The world crashed into me like a broken mirror—jagged rocks pressing into my spine, a biting wind slicing through my tattered clothes, the eerie wail of something predatory echoing in the distance. I forced my eyes open, greeted by a sky streaked with orange and ash-gray, the air heavy with the stench of decay. My body screamed with an exhaustion I couldn't place, every movement a struggle against hunger that clawed at my insides. I sat up, surveying the desolate wilds around me. No past, no identity, no reason—only the raw need to survive. My mind, sharp despite the fog, began to catalog the terrain: sparse trees twisted by some unseen force, cracked earth stretching into a hazy horizon, and the faint glint of water far off. This was no place for the weak.
A strange hum pulsed in my skull, insistent and foreign. I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to silence it, but it sharpened into words that seared into my thoughts.
[Summoning System Activated.]
[Host Detected: Unnamed.]
[Status: Critical. Recommend Immediate Action.]
I went still. The voice wasn't mine, yet it resonated within, mechanical and unyielding. A shimmer of blue light materialized before me, shaping into a translucent panel. It listed my state: health dwindling, stamina near zero, no supplies. My jaw tightened. Panic was a waste of energy. This system, whatever its origin, was a tool to be mastered. I would bend it to my will, not the other way around. The panel's presence suggested a purpose, a framework I could exploit. I needed to understand its limits.
"Display options," I said, my voice low and deliberate, testing the system's responsiveness.
[Summoning Interface Unlocked.]
[Available Summons: Tier 1 - 1 Slot.]
[Option 1: Lupine Scout - Agile, loyal, basic combat capability.]
[Cost: 10 Energy Units. Current Energy: 5.]
Five units—insufficient. My eyes scanned the bleak terrain again, noting details: the gnarled trees might offer cover or fuel, the parched soil hinted at scarce resources, and that distant stream was my immediate goal. Water was the priority, then energy. I rose, fighting a wave of dizziness that threatened to topple me, and moved toward the stream. Each step was a calculated risk: minimize effort to conserve stamina, avoid making noise to evade predators, prepare for threats lurking beyond my sight. The system would serve me, not dictate my fate—I would ensure that.
At the stream, I drank greedily, the cold liquid reviving me just enough to clear the haze from my mind. The panel flickered to life, its glow reflecting off the rippling water.
[Energy Restored: +5 Units.]
[Total Energy: 10.]
[Summon Available.]
I crouched by the stream, closing my eyes to concentrate. The interface expanded, revealing the summon's details: the Lupine Scout's agility could scout threats, its loyalty could be molded into obedience. I selected it. A rush of heat surged through me, a sensation both foreign and empowering, and before me stood a wolf-like creature, its gray fur mottled with streaks of darker shade, its gaze piercing and alert. It studied me as I studied it, its posture neither submissive nor aggressive—a blank slate.
"This creature is not a pet," I stated, my tone firm. "It is a tool and an ally."
The wolf lowered its head, a tacit understanding passing between us. I named it Kael, a name born of purpose—its life now linked to mine, its strength a resource to be honed. Together, we foraged, gathering dry wood from the twisted trees and bitter roots buried beneath the cracked soil. Constructing a shelter took hours, my hands raw and blistered as I wove branches into a rudimentary structure, reinforcing it with mud from the stream's edge. Kael stood watch, his low growls signaling unseen perils—perhaps a rustle of leaves, perhaps the shadow of a larger beast. By dusk, a fire crackled, its warmth a tenuous defense against the encroaching night, its light casting long shadows that danced like silent threats.
[Quest Initiated: Survive 7 Days.]
[Objective: Maintain Health and Energy.]
[Reward: System Tutorial Unlock.]
I sat by the flames, Kael beside me, analyzing the panel. Seven days—a trial, a deadline to prove my worth. My mind sifted through strategies: reinforce the shelter with additional branches, scout the perimeter with Kael for food sources, probe the system's depths for hidden functions. Impulsiveness was death; precision was life. I placed a hand on Kael's head, noting the steady rise and fall of its breath, the warmth of its fur against my skin. Trust was a currency to be built, not squandered—Kael's loyalty would grow with mutual survival, not blind devotion.
A low roar rumbled through the darkness, drawing closer, its vibration shaking the ground beneath me. Predators. I adjusted the fire to burn brighter, adding the last of the dry wood, and traced a defensive layout in my thoughts: use the shelter as a choke point, position Kael to flank, rely on the fire to deter an initial charge. Every action was a piece on the board, every decision a move toward victory. This was no mere survival—it was the foundation of something vast, a destiny carved from the ashes of this forsaken land. The roar grew louder, and I met Kael's gaze, a silent agreement forming. We would face it together.