Adventure of Zero

Zero had been walking for hours, the dense forest stretching endlessly before him. The trees were massive, their thick trunks twisting and reaching like ancient sentinels, casting deep shadows on the forest floor. The air was damp and heavy with the scent of moss and wild earth, and every step Zero took felt like a step deeper into a world he didn't understand.

His stomach rumbled, a constant reminder that he hadn't eaten since he woke up here. But food wasn't his biggest problem right now. No, that honor went to the fact that he was completely, utterly, lost.

He had no map, no guide, no clue where he was going. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had to keep moving. As much as he hated the idea of it, dying in this new world was something he could not afford.

"Oliva! Where are you?!" Zero grumbled under his breath, his irritation mounting with every step. "You could at least give me some direction, some advice, or *anything*!"

There was no answer. No glowing light, no voice of reassurance. Just silence. Typical.He pushed through another thicket of trees, his body tired from the unfamiliar terrain, but something caught his eye—a rustle in the underbrush. His instincts screamed at him, and he froze, every muscle in his body tensing.

Before he could react, a creature leapt out of the bushes, landing just a few feet in front of him. It was a *goblin*—short, hunched, with mottled green skin, sharp teeth, and claws that gleamed in the dappled sunlight. It snarled, its eyes fixed on Zero with primal hunger.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Zero gasped, holding his hands out in an attempt to defuse the situation. "I—I'm not ready for this! I don't even know how to fight!"

The goblin growled again, taking a step forward, its claws scraping the ground. Zero's heart raced. He had no weapon. No skills. Nothing. He was completely unprepared for this."Oliva, help!" Zero shouted desperately, his voice cracking. "You've got to give me something! Anything!"

But as usual, there was no response. No divine intervention. No glowing lights. Nothing."Goddammit!" Zero cursed under his breath. The goblin lunged at him, and all he could do was react.

He dodged, barely avoiding the creature's claws as they scraped through the air where his chest had been a second ago. He stumbled backward, his legs unsteady beneath him, and then the goblin swung again.

Zero's mind raced. *What should I do? What do I know about fighting?*Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

His arms flailed instinctively, and he slapped the goblin's clawed hand away just in time, his body already moving to the side. He could hear the goblin's snarls getting closer, and the panic inside him began to grow. *This is it. I'm going to die again.*

The goblin lunged again, this time aiming straight for his throat. Zero's eyes widened in terror as he saw the creature's claws extend toward him. He had no idea what to do—his body moved of its own accord.

At the last second, Zero ducked, but instead of avoiding the attack completely, he found himself grabbing the goblin's arm and twisting it in an awkward, uncoordinated motion. The goblin's own momentum forced it off balance, and with a surprised screech, it fell to the ground, its claws digging into the earth.

"What the hell...?" Zero gasped, his body still tense as he stumbled backward. "Did I... did I just—?"

The goblin, enraged, quickly got back on its feet, but as it did, Zero's hand shot out to grab a jagged rock that had been lodged in the ground nearby. The creature lunged again, but Zero, in his panic, swung the rock wildly.

His aim was completely off, but the rock connected with the goblin's skull, hitting it with a sickening crack. The creature staggered, dazed for just a moment.*Holy shit! Did I just—?*

The goblin reeled, stumbling back, dazed and uncoordinated. Zero's heart hammered in his chest as he saw the opportunity. Without thinking, he swung the rock again, this time aiming more carefully.

It connected again, this time knocking the goblin back onto the ground with a loud thud. The creature let out a final, guttural cry and fell limp, unconscious or possibly dead.

Zero stood there, his breath ragged, staring at the fallen creature in disbelief."I... I won?" He blinked, unable to comprehend what had just happened. "Wait, I didn't even know how to fight..."

Before he could process it further, something unexpected happened.

A soft, ethereal light surrounded Zero, and he felt a strange, tingling sensation spread across his body. It wasn't painful, but it was strange—alien, even. The air seemed to crackle around him as if the world itself was responding to something inside him.

"What's... What's happening now?" Zero muttered, looking down at his hands, which were now glowing faintly.

A voice—this time not Oliva's—spoke in his mind, calm and neutral, like a distant observer.

*Skill Acquired: Basic Combat Mastery.*

Zero froze, staring in utter confusion. "What the hell? Did I just... get a skill? Is this real? Is this for real? Did I—did I just unlock a skill from that mess of a fight?"

He looked back at the goblin's still form, then down at his own hands, trying to make sense of the situation. A deep sigh escaped him.

"Great. I get a skill out of sheer panic and stupidity," he muttered. "Is this supposed to make me feel better, Oliva?"

But as usual, there was no reply. Just silence.

Still, the strange feeling in his body, the lingering sensation of the newly acquired skill, made Zero feel like he had, in some small way, just turned a corner. He wasn't sure what he had just achieved, but he couldn't deny that something had changed.

With a mixture of exhaustion, disbelief, and reluctant excitement, Zero took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow."Well... I guess that's one way to start a new life."