《The Omniscient Reader's Point of View: The Dawn of a Character》 The Last Normal Morning "Misha, come on, get up already! What do you mean, ''five more minutes''? Want me to smack you?" My friend was practically bouncing with excitement, eager for the upcoming party. Well, can''t blame him¡ªit was my birthday, after all. The name''s Mikhail. Full name¡ªMikhail Romanovich Yezhov. Not exactly the life of the party type. But by some miracle, I managed to find friends last year. And today, we were supposed to have an insane birthday bash at my family''s dacha. The problem? I really, really wanted to sleep. Maybe I could push the party back an hour¡­ A pillow hit me square in the face. Yeah, guess wishes don''t always come true. "Alright, alright, I''m up," I mumbled, still half-asleep, forcing myself to sit up. The dacha was outside the city, so we decided to leave early. Not the best idea after last night''s binge-watch of House M.D. with Max. Staying up for multiple seasons felt great at the time. Waking up, though? Not so much. Dragging myself out of bed, I threw on my sweatpants and my favorite hoodie¡ªthe one with the beer-drinking dinosaur. The view from the seventh floor was amazing¡­ if you liked looking at a factory. Every morning, the chimneys practically begged me to come work there. Despite the artificial gray clouds, the weather was decent. I caught sight of my neighbor walking her ridiculously fat pug. Damn, I wish I had a dog too. But not some tiny rat-like thing¡ªI wanted a big, fluffy menace. A Leonberger would be perfect. Too bad a puppy here costs as much as a decent motorcycle. And the idea of surviving on instant noodles for two years didn''t exactly thrill me. Alright, need to grab something to eat. ¡­Please, let there be food left. Opening the fridge, I was met with pure despair. A single mouse could''ve hung itself in there. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Max, you feeling okay? Yesterday, you inhaled several bowls of soup, a plate of pasta, and even¡ªholy hell¡ªthose expired meatballs. We don''t have anything left to eat, do we?" Max arched an eyebrow. "Seriously? We didn''t save anything from last night? Wait, wasn''t there some pizza?" Oh, right. Pizza. Guess we decided to feast like kings before the apocalypse. We quickly scarfed down the cold leftovers¡ªour microwave had died, and, of course, the stove was broken too¡ªbefore heading outside. Max''s old rusty car was supposed to be waiting for us in the courtyard. Except¡­ it wasn''t. "Uh, where''s your legendary ''seven''?" I asked, looking around. Max smirked. "Oh, we''re not taking that old junk heap today. Feast your eyes on my new ride." His eyes practically sparkled with pride. "Presenting, a nearly-new five-year-old Volkswagen Golf! Feel honored, mere mortal, to grace its seats! Muahaha!" We got in. Started the car. Drove five meters. It stalled. Started it again. Stalled. Started. "Max, are you fucking kidding me?!" "Shut up, I got this!" "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Eventually, we actually managed to get going. The drive was long, so I pulled out my phone. First, I sent a message to our group chat, Kitties and Ratties, letting everyone know not to wait for us and that the spare key was under the doormat. Then, I started browsing for something new to read. That''s when I saw it¡ªa newly uploaded translation of some unknown web novel, Ways of Survival. "Dude, can you not be glued to your phone for once?" Max groaned. "And do what?" "I don''t know, man. Look out the window? Enjoy life?" "Yeah, sure. Great advice," I muttered, scrolling further. When I was a kid, my parents thought I was mute. Every time someone tried to talk to me, I''d freeze up or start crying. Doctors ruled out any medical conditions, but no therapy seemed to work. Then, one specialist suggested they try reading to me. My first book was Karlsson-on-the-Roof. I got so obsessed with the character interactions that I started mimicking their lines. "I''m a man in my prime! Strong and handsome!" That was my breakthrough. Books taught me to speak. Books helped me overcome my fear of people. But my love for reading never faded. And now, I had a new novel in front of me. Only five chapters had been translated so far. After that, I''d have to struggle through the raw text with Google Translate. Eh. Wouldn''t be the first time. I started reading. One chapter. Two. Three. By the time I switched to the original version, my eyes widened. Holy shit. This novel had thousands of chapters. I''d never be able to finish it in my lifetime. The plot was slow as hell, but something about it kept me hooked. And then¡ª Game "Watch where the hell you''re going, you dumb