Wind roared in my ears as I plummeted through a seemingly endless sky. My stomach churned, and my screams were torn away by the rushing air. This wasn't some thrilling dive or simulated VR drop-this was pure, unfiltered terror. The kind that clutches your chest and whispers, You're going to die.
Far below, the ground rushed toward me, a chaotic blend of greens and browns. Panic clawed at me as I flailed, my mind racing. Off to the my right, I spotted a village nestled in a valley along a widening river. Tiny buildings behind a stone wall looked peaceful and quaint, utterly oblivious to the idiot hurtling toward certain doom.I looked to be falling toward the top of a small mountain on the edge of the valley. The ground grew closer and closer. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shiiiittttt!"Then my descent abruptly halted mere inches from the ground. It wasn't like hitting a trampoline or even the pull of a bungee cord drawing taught. One second, I was falling, and the next, I hung in midair, motionless. Then, gravity seemed to remember it existed, and I dropped the last few feet like a sack of potatoes, landing flat on my face."Ugh," I groaned, spitting dirt out of my mouth. "I already hate this."I pushed myself up, wiping mud off my cheek, and took in my surroundings. I was in the middle of a thick forest, sunlight filtering through a canopy of leaves. Birds chirped somewhere nearby, and a gentle breeze rustled the foliage. It was... peaceful. The trees and bushes looked familiar, like ones I'd see back on Earth, but there was an oddity to them. A vibrancy that made everything feel sharper, more alive."Well, at least I didn't die on impact," I muttered, brushing off my tunic.Speaking of which, I glanced down to see I was still wearing the plain white tunic from the In-Between. My breeches and boots were equally unremarkable, the kind of gear you'd expect to start with in any basic fantasy game.Pulling up my HUD, I took another look at my stats:Name: Obie WilliamsStatus: Healthy
Class: Undefined
Level: 1
Boon: Cursed Luck
Stats:Strength: 4
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 5
Charisma: 3
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 6
Mana: 20Health: 50Skills:Dash
Focus
Spells:Minor HealTorchI sighed. "Wow, I'm weak and squishy. Awesome."Next, I flipped over to my skills. Two icons hovered in the corner of my vision, glowing faintly:Dash: A burst of speed propelling the user up to 10 feet in a chosen direction. Cooldown: 5 seconds. Caution: If used more than five times within one minute, Dexterity is reduced by 2 points for one hour.Focus: Temporarily increases any stat by 2 points for one minute. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Can only be used three times per day.I rubbed my chin. "Dash might be useful for dodging attacks or getting the hell out of danger. But that penalty for overusing it? Not great. And Focus... boosting any stat sounds nice."I switched to the spell descriptions, my HUD offering glowing blue text:Minor Heal: Restores up to 25% of the user's maximum health. Cooldown: 2 minutes. Mana Cost: 10. Limitations: Cannot regrow lost limbs or create new blood. It is effective for patching wounds but does not cure ailments.Torch: Conjures a small magical flame that can be hurled at enemies up to 10 feet away dealing 8 damage with a 2% chance to set the creature on fire or it can be used as a light source for up to one hour. Mana Cost: 5. Note: If not thrown within 10 seconds of casting, the flame's damage output decreases by 90%."Okay, now we're talking," I muttered, nodding at the descriptions. Minor Heal would be great in a pinch-a quick recovery if things got hairy. And Torch? Not exactly a fireball, but at least I had something I could use offensively. I'd just need to make sure I didn't hold onto it too long if I planned to throw it. I doubt that most creatures will go down with one hit from torch. Looks like I only have 20 mana points too, so I need to use these sparingly. I am not much of a fighter so my options for offense aren't looking ideal. I would prefer to keep my distance if I can."Well, that's just fantastic," I muttered. "Note to self: increase mana. Fast."Opening my inventory, I took stock of what little I had:Inventory:• 10 Gold Coins• 50 Silver Coins• 100 Copper Coins• Small Sword (well-used)• Buckler (well-used)• Camping Gear• Cooking Gear• Basic Magical LanternWow I feel like I have more money now than I did back home... Back home, was this really happening? I shook my head and stood straight. No point in dwelling on it now, either this is real or will fade away eventually as I die in the street. Taking a deep breath I say to myself "Time to make the best of it."I pulled out the sword and buckler, inspecting them. Both looked battered, the kind of gear that had seen better days but might still get the job done in a pinch. The blade was nicked, but it felt balanced in my hand. The buckler had a few dents but was sturdy enough."Well, better than nothing," I said, sheathing the sword and strapping the buckler to my arm.I focused on the cooking gear and camping gear within the inventory in my HUD.Camping gear - a compact, rugged kit designed for survival in the