Pip snapped awake, tears still streaming down his face. He looked down at his arm, which was still outstretched from his desperate, failed attempt to hold onto his mother in the dream. Taking a deep breath, Pip resolved to stop running from reality. He would face his grief and confront this harsh new world head-on.
Dragging his exhausted body up, he began to explore the surrounding wilderness. After wandering through the dense thickets for a short while, he stumbled upon a small, bubbling stream. Parched from days of absolute deprivation since the tragedy befell his family, Pip threw himself down and drank from the stream ravenously, gulping down the water without pause.
But mid-sip, a low, menacing growl echoed nearby. The sound drew closer by the second, forcing him to snap his head up, his senses instantly on high alert.
Emerging from the shadows was a wolf—but a monstrous one, completely devoid of skin, its raw muscle exposed to the air. The skinless wolf bared its fangs, snarling viciously as it locked its predatory gaze onto Pip. Terrified, Pip turned and bolted. As he ran for his life, his mind raced in sheer confusion: 'Why is there a wolf with no skin in this forest?!'
He kept running blindly until his foot caught on a large rock hidden in the grass. Pip tumbled forward violently, his heavy, fatigued body skidding across the dirt.
The wolf caught up in an instant. It slammed its heavy paw onto Pip's stomach, pinning him to the ground while growling with rabid fury. Barely daring to breathe, Pip stared into the beast's wild eyes. The wolf lowered its head, opening its jaws to deliver a fatal bite straight to Pip's face.
In a frantic surge of panic, Pip thrashed about. His hand accidentally struck the wolf, and that desperate contact instantly triggered a latent power buried deep within him.
Ethereal white cubes suddenly materialized, floating silently around the wolf. With a sharp crack, the geometric shapes shattered into countless fragments, swarming around the beast. Sensing something was terribly wrong, the wolf attempted to turn and flee, but it was already too late. Glowing chains erupted from the fragments, weaving the shards back together into a solid, glowing white cube that securely sealed the feral beast inside.
Unaware of the sealing magic he had just unleashed, Pip kept his eyes squeezed shut, his fists swinging wildly into the empty air in desperation. It was only when he realized his punches were hitting nothing but air that he slowly blinked his eyes open.
Before him, the skinless wolf was trapped inside a floating cube, thrashing wildly against its invisible walls but unable to break free. Intrigued and bewildered, Pip reached out and picked up the cube, turning it over to examine the bizarre artifact.
Right at that moment, a glowing status panel materialized directly in front of his eyes, presenting him with a stark choice:
[ Destroy ] or [ Save ]
Hovering between the two choices, Pip was deeply conflicted, completely clueless as to what 'Destroy' or 'Save' actually meant. As he hesitated, another system notification popped up to clarify the options.
If he chose [ Destroy ], the cube would shatter into pieces, and whatever entity Pip had sealed inside would vanish along with it. If he chose [ Save ], Pip could store the sealed creature or the acquired ability within himself, allowing him to summon and utilize it at will. However, his power came with a strict limitation: Pip could only store a maximum of five objects or abilities at any given time.
Reading the explanation, a memory suddenly sparked in his mind. He recalled a passage from the ancient history book of the Upo race: 'Among the children of the Upo, a select few are born with extraordinary phenomena. This is known as the Awakening Ability.' Realization washed over him, leaving him stunned. He was one of those rare individuals chosen to possess such a miraculous power.
After careful deliberation, Pip decided to test his limits and chose to destroy the trapped wolf.
Following that fateful encounter, a long period of survival began. Pip endured the harsh realities of the wilderness for over two entire years. Through trial and error, he learned how to hunt wild animals, evade deadly monsters, and master the basic arts of survival.
One day, while out tracking game for his next meal, Pip stumbled upon a grotesque sight. A massive Orc had invaded the area, savagely devouring the butchered carcasses of its recent prey. The horrific scene turned Pip's stomach, causing him to retch involuntarily. Hearing the sudden noise, the Orc froze mid-bite and slowly turned its brute, menacing gaze toward Pip's hiding spot.