deer!" Max''s yelling snapped me out of my thoughts. A deer stood right in front of our car, staring at us with blank, glassy eyes. I groaned, got out, and waved my arms to scare it off. It flinched, hesitated, then bolted into the trees. I was about to get back in the car when¡ª The ground lurched. I staggered, barely managing to stay on my feet before it shook again. What the hell was that? An earthquake? I glanced at Max. He was gripping the steering wheel tightly, his face pale. "Mish, what the fuck is going on?" I opened my mouth to answer, but then¡ª Thud. Thud. Thud. A low rumble echoed in the distance, growing louder with each passing second. Footsteps. No¡ªhooves. I turned toward the sound. A wave of dark shapes emerged from the treeline. Dozens. No¡ªhundreds of deer. They were charging straight toward us. Max let out a strangled noise. "Oh, shit¡ª" "Drive! Now!" I shouted. Max twisted the key in the ignition. The engine sputtered. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. And died. He tried again. Nothing. His voice was tight. "Misha, the car won''t start." I clenched my fists. The deer were closing in fast. An old news story popped into my head. A deer trampled a man to death in a freak accident. Right. We were so dead. I let out a shaky breath. "Uh... Max? I think your Volkswagen''s fucked." And then¡ª Everything stopped. Not just the deer. The entire world froze. The ground felt unnaturally still, as if reality itself had hit the pause button. Then, a voice¡ªcold and mechanical¡ªechoed inside my head. [FREE SERVICE FOR PLANETARY SYSTEM 8612 HAS BEEN TERMINATED.][MONETIZATION WILL NOW COMMENCE.][MAIN SCENARIO ACTIVATED.] A jolt shot through my body. Flashbacks hit me like a truck. This¡ªthis was exactly like in that web novel. My breath came in short gasps. I was so overwhelmed I barely registered Max yelling something at me. The radio inside the car suddenly crackled to life. The dashboard lights flickered erratically. The entire vehicle groaned, as if it were about to collapse in on itself. The sheer absurdity of the moment brought a twisted thought to my mind. Hah. Honestly? I''d rather get isekai''d. "Misha, for fuck''s sake, ANSWER ME!" Max''s voice cracked in panic. "WHAT WAS IN THAT PIZZA?!" His eyes were locked onto something behind me. Shit. I couldn''t move. Something was watching me. I could feel its gaze burning into my back, sending icy tendrils of fear through my body. A low, distorted voice buzzed through the radio. I didn''t recognize the language. Arabic? No¡­ Something else. Then, clear as day, the words shifted into Russian. [Well, well, well¡­ Russians, huh? You were this close to crossing into another zone. That would''ve been very unfortunate for you.] My blood ran cold. What the actual fuck? Before I could react, something smacked me on the back of the head. I nearly jumped out of my skin. [Hey, buddy, is he always this slow? Seems like he''s having trouble adapting. Ah well, not much we can do for him now¡­] There was a sigh behind me. Oh, hell no. I really didn''t like the sound of that. "What¡ªwait, no, I''m fine! Everything''s fine, mister, uh¡­" I finally forced myself to turn around. [Tokkebi,] the creature answered smoothly. Tokkebi¡­? Oh, you''ve got to be kidding me. This was real. I knew exactly what this thing was. Hovering in the air before me was a small, horned creature with pale skin and tiny, fluttering wings. But its form flickered, glitching in and out like a broken hologram. Tokkebi [Ahem. Apologies for such an unusual entrance. Give me a second to fix something...] The hologram flickered and vanished for a moment. The static on the radio faded away. [Some of the "drivers" needed a quick reboot. Alright, where were we? Ah, yes. Congratulations! Your peaceful days are officially over.] Max finally found his voice. "Uh¡­ could you explain that?" [Oh? Smart little humans. Most people start screaming ''Help! Let us go!'' by now. As if that would do anything.] I had nothing to say. Tokkebi continued. [A long time ago, a certain Mr. N made the initial deposit to shield your planet from the Scenarios. But then he vanished, and, well, the collectors couldn''t track him down. Some of you pathetic creatures managed to extend the protection for a few years with your stories and legends¡ªone, maybe two years at best. The record holders? Einstein and Mendeleev. They each bought you an extra five years. Impressive! But guess what? That''s still not enough. The free trial is over, gentlemen.] He let that sink in before cheerfully clapping his hands together. [Well, looks like we''ve got some time to spare. You get one question. I''ll give you a minute to think. Tick-tock!] Shit. Critical thinking