wilderness.It then went on to list several items that were in the gear, like a tent, rope, bedroll flint and steel. Again, the general basics you were see in a RPG fanatasy game. I then focused on the cooking gearCooking gear - a practical set of utensils and tools for preparing meals on the go, emphasizing utility and ease of cleaning.Just as the camping gear it listed some utensils, a cast iron skillet and pot, along with a cutting board.Glancing around, I took another deep breath. The forest stretched endlessly in every direction, shafts of sunlight cutting through the canopy. It was midday, and while the place looked tranquil, I couldn't shake the feeling that danger was lurking just out of sight."Alright, Obie," I muttered, squaring my shoulders. "Step one: Find that village. Step two: Don't die."Recalling my descent to the ground, I believe I saw the village to my right. The sun was rising on my left so that would mean I needed to go...East...or was it West. Either way I was pretty sure I needed to go to my right. I sighed again, I couldn't find my way out of my neighborhood without Google Maps, this is going to be great, I thought to myself. With a final look at my surroundings, I tightened the straps on my buckler and set off through the forest.As I trudged through the forest, it quickly became clear how completely inept I was at anything outdoorsy. The buckler and sword sheath kept snagging on branches and slapping against tree trunks as I tried to bushwhack my way, hopefully, in the direction of the village. Every few steps, I had to wrestle myself free from some vine or branch that seemed intent on slowing me down.Bugs were becoming an issue, too. I'd only been walking for about an hour, but I already felt like I was covered head to toe in bites. Mosquitoes buzzed incessantly around my ears, and something that looked like a giant beetle had just dive-bombed my face."No one ever mentions how bad bugs are in fantasy worlds," I grumbled, swatting at another unseen attacker. "I'd kill for some bug spray. Hell, I wonder if there's a spell to keep them off you. Or better yet, a ring or something."Suddenly, I heard rustling off to my right. I froze, heart hammering."Shit," I whispered. Should've tried to be quieter, I thought to myself. Easier said than done when everything you carry insists on clanging like an alarm bell.The rustling grew louder and closer. I swallowed hard fumbling for the sword hilt, slowly drawing it, and bringing the buckler up in what I hoped looked like an intimidating stance.The bushes parted, and out jumped a... jackalope? I blinked in disbelief. It looked like a rabbit, but with small, sharp antlers sprouting from its head, like one of those novelty trophies you'd see in a Texas truck stop. It was kind of cute, in a weird way. The antlers seemed to weigh the rabbits head down as it slowly bounded forward head slightly bowed.I crouched down, lowering my sword slightly. "Hey there, little guy," I cooed, reaching out cautiously with my left hand. "You lost? It's okay... I won't hurt you."As it inched closer, it finally lifted its head to peer directly at me. That is when I noticed the blood smeared around its mouth and the tiny, gleaming fangs protruding from its snout. Its red eyes bored into me, glaring daggers at me as if I was some long hated rival."oh shit..." My voice squeeled as the jackalope hissed, crouching low. It lunged at me, its glowing red eyes locking onto my hand before I could pull it away. Pain erupted as its fangs sank deep into my flesh, a sharp, searing agony shooting up my arm. A flashing icon flickered in the corner of my HUD and my health bar lit up slowly decreasing, but I barely registered it. I instinctively yanked back, screaming, but the little bastard wouldn't let go. My sword clattered to the ground as I tried prying its jaws apart, its teeth grinding deeper into my hand with each attempt.Desperation surged. I punched it, as I did a small health bar appeared above the monsters head. It had gone down ever so slightly from that punch. The shock of impact of my fist only made the pain worse as its teeth shifted in the wound. Suddenly, the jackalope released its grip, dropping to the ground. Relief turned to dread as it sprang forward again, aiming straight for my throat.I raised my buckler just in time, the creature's antlers colliding with a metallic clang. It hissed, feral and relentless. My heart hammered as I frantically scanned for my sword, spotting a glint of light bouncing off the blade on the ground. Edging toward it, I kept my eyes locked on the jackalope.It hissed again, crouching for another leap. I lunged for the sword, gripping it tightly just as the creature sprang at me. With a desperate thrust, I raised the blade. The jackalope impaled itself midair, its health bar plunging as its body writhed violently before collapsing, lifeless.Suddenly a small window popped up in the corner of my HUD -[Jackalope defeated. +50 XP]Panting, I fell to my knees, my hand throbbing with unbearable pain. Blood gushed from the puncture wounds, pooling in my palm and dripping onto the ground. Then I remembered-I had magic. Focusing through the haze of pain and panic, I cast Minor Heal. A soothing warmth