[center][h3][color=darkgreen]Dalton[/color][/h3] [@TheNoCoKid] [sup]Where's the Tutorial!?[/sup][/center] [hr] With a metaphysical thump, Dalton's long fall suddenly came to an end. He blinked with eyes that did not feel real--only now that all sensation seemed to have come to an end did he notice that subtle lack of his eyelids flicking together, of the slight warmth and wet of physical eyeballs in his skull, and the off-red shade of darkness he no longer saw when he closed the aforementioned eyes. He was back in the car, with one of the trunk's front wheels nestled firmly in his lap. There was hardly any door, or windshield, left to speak of. Yet despite the literal tons of crumpled steel on top of him, there was no weight. And no color to anything around him. Somehow, he "stepped out" by desiring it...and, with curious, echoing steps, circled the totaled remains of his car and the only slightly dented truck that had reduced his real body to only so much bloodied mush and viscera painted all over the seats. He turned away from the gristly sight, and saw a door of golden light open up. On the other side stood what could only be described as... [i]"...Is that cosplay?"[/i] he asked the golden armored, black winged figure, his voice echoing in the emptiness. The figure cocked his head with an expectant smile, and Dalton's ghostly form shivered. With a rich voice, the man--or whatever he was, because something about him simply screamed [i]not human[/i]--seemed to examine Dalton and commented on his life. The young man jumped as his own voice echoed all around him--bits and pieces of his final thoughts from moments ago. Yet with each line that was quoted back to him, something inside his being...resonated. Another voice bubbled up, this one coming from inside Dalton's own phantom ribcage. He looked down at himself, then back at the figure who offered him an outstretched hand, backlit by the glowing gateway's golden rays. Dalton had allowed so many opportunities to pass him by in life. He'd never taken risks, because he'd always been taught to be "smart," and "safe." He never made deals or promises, or signed any kind of contract, unless he was absolutely sure it would be of 100% benefit to himself. This time, he decided not to hesitate. He grabbed Drasil's outstretched hand. And the next thing he knew-- [hr] [center][h2] [u]??? [b]Forest[/b] ???[/u] [/h2][/center] [hr] A humanoid male with blue, braided hair and a lithe young physique awakened with a sudden start--like someone dozing off in a moving vehicle, whose unconscious mind triggered their falling reflex when it felt their heart slowing down. He jerked and sputtered, leaves drifting out of his hair as he sat upright and sucked a deep breath. "JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH!" Dalton turned his head this way and that. "I'm--I'm alive?! Wait, where--wh-what? H-how?" He scrambled to his feet--and then noticed that he wore nothing but a skirt of woven grass, and primitive sandals made of knotted cane strips. "GOOD LORD I'M NAKED!?" He crossed his thin arms over his bare chest, and again took in the sights and sounds around him--and the smells, too, and something else he couldn't quite identify, but that tickled his awareness as if some new organ had been implanted in him. It was all...so much sharper than he was used to on Earth. [i]Wait. Earth. This...this [b]isn't[/b] Earth anymore. This is...Vecta?[/i] He could see the thick, interlaced canopy of limbs and leaves and vine over his head with exquisite detail, and despite the golden rays of sunlight filtering through in dappled patterns the glare didn't hurt his eyes. Bird calls, the whispery breath of the wind, and the slightest rustle of the undergrowth stood out to his twitching ears. And they were [i]literally[/i] twitching--as he lifted a hand to brush the leaves from his hair, he felt a long fleshy tip under his palm. Not only were his ears longer than before, they were much more mobile. He gulped as they drooped, the tips folding ever so slightly. The smells of earthy soil, vegetation still damp with dew, and his own sweat filled his nostrils. Chronic allergies from childhood had left Dalton with a quite diluted sense of smell back home, but here, in this new world, in what appeared to be a new body, that was no longer the case. All of these new senses, sharpened to new levels, threatened to overwhelm him! He sat back down right where he was. "Alright. Okay. You're alive. So...focus." Dalton whispered to himself. He peered carefully into the depths of the wood, hoping that nothing bigger and meaner than a junkyard dog would be coming his way anytime soon. "You got hit by a truck. Then a glowing guy showed up and said something about a new world. And the other voice talked about skills." said one part of him, cool and analytical. "Legendary skills, at that!" said another part, which was starting to get more excited. "I think we've been Isekai'd! Hot diggity!" "But where are we? Aside from, you know, in the middle of the woods." Dalton added, reigning in his emotional side. "Should we...try to find our way out? To civilization?" "All those bushcraft videos on Youtube say we need shelter first, then clean water." said the analytical part, metaphorically pushing up its glasses with two fingers. "And, if we have indeed been isekai'd, we need to figure out what that entails. We clearly have enhanced senses, so maybe there are other abilities?" Dalton's inner voices all nodded in agreement, so he stopped talking to himself and instead [u][b]looked for the nearest source of shelter[/b][/u]. Were there any caves nearby, or a tree with a hollow large enough for him to huddle inside? At the very least, fallen branches he could use to make an impromptu shield against the elements? As he looked, [u][b]he spoke his thoughts out loud again[/b][/u]--but not to himself, this time. "Uh, System? Menu? Status Screen? Cultivation Arts?" he asked the air. "Query: What is Skill, [Combat Sense]? Please?" [hr] [hider=QUEST/ACTIONS] Quest(s): N/A Action(s):[list][*]LOOK FOR SHELTER [*]ATTEMPT TO ACCESS SYSTEM FUNCTIONS[/list] [/hider] [hider=INVENTORY] Equip:[list][*]Grass Skirt [*]Woven Sandals[/list] [/hider]