As Johan treaded deeper into the forest, following the mini-map north, Fayina's words echoed in his mind like a haunting melody. Her warning about the escalating danger of creatures and monsters lurking in the woods sent shivers down his spine.

With each step, the thought of being attacked thickened around him, and the rustle of leaves sounded more ominous than before. Not to mention, it was now midday, and one could only assume the king and his men must be looking for him by now.

Pausing to catch his breath, Johan leaned against the trunk of a sturdy oak tree, his mind racing with reflections.

"Damn... She had said the same thing to me..." Johan muttered, recalling Elara's cautionary words, urging him to remain alert against the creatures that stalked the wilderness.

But now, standing alone in the depths of the forest, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease creeping over him. Hours had passed since his escape from the castle walls, and it had been well over a day since his arrival in Eosdadalon.

Unfortunately, he had no idea when or where the king's men would start their search for him. If it were throughout the forest—or if they would even dare to go as far as searching it.

"I should have asked Elara for some kind of protection," he mumbled. "A sword, a shield, maybe even a grenade... But I doubt those exist here if that old fart didn't even know what a gun is... At this point, anything would help..."

His hand instinctively went to the vacant space on his hip where a weapon should have hung. Back on Earth, he was used to having the safety of modern technology at his fingertips, like a cell phone to call for help when in need. But here in this unfamiliar realm, he felt utterly defenseless.

"...Wait, that's it!" he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face as he rummaged through his pockets in desperation, his fingers brushing against the smooth surface of his cell phone.

A flicker of hope sparked in his chest as he pulled it out, holding it up triumphantly as if it were a key to his salvation. He tapped eagerly at the screen, but as the phone illuminated in his hand, his excitement quickly turned to disappointment.

"No service? Seriously?" Johan murmured, staring incredulously at the screen as if he were willing the service bars to change. He frantically tapped at the screen, hoping that somehow, miraculously, a signal would appear.

With a frustrated groan, Johan tried everything he could to get a bar of service. He climbed a nearby tree, holding his phone above his head as if seeking divine intervention. He even resorted to waving it around like a madman, as if flailing would summon a signal out of thin air.

But no matter what he tried, the phone remained stubbornly silent, its screen mocking him with its empty bars and lack of connectivity.

"It's useless," Johan grumbled, finally conceding defeat as he stuffed the phone back into his pocket. "What the hell was I thinking? Of course, it wouldn't work here."

His failed attempt at using modern technology served as a humbling reminder of how far from home he really was. Regret gnawed at him as he pondered his oversight. He was so preoccupied with escaping the kingdom that he hadn't given much thought to arming himself for the dangers ahead. Now, faced with the looming threat of the unknown, Johan couldn't help but curse his negligence.

With a deep sigh, he kicked a rock down the path, strengthening his resolve. There was no turning back now. If it turned hostile, he would have to rely on his wits, instincts, and smarts to survive in this environment.

"Hold on..." Johan grumbled to himself, pausing in his tracks. "Why do I always forget about this... The Sanity System. Maybe there's something in there that can help me out."

Johan raised his hand and conjured the HUD menu screen before him. The familiar layout greeted him, displaying his vital statistics and status bars, but it was the "Ability & Skills" tab he wanted.

Navigating through the menu screen, Johan's eyes scanned over the vast array of skills listed on the skill tree, each promising to enhance his abilities in various ways. Most of the skills were grayed out, indicating that they were locked and required skill points and other requirements before he could unlock them.

"Hmm, let's see what we've got here..."

Johan began scrolling through the available skills and abilities until he arrived on another menu tab. "Strength, agility... stamina—these seem handy, but they're just attributes. They won't help me if I need to defend myself."

As Johan immersed himself in the new menu tab of the Sanity System, a sudden notification materialized on his HUD screen, drawing his attention away.

[System Notification]
[Attention, Lightbearer. You are viewing the Attribute tab. This provides continuous modifiers to your characteristics and capabilities. If you require skills and abilities with more direct force and impact, you should explore the Ability & Skills tab.]

A faint smirk tugged at the corners of Johan's lips. "So, I was right." A sense of validation washed over him. "Passive skills for ongoing modifiers, active skills for direct impact... It's like a video game. Except, you know, real life... Or whatever you wanna call this."

As Johan delved deeper into the intricacies of the Sanity System, he couldn't help but draw more comparisons to the game mechanics of the MMORPGs he loved to play back in his world.

With a wry chuckle, Johan marveled at the convergence of fantasy and reality that the Sanity System represented. The familiar concepts of character progression, skill specialization, and strategic decision-making were all present, albeit in a form more tangible and immersive than he could have ever imagined.

