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Carl woke to birds chirping and a gentle breeze rustling the leaves.
For a blissful two seconds, everything was peaceful.
Then his brain caught up.
The air smelled too fresh. The light was too natural. And the mattress beneath him was… oddly lumpy.
Wait.
Not a mattress. Dirt.
Carl bolted upright so fast his vision lagged. His hands dug into grass and soil. He blinked rapidly, heart pounding.
No dorm room. No pillow. No half-eaten bag of chips mocking his poor life choices.
Just trees. A whole damn forest of them.
His breath hitched. "What the—"
A soft ding! cut him off. A glowing blue holographic screen popped into existence inches from his face.
[Welcome, Lost One.]
Carl blinked. Then squinted. Then blinked again.
The screen didn't disappear.
"…Alright, no way this is real."
He slapped himself. Hard.
Pain exploded across his cheek.
[Congratulations! You have successfully confirmed reality. Would you like a tutorial?]
Carl clutched his face. "Oh, screw you."
[Screwing unavailable. Please try again later.]
He gawked. "Did… did you just make a joke?"
[I exist to guide, assist, and occasionally mock you.]
Before Carl could decide whether to be impressed or offended, a sharp crack came from the bushes behind him.
His stomach dropped.
Slowly, carefully, he turned.
A goblin. Small, green, big head, jagged teeth, glowing yellow eyes, and—oh great—a dagger.
Carl's brain went into full error mode. "That's… that's a goblin."
[Correct! 1 IQ point awarded.]
The goblin snarled and lunged.
Carl's survival instincts finally kicked in. He yelped, flung himself sideways, and rolled just as the dagger swiped through empty air.
[Basic Adaptability Activated!]
"Not the time!" Carl shouted, scrambling to his feet and sprinting.
Branches whipped past his face. His breath burned in his throat. The goblin shrieked behind him, way too close for comfort.
"Why am I being chased by a goblin?!"
[Would you like the long explanation or the short one?]
"Short!"
[You're in another world. Everything wants to kill you. Run faster.]
Carl nearly tripped. "WHAT?!"
[Would you like the long explanation now?]
"Later! Maybe! If I live!"
He leapt over a log, barely keeping his balance. The goblin was still on his tail, feet pounding against the earth like a tiny, homicidal marathon runner.
"Are you serious?! How do you have this much stamina?! You're like two feet tall!"
[Reminder: Evolution favors the persistent. And the stabby.]
Carl didn't appreciate that wisdom.
Ahead, a dense thicket came into view. No time to think—he dove into it, crashing into the undergrowth and curling into a ball. Leaves scratched at his skin. He clamped a hand over his mouth, forcing his breath to steady.
The goblin sniffed the air. Growled. Stomped around.
Carl didn't move.
After what felt like forever, the creature screeched in frustration and scampered away.
Carl didn't breathe for a full minute.
Then, slowly, painfully, he let out a shuddering exhale. His whole body trembled. Sweat dripped down his temple.
[Survival instinct: Functioning.]
Carl ignored the snarky system message and sat up, running a shaky hand through his hair. "What the hell just happened?"
No response.
For the first time since waking up, he really took in his surroundings.
A forest. An actual, honest-to-God forest. And he was in it. With goblins.
His mind raced, piecing together the last thing he remembered.
His dorm. A weird book. Then—
Lightning.
His breath hitched.
"…I got isekai'd, didn't I?"
[Ding! 1 more IQ point awarded. Keep it up, champ.]
Carl groaned. "I hate everything."
[Understandable. Would you like a guide on how not to die?]
He exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "…Yes. Please."
[Step One: Don't die.]
Carl deadpanned. "Wow. Revolutionary."
[You're welcome.]
He let out a defeated laugh and flopped onto his back, staring at the sky.
This was real. It was happening. And unless he wanted to be goblin chow, he needed a plan.
Finally, he pushed himself up, dusted off his clothes, and squared his shoulders.
"Alright," he muttered. "Step one: Don't die."
[Good start!]
Carl rolled his eyes. "Step two: Figure out what the hell is going on."
[Step three: Try not to die while figuring out step two.]
"…You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"
[Immensely.]
Carl sighed. "Great. Just great."
Because one thing was for sure—
This?
This was only the beginning.
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To Be Continued…