The oppressive darkness dissolved like fragile gss, shards of light breaking through as Yuki's senses sluggishly stirred to life. A biting chill brushed against her skin, sharp and unforgiving, jolting her into full awareness. Her breath caught, the frigid air filling her lungs in quick, shallow gasps that stung her chest. Something felt wrong—terribly wrong.

  The first thing she noticed was the texture beneath her. Cool, damp moss pressed against her bare back, grounding her in a reality she couldn’t yet comprehend. Then came the breeze, cold and invasive, brushing over her exposed body. The realization struck like a bolt of lightning: she was completely naked.

  Her eyes snapped open, but the world around her was an explosion of brightness and shapes that made her wince and squeeze them shut again. A wave of panic surged through her, the vulnerability of her situation crashing down in a relentless tide. She curled in on herself instinctively, her arms wrapping tightly around her chest as her knees drew up to her body. She pressed her thighs together, trying to shield what she could, her trembling hands grasping at her shoulders for an ounce of protection.

  Her breath quickened, each inhale sharper than the st, her chest heaving as her mind raced. Why am I naked? Where am I? What is happening?! The thoughts cwed at her, threatening to drag her deeper into a spiral of panic. Tears pricked the corners of her tightly shut eyes as she began to hyperventite, her breaths coming in erratic, shallow bursts.

  Her trembling form was utterly exposed to the unfamiliar world around her. Towering trees stretched toward the sky, their dense canopy letting in dappled sunlight that danced across the forest floor. The rustle of leaves in the breeze and the occasional distant chirps of unseen creatures filled the silence, but the sounds offered no comfort—only an overwhelming sense of alienation.

  Yuki’s fingers dug into her arms as she rocked slightly, her mind a chaotic jumble of fear and confusion. She forced herself to peek through her shes, her vision swimming as she blinked rapidly to adjust to the light. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed a faint glow hovering just above her. A translucent screen, otherworldly and surreal, floated in the air before her, its light illuminating her curled form.

  Her breathing hitched, the sight pulling her attention away from her exposed vulnerability for a fleeting moment. She hesitated before darting a gnce at the screen, desperate for answers. The glowing text dispyed before her was cold and detached, yet it felt like the only tether to understanding her situation:

  [System Notification: Status Update] [Body Reconstruction Completed.] [Soul Stabilization: 86%... Warning: Fragmentation Detected.] [Realm: Lumea Mortii. Pnet: Aetheris. Location: Unknown. Biome: Dense Forest.]

  The words blurred in her vision as her mind tried to process them. Body reconstruction? Soul stabilization? What does any of this even mean? Her voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and trembling.

  Her fingers extended hesitantly toward the screen, her touch tentative and fleeting. The text rippled slightly but remained solid, further cementing the surreal reality of her predicament.

  A soft chime sounded, and another notification blinked into view. The sound made her flinch, her arms tightening around herself as if bracing for another blow. Her heart pounded as the next set of words filled the screen, the cold detachment of the text offering no soce to her unraveling thoughts.

  [System Notification: Achievements Gained]

  The translucent screen's glow intensified, illuminating Yuki’s pale features as line after line of text cascaded before her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to process the onsught of information, each word sinking into her like a stone in deep water.

  [Jobless] Description: Live past the age of 11 without choosing a job css. How to Achieve: Refuse or fail to select a job css within the system for at least 11 years of your life.

  [Touched By The Void] Description: Due to soul damage suffered, your soul has absorbed raw elements of the world, leaving you marked by the worst parts of reality itself. Do Not Rest For Void Energy Takes More Than It Gives. How to Achieve: Sustain severe soul damage during exposure to Void energy, permanently altering your essence.

  [Death Faded] Description: You were sentenced to death by a goddess in the form of integration with the system as a fuel source, but another intervened to save you. How to Achieve: Survive a near-complete system integration where your essence was meant to be used as fuel, thanks to outside intervention.

  [System Survivor] Description: You have survived almost full integration with the system with your ego intact. How to Achieve: Resist full system integration after entering the process, maintaining your sense of self.

  [Mortal Celestial] Description: You have been granted access to the higher system by a system administrator and bestowed this title. How to Achieve: Gain explicit approval or intervention from a system administrator to access higher-level system functions.

