The morning sun and rising heat woke the young man. As he opened his eyes, a single thought echoed in his mind: "I must escape today, no matter what."
From his high point of view, he watched the monster below like an eagle waiting for the perfect moment. When noon arrived, he hoped the creature would sleep and grant him a chance to flee his miserable fate. Eventually, the monster's eyes closed. The young man waited a few more minutes to ensure it was truly asleep, then stood up quietly.
He tied a sturdy knot in his rope and walked to the furthest edge of the branch, aiming for the neighboring tree as his goal. Since he was positioned higher than his target, he descended a few branches to get closer. After a quiet countdown "Three, two, one, here we go" he threw the rope. His first few attempts missed, but he eventually succeeded in securing the rope to a strong branch.
"I hope the monster stays asleep," he whispered. "Even if it wakes up, my target is high enough. Here goes nothing."
He jumped as quietly as possible, using the rope to swing to the next tree. Looking back, he saw the monster was still asleep. Relieved, he began repeating the process, moving from tree to tree until he was three kilometers away.
Finally, he descended to the ground to rest. "I missed the feeling of stable ground," he muttered. "Now that I've escaped the monster, I need to look for food."
He moved cautiously through the forest toward the river. Suddenly, he spotted a creature: a large, round bird about the size of a turkey. It had a heavy belly, a large, hooked beak, and small dark eyes. Its wings were far too small for flight. The young man froze. He was hungry, and the bird looked like a good meal, but he remained wary.
To test the creature, he tossed a small rock near it. The bird stared at him but didn't move. He threw another rock, this time hitting the bird. Nothing happened. "Is it safe then?" he wondered.
Before he could finish his sentence, the bird emitted a loud, rhythmic beeping sound. Sensing danger, the man sprinted away. Ten seconds later, the bird vanished in a massive explosion that burned everything within a ten-meter radius.
"What was that?" he shouted. "If I had been closer, I'd be burned meat!" He realized the noise might attract the monster he had just escaped or worse, a local "Monster Lord." He quickly rubbed dirt over his body to mask his scent and fled the scene.
"First a demonic wolf, then an exploding bird," he grumbled. "What's next?"
As he walked, he consulted his System. "System, what was the stage of that bird?"
[USER STAGE]
"You mean they are both on the same stage? The bird was dangerous, but surely not as deadly as the wolf."
[THERE ARE LEVEL DIFFERENCES WITHIN THE SAME STAGE.]
"Why didn't you show me the levels before?"
[INFORMATION WAS MINIMIZED TO AVOID DISTRACTION.]
"Activate that feature now," he commanded. "Is there anything else I should know? Like who I am or where I am?"
[FEATURE ACTIVATED. ACCESS DENIED: INSUFFICIENT PRIVILEGES FOR DATA RETRIEVAL.]
"Useless," the man sighed.
He eventually reached the river. After checking for danger, he drank until he was fill, grateful for real water after days of drinking bitter tree sap. He bathed quickly and caught several fish. Though he wanted to make fire, he knew the smoke would give away his position. He peeled the skin, removed the bones, and ate the meat raw.
"Not delicious, but it keeps me alive."
He wondered, realizing he didn't know how he possessed these skills. "System, how do I know how to track, clean fish, and make ropes if I don't remember my past?"
[A SURVIVAL GUIDE WAS INSTALLED IN YOUR CORE SYSTEM.]
That explained his instincts. But his relief was disturbed. A sudden chill ran down his spine as a familiar, haunting howl echoed through the trees. He turned to see the demonic wolf glaring at him, its eyes filled with violence.
[USER STAGE. LEVEL PROFICENCY 50%]