CH: 1/New Life

Hello! My name is Aurelia Gere. I'm a high school teacher. I was driving home from work, not following the speed limit because there was a convention I didn't want to miss.

In hindsight, I probably should have, because I ended up having to swerve out of the way of some falling rocks and ended up falling from the road that, for some reason, was built next to the ocean on a cliff.

When my car impacted the water, I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, I found myself not where I expected to be.

I quickly sit up from the bed I've found myself in and look around in a panic, noting the fancy Victorian style room I'm in, 'The hell...?!' I then hear a door open, which attracts my attention.

I see a woman dressed in a maid uniform enter the room and gain a shocked look at the sight of me, "Your awake! I must inform your parents at once!" The maid quickly leaves the room.

I stare at where the door for a moment out of confusion before lying back down. After a few minutes, the door quickly opens again, with four people entering the room.

In the front of the group is a man with teal eyes dressed in a dark blue Victorian noble get up. I sit up and am promptly bear hugged by him, "Oh, my sweet Aurelia, you're ok!" I awkwardly hug him back, before getting a head splitting headache.

The man backs up as I hold my head in pain, "Aurelia?! Are you ok?!" I hear a voice ask, panicked. After a moment the pain fades, and open my eyes, which I had shut from the pain.

I see the man look at me, and I recognize him as foreign memories flood my mind, "Father...?" The man smiles, "Yes my daughter?"

I look behind him and see three people: a woman dressed in a pale-yellow dress with golden hair and silver eyes, a young man with similar eyes as the woman and black hair, and the same maid from earlier.

I recognize all of them, despite not knowing how, 'Did I gain someone else's memories? If so, how?' My thoughts are interrupted by a hand being placed on my forehead, followed by a soft golden glow.

The hand is then removed from my head not long after, "She appears to be fine. Just a little confused."

I look at my hands, "What happened?" I softly let out. The silver eyed woman, or as these new memories are telling me, my mother, walks to me and hugs me, "You fell unconscious after your awakening. We don't know why, and we feared the worst."

I hug her back, "Well, I'm fine now, right?" My mother breaks the hug and steps back, "I suppose you are. Which is great!"

I think for a moment, 'So apparently, according to these new memories, I am ten years old and have just gone through my awakening, which is an event that happens on a child's tenth birthday which tells them what magic they can use.'

I look at my family, who is now leaving the room to give me some time to rest some more. The man is my father, Rowan Gere, and the golden-haired woman is my mother, Juniper Gere. The man that looks like a mix of the two is my older brother, Ryan, he's seventeen and the heir to the household.

I lay back down and close my eyes, trying to process all that has happened, 'What happened? Did I die when I fell into the ocean? Why did I wake up here? Hmm...' I open my eyes again and sit back up, dangling my legs over the edge of my bed.

"Ok, let's see what my status looks like." In this world, every race that goes through an awakening has a divine given ability called a 'Status'. A status allows the awakened person to see their own strength in levels and stats, as well as their own skills and learned spells.

I open my status page and see a light blue panel appear in front of me with various symbols on them.

[

Name: Aurelia Gere

Race: Human

Titles: Reincarnated

New: Reincarnated

A title granted to those who have been reincarnated. Grants the title owner the [Inspect], [Inventory], and [Language Comprehension] skills. Cannot be seen with normal appraisal skills.

Class: Steampunk Mechanist

Subclass: Scrap Mechanist

LVL: 1

EXP: 0/100

HP: 1100/1100

MP: 1000/1000

STR: 10

VIT: 10

AGI: 20

DEX: 50

M(agical)INT: 0

S(pecial)INT: 50

Status Points: 0

Passive Skills Steampunk Knowledge, Language Comprehension

New: Steampunk Knowledge

Gives the skill owner knowledge on steampunk creations. Grants more knowledge as creations are built.

New: Language Comprehension

Allows the skill owner to speak, write, and understand any written, spoken, or non-spoken languages. Includes dead languages.

