Lukas stood butt-naked in a glade, out in the middle of nowhere. He had decided to ignore the fact that his understanding of reality was crumbling all around him and focus on something else. He had far more pressing matters to attend to, like finding clothes and people. Once he was in a less precarious position, he would turn his attention to the other strange things happening around him. Until that time, however; he would simply shove it all deep down and concentrate on surviving.

  Lukas nodded to himself. “Pants,” he muttered, to himself half delirious. Turning in a circle, he surveyed the glade and surrounding wilderness, seeing no signs of life. There were no foot trails, paths, or any sign of civilization, “Where am I going to find pants?”

  Looking up at the sun, he guessed there was about half-an-hour until high noon. Using the sun’s position in the sky, he was able to roughly determine which way was east and which way was west. With that, Lukas decided he would go east. Why east? To be honest, there was no real reason, but knowing which direction he was going gave him a small sense of control.

  With that in mind, he considered what he should look for. Obviously, any signs of people would be helpful, whether that be a road, bridge, or even a telephone pole. Yes, he thought he was still on Earth ignoring what some stupid fucking boxes said about dimensional travel.

  Another thing he would keep an eye out for was smoke. If he caught sight of any, he would head straight for it. Lukas just hoped that whoever he might come across wouldn’t shoot him for being in the nude.

  Lukas would also be on the lookout for a stream or river. If he found one, he could follow it until he came across a town. Maybe he’d even find tracks of some kind and be able to follow them.

  The hope was to find people before nightfall. If it got late enough into the evening and he was sure he wouldn’t find anyone, he would have to look for a place to spend the night. Preferably somewhere that would offer him a way to cover himself. Hell, he’d even use a carpet of moss as a makeshift kilt if he had to. He just felt too exposed and vulnerable while naked.

  Feeling determined, terrified, and mentally fragile Lukas nodded and headed eastward. It didn’t take long for him to realize just how uncomfortable that was. With each step, the tall grass scratched and poked at the soft undersides of his feet while brushing his unmentionables. Covering himself with his hands, Lukas hastened his steps in order to get out of the grass faster. Wincing with each foot fall, he prayed he’d escape without encountering any hidden snakes.

  Out of the grassy glade, the terrain shifted beneath him, from prickly grass to a forest floor littered with pine needles, cones, and sharp stones. Not much of an improvement, but at least he no longer had grass tickling his nether regions.

  Scampering over to the nearest tree, Lukas decided it might be a good idea to examine it. He had done some research on different types of trees and their uses while planning the construction of his cabin. While he wasn’t an expert or a Boy Scout, Lukas was sure he could identify whatever trees he found himself surrounded by.

  Placing a hand on the monolithic conifer, he instantly realized it wasn’t any tree he knew of. At least, it wasn’t one you’d find anywhere near where he lived. A fact that didn’t help his fraying sanity. Where exactly had he been taken?

  The tree had slight swirls in its bark, and Lukas got the impression they weren’t just some random natural formation that had appeared by chance, but something with purpose. Then there was the scent of pine—it was far from natural and seemed to reach his soul. On top of that, there was a strange feeling he got the closer he was to the trunk. It was hard to describe and unlike anything he’d ever felt before. It felt like there was a small twinge at the back of his mind, as if he were connected to the tree in some way.

  Unable to discern what it was, Lukas forced himself to shrug it off and forgot about it. The tree was just another sign that his grip on reality was slipping. He still had too many questions and no way to answer them at the moment—not that he really wanted answers right now. No, survival came first. He needed to find a way out of the forest before figuring things out.

  Pulling his attention from the strange tree, Lukas continued his journey to the east. He had no doubt in his mind that this was going to be a slog, trying to keep himself together as the hours ticked by. There were a few positives, though. First, the tall conifers offered great protection from the sun, meaning he’d likely escape a sunburn. Secondly, apart from the occasional bush, there was little to no foliage on the forest floor, making the path forward relatively clear and unobstructed.

  The first hour passed easily and without interruption. Lukas would occasionally look up to the sky to make sure he was going the right way, but with the sun at high noon, it wasn’t easy to determine what direction was straight east. He stopped for a while and simply observed his surroundings, taking in the unfamiliar sound of the birds, the colors of the occasional strange looking wildflower, and the fresh scent of the forest. It reminded him of what he loved about nature, how tranquil and peaceful it could be—so long as he ignored how alien it all was. It also reminded him of his new senses.

