Baptism

The liger is way too big, bigger than any of its parental genes, looks like it has more power. The liger is looking at me and circling around, I follow trying to see if I can get to my weapons where I left them. I am backing away towards my weapons when the liger comes in for a strike.

I know I can't dodge this without taking damage, I tense up driving my feet into the loose sand under my feet and jump backwards just as the liger slashes at me, pushing me towards my weapons and injuring both my hands. I land grabbing my sword and lifting my shield,

"COME ON … LET US SEE WHO DIES FIRST."

The liger just growls and continues circling around me, instead of following it this time I stand my ground and pivot so that it is front of me at all time.

It pounces at my head with its jaw wide open, I slide under it slashing at one of its hind legs, missing me it immediately turns around and goes for a swipe with its claw, I crouch down and block that with my shield and stab towards its head, it moves backwards which allows me to swipe its front leg.

We continue like this for what I felt was an hour, but it has hardly been 2 mins. I am beginning to feel faint and less agile, the liger is breathing hard, we both know that one of us will die if this continues, and the blood seems to be attracting other animals.

*Roar*

The liger turns around and bolts away

'What happened, he still had a winning chance, not going to care about that. Let me get out of here before anything else comes my way.'

What just happened is starting to get to me, the adrenaline is wearing off, rushing to my things I pick up a plant I get yesterday. Chewing the plant into a paste I apply it as best I can on my injuries leaving most of the back wound exposed.

Taking my equipment I once again focus pushing my body past its limits bolting out of there to find a place where I can safely take care of my injuries. Not finding any caves I got up to a big tree and passed out.

I wake up feeling pain all over my body and to see it is still very dark. I fell something slithering on my chest

*ssllgg* (AN/ I don't know how to right snake sounds)

'F*CK ME'

Holding my breath and not moving a single muscle, waiting for the head of the snake to be visible. I finally see its head, grabbing it swiftly I just below the head killing it.

*ssllgg, ssllgg*

Multiple sounds start coming up around me, I hustle down the tree with the snake I just killed and bolt out of there. Visibility is low and I don't know where I am going, I find a rocky area with sparse trees, I go to one of the very large rocks that has space under it. The space is just enough for me to lay still and get some sleep.

I woke up feeling the injury on my back aching I reach for my supplies that have been in my clothes only to find them gone.

In all my running it must have fallen somewhere, I have to go and find something to deal with it before it gets infected. I get up putting on my kit, then a sharp pain travels from the sole of my feet.

*Argh*

Looking below I find small pale scorpion; I kill it, tying around my shin with my cloths, and look around seeing about 10 scorpions within this area.

'F*CK, can't I catch a break'

There are no plants within the area to use for any treatment. I leave the area raising my vigilance of anything from the ground to the sky, keeping almost a 360o awareness of any and everything around. I keep moving feeling weakness coming over me,

'I will not die just like this, I cannot die just like this'

'I will not die just like this, I cannot die just like this'

This become my mantra as I cautiously walk around trying to find something that can help me. Finally finding a flower that I can use, I quickly scout the area, skinned the snake I had killed previously using its skin to apply the paste on the wound on my back.

My feet are looking very pale and I don't know how to treat injuries of this kind, so I use my sword to cut a wound on the point where the scorpion stung me.

'I will survive this, although I couldn't get any system, I will survive without it.'

Therefor my journey truly started, I learnt how to hunt efficiently through a lot of trial and error. Food spoiled quickly when I hunted some of the bigger animals, so I stick to small animals like rabbit, squirrels, chickens, and lizards.

I continue going first of all trying to find out the route I used to get here. My orientation is all out of whack as I try retracing my steps to the steam so that I could get some water, while also trying to find a more stable place to rest without any complications.

After a day and a half of searching I managed to find the stream again, but it is night and I am not going to try drinking at night.

Since this is the side I fought the liger, I decided to go downstream toward the west to find a less used spot.

I settle down on a tree close to the river about 2km from the where I fought the liger and waited for morning to have a drink.

I have to rest without completely passing out in sleep, my awareness must be up at all times to make sure I can react to anything that comes my way.

Like that the days past and become weeks, and the weeks become months, eventually a year has gone by.