The air changed first.
Cool. Damp. Real.
Eli stood at the edge of a forest, the ground uneven beneath his feet. Tall grass brushed against his legs, and the trees ahead were dense and irregular.
He didn't move right away.
He listened.
Birds chirped somewhere above, but he couldn't see them. The sound repeated in a pattern that felt slightly off.
"…probably part of it."
[Ding.]
[Tutorial — Trial 1]
Objective: Kill Common Fox (0/25)
Eli read it once, then again.
"No weapon."
He glanced at his hands.
"Alright."
He stepped toward the tree line, but slowed before entering.
Rushing didn't make sense.
If this was a test, then understanding it mattered more than speed.
He moved into the forest.
The ground shifted underfoot. Roots twisted through the dirt, and visibility dropped quickly between the trees.
Eli adjusted his pace.
Slow. Careful.
A clearing appeared ahead.
At the center lay a fox.
Curled up. Still.
Around it was a faint barrier.
Eli stopped just outside it.
"…so it starts when I step in."
He glanced past the clearing.
Another one.
Then another.
"…twenty-five."
He crouched and looked around.
No weapons.
No tools.
Just the environment.
He found a thick branch.
Not ideal, but usable.
He tested the weight.
"…fine."
He returned to the clearing and stepped forward.
The fox reacted instantly.
It lunged.
Eli stepped back out.
The fox stopped.
Turned.
Went back.
"…reset."
He nodded slightly.
That gave him control.
He stepped back in.
This time, he didn't retreat.
The fox lunged again.
Eli swung.
The branch connected.
The fox rolled and recovered quickly.
Faster than expected.
It came again.
Eli kicked.
The impact knocked it off balance.
The fox adjusted.
Closed distance more carefully.
Eli reacted late this time.
The fox got close.
Too close.
He brought the branch down hard.
It hit.
The fox staggered.
Eli moved in.
Grabbed it.
It fought.
Claws scratched. Teeth snapped.
Pain flared across his arms.
Eli held on.
"Stay down."
The struggle slowed.
Then stopped.
He waited a moment longer before letting go.
"…done."
"Ding."
[You have killed: Common Fox][Experience Gained]
[Level Up][+1 Free Stat Point]
[Trial Progress: 1 / 25]
Eli exhaled slowly.
His arms stung, and blood ran down his skin.
"…that wasn't clean."
At this pace, he'd make mistakes.
Too many mistakes meant he wouldn't finish.
He opened his status again.
This wasn't complicated.
It was repetition.
And improvement.
Eli looked toward the next clearing.
Then started walking.