It took him some minutes to organise his thoughts but he understood what was going on.
Some lazy unknown gods created a game where people from different worlds were summoned as players to pass 100 trials.
These chosen players were mentally... Strange or strong.
The first trial was to find a way to control the isle that was drifting to the abyss... As if there was an end of the ocean.
That made things clearer. It meant Sanjay wasn't on Earth but in a different realm.
He tried to row the little island with his hands... But that was just a foolish attempt he wanted to try despite knowing the result.
He didn't know swimming but he could still hold his breath for two minutes underwater. So he went underwater with his fingers gripping the rough underwater surface of the isle.
He checked it thoroughly by going underwater 12 times... Challenging death each time.
He was afraid to lose his grip and drown to death like he did in the dream test. But he must move forward.
Maybe because he was addicted to games and survival novels so much, he didn't mind living his last moments like that.
The sky was getting darker and Sanjay was done searching the underwater surface of the isle.
"My smartphone shows it is 3:45 PM. Mother must be worried and looking for me... " Sanjay wished that he could at least speak to her once and say goodbye for good.
But it seemed, he was going to cause more trouble for her even before his death.
"Should I just die? Then my body may go back to my world. That way, at least she will be able to confirm my death. " He looked at the horizon where the abyss was. "I am so jealous of those orphan heroes who can move forward without any worry."
He was getting bored by himself, so he dug some sand into the surface made of sand.
It was then, a thought crossed his mind, "The edges and the conical bottom are hard like stone. It is as if it were a big ice cream cone that's filled with sand. If I empty this drifting cone, then it will get light... Hmm... But I doubt I can row this big cone with my tiny hands. Whatever, I don't have any other idea."
He opened a multitasking calculator app that has a compass on his phone. But it wasn't moving. So he randomly picked a direction and went to the edge of the isle and began throwing the sand in the ocean with both of his hands.
He thought it would take him at least a week to empty the cone.
But Lady Luck was looking after him that day.
When he was done pouring 102 kg of sand in the ocean and taking a rest in the hole he had dug up, something came out from the ground.
He thought it was a mole.
"This is..." He picked up the object that turned out to be a sand tone with a rune mark he couldn't understand.
[Congratulations! You have found an I-class Sand Law Ball. It has the power of sand and can be used to produce sand. It has a 100-year force. It can produce 100 kg of sand each time you drain its force completely.]
"What will I do with this thing? I can't eat it or use it control... Wait! This isle is made of sand. Maybe it is the key to control it, " He talked to himself before walking up to the centre of the aisle.
He raised the sand ball with his right hand in the air and shouted in a loud voice, "Oh little ship made of sand grains, I am your new master. Follow my will and turn yourself in the opposite direction, let's go far from the abyss."
Caw-caw-caw!!!
Sanjay slapped his face with his left hand, "Good thing I am alone. It is embarrassing to speak like a middle school kid at my age. I am hearing cawing that adds salt to my wounded heart that received heavy emotional damage."
He lifted his left wet shoe and slapped the ground, "Emotional--! Da--mage--!"
He was really losing his mind. Now he was even copying a trendy meme. Someone will sue him if he returns to Earth.
Caw-caw-caw!!!
He looked upward, "Again?"
But his eyes narrowed when he really saw a small group of crows flying from the direction of the abyss to the opposite direction.
"There are crows. That's a relief. I thought I was alone. I haven't encountered any player yet, nor any fish, " but he suddenly became worried, "Crows are actually bad omen. They are coming from the direction of the abyss. Don't tell me, it is closer than I thought."
He put his hands on his waist and looked in the direction of death, "The sky is getting even darker. I may fall into the abyss in the darkness of night without realizing when I get closer to it."
"I can't waste any more stamina in digging. I have to think of something else."
He needed time, food, energy, and water to plan a strategy to survive the first trial. The system didn't give him any clue or time limit.
That's said...
Time never waits for anyone.
Time is fair. It is the justice that you must accept however it comes for you.
Sanjay knew that too. He thought he would get a magical ball from the sea just like he got from the isle. So he poured water on the isle by filling his jeans with its legs tied in knots.
By the time he gave up on his foolish attempt to obtain another magical ball, the sky had gotten pitch black. The black clouds seemed to have vanished in the darkness because stars could be seen now.
Sanjay lay on the ground with his legs soaking in sea water and arms spreading freely like a god or maybe a cool idol who was saying hello to his fans with swag.
"All my life, I never had a best friend because I always kept myself far from people. I don't know why, but I can't stand people longer than five minutes. " He was talking to himself again.
The sky and atmosphere were so clear that the stars from trillions of light-years away were shining on his face dimly.
He couldn't see it but the sea around him was like a mirror of the starry sky. It was too beautiful, like a masterpiece of nature.
