Story of the Incremental

Fract expected something akin to the whiteness of a hospital bed, or the bright light of an LED, but what he got was grass. A lot of it, in fact. His mind sputtered out a thought about how green and lush it looked compared to the familiar yellow of his dried out lawn. After a second of self-collection, he realized an important, vital fact: [Why am in a forest, alive?]

The last thing that he remembered before he woke up in the middle of nowhere was the glow of twin headlights and a lot of pain. It wasn't even a truck that hit him: just an old car from the 1980s. A wasted potential joke.

Fract got up, firstly. Probably wasn't a good idea to continue lying in the dirt. Based on his lack of wounds and the absence of a hospital, he probably died. Though, to be sure, he didn't think the afterlife would look so mediocre. No heaven or hell, or even the trope of reincarnation. Just trees. A forest. At least it wasn't the middle of a desert or something.

Step 2, find some semblance of civilization. He already felt a little thirsty, so basic human needs still applied wherever he was. So he walked for about 13 minutes in as straight a line as possible, reaching the edge of the forest. A quick scan of the area revealed 3 key points: A. Fract was standing on a cliff, a good vantage point. B. There was a town in the distance (thankfully small enough that it probably wouldn't have IDs). C. A crowd of people were outside, observing some citizens fighting. And unless his trip gave him hallucinations, that was definitely magic.

Little fireballs sprang into existence and chased a pair of goblins across the field, as a thin ice wall blocked their path. Step 2: Complete. Step 3: Figure out how to survive. After another 20 minutes, he arrived, blending into the large group. He turned to a nearby bystander on the fringe of the crowd.

"What's happening? Why's there so many people watching?"

The man he asked looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Don't you remember? The magic demonstration was scheduled to be today. It's not everyday you get to see someone using magic as good as this."

Odd. He felt like he'd been reincarnated, but he could still remember his past life. And if this was reincarnation, why wasn't he reborn as a child? And what's more, the guy before him spoke English. He waved that off for now, intent on getting as much info from the bystander as possible.

"Sorry, I'm a little lost right now: I'm a wanderer. I had a traveling pack with me, but someone stole it while I was asleep, so I've just been searching for a place to get back on my feet."

"Oh is that it? Well, if you haven't already, you should sign up to be an adventurer at the guild office in the town square. They give adventurers a starter pack with basic supplies and grade your potential."

It wasn't like he had a choice anyways.

The guards who were supposed to bar intruders were watching the demonstration too, so slipping through the gate was easy. A long, wide street led straight to the middle, where the office stood quietly. A wooden sign hung down from the front, inscribed with the words "Freelancer Guild".

Inside, a reclining receptionist quickly sat up before addressing him.

"Hello sir, is there anything I can do for you today?"

"I'm here to sign up to be an adventurer."

"You mean freelancer?"

"...yes."

The receptionist retrieved an orb, probably for measuring magic. However, instead of sitting on a cushion like Fract thought it would, it hovered an inch off the table. Passing a hand under it didn't affect it.

"Newcomers are always amazed by the Orb™ but if you have an aptitude for magic you might be able to learn it later on. Just place both hands on the orb and I'll handle the rest."

As he touched the orb, it lit up, bathing the room in a soft multi-colored light.

"What does that mean?"

"The light means you have an aptitude for magic. The colors mean you probably have some sort of innate attribute..."

"What's that? Do I get a special power?"

"Kind of. Sometimes it's a power, or a skill, or a passive ability. Some common ones are improved casting with certain elements, but I'm not quite sure what yours is... people with magic are reasonably rare though, so I hope you'll consider taking contracts from us in the future. Anyway, let me just get you your starter pack..."

Reaching behind the desk, the receptionist grasped one of the prepared hiking packs, handing it to Fract.

"Inside should be basic provisions, a knife, flint and steel, some rope, and a steel container for water. And since you can be a mage, please pick a few scrolls from here."

A secret door opened, as a dusty cabinet with many scrolls piled on the shelves extended forth.

"But... how do I use scrolls?"

"You just read them in their entirety. Afterwards, the information is sealed in your mind and the scroll turns to dust. No waste to deal with, and easy to use."

He grabbed some scrolls, scattering them across the front desk. A fireball scroll, an icicle lance scroll, scroll of body hardening, scroll of lightning, and many others. Most were run of the mill, except for three: a Create Golem scroll, a Mana Crystal scroll, and a scroll of Mana Ball.

"I get the other scrolls, but what do these do?"

"The first scroll lets you make Golems: they're humanoids made out of stone or clay and sometimes iron. They can perform basic actions and fight, but they need a Mana Crystal to work. You can get them sometimes from monsters, but it's still better to make them yourself with the Mana Crystal Scroll. They are temporary though, take days to make, and when they run out you have to invest more mana in it. The Mana Ball scroll creates Mana Balls, which are really easy to cast, but use a bit more mana than normal. These 3 scrolls aren't very popular because of their big drawbacks though..."

Unfortunately for Fract, he never really played RPGs and picked them regardless.

"Have a nice day sir, come back again when you're ready to pick up your first contract!"

He walked out the door wearing his backpack and clutching his scrolls, a little overwhelmed.

"Well, I won't die, at least."