  [Soul Fracture] Description: Your soul is incomplete, granting heightened spiritual sensitivity at the cost of stability. How to Achieve: Experience a traumatic event or process that leaves your soul fragmented.

  [Discarded] Description: You were summoned by another and then abandoned. How to Achieve: Be summoned to a new world or system and subsequently rejected or dismissed by the summoner.

  [Survivor] Description: You have survived a death experience. How to Achieve: Endure a fatal or near-fatal encounter through a skill, intervention, or sheer luck.

  [Summoned Hero] Description: You were summoned by a goddess as a hero. How to Achieve: Be chosen and summoned by a deity to serve as a hero.

  [Forgotten One] Description: Your name was lost to the system before reintegration. How to Achieve: Lose your identity within the system due to corruption, error, or intentional action, and then re-establish it.

  [Celestial] Description: You have gained access to the higher system. How to Achieve: Reach a system tier that grants the designation of Celestial.

  [Infernal] Description: You have gained access to the Infernal System, embracing its chaotic power. How to Achieve: Establish a connection with the Infernal System through ritual, corruption, or pact-making.

  —-------

  Yuki’s breaths quickened as the screen continued to unravel her new reality. Each title carried weight—meanings that felt heavy and sharp, cutting into her fragile understanding of herself.

  "Void Infection… Soul Fracture... Discarded?" Her voice trembled as she spoke, barely above a whisper. The titles felt more like accusations than accodes, their implications gnawing at her core.

  Her hand moved instinctively to her chest, her fingers brushing over her sternum as if searching for a physical wound to match the ache she felt inside. Her touch lingered there, her mind circling around the words she had read: soul damage, Void energy, discarded.

  "What… what am I supposed to do with this?" she murmured, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. The overwhelming cascade of knowledge crashed into her, threatening to pull her under like an unrelenting tide.

  The forest around her seemed to press closer, its eerie quietness amplifying her growing panic. The gnarled trees stood as silent sentinels, their shadows moving with a life of their own. The air was dense, the earthy scent of moss and damp bark mingling with something metallic, faint yet persistent.

  Her arms tightened around herself as a cool breeze swept through, sending goosebumps rippling across her exposed skin. She pressed her knees closer to her chest, trying to shield herself from the elements—and from the weight of the reality she was now trapped in.

  A faint rustle above made her flinch, her gaze snapping upward. A bird perched on a low branch, its feathers shimmering in brilliant hues of blue and silver. Its small, beady eyes locked onto hers, its head tilting as if studying her. Yuki stared back, the sight of the curious creature offering her a fleeting reprieve from her spiraling thoughts.

  The soft hum of another notification pulled her attention back to the screen. Her heart skipped a beat as new lines appeared, their sterile tone at odds with the turmoil in her chest:

  —-------------

  Congratutions! You have earned the following: Skills: Unique: [Void Resonance TI], [Harvest TI], [Survivor TI] Legendary: [Hero TI], [Celestial TI], [Infernal TI]

  Traits: Passive A: [Survivor TI], [Easily Forgotten TI], [Mana Overflow TI], Passive S: [Hero’s Charm TI], [Infernal Aura TI], [Celestial Spirit TI], [Soul Damage TIII Passive X: [Void Infection TI], [Ether Overflow TI], [Foreign Energy Absorption TI], [Soul Damage TIII], [Soul Circuits Internal Break TII]

  Titles: Css-Based Titles: [Jobless] Curse Titles: [Touched By The Void], [Death Faded] Unique Titles: [System Survivor], [Mortal Celestial] Fate Titles: [Soul Fracture], [Discarded], [Survivor] World Titles: [Summoned Hero], [Forgotten One], [Celestial], [Infernal]

  —------------------

  The screen faded slightly, leaving Yuki to grapple with its revetions. Her hands dug into the soft moss beneath her, her knuckles whitening.

  "I don't understand…" she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her fear. The screen's cold detachment offered no answers, no guidance—only a brutal reminder of the impossible reality she now faced.

  Alone, naked, and afraid, Yuki clung to the sliver of determination that burned within her. Despite her fear, despite her confusion, one thought echoed in her mind: I have to survive.

  Kiera_Yanagi