Journal

Time flew by fast, with the same scenes unfolding over and over again.

After killing a buffalo, a system prompt sounded in his ear:

[Detected a significant increase in your lifespan. Extreme Weakness lifted, updated to Severe Weakness]

Mike checked his panel and noticed that his level hadn't changed, but all of his attributes had improved.

ID: None 

Profession: None 

Talent: Eye of Truth (Restricted) 

LV: 1 

HP: 50/50 

Strength: 5 

Constitution: 5 

Agility: 5 

Spirit: 5 

Status: Severe Weakness (Attributes Greatly Reduced) 

EXP: 0/10 (Locked) 

BUFF: Supreme Blessing (Time Remaining: 17 hours 55 minutes) 

Remaining Lifespan: 11 days 13 hours 05 minutes 

Mike swung his arms, feeling noticeably lighter and stronger. Clenching his fists, he sensed a surge of energy—like an old man hopped up on Viagra—suddenly, he felt like he could go for another round. 

"Hell yeah."

He let out a breath, checking his stats as the sense of urgency finally eased a bit.

"The Supreme being's legacy is at 11% activation. I've taken the first step. At this rate, I'll complete the trial soon enough."

"But…"

He frowned. Two new problems had cropped up.

First, his Spotted mushrooms had worn off. Judging by the timeline, the effect seemed to last about three hours. He had stayed behind a tree, and when he saw two hyenas drink from a water source without anything bad happening, he didn't bother going after them.

Second, there was a mechanic issue: because his stats were so low, several of his blows had whiffed. Some monsters ended up dying by poison instead of a finishing hit, which didn't yield any EXP or lifespan gains. That was a total waste.

This also wrecked some of his schemes—like torching the forest or something equally drastic.

So, if he wanted to rapidly extend his lifespan, he'd have to push deeper into the forest and slay stronger, more numerous creatures.

As night fell, Mike decided he needed rest.

But when he returned to the village outskirts, he unexpectedly discovered one of his traps had been sprung.

He reached into the hole and hauled up a rabbit—just in time for dinner.

With a single punch, he killed the rabbit. Now that each of his stats was at 5, he was way stronger than before.

He lit a campfire, tied the rabbit onto a few sticks, and placed it over the flames.

From time to time, Mike rotated the roast. He watched the meat slowly turn golden as sizzling juices dripped onto the fire. Then he sprinkled on some wild herbs he'd gathered nearby, immediately releasing a mouthwatering aroma.

He tore off a rabbit leg, blew on it to cool it, and took a bite. The meat was tender and tasted amazing.

"That hits the spot."

Mike gazed at the night sky, took a deep breath, and soon polished off the entire rabbit.

Stamping out the fire, he set down a pile of straw far from the village. Resting his head on his arm, he fell asleep.

A gentle breeze snuffed out the last embers on the charred wood, carrying a faint curl of smoke across the distant trees. Soft rustles drifted through the darkness.

Shrouded in night, the village felt lifeless—a cold, lonely domain Mike couldn't stand much.

…

Early next morning, Mike returned to the village, hoping to find anything useful in the old houses.

He lucked out, eventually digging up a workable Sword.

[Steel Sword] 

[Quality: Common] 

[Attack: 2–5] 

[Note: None] 

"Awesome, finally a decent weapon." He was delighted.

Aside from that, he found a peculiar journal, badly discolored as if it had been soaked. Most pages were torn out, leaving just two.

Opening it, the first page read:

[My grandpa, who loved me more than anyone, passed away. I'm heartbroken. He was buried in the forest.] 

[This year's harvest was lousy, and there's barely any food left. Dad decided to risk going deeper into the forest to hunt. Mom couldn't stop him.] 

[Dad never came back. Mom gathered a few helpful villagers to head into the mountain to look for him, but none of them returned either.] 

[Then the entire village went nuts. They all rushed into the mountain as if they'd lost their minds… I'm so scared.] 

[I don't know how much time passed, but a dense white fog rolled in outside. I think I saw people walking through it… Dad, Mom, and the villagers.] 

[And leading them all was my dead grandpa. I'm so happy—I finally got to see him again.]

Reading this gave Mike the creeps, and he turned to the second page.

He was greeted by several large, crimson letters, seemingly written in blood:

[Turns out, we've all been dead for a long time.]

[Hee-hee-hee-hee!]

"Fuck!"

Mike nearly chucked the unsettling journal away on the spot. Just then, he heard a voice in his head:

[Ding! Lost Village quest triggered: Please investigate the truth behind the village's abandonment.] 

[Clue 1: Journal—Misty Forest]

"This place is getting crazier by the minute. I need to watch my back."

"Seems like I'll have to explore deeper into the village. But where is this Misty Forest? Maybe I'll find it after I move on from here."

He kept walking and thinking. With another night gone, his remaining lifespan was around ten days—enough time to push forward.

Yet Mike still moved with extreme caution.

For one, this Custom Space was rife with mystery, and the newly triggered quest might be just a taste of its real dangers.

As he pressed onward, he spotted a gray wolf with glowing green eyes skulking out from behind a tree.

It bared its teeth at him.

"Awooo—grrr—!"