His eyes blinked as they adjusted to another bright light—this one fading quickly to reveal a vast canopy of treetops. Sunlight filtered through vivid green leaves in what appeared to be a forest. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and took in his surroundings.
<blockquote>
So, this is it? A new world? Huh… doesn’t look all that different.
</blockquote>
He patted himself down. He was still wearing his hoodie and jeans.
<blockquote>
No cool new clothing, I guess.
</blockquote>
Emptying his pockets, he found his phone, headphones, and wallet.
<blockquote>
Battery at 72%? And no service!? Aww, man!
</blockquote>
Looking around, he quickly realized there was nothing else—no gear and, worst of all, no bao buns.
<blockquote>
Wait a minute… I get isekai’d and they don’t even give me starter gear!? This sucks!
</blockquote>
He stood up and brushed off the dirt and dust from the forest floor. Soon, he made his way to the nearest tree.
“Okay, time to try out my new awesome powers! Matter Manipulation!”
He stretched out his hand toward the tree, palm gently pressing against rough bark. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, feeling a spark of power well up from his core, flowing down his arms and out through his hand.
<blockquote>
This feeling… this… POWER! I can feel it coursing through me!
</blockquote>
But as he opened his eyes, the huge tree barely shuddered.
<blockquote>
… What? Are you for real!? Is that really it?
</blockquote>
The back of his palm began to glow faintly as a magic circle appeared. Text formed above it like a hologram:
[Matter Manipulation]: Lvl 1 – EXP [1/10]
He grinned.
<blockquote>
Oh, I get it now… It’s like an RPG! The more I use it, the more it levels up!
</blockquote>
The text faded and then changed to display his mana:
[Mana]: Lvl 1 – Remaining: [0/10]
<blockquote>
I feel… very… tired…
</blockquote>
His body weakened; his eyes fluttered shut, and he collapsed onto the forest floor.
<hr>
Later…
He awoke to a dim forest lit by moonlight, the once-blinding brightness replaced by soft shadows. Rubbing his eyes, he noted the eerie silence, broken only by the distant howling of wolves.
<blockquote>
Oh no, this isn’t good…
</blockquote>
He looked at the back of his hand—once again, it glowed, and text formed above it:
[Mana]: Lvl 1 – Remaining: [5/10]
He realized mana was a limiting factor. If this was truly like an RPG, then the larger the object he manipulated, the more mana it would consume.
<blockquote>
Alright, I got it! Let’s start small. First, I need something to defend myself if those wolves decide to attack.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
</blockquote>
He reached for a small branch lying on the forest floor—light enough for him to grip.
“Here it goes. Matter Manipulation: Create a Spear!”
The stick began to glow as its form started to change. Its crooked natural curves became slightly straighter and slimmer, and its tip grew just a little more pointy.
[Matter Manipulation]: Lvl 1 – EXP: [2/10] [Mana]: Lvl 2 – Remaining: [10/20]
He stared at the barely pointy stick and muttered:
"And after all of that, I get a slightly pointy stick!? At least I didn’t pass out this time. Looks like I actually leveled up my mana! Now I have more to work with."
The howling of wolves grew closer.
<blockquote>
I’m gonna have to do something if I want to survive. What if, instead of a weapon, I find a way to defend myself? Next up—a shelter!
</blockquote>
He placed his palm on the ground and focused once more.
“Matter Manipulation: Shelter!”
Then: Black.
For a moment, the text on the back of his hand glowed brightly:
[Mana]: Lvl 2 – Remaining: [0/20]
When the glow faded, he lay motionless—unconscious on the forest floor.
<hr>
Later (Again)…
Sunlight began to pierce through the forest canopy as he stirred awake. Still tired and groggy, his stomach growled fiercely. He looked around and noticed, next to him, a small sandcastle—barely bigger than his hand and poorly constructed.
<blockquote>
This is it… This is how I die—next to a sandcastle with a twig as a sword.
</blockquote>
Just as resignation threatened to overwhelm him, he heard a distant sound. Flowing water.
“Water! That’s perfect!” he thought. “I read that you can survive for days if you stay hydrated!”
He stood abruptly and followed the sound. As he pushed through thick brush, the noise grew louder—not just a river, but a waterfall.
Eventually, he emerged into a clearing with a huge cliff face and water crashing down into a roaring river. Rushing to it, he cupped his hands and drank deeply.
<blockquote>
Slurp—ahhh, so refreshing! This is the best water I’ve ever tasted!
</blockquote>
Next to the river, he discovered small bushes laden with blackberries.
<blockquote>
Score! I really hope these are edible!
</blockquote>
With shaking hands, he grabbed handfuls of berries and devoured them, savoring each mouthful. But just as he began to feel full, his stomach rumbled again—this time with sharp pain. He bolted to the nearest tree, squatting behind it.
“NOOO! THE BERRIES WERE…” he grumbled.
<hr>
Later (Yet Again)…
After expelling the contents of his stomach, he looked around with a defeated expression. This was turning out to be much worse than his old life. He would give anything to go back, to sit in his room and eat his precious bao buns.
Before he could wallow too long, he heard a squelching sound in front of him. Looking up, he saw a small blue slime just a few meters away.
<blockquote>
Oh no. These things are probably super hostile. I bet it’s going to try and absorb me! Quick, think!
</blockquote>
Panicking, he scanned his surroundings. His hands dug into the dirt as he closed his eyes and focused.
“Matter Manipulation: Trip Hazard!”
The ground responded by pushing up roots into small, rounded shapes, creating a trap designed to catch a foot.
<blockquote>
Genius! And this time it actually worked! My power did what I wanted… wait a second… The slime doesn’t have feet! AWH CRAP!
</blockquote>
He stepped back, clutching his barely pointy stick, then felt his foot hit a root from his own trip hazard. He tumbled backward, his stick flying high into the air, its nearly pointy end facing downward as it soared.
<blockquote>
“Killed… by my own trap and weapon. Goodbye, cruel world. I won’t miss you…”
</blockquote>
His final thoughts raced through his mind as he heard another squelch and a tiny, high-pitched screech. Lifting his head, he saw the blue slime, now decimated by the falling stick. The stick lay embedded in the ground, pieces of jelly scattered around it.
<blockquote>
I did it… I beat the ferocious beast!
</blockquote>
Joy surged through him—he had conquered his enemy, however feeble, and saved his own life. The back of his hand began to glow again:
Level Up! New Level: 1 → 2 [Matter Manipulation]: Lvl 2 – EXP [0/20]
“Wow! I actually leveled up!” he marveled. “I bet I can finally make all kinds of amazing things now. I’m going to be the most powerful mage in all the world! Just watch me—Matter Manipulation: Build a Castle!”
Then: Black.