2026-01-03 21:54:45Charlie hits the ground hard and does not pass out. His head strikes stone. His body twists. The air leaves his chest in a sharp burst. The pain comes all at once. It does not fade. It grows.
His eyes try to close. They do not. A flat tone sounds near his ears. It is calm. It does not repeat. Light snaps on in front of his face.
A red grid fills his vision. Lines cut across his body shape. Small boxes lock onto his limbs and chest.
He tries to blink. The grid stays. Another tone sounds. Short. Sharp. Text appears, white on red. “LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS: DENIED.”
His jaw tightens. His hands claw at the stone floor. The pain spikes again. Harder. Focused.
His back arches. His breath breaks into short gasps. The grid zooms in. His ribs glow bright yellow, then red. A thin line traces one rib. It flashes. “STRUCTURAL MISALIGNMENT DETECTED.”
His fingers scrape stone. They leave dark marks. He tried to scream. His mouth opens. No sound comes out.
The pain shifts. It presses inward now. It feels controlled. The grid moves to his leg. The thigh pulses orange. “SOFT TISSUE TRAUMA.”
His vision shakes. The cave ceiling blurs. Another line appears over his neck. “SPINAL STRESS: WITHIN LIMITS.”
The system holds him there. Awake. Still. His breathing turns ragged. Each breath pulls fire through his chest.
The red warnings blink faster. A new message fills the center of his vision.
“EMERGENCY TREATMENT REQUIRED.”
The grid fades. A list replaces it. Short lines. No detail. No comfort.
“RESET MISALIGNED RIB.”
“CAUTERIZE OPEN WOUNDS.”
“REGULATE BREATHING.”
He lies on his side. His body shakes. His hand moves without sound. He pushed himself up. Stone dug into his palms. He left streaks behind.
He reached his knees. His arm trembled. The pain rose again when he paused. Another message flashed: “DELAY INCREASES DAMAGE.”
He moved. Charlie crawled toward the cave wall. His shoulder dragged. A small fire pit sat cold nearby. Burned wood. Ash. He reaches it and grabs a dark stone from the edge.
The stone is smooth. Heavy. The list stays in his vision. The first line flashes: “RESET MISALIGNED RIB.”
He shifts onto his back. The move pulls a sharp sound from his throat. His chest rises and falls too fast.
The grid returns. It zooms on his ribs. One rib glows red. A white arrow points inward: “APPLY PRESSURE.”
Charlie grips the stone. He presses it against his chest. His arm shakes. He pushes harder. The pain spikes. His back slams against the ground.
The system does not dim it. Another message appears: “INSUFFICIENT FORCE.”
He screamed again. Still no sound. He pressed harder. His body jerked. The stone slipped. He adjusted and pressed again.
A sharp crack sounds inside him. It is dull and close. The red glow flickered. Then it turned yellow. The arrow disappears: “ALIGNMENT RESTORED.”
Charlie dropped the stone. It hits the ground beside him. His breath came in broken pulls. His chest shuddered. The pain stayed. It spread. The list scrolls: “CAUTERIZE OPEN WOUNDS.”
The grid jumps to his leg. A long cut glows bright red. Blood runs down his thigh. It pools on the stone.
He turns his head toward the fire pit. The system highlights a flat stone near the ashes. “HEAT SOURCE REQUIRED.”
Charlie rolls onto his side. He drags himself closer. Ash smears his skin. His leg leaves a dark trail.
He grabs the flat stone and pushes it into the ash. The system flashes. “INSUFFICIENT TEMPERATURE.”
He looks around. His eyes land on a torch stub near the wall. He reaches for it. His fingers close around wood. He pulls himself up and strikes the stub against stone. Nothing happens.
He strikes again. Sparks fly. The pain jumps. The system flashes again. “TIME CRITICAL.”
He strikes harder. Sparks catch. The torch lights with a low flame. The heat hits his face. He flinches. The system locks onto the flame. “HEAT SOURCE CONFIRMED.”
Charlie presses the flat stone into the fire. The stone darkens. Smoke rises. He grips it with both hands and lifts it out.
