I had accepted my miserable and utterly undignified end. I closed my eyes, expecting the final blow that would send me straight to the afterlife, when something... happened.
A screen appeared in front of me, so bright that I had to squint. And for some inexplicable reason, the spider froze in midair, its legs ready to crush me, but still as if someone had hit "pause" at the worst moment of my life.
I was in shock. What the hell...? I looked around, completely confused. Had time stopped or something? Was this the famous "lucky break of the protagonist" that saves heroes just before the villain crushes them?
The screen displayed some flickering text:
[Starting Epic Survival System...
Loading...
34% - 56% - 73% - 89% 100%! System ready for user. Welcome to the Epic Survival System
User Name: Zephyr Blackthorne (Noble and elegant surname... though nobility doesn't guarantee abilities, huh?)
Age:18 (Too young to die, but here we are.)
Welcome Rewards
(For surviving the initial transmigration, though we can't promise it will last much longer.)
Newcomer Emergency Kit:
Basic Sword (sharper than a spoon, but not much more)
Cloth Backpack (capacity for two, maybe three stones)
Basic Map (marked with "You're Lost Here!")
Full Health Restored (no more broken bones or mysterious pains)
Special Ability:
Doubtful Luck: You have a small chance for something to go right... a small one, we said.
Adventurer's Clothes:
Resistant cloth set (won't stop an arrow, but maybe it matches the forest)
General Stats (Remember, these are just for reference. Not that they'll save you.)
Strength: 5 (You'll lift a stone... if it's small enough.)
Speed: 8 (Faster than a tired turtle, at least.)
Endurance: 6 (You won't fall on the first try... but the second one, who knows.)
Intelligence: 10 (An average human, or so they say.)
Luck: 3 (Look on the bright side: it could be 1.)
Warning: With these stats, it is recommended to avoid fights, giant spiders, and anything more dangerous than a butterfly. Good luck, Zephyr!]
What the hell just happened? I kept staring at the void. Did I just get a system? What kind of bad joke is this? This can't be real! Who designed this, a circus clown? And what kind of rewards are these? I felt scammed on a cosmic level.
At least... all the pain had vanished. That's something. Although considering I was about to die a minute ago, it's not exactly the epic reward I was expecting.
As if it were a sign, the system screen flickered and faded just as the giant spider began moving its legs toward me. Please, give me a break, dear spider! But of course, life decided I didn't deserve a second to process this. So, with my body apparently filled with adrenaline and zero training, I jumped to the side, dodging purely by luck.
That was close. Although, according to the system, my speed is basically that of a tired turtle, at least my reflexes were alive enough not to die immediately. Small victories, I thought.
But before I could pat myself on the back mentally, the spider extended two legs on either side, ready to crush me like an unlucky cookie. This couldn't be more unfair. Seriously? Where is my invincibility skill, my magic sword, or, I don't know, the option to call a timeout?!
I grabbed the sword the system had "given" me and took a combat stance. Sure, it was a poor imitation of the descriptions I remembered from fantasy novels. Okay, this doesn't look heroic at all, I thought. But since I was about to die, at least I'd do it in style.
When one of the spider's legs lunged, I closed my eyes, screamed with all my might, and made a heroic strike. Well, "heroic" in the sense of "I did my best." The sword crashed against the leg... and, well... guess what happened.
Crack.
The sword snapped in half like it was made of cheap porcelain. I stared at the handle, incredulous. Huh? Really? Even the spider looked at me with a mixture of awe and mockery. A giant spider was judging me!
What kind of sword is this?! I said, looking at the broken hilt. A wooden stick would have been more useful. In fact, a raw noodle would have given me better results.
The spider, apparently tired of my show, lifted two legs and prepared to crush me once and for all. There was no way to dodge it; they were coming at a speed my "skills" couldn't match. I stood still, accepting the inevitable.
Well, I guess this is my end. I closed my eyes, resigned. Mom, Dad... I just hope you never find the hidden folder on my computer. Not that I want to be remembered for those particular things.
Goodbye.
I closed my eyes, as if that would make the spider disappear. I knew it made no sense, but who hasn't tried closing their eyes in a moment of panic, hoping the universe would show mercy? Unfortunately, fate isn't that generous.
Suddenly, a deafening noise snapped me out of my makeshift meditation. I opened my eyes, and what I saw was simply a spectacle.
A huge fox, with fur so bright it looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale, appeared out of nowhere. What?! The fox bit the spider, throwing it into some nearby trees with brutal force. My brain, already used to the absurd, tried to process the turn of events. A giant fox fighting a giant spider? Is this a dream, or is someone writing my life like a cheap action novel?
The battle continued with the fox launching slashes and bites while using its tail like a whip. Seriously? The tail? I thought I'd seen everything, but this... this was on another level. The fox wasn't just incredibly strong, it was also... quite cute! Wait! What was I thinking? This wasn't the time to admire the beauty of a giant fox while a monstrous spider tried to kill me.
In the middle of this epic battle, a feminine voice appeared in my head. Yes, in my head, as if voices in my brain were a normal thing. The voice shouted:
[What are you waiting for, run!]
Huh? Where was that voice coming from? I looked at the fox, which was staring at me intently in the middle of its fight with the spider. And here's the weirdest part: for some reason, I knew the voice... came from it. A talking fox? Seriously? Is this real? Or am I about to discover I'm in some damn anime?
Taking the fox's words literally, I started running without looking back. What was the point of looking back? What could be chasing me, an angry spider or karma? I ran as if there was no tomorrow, or rather, as if there was no other available path. All that mattered was getting away from the chaos.
However, my stamina ran out faster than a tired hero uses their last spell, and not only that, but my body was about to give up. My heart was beating as fast as a drum, and my lungs felt like they were made of paper. This is the end! I thought, as I searched for any refuge. Finally, I leaned against a tree, panting as if I had just run a 42-kilometer marathon without preparing.
I took air as best as I could, and after a few minutes trying to catch my breath, I realized something very obvious.
I was in a dark forest, with no magic abilities, and worst of all, I was incredibly weak. Great, I thought. If another monster shows up, I'm going to end up being its breakfast or, worse yet... the snack of some other monster passing by. I couldn't help but feel that my luck was worse than a forgotten NPC. Why didn't they transmigrate me as a noble in a luxurious mansion with maids and lots of delicious food? Why did it have to be this?
I decided it was time to get up and move on, even though I had the feeling things weren't going to get better. But just as I stood up, I stepped on something strange. I looked down, hoping it wasn't what I feared. But when I saw what was beneath my foot, I realized something worse: it was cracks. And not just any cracks, no sir. They were cracks that looked at me like, "You're not getting out of this easily!"
Oh no! I thought, but before I could realize what was happening, the cracks started swallowing the ground beneath my feet, and with a yank, I was pulled into what looked like a dark and painful slide.
I still don't know how high that slide was, but let me tell you, it wasn't a comfortable ride. I fell at full speed, and the pain of every crack I touched on my body was the kind of suffering only a novel hero could endure... if the hero had skin made of steel, of course.
Finally, a hard impact stopped me, and everything went black.