3 A Spider's Intuition

Walking around the forest, Trent thought about his newfound powers. Earlier, he clicked on the growth power of Spider-Man, expecting to swing around this forest but, the only thing he got at his Beginner level was slightly higher flexibility and heightened senses that came with the iconic Spidey-senses. Although he knew that he would need the web shooters to swing around, a boy could always dream. It didn't help that Bernie was in his ear singing the theme song non-stop! His voice made it even worse! He didn't just sound like Claptrap but took on his annoyingness too.

He'd been walking for the past hour but, he hand't had the opportunity to use his spider senses. He felt extremely limber, being able to put his head between his knees with ease. If he'd have tried that before, he'd have probably snapped his spine in half. Although he got those powers, that didn't change the fact that he was only slightly fit, this hour truly started making him feel a little winded just from walking, although his ankle didn't hurt anymore.

He sat under a nearby tree to take his breathe.

"Damn, am I ever gonna get out of this forest? This shit goes on forever! At least give me the opportunity to use my powers YOU DULL ASS FOREST!" As he yelled out at the forest, he felt a tingling feeling on his neck.

My spidey senses are tingling! With a little excitement from finally getting a challenge, Trent rolled to his side and stood up, getting in a boxing pose. In the place he previously sat, a large paw with dangerous, gleaming claws attached to it, destroyed the ground and the tree next to it, causing the tree to topple to the ground. This wasn't a normal tree either. It would take three Trents to fully hug it and whatever this thing was took it down in one hit!

What destroyed the tree was actually a monstrosity. It stood at a massive eleven feet! It looked similar to a bear from his world if that bear was on heavy amounts of steroids from birth! The bear had brown fur covering its whole body but, that couldn't hide its rippling muscles that made Trent tremble in fear.

"What the hell!? When I asked for a challenge, I didn't want Hercules the bear to come out! Send him back! Send him back now!" Speaking to no one in general, Trent panicked.

[Host should be careful with what you wish for cause life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get!]

"Shut up Bernie! Nows not the time wisecracking! Why don't you be useful and help me out of this." Giving Trent no more time to think, The hulking mass of muscle charged at Trent. Aiming for his legs, the bear swiped his dangerous claws across. Trent jumped only to have his Spider senses to react once again. The bear also swiped with his other paw aiming for his head, as he anticipated Trent would jump. Using his flexibility, Trent bent his back in a ninety degree angle, avoiding the hit.

The bear looked surprised at feeling nothing in either of his paws and Trent didn't let that opportunity slip by him. Using all of his strength, Trent kicked the bear in it's lowered face, pushing himself far from it. As he rolled from the push off, Trent hopped up and ran from the bear.

'Like hell I'm fighting that! How the hell do those main characters in novels and anime just start fighting with their lives on the line like they weren't just normal people before?' Running away at full speed, while an angered bear chased after him, Trent felt true terror. Had he been even a second slower dodging that second claw, he would be dead. This wasn't a game and there were no second chances. All the excitement from the system and everything else finally shattered, only to be replaced with utter terror as he ran from the bear.

His senses started to react once again as he ran past multiple trees. Dodging to his left, the bear crashed through a couple of trees ahead of him, revealing an open clearing followed by a cliff. Although he tried to dodge, the bear managed to swipe him, leaving three nasty gashes on Trent's back. Keeping himself from screaming out, Trent's eyes became bloodshot as he stared at the bear.

'Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!' Overcome with rage and fear, Trent dashed at the bear, who had yet to stand up fully, and pushed at it's hip, careening the two over the cliffs edge. Roaring as they fell, the bear beat Trent in the back, causing Trent to go in and out of consciousness.

Have to hold on, Trent thought before he finally felt himself stop falling. Although the bear broke Trent's fall, it wasn't a soft creature, causing a loud crack to sound in Trent's ears.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH." Unable to endure anymore, Trent finally screamed in pain. As he looked down, he realized that his left arm was bending in an area that didn't have joints. Moving it around caused even more pain to shoot up his arm, eliciting another scream from him. As he continued to scream, his vision got hazier.

[Host! Don't faint yet! Reach into it's head and get its magic crystal!]

Hearing Bernie caused Trent to snap back to attention. Pulling at strength he didn't think he had, Trent sat up on the bear using his somewhat good right arm before pulling himself closer to its head. He wasn't able to pay attention to much of the scenery but, he could see the scattered brain matter of the bear on the stone they laid on. Trent immediately threw up on the side. The mangled mess wasn't something he, who was just a normal teen until an hour ago, could see up close and personal. Even if he had seen worse in movies, It just wasn't the same in real life.

After he finished throwing up, Trent pushed the head of the bear to its side, revealing the mush that used to be its head. Forcing down another bout of queasiness, Trent forced his right hand into the head. As he felt the squishy brain matter, the sticky blood, and the sharp skull fragments, Trent vomited again, unable to handle it. Although he vomited, it did not stop him from fishing for the magic crystal.

Dammit, I don't know what a magic crystal feels like! As he continued to root around in the bear's head, he finally felt something that was harder than the skull fragments he felt earlier. It was cool to the touch and as he wrapped his hand around the object, it felt like the crystals that came out of rocks he learned about in science class.

What were they called again? Can't remember. I can barely think. Using the last of his strength, Trent pulled the object out of the bear's head. What appeared was a glowing, white crystal the size of his fist.

[Congratulations Host. You have acquired 3755 crystals and your powers have advanced to intermediate level]

Great, Trent thought before losing consciousness.