Active Skills: Create Scrap Automaton, Machine View, Inventory, Inspect

New Create Scrap Automaton

Allows the skill owner to create autonomous constructs out of nearby scrap. Constructs will slowly deteriorate over time and fall apart after a few minutes. Scrap used in the construction of the automaton will be afflicted with [Mana Blight] after use, preventing it from being used again for magical purposes for the duration of the debuff.

New: Machine View

Allows the skill owner to see out of the eyes of any machine they have built.

New: Inventory

Allows the skill owner to store items in a pocket dimension connected to the skill owner's life. Should the skill owner perish, the pocket dimension is destroyed, and any items below celestial grade will be destroyed. Alt Use: Can store creations built with [Steampunk Knowledge].

New: Inspect

Allows the skill owner to see another person's status. Cannot be used to see individual stats such as STR.

]

I look at my status page in surprise, 'I have a lot of skills for someone who's just awakened. And [Steampunk Mechanist]? Wait, does that mean-?!'

I suddenly get another headache, this one lasting only a few seconds. After the pain, I find myself suddenly having ideas on how to build things, like a basic automaton.

I get out of bed and go to my closet before opening it, 'I have to admit, the old Aurelia had some style.' I pick out a black skirt with gold accents and a black corset, which is eerily similar to a modern cosplay corset. I spy a small top hat in the corner that isn't in any of the memories I got from the old Aurelia.

I pick it up and put it on before standing in front of the mirror, 'Damn, I look good. Ok, let's go see father about my awakening.' I exit my room and go to my father's office on the second floor.

"Ah, hello Aurelia. How can I help you today?" I tell him about my awakening, and that I would like to have a workshop built on the estate grounds.

"Hmm... I suppose I could allow for this request... So long as you show me and your mother your new abilities." He says.

I agree and leave his office after saying goodbye. I go back to my room and lay down, thinking, 'I'll have to visit the local blacksmiths or merchant's guild to acquire the materials I'll need.'

I lay down and sleep for the rest of the day.

---The next day---

I stand in the central courtyard, my family as audience. In front of me is a pile of scrap metal. I remember the lessons taught to the old Aurelia and try to put them into practice, "{Scrap Automaton}! I cast on the area in front of me.

Suddenly, the scrap on the ground near me begins to float and form itself into a humanoid shape. The result is a jittery human-esc machine made of scrap held together by magic. My parents decide to test its combat ability and have Ryan fight it.

Ryan easily beat it, to no one's surprise (Ryan is a really good swordsman!) After cleaning up the mess left from the fight, I then demonstrated my {Inventory} and {Inspect} skills, surprising my parents that I have both of them.

The next few days I spent practicing my magic and secretly practicing building small machines in my room.

After my workshop was finished, I spent the next few days working with the local blacksmiths to get the tools I need.

After everything is ready, I step into my workshop and start on my first automaton.

---Days Later...---

"Finally, it's done!" I take a step back from my first creation, "Lets power you on." I get behind the machine and wind it up.

I then step in front of it as it wakes up. Its singular optic sensor glows a friendly green as it looks at me, "Greetings my lady! How may I be of service today?" I chuckle at its British accent, "I would like to present you with a name, and a permanent job."

The mustache below the automaton's single optic spins comically, "Oh?! As your first machine follower, I am honored to receive a name, instead of a dull serial number."

I laugh at his humor, "I will name you Mono. And your job is to serve as my assistant in everything." Mono bows, "I am eager to serve by your side faithfully, until the day I am disassembled!"

I nod satisfied with my work. I leave the workshop, covered in dirt and sweat. I instruct Mono to wait in the workshop while I get cleaned up.

After getting cleaned up, I call for Mono, to which he arrives in record time. I get dressed in my usual get up of a black corset and skirt, and my little top hat.

After getting dressed, I am called to dinner. At dinner I introduce Mono to my family, "Hello! My name is Mono, and I serve as Lady Aurelia's Assistant!"

My family looks at Mono with awe. After dinner I return to my workshop to get to work on my next creation.