《Prologue 18》

It's a new day—or is it? Damn, I can't even tell the time here. I'm not one of those people who keeps track of the days passing by. Whatever, let's just get to the main topic. Yesterday, I talked about that novel where the author didn't seem to understand the concept of God and gave a questionable example. Yeah, I'm not great at giving examples myself—quotes, sure, but examples? Not so much. Anyway, in the novel, the author described a character as some kind of god, but he wasn't what you'd imagine. The guy could control the sea, but so what? That doesn't make him what we'd consider a god. Sure, there are Greek and Roman deities who can do similar things, but are they dependent on human belief to maintain their power? I don't think so.

See what I mean? I'm terrible at giving examples. So terrible, in fact, that repeating it multiple times is the only way I can emphasize just how bad I am at it. Moving on, I've somehow become a month old. Yeah, you heard me right. I'm as confused as you are, but hey, it's another world, so what the heck. I can't even tell time here—I wake up, eat, shower, sleep, and repeat the cycle at least twice a day. It's hard to care about how many days have passed since my birth. But according to my mother, I'm a month old now. Yes, I've finally started to understand their language. I'd like to call myself a genius, but you already know I'm not, so once again, what the heck.

The percentage of mana in my body has increased to 2%. That's like 2/100 mana in a game. I'm just guesstimating, though—it might even be the actual amount. Speaking of guesstimating, I read about how Cambridge messed up some exam results, and it made me feel terrible. Yeah, because I was one of the guys who got an F on my paper. You can imagine the damage that did to me, an all-A* student. Just because I didn't take the mocks seriously, it happened. You might ask, "Why not get it rechecked?" Well, my dad isn't rich, and I was taking seven subjects, with four of them having more than two papers. If one paper costs $500 to recheck, imagine the cost for 18 papers. Plus, I'm the second child with five siblings who also need school fees paid. Not exactly the best situation for rechecking. So, I did the next best thing—I retook the exams and got all A's this time. But I still hate those Cambridge bastards to this day.

Moving on, I now have twice the amount of mana I started with after meditating. Yes, I meditate—I just didn't mention it earlier because I wanted to elaborate on it properly. That's right, I've been meditating, and it's paying off. Before I go further, though, I want to ask: how many of you have started meditating or read up on things just to make sure you're correct? Or maybe you've done your homework or studied properly? Oh man, I'm starting to sound like my dad when I haven't been studying for my exams. Anyway, I've finally managed to move a negligible amount of mana—just a tiny bit, and in an inconspicuous place like my thumb. If you're thinking I was aiming for something else, you're absolutely right, and I'd have to wonder if you're psychic. I was actually trying to move it to my index finger, the one next to the thumb.

I've talked about my mother's eyes and hair but never anything else. It's not that I don't want to—it's just that I don't know how to describe her. All my experiences so far have been limited to my room, my parents' room, and the area outside the building but still within the house. You can guess how protected I am. Some might say it's normal, but I'd disagree. Most mothers take their newborns outside, but mine seems to be overprotective. Then again, my mom and mother are cut from the same cloth—both are incredibly protective of me. I'm sure it's reasonable here, but back on Earth, I doubt there'd be any other reason than her being worried about me. Honestly, I'd probably accept that reason. If I had a daughter under five, I wouldn't let her leave the house either—I'd make sure she studied at home. So, I guess I'm just as overprotective as they are. Dang it.

The whole time cycle or whatever has gone bonkers. How did a month pass by so quickly? It feels like just yesterday I was complaining about stuff, and now I'm contemplating the time continuum. It's a conundrum of its own. Leaving it alone would drive me crazy, especially since I have OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or Overwhelmingly Catastrophic Delusions—take your pick). It's a hassle, don't you think? There are too many acronyms out there with similar structures but different meanings. It's like that chemistry or biology term I can't remember—my photographic memory is malfunctioning. I need a refund. Jokes aside, maybe it's because of that weird dream I had earlier. It felt so real, like I was back on Earth.

Putting my hands on the sides of my head, I start thinking: Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? Why was I given a few moments to go back to Earth and remember it all? Is it to make me regret not doing anything useful with the time I had? Who knows? But one thing's for sure—this genius right here is going to create that Marvel serum and Saiyan gene, whether you like it or not. Oh, and that Eye-Enhancing Potion—it's a work in progress, and I'm terrible at naming things. Moving on, it's been a while since I used any references, except for the Marvel/Saiyan one. Though, to be honest, it wasn't much of a reference—just the name. Or maybe it is. Okay, fine, it's a reference. Bite me.