was not my strong suit. Brainstorming, brainstorming¡­ What did I need to survive? Food? Shelter? Weapons? Armor? Levels? Quests¡ª Wait. Quests. I glanced at Max and gave him a sharp nod. "Tokkebi, give us a hint on how to complete whatever trial we''re about to face as efficiently as possible." Max stared at me like I''d grown a second head. [Oh-ho, do we have a prophet here? Well, a promise is a promise. If I don''t give you an answer, I''ll get flamed in the Star Stream chat later.] He smirked. [Your hint? Read the instructions carefully.] And then¡ªhe was gone. The moment he vanished, a translucent window popped up in front of me. CHANNEL #B1-7623 HAS OPENED [Constellations have joined the broadcast.] [You have received the Main Scenario.] Main Scenario #1 ¨C Proof of WorthCategory: Main This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Difficulty: F+ Objective: Kill a living creature (one or more) and survive. Time Limit: 30 minutes Reward: 300 coins Failure Penalty: Death. You have obtained an Achievement![Lucky Bastard] Achievement Details: Unknown. Reward: A skill unrelated to the user''s primary role. Mechanic (F-) Your hands are now slightly steadier when assembling, disassembling, or crafting items. Skill will evolve after successfully crafting 10 items rated "Common¨C" or higher. Oh, great. I clenched my jaw. A Mechanic. In the goddamn apocalypse. Just what I needed. For a second, I let myself wallow in self-pity. Then I took a deep breath. No time to panic. "Max, pop the trunk! I have a feeling we''re about to get our asses kicked." Max flung it open. Inside was¡­ booze and raw barbecue meat. Yeah. Not exactly helpful. But¡ªbingo. I grabbed the metal skewers. Sturdy. Sharp. If push came to shove, I could stab something with them. "Got duct tape?" I asked. Max raised an eyebrow. "I brought umbrellas," he said. "Rip the fabric off, tape the rest together." "I know how to make a goddamn spear, genius." Within minutes, our makeshift weapons were done. You have created an Artifact x2. "Wonderwaffle" (G+)Description: The creator of this item was clearly very frustrated at the time. Blacksmith Skill Progress: 2/10 A sharp crack rang through the air. The barrier was breaking. Shit. I didn''t think about that. 23 minutes left on the clock¡­ A disturbing realization hit me. Ever since this "System" arrived, the animals¡ªevery single one of them¡ªhad gone rabid. A low snarl made my stomach drop. I spun around. The deer were watching us. Their empty, glassy eyes locked onto ours as they pawed the ground, muscles coiled and ready to charge. Fuck this. "RUN!" I bellowed. I grabbed Max by the sleeve and bolted for the woods. Adrenaline surged through my veins. Each second stretched into eternity as I counted my steps, measuring the distance. Almost there. Almost¡ª BAM. I slammed into an invisible wall. What the¡ª?! I recoiled, stumbling back. The barrier wasn''t breaking. At least, not this one. Unlike the one holding the deer back, this one was still solid. I wasn''t getting out. A cold wave of panic crashed over me. What now? I spun on my heel and ran back toward the car. Survival first. If I wasn''t getting out, I had to hold the line. Animals had instincts. They could be scared. That''s when it hit me. "Max," I gasped, "you still smoke?" "D-dude, I quit ages ago¡ª" "Do you have a lighter? Yes or no?!" "Uh¡ªyeah?" Holy shit, I had never been so grateful for his nicotine addiction. Instincts. Fire = Fear. I forced myself to think fast. A while back, I convinced Max to bring a spare canister of gasoline¡ªjust in case. Now? It was about to be very useful. I grabbed the canister and dumped the contents all over the ground, drawing a thick, flammable line between us and the deer. The barrier cracked. Twenty seconds. Fifteen. Ten. I flicked the lighter. The flame danced. And then I dropped it. WHOOOMPH. A wall of fire erupted between us and the animals. The deer skidded to a halt, their hooves scraping against the pavement. [A certain Constellation has sponsored you 100 coins.] I ignored the notification. Good. That should buy us maybe ten minutes. But what then? And worse¡ªhow the hell were we supposed to clear the Scenario? The instructions didn''t specify what we had to kill. Just something. A horrifying thought clawed at the back of my mind. Not each other. That''s ridiculous. That''s¡ª My throat felt tight. I swallowed the lump forming in it. Just a few hours ago, I thought this was a dream come true. An RPG brought to life. But games had respawns. Games had rules. And in this world? The rules weren''t made for us. I clenched my fists. I was not going to die here. Not today. I still had friends out there. Max looked green. His hands