  Now that he could truly experience the world the same way everyone else did, he took nothing for granted. Although he was still very aware that he was naked and wandering through an unknown forest god knows where, Lukas found himself quite enjoying the sights and sounds all around him.

  When noon came and went, Lukas began moving again, this time walking with his back to the sun as it began its descent toward the horizon. He went on like that for hours, and after a while, he noticed something peculiar. Even after walking under the sun’s heat all day, he wasn’t hungry or thirsty. A small part of his brain remembered his Steel Gut ability and what it supposedly did. Despite how much he wanted to avoid thinking about all the weird stuff that had happened, Lukas couldn’t help but wonder how long he had before food and water would be a concern.

  He didn’t get much time to ponder those questions, as he finally stumbled across something after walking all day.

  Far off in the distance, Lukas could see something orange and red glittering. Dozens of smaller trees still stood in the way, blocking most of it, but he could make out a shimmer. He prayed it was a fire, hoping that he’d finally found people in this godforsaken forest.

  Picking up his pace to a run, Lukas dashed through the trees, making more noise than he probably should, and drawing blood from his bare feet. The rocks and pine cones lay around tearing and puncturing the skin of his arches. He didn’t care. Clothes and answers—that’s all he wanted right now, more than anything else in the world.

  But as he rounded the base of the largest tree he’d seen so far, he froze. His heart dropped, and he stood rooted in place, gripped by a primal fear.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Before him lay a massive mound of orange and red scales, as big as a box truck. With each subtle breeze, the branches swayed, and the shifting sunlight made the scales shimmer and shine like a raging fire. Streaks of what appeared to be dried blood marred the body, running down the scales in multiple places.The body lay motionless, and the stench made it clear that whatever it was was dead.

  Lukas could only stand there, shocked at what lay before him. “Is this a dragon? What the hell!” he yelled. Then, almost like a label, a screen appeared above the creature.

  Drakon of Embers - Level 38

  Lukas could only gape at the new box. There was too much going on no matter how much he wanted to ignore it all. First all the strange screens popping up out of nowhere, then the weird whimsical trees and flowers, and now an actual fucking dragon. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't ignore it all, there was just too much.

  There was no explaining any of it away, Lukas had no answers. The only thing he could think of to explain it all was that he was actually in another dimension. An admission that threatened to give him heart palpitations, even without considering the ramifications of such a thing. But how else was any of this possible?

  Despite his fear, Lukas summoned his courage. There was one way to know for sure. If this was a real dragon and not just some prop it would have real flesh and blood. For all he knew the blood on the scale was fake and the dragon was made of foam and pretty scales. If it was real then it all was, and he was really somewhere far from home.

  Part of him didn’t want the answer, but he had to know. For his own sanity.

  Every instinct Lukas had screamed at him to run away as fast as he could and never look back, but he approached. Every sense told him it was real, but he wouldn’t trust them so easily, not after everything else today.

  Rounding the other side of the beast, Lukas took in its full glory, carefully inspecting the massive wounds that marred the entire corpse. Its neck was long, as long as the body and almost as thick, leading to a regal head. It was sharp and angular from the jaw all the way to the top of its head, where two horns jutted out, pointing straight back. The legs were huge, thick, muscular, and long, as if made for running. Its feet resembled those of an iguana or bearded dragon, looking more like long-fingered hands with obsidian-black claws big enough to dig trenches. Then there was the tail—long as the body and neck combined—perfectly designed for crushing and swatting its enemies. Though one thing was missing. The wings. There didn’t appear to be any wound on its back, so they weren't cut off or stolen, they just weren’t there.

  Lukas hesitantly looked at the identification again. “Are drakons different from dragons? Do they look different? Is it just that drakons don’t have wings?”

  Shaking his head free of unimportant questions, Lukas refocused. Stepping closer, as though approaching a sleeping animal, Lukas looked at some of the many gashes and cuts that marred the beast. Even though the fetid stench of rotting flesh assaulted his nose and burned at his eyes, he shoved his hands into the wounds. Slimy cold flesh met his touch, giving to his probing touch, proving it was real.

