The fire popped and crackled, holding the worst of the chill at bay, but it was Ethan's mind that buzzed with unease. He hadn't slept much on what had transpired in the day: the glowing eyes of that wolf, the spear materializing in his hands, and that text floating ominously. He wrapped his knees tight together, staring into the flames.
It's a dream, he grumbled, tossing it off as the most vivid he's ever had. But at his arm, where the wolf had clawed him, the pain kept him anchored. Not a deep cut, but throbbed dully, and nothing-not even pinching himself or slapping himself over the side of the cart-roused him to wakefulness.
He let out a sigh and opened his inventory. In the meager contents, the Wolf Fang shone weakly. As he focused on it, a tooltip appeared.
Fail =Failed to acquire a Material Grade item
Wolf Fang
Material Grade: Common
Description: A sharp fang taken from a forest wolf. Can be used for crafting or trade.
"Well, that's not help me at the moment," Ethan grumbled, closing the menu. I wished he would have given me something like what in the heck should I do now? The new quest, Find Shelter, said that that quest was complete but still no further update or directions.
"What am I missing?" he breathed quietly to himself. He gazed through the cave. Shadows stretched out in all directions, covering the forest floor. His grip on the homemade spear beside him tightened.
Just as if some unspoken directive had been given, the thumping footsteps entered his hearing. Ethan froze, his breath caught in his throat. The steps were light, frenetic, and accompanied by an unmistakable sound of panting.
"Another wolf?" he breathed, reaching for his spear and rising to his feet.
Footsteps grew louder, louder, and then suddenly there was a body which seemed to jump into view. Ethan pulled harder on the spear as he saw her. It was no wolf at all but a young woman, her clothes streaked and muddy, blonde hair all matted together with dirt and leaves. She moved forward blindly, catching herself on the nearest tree.
"Hey!" Ethan called out instinctively, moving over to the mouth of the cave.
Her head snapped towards him. Her blue eyes widened in terror. "No! Don't come any closer!" she shouted, her hand shaking as it came up.
Ethan froze, his steps arrested. "Whoa, settle down! I'm not going to hurt you!"
Her eyes flicked past him, and Ethan turned to follow her gaze. Two shapes emerged from the shadows—a pair of wolves, their eyes glowing that same ominous red.
"Dammit," Ethan muttered, stepping out of the cave. The woman backed away, her breath hitching as the wolves advanced.
The first wolf launched at the woman, but Ethan was already moving. He stepped forward and thrust his spear into the wolf's side, and it yelped furiously as it stumbled back.
"Get in the cave!" he yelled to the woman.
She glanced up at him for a moment and nodded before dashing past him into the comparative safety of the cave. The second wolf growled and launched itself at Ethan. He barely had time to sidestep, its claws raking the air where he'd just stood.
It was wild with thinking in Ethan's head. The wolves were stronger than the first he's fought. He wanted a finisher to this quick as possible.
The recovered wolf comes at him again. Ethan thrusts his spear into the chest, biting his lip at how far it went. The wolf falls, its body screaming in pain as it disappears in light.
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Victory!
35 XP earned.
The second wolf snarled, circling him. Ethan shifted his grip on the spear, muscles tense. He lunged and this time met its attack, spearing it into the throat. The wolf let out a strangled yelp before disappearing like the first.
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Victory!
Earned 45 XP.
Ethan stumbled backward, gulping air. He thumped the spear to the ground and leaned against a tree trunk, his hands shaking. "This is old fast," he muttered.
"Do you— Are you all right?" the woman's voice startled him. She stood in the entrance of the cave, her eyes full of equal parts fear and curiosity.
"Yeah," Ethan said, though his pounding heart begged to differ. He gestured toward the cave. "It is safe now. You can come out."
She took a step forward hesitantly, her eyes darting back the way the wolves had disappeared. "Thanks."
"No problem," Ethan said, wiping sweat off his forehead. "I'm Ethan, by the way. Ethan Cross."
"I'm Kael," she replied, smoothing a tangle of sweaty hair stuck to her face.
Kael Velmora, she added.
"Well, Kael, care to explain what you're doing out here alone?
Kael paused, her face guarded. "I could return the question," she said.
"Fair enough," Ethan said, shrugging. "But I'm thinking you didn't wake up here with a glowing interface and no clue what's going on."
Kael's eyes went wide. "You. you're not from here, either?"
Ethan blinked. "Wait, you're saying you're—"
A player, Kael interrupted, her voice shaking. "Just like you. I woke up here two days ago. This forest, the quests, the wolves-it's all real, isn't it?"
Ethan sighed and let the weight of her words sink in. "So I'm not crazy," he muttered to himself, rather than to her.
Kael laughed bitterly. "If you're crazy, then so am I." She eyed his spear. "You've been fighting, haven't you?"
" Had to, " Ethan said, nodding toward the now-empty clearing. " Those things weren't going to leave us alone."
Kael nodded sternly. "It's like a game, but. more dangerous. I barely survived my first fight."
Ethan looked at her. She looked exhausted, her clothes torn and covered in blood. Whatever she'd been through, it hadn't been easy.
"Well, you're safe now," he said. "You can stay in the cave for the night."
Kael drooped her shoulders a fraction, releasing some of the tension gathered in her shoulders. "Thanks."
They both sat by the fire, its warmth soothing their frayed nerves. She slowly began to unroll a piece of dried meat strip handed her by Ethan, took it to her mouth.
"So," he said finally after long silence, "do you have any idea how we got here?"
Kael shakes her head. "No. One minute, I was in my apartment, and the next… I woke up in the middle of this forest."
Ethan furrows his brow. "Same here. No warning, no explanation. Just… this." He points toward the floating text he can see.
"Do you think it is some sort of experiment? A VR simulation, maybe?
It was Ethan who hesitated. "That's what I thought at first. But everything feels too real. The pain, the exhaustion…" He reached down his own arm where the wolf had clawed him. "I don't think this is virtual reality."
Kael turned her head away from him, concern written across her features. "Then what is it?"
"I don't know," Ethan said. "But if we're going to figure this out, we'll need to stick together. This place isn't safe."
Kael nodded, holding Ethan's eyes. "Agreed."
Well," Ethan said softly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Good. Now let's get some rest. Tomorrow, we look for answers."
Kael slumped back into the cave wall, eyes shutting tight. "I'd like to know whose or what's idea this was," he muttered, but most of all: how in heck are they going to get out of there?
As the flames danced with an erratic flicker and the whispers of the woods crept about him, Ethan silently promised himself he would find his answers, no matter what the price may turn out to be.