A Bug In Fate

The skeleton remained motionless.

After waiting several seconds, Alden cautiously poked it with a nearby branch. Nothing happened. Unsatisfied, he poked it again, this time with a little more force.

Still nothing.

Only then did he relax slightly.

"I’ve read enough novels to know that trusting your eyes is a terrible idea."

Stepping closer, he waved a hand in front of the skeleton’s empty eye sockets.

"Hey."

Silence.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

The skeleton continued demonstrating an impressive commitment to being dead.

Alden nodded.

"Good. Just checking."

Now that he was reasonably certain the skeleton wasn’t about to rise and chase him through the forest, his attention shifted toward the saber resting beside it.

The weapon was old, but not nearly as damaged as he expected. Rust covered parts of the blade, and several small chips lined the edge, yet compared to the sticks and branches he had been using until now, it looked magnificent.

For a moment, Alden simply stared at it.

Then he picked it up.

The weight felt unfamiliar in his hand, but there was something reassuring about holding an actual weapon. Even in his previous world, a blade naturally felt more reliable than a random tree branch.

A grin slowly appeared on his face.

"Finally."

After days of fighting monsters with sticks, rocks, and questionable life choices, he finally had a proper weapon.

"Most people get one in their starter pack, though."

Alden swung the saber a few times before quickly deciding that he looked far cooler in his imagination than in reality.

Still, a weapon was a weapon.

At the very least, he wouldn’t need to punch monsters anymore.

That alone felt like a major upgrade.

Satisfied, he returned his attention to the skeleton and noticed the worn leather bag lying nearby.

Naturally, Alden approached it with expectations that could only be described as unreasonable.

His imagination immediately began running wild.

A cultivation manual.

A legendary inheritance.

A secret technique capable of splitting mountains.

Maybe even an ancient ring containing the soul of a powerful expert.

The possibilities seemed endless.

The reality was considerably less exciting.

Inside the bag rested a weathered journal and a folded piece of paper in poor condition.

Alden stared.

The bag stared back.

"Guess the saying is true."

He sighed dramatically.

"The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment."

Still, a journal was better than nothing.

Finding information in a completely unknown world was arguably more valuable than treasure.

Settling down beside the skeleton, Alden opened the journal and began flipping through its pages.

Unfortunately, time had not been kind.

Most of the pages were either torn apart, stained beyond recognition, or simply too damaged to read. Only a handful remained intact enough to reveal their contents.

The first readable page didn’t contain anything particularly useful.

Day 7.

Still no sign of the herb the chief requested. At this point, I’m beginning to suspect the old man invented it just to get rid of me.

Alden blinked.

"...Fair enough."

Turning another page, he continued reading.

Day 11.

Saw another Twin-Horn Deer today. Beautiful creatures. Unfortunately, beauty doesn’t fill an empty stomach.

The following entries were similarly mundane. Most described travel, hunting, and complaints about being lost. The unknown writer seemed surprisingly normal for someone exploring a magical forest.

Eventually, however, Alden found an entry that made him sit up straight.

Day 19.

The village chief’s warning was not exaggerated.

The western mountains are far more dangerous than I imagined. Several Rupture-class monsters have established territories there, and rumors speak of Ascendant beasts roaming the deeper regions.

Alden immediately committed that information to memory.

He had no idea what Rupture or Ascendant meant, but he wasn’t stupid. The warning existed for a reason.

Whatever those creatures were, they were clearly dangerous.

"Understood."

He nodded seriously.

"I wasn’t planning to go there before, and I’m definitely not planning to go there now."

In fact, if a monster ever chased him toward the western mountains, Alden intended to run in literally any other direction.

His survival instincts were excellent when properly motivated.

As he continued reading, a strange thought suddenly entered his mind.

Alden froze.

The symbols written throughout the journal were completely unfamiliar. He had never seen this language before in his life.

In fact, he was absolutely certain of it.

Then why could he read it?

The realization hit him immediately.

Alden slowly lowered the journal.

"...Wait."

A familiar notification appeared before his eyes.

═══════════════════════

[ Due to exposure to a foreign language, the Apex Evolution Body has activated. ]

[ Unique Ability Acquired ]

[ Universal Comprehension ]

═══════════════════════

Alden’s eyes widened.

"Oh!"

For the second time since arriving in this world, he felt genuinely grateful for his physique.

Without hesitation, he focused on the notification.

═══════════════════════

Universal Comprehension

Rank: Unique

Description:

The Apex Evolution Body continuously adapts to unfamiliar environments.

Upon sufficient exposure, foreign languages can be analyzed and understood. Repeated contact accelerates comprehension and eventually allows communication.

Current Level: Basic

Effects:

• Read simple foreign languages.

• Understand basic written information.

• Limited spoken language comprehension.

═══════════════════════

Alden read the description twice before a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"My second ability."

It wasn’t flashy. It couldn’t destroy mountains or freeze oceans.

But it was useful.

Extremely useful.

After all, what good was surviving in another world if he couldn’t understand anyone living in it?

Feeling considerably better about his future prospects, Alden returned his attention to the bag.

The folded paper caught his eye.

Carefully unfolding it, he discovered that it wasn’t a note at all.

It was a map.

Well... part of a map.

Several corners had been damaged, and portions of the drawing were missing entirely, but enough remained to be useful.

For the first time since arriving in this world, Alden wasn’t looking at another monster, another giant tree, or another mystery.

He was looking at a path forward.

A rough compass occupied the upper corner of the page, marking the four cardinal directions. Rivers, mountains, valleys, and several other landmarks had been drawn across the parchment.

Most importantly, near the eastern side of the map was a small symbol resembling a cluster of houses.

A village.

Civilization.

People.

Alden stared at the symbol longer than he cared to admit.

For days, the Evernight Forest had felt endless.

Now, for the first time, it had an exit.

The map wasn’t complete, and he still had no idea where he currently was, but it was enough to give him hope.

That alone made it priceless.

After carefully folding the map and placing both it and the journal inside the bag, Alden rose to his feet.

The sky above remained as dark as ever, illuminated only by the distant glow of the twin moons.

Tomorrow, he would begin planning his journey east.

For now, however, there was something far more important.

Food.

Carrying his newly acquired saber and the bag over one shoulder, Alden returned to his shelter.

The chameleon meat was waiting for him.

Using the same primitive method he had practiced over the past few days, he soon managed to start a fire and roast several pieces of meat over the flames.

The aroma immediately exceeded his expectations.

When he finally took a bite, Alden froze.

The meat was delicious.

Not merely edible.

Actually delicious.

Tender, juicy, and surprisingly flavorful.

For several moments he simply sat there chewing in silence.

Then suspicion appeared on his face.

"This is way too good."

He spent the next few minutes wondering whether he had somehow poisoned himself before eventually concluding that the monster simply tasted amazing.

Either that or several days of survival food had completely destroyed his standards.

Only time would tell.

After finishing his meal, Alden performed a few light exercises before storing his belongings and settling down inside the hollow tree.

His body still ached from the battle earlier, but the exhaustion felt strangely satisfying.

Today, he had gained a weapon.

A useful ability.

And most importantly, a destination.

For the first time since arriving in this world, he wasn’t simply surviving one day at a time.

He was moving toward something.

With that thought in mind, Alden closed his eyes.

Tomorrow would be a big day.

And before long, sleep claimed him.

Chapter End

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