Echoes of a Lost World

chapter 05

Since the day I discovered this villa, I won't lie to you, my life has turned into a dream come true, just like I imagined back on Earth. 

I wake up at 9 a.m., have a simple breakfast, and then spend my mornings gardening. For now, I've planted plenty of seeds I found around the house. I even tore down the fence of the neighboring villa and expanded my garden into theirs—hopefully, they won't mind!

 If they ever come back, I'll give them some food as a peace offering.

The seeds have already sprouted, and maybe it's because of my power, but everything I plant seems to grow at an insanely fast rate. It's been just a month, and I've already harvested potatoes twice, along with other vegetables like tomatoes and carrots. It's as if the plants don't follow normal growing cycles, but hey, that works for me!

I don't recall this being mentioned in the original story, though. 

Why wouldn't Adam from the story have used this ability to his advantage when he was struggling to survive?

 It seems like such an obvious resource. Even the fruit trees in this villa are always full—apples, oranges... You name it. It's like the garden is alive with abundance.

My life here is truly a paradise. No more studying, no more stressing about finding part-time jobs to support myself, and no more worrying about electricity or gas bills. I'm just living my life, free of the constant pressure that weighed me down before.

Entertainment-wise, it's a bit limited. I found a phone, but there's no Wi-Fi. Thankfully, there's a huge library on the second floor packed with all kinds of books. And I've been taking full advantage of the system. Every question I've asked so far has been useful. I've been careful to avoid the vague ones, so I've managed to gather some solid information.

Even though this world is the same as the novel's, the missions I've faced haven't been that evil or restrictive. Sure, I'll get punished if I don't complete tasks, but it won't be anything as extreme as death. Honestly, that realization brought me a huge sense of relief. The Adam in the story was just plain evil, and I won't lie—it put my mind at ease knowing I wouldn't have to follow the same path. I can finally breathe. The thought of having to carry out those cruel acts like the original character gave me chills, and remembering his end... it's more terrifying than anything you could imagine.

I felt like a huge weight had lifted from my shoulders. Finally, I had a way to survive. I could survive if I just stayed here, lived peacefully in this house. But deep down, I knew that was impossible. From the system's cryptic hints, I could guess it wanted me to live with others, to engage with people. The thought made me uncomfortable. I've always been introverted, not knowing how to connect with others, let alone love them.

 My childhood was rough—I lost my parents when I was still in primary school. My grandmother took care of me after that, but she passed away when I was in high school. By then, I was considered old enough to take care of myself. Maybe that's why coming to this world wasn't so hard for me to accept. I didn't feel like I truly belonged in my old world, and I didn't have anything or anyone important to miss.

This cozy house? It was enough for me. I wouldn't ask for more.

But what still bothered me---no, offended me—was how the system thought I was anything like the character in the story.

 How could it compare me to him? What was the measure, the standard it used to say we were similar? I asked the system the same question repeatedly, but it always gave the same answer: "You have the same vibe."

What vibe is it talking about? I can't wrap my head around it. Just what kind of energy do I supposedly share with that villain?

But anyway, I can just live—or let's say survive—in this world while avoiding all the red flags. At least the system doesn't mean any harm to me. Actually, it's my key to survival in this strange world. All the missions are designed to keep me alive, from the daily eating, drinking, and even showering. There are also missions about basic survival skills, like how to light a fire or climb. Honestly, I find it pretty interesting.

Chuckle—it even insists I learn how to cook. Every now and then, the system asks me to prepare some special meals. It's like it's guiding me step by step to become self-sufficient, which, given the circumstances, isn't such a bad thing.

The only thing I'm afraid of right now is the loneliness creeping in. Even though I have no real plans of leaving this place, I actually want to talk to someone—someone other than myself or the system, with its daily allotment of questions. But I'm still thankful for the safety I've found here. In a world this dangerous, living in such a secure place could itself be a risk. That's why I always keep an eye on the map, checking for any nearby living beings—or worse, zombies.

Safety first, even if it means enduring a little loneliness.

Right now, I've accumulated more than 240 points from all the missions I've completed. I discovered that the store feature requires 1,000 points to unlock, and once it's open, I can buy all sorts of useful items—even upgrade and expand my system with enough points. So, I've been working hard, aiming to unlock it as quickly as possible.

And just like that, my days have passed peacefully. One day, as I was laying down under the corpse eater tree, completely relaxed...

Ding!

"A mission?" I muttered, surprised, because I had already finished my daily missions . What's with the notification?

I quickly stood up and checked the map, feeling my pulse quicken. And there it was—the thing I had always feared, yet secretly felt a little excitement about. After all this time, it was finally happening...

The map showed a cluster of red dots rapidly closing in on five green dots. You don't need me to spell out what that means. And they were heading straight toward this city at an alarming speed. I won't lie or try to hide my selfishness. My immediate reaction was to ask my first question of the day.

"System, can they force their way in? I mean, into this villa?" I asked, my voice steady but my heart racing. I had asked this before but wasn't sure if I'd been specific about intruders being humans or zombies.

"No. No one can enter without your permission," it replied in that same cold, detached voice. "But I need you to check your mission."

I really didn't want to, but I had no choice.

Missions:

Finished:

Have a full meal +2Take a warm bath +2Bask in the sun for 30 minutes +4

Unfinished:

Use your power to save a lifeTouch a human's handKill a zombie

The mission I dreaded most had finally arrived. I stared at the words, my stomach knotting. Killing a zombie... it's what I feared from the start. And now it's here.

So, it's not just meeting humans—I actually have to kill a zombie too. The mission didn't specify a time limit, so technically, I don't have to finish it right away. But still, with this group heading in my direction and the villa standing out as much as it does , it's only a matter of time before I'm noticed.

I can't just sit here and wait. Eventually, someone or something is going to come knocking.

I sighed, realizing the inevitable. I guess I need to start thinking about moving, whether I like it or not.