spread through my hand as the spell took effect, knitting the wound together in seconds. The pain subsided, but the blood remained, a visceral reminder of what just happened.That's when it hit me. This was real. The pain, the fear, even the sickly stench of the jackalope's corpse-it wasn't some death dream. There were no save points, no second chances. If I made a mistake, I would die. My body trembled uncontrollably as the realization sank in."What the fuck am I doing?" I muttered, tears welling in my eyes. "I'm not a fighter. I'm not dumb, but I'm no Einstein either. How the hell am I supposed to make it through this if I can barely beat a rabbit!"Despair boiled over, and I screamed into the sky. "Jeff! This is not cool man, I want out! Take me back!"Another icon blinked in my HUD next to the one that appeared when the jackalope bit me. Blinking through the tears, I focused on it-a message from Jeff."Sorry, kid. No take-backsies... Also, you should probably run. Jackalopes usually hunt in packs."The rustling of underbrush made my blood run cold. I turned toward the sound-more jackalopes, dozens by the sound of it, were closing in."Shit." Panic fueled my movements as I scrambled to my feet, snatched my sword, and in a last-ditch moment of survival instinct, grabbed the dead jackalope. Stuffing its limp body into my inventory, I bolted, adrenaline coursing through me as I ran hopefully toward the village.My legs burned as I sprinted through the underbrush, clutching my sword like it was the only thing tethering me to survival. The rustling behind me wasn't just close-it was frantic. Those jackalopes were hunting me, and they weren't far.Then I heard it, a low rumbling in the distance, water. My chest tightened with a sliver of hope. If I can reach the river, maybe I can cross it. Maybe they won't follow me.I sprinted out of the dense forest, my lungs burning as the jackalopes drew closer. "You've got to be kidding me," I muttered between ragged breaths, skidding to a stop at the edge of a steep cliff. I think briefly, why is it that every movie the chase scene seem to end at a cliff or something, it always seemed like lazy writing to me.Below, a raging river twisted and roared through the valley, with jagged rocks collecting along the rivers edge. It looked deep enough to break my fall... maybe. But with my cursed luck? I'd probably hit the one jagged rock hidden beneath the surface. I glanced back at the tree line, the jackalopes would be on me in a few seconds. Looking quickly at my HUD, my health was full and mana points had increased from 10 to 12 over the last few minutes.I gripped the hilt of my sword, my palms slick with sweat. My heart pounded like a drum as the jackalopes surged closer. "No way am I dying to demon bunnies!" I growled.The first jackalope lunged before I could fully react. Its sharp antlers raked across my ribs, and I stumbled backward with a yelp. One antler hooked into the strap of my pack, jerking me sideways. "Let go!" I shouted, swiping at it, but it was already tangled. I fell hard, landing on top of the snarling beast.Before I could get my bearings, two more jackalopes launched themselves at me. One hit me square in the chest, knocking the wind out of me, while the other clawed at my legs, its antlers snagging on my belt. "Get off!" I yelled, thrashing as they bit, scratched, and hissed like furry devils.I rolled on the ground, desperate to shake them off. Their claws raked against my arms, and my health bar dipped below 50%. In a panic, I cast Minor Heal, feeling a rush of warmth as my wounds knitted just enough to keep me alive.The world tilted as I realized we were rolling-slowly, inexorably-toward the cliff's edge. "Oh no, no, no, NO!" I screamed, but gravity had other plans. The earth vanished beneath me, and the next thing I knew, I was falling...again.The first impact knocked the air out of my lungs. I hit a rocky outcropping hard, my ribs screaming in protest. Before I could even gasp, another jackalope-still attached to my pack-yanked me further down. The jackalope tangled in my belt slammed into my leg, its antlers digging into my thigh. I choked as its weight pulled me into yet another tumble. The jackalope tangled in my pack twisted around, its antlers locking with those of another jackalope. The two screeched at each other, clawing madly as I bounced down the cliff like a human pinball.Every bounce hit like a hammer, but the jackalopes absorbed most of the blows. Their bodies-fur, claws, antlers, and all-formed a writhing cushion of chaos. I screamed in pain and panic as we careened down the slope, gathering more speed.By the time we reached the bottom, I was wrapped in a ridiculous tangle of straps, fur, and antlers. The final leap launched us into open air. