1 It all began with that one voice

It's been 20? no 30? bah, many years since it all began, 5 years ago I managed to get hold of a cheat-skill called "headstart" and I've been cheating with it ever since, using it in races of all kinds and games of all kinds, haha, I've been having a blast, and whenever someone got angry enough to start a chase I simply used it to give myself a headstart in the chase! heh, truly a cheat skill.

but, it's been 5 years or so since I got it, people are bound to figure out more about it the more I use it, and eventually, I couldn't run no more, "damn! I should've gotten the stamina skill" I lamented loudly with ragged breathing...

"You have nowhere to run now! stay put!" the captain of the guards chasing me said, I don't know his name, but he's arrogant and abuses his 'righteousness', only because he got high-graded skills for catching that matches well, one is 'Beastly Pressure' and then there's 'Heavenly Detaining' as well as good stamina and strength skills etc...

"You think I'd stop running because you asked?" I said with disdain, I'm clearly at my wits end here...

That's when it hit me, if only I had a headstart on 'this game'!

As soon as the thought hit me, I blacked out.

I suddenly woke up in panic, noticing a familliar, yet, unfamilliar room, "M-My room?" I said to myself before noticing "M-My voice!" it sounded younger, I looked at my own hands and body, it's younger! I quickly took a look at the date and time, it's happening tomorrow!

I sprawled on the bed and quickly decided to rest for a bit, even if I did just wake up, the mental exhaustion from that last chase is taking a toll on me, ugh, I need to remember what happened while I rest, this is incredible though, this 'headstart' skill is clearly a cheat of the highest degree.

I closed my eyes and tried to recall where and how it all began, skills became the driving force of everything and humanity got to know about it from the stores that opened up all those years ag-... Tomorrow, eh...

What the voice said I remember clearly, no matter how many years will pass, it's like it's placed in my head permanently,

"*Cough Cough*, I'm uh... is this on? ... Oh! Yes! Hello! I'm your new overlord, your old one is gone, and because I'm in charge now, I'll start a game for my own amusement! go to any of those shops..."

and then a shop seemingly appeared out of thin air in many many cities, later found out that it's in cities with over a few thousand people living in it, while tribes or smaller towns get the starting book in the mailbox, the starting book is seemingly a thick instruction book, it has many chapters, a few hundred actually, it lists the 'base skills' and how to use them, as well as the rules of 'skills'.

Opening the book one will see the introductionary first page, "I don't care what you call me! I'm the overlord, call me that actually, 'The great overlord'! haha! anyhow, I've changed the 'rules' of this world now, and this book is to help you with those rules, the larger companies and news companies will get the task of simplifying and spreading it to the mass, and everyone will only get this book once, lose it, and you lose, simple as that!

oh, loss means permanent death!

I have to clarify permanent death as well, this book is now your life, and loss of book isn't just 'oh crap, I dropped it, rest in piece' it's upon destruction of the book that you die.

as long as book is within a hundred kilometers and intact, you can't die! but if you do happen to have your body destroyed, you'll wake up within a month somewhere within a meter of your book.

Meaning, if there is no free space for your entire body within a meter of your book you won't wake up until your book has that space for about a month, I can't instantly reanimate you and transport to your book as soon as it gets space y'know?

and now the most important, skills, this book will list all your skills and the book is now your personal record, it'll record your 'distance from book' as well as skills you've acquired and skill recipes you have used, so don't let anyone get their hands on your book!! this book can shapeshift to different informational items, be it a phone, laptop, computer(hah, a bit hard to bring with you) or books, booklets and even noteblocks and newspapers, whatever you prefer, the shape is a onetime choice, and is now available on the last page, and all shapes will have your name clearly written on it, and you can't use it to anything else than as information about this game of mine, even if it's a phone!

good luck, and please do entertain me!"

That sums up what 'The Game' is about, I'll rest for a few hours, and then stand outside the shop a while before it opens, and then get my book and a map, and then I'll use this headstart well!