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I woke up lying on an unfamiliar beach, my mind completely blank. I had a faint memory of arriving by boat, but that was it. Three cute little creatures were gathered around me, staring with open curiosity.
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Not far off, a strange, tablet-like artifact rested in the sand. Its screen flickered to life with a few cryptic lines: “The towers are the key… the tree holds the truth.” I had no idea what any of it meant, but there was no time to ponder—I needed to figure out where on earth I was.
I walked up to a crumbling ruin near the cliffs and took stock of myself. Fortunately, I was in one piece. Stepping out of the cavern mouth, I spotted a glowing relic—a waypoint of some kind, meant for fast-traveling across regions. Even though I didn’t fully understand how it worked, I activated it anyway. Something told me I’d be needing it later.
A woman was sitting by a campfire right next to the waypoint. After chatting with her for a moment, I learned she was a former scout whose mission was to gather intel on the island and bring it back. But her teammates had all gone missing. She warned me that this place was treacherous—a living hell, in her words. Yet looking around, all I saw was lush greenery bursting with life. I actually kind of liked it. Maybe I was just seeing the paradise before the storm.
I never got her name, but she loaded a Survival Guide onto my device—a guide her team had paid for with their lives. It instantly became my lifeline. Whether she had ulterior motives or not, she didn’t wish me harm, and that was enough for now.
With my boat wrecked, leaving wasn’t an option. Since I was stuck here, survival became the only priority.
I started by gathering the branches and stones scattered around the beach—the basic building blocks of staying alive. Beyond the sand, the forest was alive with cute, chicken-like and sheep-like creatures, along with a few species I couldn’t even name. Watching them wander around so peacefully, the woman’s “hellscape” warning felt a bit dramatic. For now, at least, the island seemed surprisingly serene.
Deep in the woods, I stumbled upon a few Red Berry bushes and harvested them all. They’d have to keep my stomach from growling for the time being.
That glowing tablet turned out to be a goldmine, packed with technology blueprints that unlocked as long as I had the materials. Inside the workbench menu, I noticed something called a Paldium Fragment, described as a crucial component for crafting capture devices. I crafted a few on the spot and successfully caught a handful of the sheep and chicken creatures. My ultimate goal was to set up a farm for a steady food supply—but don’t worry, with the berries on hand, they were safe from the dinner plate for now.
The next critical step was choosing a place to settle down. Safety came first; I needed a proper home base to stash resources and plan my next move. Just ahead, I found a lovely open clearing near the water, with a decent spread of trees and stone nearby. It was the ideal spot. Once I cleared the ground, construction on my base officially began.
Hours slipped by as I pieced together the essentials: a Palbox, workbenches, a repair station, and a campfire. The Palbox was the real game-changer—it let me manage the Pals I’d caught and served as a fast-travel point, which made getting around infinitely easier.
Even better, these Pals weren’t just companions; they were genuine helpers. As long as I kept them fed and gave them a place to sleep, they took over the daily chores and even produced essential supplies. On this isolated island, I finally had a team to lean on.
While building the house, I took a few detours around the neighboring areas to gather resources and recruit new Pals. I even stumbled upon a small settlement filled with merchants. Being able to trade made the prospect of long-term survival feel a lot more realistic.
After hours of hard work, the house was finally standing. It was modest, maybe even a little rough around the edges, but having a roof over my head on an island like this brought an overwhelming sense of relief.
A house was a good start, but I needed defenses. I began building perimeter walls, unsure of what threats might be lurking in the dark.
Before I knew it, night fell. The base had a solid foundation, and I already had a long-term plan forming in my mind, but I ran completely out of materials with the walls only half-finished. My Pals and I were utterly exhausted. The rest would just have to wait until morning.
Watching the glow of the campfire and listening to the soft, steady breathing of my Pals, the island night felt surprisingly peaceful.
As soon as dawn breaks, I’ll finish the walls and push further out to explore what else this world is hiding.
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