The Warm Void & A System
"I think therefore I am" is an accurate description of my current predicament. I open my eyes to see I am still trapped within a pure dark void, tinged red, and surprisingly warm. Attempting to move; my body is still slow to react, it feels as though I am trying to move through goo. seemingly trapped for years, I know by counting the seconds it has only been a few days, how many is up for debate though, counting that long is more than difficult, especially with my modern attention span. Receding back into my memories I go over how I got here.
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I was sitting in my room on the second day of the New Year, finally 2022, just means I will write down the wrong date for a bit. Bored out of my mind I started reading more Webnovel. Nothing was updated. So I searched, after finding a neat novel fanfiction about a great fantasy TV show with more than 30 chapters I was happy. Going to click the link my phone starts going off, 'BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO CALIFORNIA. SEEK SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL'.
'FUCK, hopefully this is what happened to Hawaii.'
In a hurry I stack the baskets of clean clothes in my room I was putting off folding, and throw my camping backpack on top rushing to my car then stuff it in the back, emptying one of the baskets into another I run back in basket in hand. Inside I see my mom standing blankly while my dad runs over and snaps her out of it yelling "Grab some clothes, your toiletries bag, and get in the car, we are going on vacation".
"I got the food" I shout, reaching the cupboard the doors fling open as my arms shovel all the food in sight into the basket. After its empty I grab my keys and make it outside to see my family rush into my dads car. I run over to my dad and tap his shoulder as he gets in, "We need to go to Canada you lead, I'll follow." I say before running to my car ignoring his response. I check my phone to see 10 minutes have passed.
'This is going to be a time crunch'
A missile from Russia by land could take 30 minutes to reach, but a submarine would only need 15. I have 5-20 minutes remaining. I thought all this while following my fathers small black SUV. My own car was a used ford escape from 2005. Hoping it could survive a residual EMP I continued to drive. It was then a light caught my eye, looking in the rearview mirror I could see a small mushroom cloud in the direction of San Francisco, a little over 100 miles by now. As I focused back on the road my foot eased the gas lower as the car began to hit 90. A few minutes later a much larger mushroom cloud came from the back right around Sacramento, only a bit over 20 miles away since we left its suburbs.
'It didn't look good if they were targeting civilian centers as well'
With that thought my next memory was heat then darkness.
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'Shit, with my luck a nuke hit nearby'
< +1 Wisdom >
Why do I have a system? Or most likely a gaming system? Is my life turning into one of those random light novels? Also why did it have to be nukes? Is it not supposed to be a truck? And there is no ROB. Is this my own personal heaven?
<Gamer System V.1246456774295939402234 initialized>
'What the fuck'
Expecting more I waited. And waited. This was getting boring fast.
'System'
'Start'
'Options'
'Menu'
<Stats, Quests, Store, Inventory, Options, Info>
Lacking information it seems that Info may be the best choice. with a click a new screen appeared.
<The Gamer System was created by {--------} to ease the burden of an infinite number of reincarnations. It was decided you would go crazy if everything was perfect for eternity. The system is here to provide you with a leg up in your travels. Travel to other worlds is only available after unknown world objectives have been met. Good Luck>
<Starter Pack Added>
While interesting I felt that stats may be a bit more beneficial at this moment.
Name: {???}{Michael}
Age: {???}{18 years}
STR: 1 (20)
DEX: 1 (20)
CON: 1 (20)
END: 1 (20)
INT: 25 (20)
WIS: 15 (20)
CHA: 15 (20)
Skills: (English: Journeyman, French: Beginner, Spanish: Beginner, Athletics: Adept)
'Interesting?'
<Starter Pack Opened>
-3 x Random Skill
-50 Stat points
-1000 System Points
-50,000 World Credits
'Well this is an obvious choice'
<Random Skill Roll>
-Memory Palace: Adept
'Score! Come on give me another'
<Random Skill Roll>
-Cooking: Adept
'Huh, well I guess I'll just have to pull a food wars' Moving on I mentally selected to roll again.
<Random Skill Roll>
-Chemical Engineering: Journeyman
I waited for the headache; nothing happened. Confused about not feeling different I thought about making gunpowder. Instantly chemical formulas for smokeless and black powder sprang to mind. Soon after, how to get the chemicals necessary from common products or natural sources appeared. Feeling excited I imagined all the possibilities for this power including dominating a medieval world. Then it hit me. What world am I going to?
<Quest Update>
-Stay Sane For 9 Months.
Failure: Insanity, Death.
Success: 1 Random Skill upgrade, 2 Levels.
'Lovely'