Expedition Survivor #4

The endless green hills stretched out before me like a gigantic stairway, dotted with trees and greenery, a stark contrast to the gritty, dangerous world I'd just escaped.

The air was crisp and clean, the scent of wildflowers mingling with the earthiness of the grass. I took in my surroundings, marveling at the serene beauty and wondering what had happened. 'How did I get here? Where is here?'

The last thing I remembered was falling, bracing for the inevitable impact. But instead of the hard concrete of the construction site, I landed in this vast, tranquil field. It felt like a dream, too perfect and surreal to be real.

As I walked through the elevated plateau, the peace and quiet enveloped me, making the chaos I had just fled seem like a distant memory. I tried to piece together what had happened, but my thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"It's like a whole 'nother world out here," Vito's voice drawled, snapping me out of my daze.

I looked around and saw him standing at the edge of a cliff, gazing down with an amused expression. I hurried over, my curiosity piqued. When I reached him, I followed his gaze down to the shore below.

My eyes widened in shock. Towering over the distance, very far away was a gigantic tree, tall and big as a mountain. Then there was a tall tower, not nearly as big as the tree, but equally eye-catching, covered in strange glowing symbols that shined in a blue light.

"Did you turn my body into one of those mutant freaks you keep hearing about?" Vito called out, his tone mocking.

I turned to him, annoyance bubbling up. "So In addition to being an impulsive psychopath of a thug, you're also a racist?"

Vito laughed, a sound that grated on my nerves. "Nah, not even close. I've always admired mutants for their incredible power. 'Mutant freaks' is just the preferred term in New York."

I shook my head, exasperated. "Well, I have no idea what's going on or how I got here... do you?"

Vito shrugged, looking far too comfortable with the situation. "Nope. This is your mess now; try and figure it out yourself. As for ideas, here's one; try not to die."

I rolled my eyes, but a small part of me couldn't help but feel grateful for the twisted sense of familiarity his presence brought. Even in this bizarre new reality, some things haven't changed.

I stared at the gigantic tree and the tower, my mind racing with questions. What are those things? And how had I ended up in this strange new world? I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

As I stood there, trying to make sense of my surroundings, a faint beeping sound caught my attention. I looked down and saw a strange watch with a wide screen strapped to my wrist. It was sleek and modern, something I didn't recognize and had no idea how it ended up on me.

I raised my wrist to take a closer look. The screen displayed something resembling a game interface, with various tabs labeled "Inventory," "Map," "Tutorial Quests," and more. Skeptical yet curious, I tapped on the "Quests" tab.

A list of missions appeared, the first of which was to activate a great eagle statue to unlock fast travel. I frowned, wondering what kind of bizarre game I had been thrown into. Dismissing the absurdity of it, I navigated to the "Map" tab.

The map was mostly covered, showing only a small area—a plateau surrounded by water on all sides except for the west, where it extended into a larger landmass. A yellow arrow marked my position, and nearby was a strange white symbol resembling a bird. 'That should be the eagle statue...?'

My curiosity piqued, I took a moment to orient myself. I glanced at Vito, who was now lounging against a rock, seemingly unbothered by everything. Ignoring him, I focused on locating the direction indicated by the map.

"Let's see what this bird symbol is all about," I muttered to myself.

As I headed in the direction shown on the map, the landscape began to shift. The grassy field gave way to a mix of rocky terrain and sparse trees as I made my way up the plateau. The air was filled with the sound of rustling leaves and distant birdsong.

After a few minutes of walking, I reached the area marked by the bird symbol.

It was the highest point of the plateau, a place that bore the marks of time and ruin, seemingly the entrance to an old castle. Near a tattered stairwell, I found my destination: a white, long pedestal with a strange bird perched atop it, its wings spread wide as if in eternal flight.

Ignoring the surroundings, I headed toward the pedestal and reached out to touch its base.

As soon as my hand made contact with the strange monument, another beep sounded from the watch on my wrist. Glancing at the screen, I saw a prompt asking whether I wanted to activate fast travel. 'It's like a game...'

Instantly, the statue lit up with a brilliant blue light, and I received another prompt telling me I had completed one of the tutorial missions.

I reached for the statue again. "I wonder if this so-called fast travel function could get me out of here... not that I'm in a hurry to get back to that deathtrap of a city..."

