Game Of Survival

The distant rustling of leaves, the soft whisper of the wind, and the faint chirping of unseen creatures.

Zane adjusted the grip on his spiked club, his knuckles turning white around the rough handle. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, mingling with the lingering metallic tang of blood from his last battle. His heartbeat was only just beginning to settle after his narrow victory against the Goblin Brute.

The floating blue interface in his vision flickered, displaying his current status.

Level: 1 (7/25 EXP)

HP: 19/30

Stamina: 21/50

 Skills Unlocked: 

 Agility: Level 2 (3/11 EXP) 

 Strength: Level 2 (5/11 EXP) 

Perception: Level 1 (3/9 EXP) 

Vitality: Level 1 (5/9 EXP) 

Intelligence: Level 2 (3/11 EXP)

Inventory:

Spiked Club (+8 ATK, Heavy, Slow)

3 Rusted Dagger (+3 ATK, Fast, Low Durability)

12 Gold Coins Basic Rations (Restores 10 HP)

Water Flask (Prevents Fatigue for 2 Hours)

Way stone(Teleports to the Merchant's shop)

Zane exhaled, rolling his shoulders. The battle had left him winded, but he couldn't afford to rest just yet.

Beyond the ruined village lay the Blackwood Forest—a vast, dense woodland stretching into the unknown. Somewhere beyond it was safety, the first real safe zone. But getting there was another matter entirely.

Crunch—crunch—crunch.

The dirt beneath Zane's boots was soft, damp from the night's moisture. The canopy above was thick, allowing only slivers of silver moonlight to break through. Shadows twisted and danced between the trunks of towering, gnarled trees. Every step deeper into the woods made his surroundings feel more alien.

[SYSTEM ALERT]

You have entered: Blackwood Forest

[Scenario Level: Moderate]

Environmental Effects:

Low Visibility: Detection range reduced by 30%.

Unstable Terrain: Higher chance of tripping or triggering hidden traps.

Predator Territory: Aggressive creatures roam at night.

A chill ran down his spine.

He clenched his jaw and pressed forward, gripping the spiked club tightly. He had no map, no guide—only his instincts and the vague knowledge that the forest stretched for miles.

He checked his inventory and tapped on Basic Rations.

[Do you want to consume Basic Rations? Yes/No]

Zane selected YES.

Munch. Crunch.

The dry bread and jerky tasted like sawdust in his mouth, but the moment he swallowed, a notification appeared:

[HP Restored: +10][Current HP: 29/30]

"Better than nothing," Zane muttered. He washed it down with a sip from his Water Flask.

The wind howled through the treetops, causing the branches to creak and groan like ancient bones shifting. Something moved in the underbrush to his right—a quick, scuttling noise, followed by silence.

Zane froze, his eyes darting through the shadows.

A low growl rumbled from the darkness ahead.

His fingers instinctively tightened around his weapon.

Rustling. Snap. A low, guttural snarl.

A notification flashed across his vision.

[NEW ENEMY DETECTED: SHADOW STALKER][HP: 45/45][ATK: 14][DEF: 5]

"Great," Zane muttered, backing up slowly.

From the dense underbrush, two glowing, amber eyes pierced the darkness. A sleek, panther-like creature with jet-black fur and elongated claws emerged, its body blending seamlessly with the shadows. Its muscles were coiled like a spring, ready to pounce.Thud-thud-thud—paw steps against the earth.

Zane barely had time to react before the beast lunged forward.WHOOSH!—A rush of air as the creature slices through the space where he stood.

Zane rolled to the side, narrowly dodging as its claws raked against the tree behind him—SCRRRRCH!—leaving deep gashes in the bark.

[-6 HP]

Zane's HP: 23/30

"Fast bastard," Zane hissed.

The Shadow Stalker circled him, its tail flicking, watching him with unsettling intelligence.

A second attack came—this time, from his blind spot.

WHOOSH!—The creature vanishes into the shadows, appearing behind him.

Zane barely turned in time.

CLANG!—His spiked club collided with the beast's claw.

The impact sent vibrations up his arm, but he held his ground.

A blue notification popped up:

[Skill Progress: Strength Lv. 2 → 11/11 EXP] [Strength Upgraded to Lv. 3!]

"Oh hell yes," Zane smirked.

The Shadow Stalker crouched low, preparing for another strike.

Zane didn't wait.

He rushed forward, swinging the spiked club with all his strength.

CRACK!—The weapon slammed into the creature's ribcage.

[-12 HP] [CRITICAL HIT!]

The beast let out a pained snarl, staggering back.

Zane pressed the advantage, shifting his grip and bringing the club down—BASH!

[-8 HP]

The Shadow Stalker's HP: 25/45.

The creature hissed, its amber eyes flashing. Then—it did something unexpected.

It leaped into the trees, vanishing from sight.

Zane's breath hitched. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

Silence. The eerie quiet before the kill.

His instincts screamed at him. He looked up—

WHOOSH—CRASH!—The beast dropped from above, claws extended.

Zane barely dodged. He spun, bringing the spiked club upward

THUNK!—Direct hit to the creature's skull.

[CRITICAL HIT! -15 HP]

The beast staggered, dazed.

Zane seized the moment. He grabbed his rusted dagger, flipping it in his hand.

"Time to end this."

With a burst of speed, he dashed forward, driving the dagger into the beast's throat—

SHNK!—Blade sinking into flesh.

The Shadow Stalker let out a final, gurgling snarl—then collapsed.

[BATTLE COMPLETE!]

XP Gained: +15

Loot Acquired:

Shadow Fang (Crafting Material)

Stalker's Hide (+2 DEF if crafted into armor)

Level Up Progress: 22/25 EXP

Zane exhaled, his muscles aching.

He looked at the fallen creature and shook his head. "That was way too close."

