When you're a college-leaver, anime-lover, half-rate video game designer, it is quite hard to make ends meet. A missed meal here and there, limited showers and buying the cheapest things possible to sustain himself, but Eric hoped that by the next year ended, he would never have to worry about money ever again.
His very first game, his masterpiece, 'The Six Rings', would be released in less than 30 minutes, midnight on Christmas Eve. 75 preorders were booked for download the instant it was released. He smiled as he opened his laptop on his side-table. He frowned at the screen for a second, for some reason it was labelled as a Hermes corporation creation, when his contract clearly stated that he would be named the creator.
He shook his head, he'll check it out in the next working week. Eric was sure he could clear it up. The clock continued its stately march, nearing its ultimate destination: 12AM. Thunder rumbled its applause, for both him and his achievement. 11:45; the game could be downloaded, 11:55; servers online, the game is finally... OPEN!
He quickly logged on and created a character, Eric Zohani, and left all stats and other things up to random chance (autogeneration is great) and pressed enter. Character Saved. The booming outside from the ongoing storm made it obvious that he wouldn't get any sleep, so he might as well try to play the game. He began setting his controls, but the distant thunder, now not-so-distant, kept interrupting him. The computer started bleeping, 'Enter Game', and endless beep which would never end until he hit start. Just as he clicked the button, lightning flashed outside, hitting the very building Eric lived in. It zipped up the computer cable, then jumping straight to Eric himself. The endless bleeping followed him into darkness.
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In the endless void that had consumed him, without and within, a small, snow-white ball of light appeared.
"Hello there User, I am your designated system: The Reincarnated System! Would you please select which world you would like to be reborn in? If you wish, I could even randomise it."
Eric was kinda flabbergasted, that somehow the stories he had read on a certain story sharing website had got it right, both personal systems and reincarnation existed in this world we called home. In that moment, the world which he should chose was obvious, since he had created it himself.
"I would very much like to be reborn in the world of 'The Six Rings' please." Why the hell not? He could conquer the whole world and live as happy as if he was in a constant dream!
"World Selected, Searching for a suitable host body. Body Found! Matches User in both mind and spirit by 99.9%. System Recalibration required. Initialising." The white ball of light shifted colours, like a rainbow trying to pick its favourite. It eventually settled on a yin-and-yang symbol with its edge glowing red, blue, yellow and green.
"I am now 'The Elementalists System'!" the orb announced, glowing slightly brighter (as if it was smug about something). "Now its your turn User!" It floated closer to him, just before his nose. He tried to back away, but it was very hard to gain traction on absolutely nothing.
"Recalibrating Users nerval system." He felt as if he was being shocked by lightning all over again. "Mind melding User Eric Tee with host Eric Zohani" Wait, Eric thought, I'm becoming merged with my chosen avatar? So cool!
"Finally, sealing Users memories!" Eric tried to grab his hair, which seemed to be missing, along with his entire body. He couldn't scream his outrage nor hit the orb in wrath. The orb flashed, then began beeping. It was familiar, as if it could drag him back to reality with just its sound. The endless blackness spawned a never ceasing light, before both became one in a spiral of colour...