The Journey Begins

I'm bored. So incredibly bored.

I walk down the street toward my home, wearing a listless expression while listening to music on my headphones. It's already dark and also rainy, so I must admit that everything comes together to paint quite the atmosphere.

Despite having a 'good' job and a decent life, there's something missing. Everything feels like it's on repeat, a loop of similar experiences. I need something more, a challenge, a change, a break from the routine. I've tried to find it in various ways, but nothing seems to stick.

I've tried dating. I was quite successful at it, at least compared to my two friends. I've been on more than two dozen dates after chatting up a few ladies.

After a while I realized that each conversation is a regurgitation of the same themes, just voiced by different faces: complaints about work, frustrations with family, plot of the newest N*tflix show, and vague plans for the future that sound strikingly similar to everyone else's. It's like I'm stuck in a loop, where each interaction blurs into the next, lacking any real spark or depth.

I don't really blame my dating partners, though; it's not like I can offer anything more interesting. In my humble opinion, the real culprit is the world itself which is just so incredibly boring.

Career? An endless grind that makes me daydream about quitting my job every other hour.

The monotony of office life is simply suffocating. My power tripping boss is a constant presence as well, perpetually breathing down my neck to make sure I don't forget my place in the pecking order. I utterly detest every second of it.

Sure, it pays the bills, but at what cost? My time, energy, individuality and joy- my life. 

I want to be my own boss. I want to explore and go on adventures. I want to meet unique, interesting women. I want power, personal might.

I've always been drawn to stories where personal strength leads to something more than just a routine existence. Worlds where people can change their destinies through sheer determination and skill.

And I don't mean it like Ainz, getting straight-up teleported into a level 100 avatar with a devoted cast of servants. I don't need that. Or rather, I don't want that. I want to achieve everything with my own strength. Even if it has a high possibility of me dying in a ditch, I would still jump at the chance to try myself.

Oh, there's a puddle in front of me. I have to go around it, or my Kobe 'Black Mamba' edition sneakers will get wet. Eh, fuck it. I'm very moody at the moment anyways.

I step into it, expecting a splash. Instead, the ground gives way beneath my feet, and I fall.

I keep falling.

Why am I falling?! It was a small puddle made of rainwater! How is this possible?!

Wait! This is just too much of a coincidence. I just wished to be taken to a different world, and immediately afterward, this illogical shit happens? There's no way you can convince me that this isn't related!

My excitement subsides as I start drowning. I'm in a puddle of water, after all. Well, I say water, but is it really water? It's black, and now that I think about it, the texture is way different. Slimy and a lot less liquidy, almost solid.

[Quest: survive for a minute.]

[Reward: ???]

System! Is this really happening?!

All I asked for was a chance, and albeit very random and dangerous, I did receive it. I will not fumble it.

One minute?

Easy.

As soon as I say that, I puke blood. My organs are bleeding. My bones are breaking. My skin is tearing.

So the quest wasn't as simple as I had thought. Fuck me. This pain is agonizing. I'm just a normal guy; throwing such a challenge at me without warning is just plain cruel.

I try to scream, but nothing comes out.

I can't move any of my limbs because all my bones are getting pulverized.

I can't see because my eyes literally melted.

I can't even feel the slimy texture because my skin peeled off from my muscles.

Speaking of muscles, they are also getting torn to shreds.

Something is wrong with my brain too; it feels all mushy. Let's not even mention my heart; it's like a thousand needles are piercing it.

How am I still conscious? How am I still alive?

I don't know- I don't understand anything at all. All I can do is focus on my survival.

I grit my now nonexistent teeth and bear with it all. I asked for this. Well, something like this. I asked for a world of the supernatural. I'm clearly getting it, albeit in a very twisted way.

Visions flash through my mind, glimpses of a world far beyond my imagination. Towering mountains crowned with ice, dense forests teeming with life, and ancient ruins whispering secrets long forgotten. A world ripe for exploration, brimming with potential and peril.

Amidst the chaos, memories surface unbidden. My parents' faces, their kind smiles and words of encouragement. I hope no one will capitalize on their warm hearts to scam them. I hope my two nerdy friends will finally get some puss. God knows they need it.

Unknown amount of time passes. Seconds, minutes, hours? I can't tell. The pain is finally subsiding. I no longer hear tearing and breaking anywhere. I can move my arm around. I can feel my legs. My feet are planted on solid ground.

The darkness also begins to rapidly recede from my vision, replaced by a light that grows steadily brighter. Shapes then begin to take form and I soon find myself standing in a vast, open space. The sky above is a deep, endless blue, dotted with unfamiliar constellations.

[You've succeeded in completing the quest.]

[You've been reborn as a primordial]