"Way to ruin the moment," he muttered, patting his stomach.
The fact that he was dead still lingered in the back of his mind, but he pushed it aside. There was no point in dwelling on it now. His stomach growled again, reminding him of the more immediate concern—food.
It had been about five hours since he'd woken up here, though he had no idea how long he'd been unconscious before that. It was hard to tell how much time had passed in this strange new world, but hunger was becoming a real problem.
He got up from infront of the fire with the intention of looking for something to eat.But if he didn't find anything to eat by the time night was very close he would come back here.
He began walking, marking some trees to keep track of where he was coming from.He also needed to get water but that was for tomorrow.
The forest around him was quiet, and so far, he'd seen nothing edible. His stomach growled, pushing him forward. There had to be something.
After a while, he spotted a small, furry creature eating nearby. It looked like a rabbit but with key differences.The two sharp fangs hanging from its mouth,looked imposing, along with the fact it was the size of a small dog was not reassuring.
It wasn't much, but it was food.
He crouched down, knife in hand, and carefully moved closer. He didn't know what the creature was, but it seemed easy enough to catch.
He took a slow step, then another. It didn't notice him yet. He was almost there.
After killing the creature, Jordan stood over it, breathing heavily. It had fought back, scratching and kicking, and for a moment, he almost lost his grip on the knife. The creature's resistance made him realize just how sharp and deadly his knife was, cutting through its fur and flesh with surprising ease. It was almost too simple, and he quickly felt a mixture of relief and unease. The creature finally stilled, its body limp in his hands. He wiped the sweat off his brow, staring at the small, lifeless form before him.
The task wasn't over. He needed to get it back to his fire. He dragged the creature by its legs, trying to ignore the weight of the knife still in his hand. The forest felt disorienting, but the marks he had made on the trees earlier guided him back. As he walked, the markings kept him focused and grounded, showing him the path he'd taken.
It didn't take long before he spotted the flicker of his fire in the distance. With a sense of relief, he followed the trail, the small marks leading him back to where he'd started. When he finally reached the fire, he dropped the creature beside it, thankful that the markings had worked. His heart was still racing from the kill, but at least now he had food. He just needed to cook it.
Jordan knelt by the creature, feeling somewhat sorry for what he'd just done. His hands trembled a little as he held the knife. The blade caught the light of the fire, its edge startlingly sharp. When he pressed it against the creature's fur, the blade sliced through effortlessly. He hadn't expected it to be this precise, but the sharpness of the knife made it far too easy to get through the skin. The cuts were clean, almost unnaturally so, and it made him realize just how dangerous this tool really was.
His heart pounded as he moved to remove the skin. The knife slid through the creature's flesh, much smoother than he'd imagined, though his hands weren't quite steady. It wasn't a flawless job, and the process felt clumsy, but eventually, he managed to peel back the skin. The meat was now exposed, and he set the skin aside before moving on to the next task—gutting it.
Jordan hesitated for a moment, unsure of what exactly to do, but the knife made the work faster than he anticipated. As he dug deeper, his fingers brushed something solid. Confused, he pulled it out. It was a small, white object shiny and smooth. He immediately recognized it as a core. He hadn't realized that this creature also had a core.
For now, he set it aside. He needed to focus on getting the meat cooked. After a few more moments of effort, he finally managed to start a fire. As the flames crackled, he placed the meat over them, watching it cook slowly. The smell wasn't pleasant, a little burnt and raw, but it was food. His stomach growled in response, pushing him to eat.
Once the meat was cooked enough, Jordan tore off a piece and bit into it. It wasn't the best, but it was something. His mind wandered back to the core he'd found inside the creature. He didn't know much about it yet, but something told him it was important. For now, though, food was the priority, and he was finally getting something in his stomach.
"This shit is creeping me out. Why the hell is it so quiet?" Jordan muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as his eyes scanned the forest. The oppressive silence gnawed at him. It wasn't natural—not even the rustling of leaves or the hum of insects filled the air. Just silence. Deafening, eerie silence.
The knife at his side offered a small sense of security, but the thought of encountering something far stronger than himself made his stomach churn. How long would this newfound confidence last before it was shattered by something he couldn't handle?
---
After finishing his meal, he carefully gathered the bones, skin, and organs, taking them a few meters away from his campsite. He didn't want anything with a keen nose wandering too close. The thought of a predator stumbling upon the smell while he slept was enough to keep him cautious.
By the time he returned, night had fully taken over.
Jordan sat beneath a towering tree, the fire crackling softly before him. The warmth of the flames brushed against his face as he leaned back against the rough bark. For a moment, he allowed himself to look up, his gaze drawn to the night sky. It was breathtaking.
The heavens were painted with countless stars, scattered like shards of glass across a dark canvas. Two moons hung in the sky—one large and silver, its glow soft and serene, while the other, smaller and amber, burned like a distant ember. Wisps of clouds lazily wove between them, faintly illuminated by their glow. It was surreal, like something pulled straight out of a sci-fi movie.
"This… this is beautiful," he murmured, his voice tinged with awe. For a fleeting moment, the weight of his predicament lifted, replaced by a quiet appreciation for the strange beauty of this alien world.
But the moment passed quickly. Shifting his attention, Jordan reached into his top pocket and pulled out the creature's core. It was nearly identical to the one he'd taken from the slime earlier, save for its color. This one shimmered faintly, a dull reflection of the firelight dancing across its smooth surface.
He glanced down at his knife, the strange grooves at its base catching his eye. Without hesitation, he repeated the process, placing the core into the opening. For a brief moment, the carvings on the blade flared to life, glowing faintly. He leaned forward in anticipation, expecting the knife to undergo another epic transformation.
But then… nothing.
The light dimmed, and the knife returned to its previous form.
Jordan stared at it, a mix of disappointment and irritation flashing across his face. "Seriously? That's it?" he muttered, placing the knife onto the ground beside him. He had been hoping for something extraordinary—some kind of upgrade, a power surge, anything to make this world feel less impossible.
Instead, he was left with nothing but the quiet hiss of the fire and the unchanging weight of the knife.
"Anticlimactic as hell," he grumbled, leaning his head back against the tree. For now, all he could do was rest, knife in hand, and hope that tomorrow would offer more answers than questions.