C5 This Monster Looked Familiar!!

On the fringes of the player group, a man was hopping around, madly brandishing a nondescript black object, making onlookers itch to knock some sense into him.

Fortunately, his frenzy subsided, and he shared his find with the others, eliciting a wave of awe.

It was a withered tree trunk.

Attack: Meager.

The item's name and description were simple, yet it sparked a new train of thought among the players. Someone immediately inquired, "Where did you get that?"

"Just from that tree over there. Broke it by accident and found this."

With the zeal of explorers discovering uncharted lands, the players dispersed in a flash, clambering up trees and rummaging through rooftops like wild children, their excited shouts punctuating the air. Meanwhile, the player who had lost his hand to a zombie approached the statue in the village center.

The statue's function was as straightforward as ever, offering just a healing option—the purification choice was inaccessible, shaded in gray. After selecting healing, a message appeared, announcing one free treatment per day, after which the cost would depend on the injury's severity. Without a moment's hesitation, he clicked and, with no fanfare, watched his vanished hand regrow almost instantly.

"Pure aura?"

He tucked his elation away, pondering the prompt. It didn't take long for him to deduce that this must be the result of the black breath's purification. Though the complexity of the experience settings baffled him, he didn't dwell on it and instead joined the hunt for weapons and gear.

The players, having turned the village topsy-turvy and stripped the trees bare, reconvened. If the tree trunks hadn't been so massive and unbreakable, not a single one would have been left standing within a hundred meters.

The fortunate ones brandished arm-thick, two-meter-long wooden beams salvaged from the ruins of a house, while the less lucky clutched gray bricks, a meager consolation as makeshift weapons.

One player struck gold, unearthing a rusty, curved sword from a dilapidated building, his smug expression inciting envy among his peers.

"It looks like I have to do everything myself in this game," mused Shadow of Wind, hoisting a bucket-shaped coal stove. The thirty-kilogram stone stove seemed feather-light in his grip, making the onlookers' eyes twitch with disbelief.

"Now that we've all got weapons, let's take the first step on our journey. I suggest we stick together, though, and explore in small groups—it's safer that way."

This batch of one hundred players was a random draw, which meant Shadow of Wind, a somewhat famous pro gamer, naturally took the lead. Suddenly, someone called out, "Hold up, you there, could I borrow your blade for a sec?"

The man who spoke was middle-aged, likely in his forties, and he held up a wooden stake as thick as an adult's thigh but only two feet long, under the curious glances of the group. "I'm thinking I might be able to work this into something."

"Work it into what?" The player with the scimitar graciously passed his weapon over, though his curiosity was piqued.

"The big guy just mentioned we might have to do everything ourselves in this game, right? Well, I've got an idea—I'm a carpenter by trade, so..."

With all eyes on him, the self-proclaimed carpenter set the stake on the ground and began to whittle away with the scimitar. Despite its rusty appearance, the blade was incredibly sharp, and in no time, he had fashioned a wooden hammer that fit comfortably in one hand.

Wooden Hammer

Attack: Minimal

"Wow, it actually works?"

"You mean we have to craft our own weapons? And what about iron ones—do we have to forge those ourselves too?"

"This game's brutal! Are we expected to smelt our own armor and gear? Anyone here a blacksmith?"

"Holy crap! You can play the game like this?"

"The game's called 'Your World,' right? So, it makes sense it would take a page from 'Minecraft,' doesn't it?"

"But 'Minecraft' doesn't have carpenters whittling their own weapons!"

As the crowd buzzed with chatter, the carpenter handed back the scimitar and tested the balance of his new wooden hammer, pleased. "The attack power's the same, but it feels so much better in hand."

Inspired by the transformation of the wooden stake into a hammer, those players confident in their crafting skills lost interest in monster hunting. The abandoned village became a treasure trove in their eyes, and they scoured the area, eager to find materials for new creations.

In the end, less than a third of the players ventured out to hunt monsters, as they were already equipped with suitable makeshift weapons. Those with bricks in hand wisely decided to scour the village first, looking for potential resources.

Dozens of players exited the village, breaking off into small teams of two or three and fanning out in various directions. Shadow of Wind was accompanied by two others—one wielding a stick resembling a club, the other the unfortunate man who had his hand bitten off earlier, now clutching a sharpened stick that could pass for a makeshift spear.

"This game doesn't even let you see names or send private messages. I can't stand it," Shadow of Wind grumbled, feeling awkward as he tried to address his companions without knowing their names.

"The name's I'm Really Handsome," said the player with the club, introducing himself nonchalantly.

"Well, I'll just call you... Handsome, then," Shadow of Wind decided, finding the other's name a bit too dramatic. "You guys can call me Wild Wave, or just Wave."

"I go by Running Towards the Sunset."

"No wonder you're so quick on your feet. By the way, did you run into a zombie around here earlier?" Shadow of Wind asked after a brief silence.

"It was about two hundred meters up ahead. I didn't even see it coming before it jumped me," Running Towards the Sunset recalled, shuddering at the memory. He was relieved that no one had been around to witness his panic—crying and screaming would have been mortifying.

"Any recollection of the zombie's stats or behavior?"

"It was a bit slower than my running speed, but not by much. It seemed tireless. And while it wasn't particularly strong—I managed to break free—it was the rotten flesh that was truly revolting, all sticky and gross!"

Shadow of Wind nodded, giving Running Towards the Sunset an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "It's just a beginner-level monster. If it were too tough, the game wouldn't be fun. If you'd had a weapon, you might've taken out those three zombies by yourself."

As they continued on, Shadow of Wind suddenly halted, scanning the surroundings with a puzzled expression. "Did you guys hear something?"

I'm Really Handsome and Running Towards the Sunset stopped and listened intently. Indeed, there were rustling sounds ahead, as if something was moving.

Exchanging glances, the trio cautiously raised their weapons and advanced. Pushing through the tall grass, they came face-to-face with an odd, four-legged creature resembling a caterpillar.

The green, handless monster looked like a legged worm, arching its body and turning to face them. Then, it began to convulse wildly, its body contracting and expanding in a frenzied dance.

"Does this thing look familiar?"

Boom!

Before Shadow of Wind could even complete his thought, the creature before them detonated. The massive blast instantly shredded the beast and the trio, leaving nothing but a gaping crater, two to three meters across and roughly a meter deep, in its wake.