When I woke up from that forced nap at the courtesy of that evil little ball of hatred that was the slime, I slowly stood up with the help of a well-placed tree. My HUD was flashing red on the peripheries of my vision, indicating my health was still critically low.

 “Ugh, that sucked.” I proclaimed before I pulled up my current health

“Current health is 2 out of a maximum of 32.”

That slime had almost killed me. That would be embarrassing. Who dies from tutorial slimes? 

Why did it feel so real? It’s never felt like that before.

It almost felt like the pain was set to a hundred, and that’s not possible even in a full immersion rig. I have to check. I pull up my HUD and quickly flip to my settings, then find pain settings. It is set to one hundred percent. I try to lower it, but it doesn’t budge. 

“No way,” I say in a hushed whisper. 

Why can’t I lower it?

 Maybe I’m in one of those bootleg darknet full immersion rigs. 

Did that robber come back feeling bad and try to save me? Wait, isn’t that still kidnapping? Looks like that guy is committed to his life of crime. I’ve read some horror stories about them on the net about having true full immersion with pain limiters set to a hundred all the time. 

“Combat is going to suck,” I say as I think about the pain from one little slime.

Trying to put that thought out of my mind for now, I run my fingers down along my arm and wince in pain when my finger glides over where I was hit by a slime tendril. There was a bright red blister there now. I checked all the spots I got hit, and sure enough, they were all blistering over.

I don’t remember blisters being in the game before. Did they drop an update since I last played? Well, I hope there’s some buff for crafters, or my hands will be one giant blister. 

I notice the flashing alerts in the corner of my HUD. Those are probably alerting me to the quest completion. I finished the quest.

Wait, if I finished the quest, shouldn’t I have been teleported to the starting village, Oakford? 

Well, that’s weird. Wait, maybe I have to pick my class first!

I pulled up the first alert, and it was, in fact, alerting me to the quest completion.

"Quest: Defeat the Slime completed."

"Granting rewards. "

"Reward level up has been granted."

"Level up"

"Reward job advancement has been granted."

"Reward ten copper has been granted."

Phew, alright, I got all the usual rewards, that’s good. I pull up the next alert to see what it is.

"Level up"

"You have leveled up to Level One. Congratulations."

“New maximum health is 32.”

“Mana remains at 5.”

“New maximum stamina is 23.” 

"Please allocate remaining (3) stat points."

Nice! Those will come in handy. I’ll hold off on putting them in for now. Let's get through all these alerts first. The next one should be for my class selection. And sure enough, it was.

"Reward job advancement has been granted."

"Please select a class."

“Classes available to player ‘Matthew Marcos’ :

Warrior, warriors are skilled fighters who can specialize in various forms of melee weaponry.

Ranger, rangers are elusive fighters who can specialize in various forms of ranged weaponry.

Mage, mages are arcane fighters who forgo most weaponry and instead focus on various forms of spellcraft.

Blacksmith, blacksmiths are skilled artisans who specialize in turning metal into armor, weaponry, and everyday items. 

Leatherworker, leatherworkers are skilled artisans who specialize in turning leather and hides into armor and everyday items.

Alchemists, alchemists are skilled artisans who specialize in turning plants and other materials into potions and everyday items.

Tailor, tailors are skilled artisans who specialize in turning fabric into clothing and everyday items.

Carpenter, carpenters are skilled artisans specializing in turning wood into weapons and everyday items.

I hesitate for a moment. 

Do I want to be a blacksmith again? Or should I go combat? 

You can make more money starting off as a combat class by selling drops than as a lower-level crafter. It’s not until you put work into your craft that you bring in money.

  It’s also much easier to level a combat class since you gain exp from kills. Crafters gain reduced exp from killing mobs. That’s not their job. They, instead, gain exp by completing new and unique crafts. 

Sadly you can’t grind out levels just by crafting the basic items. Combat classes have the edge in grinding as they can kill the same mobs until they out-level them.

I ultimately decided to go with my original choice, I had so much fun with it the first time, and now I know some of the tricks I learned along the way. 

I select blacksmith from the prompt. 

“You have selected blacksmith.”

 “A life of metal and fire awaits you.” 

“You have gained Class: Blacksmith.” 

“Granting Class: Blacksmith starting skills.”

“You have gained Class: Blacksmith skill ‘Sense Metal.’ ” 

“Sense Metal, a basic blacksmithing skill. This skill allows you to sense metal in the world around you.”

“You have gained Class: Blacksmith skill ‘Forge Knowledge.’ ”

“Forge Knowledge, a basic blacksmithing skill. This skill allows you to gain and retain knowledge of the forge and what crafts you have already made.

“You have gained Class: Blacksmith skill ‘Work Metal.’ ”

“Work metal, a basic blacksmithing skill. This skill allows you to work and shape metal into any shape you can imagine.”

