Prologue
System Message = []
Character Thoughts = ()
My name is Alea, and I just recently finished high school. I'd been living the good life with a loving well-off family and a stable future path. After getting accepted to U**, I went on a trip to Japan with a group of friends. Maybe all of my luck was used up at the beginning of my life because as soon as I stepped out of the Japanese airport I died. IT HURT!!! IT HURT SO MUCH! There were two bright lights and then just pain.
Well now I am here, wherever here is. Around me is a peaceful clearing with nothing of interest in sight. By of interest, I mean people and civilization. The other annoying thing about this situation is the blue glowing square in front of me. I think I'm going crazy. Maybe I'm dreaming, or in a coma. It's a sad thought, but if that were the case I'd be happy to be here instead. After being hit by that big truck there was no way I would've come out unscathed. Even though I miss my family and friends, I don't think I'm ready to face the pain that would come with waking up. Though, another possibility is that I never survived in the first place. Maybe this is heaven or some other type of afterlife. The only way to find out would be to explore it.
Shaking away my heavy thoughts, I focus on the glowing square. Bing. An alert goes off in my head and the square changes. Now there is text displayed. [Does host agree to accept Reader system? yes no] The sudden question has me wary. What am I agreeing to? Maybe it's something like in those novels where the characters leap to the heavens in one go after receiving some op system. That would too be too good to be true right? But... the situation does fit with the trope so maybe it could be real. Though if that were the case, what's up with the weird title. What's a reader system? Whatever the case is, it's not like there are any other options.
Mentally, I focus on the yes option. [Congratulations on becoming a novice reader! Continue] Choosing to continue brings me to a well-organized screen with numerous options. I try focusing on the option named status and a new screen pops up.
Level: 1
Exp (0/100)
Name: Alea Wix
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Titles: Otherworlder
Talents:
Skills:
Elements
STR: 7
CON: 8
INT: 10
WIS: 9
AGI: 8
Skill Points: 0
Free Points: 0
Reader Points: 0
Novice Package
ACCEPT
Well, at least my base stats look decent. The whole setup makes me feel excited. Everything looks like a video game. Though, how can this help me right now? At that moment, I finally notice the novice package. What's that? I choose accept and POOF! Out of nowhere a book appears. The title is Dummies Guide to mapping. Picking up the book off the grass, I examine it more closely. My first few thoughts after observation are that it's a convenient size to move around and that it lives up to its title of being beginner friendly. A book though for the novice package is so bizarre. I was hoping for something more practical like survival supplies. I suppose it fits with my system though. I check my status to make sure I didn't miss out on anything and find something ridiculous.
Level: 1
Exp (0/100)
Name: Alea Wix
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Titles: Otherworlder
Talents:
Skills: Immortality (Developing oneself as a reader takes time)
STR: 7
CON: 8
INT: 10
WIS: 9
AGI: 8
Skill Points: 0
Free Points: 0
Wow. I don't even know what to think. How can this be real. Just to make sure, I open and close my status a few times. I'm happy to live a long time, but I'm not sure about forever. I'll end up leaving so many people behind. Maybe I'll go crazy. If I die in the wilderness though my new lifespan won't even matter.
Putting aside my grim thoughts, I go back to the home screen to examine the other options. Listed on the screen is status, shop, and roulette. Roulette seems exciting but self-explanatory, so I decide to take a look at shop. As soon as the shop opens, I notice something. The section names sound really promising! This is looking good for me. There's a talent section, a skill section, and a general shop. Choosing the talent section, a filter option appears. Hmmm. Let's filter so that more magic based skills will and appear. Also, what are reader points? The currency? As soon as I choose apply, numerous exciting options appear. There are talents for different elements, a talent for summoning, a talent for telekinesis, and much more. Though, the price for some of these options is daunting. For example, divination is 1,000,000 Reader Points. The elements seem more affordable though at 1000 Reader Points. My balance right now though is 0 Reader Points. Oh well, I'd better work hard.
How do I get Reader Points though? Whatever, I'd figure it out. Let's check out the shop. Maybe there'll be something to help me survive out here. Going to the shop, a similar filter function appears. I go with the option that says camping supplies. What appear is an interesting combination of items from Earth and unknown items. I decide to scroll a bit before finding what I was hoping for. There's a tent, water bottles, protein bars, and more. Maybe I'll actually survive out here. The problem is that I have no way to pay for these items.
Since I can't do anything with the system right now, I might as well focus on trying to find civilization or at least some drinkable water. Leaving the system aside, I start making my way towards what looks like downhill. My reasoning is that water tends to accumulate downhill, and people tend to accumulate around water. Though, I don't feel myself to be a reliable survival guide. I'm just don't know what else to do. My steps continue until I reach the border of the clearing and make my way into a forest. Hyperaware, I walk around until I hear a small sound from the bushes. I freeze. My heart feels like it's going to beat right out of my chest. Frozen in fear and stuck between flight or fight, I notice a small creature emerge from the bush. Well, I think it's a creature? It's small and transparent. A slime!
Immediately I back away looking for a potential weapon. A sturdy medium sized branch catches my eye. Wielding the branch at a distance, I observe the slime. It doesn't seem to target me as it randomly makes its way around absorbing stuff from the forest floor. Feeling a bit safer with its docile response, I proceed to attack it with the branch. It doesn't do anything making me wonder if it's really alive. Eventually under my attacks the slime collapses.
Contrary to my expectations though, nothing happens. There are no alerts, no gained exp. Just nothing. How am I supposed to level up then! Agitated I walk away with my newly acquired weapon. My irritation peaks as the bugs start getting to me. Why did I have to come here? I was at the peak of my life. Even if the system and everything is cool, modern convivence is the best.
After about half an hour, I finally find water. Before me there is a small river or should I say stream. I excitedly rush forward only to receive a bit of a surprise.