The heat bites through his skin. He turns toward his leg. The grid centers on the wound. A red outline pulses. “APPLY TO WOUND.”
He hesitates. The pain spikes in response. He moves. Charlie presses the hot stone against the cut. His body snaps stiff. His head slams back. No sound comes out. His throat strains.
Smoke curls up from his leg. The smell is sharp. The red glow flickers. Then dims. “BLEEDING REDUCED.”
He pulls the stone away and drops it. It hits the floor and rolls. His leg shakes. His hands clutch at nothing. The system moves the grid to his side. Another cut glows. “REPEAT.”
He crawls again. His movements are slow and uneven. He drags the stone back into the fire.
The heat burns deeper this time. His fingers blister. He presses it to his side. His body convulses. His teeth clamp down. The glow fades again. “BLEEDING REDUCED.”
The list shortens. “REGULATE BREATHING.”
The grid centers on his chest. His lungs flash red. A white circle appears. It expands and contracts. “MATCH PATTERN.”
Charlie stares at the circle. His breath is wild. The pain surges. The system flashes warnings. “RISK OF SHOCK.”
He forces air in. His chest shakes. The circle expands. He tries to follow. His breath slows by a fraction.
The system dims the pain for a moment. He exhales. The circle contracts. He inhales again. Slow. Shallow.
The pain creeps back. Controlled now. He keeps breathing. The circle pulses. He matches it.
Sweat runs down his face. It drips onto stone. His hands unclench. Then clench again. The grid shifts from red to orange. “BLEEDING STABILIZED.”
He keeps breathing. The circle fades. The grid pulls back. It shows his full body again. Most warnings dim. A few stay red. A new message appears. “VITAL SIGNS STABILIZING.”
Charlie lies flat. His chest rises and falls. His eyes stay open. The torch burns low nearby.
The system overlays numbers near his chest and head. They settle. They stop flashing. “TEMPORARY EQUILIBRIUM ACHIEVED.”
The pain does not leave. It drops to a steady burn. His fingers twitch. He does not move.
Another message appears. Larger. Centered. “STABILITY TEMPORARY. HEALING REQUIRED.”
The grid fades out. The cave returns to normal light. Charlie lies on the stone floor. His body shakes in small bursts.
Blood stains the ground around him. Smoke still curls from the cauterized wounds. The torch sputters and dies.
Darkness closes in, but his eyes stay open. He breathes. Slow. Careful. Alive.
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CHAPTER 9 — Pain as Teacher
Charlie stood in the broken clinic and did not move. Water dripped from a cracked pipe in the ceiling. Blood mixed with it on the floor and ran in thin red lines toward a drain that did not work. The lights above him flickered and buzzed, going dim, then bright again, like the room was breathing.Three people lay on cots. The man on the left held his chest with both hands. Every breath made a wet sound. His eyes were open, wide and glassy, and they followed Charlie wherever he moved.The woman near the wall shook as if the cold had reached her bones. Her leg was crushed beneath torn cloth and metal. Bone showed through. Her hands clawed at the sheets without knowing it. The third body lay still. Too still.Charlie looked at them one time. Just one. He did not speak. He did not promise anything. He did not pray.He lifted both hands. His fingers spread apart, slow and careful, as if the air itself might break. Near his left wrist, a faint light appeared. The system icon flickered into
CHAPTER 8 — Herb Sense Awakens
Charlie stood at the edge of the forest and did not move.The trees were close together here. Their trunks blocked the wind. The ground was dark with old leaves and wet soil.He took one slow step forward. Nothing attacked him. No sound followed. He took another step.Charlie closed his eyes and placed his hand on his chest. He pressed once, hard. The mark beneath his skin responded. His breath stopped. The world shifted.When he opened his eyes, the forest was not the same. Plants glowed. The glow was faint. It was not light like fire. It was more like a thin skin over each leaf and stem.Layers appeared. One layer faded as another came forward. Charlie turned his head slowly.Bushes showed pale green veins. Vines showed yellow nodes. Moss shimmered in dull blue patches across rocks.He crouched. The ground pulsed with small lights. Roots traced clear paths under the soil.Charlie reached toward a fern and stopped his hand short. A thin panel of symbols appeared beside the plant.He