He sighed, "But now of all times, I don't want to be alone... I want someone to talk to me... Even a crow will do... "
He had been an immature adult even after graduating from high school and college. But this trial had made him realise his shortcomings.
It made him face himself.
He was finally becoming an adult when death was crawling in the darkness of a starry night.
He didn't know but he came up with some beautiful lines at that moment.
"Moon... Moon... Let me see~ your~ face soon~"
"I just wanna see you~ soon~"
"Soon... Soon... Sooner than doom~"
"Night... Night... Don't leave me in this loneliness tonight~"
"I just wanna make a friend~~~~"
"Stars... Stars... You twinkly little stars~"
"How are you so~ far~~"
Splash!
Sanjay sat up in a flash like he heard the sound of hope.
He searched the source of water splashing in every direction but didn't find anything for five seconds.
Only after five seconds, he saw what caused the sound that broke the dead silence of the sea.
A large dolphin jumped out from the sea... Making a beautiful arch of colorful droplets... Even the dolphin was as transparent as water with shiny outline as if it came out of a water painting.
As if it were someone's creation... A childish creation.
His eyes were locked on it. It was making jumps left and right, getting closer to him in a zigzag path.
It wasn't long before it got close enough for him to guess its size, "50 feet or 60... That's some big dolphin."
The system window popped up automatically.
[You have encountered Dolly. A dolphin spirit of primal chaos. Don't be fooled by its appearance]
[Name: Dolly
Species: Dolphin spirit
Class: E-class]
Once again, the system was showing limited data, but it finally gave a clue.
Splash!
"Whoa!" Sanjay got startled by something that came out flushed out from the sea.
It was a transparent, beautiful, water-like woman.
Her figure wasn't detailed. She was more like a statue made out of water and 20 feet tall.
"What's your name, seeker?" Dolly, the dolphin spirit asked.
Her voice was ethereal but young.
"Sanjay Sharma. You can just call me Jay, " He said while trying hard not to look at her uncovered curves.
She noticed his awkward expression, "Should I cover my body?"
"I will appreciate it, " he answered.
He himself was standing in his underwear.
Dolly made a graceful one-piece out of water. It gave her the look of a Greek goddess.
"Are you gay?" Dolly asked with a curious face.
She thought because of he seemed to be not interested in her body.
How could she know that he was more eager to die than losing his virginity to spirit.
Sanjay was speechless for a moment, "... Do I look like one? I am not as open-minded as you. I used to bathe in underwear until high school."
"Are you implying that I am shameless?" Dolly sounded offended, tilting her head right, narrowing her eyes, like some lass, a young woman.
Sanjay thought before asking, "Pardon me but can you help me in controlling this ship I am riding on?"
Changing the topic was better than clarifying a statement.
Dolly stared down at him for a moment before saying, "I can't. This is your trial. I am just here to ask for a favour."
'What's wrong with this woman? She is asking for a favour without offering anything. What a freeloader! I can't even decline her. Her class is way too higher than mine, ' Sanjay thought before saying calmly, "I can't promise anything, but I will try to fulfill your request."
Dolly smiled, "I want you to jump into the abyss and bring me 1,000 pseudo souls. Quality doesn't matter but it should be not any lesser than 1,000."
"You bitc--" he almost signed his own death.
"Hmm?" Dolly frowned.
"You beautiful woman... I would like to help you but I must refuse your request, " Sanjay corrected his statement.
"Why? Are you afraid of the abyss? Do you think it is hell? Don't be foolish. Abyss is your darkness... Your worst nightmare... Think of a thirsty crow. The deep well is its abyss. It dives into the well to quench its thirst but the well was deeper than its imagination. By the time it finds water, its wings have lost power. That's hell for the thirsty crow, " Dolly told him a short story that explained what the abyss was.
"This abyss sounds like a wishing well but it asks for a price in return, " he reached this conclusion after listening to Dolly.
"How about this? Escaping from the abyss is really hard for a high-class spirit like me. But it is much easier for you. If you bring me even 100 pseudo souls, I will give you a spirit pet, " now she was negotiating.
Her intentions were clear. She was a mischievous spirit that wanted players like him to struggle or foolishly die because of their greedy nature.
Sanjay found himself in a pickle. She was trying hard to persuade him despite knowing his reluctance.
'Oh dang it. At this rate, I will fall into the abyss one way or another, ' Sanjay picked the hard way. "I like your request. The latest one."
"Yes! You won't regret it, Jay, " Dolly smiled ear to ear.
[A special trial has been activated.]
[Trial: Hunt at least 100 pseudo souls in the abyss.
Reward: I-class water spirit pet
Punishment: Face the wrath of Dolly]
Overthinking won't solve anything. Sometimes, you must be offensive to defend yourself from danger.