“You have gained Class: Blacksmith skill ‘Hammer Strike.’ ”

“Hammer Strike, a basic blacksmithing skill. This skill allows you to strike with your hammer with ease.”

“You have gained Class: Blacksmith skill ‘Resist heat.’ ” 

“Resist heat, a basic blacksmithing skill. This skill allows you to resist heat with some efficiency.”

Nice! I got all the same skills. That’s good. They haven’t changed them with whatever weird update they did to allow these blisters. Now I should get teleported to Oakford. 

Any second now. 

I stand there and wait for the teleport out of the tutorial zone. Seconds turn into minutes as time passes by without teleporting. 

“Well, that’s weird.”

I sit against a tree for support and pull up my HUD again. Huh, no alerts. Did I somehow miss the teleport when I passed out after fighting the Slime? Having no better idea and noticing the sun starting to set, I pull up my map to see how far Oakford is. Oakford should be on the eastern edge of The Forest of Beginnings. 

When I pull up my map to find Oakford, I let out a sigh of disappointment. Oh yeah, I’m not on my old character that I had done some exploration on. All I see on my map is my immediate surroundings and the clearing where I started. The fog of war covers everything else. 

Well, that could have been more helpful.

I stand back up and loudly sigh as I try to get my bearings. Thankfully the devs made the sun rise in the east and set in the west like in the real world; otherwise, this might be even more difficult than It already is going to be. 

I shiver slightly as the gentle breeze that always seems to be blowing in this forest turns cold as the sun begins to set. The beginner clothes I started with are all but tatters now after that evil little glob of hatred got done with them. Each spot where the slime hit me was directly exposed to the elements. 

“Better get started,” I say, hoping to get motivated.

It didn’t help, but I started to move away from the sun and check the time. 

“It is now 6:30 p.m.”

I checked to make sure I was heading east using the map. I minimized it and used it as a mini-map as I walked. I had no idea how far the spawn zone was from Oakford since everyone just teleported after completing the tutorial quest. Hopefully, it wasn’t too far, and I could make it in one night. I trudged through the forest, looking for signs of civilization or familiar land markers. For a moment, I thought of putting in my skill points to help with the chill in the air but thought better of it. I will put them in when I get to the Inn and can warm up.

Did it always feel this cold in the game before?

 There’s no way I would have remembered it if it was this cold. 

Maybe this is due to the pain limiters being at a hundred? 

I try to put my errant thoughts to rest and focus only on getting through the forest. It seems like I’ve been walking for hours. I look at my stamina bar, and it’s nearly depleted. So I decided to check it. 

“Current Stamina 4 out of a maximum of 23.”

I sit down to let my stamina recover and check the time to see how long I have been walking.

“It is now 7:52  p.m.” 

Wow, I’m this tired from walking for an hour and a half? 

While resting, I look out at the horizon and don’t see any light or other signs of a settlement. The sun has fully set now and is too dark to see. 

Do I keep walking, or do I stop here?

“I wish I had a fire,” I say dismissively.

“Skill Forge Knowledge activated.”

Things started to get highlighted in my HUD as possible fire starters. I had forgotten about that! Forge Knowledge gives you all the knowledge you need to work a forge, but it also gives you all the knowledge you need to make and light a forge! 

I gather some tinder and larger sticks, making little piles of them on the spot I decided was camp for the night. Next, I find some rocks that I think would make nice windbreaks and set them into a circle, creating a makeshift fire pit. I grab a rock that was highlighted as Flint on my HUD and inspect it.

“Flint, used in making crude tools or as a fire starter.”

This will be perfect! I take the flint back to my little campsite and set some tinder into my firepit. I’ve never done this before but I have watched some survival shows. I do what they always said to do and make what looks like it could be a bird's nest. I grab the flint and the remains of my sword. I hope this works. Everyone always calls it a flint and steel, and I have an iron sword. Well, it was an iron sword at one point. I know steel is just iron with a higher carbon content, so this might work. 

I strike the flint against my sword, and nothing happens.

“That’s not good.”  

I repeatedly strike the flint against my sword, trying different spots before becoming frustrated and throwing the flint down. The flint strikes against one of the rocks in the pit and produces a small spark. 

I look down in stunned disbelief as the spark lands on my tinder pile and begins to smolder. I quickly come to my senses and kneel before gently blowing on that precious little ember. It begins to smoke, and a small flame springs to life.

I did it! I made fire!

Before I get too excited, I feed the fire some small twigs to help it grow. Once I feel the fire is big enough, I provide it with larger sticks, enjoying its warmth. Now that the cold is starting to leave my body, something else begins to gnaw at my attention.

My stomach growls.

I am hungry.

Okay, this is starting to get too weird. 

Why am I hungry in the game? 

Is this some strange public test realm with survival mechanics turned on?

