C5 Chapter 4 – The First Night
The glowing eyes did not blink.
They simply watched.
Aiden tightened his grip on the wooden branch.
His heartbeat echoed in his ears.
"I don't know what they are..."
"...and I don't know if they attack alone."
Running into the forest at night was a terrible idea.
He slowly stepped backward toward his newly built shelter without taking his eyes off the darkness.
The yellow eyes followed every movement.
Then...
They disappeared.
Aiden didn't relax.
Predators didn't always attack immediately.
Sometimes...
They waited.
---
The last light of the sun vanished below the horizon.
Darkness covered the island.
Only the moonlight reflected on the calm ocean.
Ding!
A new notification appeared.
---
Night Survival
Time Remaining:
11 Hours 47 Minutes
Advice:
- Stay near a safe shelter.
- Avoid unnecessary combat.
- Fire scares away some creatures.
---
"Fire..."
Aiden looked around.
"I don't even know how to make one."
Back on Earth, he had watched survival videos.
Actually making a fire without modern tools was a different story.
He searched through the stones he had collected.
One of them looked harder than the others.
"Let's hope this works."
He gathered dry grass, small twigs, and thin branches.
Then he struck two stones together.
Clack!
Nothing.
Again.
Clack!
Still nothing.
Minutes passed.
His hands became sore.
Sweat rolled down his forehead despite the cool night air.
Finally...
Spark!
A tiny orange spark landed on the dry grass.
Aiden quickly leaned down and blew gently.
A thin thread of smoke rose.
"Come on..."
"Come on..."
The smoke grew thicker.
Then—
Whoosh!
A small flame appeared.
"It's burning!"
Aiden carefully added more dry twigs.
Soon, a small campfire stood in front of his shelter.
Warm orange light pushed back the darkness.
Ding!
Achievement Unlocked!
First Fire Lit
Rewards:
- Survival Points +10
- Collection Book Updated
New Entry
- Campfire
Aiden smiled.
"At least I won't freeze tonight."
---
He sat beside the fire and looked at the ocean.
The peaceful waves almost made him forget where he was.
Then...
A rustling sound came from the bushes.
Rustle...
Rustle...
Something was moving.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Aiden stood up.
The wooden branch felt very small in his hands.
A small gray creature stepped into the firelight.
It looked like a rabbit.
But it was much larger than any rabbit he had ever seen.
Its front teeth were as long as a knife.
Its red eyes reflected the flames.
Ding!
---
Monster Discovered
Name: Fang Rabbit
Rank: F
Level: 2
Danger: Low
Weakness: Unknown
Collection Progress:
1/???
---
"So..."
"They really are monsters."
The Fang Rabbit sniffed the air.
It looked at Aiden.
Then at the fire.
It hesitated.
For several long seconds, neither side moved.
Finally...
The rabbit turned around and hopped back into the darkness.
Aiden let out the breath he had been holding.
"It doesn't want to come near the fire."
"So the System's advice was true."
---
The night grew quieter.
Aiden sat inside his shelter, feeding small branches into the fire every so often.
He didn't dare fall asleep.
Instead, he thought about everything that had happened.
One day ago...
He had been worrying about finding a job.
Now...
His biggest concern was surviving until sunrise.
Life had changed too quickly.
He looked up at the stars.
They were beautiful.
But...
They were unfamiliar.
None of the constellations from Earth were there.
"This really isn't Earth anymore..."
As those words left his mouth...
The System spoke once more.
[Hidden Observation Recorded.]
You noticed the world's unfamiliar stars.
Reward: Knowledge EXP +1
Aiden blinked in surprise.
"So..."
"Even paying attention to the world has value."
He smiled faintly.
Maybe...
His greatest weapon in this new world wouldn't be strength.
It would be his curiosity.
Far away, beyond the endless sea...
A giant shadow moved beneath the water.
Its glowing blue eyes slowly opened.
The first night...
Had only just begun.
