A cold drop landed right on my eyelid, jolting me out of my sleep.
"Gah..."
I wiped my face with the back of my hand, feeling the unpleasant wetness. I blinked, trying to adjust to the pitch-black darkness. The surrounding forest was no longer silent; it hissed softly, the sound of thousands of raindrops hitting the foliage above my head.
Cold.
That was the first thing I truly registered. Not the comfortable cold of air conditioning, but a biting cold, piercing through my thin tunic that was already damp with sweat and now rain. I hugged myself, rubbing my skinny arms, trying to generate a little warmth, but it was useless. This wet night air soaked right down to the bone.
"Rain is... actually freezing, dammit," I cursed softly, my voice hoarse from sleep and the cold. My teeth started chattering uncontrollably.
"I knew it. I should've just bought a camping tent earlier this evening," I complained, regretting my stupid frugality. Sleeping on a tree branch kept me safe from land predators, sure, but it offered absolutely no protection against the elements.
I reached my hand out from under the leafy shelter above me. Cold, constant droplets showered my palm.
"Thank goodness," I muttered, pulling my hand back and drying it on my shirt, which was just as wet.
"The rain isn't too heavy, just a drizzle."
I let out a long breath. A puff of white steam clouded from my mouth, floating briefly in the frigid air before being swallowed by the darkness.
"But still... if I slept in a tent down there, the risk is too big," I thought.
"Wild beasts, other goblins, or whatever monsters roam at night... a thin tent won't protect me from their teeth and claws."
I leaned back against the rough, wet tree trunk. My back felt sticky and uncomfortable. The rain continued to fall with a monotonous rhythm, erasing all other sounds in the forest. No crickets, no birdsong. Just the ceaseless hiss of water.
"I don't know anything about this place," I whispered.
"I don't even know the identity of the boy whose body I'm inhabiting. Who is he? Why is an Elf child all alone in the middle of a forest like this? Abandoned? Lost? Or running away?"
The questions swirled in my head, but the piercing cold scattered my concentration.
"I can't go on like this," I decided. I was shivering violently now.
"I need to change clothes. Or at least do something. If I stay soaking wet in this freezing temperature, I'll get hypothermia. Getting sick in an era that's likely the Middle Ages... that's basically suicide."
With stiff, trembling fingers, I started untying the plastic twine securing my body to the tree trunk. The knot was slippery with water, making it hard to undo. After struggling for a moment, the binding came loose.
I moved extremely carefully on the narrow, slippery branch. One wrong move, and I'd fall to the dark ground below. Slowly, I began stripping off my soaking wet clothes. The rough tunic felt heavy as lead as I peeled it off, clinging to my pale skin. My trousers were just as soaked.
I made sure my valuables—the hunting knife, the remaining uncooked cup noodle, the Glock 17, and the ammo box—were safe in a crevice of the large branch, slightly shielded from the rain by the main trunk.
Now I was buck naked, curling up in the tree in the middle of the rain. The night wind swept over my wet skin, sending shockwaves of cold that made me groan through gritted teeth.
"It's freezing, dammit...!" My lips were turning blue, my body shaking uncontrollably.
I needed a solution.
"System," I called out with a shaking voice.
The blue holographic screen appeared before me, its soft light faintly illuminating my pale face. I was grateful the interface could be operated with thought, because my fingers were too stiff to type.
I imagined the keyword: Raincoat.
A long list of search results appeared. My eyes scanned quickly, skipping over expensive branded outdoor coats costing hundreds of points. I didn't need style; I needed function and a cheap price.
I filtered the search: Lowest Price.
The list shrank. At the very top, I found what I was looking for.
[Poncho Raincoat - Hofu Brand]
Description: Simple poncho-style raincoat made of light but waterproof PVC. Equipped with a drawstring hood. Black with a silver reflective stripe on the back for safety. Large enough to cover the body along with a backpack.
Price: 7 Points.
"Seven points... that's cheap," I muttered in relief.
"I'll take this."
Without a second thought, I pressed the [PAY] button.
WHIRRR...
The low humming sound, now becoming familiar, rang out. Blue light particles gathered in my lap, solidifying into a small cardboard box. I didn't waste time. With trembling hands, I tore the box open, not caring about neatness.
I pulled out the plastic package inside, ripped it open, and took out the slick black fabric.
I put it on immediately.
It felt cold touching my bare skin, but at least it was dry and blocked the wind. The poncho was huge, covering my entire small frame down to my feet. I pulled the hood up over my head, cinching the drawstring tight until it covered my ears.
I decided not to buy a change of clothes right now. It was pointless. In this rain and high humidity, new clothes would get damp in minutes the moment I took them out. Better to endure the discomfort of being naked under the poncho until the rain stopped, rather than wasting points on clothes that would just get wet anyway.
I reached for the Glock from the branch crevice. The metal felt freezing in my hand. I hugged it to my chest, under the warm layer of the poncho. My thumb fumbled for the side of the gun, ensuring the safety was on.
"Don't want to die a stupid death by shooting myself while shivering," I thought ironically.
This pistol was the only thing giving me a sense of security in the darkness of this alien forest. This cold iron was my life insurance.
I leaned my back against the rough tree trunk again. The poncho was working well; rainwater slid off its slick surface, no longer soaking into my skin. The sound of rain pattering against my hood was loud, like popping popcorn, but strangely soothing.
I couldn't sleep anymore. Who could sleep in conditions like this? Shivering, alert, alone in another world.
Time passed slowly, crawling like a snail in the rain. I just sat there, staring into the impenetrable darkness, waiting for a morning that felt like it would never come. It must have been hours since I woke up.
The rain grew heavier. The drizzle had turned into a torrential downpour battering the forest without mercy. Water cascaded from the sky, creating a deafening curtain of noise.
"I didn't think it would rain this hard," I thought anxiously.
"Am I lost in a tropical rainforest? Or is this just a storm?"
I had no idea. My knowledge of this world's geography was absolute zero.
BOOM!
A flash of white light split the sky, followed by thunder that roared, making me jump in shock. My heart raced. Luckily, the branch I was sheltering on wasn't too high up and was still protected by the canopy of the giant trees around it, so the strong wind didn't batter me too badly.
I checked my belongings again. My old wet clothes and the goblin pot were tied securely to the branch with the remaining twine, ensuring they wouldn't blow away or fall.
The only thing missing was my makeshift cardboard "bag." The wind had probably blown it away while I was asleep, or it had disintegrated from the rain. But luckily, I had already taken everything out of it.
I pulled my knees to my chest inside the poncho, curling up like a little ball. My eyes stared straight ahead, piercing the curtain of rain, waiting for the first glimmer of sunlight to end this long, wet night.