In the vast Nim Forest on the Northern Continent, Ronan, simply dressed and carrying a longsword, wandered aimlessly, the rain-moistened earth soft beneath his feet, the air filled with the scent of rain, moss, and pine, distant birds chirping unnoticed, sunlight dappling the forest floor, a tranquil scene contrasting with Ronan's inner emptiness.
A gold coin, tossed, landed in his palm, "Five days," he muttered, frustrated, "five days, and no town."
He crushed the coin to dust, the fragments scattering, he barely noticed, his mind elsewhere.
Leaning against a large tree, memories surged, he sighed wearily, "What good is infinite wealth without towns," he lamented, "what kind of forsaken place is this," he looked around, seeking an answer from the trees, "where did I end up?"
Five days earlier, Ronan had been an overworked office worker, that evening, he'd planned a relaxing session in his online game, aiming to apprentice under the legendary master in this game, then, he died.
Perhaps excitement, perhaps exhaustion, was the cause, it was sudden, yet understandable, he'd even thought, in that fading moment, that the next life might be better.
But there was no next life, instead, he'd transmigrated to another world, bringing his overpowered in-game abilities, he'd assumed life would be effortless.
But this world was deserted, no cities, villages, or people, only endless trees, days passed in silence.
Fortunately, his invincibility and infinite stamina ensured survival, without them, he would have starved, there were no supplies, no tools, no civilization, only wilderness.
His speed boosts and teleportation, impressive in theory, proved problematic in reality, this wasn't a static game, it was dynamic, two-dimensional functions didn't translate perfectly, it was like trying to modify variables in a living system without a preset framework.
In the game, his Game Mod could easily adjust enemy stats, but here, he experienced the world from a first-person perspective, with limited visibility in the dense forest.
His first attempt at using his speed boost had ended disastrously, a series of painful collisions with trees, invincibility prevented injury, but his clothes were shredded, he'd adopted a more cautious approach.
Even so, five days had passed, and he remained trapped in the forest.
The shade above swayed gently, Ronan leaned against the tree, eyes closed, he exhaled deeply.
He created more gold coins and crushed them, releasing frustration, the dust fell like sand, vanishing quickly.
He could fly away, leave this planet, even explore other dimensions, but the thought didn't appeal to him, he had arrived in another world, to leave without experiencing it felt wasteful, the air here was fresher than anything he'd ever breathed.
He pondered this…