One moment, there was the fading echo of… whatever that had been. The next, Dave's eyes snapped open. He was no longer lying on the soft bed of moss in the eerie forest clearing. Instead, he found himself on cold, hard ground, his body resting atop a complex and intricate ritual diagram etched into the earth. The lines of the diagram glowed with a faint white light, a strange energy thrumming beneath his skin. And his vision was filled with blue. Not a pleasant, sky-blue or a calming, ocean-blue. This was a jarring, electric blue, the kind that screams "error message" and makes the eyes water.
It was a screen. A giant, translucent, three-dimensional screen that hung in the air like a holographic window, and it was filled with text.
Dave's first thought, after the initial surge of panic, was that he'd somehow stumbled into a really low-budget science fiction movie. His second thought was that he was still tripping on those weird berries. His third, and most persistent thought, was that his bad luck had somehow transcended death and followed him into the afterlife.
The text on the screen scrolled rapidly, a torrent of information that seemed both utterly nonsensical and vaguely bureaucratic. It was like reading the terms and conditions for the universe, only written in a language he didn't quite understand, yet somehow instinctively knew was apologizing to him.
SYSTEM MESSAGE: ERROR. Dimensional Transference Imbalance. Subject Designation: Dave, inadvertently extracted from native timeline. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Inconvenience? Dave blinked at the floating blue screen. His voice, when he finally found it, sounded hoarse and disoriented. "Inconvenience? I died! My car is at the bottom of a sinkhole! I was wearing a tunic that was three sizes too small! And now I'm getting tech support from the afterlife?"
The screen flickered, as if responding to his outburst, and the scrolling text paused.
SYSTEM MESSAGE: Acknowledgment of Subject: Dave's distress. Situation classified as… suboptimal. Explanation: Ritualistic procedure initiated by Entity Designation: Xylar, resulted in unforeseen temporal-spatial displacement. Subject: Dave, was not the intended recipient.
"Ritualistic procedure?" Dave squinted at the screen. "So, you're telling me someone was doing magic and I got…misplaced?"
SYSTEM MESSAGE: Affirmative. Entity: Xylar, expresses extreme regret. Measures are being taken to rectify the… situation.
Rectify the situation? Was he about to get a refund on his life? A voucher for a less miserable existence?
Before he could ask, the screen displayed a new message, this one in slightly larger, bolder font:
SYSTEM MESSAGE: Compensation offered. Subject: Dave, has been granted access to… Magic.
The word "Magic" hung there, shimmering slightly, as if it were a particularly enticing, yet possibly dangerous, offer.
"Magic?" Dave repeated, the word feeling strange and foreign on his tongue. He'd always been a pragmatist, a firmly rooted-in-reality kind of guy. Magic was for fantasy novels and bad stage shows, not for… whatever this was.
SYSTEM MESSAGE: Clarification: Subject: Dave, is now capable of manipulating the fundamental forces of reality. Abilities may include, but are not limited to: energy manipulation, elemental control, enhanced physical attributes, and the potential for interdimensional travel. Please refer to the User Manual (currently unavailable) for a comprehensive list.
Dave's head spun. Manipulating the fundamental forces of reality? Interdimensional travel? It sounded insane. And yet, looking around at the alien landscape – the towering, amethyst-leafed trees, the strange, guttural roars echoing in the distance – insane seemed… almost plausible.
The blue screen flickered one last time, then began to fade.
SYSTEM MESSAGE: Further assistance unavailable at this time. Subject: Dave, is advised to explore new environments and… adapt. Good luck.
The screen vanished completely, leaving Dave alone in the alien wilderness, the roars of unseen creatures echoing through the strange, shimmering foliage. He stood there for a long moment, the word "magic" echoing in his mind, a mixture of disbelief and a faint, hesitant spark of something that might have been… hope?
The air was still, heavy with the scent of damp earth and something else, something sweet and alien, like blooming night-flowers and ozone. In the distance, he could hear the rustling of unseen creatures, a sound that was both intriguing and unsettling.
“Okay, first things first, where am I?” Dave went to check his pockets for his phone, and realized he wasn’t wearing his work uniform. Instead, he was clad in basic brown leather pants that ended a few inches above his ankle, the leather soft and supple against his skin. His shirt was a loose-fitting white button-down, the cotton thin and breathable, but offering little protection against the elements. He felt strangely unencumbered, yet vulnerable. “So I’m a commoner,” Dave mused, his voice a low murmur. He wondered about the societal structure of this world. “How does this world govern? Kings and queens? Dictators? Communism?”
A sudden thought struck him, and he decided to try something. “Hey system, can you tell me a little bit about this world?” he asked out loud, half-expecting no response. To his surprise, a reply came, clear and immediate, appearing in his vision as if projected onto his retina. He was immediately replaced by annoyance as he read the system message.
SYSTEM MESSAGE: No.
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“Thanks for nothing,” he grumbled out loud, rolling his eyes. He started walking towards the sun, which hung distant in the sky. This sun was much like Earth’s sun, a brilliant disc of fire, except it was further away and appeared slightly larger than earth’s sun. It cast long shadows and painted the sky in hues of orange, purple, and gold. It was a perfect day, the temperature was similar to Colorado before world war 3. The nuclear fallout from that had caused earth to accelerate its increasingly high temperatures.
As he walked, he wondered if there was a help screen for people who didn’t have access to the user manual. As if in response to his thoughts, a character sheet appeared in front of him, shimmering into existence like a holographic projection, causing him to stop walking abruptly.