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as I looked down at the rushing river, jagged rock protruding around the waters edge. We hit the water with a thunderous splash.The icy water shocked me, stealing my breath. The jackalopes, panicked as we sunk beneath the water, their wild thrashing dragged me deeper, their antlers snagging on my pack, my sword, and each other. I clawed at the straps of my pack, desperate to free myself as my lungs screamed for air. One jackalope bit down on my right arm, its teeth sinking into flesh. Another kicked me square in the ribs, and I let out a gurgled grunt of pain, the last of my air bubbling out of my mouth.In a panic I kicked furiously, toward the surface. I was able to gain one quick breath of air before being pulled down by the jackalopes. The jackalope that was biting down on my arm let go as it tried to bring its head above the water too. I managed to shift my weight, keeping its head below the surface. Suddenly, the one tangled in my belt stopped thrashing, going limp, its body moving with the current. A notification popping up in the bottom of my HUD[Jackalope defeated: +50 XP][Environmental Bonus: +25 XP]With one hand I tried to take off my belt and untangle the dead jackalope from me. After a few frantic seconds I managed to unbuckle it, the weight of the jackalope and movement of the current pulled it the belt off, dragging the monster away. With my legs free, I was able to kick back to the surface, trying to keep the other two monsters heads below water. The beasts movements became more frantic as the bit, and clawed at me, trying to pull their heads above water. After several more painful seconds they too went limp.[Jackalope defeated: +50 XP][Environmental Bonus: +25 XP][Jackalope defeated: +50 XP][Environmental Bonus: +25 XP][Level Up: Level 2]Popped up in my HUD again. I felt a surge of power wash through me as my wounds healed. The pain in my right arm from the multiple bites was gone, along with the gashes and scrapes from the jackalopes paws and antlers. With new found energy I fought to stay above the water surface. The rushing water pulled me down stream as I continued to bob up and down the river. My legs and chest quickly began burning again from the constant struggle. Just when I thought I didn't have any strength left in me, the current subsided. I was able to dog paddle to the edge of the river, after a moment my feet touched the rivers bottom. I stumbled forward out of the river. The two jackalopes still tangled around me.I collapsed onto my knees, dropping my sword and coughing up water, my chest heaving. The jackalopes' red eyes stared blankly ahead, their wet fur matted and bloody from the fall. Their sharp claws and protruding fangs glinted dully in the afternoon light, a gruesome reminder of how close I'd come to dying-again, only a few hours after arriving in this world.For a few minutes I wrestled with the antlers, trying to untangle them from my pack and belt. These bastards were stubborn even in death, their twisted shapes refusing to cooperate. Finally, I sighed, unsheathing my sword with a shaky hand. Thank god I didn't lose this in the struggle I thought. "I guess I mean thank the gods now." I said as I looked skyward. On second thought, fuck those guys I thought to myself, to scared to say it out loud, picturing some 100-foot-tall glowing narcissist appearing and crushing me beneath their foot out of spite.With painstaking care, I cut through the antlers, wincing at the sound of splintering bone. After several moments of cutting three sections of antler I was free at last, I tossed the remnants aside and stared at the mangled jackalopes. "Evil little bastards," I muttered, collapsing back onto the muddy ground. "I hate this place."After laying there on the muddy riverbank for what felt like forever, I finally mustered the strength to sit up. My body ached, my muscles screamed, and every inch of me was still soaked, but I was alive. Barely.With a deep breath, I willed my HUD to open, the translucent blue screen flickering into view in front of me. My heart jumped at seeing the level increase. A grin tugged at my lips despite the pain radiating through my ribs. I dumped all three points into my intelligence. My mana bar extended slightly jumping from 20-point max to 26. I was going to need all the mana I could get. I had a feeling I would be casting heal a lot. Once I can sit down somewhere safe, I would try and come up with an actual strategy on dividing out my points.I focused on my status bar, my health bar was full, as was my mana. "That's good to know," I muttered to myself. "Leveling up refills everything." A small blessing in a world determined to kill me at every turn.Still, I had a lot to learn about this world if I want to survive. Recalling the fight, I'd used Minor Heal twice: once when the first jackalope bit me in the woods and again while struggling underwater. Each cast cost 10 mana, which should have completely drained my pool. Yet I distinctly remembered my mana being at 12 points when I stood at the edge of the cliff, ready to face those furry nightmares."Wait a second," I muttered, rubbing my temples as I tried to piece it together. "Does that mean... I regenerate mana?"I played back the events in my head, trying to make sense of the timing. How long had I been running after casting Minor Heal the first time? Three minutes? Maybe four? And if my mana was at 12 when I reached the cliff, it must have regenerated a few points during that time. "Okay, so I gain one mana every two to three minutes, give or take," I murmured, scrolling through my HUD to see if there were any hidden stats or indicators