18 The Redemption System (Part 1)

January 1st, 0001:

My consciousness came back just as fast as it disappeared, suddenly still with my eyes closed, unconsciously got into a defensive position. It was only after a while that I was able to relax again.

After that, I didn't remember much, just sitting down in a chair before everything went black and waking up here, still, knowing what I had done before dying, I simply assumed that it was hell.

It was only then I was able to start sensing my surroundings, feeling the mud on my back, startled, I opened my eyes and jumped up from the ground before looking around me and now being able to see all of the trees and vegetation, completely confused, as I had assumed that I was going to hell.

From what I could gather, I was currently lost in the middle of some sort of exotic forest or more likely just a jungle, so chances were that I wouldn't find civilization anytime soon, at least not merely by chance, meaning that I should try to find a river, as not only was water essential but cities could be found around rivers due to their roots as ancient settlements.

Before I left, however, I could see what I thought was a glowing light coming from the mud I was lying on just moments before, so I slowly approached it after grabbing a stick on the ground, as I had absolutely no idea what was making the mud glow.

But I wasn't about to take any chances. When the stick touched whatever was under the mud, though, thankfully, nothing happened.

Using the stick, I was able to make out that it was round. Eventually, the stick went through something, so I immediately pulled the stick out of the mud and ran away, not knowing what to expect.

When I looked at the stick, though, the hole at the top of the golden pocket watch had connected it to the top of the stick; the second my eyes saw it, I knew exactly what it was.

I now knew for a fact that something wasn't right, and my suspicions of being in hell had certainly risen, but unable to hold back, I grabbed the pocket watch and tried to open it; before I could, however, I felt my entire body stop as an enormous amount of pain came over it for only a couple of seconds, when the pain went away, something remarkable happened.

Not only was the inside of the watch intact, but it began working. This was great, not only because something restored the pocket watch, but because I actually had a way to measure time, meaning that I would know how much time I had before nighttime arrived.

When I tried to put away the pocket watch, though, I noticed that I was only wearing what seemed to be some sort of plant boxers before the pocket watch began to glow, and I could hear a voice.

Bzzt…Redemption System booting up…. "Hello Stevan, and welcome to the 'beginning' of the world :D," said an unknown voice in a rather joyful tone.

I was frozen in place, unable to understand what was happening, but before I could start truly freaking out, the voice began to state its purpose.

"Welcome host, to the 'beginning' of the world, you were chosen to help prove to the creator that there's still hopes in humanity by making humanity survive until the interstellar age, as for right now, you are currently at the 'genesis' of humanity, and I'm here to help you in your journey, any questions? :D"

"Yes, actually, although what you just said sounds fun and all, I do still have to wonder what makes you think that I WOULD LISTEN TO A MAGICAL VOICE IN MY HEAD TELLING ME THAT I'M SOME KIND OF CHOSEN ONE ESPECIALLY WHEN I KNOW THAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE IN HELL!"

"Well, host, it's your choice whether you want to believe me or not. At the end of the day, you reap what you sow; still, do you really have a choice? I mean, you are currently stuck somewhere unknown."

"That's exactly why I'm not trusting you; I have no idea where this is; for all I know, Satan has set this whole thing up as an elaborate scheme just to mess with my emotions."

"That's illogical host, if Satan actually wanted to toy with your emotions, he would just fill your head with memories of the perfect life and then play it falling apart and watch your agony until you become used to it, at which point he'd just change your memories again."

" The fact that you know that not only does not help your argument but also makes you unbelievably more suspicious than before."

"You know, host, I'm ok with you being brain dead, but could you at least let me tell you what I need to before you assume I'm trying to hurt you."

"...fine, I'll listen; it couldn't hurt much anyways."

"Ok, so host, you are actually currently in the part of the Amazon Jungle that falls in what used to be Peru, your home country, and with the knowledge you have and the help of the system, you are to help humanity prosper until the interstellar age without ending itself or dying out.

As for how the system works, it basically gives or takes redemption points (RP) from you depending on whether you better the life of somebody else or end up making it worse while knowing what you were doing.

As for what you can use the RP for, you can exchange it for the knowledge you don't have to help you achieve your goal or extend your lifespan, so as long as you have enough points to continue living nothing, you do matters, hell if you help enough people you could become a cannibal and still live on."

"That sounds really fake, anyways, is there any way to get you to leave, my head?"

"There is, but it's rather unorthodox. Would you be interested?"