The wristwatch automatically switched to the map tab, but it remained largely unchanged except for the symbol of the bird, which now glowed blue. I reasoned that I would need to activate more statues like this one to make use of the fast travel function fully.

I was about to navigate back to the quests tab when Vito's voice interrupted my actions. "Hey, look over there," he pointed, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and caution.

I turned to see what he was pointing at—a fire some distance away, flickering in the twilight. "Looks like we might have company," Vito added.

My heart rate quickened again, the sense of urgency returning. I squinted at the distant fire, trying to discern any figures or movement around it. "What do you think it is?" I asked, more to myself than to Vito.

"Could be anything," Vito replied with a shrug. "Travelers, other lost souls like you, or worse—people who might not be too friendly."

I tightened my grip on the watch, the game-like interface suddenly feeling more real and vital. "We should check it out, right? Maybe they know something about this place."

Vito smirked. "Or maybe they'll try to gut and eat whatever spills out. But hey, it's your call."

I sighed, the weight of the decision pressing down on me. "I can't just ignore it. If there are other people here, I need to know."

Vito nodded, a strange look in his eyes. "Then let's go. Just remember to keep your guard up."

I headed toward the distant fire, curiosity and a strange sense of purpose driving me forward. The walk was longer than I anticipated, and as I approached, the campfire came into clearer view. Sitting by the fire was a woman clad in strange armor, unlike anything I had ever seen.

Steel plates covered only her vital areas, leaving much of her body exposed. The armor had fur in some places, making even less sense considering how scant and revealing it was. A strange visor covered her eyes, giving her an enigmatic appearance.

She noticed me immediately but made no sudden moves. Instead, she greeted me with a casual nod and continued cleaning her shotgun. "A castaway, huh?" she asked, her voice steady and calm. "It's been a long while since someone who didn't stink of pals washed up here."

I stopped a few feet away, cautious but intrigued. "What are pals? And where is here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite my confusion.

She laughed, a mocking sound that stung a bit. "You really don't know anything, do you? Almost like a newborn babe..." She shook her head in disbelief. "They quite the strange creatures; pals. Like animals, but not quite. No animal I know of can shoot a gun or breathe fire from its mouth, that's for sure..."

I blinked, trying to process what she said. "So there are dangerous creatures in this place...?"

"They can be," she replied, looking me up and down. "Depends on the pal and how you handle it, but yeah, pretty much most pals would take your life if you're not careful... But that's not all you need to worry about here."

I felt a shiver run down my spine. "Again, where exactly is 'here'?"

"This is the Palbagos Islands," she said, adding a hint of drama to her voice. "A place where people with no place to run usually turn up... don't let the charming facade fool you though, this place can be a living hell..."

I glanced around, taking in the vast green field and the distant shore with the giant skeleton. "What else is out there?"

"In addition to the dangerous pals, there are several factions that could easily kill you. The Rayne Syndicate, the Free Pal Alliance, and others. But you don't have to worry about them unless you go deeper into the island. They mostly keep to their territories."

"Great," I muttered. "More things to watch out for."

She shrugged, continuing to clean her weapon. "That's the reality of Palbagos Islands. If you want to survive, you'll need to learn fast and find allies. Maybe even catch yourself some pals... if you can,"

I sighed, feeling the weight of my situation settling in. "And you? Why are you here?"

The woman's expression grew somber as she glanced at the fire. "I came here on an expedition, hoping to make a fortune on ancient civilization technology," she said, her voice tinged with regret. "But the people who came with me were killed and eaten by those damned pals..."

I felt a pang of sympathy for her, imagining the horrors she must have witnessed. "I'm sorry to hear that," I said, unsure of what else to say.

She shrugged, her demeanor shifting back to one of hardened resolve. "It's the way of this place. Everyone here has lost something. Or someone." She looked me square in the eye. "You should be on your way. And be careful out there."

I nodded, feeling the weight of her warning. "Thanks... I'm Vito by the way. What's your name?"

The woman smiled and turned her gaze back to the shotgun. "I'm not interested in acquainting myself who might not make it through the night... come back in a few days and I might bother to remember your name..."

Vito appeared beside the woman, watching her clean her weapon intently. "She seems nice... I think she likes that lost puppy look you've got going on," he said with a chuckle, crossing his arms.

...

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