Ryan tapped on the World Map, and the screen widened to reveal a tiny eagle's eye view of the forest and the river. The rest of the map was shrouded in black, like an unexplored void.
"Hmmm… this must be the fog of war kind of thing," he said, nodding to himself. "Guess I'll have to explore to uncover more of the map. Classic."
He turned his attention to the cluttered items scattered around him—the folded tent, the bedroll, the cooking pot, and the rest of his gear. He began storing them in his inventory, one by one, watching as they dissolved into energy particles and reappeared in the Inventory tab.
Then he stumbled on the parchment he'd found earlier. Curious, he unrolled it, and a holographic screen of the map appeared, much wider and more detailed than the one in the system. It showed mountains in the distance, the river branching into different paths, grassy plains, and what looked like a small village.
"Hmm… interesting," he said, studying the map. "I'll explore the village later. In the game, I learned that most settlements are hostile. Don't want to be too careless."
He folded the parchment and stored it in his inventory, then stood up, brushing dirt off his clothes. "First, I'll find a cave, widen it, and make a small base in it. It's gotta be near the river, though. Otherwise, I'll die of thirst."
He glanced at the river, its clear water glinting in the sunlight. "Water's sorted. Now, shelter."
With his iron sword in hand, Ryan started walking along the riverbank, his eyes scanning the forest for any signs of a cave or a suitable spot to set up camp. The trees were tall and dense, their leaves rustling in the breeze. Birds chirped overhead, and the occasional rustle in the underbrush made him pause, but so far, there were no signs of danger
---
After hours of walking through the forest, Ryan finally stopped to catch his breath. He opened the World Map on the system interface and compared it to the parchment map he'd found earlier.
"Let's see… that's where I came from," he muttered, tracing a finger along the river on the parchment. "If I measure the distance of the fog of war, I must be somewhere between the river and the foot of the mountain."
He glanced around, taking in the dense trees and the faint outline of the mountain in the distance. The forest was alive with sounds—chirping birds, rustling leaves, and the occasional distant growl that made him pause.
"Well, so far, I've spotted more weirdness… or should I say, nature's beauty?" he said, recalling the strange creatures he'd encountered. Horned birds with feathers that shimmered like rainbows, glowing snakes that slithered across the forest floor, and what looked like a sentient plant that had seemed to follow him for a while.
"I'm glad that plant didn't try to bite me or something," he added, shuddering at the thought.
He continued walking, his eyes scanning the terrain for any signs of a cave. "Caves are usually at the foot of the mountain, right? But that also makes them more dangerous. What if there are insectoids like in the game? I've yet to see my combat attributes in action. I haven't even had a real fight yet."
The thought made him pause. "If this were an actual game, I'd be more reckless. But now… the realism's kicking in. I'm tired from all this walking, and I'm thirsty. Should I go back to the river?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I thought the distance would be close, but I underestimated the map. This isn't like fast-traveling in a game. This is real life now."
Ryan leaned against a tree, taking a moment to rest. His legs ached, and his throat was dry. He pulled out his water flask, only to remember he hadn't filled it yet. "Great. Just great," he muttered, shaking his head.
He looked back in the direction of the river, then toward the mountain. "Alright, Ryan, think. You've got two options: go back to the river and risk losing progress, or push forward and hope you find water and shelter soon."
After a moment of deliberation, he straightened up and started walking again, this time with a more determined stride. "Forward it is. No point turning back now."
As he walked, he couldn't help but marvel at the strange beauty of the forest. The trees seemed taller here, their trunks twisted and gnarled, their leaves glowing faintly in the dim light. The air was thick with the scent of moss and earth, and the occasional chirp of a horned bird echoed through the trees.
"This place is… something else," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "If I weren't so tired and thirsty, I might actually enjoy it."
He kept his iron sword at the ready, his eyes darting around for any signs of danger. The forest felt alive, almost like it was watching him.
"Just keep moving," he told himself. "Find a cave, set up camp, and figure out the rest later. One step at a time."
With that, Ryan pressed on, the weight of his exhaustion and the reality of his situation settling in. This wasn't a game anymore. This was survival.
