — Bioluminescent algae that cling to damp river stones in Meadowreach. Known for its soft glow and mild energizing properties when brewed into tea. Hydration Bonus: Minor.

  Because he had technically foraged it, another system notification appeared.

  Foraging (+5): lvl 1 (5 / 100)

  Instead of consuming it immediately, he placed the algae near his campfire along with the spear. He kept the axe with him as he walked into the forest.

  The sky grew darker with each passing minute.

  John held the survival guide open in one hand, keeping the pages on edible plants visible as he searched. Before long, he spotted a cluster of golden berries growing in thick underbrush.

  He knelt beside them.

  The berries felt warm to the touch and carried a faint citrus scent. As soon as he picked them, the system identified them.

  Sunplump Berries (Common) — Warm to the touch. Tart with a honeyed undertone. Restores a small amount of Hunger when consumed.

  “That’s a funny name,” John said. He ate the berries immediately. As a result of gathering and consuming them, another notification appeared.

  Foraging (+5): lvl 1 (10 / 100)

  The berries helped. They left him mostly full, though not completely satisfied.

  Still, it was better than nothing.

  But once the last berry was gone, he felt a small sense of disappointment. Because of this, John pushed himself to search a little longer, hoping to find anything else edible.

  He came upon a cluster of strange mushrooms not far away, pale with glowing veins and tall bell-shaped caps dripping silver dew. They looked mesmerizing and magical. But he would not be fooled. He had seen enough movies to know that eating random mushrooms in the forest was the quickest path to one’s demise. Especially now in a magical world.

  That would probably not be the wisest thing to do.

  To test it, he reached out with his axe and sliced into the top of one of the caps. Immediately, the mushroom released faint blue spores that smelled like acid. John backed away at once, staring with disgust at the blue goo dripping from the tip of his axe.

  “Uh, yeah, definitely not eating that,” John said, wiping the blue gunk onto nearby blades of grass.

  The sun had nearly descended and cast the entire forest in darkness, so he decided to call it good. He had the algae back by the campsite, and he felt mostly full from the Sunplump Berries, though he would do his best tomorrow to gather more.

  Perhaps he could cook the algae into tea to help him feel a little fuller.

  When he returned to camp, he set down his axe and pulled out his cooking pot. He filled it with stream water and placed it on the metal mesh tray from the survival kit, setting it over the fire so the pot rested on top like a grill.

  Then he added the glowing algae to the pot, and the water began to darken. Because of the Glowmoss Algae’s blue glowing nature, it continued glowing even after he had finished brewing it.

  Riverglow Tea (Common) — A basic frontier drink brewed from Glowmoss Algae. The liquid carries a soft, luminous tint and gentle warmth. Provides minor hydration, slight satiation, and a faint calming effect.

  “That was the strangest thing I’ve ever cooked.”

  It was also really the only thing he had ever cooked.

  Once it was cool enough to drink from the pot, which took longer than he had hoped, he sipped from it carefully. It was not amazing and was slightly bitter. The glowing algae made his tongue glow too, along with his lips, which he was sure was quite a sight, but it also made him feel slightly warmer, more satiated, and more hydrated.

  It was the perfect way to end the night as darkness descended over the land.

  He had also completed his quest for finding wood and food.

  Objective Completed: Find Wood and Food

  Rewards:

  +25 XP

  Frontier Fishing Line (Common) — A lightweight braided line designed for basic freshwater fishing. Useful when combined with a carved rod and an improvised hook. Durability: Standard.

  John checked his status briefly. He was still level 1, but now he was at 90 out of 100.

  True to its word, the system granted him a fishing line as a reward, and it appeared in his hands as a long, carefully crafted string.

  “Uh, could I have gotten a fishing rod?” John asked the system.

  He got no response.

  John sighed, but still felt encouraged. A fishing line was better than a spear. He would just need to turn that spear into a fishing pole. Maybe that would not be too hard.

  But that would be for tomorrow, not today. Today had been enough.

  He checked his stats to confirm it.

  Warmth: 100 / 100

  Stamina: 20 / 100

  Hunger: 70 / 100

  Hydration: 100 / 100

  While by no means perfect, he had survived his first full day. That had to count for something.

  Wanting a quieter end to the day, he opened his new journal after finishing his tea. The obsidian-gray pen had a smooth grip in his hand, and the ink made it feel like he was writing calligraphy because of the style of the tip.

  At first, he did not know what to write. But then he stopped worrying about being perfect and let his thoughts flow, writing about his day, about his uncertainties, about not feeling enough, or strong enough, or brave enough for this strange and beautiful world.

  He also wrote about the fish, the strange mushrooms, the fairies that seemed to be everywhere, and the elves he had not yet spoken to. As he wrote, he did not realize he had begun drawing what he remembered of the elvish girls in the margins of the page.

  It was by no means perfect, since he was not very good at drawing either, but he could not help dwelling on their simple and elegant beauty.

  As he stared at his basic drawing of an elf girl, he felt a sense of longing for companionship. He had never really experienced anything like that in the old world, but maybe, just maybe, he could find something here. Perhaps build a life with someone.