Yeah, it kicks off with me standing dead center in some random forest clearing, looking like I just respawned in a nature-themed RPG.
Colors around me are cranked up to max. Vivid greens, deep browns, splashes of wildflowers, like Mother Nature threw a rager and went, Cleanup? Yeah, that’s tomorrow-me’s problem.
The whole place’s buzzing with life. Not even metaphorically. I can literally feel it in my skin, like the world’s in high-def and I’m still buffering.
Somewhere in the distance, leaves swoosh, and I swear I hear a brook babbling like it’s got the juiciest gossip in the forest.
I take a breath.
Big mistake.
The air’s so fresh it smacks me in the lungs like nature’s version of a minty slap. It smells like pine, clean earth, and somewhat crisp that suddenly makes me realize how disgusting city air actually is.
And for a hot second, I feel… weirdly zen. Just me and the forest, vibing. Like it personally invited me to chill out and maybe find my inner peace.
But let’s be real. Reality never feels this real.
The sunlight slices through the trees in golden beams, casting shadow patches on the ground like I wandered onto the set of some artsy indie film. Birds zip overhead, chirping like they’re late for choir practice.
Even though the sun’s probably headed for its daily clock-out, the whole place feels frozen.
I take a step forward, and my shoe sinks into the earth with a soft squish. Not a gross, swampy kind of squish. More like the ground’s handing me a plush welcome mat.
I don’t know—it feels personal. Like the forest and I are having a moment.
Yeah, it’s suspiciously peaceful. Way too perfect. Which obviously means something’s about to go horribly wrong.
Still, no way am I wasting the calm.
“Status window,” I say, expecting nothing and everything at the same time.
A translucent blue screen flickers into view like a polite system pop-up.
________________________________________
PLAYER STATUS, WEAPONS, AMMO, DEFENSIVE ITEMS, APPAREL, SKILLS, ACCESSORIES, MONETARY ITEMS, MAPS, TOOLS/ITEMS, MESSAGES, FRIENDS, ONLINE STORE, GUIDELINES.
________________________________________
Oof. That’s a lot of tabs.
Feels like I just logged into Fantasy Amazon.
My fingers hover over the glowing options, all of them basically daring me to poke around.
Then one of them blinks.
MESSAGES
Of course. Always start with the suspicious blinking tab. Classic tutorial move.
I tap it—and boom. One unread message.
WELCOME FROM THE SYSTEM
“All right, let’s see what kind of weird welcome mat this world rolled out.”
I lean in, squinting because apparently fantasy world screens don’t believe in accessibility settings.
________________________________________
Welcome Aoi Player Akira Sakamoto!
Here are your Marksman offensive and defensive abilities. Good luck with your quest.
SUBCLASS: GUNNER
OFFENSIVE ABILITIES:
- Bullet Barrage: Unleashes a rapid barrage of bullets, saturating the battlefield with gunfire and shredding through enemy defenses.
- Explosive Rounds: Loads ammunition infused with explosive magic, causing bullets to detonate on impact and deal area damage.
DEFENSIVE ABILITIES:
- Cover Fire: Provides suppressing fire to cover allies, reducing incoming damage and drawing enemy attention away from vulnerable teammates
________________________________________
I can’t help it—I’m grinning like an idiot.
This is it. My powers. My class. My protagonist moment.
“Let’s gooo,” I mutter, fingers already tapping on WEAPONS like it owes me a favor. I’m ready for a glorious revelation. A high-tech rifle, maybe. Or a pistol with glowing runes. Something that screams cool and deadly.
But nope.
The screen?
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Empty.
“Eh?”
My brain straight-up blue-screens.
I pat my pockets like a sitcom character hoping a gun will magically fall out of thin air.
Nothing.
Panic? Mild.
Confusion? Absolutely high.
I scan the ground for desperate loot, half-expecting a glowing crate to pop up or one of those dramatic weapon drop animations. Still nothing.
Okay… maybe it’s a glitch. Systems bug out sometimes, right?
I flick over to DEFENSIVE ITEMS.
Nada.
Now that little anxious knot in my chest starts tightening. You know the one. That uh-oh, I’m about to die in the tutorial zone feeling.
Cozy.
Staying cool (barely), I switch to APPAREL.
Finally, a hit.
An outfit pops up on the screen. A tiny, underwhelming victory. But I’ll take it.
“Guess I’m dressing up before dying,” I mutter.
________________________________________
Ranger Outfit (Rare)
Description: Can warm you slightly during the night. Auto clean from any stains. Auto dry.
________________________________________
With a single tap, my school uniform just disappears, like it’s been Thanos-snapped by the fashion gods.
In its place, the Ranger outfit become visible, a smooth, magic-as-hell transformation sequence.
I reach up, brushing my hand across the cloak now draped over my shoulders. Dark green. Soft but sturdy, like it’s made from the skin of a tree that deadlifts for fun. It fits me just right, without looking try-hard.
Underneath, a leather tunic hugs my torso like it’s already seen my measurements. Comfortable enough to nap in, but with that “I’ll survive a wolf ambush” energy.
Mobility? Check.
Style? Double-check.
I shift my weight and feel the boots respond. Supple leather wraps around my ankles like they’ve been tailor-made for stealth attacks and heroic landings.
I give myself a quick once-over. Rugged. Sleek. Slightly badass.
Definitely an upgrade from high school polyester.
My uniform has politely folded itself into the APPAREL like a well-behaved kid cleaning up their toys. Neat.
