Welcome to Athos(1)
The Berry woods.
A low-level hunting ground frequented by new users fresh out of the tutorial.
Currently, deep in those woods, one would be able to find a goblin, looking very panicked, talking to himself whilst moving around sporadically.
That goblin, was Dílis.
Dílis had been very worried and very confused as the start-up screen, which he was so very used to, had changed in a major way.
Dílis was frozen, cold sweat running down his body.
"What was that, an error? Shit did I get hacked or was it a virus? Wait but I don't think I've done anything to get anything like that."
Dílis had successfully loaded into the world but he was still trying to figure out what was going on.
Giving no mind to the fact that he was considerably shorter than before, he proceeded to continue trying to figure out what happened.
"Alright think back me, what did it say, something about...erm the potion? and...and Athos? What's Athos?"
Dílis drew a deep breath.
"Ok, in times of doubt...google it- Sun Tzu...or somethin'."
"Status, Open," the familiar translucent blue window appeared before his eyes.
Dílis didn't care for his stats and so quickly navigated towards the settings tab...which...was not there.
"Huh?".
"Where?".
"Where is it?".
Dílis stared at the spot where the settings tab used to be, however it was nowhere to be seen.
"What's going on here then? There's nothing there...".
Dílis furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Oi, you're not gonna tell me I've been isekai'ed or some shit right ha ha...ha.....ha".
Dílis' laughter started to falter as he remembered something he read before spawning.
[C0mM3nc3 Tr@NsP0rt t() (0)tHer world].
"Commence Transport to another world", he muttered to himself, realising what this meant.
"Shiiiiiiit...".
Dílis let out a long sigh, "So if I understand this correctly, I've been transported to the world of Soulkin Online, or Athos was it?"
Dílis began pacing back and forth as he attempted to gather his thoughts.
"If I have been transported to another world, then that would mean that the world of Soulkin Online was really a separate...world... I think. It would make sense, considering how lifelike the world is."
"Alternatively, maybe Soulkin was based off of this world, that is assuming this is another world."
"Could it be a dream? Mmmm no I doubt it, I can't remember ever having a dream where I question whether or not it's a dream, it's kinda like breaking the fourth wall or something..."
"Not the point."
"Anyway if that's the case then one, how were we able to play Soulkin Online, assuming this is the same world, someone had to have known about it, but who? The developers? Just what is Soulkin?"
Dílis thought for a moment, thinking up different solutions to the mystery in front of him.
He decided to think about it later after he finished collecting his thoughts.
"Two, why have I come here? I don't mean to sell myself short because, quite frankly, I am pretty amazing, but I don't think I'm special enough to warrant me being transported to another world, assuming this is one."
"What's my role here anyway, Hero? Probably not, don't really have that hero vibe do I...maybe I'm a Great-Sa...no that's not gonna be it, hmm let's put that thought away for now, after all, this might just be a bug...hopefully."
"K, so assuming I have been transported to another world, would I want to go home, that's the question, I suppose I should, you know, clear that up."
"Let's see, there's some anime that I need to catch up on/finish and obviously I look forward to the new releases."
"Another reason to go home would be Soulkin, but...well...yeah, other than that there's...there's...nothing huh, wow, honestly, I'm kinda disappointed in myself there."
"Also if I were to go back I would have no job, no way to make money and would probably become homeless...so yeah have ta say, going home ain't lookin' too appealing right now. There's also no way, I know of, to get back home. If it is a bug then I should be back soon but if not, well yeah."
Dílis realised that he didn't actually have any reason, other than anime, to head back home. On the other hand, he had just been transported into another world and the idea excited him, even if he refused to show it.
Dílis' attention got drawn back to the status window which he had left open, hovering in the air.
"Hmm if I can still look at my status window then that would mean I can use my powers and stuff from the game, neat."
"Haah", Dílis' eyes lit up in excitement and joy as he realised something.
"I get to play Soulkin and I don't have that annoying ass narrator in my ear, YES!!".
Dílis jumped, punching at the air.
[Hmm? talking to me bud?]
A voice reverberated inside his head as was descending to the ground.
Dílis' expression instantly soured as right next to his status window was a smaller screen with text written across it.
Dílis let out a long, exasperated sigh.
"Ah fuck me why you?".
[Fufu, I'm so glad you're this excited to see me]
"Why are you here, don't you belong to the ga-- ah, I see, so I'm still in the game."
[Well...yes and no would be the answer to your question there bud]
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
[Yeah well, in short, this is the world you know as Soulkin Online yet at the same time, it's also Athos, a completely real world with real people, aaaand now you're here congrats]
"Wait...so this is a different world, does that mean everything that happened in the game..."
[You guessed it, everything you guys did, you did to real people]
"Oh, shit that's...disturbing."
[Yeah, well you guys were the ones that did it]
"Yeah, guess that's on us huh...by the way, how do you know all this?"
[Oh, I didn't tell you? I've been with you the whole time you know]
[To answer your question though, I guess you could say I...erm...sorta kinda...transported you to this world]
[I will say this though, you're taking this surprisingly well, I thought you would be more, hrmm panicked? I guess hahaha]
"I see, I see that would make sense, I suppose you would expect someone to freak out in this type of situation wouldn't you, well, I guess I'm just better than most people."
"By the way I uh...noticed something, so to speak, a couple of sentences back. Um...how do I say this, the fuck do you mean you're the reason I was sent to this world?"
Dílis asked, with a cold smile.
[Tsk]
"Did you jus--"
[Why do I have to explain this crap]
"Oi you're the one wh--"
[Alright, Alright I get it, I get it calm yourself]
[So basically, in short, I'm a great spirit, basically, a god sorts in this world and yeah one thing led to another and we, the great spirits, kinda' made a bet to see who could get the greatest follower for themselves, so we made that game, Soulkin, to draw people in and poof here you are, cool?]
