Chapter 1

James, everywhere he went it was always more of the same; a dead-end job and renting a small room. It got so boring. Every night he had the same wish: that he could go somewhere new and exciting. As James laid down he stared out of his Cleveland bedroom apartment. It was his and his alone; yet the thought he wanted a new life never seemed to leave him alone. 

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James woke up in what, he thought, should be late afternoon. His whole body was stiff; yet the grass beneath him was comforting. Shock tears across James's face, as he scrambles to sit up. Looking around, he realizes he is in a field, unable to remember how he got there. 

"Travel stabilized. Countdown begins: 24 hours until a new destination." A voice rings inside his head.

"I must be dreaming." James spoke to himself softly, as he stood up finally taking a good look around him. He notices a small bag, only a few feet away. He leaned over to pick the bag up. It was small and made of cloth, with a small string on the top holding it closed. Looking inside, James investigates the contents: 5 blue stones and 10 gold coins. He quickly ties the bag on the belt loop of his Jean shorts.

"5 Mana stones acquired; 10 small gold coins acquired." That voice rings again.

James begins walking, unsure of where to go, and unsure of what a Mana stone even was. He reaches into the bag, grabbing one of the blue stones, and starts fumbling it around in his hand.   After walking great lengths of the field, James sees a dirt path in front of him. He decides to take the path to the right, and see where it leads. 

"23 hours until a new destination." The voice inside his head told him

"It's only been an hour!" James whines to himself, still playing with the blue stone as he walks down the path. He notices a broken down cart on the side of the path. There's a man and woman standing next to it, frantically looking around.

James approaches the couple."Hello, " he said while getting closer. The couple turned around looking quite startled, and began to speak in a language he had never heard before.

"Do you speak English?" James still smiling asks, though he was slightly confused. 

As the couple continues speaking in this language he couldn't understand, James decides that he should keep going down the path. He starts to walk away, still holding the blue stone in his hand. "I wish I could understand them," James murmurs to himself.

"All languages unlocked." The voice rang in his ears, as the stone shattered in his hand.

From a little ways away, James hears the woman asking the man, "What was that man saying."

"I don't know, but we need to get this cart moving before any beast can arrive," The man responds. 

James froze in mid step, lost in thought, "Why are they speaking English now?" 

"Hello," James, now turning back around to face the couple, calls out to them.

"Do you need any help?"

The couple, looking as confused as James felt, turn their gaze towards him.

With a sigh, the man said "I'm Jim and this is my wife Amanda." He gestured to the woman,"A wheel broke on our wagon, and we could use some help fixing it." Jim seemed to have a hint of desperation in his voice that was filled with caution and skepticism. James knew that he wasn't very athletic. Already feeling worn down from the walking, he still wanting to help, began walking towards the wagon. 

The two men lifted the side of the wagon as Amanda fixed it's wooden wheel.

"Can we give you a ride to town?" Jim asks, feeling slightly obligated.

"Please and thank you," James responds with a smile, feeling even more worn down.

James hadn't given much thought to it before, but there was no horse attached to this wagon and no motor either. He watches as Jim climbs in front and Amanda climbs in the back.

"Come climb up front with me," Jim offers.

James watches Jim grab a leather strap as he is climbing up to sit on the long wooden seat.

Jim pulles on the strap, and just like that, the wagon starts moving.

"How are we moving?" James inquires as he begins looking around for a way to make sense of this.

"You never seen a cart before?" Jim chuckles, thinking this must be a joke. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees James with a puzzled look on his face. He sighs, "It runs off a command stone." "Right here on the strap," Jim gestures to the center of the strap, and then continues to explain. "It has one simple command locked into it. When you hold this strap and concentrate it begins to move forward."

James, intriguely takes a closer look, noticing a small red stone in the center of the strap where Jim had just gestured to.

As they approach town, James is in awe. It looks like something right out of an anime; there are lizardmen, beastmen and even elves walking around town. 

"12 hours until a new destination," The voice spoke in his head.

"WOW,"James exclaims, still excitingly looking around, oblivious to how dark it is becoming.

"You should head to either the tavern or the cathedral to get registered to work." Jim offers as they part ways, shortly after arriving in town.

"Why should I work in a dream?" James chuckles as he shakes his head.

He begins walking through town, and stubbles on a sign with a bed on it. Feeling exhausted at this point, decides this is a good place to start and walks in.

"How much for a room?" he asks the lady behind the counter that had animal ears on the top of her head.

"I don't think you can afford it." she laughs looking at his apparel in disgust.

"Well, what's a cheap place I can stay at then?" James spat, his voice full of annoyance.

"I have an old tent you can have," the animal girl sheepishly said, her tone softening slightly. She turns and walks into a room behind her. She emerges back out, moments later, with a worn down leather tent. 

"Here," she says as she extends the leather bag that held the tent to James, "stay safe out there." She trailed off looking at the door behind him. 

James grabs the tent from her, and carries it out the door.

"old tent acquired" 

"10 hours until a new destination," The voice says in his ears again.

A man, in a set of what looked like silver armor that stretched across his entire body, approaches James as he was walking around. 

"If you plan on camping, stick close to the city wall. That way if you get attacked, the guards might be able to save your life." 

James soon found himself at the gate to leave town. He walks just a little bit away from the gate to begin setting up his tent; once done, he lays down in the tent. The night became cold, as a dampness filled the air. Lost in thought, he almost didn't hear the wrestling outside his tent. James pokes his head out of the tent, taking a small look he notices what looks like a gecko, that was roughly the size of a dog, approaching his tent flicking its tongue in the air. His heart begins to race as it approaches. Grabbing the only thing he knows he has, his little cloth bag of coins and stones, James runs out of the tent back towards the gate, so terrified he couldn't look back. It didn't matter though, he was not fast enough. The beast quickly pounces on him knocking him to the ground. As it bites into his shoulder, pain scores through him, blood pouring from his wound as he tries desperately to pull himself away.

"Help me!" he screamed in terror.

He could feel himself dying, "I wish I was strong," James cries.

"maximum strength acquired," the voice rings through his head.

The weight of the beast was no longer on him, he notices. James was able to pull away from it; however, the beast's teeth were now broken in his shoulder and there was blood still seeping from his wound. He began to run again, but with his first step a crack formed underneath his foot, and rocketed him forward slamming him into a wall near the gate.

Hearing the smash, the guards came rushing from the gate. 

"I'm saved!" James exclaims quietly, as his voice fades out, and he falls into a deep sleep from blood loss.

"New destination transferring now; Experience points acquired."

"No enemies slain: zero points acquired"

"Survived one day: 100 points acquired"

"Side job: fixed wagon: 25 points acquired."

"125 points acquired, level increased."

"1 free skill unlocked "

"Skills unlocked."

"All languages, cost one mana stone."

"Maximum strength, cost one mana stone."

"Would you like to pick your skill now?"

The voice asks. 

"Yes,"James whispers.

"Skill choices are weapon proficiency, crafting, or basic magic." said the voice.

"Magic that could be cool,"James says as he finds himself floating through the darkness that cocoons him.

"Basic magic attack fireball acquired."