Chaptwr 4: 

"I suppose if I needed absolute proof that I was no longer in my world, this was it. A level system. I remained frozen for several seconds, observing the semi-transparent panels that had appeared before my eyes.

'Sharp-clawed Bat…' I murmured the name that was displayed.

Was that the name of that bat? It also says it's level 1, does that mean there will be higher levels of monsters outside this cave? Will I have to face them too?

And that smoke my body absorbed, what was it?

Somehow, I noticed that my exhaustion had eased after absorbing that strange smoke.

Was it the soul of that creature? Did I absorb the soul of a monster and gain exp points?

Many questions arose in my head.

But all of them were relegated to the background when I observed the last message.

[Main Tutorial Quest: You must survive 360 days to complete the tutorial.]

My gaze couldn't move away from that message.

I finally got clues about where I was.

Apparently…

…

… It looks like I'm in a tutorial.

Yes, a tutorial just like in a damn game.

That's what the message said, and I don't think it was lying to me.

And to complete the tutorial, I must survive for 360 days.

After that, what will happen?

What will happen next?

Will I be able to return home after completing the tutorial?

Or will I end up going to a place more screwed up than the current one?

I wanted to ask the system.

'W-What happens if I complete the tutorial?'

My voice trembled.

But I received no answer.

I changed my words and uttered something else.

'Status'

And this time, it worked, and a new panel opened before me.

==

Name: Ethan

Lv: 0 (Uninitiated) [Request: 5 / 100 ]

Exp: +5

Skill: Unload

==

I checked my status panel where all my stats were displayed, and little by little, I began to understand the mechanics of what was before my eyes.

There's no doubt about it, it's a game system.

While I was observing, my foot stepped on the tip of the dead bat's wing on the ground, and immediately another notification sound was heard.

Ding!

Do you wish to LOOT the corpse?

[Yes / No]

Loot?

I took my foot off the bat's corpse, and the panel vanished into the air. When I put it back, the same panel reappeared.

Do you wish to LOOT the corpse?

[Yes / No]

I guess I can only loot a body if I'm in contact with it.

I pressed 'Yes', and immediately, a loading bar appeared along with a message.

[Wait time to complete Loot – 10 seconds]

[10%…

…25%…… 40%

…76%

……91%……

………100%]

[Congratulations, you have completed your first LOOT]

[You have obtained — Common Scroll: Viper Steps —! It will be saved in your inventory.]

[+5 Bonus Exp for your first loot]

After the 10-second wait, several new messages appeared to me.

Common scroll? What is this?

And I also have an inventory?

I wanted to open the inventory to check, but while I was playing with the system panels, I felt a sudden sensation of alarm and danger.

My danger instinct reacted quickly, and my body almost automatically dropped to the ground, feeling a cold, sharp rush of wind pass over my head. Something had passed just centimeters above me.

When I looked up, I saw what that something was.

Another giant bat had appeared!

Oh, shit.

If I hadn't ducked at that moment, that bat would have sliced my head off.

My whole body shuddered at this idea.

My face was pale as I felt cold sweat on my back.

Fuck!

Where the hell did it come from!?

I couldn't understand how there was another bat.

That doubt arose in my head, but the bat was not going to give me time to think. The giant bat flapped its wings, blowing away several planters with the gust it caused, and quickly lunged in my direction with its sharp claws aimed at my chest.

In a hurry, I raised my spear and clashed against the bat's sharp claws.

The bat let out an enraged shriek, while I felt the spear almost fly out of my hands due to the blow.

Luckily for me, the bat retreated.

But the next moment, I felt a wind coming from my right side.

I threw myself onto the ground, dodging a cold slash that grazed my back and tore my shirt, leaving a not-very-deep but painful bloody line. I growled at the bloody cut as I watched another enormous bat appear in the air.

Another one!

I clenched my teeth at the horror of the situation.

I'm not going to be able to beat both of them.

And I still don't know where they're coming from, nor do I know if there's a third bat, or even more.

My chances of winning were disastrous, so I chose the wisest option.

I have to run!

I have to run, and NOW!

I jumped off the ground and ran towards the hole in the greenhouse. I dodged a third attack from one of the bats and left the greenhouse. I didn't stop my feet as I ran through the humid and cold interior of the cave. The ground was so uneven that my steps were poor, and I almost fell a couple of times, but I managed to keep running while listening to the shrieks of the giant bats behind me.

After running through the cave's interior for several seconds, little by little the dark and humid environment became drier, and the darkness began to fade.

In the distance, a glimmer began to be glimpsed.

It was the exit!

The brightness of the exit was so intense that my eyes seemed to burn.

Ugh!

In the time I was trapped in the greenhouse, my sight had become accustomed to the darkness. Seeing sunlight now was like staring directly at the sun. My eyes seemed to sting with the intense brightness of the exit; as best as I could, I squinted while continuing to run, without stopping for a second.

The brightness of the exit became bigger and more intense.

Meanwhile, the shadows, the darkness, and the cold and humid environment of the cave dissolved before the heat of the sun entering through the exit hole.

When I finally reached the exit, the brightness completely overwhelmed my sight.

I made it! … I managed to escape!

I finally got out of the cave!

But…

When I took a step outside the cave, and was consumed by the intense brightness, my feet lost contact with the ground.

Huh?

The next moment, my view spun 90 degrees, and I fell downwards.

A hard impact against the earth followed.

And then… my whole body began to roll down the hill.

I couldn't stop myself.

I kept rolling, hitting myself and suffering scrapes everywhere.

Dust rose with my fall."