Speaking of references and eyes, I really liked those 359/360-degree vision eyes from that ramen show, the one with the accursed family that loves Tai Chi. I'm thinking of getting something like that here. Now that I think about it, don't spiders have that kind of vision? Wait, do they? I'm absolutely, positively, 100% sure—swearing on your life—that I have no idea if that's true or not. So, let's not go too deep into that. What are you, a woman? Going into all these details—what are you going to do with that knowledge, show off? It's not like people care, though it might be a fun fact. Still, I'd prefer you not to dwell on it unless you're a zoologist or animal enthusiast.

Speaking of enthusiasts, that show where you catch monsters in balls is pretty long. I heard they made a technical error airing a season or two with a game or two or three, where the villain was actually in the right. That must've hurt them, don't you think? Speaking of hurt, why do we get hurt by the most unusual things? Like when a friend's busy and you call to hang out, and they tell you they can't, and you start thinking maybe they don't consider you a friend. Insecure much? Of course, I'm not talking about myself—I prefer face-to-face conversations over phones or social media. Yeah, I'm weird, I know. I'm a village kid, just so you know. Before you start running your mouth, I'm ready for a fight, but if you apologize, I'm willing to let it go. I might've just made rhyming sentences with no direction or meaning, and I probably used the wrong words. Anyway, I've said my piece, so don't mind me.

Wow, it's been a month since I was born. Time flies. Alright, this is far enough. I just overheard a conversation between maids that it's actually my fiancée who's a month old. She's the daughter of my dad's best friend's sister, who was apparently in love with him once. There's even a weird rumor that she's my half-sister and her mother is my stepmother. Who knows where such nonsense comes from? People love to gossip, but can't they at least stick to the truth instead of wild assumptions and exaggerations? The world needs more honesty and less deception if people want to trust each other and have real friends.

Oh, how I miss the good old days—running around the alleyways with nothing to stop us. It wasn't much, but to us, it was everything. The stream of water and the bridge ten minutes away, where we'd swim and mess around till the end of the day. Oh, how I wish I could go back to those days when everything was a wonder and every day was wonderful. I remember less than I'd like, but what I do remember lifts my mood. *Ahem* The last line's a work in progress, so don't mind it. Yes, I felt like singing with my baby cords, and it was unpleasant, to be honest. That's why I messed up the last line—my voice sounded like a cacophony of mewling cats in a torturous melody. You can guess why the song withered away at the end. I knew it was trouble the moment moment I started, but oh, how could I have been so stupid? This just shows how much closer to an animal I've become. Although, I'd prefer to shine bright like a diamond in the sky, but you know, it's not every day you get to put your hands up in the air singing, "A, O, gotta let go." Oh, I'm making random references to whatever comes to mind, and I gotta tell ya, you just need to let it go wherever, whenever, and let the song of your heart do the talking. It's electric, the way it goes, and now I'm talking nonsense.

I'm getting drowsy. *Yawn* What a workout that was—making so many references and trying not to confuse myself. It's hard work, I tell you. Chris used Yawn. Chris used Happy Dream. Chris fell asleep and seems to be dreaming about something good.

*Chris' Dream*

Chris woke up to a horrifying creature that tried to eat him but ended up passing through. Wow, this is a nightmare. I guess I messed up. Now, think, Chris, think. The neurons are working overtime to speed up the thinking process. Eureka—or yureka, whatever—I've got an idea. Getting off the dream bed and standing facing this nightmare, I raise my right hand to the sky. "Begone, stupid nightmare, and go to hell!" The sky clears up, and as I lay back on the dream bed, everything goes dark. I happily close my eyes and go to sleep—yes, even in the dream. Get over it.

*Back to Outside the Dream*

Chris rolls over and starts to drool. Zzz. Chris is still asleep. What would you like to do? Zzz. Nothing. Zzz. Okay, then this is goodbye. Zzz. Zzzzzz. Zzzzzzzz. Zzzzzzzzzzzz. Zz. Zzzzzz. Zzz. Z. Zzzzz. Zzz.