 Just what kind of bizarre immersion pod did that guy put me into? 

There’s nothing I can do about it now. I just need to sleep and deal with this tomorrow. I set some more wood on fire and get as comfortable as possible on the forest floor. It takes a bit, but finally, sleep does take me. I restlessly toss and turn as I have a nightmare while reliving getting shot.

I awake in a cold sweat looking around, confused for a moment. I’m still in the game. The fire is no more than a bed of embers in the rock circle. I exhale and see my breath before shivering. I toss in some more tinder and small sticks onto the embers hoping it will catch and heat me up. Luckily it does catch and begins to smoke. I lean down, shivering, and blow into it as carefully as possible. It takes a few attempts, but finally, a flame springs to life, and I warm my hands before grabbing a few more sticks. Once the fire is crackling loudly again, I let out a sigh of relief. 

“That’s nice.”

I bring up the time, hopeful that sunrise is minutes away.

“It is now 3:27 a.m.”

Dang that is not what I wanted to hear right now. Sunrise is still hours away, and my stomach is growling at me. I smack my lips, noticing how dry they are now. So I’m hungry and dehydrated while lost in the forest, great. I activate Forge Knowledge to try and see if any of these rocks would be good for sharpening my swo… dagger, I guess. My HUD highlights one as a possible option, so I grab it and go to work. No use in just sitting here miserable and feeling sorry for myself. 

I slowly begin to hone the edge of my dagger with the rock. It’s slow going without the proper tools, but I am starting to progress. I take a break to throw some more wood on the fire so that I can use the firelight to examine my new blade. When I hold it up in the light and examine it, I get a pop-up.

“You have successfully modified ‘Destroyed Beginners Iron Sword’ to ‘Rough Iron Dagger.’”

“You gain 32 EXP for successful modification.”

“EXP needed until next level up 177.”

Huh, that was unexpected. I examine my new Rough Iron Dagger.

“Item: ‘Rough Iron Dagger’ ”

“This Rough Iron Dagger was crafted by Mathew Marcos from Item: ‘Destroyed Beginners sword.’ ”

“Damage 1-3”

“Durability is currently 10 out of a maximum of 20.”

I hold up my new Rough Iron Dagger with a bright smile. I just finished my first craft, albeit in a wholly unexpected manner. Still, I did it. I made something as I held that dagger in the air. I notice some light reflecting from it. 

Did the sun come up while I was working on this?

It had! 

The sun is up. I can start to move again. I kick dirt into my fire's remains, ensuring it is out completely. I wouldn’t want to anger a certain bear. Once I’m sure the fire and the embers are out, I pick up my makeshift sharpening stone. I may end up needing it again with my luck. I start to make my way away from camp before going back and grabbing the flint and rock for another fire. I don’t plan on being in the forest for another night, but then again, I didn’t think I didn’t plan on it last night, either. 

I check my minimap to ensure I am heading east as I begin trudging through the forest again. It showed I was moving the right way, thankfully. I stretch out my arms and enjoy the little warmth the sun provides through the dense cover of the forest canopy. I felt good right now after completing my first craft. I still had no idea how far Oakford was, but being negative made no sense. Sure, I’m hungry and dehydrated, but that doesn’t matter. It’s only a game. 

I should try to find something to drink, at least. Most games with survival mechanics tend to have stamina penalties when you’re low on food and water. I listen for any sounds of water as I walk through the dense underbrush of the forest. I hear some bird songs and the chittering of squirrels but no water.

I sit once I notice my stamina bar drop to about a quarter of its maximum and rest. No sense in pushing myself if I don’t even know if I’m making any real progress. I take out my new Rough Iron dagger and use the stone to try and rough out some sort of point while my stamina regenerates. I managed to get a dull point on it by the time my stamina had fully restored. 

“You have successfully upgraded item: ‘Rough Iron Dagger.’ ”

“Item: ‘Rough Iron Dagger’ now ‘Dull Iron Dagger’

“You gain 5 EXP for a successful upgrade.”

“EXP needed until next level up 172.”

Nice, I managed to upgrade my dagger slightly. I examine my freshly upgraded dagger.

“Item: ‘Dull Iron Dagger.’ ”

“This ‘Dull Iron Dagger’ was upgraded by Matthew Marcos from ‘Rough Iron Dagger’ ”

“Damage 2-5”

“Durability is currently 9 out of a maximum of 20.”

That’s a decent upgrade for not having the right tools. I put the stone away and keep the dagger in hand in case I need it. I stand up and let out a soft sigh. Today would be beautiful if I weren't stuck in a forest.

I dust myself off and wince slightly when I accidentally brush over one of my slime blisters. Those still sting so much, even with full health. This new mechanic is going to be frustrating to get used to. It’s too close to real life. I play games to get away from reality. I shake my head and continue going through the forest, looking for signs of buildings or something to signify I might be getting close to Oakford. 