---
Ryan eventually found himself back at the edge of the river, his earlier plan to find a cave abandoned. "Fuck that cave," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "I can't gamble on my survival so haphazardly. I'll build a small cabin first. Hunt some animals or go fishing. Maybe invest in farming rice. Though, realistically, some of the game mechanics still apply—like not needing seeds. If the growth time for rice is the same as in the game, it'll take at most six days to grow and be ready for harvest. That's manageable."
He stood up and took out all the items from his inventory, laying them on the ground. "Let's test this first," he said, eyeing a nearby tree. "In the game, a pawn wouldn't need an axe or tool to cut trees or mine. But this isn't the game anymore, is it?"
Ryan punched the tree experimentally. Nothing happened. He bumped his head with his palm. "Of course, it would need a tool. What was I thinking?"
Just then, a holographic interface appeared in front of him:
[ Enable Tree Logging? ]
[ Yes ] [ No ]
Ryan tapped Yes, and suddenly, a holographic axe materialized in his hand. It was sleek and glowing, with a faint hum of energy. He looked at the tree, and the system displayed a holographic guide showing where to cut. Above it, a small label appeared:
[ Attribute: Plants: Level 7 ]
"So, each level up gives more details and guides for tree logging," he said, nodding. "Handy."
He examined the holographic axe in his hand.
[ Base Axe - A built-in system tool to cut trees.
-25% efficiency ]
"Just great," Ryan muttered. "Meaning it'll take longer to cut trees, and the amount of wood I get is reduced. But hey, at least I can still cut trees."
He swung the axe at the tree, aiming for the spot the system had marked. The blade cut through the bark like butter but stopped midway. "This must be the penalty for the low efficiency," he said, gritting his teeth.
After about 20 seconds of chopping, the tree finally fell, automatically turning into neat piles of logs. Ryan stared at the absurdity of what had just happened.
"I don't know if this is a game or truly real life," he said, shaking his head. "I expected I'd still have to cut the tree into logs manually. But nope, the system does it for me. Convenient, but… weird."
He stored the logs in his inventory.
[ Wood x 12 ] [ Slot 2 ] [ Slot 3 ]
"Welp, this makes it easier," Ryan said, shrugging. "Guess I'll just have to accept my new reality."
Over the next three hours, Ryan cut down tree after tree, accumulating nearly two stacks of wood.
[ Wood x 100 ] [ Wood x 57 ]
"If a real woodcutter saw this, they'd gouge their eyes out," he said, chuckling. "But hey, my Plants skill is level 7, and the system's doing most of the work. Though the downside is, the amount of trees I'm cutting is starting to get cumbersome. It's already slowing me down a bit."
Just as he finished replanting the last tree, a new notification popped up:
[ Zone Tab Unlocked ]
[ Tree Logging Zone Unlocked ]
[ Farm Zone Unlocked ]
[ Please mark the Tree Logging Zone for automatic replantation ]
[ Please mark the Farming Zone to automatically set the specified crops ]
"Ooohh, nice!" Ryan said, his eyes lighting up. He quickly selected a 500-square-meter area in the forest, which transformed into a grassy plain after his tree cutting frenzy. "Sooner or later, this'll turn into a forest again. Though I don't know when."
He returned to the edge of the river and cleared the trees nearby. Then he opened the Menu, Construction Management, Structure Tab, Walls and selected Wooden Log Walls. A transparent outline of the wall appeared in his vision, moving with him as he walked.
"Interesting," he said, tilting his head. He pushed the structure away with his hand, and it followed his movements. After positioning it where he wanted, he double-tapped it, and the outline froze. A holographic sign appeared next to it:
[ 7 Wooden Logs Required ]
Ryan opened his inventory and dragged the wood icon into the sign, adjusting the amount. Suddenly, the system prompted him:
[ Hold the structure and enable Build mode. Use the Base Hammer to start constructing. ]
He did as instructed, and a detailed hologram appeared, showing glowing spots and marks on the transparent wall. A holographic hammer and nails materialized in his hands.
"Is this some sort of minigame?" he said, raising an eyebrow. He hammered the nails into the designated spots, and as he did, the wooden log wall slowly materialized.
After finishing the last nail, the wall stood fully erected, solid and real. Ryan stepped back, admiring his work.
"Hahaha, tell me this is a game without telling me this is a game," he said, grinning.