As he navigated the skills and abilities, pondering his options, Johan couldn't shake the excitement that coursed through him. The prospect of mastering them and carving a path for himself in this new world filled him with a sense of purpose. With each passing moment, he grew more eager to unlock the full potential of the Sanity System.

"Hmm, I have five unused skill points. I shouldn't put everything into active skills... I need to be somewhat balanced, especially in the early stages..."

Johan contemplated the array of skills available to him within the Sanity System, but then another notification materialized in his view.

[System Notification]
[Reminder: You have five unused skill points for the Ability & Skills tab. Additionally, you possess five unused points for the Attribute tab. Consider allocating them wisely to enhance your capabilities.]

[Skill points can be acquired through leveling up. To advance to the next level, fill the EXP bar by gaining experience points (EXP). Experience can be earned by completing quests, defeating monsters, and overcoming challenges. Defeating monsters and completing quests are the most effective methods of gaining EXP and advancing your skills.]

Johan's eyebrows raised in mild surprise at the reminders. He hadn't realized that attributes had a different pool of points and were placed in a separate category. Also, he had forgotten about his Quest tab.

He nodded, absorbing the information. It made sense; in the world of MMORPGs, the world he was familiar with, battling foes often yielded valuable experience points and skill advancements. It seemed that the mechanics of this new world, or rather the Sanity System, operated on a similar principle.

"Got it," Johan said, mentally noting that he would have to prioritize engaging in combat encounters to test his abilities and level up to gain additional skill points.

Johan scanned the list of available skills he could unlock, each promising a unique way to harness power on the battlefield, all requiring the usage of SP to be activated. He couldn't shake the feeling that relying solely on one ability would leave him vulnerable in combat.

"Can't be a one-trick pony," he muttered, his gaze flitting from one skill description to another. "Gotta have some tricks up my sleeve."

Finally, with careful consideration, Johan made his decision. He selected three skills and abilities that seemed well-suited to the combat style he sought.

[New Skill Unlocked: Light Burst (Level 1):
Unleash a burst of light, blinding enemies and pushing them back.]

[Skill Points Available: +4]

[New Skill Unlocked: Radiant Shield (Level 1):
Form a protective barrier around yourself or allies that absorbs damage for a limited time.]

[Skill Points Available: +3]

[New Skill Unlocked: Healing Light (Level 1):
Channel light energy to heal minor wounds for yourself or allies, restoring a small amount of health.]

[Skill Points Available: +2]

[New Skill Unlocked: Light Eruption (Level 1):
Call upon a surge of light to explode outward, damaging and dazzling enemies caught within its radius.]

[Skill Points Available: +0]

Johan evaluated his newly acquired abilities, realizing that his success in combat would heavily rely on his attributes just as much as his skills. With a focused expression, he accessed the attribute tab to enhance those aspects of himself that would complement his chosen skills.

With a deep breath, Johan weighed the choices available for his attributes, but he needed to consider that each started at one. "Time to muscle up," he commented, his eyes scanning the list.

[Strength: Increases physical attack power.]
[Agility: Improves attack speed and evasion.]
[Stamina: Increases maximum health points (HP) and resistance to physical damage.]
[Sanity: Boosts sanity points (SP) regeneration, increases sanity-based attacks, mental resistance, and fortitude.]
[Critical Strike Chance: Increases the likelihood of landing critical hits and vital blows.]

Johan knew that increasing his agility would allow him to maneuver swiftly around the battlefield and dodge attacks. With a decisive gesture, he allocated two points to agility, feeling a surge of anticipation at the prospect of heightened speed and reflexes.

Next, Johan turned his attention to the strength stat. While he didn't anticipate engaging in hand-to-hand combat often, he knew the importance of delivering powerful blows. With a nod of approval, he allocated a single point to strength, confident it would bolster his offensive capabilities.

Lastly, Johan focused on his sanity attribute. He recalled that all the skills he had unlocked relied on using SP. Increasing this attribute would enhance their effectiveness. He quickly allocated the last two points to the sanity stat, hoping it would amplify the potency of his attacks.

[Agility Increased: +2]
[Strength Improved: +1]
[Sanity Enhanced: +2]

[Attribute Points Remaining: +0]

Each notification was accompanied by a visual representation of his stats, with bars rising and numbers ticking upward. Johan watched with fascination as his attributes grew stronger. As he confirmed his choices and felt the changes take hold within him, he couldn't help but wonder about the nature of Sanity Points (SP).

"Sanity Points? Seriously? Why not just call it mana like every other game out there?" he scoffed, shaking his head with a wry grin. "Sounds like someone's a little too full of herself to name the whole system after her."

Regardless of the terminology, he now understood what Sanity meant when she told him everything he would need to aid him on his journey was in her system.