"Like fuck that's cools, you just brought me to this world because you felt like it?"
[Yep]
"Ye- the fuck, what happened to my body?"
[Hmmm, dead?]
"Dead!! What the hell? Also, why did you answer like you don't know!?"
[Well that would be because' I don't know]
"What do you mean you don't know?"
[Well...you see, even though I say I'm a great spirit I'm kinda, *mumble* *mumble*]
"Oi what are you even mumbling, I mean, it's even written *mumble*, *mumble*, that's...a unique design choice, but not the point."
[Well, I'm not actually ranked very high in terms of...anything]
"Ranked? what are you ranked in?"
[Like followers and places of worship and power and stuff]
"oookayyy so where do you rank?"
[Well I kinda rank...well it's about...sounds like--]
"Spit it out already."
[Last]
"Last?"
[Last]
"Of course you are."
[Hey what's that supposed to mean!?]
"Nothing," Dílis sighed "So, what about the game, is it still running or?"
[No, I do know that any and all existence of the game will be erased from your world]
"Huh, how can you do that. Also doesn't that rob a lot of people of their livelihoods?"
[No No it's fine, don't worry about it, they'll be compensated, trust me]
"How?"
[Pfft, IDK]
"What, but you just said--"
[Listen I told you, I'm not highly ranked, I had to ask around quite a bit to get this information you know. Be grateful]
"How can I be grateful when you killed me and transported me here on a whim!?"
[Now, Now details aside, it wasn't as If picked you specifically, you were the one who picked up an item linked to this world]
"Wait aren't all items linked to this world though?"
[Well yes...but actually no, I'm talking about an item that a great spirit, such as myself, linked here]
"Wait, so that item...it couldn't have been the potion could it?"
[Bingo, I created my link to that thing ages ago, I thought it was just a cool spot for a potion to be, I didn't expect that that skeleton was the Grand-Sage, ha, funny how the world works."
"Wait, Wait, Wait, you're telling me that you just found a random potion, in a hidden room no less and decided, yeah, why not, let's just do this?"
[Yep]
"ARE YOU STUPID!!!"
[Hey, Hey let's not get so riled up now, it all ended up fine after all so no worries]
"Well no, there are definitely some worries being raised, mainly those concerning your intelligence though so I guess I won't worry so much."
[Wow, I am hurt but that doesn't matter right now, what role did you get]
"What do you mean role?"
[Oh right, you don't know, on the potion you got, there should be a job of sorts, that item will help you become whatever role it gives you. Of course, this doesn't mean you have to become what the item tells you, but it is recommended.]
"Ok so if I get, for example, lumberjack, then I would be a really good lumberjack?"
[Yes but please don't get lumberjack]
"Huh, why?"
[Well, remember earlier when I mentioned that each great spirit's competing to get the greatest follower?]
"Erm, yeah."
[That's exactly it, all the other spirits are bragging about their amazing followers and ridiculing anyone with jobs like, for example, lumberjack]
"Right, so essentially you want to gain a powerful follower so that you can what, rise up the ranks."
[Exactly, glad you understand buddy]
"Ergh, really, well whatever, by the way, how long have the other followers been here, also how many are yet to come? It's good to know the competition."
[Well...actually you're the last one, the others have been here for, pfft I don't know...like...about a year]
"..."
"A year?"
[yeah]
"You want me to try and get on their level while I'm a whole year behind!? are you stupid or something?"
[You better be able to you useless follower]
"HUH!? The hell do you mean useless, you sure you aren't talking about yourself."
[No, if only you didn't decide to get yourself killed you could have been a hell of a lot closer to the rest of the followers]
"What do you mean closer, also it's not like I chose to get killed, it just turned out that way."
[Argh so annoying, it takes time to summon someone dickhead, yet you just decided to reset your character, so instead of bringing your old character, I had to transport you here as this new one]
It was at this point, Dílis realised something about himself, which he had been neglecting due to the crazy situation he found himself in.
He was shorter than he usually was, a lot shorter and hold on, his hands were...green?
"What the fuck."
Dílis started touching his face, it was rough, his nose was twice as long as usual, his ears pointed and his teeth jagged.
Green skin, long nose, pointed ears, about three feet tall, taking all these facts into account Dílis came to a sudden realisation.
"I've turned into a fucking goblin haven't I."
Goblins were notorious for being a low levelled mob in Soulkin Online, while they were incredibly weak, their strength came from their numbers and their traps which could easily take out an unsuspecting newbie.
There was one problem though, Dílis, wasn't a goblin.
He was a man inside a goblin's body.
He had neither the know-how on trap making or the numbers to make him a threat, he was a regular goblin, alone.
"This...doesn't look so good."
[EEEh come on, I believe in you]
"Gee thanks."
[Right, well...let's see what job you got, I bet it's gonna be really amazing, just wait and see]
Dílis was quickly losing faith in both himself and the great spirit at this point but decided to go along with what they said and pulled out the potion.
The sensation of doing so was incredibly strange.
Since the potion had a unique rank it meant that he could summon it from anywhere.
As soon as he thought of grabbing it, a hole opened up in the air and spit it out.
Dílis had to scramble to catch it before it dropped.
In his hands was the Potion of Evolution he had found in the laboratory of the Grand-Sage Razerk.
Dílis was just about to inspect the potion again before realising, he didn't actually possess the skill needed, as you could only learn it after completing the tutorial which, he couldn't take.
"So what do I do here then?"
Dílis thought for a moment before muttering the ever-familiar phrase any Soulkin player had spoken one or two times in their life.
"Status, Open."