A grey-themed screen with white text shone before Ryan's eyes. At first glance, the words appeared ancient and unfamiliar, but to his surprise, he understood them perfectly, as if he had been familiar with the language for a long time.
Ryan examined the white text on the screen. He wasn't used to this situation yet, but he no longer thought he was trapped in some dreamlike state or deep sleep. He focused his thoughts to better understand his surroundings.
**Name:** [ Ryan ]
**Species:** [ Human ]
**Level:** [ K ]
**Life Points:** 10/2
**Skills:**
- [ Aura Detection ], [K]
**Feature:** { Determines the opponent's level based on their aura up to 2 levels higher. }
**Weapons:** [ Light Dagger ], [K]
**Feature:** { Doubles the user's speed when wielding it. }
Now, he understood the meaning of the phrases he heard upon entering this world. It was a survival world; you either kill and progress, or you die and become someone else's stepping stone.
This was the perfect description of the situation. By killing other creatures, you absorb their life force and grow stronger. If you lose, you lose your life. It wasn't moral, but it seemed logical.
What does the wilderness know of morality?!
He shook his hands, his body hadn't changed much, but he clearly felt an increase in strength. He felt lighter, and there was a lively look on his face.
Minutes passed. Ryan was glad he was still alive, and the possibility of progression was exactly what he had longed for deep down, even though he wasn't prepared and was cursing his situation. But deep inside, he was excited.
This described his feelings about his own condition, but Ryan had almost touched death. If the same or worse happened to others, how would his family be? Were they as lucky as him?!
His face showed a look of concern and contemplation. This was still just the beginning. He wasn't even hopeful about his own survival. Naturally, thinking about his family's condition in this situation wouldn't help anyone.
Ryan glanced at the dagger in his hands. It was slightly longer than usual, with a majestic grey handle and a silver blade with blue streaks that gleamed, creating a haunting yet beautiful effect.
The dagger spun in Ryan's hand and disappeared in the next second. With a sad yet hopeful tone, Ryan softly murmured:
"Can I survive and see you all again?!"
Silence surrounded him. For Ryan's solitude, this silence seemed calming and fitting his situation, but he had realized that silence could be the calm before the storm that would target his life.
...
*Hisss hisss*
A haunting sound interrupted Ryan's thoughts, coming from the direction of the wolf's corpse. He sensed danger, and at that moment, his thoughts were confirmed:
*K level creature's aura detected!*
A gigantic snake was slithering towards the wolf's body. It had the build of a python but with distinct differences, indicating it wasn't one. It had large, hard, black striped scales, and its head was different, with two long fins on the sides giving it an oval shape.
The snake's black tongue hung out, swaying in the air. Two white spots on the curve of its oval-shaped head gave it a menacing look.
Ryan reacted; he had seen this type of snake in a magazine before, a cobra, this was exactly it. He was thinking of a solution, breathing faster, his blue eyes fixed on the snake. The snake, several meters long, slithered on the ground, and its sound intensified his fear. In fear, he cursed and whispered:
"Damn, why's it so freaking huge?!"