CHAPTER 7 — Vitality Exchange
The fox lay on its side in the dirt. Its chest rose once, then again. Blood still darkened its fur.Charlie stood a few steps away. He did not move. His hands stayed open, fingers stiff. The fox twitched. One leg kicked. Its ears flicked.Charlie took a step back. Gravel slid under his boot. The fox rolled onto its belly. It pushed itself up with shaking legs. The wound along its ribs had closed. Only a thin line remained.Charlie’s jaw tightened. He watched the fox breathe. Each breath came easier.The fox shook itself. Dried blood cracked and fell away. Its eyes locked on Charlie.Charlie felt his arms go heavy. The weight settled into his muscles. His shoulders sank.He clenched his fists. The skin on his forearms pulled tight. The fox took a step. Then another. Its gait steadied fast.Charlie swallowed. His throat felt dry. His stomach twisted. The fox bared its teeth. A low sound came from its chest.Charlie’s knees bent without thought. He lowered his center. His muscles felt pa
CHAPTER 6 — The First Patient
Charlie moved uphill through thin trees and broken stone. Snow lay in patches where the sun did not reach. His boots slid on wet leaves, and he slowed his steps to keep quiet.The air was cold and thin. Wind pushed through the branches and made a low sound. Charlie stopped when he heard something else under it.A faint scrape came from the rocks ahead. It was slow and uneven. He tilted his head and listened again.The sound came again, sharper this time. A short breath followed it. Charlie shifted his weight and moved toward it.He stepped around a fallen log. Rusted metal showed between stones. A steel trap lay half-buried in dirt and ice.A fox lay beside it. One hind leg was caught inside the jaws. The steel was old and rough, stained dark.The fox pulled weakly at the trap. Its body shook with each movement. Its breathing was fast and shallow.Charlie froze. He stood ten steps away and did not move. The fox lifted its head. Its eyes were wide and dull. It bared its teeth and made
CHAPTER 5 — System Rules
The room was dark except for the thin light from the ceiling crack. Dust hung in the air and moved when Charlie shifted his weight.He sat against the wall with his knees bent. His right hand pressed against his left forearm, where the skin was still red and wet.A faint sound ticked near his ear. It was not mechanical. It was flat and even, like a heartbeat with no body.The air in front of him blurred. A pale rectangle formed, sharp at the edges.Charlie froze. His fingers tightened on his sleeve. The rectangle stayed still. White text appeared inside it.[System Interface Unlocked]The words did not flicker. They did not glow. They were simply there.Charlie leaned forward a few inches. His breath stayed slow, but his shoulders lifted. Another line appeared.[User Status: Stable]The ticking sound continued. Charlie turned his head, looking for a source. There was nothing on the walls. No device on the floor.The rectangle shifted to the left, matching his movement. Charlie stopped
CHAPTER 4 — Emergency Treatment
Charlie hits the ground hard and does not pass out. His head strikes stone. His body twists. The air leaves his chest in a sharp burst. The pain comes all at once. It does not fade. It grows.His eyes try to close. They do not. A flat tone sounds near his ears. It is calm. It does not repeat. Light snaps on in front of his face.A red grid fills his vision. Lines cut across his body shape. Small boxes lock onto his limbs and chest.He tries to blink. The grid stays. Another tone sounds. Short. Sharp. Text appears, white on red. “LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS: DENIED.”His jaw tightens. His hands claw at the stone floor. The pain spikes again. Harder. Focused.His back arches. His breath breaks into short gasps. The grid zooms in. His ribs glow bright yellow, then red. A thin line traces one rib. It flashes. “STRUCTURAL MISALIGNMENT DETECTED.”His fingers scrape stone. They leave dark marks. He tried to scream. His mouth opens. No sound comes out. The pain shifts. It presses inward now. It fe
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