As the tree lay motionless on the ground, Fumi stared at it for a moment longer, as if expecting it to suddenly prove that what he had just done was a fluke.
It did not.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "That happened."
He crouched down and began breaking off branches, stacking them together along with chunks of solid wood. The materials felt real in his hands. Rough bark. Splintered edges. A faint earthy scent clung to everything.
As soon as he gathered enough, a small notification blinked at the corner of his vision.
Materials Acquired:
Wood x12
Branches x8
"Convenient," Fumi said quietly.
He raised his arm and opened the GUI, navigating to the Crafting tab. The interface shifted, displaying a list of basic recipes available to him.
His eyes scanned through them until he found what he was looking for.
"…I know you can craft stuff in this game," he said, tapping the option. "So let me just…"
With a single confirmation, the materials vanished from his inventory.
A moment later, a crude garment appeared.
Leaf Skirt Acquired.
Fumi picked it up, turning it over once with a look of mild disbelief.
"…Nice."
He quickly put it on, adjusting it until it at least did its job.
"Alright," he sighed. "That covers the important stuff."
Feeling slightly more dignified, he opened the GUI again and flicked to the Quests tab.
"Now, let me see what quests I've got."
The screen filled with a simple list.
Kill 10 Goblins (10 XP)
Build a House Using Wood (10 XP)
Break 100 Trees, 1/100 (30 XP)
Interact With Another Individual (50 XP)
Fumi read through them slowly.
Then he stopped.
"…Wait."
His eyes locked onto the fourth quest.
Interact With Another Individual.
He stared at it for a few seconds before a realization hit him.
"Ah," he said, pointing at the screen. "That proves it."
He straightened up.
"There are other people living in this world."
His heartbeat picked up slightly.
'So I'm not alone,' he thought.
"That means I just need to find them," he said to himself, nodding once.
With that decision made, Fumi stepped out of the forest and into the open plains beyond.
The sight made him stop in his tracks.
"Wow…"
The field stretched out far wider than he had expected. Lush green grass rippled in the breeze, broken only by scattered rocks and a large lake that reflected the sky like a mirror. Forest surrounded the plains on all sides, forming a natural boundary.
"This place is huge," he said quietly. "Surrounded by trees, a lake nearby, and plenty of space to build…"
He squinted, trying to estimate the distance.
"I'll bet it's at least a kilometer in length."
As he walked further into the field, the quest list lingered in his mind.
"It says to kill ten goblins," he muttered. "So that means there are monsters here, right?"
His excitement faltered slightly.
"I can't remember," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I played this game like seven years ago. I might've forgotten how dangerous it actually was."
He glanced around, suddenly more alert.
"…Bleh. I can't imagine myself at level one hundred fighting some world ending dragon."
The thought made him shudder.
As he neared the lake, the sound of water lapping against the shore filled the air. The spot felt calm. Safe.
"I say I build the house here," Fumi said, gesturing vaguely.
Then he hesitated.
"But… I've never really built a house before."
He sighed.
'This is gonna be rough.'
A memory surfaced.
"Oh. Wait," he said slowly. "I think I remember something."
He snapped his fingers.
"My friend told me this game had a follow along tutorial system. Step by step. Like a guide."
His shoulders relaxed a little.
"That'll be a big help."
He opened the GUI again, scanning through the tabs carefully.
"…But where is it?"
He frowned, tapping through menus, searching for anything labeled tutorial, guide, or help.
Nothing obvious appeared.
Fumi lowered his arm and looked out across the plains.
"…Guess I'll have to find it myself."
He took a deep breath.
"Alright," he said quietly. "One step at a time."
The world stretched out before him, vast and unfamiliar.
And his journey had only just begun.