  The blood drained from Lukas’ face as the realization hit him, “It’s real, fuck it’s real. Why is it real? Why am I here? What’s going on?”

  Having touched the body, a new prompt appeared:

  You are unable to loot a monster that you did not kill or assist in killing.

  “Huh?” Lukas muttered, stepping back from the corpse.

  That was when he remembered the racial ability that was supposed to let him loot dead creatures, and scowled.

  “Well, thanks for letting me know and giving me another box to deal with,” he cursed.

  Taking an irritated step back, he wiped his blood covered hand on his bare thigh with a grimace. He was on the verge of going on a rant, lamenting everything that was happening to him, when something else caught his attention. From the corner of his eye, Lukas noticed a glimmer of light off to the side. It wasn’t the gleam of the red and orange scales but something metallic.

  Looking toward the source, Lukas went over to investigate. Near the base of a tree, about 20 meters from the drakon, lay a sword. It was double-edged and had a basic rectangular crossguard, with a leather-bound hilt and a small ball acting as the pommel. It was the first sword Lukas had ever seen in person, and frankly, it looked like garbage. The blade was covered in dried blood, making it look old and rusted. Both of its edges were riddled with chips and dents. The leather of the hilt was faded and fraying near the edges.

  It looked pretty pathetic to Lukas, but if this new dimension had things like the dead drakon roaming around, then he’d take what he could get. Crouching down, he picked up the sword curiously and inspected it further. He was immediately surprised by how well it was weighted. It wasn’t too heavy to tire the arm quickly, and not too light to make the blade fragile. He gave it a few test swings, and found he was able to put in a decent amount of force and momentum. But the blade didn’t feel properly balanced in Lukas’ hand. Whether that was due to the damaged edges or the weapon being made for someone else, he wasn’t sure.

  Turning the sword over in his hand, Lukas tried identifying it like he had managed to do with the drakon.

  Steel Short Sword

  “Just a basic-ass sword, huh?” Lukas muttered, scowling at the thing. “Of course I’d find a sword in the forest before clothes. But being naked with a sword is better than being clothed and defenseless.”

  Lukas let the sword fall to his side, careful not to cut anything important. The sword was a boon, something that would allow him to protect himself from whatever lay in wait in this strange forest. There was no chance he’d be fighting something like a drakon and live to tell the tale, but the sword made Lukas feel a little safer and less vulnerable. The tight knot that had been building up in his shoulders loosened ever so slightly as he held the sword by his side.

  He was still attempting to come to terms with the fact that he was in some strange magical land, and wasn’t sure he was entirely sane any longer. But being able to defend himself made him feel much more in control and like he might actually be okay. He wasn’t sure what was waiting for him in this forest, but now at least he was slightly more equipped to handle it.

  Now armed, Lukas swept his gaze around the area. Only now did he realize that the ground had been kicked up by movement. Large prints and claw marks in the soil marked the drakon’s path of destruction during its struggle. But there were also faint boot prints, which must have belonged to the people who had slain the drakon. Perhaps one of them had been wounded or killed, explaining why the sword had been left behind, or maybe they simply hadn’t bothered with it due to its god-awful state.

  A battle had clearly taken place here some time ago, and Lukas felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. He had been too caught up in seeing a real mythical creature to consider the implications of what might still be lurking nearby. But maybe this was an opportunity. Surely, the people who killed the drakon would return, either to claim its valuable parts or to finish what they had started. A drakon must have useful materials, whether it was its meat, organs, or scales. The scales alone could make impressive armor. At least Lukas assumed people wore armor around here, based on the sword.

  ‘Then again, maybe they had a looting ability like me and had already taken what they wanted—’

  Before Lukas could finish the thought, he heard a rustling of steps on the pine needles. He turned, realizing the sound was coming from the back of the drakon, the same direction from which he had come. He hesitated, unsure of what to do. His gut told him to flee in case it was some kind of monster, while a small shred of hope urged him to stay, in case it was people.

  Unfortunately for Lukas, the universe wasn’t being kind:

  Mystic Wolf - lvl 2

  Mystic Wolf - lvl 2

  Mystic Wolf - lvl 3