Character Sheet
Name: Dave _____? (does not belong to a family or kingdom)
Race: Earthling
Class: (To be determined)
Level: 1
Health: (To be determined)
Mana/Magic: (Has access to magic, capabilities not fully defined - energy manipulation, elemental control, enhanced physical attributes, interdimensional travel potential)
Strength: (To be determined)
Dexterity: (To be determined)
Constitution: (Average human)
Intelligence: (Above average, quick-witted, sarcastic)
Wisdom: (Questionable, prone to bad decisions)
Charisma: (Low, generally unlikeable due to constant misfortune)
Skills:
- Adaptation (Legendary)
- Sarcasm
- Observation
- Language
Dave scanned the character sheet, his eyes lingering on the empty space next to his name. “Well, Earthling just sounds like an insult to me,” Dave said out loud, a wry chuckle escaping his lips. To be fair to the system, humans on Earth were relatively shitty to their own mothering planet. He thought about his character sheet, paying attention to what was not being said. This planet is called Arcadia and governed by monarchs. He stashed that information into his brain, filing it away for later use. He continued walking towards the setting sun, hoping to find someone to talk to or a place to sleep for the night.
The landscape began to change as he walked. The amethyst-leafed trees grew taller and denser, forming a vast forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. The air grew thicker, the sweet scent of the alien flora intensifying, and the sounds of the unseen creatures became more frequent and varied, a symphony of chirps, growls, and rustles that spoke of a vibrant and untamed ecosystem.
As the setting sun was bathing the surrounding woods in its ethereal glow, casting long, dancing shadows that stretched and twisted the strange foliage into even more bizarre shapes, Dave was busy staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at his first encounter of the third kind. Now, Dave had watched a lot of sci-fi movies, and I mean A lot. But what they bring in education, they also bring in horror. As evident in the monstrosity that he had walked up on.
It was a weird dog-like creature, but larger than any dog he had ever seen, standing as tall as a grown man. It had four strong legs, each ending in four very big five-toed paws, the claws thick and sharp, clicking softly on the uneven ground. Its body was that of a frog-like creature, squat and muscular, with yellow, slimy amphibian skin that slowly oozed a thick, viscous goo that glistened in the fading light. Its neck was solidly thick, like a bull's, and it connected to an anteater-like head, elongated and narrow, including the extended hose-like appendage hanging off its face, which twitched and sniffed the air. The creature's eyes were large and bulbous, a disturbing shade of crimson, and they seemed to stare at Dave with a cold, alien glare.
Now, Dave had dreamed of seeing an alien since he was a young boy, of making contact with another species, of proving that humanity was not alone in the universe. But given his luck, he'd probably be snatched and probed before he could ask any questions. This meeting was not what he had in mind when he was younger. A shiver ran down his spin and a strange fascination. “What are you?” Dave said out loud at the monster underneath the tree, his voice barely a whisper.
Before it could respond, a notification popped up on his interface, the blue text shimmering in his vision.
System Message: This creature is called a Groul, level 2. This monster is incredibly stupid. At rank 1, this monster can cover its body in a sticky substance that has a slight paralyzing effect on prey animals. At rank 2, its sticky excrement will burn. For you, it’ll just tingle. Happy adventuring!
“A Groul? It looks exactly how it sounds, at least,” Dave said, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. With one last look at the screen, he closed it with a mental command, the image fading from his vision. Okay, the system had informed him this thing was stupid, so talking to it was out. He looked around for anything he could use as a weapon if it turned out to think him a prey animal.
His gaze swept across the landscape, but he didn’t see anything except for leaves and grass for hundreds of feet in all directions. Not even a stick from one of the trees lay on the ground around him. The ground was surprisingly clear of debris, as if it had been swept clean. "Of course, there isn’t,” Dave said, a sigh of exasperation escaping his lips. He had expected it, but he still found himself disappointed. He sighed again, the sound heavy with resignation. “Let’s be on with it then.” He walked towards it, his steps slow and deliberate, his heart pounding in his chest. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
The Groul took notice of him as he walked towards it. The creature's crimson eyes narrowed, and it let out a low growl, a guttural sound that vibrated the air. The Groul did not like this new presence in its territory. It stood to its full height, its slimy yellow skin glistening in the fading light, the thick goo oozing more rapidly now, as if in anticipation of a fight. It was standing as tall as a small sedan, its massive form casting a long, grotesque shadow that stretched towards Dave like a grasping hand. It let out a weird gurgling sound, a sound like bubbles rising in thick mud, and then, to Dave's utter astonishment, it turned around and hastily climbed the tree it was Napping under, its powerful limbs scrabbling against the bark with surprising agility.
Dave continued on, thinking, "Well, that was anticlimactic." As soon as he stepped under the tree to continue walking, a loud sound of a limb breaking made him look up. His eyes widened in alarm as he saw a large branch, easily the size of a human arm, detached from the tree and plummet towards him. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. The limb fell down and hit him in the face with a sickening thud.
System Message: You have taken 5 damage and are stunned for 3 seconds.
Dave's vision swam, and a sharp pain exploded in his head. He stumbled backward, his senses reeling. While Dave was stunned, his head lolling, the Groul, from its perch in the tree, leaned over and drooled on him, a thick stream of its sticky, burning saliva covering his head and face in a glistening, smelly mess.
When he came around from being stunned, his head throbbing and his face covered in the Groul's foul-smelling drool, he looked down at the body-length limb that had struck him. It lay on the ground, a massive piece of wood, thick and heavy.
System Message: Congratulations! You have found... a stick. Woopie.