Chapter 2: As A What Now...
<Congratulations!>
<You've begun the initialization of the Origin System!>
You've got to seriously be kidding me...
A SYSTEM?
Like, a novel system?
The ones where the protagonist gets overpowered super quickly until eventually, they become a god?
Wait... so I really did die?
That sucks, I mean I kinda was hoping this was just a coma or something but I think it's safe to say that I seriously am dead.
Is my family ok?
Nah, they should be fine...
I mean, aside from the fact that I died but other than that nothing should have happened right? Yeah, no, I'm sure that they're fine... Rather I should be more concerned about myself right now.
Hey? System?
Uhhh, what's going on?
I wait for a response from what is likely god incarnate, but after waiting for around a minute (I think it was a minute?) There was still no reply.
System? Still nothing. Is my system useless?!
Does it not help me at all? Did I get the Walmart off-brand version of the overpowered systems that I so often see in novels and whatnot?
Wait, maybe I just don't have authority?
I know that in some novels the main character's systems refuse to tell them information because "ThEy HaVeN't UnLoCkEd It YeT."
Please don't tell me that this is going to be like that...
I don't care about if a god wants to destroy the earth or if there is some massive secret out there that the world doesn't know about... wait, wait, waitwaitwait, am I even still on earth?
If this is some prank on me by my friends with some new fancy technology this is seriously not funny guys...
No, it can't be that, machines can't talk into our heads like this one is.
So then, I'm not? On earth? Oh, this is gonna be awesome!
I hope I was reincarnated as some human hero for a kingdom, or maybe as some dragon overlord! Oooooooo, No! Hopefully, I'm a massive poisonous Titanoboa!
But if that's the case then I need some damn response from this system! I begin to thrash around in wherever, or maybe even whatever(?) thing I'm in.
I can feel however that I am surrounded by whatever this stuff is, but I still can't really sense anything other than this shitty taste and the slight sense of touch I felt on my still debatable limb.
I really hope that it's not my little man...
I know! My status! I should call that out!
That's like step number 1 in all reincarnation novels across the world, and surely it's the same here right?
Status! I think to myself.
Aaaaaaaaaaand nothing. There's absolutely no response from my K-Mart system.
I'm seriously gonna lose my mind if it keeps on testing me like this.
CMON SYSTEM, JUST WORK WITH ME HERE.
Just do something!
At least reply to keep me from being lonely!
Maybe I seriously am in hell and this is my torture of constantly thinking that I may be in some magical new world with an overpowered system just for it to be a big ole' joke but the good old fellow downstairs.
Fine! You got me! HAHA. The joke isn't funny anymore, so stop!
Still no reply.
Please...
I'm sorry, I'm a sinner...
You were right, I was wrong...
Just...Please! Say! Something!!!
Nothing.
As I began my descent further into madness, I look back at the "SyStEm" notifications and realize that I had overlooked something in my excitement.
Initialization?
So, it's still starting up? Like a computer? Wait but in that case how long should it take to finish?
I've already been going through the 5 stages of grief in the meantime but it still hasn't finished.
Do I have to do something to help it?
Wait! I'm an idiot! This all happened because I pushed on this wall thing in front of me with my still undecided limb!
So if this started because of that... Then I just need to keep on doing that!
I use my appendage and begin to push on the soft and squishy object which I will now think of as a cell since this has to be akin to torture.
This thing is seriously hard to penetrate you know!
Nope, that sounds wrong, for once I'm glad that I am seemingly alone in this dark world, but I'm still motivated to push past this into the world beyond.
Especially considering that this dark world tastes f*cking horrible!
Oh? I think I managed to push it a little farther. Is there a progress bar that I can look at? I wanna see how much I'm doing.
System? Nothing?
That's ok, that's fine. I didn't really want your help anyway.
As I keep on pushing on the Jello wall while sulking from my non-existent system, I gradually feel my appendage push past it until...
Shlick!
It goes straight through to the other side.
Hey! I did it! Where is my system? Hello?
...
Is this what it feels like to be abandoned by your mother?
Cause not to act like a victim here, but I'm seriously on the verge of crying if I still can.
Maybe... I should get completely to the other side?
I guess it's possible... I mean I can't really fit through this hole that I made though so I guess I should just open it up until I can?
Dammit, I have no idea what I'm doing...
This squishy Jello prison is seriously pissing me off, but I can't really do much else.
Over the course of what I can only assume to be 5 minutes, I use my limb to gradually extend and widen the hole.
Funnily enough the Jello tears easier as the hole gets bigger until...
Schloop.
I pull off a section of the wall which finally makes the hole large enough for me to barely fit through.
Huh... ya know? I thought this would be a lot tighter of a fit, but I seem to have squeezed and squished myself through it pretty easily.
As I emerge from my dark cell of Jello I finally hear the sweet words I've been waiting for
<Origin System initialization complete!>
<Showing Status>
<Name: Unnamed>
<Level: 1>
<Health: 10/10>
<Titles: ???>
<Age: Infant (under 1 day old)>
<Vitality: 2>
<Strength: 2>
<Speed: 3>
<Endurance: 1>
<Intelligence: 5>
<Magic: 0>
<Luck: 5>
<Mutations: (None)>
<Skills: Active: Ink Release (Level 2), Camouflage (Level 1) Passive: Tentacle Grab (Level 1) Regeneration (Level 1)>
<Tier: 0>
<Species: Mud Octopus>
Looking through my status, my excitement keeps on rising until I get to the bottom where my species is, where my whole mind freezes up.
I-I was reincarnated as a what now?