The forest had just proven one thing.

This was not a game with easy difficulty settings.

This was survival.

And it was only getting started. Zane adjusted the grip on his spiked club, his knuckles whitening around the rough handle. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth.

His floating blue interface flickered in his vision.

[SYSTEM UPDATE]

 Level: 1 (22/25 EXP)

HP: 23/30 (Recovering slowly)

Stamina: 18/50 (Fatigue increasing)

He glanced at his inventory.

[INVENTORY CHECK]

Spiked Club (+8 ATK, Heavy, Slow) 

3 Rusted Dagger (+3 ATK, Fast, Low Durability) 

22 Gold Coins Water Flask (Prevents Fatigue for 2 Hours) 

Way stone(Teleports to the Merchant's shop) 

Shadow Fang (Crafting Material) 

Stalker's Skin (+2 DEF if crafted into armor) 

His water supply was limited, and he was already running low on food.

"If I don't find a water source soon, I'm screwed," he muttered.

The Blackwood Forest loomed ahead, the trees twisting unnaturally, their bark dark like burnt charcoal. Thick fog curled at the edges of the path, shifting like ghostly tendrils. Every few steps, Zane could hear the distant echoes of unseen creatures skittering in the shadows.

Crunch—crunch—crunch.

The damp earth beneath his boots was uneven, littered with dead leaves, jagged rocks, and tangled roots. His steps became more careful—he had no idea what kind of traps or monsters were waiting deeper inside.

Zane clenched his teeth. This game wasn't just about combat—it was about survival.

"Alright. Step one: find food and water. Step two: don't die."He pressed forward.

Snap. A faint metallic click.

Zane's instincts flared. Something was wrong.

He stopped mid-step, heart hammering. Then—

WHIZZ!—A rusted spear shot up from the ground.

Zane yanked his foot back just in time, the weapon missing his leg by mere inches. The sharpened tip quivered where it had embedded itself into the ground.

A red system notification appeared:

[TRAP TRIGGERED: HIDDEN SPIKE PIT] 

Status: Evaded Successfully

rap Type: Impalement (Instant Death if fallen in)

Detection Bonus: +2 XP for avoiding an environmental hazard.

Zane's breath came out in a shaky laugh. "That would've sucked."

He crouched down to examine the area. The trap had been cleverly disguised beneath a thin layer of leaves and dirt. If he hadn't noticed the pressure plate in time, he'd be impaled or worse—fallen into the abyss of the pit beneath.

He checked his surroundings again. How many more traps were hidden here?

Then, he spotted something even worse.

Ahead, tangled in a web of vines and thorns, was a half-eaten corpse.

Zane's stomach twisted. Human.

The body was torn open, ribs exposed, flesh stripped away in jagged chunks. Something had devoured it. Recently.

[SYSTEM SCAN] 

Corpse Type: Unidentified Survivor 

Cause: Lacerations, heavy blood loss, bite wounds 

Predator Detected: Nearby.

A low, rumbling growl.

Zane barely had time to react.

From the shadows, two glowing yellow eyes locked onto him.

[NEW ENEMY DETECTED: NIGHT FANG WOLF][HP: 60/60][ATK: 15][DEF: 7]

The wolf's matted fur bristled, blood still dripping from its fangs.

Its muscles coiled as it prepared to strike.

Zane tightened his grip on his spiked club, his muscles aching from exhaustion.

"I really need a break."

The wolf lunged.

THUD!—WHOOSH!—SNAP!

The wolf's claws tore through the air, barely missing.

Zane sidestepped, swinging his club in retaliation.

CRACK!—The club connected with the wolf's ribs.

[-10 HP] [CRITICAL HIT!]

The wolf yelped but recovered instantly. It snarled and circled him, calculating.

RUSTLE—SNAP! Leaves shifted behind him.

Zane's stomach dropped.

Another pair of eyes emerged from the shadows.

[PACK BONUS ACTIVATED: SECOND WOLF JOINED COMBAT] 

Additional Enemy: NIGHT FANG WOLF (LV. 4)] Pack Buff: +10% ATK for every nearby ally.

"Of course you bastards hunt in pairs," Zane muttered.

His stamina was draining fast. He needed a plan—fast.

He glanced at the nearby trap he had just avoided.

An idea struck him.

Zane intentionally backed up, leading the wolves closer to the hidden spike pit.

The first wolf pounced—

Zane sidestepped at the last second.

WHOOSH—SNAP—CRACK!

The wolf landed directly on the pressure plate.

SHUNK!—A row of rusted spears shot up, impaling the creature instantly.

[ENVIRONMENTAL KILL - NIGHT FANG WOLF DEFEATED!] 

+20 XP,+5 Gold Coins, Loot Acquired: Wolf Meat (Consumable), Beast Skin (Crafting)

The second wolf hesitated.

Zane didn't

.He rushed forward, swinging his club—

CRACK!—Direct hit to the skull.

[-15 HP] [CRITICAL HIT!]

The wolf staggered.

Zane finished it off with his dagger—a clean, quick stab to the throat.

[BATTLE COMPLETE!] 

XP Gained: +40 (Level Up!)

New HP: 30/35 

Loot Acquired:

10 Gold coins

2 Wolf Meat

2 Beast Skin

Zane panted, wiping blood from his face.

He had survived.

But night was coming. And something worse was lurking in the darkness.

Then he showed his status:

Level: 3 (9/35 EXP)

HP: 30/35

Stamina: 15/50

Skills Unlocked:

Agility: Level 2 (7/11 EXP)

Strength: Level 3 (4/13 EXP)

Perception: Level 1 (8/9 EXP)

Vitality: Level 2 (5/11 EXP)

Intelligence: Level 2 (9/11 EXP)

The real challenge was just beginning.