were shaking. He hadn''t gotten a skill. No stat boosts, no achievements¡ªnothing. And yet, somehow, he was still standing. Barely holding on "It looks like running is our only option," I exhaled, barely catching my breath. We took off, sprinting like our lives depended on it. Because, well¡­ they did. Time stretched unbearably. Maybe six minutes had passed, maybe more. My lungs felt like they were about to collapse, and my legs burned with exhaustion. Max was holding up better, but I could tell by the way his shoulders tensed¡ªhe was running on pure adrenaline. Seven minutes left¡­ The sounds of pounding hooves grew louder behind us. They were closing in. No other options left. We had to fight. Five minutes. A hundred meters between us and the stampede. I turned to Max. He met my gaze. This might be it. I inhaled sharply, clutched my makeshift weapon, and ran straight at them. A scream tore from my throat as I slashed at the first deer, then the second. The blade cut deep, but it wasn''t enough to take them down. And they¡­ didn''t even notice me. Their herd instincts pushed them forward, trampling over everything in their path. I slashed again. A hoof smashed into my ribs. I choked, feeling blood rise in my throat. My body lifted off the ground, my vision flickering from the sheer force of the impact. Perfect timing. With the last bit of strength left in me, I drove my weapon straight through the deer''s eye, piercing its brain. [You have committed your first kill.] [100 coins have been awarded as compensation.] Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. But there was no time to celebrate. More were coming. They didn''t give me a second to breathe before slamming into me again, their bodies nothing short of battering rams. And then, out of nowhere¡ª Tokkebi appeared. For real this time. [¡ª Damn, what a pain. I really thought you two would die here. Babysitting humans is such a drag¡­] The system notifications flickered in front of me. [Attention, dear Constellations! We''re taking a short intermission¡ªdon''t go anywhere, the fun''s just getting started!] [Due to the influence of a Lower-Grade Tokkebi, scenario difficulty has increased to E-. Time limit extended by 10 minutes.] [¡ª Have fun dying.] And just like that, he vanished. N-no, wait. Something''s wrong. If we just last out the timer, maybe things will get easier. We just had to endure. That''s what I thought. Until I felt the piercing pain in my gut. The next second, my body lurched forward. Impaled. Impaled on their antlers like a piece of meat on a skewer. One deer, then another. I could feel my own blood soaking into their fur as they carried me forward at full speed. So, this is it, huh? This is how I die? My thoughts felt disconnected, like my brain was already preparing to shut down. I had no idea what happened to Max. The stampede kept moving. It felt like an eternity. I wanted to pass out. The pain wouldn''t let me. If I could still feel pain¡­ I was still alive. I clenched my teeth, forcing my trembling fingers to move. One last attack. I stabbed my weapon forward, piercing the deer''s throat. A strangled cry tore from its body, and suddenly, I was airborne. I slammed into the ground, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. [You have entered a Safe Zone (1/2).] I gagged, a mixture of blood and bile spilling onto the dirt. A notification flickered in my vision. [A certain Constellation of Justice and Kindness has sponsored you with 200 coins. They suggest investing in Stamina.] I didn''t have the energy to think. I followed the only method I knew. [270 coins have been invested into Stamina.] [Stamina Level 2 ¡ú Stamina Level 3.] [Your body has become slightly more durable.] My wounds slowly started to close, but an unbearable hunger clawed at my stomach in return. I lifted my head, blinking at the scene before me. The stampede had thinned. And then I saw him. A blur of motion, weaving between the deer with impossible speed. Clothes torn, blood running down his arms, but still standing. Max. He saw me too. We locked eyes. I reached out. ¡ª "Grab my hand!" Too far. Not enough reach. I flipped my grip, grabbing the sharp end of my weapon and thrusting the handle toward him. For a second, I thought I''d miss. But then¡ªhis fingers closed around it. [Safe Zone status updated (2/2).] One minute left. And then, at the worst possible moment¡­ A mosquito bit me. Instinctively, I smacked it, crushing the tiny body against my skin. A new notification popped up. [100 coins have been awarded as compensation.] My brain short-circuited. That counted? THAT COUNTED?! The last thought that passed through my mind before I blacked out was¡ª "God, I''m such an idiot."