“So that’s how it works,” I nod to myself, doing my best wise RPG veteran impression. “Ten out of ten wardrobe mechanics.”
Back to the screen.
I tap GUIDELINES and squint as a wall of text scrolls by, like a fantasy-themed Terms & Conditions.
Orientation 101.
How to not die? Check.
How to fight monsters? Double check.
Why quests are life? Big check.
I flick through the rest of the tabs. ACCESSORIES, FRIENDS, TOOLS…
All empty.
Just like WEAPONS and DEFENSIVE ITEMS.
Ugh, this is really getting on my nerves.
I grumble and jab at SKILLS like it owes me money.
Finally, something interesting.
The interface pops open with a clean little list. Just a handful of entries, each one glowing softly, like it wants me to know, Hey, I’m cool. Use me.
________________________________________
SKILLS IN USE: One
DEFAULT SKILLS: One
- Status Sight: Level One
(Able to see Player and Monster’s Info. Able to see item info the player possesses.)
SPECIAL SKILLS: None
________________________________________
I tilt my head, reading deeper into the SKILLS.
So, skills level up with me. Standard stuff.
DEFAULT ones are always on. No cooldowns.
SPECIAL skills, though? Locked to five at a time. Comes with a nasty little catch.
Every time I want to swap one out, the cooldown slaps me with a twenty-four-hour wait. A whole day. Just to change my loadout.
“What a scam,” I mutter, dragging a hand down my face. “That’s some gacha game-tier pain right there.”
Basically, once I pick a SPECIAL skill, I’m in it for the long haul. No take-backs. Just cold, strategic commitment and the looming specter of regret.
Guess I’m married to my build now.
Still, Status Sight looks solid. Being able to see player and monster stats? That’s practically wall-hacking for fantasy nerds.
Monster raids, ambushes, hidden loot? Bring it. I’ll be ready. No more stabbing in the dark and hoping for crits.
I tap my foot against the mossy ground, brain already kicking into overdrive. I need synergy.
Optimization.
Max min-mode—engage.
Leveling up will unlock more abilities. More power. More options.
I can almost taste it, like game-breaking combos are just a few XP bars away.
Satisfied for now, I back out of SKILLS and slam open the ONLINE STORE like I’m diving into retail therapy. Maybe there’s a beginner bundle or a pity pack for broke newbies.
The screen flickers, then pops up a glowing message.
________________________________________
AMMO:
Phrase to load or reload your ammo to your current weapon: “Sōten”
- Well-sphere Ishi (Available in online store)
QTY: 20
________________________________________
My brows crumple as I stare at the screen.
Ishi?
I shrug. “Well, whatever. Just try the command, Kira.”
I clear my throat and whisper, real low, like I’m summoning a demon or trying not to sound like a total weeb.
“Sōten.”
Something materializes into my right hand with a small fwip, like the universe delivering an Amazon package on express mode.
I look down.
My brain feels slightly fried.
“What the heck is this?” I mutter, holding up what looks like… a rock. A sturdy, weirdly symmetrical rock. Little bigger than a marble. Definitely not a bullet. Just a straight-up rock.
I turn it over in my palm, the smooth surface digging into my skin like it’s mocking me.
Takes a solid five seconds before reality clicks, and I grit my teeth.
“You seriously expect me to chuck this at my opponent?” I yell, tilting my head back like I’m yelling at the System. “Fairness, my butt!”
The forest answers with a rustling from the nearby undergrowth.
I freeze.
Okay. Not good.
I clench the rock tighter, like it’s my one-way ticket to survival. My heart thumps so loud I’m sure whatever’s hiding out there can hear the bass drop.
“Who goes there?” I call, trying to sound like someone who hasn’t just been armed with a pebble.
A figure steps out from behind a tree, and I almost throw the rock out of reflex.
What. The. Hell.
It stands about four feet tall, built like a wiry gremlin with serious lizard cosplay energy. Its skin’s this gross mottled green, all bumpy and pebbly like a toad and a cactus had a kid.
Pointed ears stick out like antennas, twitching like they’ve their own anxiety. Its bulbous nose flares as it sniffs the air, full-on predator mode.
And then the hair. Patchy tufts sprout from its scalp and shoulders like it lost a fight with a weed whacker.
I just stare.
What even are you, dude?
Then it smiles.
Not a “hi, nice to meet you” smile. Oh no. This thing’s got a mouth full of jagged, yellow-stained nightmare teeth, and it stretches them wide like it just discovered lunch.
Its eyes? Tiny black beads locked on me. It’s studying me. Enjoying the fear radiating off my sweat glands like I’m some newb appetizer on a fantasy buffet.
The air shifts. The forest goes quiet. Like the trees are watching.
I take a quick glance around, praying for an exit route. Nothing but trees, shadows, and more trees.
This is it. Just me, a rock, and one goblin-lizard-gremlin hybrid with murder in its eyes.
I purse my lips, trying to look composed. Like I totally haven’t been screaming about ammo ten seconds ago.
The rock in my hand feels like a joke now. A game prank. I can see the creature sizing me up, mentally deciding which limb to chew first.
“Stay back!” I bark, throwing all the fake bravado I’ve got into my voice.
Did it work? No clue. I probably sound like a cat trying to hiss while wearing a bell collar.
I shift my stance like I’ve seen in martial arts movies.
Feet apart. Knees bent. Ready to die exaggeratedly.
This isn’t looking good.
Like… anime-first-episode cliffhanger level not good.