Still nothing, great.

I also listen for water as my thirst is starting to get to me. I hear the faintest of trickles off in the distance and stop. I put my hands to my ears as I turn my head, trying to determine which direction the water is in. It’s off to my left, which should be north, I think. I head in the direction where I hear the water. It only takes me only a matter of minutes, and there it is, a slow-moving creek. I found fresh, well, fresh enough water.

When I reach the water's edge, I drop my dagger down beside me and kneel. I cup my hands in the water and bring it to my mouth, where I take a long drink. The water is cold and refreshing on my lips. I sighed in relief before taking two more handfuls of water and drinking them. Once I feel like I have consumed enough, I sit back and let my body relax briefly as my stamina bar refills. I can still feel the hunger gnawing at my gut, but it doesn’t hurt as bad now that I have some water.

I stand up as my stamina reaches its maximum and stretch my body. Why do I feel so stiff? This new update is really starting to wear on me. I look at the creek and notice it flows east from here. Maybe this feeds into the river that Oakford is next to. With no better idea, I decide to follow it for now. As I walk, I notice some fish swimming in the river and wish I had a way to catch one. I know I can start a fire to cook it. It’s the catching that I’m unsure of.

I decided to try it anyway. I roll up the legs of my near-destroyed pants and wade into the creek. It feels like ice on my legs, and a shiver goes up my spine. I walk calmly into the frigid water doing my best not to spook the fish. I notice one that might be a decent enough meal, then grab a rock from under the water slowly. I ensure I haven’t spooked the fish and throw the stone at its head. 

I missed.

Of course, I would miss it, and now all the fish are spooked. I get out of the water, frustrated with myself, and fix my pants. I really could have used that food. Hopefully, Oakford isn’t much further if I’m going the right way. 

Once I have dried for a while, I follow the creek for a few more hours before taking another break for some water. It is still cold and refreshing. I splash some on my face to clean the sweat off. Sweating in a game was completely unnecessary, even if they added a survival mechanic to the game. Just what were the devs thinking when they decided to do this?

After washing my face, I looked up and saw the unmistakable outline of a village. I had made it. There’s a village only a few miles away! I quickly get up and start to make my way towards the village. I hope it’s Oakford. As I begin to move towards the village, I hear a growling.

I know I’m hungry, but that’s seemed excessive even to me. I stopped briefly and touched my stomach to quiet it down. 

“We’re almost there,” I said assuringly to my stomach.

I hear the growling again, but it’s behind me. No way my stomach is right here. Why is it growling behind me? I turn around just in time to accidentally dodge a pounce from a scrawny wolf. The wolf lands in the creek's water and hits its snout on a rock.

It wasn’t my stomach that was growling after all. It was this wolf. Poor little thing must have lost its pack. It looked scrawny and starved. In its eyes, I could tell it thought I was an easy meal. I check it for its level and health.

“Ravenous Young Wolf”

 “Level 3”

“Health 50 out of a maximum of 50.” 

That is not good. It has more health than me, and it’s a higher level. It’s ravenous, though, so maybe it won’t be thinking straight. Though I’m pretty hungry myself, and my mind is a bit muddled. I draw my new dagger and take a defensive posture. The wolf turns, shaking its head from its impact on the rock. It lunges again, and I move my dagger to gouge its side. It manages to get its teeth into the flesh of my shoulder briefly before the dagger does enough damage to get it to release.

I can feel the blood trickling down my arm, and it stings badly. I can deal with this pain. It’s not like the caustic burning of the slime acid. The wolf snarls from the wound in its side and bares its teeth at me. I take the initiative this time and charge at the wolf. I swing my dagger at its neck, but it manages to move its head out of the way. I score only a glancing blow on its side again. Before it can turn, I manage to score a slice along its hind leg.

The wolf reels on me and snaps its maw closed on my leg before shaking violently. I screamed in pain and brought my dagger down on its back, repeatedly trying to get it to release my leg.

“Die, you stupid wolf!” I scream out through ragged breaths as my HUD begins to flash red. 

I strike down once more before I collapse to the ground. The wolf is still not letting go even though its back is a bloody mess of stabs, wounds, and cuts. My vision fades black for the second time in as many days. 

I hope this doesn’t keep happening.

As I black out, I notice that the wolf has sprouted some new interesting quills on its back. I fall onto my back and see a figure running up to me, screaming something.

“You have killed ‘Ravenous Young Wolf.’

“You have gained 10 EXP.”

“EXP needed until next level up 162.”

The world fades around me as I see what could only be an angel standing over me, speaking hurried words that I can’t quite make out. Well, that’s cool. They added angels to the game when you died. I wonder where I’ll respawn. Most likely, I’ll respawn back in the clearing. That’s not too bad; at least my map will show me where I’ve already been so I can return to the village I found more easily.