Lukas remained motionless beneath the stones, protected by his carefully constructed web.
Beside him, the corpse of the small beetle remained wrapped in silk, stored as a precious resource.
It had already been a few hours since he had awakened in that tiny body.
And he had reached some important conclusions after thinking a lot.
First. There was no way this was a dream.
The sharpness, the consistency, the emotional pain, and the primitive fear he felt when a predator approached. Everything was far too real.
He already knew he would never wake up in his bed again. Never hear his fan spinning. Nor hear Miyo's meow.
And second. The system had no consciousness.
He had tested it. Called out mentally. Tried to talk.
Tried to ask where he was, what world this was, whether there were humans, or if there were cities nearby.
But the answer was absolute silence. The system only responded when he focused on specific information from the interface.
It was a basic explanation. In a cold and objective manner. Without opinion or guidance. It was merely a tool, apparently.
That was good and bad in Lukas's view.
Good, because there did not seem to be an entity watching his every step or manipulating him for some obscure purpose.
Bad, because he was completely alone. If he had doubts, he would have to figure them out on his own. He tested other things as well.
'Inventory!'
Nothing.
'Spatial Box!'
Nothing.
'Quests!'
Complete silence.
No window appeared. No objective was given to Lukas. No reward was promised.
It was just a simple screen with status, Race, Rank and Talent.
Nothing more.
"So that's it…" He sighed internally.
He had no idea where he was. He did not know what world this was. He did not know what the rules of such a place were.
But one thing seemed evident.
If there was an Existential Rank calculated in magical strength, and mana existed.
If there was this Mystical Transformation Talent. Then there would be magic.
And if there was magic, he was probably in a world where different beings and races existed.
Like humans. Elves. Dwarves and monsters. Predators are probably far worse than birds.
That was what Lukas thought after seeing all the information he possessed so far.
The thought made his legs contract slightly. Because that made his situation even more delicate. He was rank F-.
An insignificant life.
In a world probably filled with magical creatures. Going out exploring without preparation would be suicide.
He analyzed his small den. It was a natural protection of stones, with a narrow entrance.
The web functioned as a small barrier.
Besides that, insects could enter by mistake and fall into his web.
He could survive there.
"I should stay here for now."
"At least in this first week."
He did not know if he could defend himself in open ground. At least not yet.
In there, at least he had some control over his situation.
In there, it had become his territory.
He released small strands of silk several times, just to test variations. Adjusted angles and reinforced strategic points of his temporary home.
He gradually learned to modulate the thickness of the thread. He noticed that thicker threads consumed more energy. And the thin threads were almost invisible but less resistant.
With each minute, he learned a little more about himself.
Time then passed. Lukas did not know exactly how much.
But when he arrived there, the sun had already been high. Now, the light was beginning to weaken. The shadows lengthened. And the air was starting to grow colder.
At least half a day must have passed. He still did not feel intense hunger, only a slight weariness.
But there was something different. Fatigue. Not only physical, but mental as well.
It was too much information and too much to worry about for just a few hours of existence.
"Maybe I should sleep."
A part of him still nurtured an almost childish hope.
Maybe, upon sleeping, he would wake up on Earth.
Maybe everything was some mental delirium he was going through. He knew it was not that simple. But hope is the last to die.
He settled himself at the center of the web, drawing his legs in slightly.
Sleeping without closing his eyes was a little strange. There were no eyelids to signal that it was time to rest.
The vision remained there.
But, little by little, his consciousness began to weaken.
The vibrations became distant. The sound is muffled. And then… darkness.
Lukas slept. Without dreams. Without light.
When he woke again, it was abrupt. An intense sensation ran through his small body.
It was hunger.
The hunger was not mild. But urgent. Instinctive and almost painful.
"So… I'm still here."
He thought as he felt the cold morning wind brush against the fine hairs of his legs.
The air was different, more humid and fresh. It was a new day. He slightly turned his body and looked to the side.
The small beetle wrapped in silk was exactly where he had left it. It was his resource for survival.
He approached carefully and opened the silk cocoon he had made to store it. For a second, Lukas hesitated. The old human mind was still there.
But his body did not hesitate much.
He sank his mandibles into the beetle's head. The sound was extremely unpleasant.
The texture is even worse.
If he were still human, he would have vomited instantly.
But now… The taste was unexpectedly not horrible.
It was strange. There was no salt, nor sweet, nor bitter as he knew it.
It was simply nutritious. That was the best description Lukas could give. His body recognized it as food. As energy.
The texture was still disgusting by any human standard, but he endured it.
Lukas ate half of the beetle.
He felt that instinctive hunger slowly fade away. But he stopped before finishing the beetle.
He needed to control himself, needed to learn to ration.
He wrapped the remainder again with silk, preserving what was left.
He did not know when he would have another prey. Perhaps other insects would fall into the web, but perhaps none would fall in the next six days.
Perhaps he would need to go out hunting. And that idea bothered him. Going out meant exposure. And exposure meant risks.
But if it were his last option, he would do it. With caution. But he would.
He then returned to the center of the web. The second day had begun.