for mana regeneration. Nothing stood out, so I filed the discovery under "probably true but needs testing."Leaning back against the riverbank, I stared at the water's edge, my thoughts racing. This could be a game-changer-literally. If I could rely on steady mana recovery, I wouldn't need to hoard every point like it was liquid gold. But it also meant I needed to be smart, learn the exact timing, and figure out the best way to balance offense, defense, and healing."I need to figure all of this out," I muttered, staring at the blinking health and mana bars on my HUD. "Because if I don't, my lack of knowledge is going to get me killed."My mind wandered. I'd only been in this world for a few hours, and I'd already almost died. Twice. This was way, way over my head. I thought back to my old life-my family, my friends, my comfy chair, and the endless hours of video games. For a moment, I wished I'd never made the choice to come here.But that thought felt crazy the moment it crossed my mind. If I hadn't come here, I'd be dead. Lying in the middle of the street, probably forgotten in some tragic headline. At least here, I had a second chance-a terrifying, painful second chance, sure, but a chance nonetheless.I shook my head and tried to be more optimistic. "Come on, Obie," I muttered to myself. "You're in a freaking new world!" I had spent years watching isekai anime and daydreaming about adventures like this, wishing for something exactly like this to happen.Of course, the main characters always seemed to start off with some random OP power, breezing through their new worlds while collecting harems of lovely ladies along the way. I sighed. "God, I hope I get a harem in this world," I said, chuckling to myself. But then I thought back to the last few hours-the jackalopes, the blood, the pain-and groaned. "Yeah, not looking good on that front."Lost in my thoughts, I almost forgot about the first notification I'd received during my first encounter with the jackalope. Mentally, I clicked on the flashing icon in my HUD, curious about what it said.Creature: JackalopeRank:E Class (Solo)D Class (Pack)Overview:Jackalopes are predatory monsters that hunt in tightly coordinated packs, making them significantly more dangerous when encountered in groups. Individually, they are considered E Class threats, but their aggression, speed, and teamwork elevate them to D Class when hunting together. With sharp fangs and surprisingly robust antlers, jackalopes are relentless in their pursuit of prey. Their bites have a 50% chance to cause the Minor Bleed effect.Behavior:Wisdom of 10 required to access full behavior details.Abilities:Wisdom of 10 required to access ability descriptions.Status Effect: Minor BleedDescription: A status effect that causes steady health loss. Blood loss reduces stamina and can lead to eventual incapacitation if untreated.Effect: Deals 2% of max health as damage every 5 seconds for 2 minutes.I frowned at the screen. "Wisdom of 10 required?" I muttered. So, there was more to the jackalopes than what I could see. My lack of wisdom was keeping me in the dark. I'd need to work on that-and fast.I also wondered how close I had to be to a monster to get these descriptions. Did I have to engage them in combat, or could I just scan them from a safe distance? Either way, this feature was definitely going to be useful down the road. Knowing what I was up against could mean the difference between life and death.As I laid there, my thoughts drifted back to the monster rankings. The jackalope's rank-E Class solo and D Class in a pack-felt manageable, now that I'd survived it. But it got me wondering: How do the ranks in this world work?In all the isekai anime I've watched, monster ranks usually go from E, the weakest, up to S, the kind of thing only insane people or protagonists with cheat skills can handle. Does it work the same here?I squinted at my HUD. There wasn't a ton of information, but it made sense. If a jackalope-furry, rabbit-antlered, bitey bastard that it was-barely scratched into D rank as a group, what kind of monsters hit A rank? Or worse, S rank? Jeff did mention dragons.I sighed, leaning back against the log. "Okay, new rule: Avoid anything that looks even remotely dragon-ish. Or big. Or fire-breathing. Just...avoid everything until I know what I'm doing."My curiosity tugged at me, though. If dragons were S rank, what else filled the gaps between E and S? Were there C Class beasts that would maul me with one swipe? B Class monsters that could take down a village?I stared up at the sky, trying to push the terrifying thoughts away. "First the jackalopes, then the rapids, and now potentially dragons? I'm so screwed."Still, despite the fear curling in my chest, a spark of determination flickered. If I wanted to survive, I needed to learn more about this world. I needed to figure out the ranking system, level up, and get stronger. Because if a jackalope could bring me to the edge of death, I didn't even want to think about what else was out there."Alright," I said, nodding to myself. "First priority: survive. Second priority: get my wisdom up. Third priority: avoid everything at all costs."And maybe-just maybe-figure out how to start building that harem.