*Ting*
[You have defeated a Black Wild Boar]
[You have obtained: Black Wild Boar's fangs (2)]
[You have obtained: Black Wild Boar's meat (20)]
[Inventory:]
[⇒ Black Wild Boar's fangs: 2]
[⇒ Black Wild Boar's meat: 20]
[Profession: Warrior: Level increased to 1]
[Sword Skill: Shadow Sword: Level increased to 1]
Ash, sprawled on the damp forest floor after the boar collapsed, blinked at the floating notifications. His body ached from the awkward fall, and his mind struggled to process the onslaught of information.
"Fangs and meat?" he muttered, pushing himself up onto shaky hands. "so, it's like... materials? And my level went up?"
He stared at the spot where the boar had fallen.
Huh?
The boar was gone. Utterly vanished, as if it had never existed.
He scanned the area, turning in a slow circle, but there was no trace of the creature.
"What the...?"
Ash pushed himself to his feet, a surge of confusion mixing with the lingering adrenaline. "Did the boar become the items? Is that what the 'Warrior' profession does? Turn defeated enemies into loot?"
He tried to reconcile the logic of the game with the bewildering reality he was experiencing.
He brushed the dirt and leaves from his clothes, grimacing at the state of his t-shirt and shorts. They were dirty, torn in a few places, and offered little protection against the chill of the forest.
'Okay, focus,' he told himself. 'Getting out of this... game? ...is the priority.'
He took a deep breath and started walking deeper into the woods, hoping to find some landmark, some sign of civilization.
Hours passed, marked only by the deepening shadows and the growing ache in his legs. The forest seemed endless, an impenetrable maze of trees and undergrowth.
Frustration began to gnaw at his resolve.
Then, the rain started.
Shhhhhh...
Shhhh....
At first, it was a light drizzle, barely noticeable beneath the canopy. But it quickly intensified, becoming a downpour that soaked Ash to the bone within minutes.
He shivered, his teeth chattering, as he trudged onward, the hope of finding an exit dwindling with each step.
Just as his spirit hit a low point, he spotted it: a dark opening in the base of a rocky outcrop. A cave.
"Shelter," he croaked, his voice hoarse.
He hesitated for only a moment. Should he risk wasting more time exploring a dead end, or push on through the storm?
The thought of warmth and dryness decided for him. He stumbled towards the cave.
The cave's entrance was narrow, forcing him to hunch over as he entered. Inside, it was dim and smelled of damp earth, but it was dry.
He moved deeper, his eyes slowly adjusting to the gloom. The cold stone walls radiated a chill that seeped into his bones, but it was better than the rain.
As he walked, his foot struck something hard. He bent down, his fingers brushing against a small, rectangular object.
It was a matchbox.
*Ting*
[You have found a matchbox.]
[Item Rank: Regular item.]
[Store item in inventory?]
[Y/N]
Ash stared at the notification, a flicker of something akin to amusement in his weary mind.
"Of course, I found a matchbox," he muttered. "Because this is apparently that kind of game."
He selected 'N'.
'Fire,' he thought. 'If I can find firewood, I can get a fire going.'
He continued to explore the cave, his footsteps echoing in the silence. His foot hit something else. He reached down and picked up a bundle of sticks.
*Ting*
[You have found a bundle of firewood.]
[Item Rank: Regular item.]
[Store item in inventory?]
[Y/N]
"Finally, something useful!" Ash exclaimed, a spark of enthusiasm returning. He selected 'N' again.
He gathered the firewood and, with some fumbling, managed to light a small campfire. The flames flickered, casting dancing shadows on the cave walls and pushing back the darkness.
The warmth spread through him, chasing away the shivering.
As the firelight grew, he could see that the cave wasn't just an empty shelter. It was filled with... stuff.
Random objects scattered everywhere, as if someone had emptied a storage room into it.
"This is like a hidden object game," Ash realized, his eyes scanning the clutter. "Maybe... maybe I can find some dray clothes."
He began to search, his fingers brushing against various items.
*Ting*
[You have found a rubber duck.]
[Item Rank: Regular item.]
[Store item in inventory?]
[Y/N]
Ash stared at the notification, then wearily pressed 'N'. He kept looking.
*Ting*
[You have found a glove.]
[Item Rank: Regular item.]
[Store item in inventory?]
[Y/N]
'N,' he selected, his patience wearing thin.
*Ting*
[You have found an umbrella.]
[Item Rank: Regular item.]
[Store item in inventory?]
[Y/N]
He pressed 'N' again, his frustration growing. This was ridiculous.
He picked up a hat.
*Ting*
[You have found a top hat.]
[Item Rank: Regular item.]
[Store item in inventory?]
[Y/N]
"Argh!" Ash shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "Why does this stupid notification pop up every time I touch anything?"
He stopped his frantic searching and tried to think logically. There had to be a pattern.
He picked up the umbrella again, holding it still for a moment. No notification.
"Huh," he muttered. "So, it only triggers the first time?"
He picked up a rock, then set it back down. No notification.
"Okay, that's... slightly less annoying."
Using the umbrella as a makeshift probe, he carefully sifted through the piles of objects. Finally, he unearthed a shirt, trousers, a pair of boxers, and a towel.
Each item pinged with the notification, but he ignored it. Dry clothes were worth the annoyance.
He quickly changed, relishing the feeling of the soft fabric against his skin. He used the towel to dry his hair, the fire's warmth completing the transformation from shivering castaway to... slightly less miserable adventurer.
Then, his stomach growled, a loud, insistent reminder of his hunger. He remembered the boar meat in his inventory. But how to get it out?
'If this is a game...' he thought, '...there should be a way to access it.' He tried a few hand gestures, then, recalling fantasy novels he'd read, he said, "Inventory."
*Ting*
[Inventory:
[⇒ Black Wild Boar's fangs: 2]
[⇒ Black Wild Boar's meat: 20]
"Yes!" Ash pumped his fist. "It works!" He focused on the meat entry.
*Ting*
[Retrieve Black Wild Boar's meat from inventory?]
[Y/N]
He grinned and selected 'Y'. A large chunk of raw meat materialized in front of him. He caught it with a grunt.
"Alright, dinner time," he said. Now, how to cook it? He sighed and turned back to the piles of junk.