The glow faded, the leaves rustling back and forth from the shockwave calmed down and the fire was all but dissipated in the distance. I fell back speechless on the mossy rock sprawled out. It was an experience I never had before, and I was taking it all in. Somehow, I felt more in control of my situation and had a bit less fear.

  Maybe I wasn’t so screwed out here.

  The PocketPal was buzzing in my hand even after I collected the rewards. I looked down at it with an almost unfazed stare.

  I guess there was still more to look at.

  [ YOU ARE NOW LEVEL 1] >

  The notification coming from an old tiny device like the PocketPal was almost comical. No loud trumpets or horns, no flashy lights; just a little 8-bit jingle ear worm that was now stuck in my head. I felt a rush of endorphins throughout my body and for a moment; I felt like I had everything under control.

  Did I just…. level up?

  It was all starting to make sense; the instant regeneration, the quest completion prompts, rewards. Any man in his mid-thirties knew video game mechanics when he saw them, and I was seeing them.

  The Pocketpal was buzzing again, letting me know there was more to go through.

  [ Map Locations Unlocked // Time Survived Unlocked // New Quest Unlocked] >

  Not even bothering to question how this device had all this new stuff programmed on it, I moved to more important things, like finally learning where I was. I clicked the fourth button on the PocketPal.

  [ Planet: Novar // Region: Genesis Isle] >

  I saw Genesis Isle before but now I was finally able to confirm I wasn’t on Earth. Sure, the weird looking flowers that had pools of sap in them and the massive beetle the size of a German Shepherd kind of gave that away, but this all but confirmed it. A wave of relief was combating one of fear as I now knew I wasn’t home.

  Welcome to Novar I guess…

  I clicked the fourth button again.

  [Time Survived: 6H:23M:57S]

  I’ve only been here for six and a half hours, but more things have happened in that time than in the last 5 years of my life.

  I wanted to feel scared and hopeless; to grieve at the incalculable distance I was from Franki—and even Donny. I wanted to lie down and hope this was all a bad dream.

  But the sensation of leveling up wouldn’t let me. It surged through me like wildfire. I was fighting to tame it, and there was a confidence riding alongside it that I couldn’t even put into words.

  It felt amazing.

  And it was addicting.

  If this is what power felt like, then I wanted more.

  I moved to the next screen ready to see what else this planet had in store for me.

  [ Find the tool that will help shape your path]

  It was a basic riddle but given the circumstances I was in; the next logical step was getting something to defend myself with.

  A tool, like a weapon?

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  I started to think about all the video games I played where I could pick what I wanted to be. Some of my favorite memories were storming dungeons as a warrior with a weapon in each hand, bashing down enemies in front of me before my teammates could even join the fray. But other times I wanted to play a sneaky assassin type and attack from the shadows before my enemies could even see me. My old life was dangerously slipping away as I was imagining this new life on Novar.

  I snapped my fingers and rummaged through my other pockets and pulled out a folding pocketknife. I fearlessly pointed it forward and mimed stabbing motions viciously at the defenseless humid air.

  So, something like this, huh?

  …Nothing.

  Hmmm guess that’s not it. Kinda small for some killer weapon anyways, I guess.

  I figured since I pulled out the knife, I had some more moments to see what else I had.

  I went through my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. I looked at it in pity and turned it around a couple times; the corners were slightly charred while the whole wallet was damp from being in the water before.

  Don’t really think I’ll be needing to worry about my debts any time soon.

  I put it away in my pants, still trying to hold on to the mission that I would one day need it again. I finally pulled out my small flashlight—the one I used during service to check how clean my stations were. This was going to come in hand-

  …aaaand I forgot to charge it, per usual.

  The flashlight was still working but just a little. Though daylight still, you could see the amount of charge left on the light where the indicator was by the button. I figured I’d get about four to five good uses with it before it died. I shrugged,

  Even fading light has value here.

  I looked up to see that the sun was waning as well. The flashlight was definitely going to come in handy within the next few hours and I needed to make it count.

  Finishing up my inventory, I noticed the euphoria of the level up was waning. My desire for instinct and awareness was increasing and I was more aware of my surroundings. Distant chirps and caws were polluting the vicinity, leaves shifting in the distance, and soft groans were echoing about.

  These sounds made me feel uneasy, but with my revelations of my current situation, I figured I had a fighting chance.

  Something happens to me; I can just heal and maybe stomp the beasts down just like I did that bug.

  The air was getting cooler as the sun was lowering.

  Fuck, I durdled for too long. I gotta get out of here.

  I knew I had to decide on what to do next. I couldn’t just stay in this part of the forest forever, out in the open like this I was a sitting duck.

  Relying on any hints or queues, I clicked on the fourth button again on the PocketPal.

  [ Find the tool that will help shape your path]

  I needed to go somewhere I could find a weapon, I knew that much. But I just didn’t know where that could be. I looked at the river in front of me and felt clearer in my thinking and decision-making skills.

  Maybe the quest can wait, I’m sure there’s other people like me out here that are trying to do the same things. Maybe I should find them first and we can group together.

  I was impressed with my plan and strained that thinking muscle once more on which way I should go.

  Going downriver might be a good idea; at some point I’d have to find people considering this looks like a fresh source of water.

  As I finished considering what I should do, up in the distance, a signal was looming over the trees and getting bigger.

  It was smoke again.

  Another fire?

  No, this smoke was different; it looked straight, thin, and most importantly controlled. My heart raced as I figured I found possibly a camp or group of people that I could join. I imagined what it would be like if I could act as a leader of sorts as a warrior and save us all from this prehistoric planet.

  Figuring this was the best thing to do I stopped and looked at the stream. With my mouth still dry from today’s activities I considered how far my healing abilities would go.

  Couldn’t hurt right?

  I leaned over and started slurping from the river. Water slapped me in the face as I drank but I didn’t stop. It was clean tasting with a little metal after taste. It was better than drinking out of a hose. I wiped my face and looked towards the escalating smoke.

  Maybe they have some food, I’m starving.

  With my gear check behind me, a new lease on confidence, and a head full of delusions, I started pacing toward the smoke.

  But just before I stepped into the darkening forest—drawn by that clean, man-made plume—I caught a whiff of something in the air.

  At first, it was ashy.

  Then it turned thick. Sharp. Copper-like.

  I paused. Took another breath.

  Meh, just another weird smell from this planet

  I snorted at the name Novar, kept walking. The distance of the smoke told me I wasn’t too far.

  A cocky smirk was glued to my face—completely unaware of what was waiting ahead for me.