My face breaches the water’s surface. The two moons shine just as brightly as when I first saw them. The Blue Moon, round and radiant, bathes the sea in a cool, ethereal glow, while above it, the Red Crescent Moon arches delicately.


    I’ve spent most of the night floating, pondering my next destination. I rack my brain, trying to recall the map Bailey showed me. Honestly, I’m drawing a blank. No clue where I am. But if my memory serves, there’s supposed to be a town or city east of here, beyond those mountains.


    I wonder where Bailey is. He’s probably already out of the elemental wilds, whipping up some culinary masterpiece. I have no idea how long it’s been since we parted ways. “Hopefully,” I mutter to the sea, “we’ll cross paths again soon. Maybe he’ll even have some leftovers.”


    The sun’s light peeks over the eastern mountains. Confirming my bearings—or at least, a vague approximation of them—I start swimming briskly toward the sunrise. I need to cover some ground before I inevitably lose my sense of direction again. Luckily, the shore isn’t too far off.


    By the time the sun is high in the sky, I’ve made it to land. It isn’t the same beach I’d been on before. A dense forest looms just beyond the shore. The vegetation has changed, too. Gone are the tropical plants; now, thick, backcountry woods surround me.


    In the distance, the snow-capped peaks of a mountain range pierce the sky. I head into the forest, making my way towards them. Just like before, the sounds of nature envelop me. Tiny creatures chirp and buzz, the wind rustles through the leaves.


    It’s almost… peaceful. And the best part? No more mosquitoes! Take that, tiny bloodsuckers!


    Keeping a low profile, I stealthily move through the forest, hoping to find some larger game. A prey to skin—I can’t stand being naked… It’s just too weird.


    Plenty of creatures roam the forest, but nothing big enough to fashion into a decent tunic, let alone trousers. I slowly tread forward, scanning the undergrowth. Suddenly, I spot tracks on the forest floor. Fresh and large, they look almost like a bear’s… a really big bear’s.


    Intrigued, I follow the footprints. Soon, two roars rip through the trees, shaking the very air. Following the tracks and the sound, I cautiously peer between the thick trunks of alien trees. There, in a small clearing, stand two massive, bear-like creatures with long, thick tails, bawling at each other.


    They don’t notice me, thankfully. I keep my distance, crouching behind a particularly wide trunk, and wait for the fight to end. They’re really going at it. Surprisingly, the smaller of the two is winning. It’s more agile, dodging several swipes from the larger creature’s enormous claws with surprising speed.Stolen story; please report.


    The battle ends quickly. The smaller creature lands a decisive swipe across the larger one’s eyes, followed by a swift bite to its throat. The larger creature lets out a final, pained roar before collapsing lifelessly to the ground in a cloud of dust.


    Nature is as brutal as ever. Though, I have to admit, it was a pretty impressive display.


    I remain hidden, my flashy hair already a beacon for trouble. No need to draw more attention to myself.


    The smaller creature leisurely digs into the larger one’s chest, eventually ripping out what looks suspiciously like a still-beating heart. The victor then limps off, its gruesome trophy dangling from its jaws. It looks rather pleased with itself.


    I wait a few more moments to ensure the coast is clear. By the time I cautiously approach the massive carcass, small scavengers—mostly insect looking ones and some rather large—have already begun their cleanup. I shoo them away with a wave of my hand, reaching the creature’s side. Well, this is definitely big enough. Now, to figure out how to skin this beast.


    Then I realized a rather awkward truth. I had no tools… Nothing at all. My trusty dagger was probably still enjoying a scenic tour of the sea serpent’s digestive system, or perhaps enjoying a nice vacation on the ocean floor. Either way, it wasn’t here.


    After spying a promisingly large rock, I give it a good whack against another. My hopes of creating some sharp fragments were quickly dashed as it crumbled into a pile of rubble. Clearly, rock-smashing wasn''t my forte. I scanned the area, half-expecting to find a conveniently placed obsidian deposit. After all, there had been a volcano in the area… a long, long time ago.


    After smashing a few more boulders—most of which stubbornly remained just rocks—I unearthed one containing what looked like fossilized sea creatures. Talk about a blast from the past. And then, finally, there it was: the glassy, black stone. Jackpot!


    Hurrying back to the carcass, now practically crawling with small scavengers again, I shooed them away with a weary sigh. I then hauled the carcass to a different part of the forest. I really didn’t want to be around when the other one came back looking for seconds.


    I found a nice clearing next to a small lake and got to work on the obsidian. Using another, less interesting rock as a hammerstone, I flaked and chipped away, desperately trying to replicate the techniques from those survival videos I’d binged in my past life.


    The ones where they make perfect tools in five minutes with nothing but a rock and some calming music?


    It’s way harder than it looks on video. After countless failures and shattered obsidian shards that vaguely resemble pointy rocks, I finally managed to create something that almost, almost looked like a knife. It was more like a jagged, black saw, but I wasn’t complaining. I carried my masterpiece back to the carcass.