Nick awoke early the next morning, feeling remarkably chipper compared to the day before. His injuries had almost healed, and while Nick was still a bit stiff and sore, he was ready to begin exploring the island in earnest. As conditioning his body had become one of his primary objectives, he decided to work out while planning out his day.

He did yoga and calisthenics while waiting for the light to improve, mulling over strategies and contingencies inspired by his recent experiences. Nick’s short-term goals were to find or fashion a better shelter, locate a reliable source of food, and train his skills and attributes as he gradually mapped out the island. He hoped to come across additional resources and find more reward chests along the way.

By now, he was certain that he had only discovered a fraction of the dangers residing on the Searing Isle. He needed to learn as much as he could about his new neighbors before they came knocking on his door. Not that Nick had a door, although he hoped to build one soon.

After repacking his supplies, he made his way back to the stream, taking note that the other komos had begun encroaching on their fallen brethren’s claim. With the aggressive predators crowding his path, Nick had to work hard to avoid the beasts without being noticed in return. Practicing piercing the lizards’ color-changing veil was already paying dividends and he was able to reach the spring without being forced to run or fight. He needed to find an alternate route around the komos’ territory or come up with a way to drive them out of the area. Otherwise, Nick would be risking confrontation every time that he stopped to refill his canteen.

The grove was ethereal in the misty morning light; wisps of fog dancing around the water falling into the pool. Nick took a drink, enjoying the refreshingly brisk spring water, then filled his canteen and continued on his way. He followed the stream back to the beach, then began walking along the perimeter of the island, sticking to the surf where the komos were sparse.

Twice, Nick had to beat a hasty retreat when the lizards spotted him. Fortunately, they seemed less inclined to pursue him when he wasn’t wounded or trapped between them. With a bit of patience, he eventually made it past, hugging the shoreline until he was heading directly east.

His biggest worry was being surrounded by the komos, but since they seemed averse to letting saltwater touch their scales, Nick continued to skirt their territory by walking along the surf, frothy foam bathing his feet. He was careful not to lower his guard and let the waves wash him out to sea. He had not been much for the outdoors in his old life, but he still knew better than to turn his back on the ocean.

An hour later, Nick spotted the shimmer of water rippling in front of him, and he realized that he was looking at a bay that cut a wedge out of the southern shoreline. A narrow strip of sand ran between the water’s edge and a rocky rise that topped off about thirty feet above the cove. It was the steepest incline that he had seen separating the forest from the shore, and it would be difficult to cross into the woodlands from this elevation.

Of greater concern, the floor of the bay dropped off abruptly as opposed to the gradual incline of the shoreline. If Nick fell in, he would have a difficult time dragging himself back onto the bordering rocks, so he hugged the cliffside and stayed as far away from the water as he could. After making sure that no komos were lurking along the beach, he decided to press on and circumvent the bay. He had explored less than a third of the island’s coast by his rough estimation, and he needed to know what was out there.

On his way, Nick spied a ripe coconut growing in a palm that was shorter than the others he had seen. Offering reassurances to his grumbling stomach, he wrapped his fingers around the back of the trunk and started to climb. It took him an embarrassingly long time to perfect his technique and reach the coconut. Nick fell twice in the process, adding some fresh scratches to his hands and feet. But eventually, he completed the ten-foot climb.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Borrowing the lemurs’ technique, he grabbed the fruit with both hands, then let go of the trunk with his knees. He had to swing back and forth before the shell popped loose from the branch, and Nick landed awkwardly with his prize in hand.

He cracked the casing open with a rock, not caring that he spilled some of the water now that he had his canteen. Nick ate half of the meat and saved the rest for a late lunch, glad to have discovered palms in the territory of beasts that could not climb up to harvest them. He would likely find more in the area, which would help to bolster his supply of food, especially if he was able to supplement his stash with a handful of berries every now and then. Humming in contentment with his hunger sated, Nick resumed his trek east along the interior of the bay.

Not long after, he found himself staring at what appeared to be a cave leading into the cliffside. That would have been interesting enough by itself, as it was a prime location to discover another exploration reward chest. But what really captured his attention was the big bronze door blocking access to the cavern’s interior, along with the display set into the frame beside it.

Intrigued, Nick walked over and tapped the screen, curious to see what would appear. He nodded to himself as he read the words, learning that what lay beyond the door offered the promise of an even greater reward, along with correspondingly greater risk.

Tutorial dungeon: The Sewers of Castilla.

This door is a portal leading to a high-threat, self-contained zone known as a dungeon.

Warning: this dungeon is recommended for contestants of at least level five. Once entered, the dungeon can be exited after twenty-four hours without penalty.

More details will be provided on entrance. Rewards will be allocated based on performance at the time of completion.

Huh. I wasn’t expecting to run across a dungeon during the tutorial. Nick thought the matter through while nibbling on a bite of coconut. Since I’m barely level two and my attributes are underdeveloped, it would be a fatal mistake to enter anytime soon. But it’s definitely something to consider once I’m better prepared.

Nick was certain that delving the dungeon would be more dangerous than exploring the beach but clearing it would likely prove to be invaluable in the long run. He had severe reservations about willingly entering a space that the System considered to be highly threatening, but the mention of rewards was undeniably tempting.

There wasn’t any point in overthinking the matter yet. He would revisit the issue once he was stronger, ideally at least a few levels higher than the dungeon’s recommended minimum. Nick was extremely curious and wanted to take a peek behind the door now, but he restrained himself with an effort of will. He couldn’t afford to get stuck inside the dungeon and didn’t want to pay the penalty for leaving early. Glad that his explorations were already bearing fruit, both literally and metaphorically, Nick turned and left the cave behind him, completing his trek around the bay without further incident.

He came to a stop fifteen minutes later, certain that he had found the eastern edge of the komos’ domain. This was because Nick had caught sight of the southern shoreline’s occupants, bulky crabs the size of goats. Their thick shells were spiraled, striated with bands of jade, beige, and cream, and looked solid enough to deflect a blade. Massive claws jutted out from both sides of their profiles, granting the crustaceans a menacing appearance. But although the closest crab had clearly seen him, it didn’t seem to care that he was in the area.

After observing them from a distance for another half hour, Nick was certain that the crabs weren’t going to attack him unless he drew near. As there was plenty of room to go around and the crabs seemed significantly slower than the lemurs and komos, Nick decided to keep exploring for another hour or two, then call it a day and reflect on what he had found. Giving the big crustaceans a wide berth, he walked along the dunes as the sun climbed high into the sky.

From the island’s southern shore, Nick had a clear view of the mountain, dark stone contrasting against the cloudless blue sky. The beach was wider here, offering a line of sight over the tree line. As impressive as it was, the mountain wasn’t what had been drawing his gaze for the last twenty minutes, ever since he had spotted the glint of metal reflecting off a beam of sunlight high above his head.

A glint that Nick hoped was cast from one of the metal chests listed in the tutorial’s description.