Groaning, Chris opened his eyes and found that his body felt heavy, his head pounding with a headache that took a few moments to settle. Finding that he was uninjured with only his body strained, he felt like he had just run a marathon without training and now every muscle protested his every movement.
He forced himself upright slowly before scanning the room as the headache further eased.
Rough, stone walls showing the room was probably in a cliff, that possibility got him excited as his mind ran to a cultivation world. A crude wooden door sat in the uneven door frame. A narrow window, nothing more than a round carved hole that let him see a blue sky with misty clouds. The bed he was on sat pressed against the wall with a rickety table and single stool opposite the window. Even the air felt dry, old and dusty.
He stood from the bed and slowly moved to the small mirror hanging crookedly on the wall, feeling his muscles steadily relax and beginning to feel a bit better with each movement.
What stared back was the same face with scruffy but neat black hair and blue eyes. His average build still wearing his old clothes but finding he didn't have his phone or any other possessions. 'Why let me have any link to my old life?' He mentally scoffed to himself before checking the rest of his pockets and finding nothing.
"Okay," he muttered as he looked around. "Its not ideal, but its still not the worst case possible; I'm still me and still entirely human."
He moved toward the window now to look at his surroundings, only to see there was nothing but uneven stone formations stretching into the distance. A jagged and broken land with cliffs in the far distance. No trees or even a hint of greenery in sight, just sand and dust. Far from the mountain he had originally thought he was on.
In the distance he saw something large shadow move between rocks. He tried to squint to get a better look at it or even just make out what it was, only for it to have disappeared as the wind blew up sand, what he did hear though was the chilling howl from something in the distance. And what worried him the most was how others echoed across the area soon after.
"…Right. Okay, so I'm in some kind of desert?"
"Ah, so you're awake." An aged voice said, causing Chris to turn sharply towards an old man who stood in the doorway, 'i didn't even hear the door.' He thought quietly to himself well looking over the new old figure.
White hair with an equally white beard dragging near the floor. Heavy brows so thick they nearly covered his eyes and a robe barely seen beneath the numerous layers of hair. An old, wither cane tightly held in one hand. A bowl held shakily in the other that he pressed towards Chris.
He seemed extremely frail but Chris doubted that he was, he had opened the door without making a sound and didn't notice him till he spoke. "Here, young one. Eat up. You'll need your strength if you wish to survive out here. The beasts normally roam after sundown but have been rather agitated lately and been acting even well the suns been out." He explained with a gentle tone as Chris took the bowl carefully from the old man, noting the hints of faint surprise that crossed his features but not commenting on it.
"Beasts?" He asked softly instead as he looked at the old man.
"Indeed lad, you're rather fortunate I found you when I did, a few mangy mutts almost had a feast." He remarked and Chris couldn't help but glance at the now open door, noticing the multiple deep scratch marks across the lower half.
He quickly turned his gaze to the bowl in his hand, finding that it held a thin soup of Mostly water and dried bits of something he couldn't recognize floating in it; seeing the old man's earnest look, he took a sip only to scrunch his face moments after, it was somehow bland and bitter at the same time.
"Not to your taste?" the old man asked gently, but the hints of of worry and resignation made Chris wince internally.
"No, it's just… different and it caught me off guard," Chris said quickly, keeping his expression neutral as he took another sip before gently setting the bowl down onto the table. "Thank you." He said once more noting the faint surprise that crossed the old man's features.
"Could you tell me where I am?" Chris finally asked. "I, uh, can't really remember much besides my name." He lied, trying the first excuse he could think of for his lack of basic knowledge.
Looking at him with hints of suspicion the old man hummed softly before answering. "Well, you wouldn't be the first one to have that happen. This is the Barrens lad. It has no official name, but those cast out from nations are brought and left here, sometimes just flat out killed like they probably tried with you but clearly messed up. Regardless, though, most don't stay long here if they can help it, often leaving after a few days and never coming back. I like to believe they found something better out there or just didn't like this place…" The old man said calmly before trailing off; he was too calm about this, Chris could easily see he was far used to having people just wonder through.
"In more detail," The old man continued, "To the south lie's the demon lands, with the demon lord himself controlling that entire area. To the north is the Human Empire of Solaris. To the east, beyond the desert, lies the thick forest of Torben, housing its own isolationist empire of knife ears and tree loving humans." There was clear annoyance in his tone, and Chris could have sworn he heard the words 'hypocrite hippies' whispered under his breath with a scowl. "Then to the west is Equion—the most advanced land on the continent. To the North is Darken and beyond that Luxion, Darken is a damn haven for scum and Luxion is where all the regions are housed, a 'holy' empire where the religious nuts come from and 'spread the word' well all but tossing there summoned 'hero's to the various other empires."
He paused slightly, looking me up and down before shaking his head. "You will not reach any of them easily. Even uninjured you seem far to soft to make such a trip on your own I'm afraid."
Chris swallowed. "And people just… survive here?" he asked, the gravity his situation settling like a stone in his gut.
The old man's smile again at him, a mix of sadness and longing. "Some try," he said honestly before sighing. "Not many do though. ignoring my warnings and guidance before meeting a rather unsettling end."
Silence stretched between after that. "Oh," the old man finally said. "These were found tied to you when i found you, possibly left by whoever dropped you off out here for who knows why." He said, walking over and pulling out a large bag of black soil and three smaller pouches of seeds along with a folded letter with his name on it from under the bed. "No clue what it says; the writing looks like gibberish so probably some kind of code or strange language." The old man said with a shrug, missing the flicker of hope that passed through Chris's gaze as he hurriedly took the letter.
He quickly read through it. Then read it again. upon the third time he read it he felt his face develop a sour look.
So finally up, kid? Good! Welcome to Lanteris, a world of magic and mystery where the empires are in a kind of cold war with one another yet actively fighting the 'demon lord' half-heartedly all while waiting for one of the others to give an opening they can use to grow. Now I haven't left you with absolutely nothing. The soil is something special I made; just mix a little bit of it with other soil or sand and it will turn it extremely fertile, spreading ever so steadily, something you will need for the seeds. There are 180 of them in total and each one can become any plant you desire along with creating seeds to make more of that chosen plant, but their seeds will be far harder to grow without that soil; which you wont be getting more of from me! Figure out for yourself how to make more and no, you cant make one seed make more of those seeds! Now as an added bonus I gave you a green thumb ability, one that not only lets you grow plants far faster than should be possible and easily noticeable but you will even hear them whether you want to or not. Good luck, kid.
Chris stared at the words. This was it? No combat ability? No magic system or any system at all? Not even a weapon he could use? Just some soil and seeds without giving him knowledge of this worlds plants?
"…You've got to be kidding me." He muttered with clear frustration under his breath.
The old man watched him carefully as he read the letter noticing the way his look changed and the way he looked through each sack before cursing softly. "Is something wrong lad?" he finally asked with clear concern.
Chris folded the letter slowly and placed it onto the desk with a resigned sigh.
"…No. I, sorry I just thought the letter would give me some kind of answers but instead it was more mocking than anything." He said honestly receiving a nod of understanding in response.
For a brief moment, Chris had the strange feeling the old man understood far more than he should, it was in how his grip tightened on his cane, in the way he seemed to sag ever so slightly, either way he was thankful that the old man didn't press or demand an answer.