When he opened his eyes, the taste of copper filled his mouth. Dirt pressed into his palms and above him, an alien sky stretched wide, stars twinkling with strange constellations.
There were no city lights.... No hum of engines....
Only silence, and wilderness.
His body screamed in protest. His suit was torn, and his shoes ruined; his hands were trembling as he tried to stand up from the ground, but every movement of his bones hurt.
"…Where am I?" he whispered, feeling his voice hoarse.
His mind, however, worked faster than panic. He needed to survive, he needed fire, water, shelter, and food... these were essential for his body to survive.
His eyes swept over the forest floor. Tiny quartz crystals sparkled faintly among the dirt, and fallen branches lay dry enough to catch a spark.
Stripped bark could serve as makeshift cordage. Following the faint sound of running water, he found a small stream and scooped up a handful, testing it carefully before drinking. It was safe for consumption.
Nearby, scattered nutshells caught his attention. He cracked one open with a stone and nibbled cautiously, it was edible. Satisfied for the moment, he surveyed his surroundings as the sun began its slow descent. Shadows stretched long across the forest floor, and the chill in the air hinted at the coming night.
He needed warmth, light, and protection before darkness fully set in. Using friction fire techniques recalled from a survival manual, and guided by his engineering intuition, he bent a branch into a bow-drill, stripped cordage from his torn jacket, and carved a spindle from soft wood.
Blisters formed on his palms as he vigorously rotated the spindle against the fireboard, sweat dripping into his eyes. After relentless effort, smoke began to curl from the tinder.
Flames licked upward, spreading warmth and light. With fire and a makeshift shelter secured, the basics of survival were finally in place.
Li Wei loudly exhaled in relief, his muscles aching, while his eyes scanned the dark forest around him, and that's when he heard it.... the low growl, guttural and so close to him.
Suddenly, shadows moved in between the trees, and two massive wolves, fur matted and eyes glinting with predatory hunger, crept toward him, teeth bared, claws scraping the dirt.
Panic surged, but he forced himself to act. He scrambled backward, branch in hand, heart heavily hammering.
The first wolf lunged at him its teeth clamped down on his shoulder, ripping through fabric and flesh. Pain exploded in a white-hot flash as Li Wei screamed, kicking it out with both legs, trying to throw it off balance. Blood spurted down his arm, mingling with dirt.
The second wolf circled him, jaws snapping dangerously close to his ankle. Li Wei swung the branch in a desperate arc, striking the beast squarely on the snout. It yelped in pain, staggering back for a heartbeat, but lunged forward again, teeth bared and gnashing.
Li Wei's foot caught on a gnarled root, sending him sprawling to the ground, the air knocked from his lungs. The first wolf lunged once more, claws tearing across his back, carving deep, burning gashes.
Pain flared through his body, each breath a laborious effort. Beneath him, the forest floor was slick with a mixture of blood and mud, making every movement treacherous.
Desperation sharpened his mind. He remembered the fire. Using every ounce of strength left, he rolled sideways, swinging the branch into the flames, scorching one wolf's snout. It yelped and backed off, but the other pressed on relentlessly.
A claw slashed across his thigh, burning, and tearing the flesh deep. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand up despite the agony. Each movement sent shockwaves through his battered body.
Blood streamed from his shoulder, arm, and leg, dripping into his eyes and mouth while his vision blurred.
The second wolf lunged once more. Li Wei twisted sharply at the last possible moment, swinging the charred branch with all his strength like a lever. It struck the wolf's skull with a sickening crack. The beast collapsed, stunned. Without hesitation, he rammed the branch into the chest of the first wolf as it leapt toward him, sending it sprawling off balance.
He staggered back, knees wobbling, chest heaving, wounds burning with fire. Blood ran freely down his arms and legs. He could feel his life hanging by a thread, every nerve screaming. The forest seemed to close in, darkness pressing from all sides.
Then, as he touched his glasses to wipe the blood and sweat from his eyes, a strange, impossible sensation coursed through him. Circuit-like lines glimmered across the lenses, pulsing softly, almost alive. A calm, mechanical whisper entered his mind:
(Forge System Activated)
(Material Analysis Unlocked)
Alloys, Metallurgy, and Forging Principles Memorized
Survival Guidance Available
Li Wei collapsed to his knees, shaking, every inch of his body battered and bloody. He had survived by sheer chance, and sheer cunning... and now something inexplicable had awakened within him.
The wolves' snarls echoed faintly from the shadows, but they had withdrawn. His hands were shredded, his clothes in tatters, and his body a roadmap of bruises and blood... but surviving this ordeal had awakened something far greater.
He realized with a shiver: the Forge System hadn't just given him knowledge, it had chosen him when he was at the very edge of death.
Li Wei stayed on his knees for a long moment, letting the adrenaline ebb from his battered body. Rain dripped from the leaves above, soaking his hair, running into his eyes, mixing with blood and sweat. Yet, beneath the pain, a strange clarity pulsed through him, his mind wasn't just alert; it was enhanced, as if the system had mapped the laws of physics and metallurgy into his very instincts.
He slowly rose, testing his weight on his legs. Every step was agony, but each was measured, and precise.
The branch he had wielded as a weapon felt heavier in his hands now, not from muscle pain, but from understanding. He could *see* the weak points in its structure, and the best angle to apply force.
A glance down at the scattered nutshells and nearby rocks brought another revelation. He didn't just see objects; he could calculate their density, strength, and potential uses instantly.
"Tools… weapons…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. His mind raced through centuries of human invention, now condensed into raw, and actionable data. Even bronze and stone were no longer mysterious; they were materials with properties to exploit and weaknesses to improve.
Li Wei moved with deliberate caution, scavenging branches, stones, and bark. He shaped a crude stone knife, guided by the system's visual overlays and tensile calculations.
When he struck the edge against another stone, he could feel in his bones whether it would hold or snap. He tested repeatedly, refining the blade with a precision that would have astonished even the most skilled ancient artisan.