"Well then, shall we get started with your [Character Sheet]?"
Lydia asked, with an excited tone.
"What does that entail?"
Emilia inquired, scratching the back of her neck.
"Now you have access to the [System], but I can't send you off just like that! Think of me like a mother bird sending her offspring away from the nest. I'm fulfilling that role for you right now. Take a seat."
Lydia rolled her eyes while motioning towards the nearest chair in the large table.
"Just concentrate on viewing your [Character Sheet]. Before you can start your [Adventure Campaign], you must understand how the 7 Mystical Shapes work. There's a bit of luck and chance involved, but it's not unfair"
Emilia sits on the chair that Lydia pointed and did as instructed. A hologram panel appeared in front of her.
[Character Sheet - Emilia Jacqueline]
[Age: 17 |Height: 1,71m |Weight: 72kg]
[Eyes: Light Brown |Skin: Warm Ivory |Hair: Long, Straight, Hot Toffee]
[Race: - |Profession: - ]
[Physical Power: - |Dexterity: - |Vitality: - |Mind: - |Knowledge: - |Social Ability: - ]
"This is just like my favorite game! If this works similar to it, now I'll have to roll for my stats."
Emilia concluded, quite confident in her comment.
"Yes, Indeed. To save time, grab the D20, think about what you want to roll for and how many times. You get to roll 3d6, 18 times. The sum of each 3d6 roll will be an option for you to pick. Six results among those will be the six base statuses that will define your starting [Powers] and options."
'18 times.'
Emilia thought and threw the D20 on the table beside her. The die shone briefly then vanished. She felt it had gone back into the pouch and a [System] message popped up.
[Choose wisely. Once picked, your statuses can only be changed through growth or magical artifacts and equipment.]
[8] [4] [3] [6] [8] [8]
[3] [7] [14] [3] [8] [12]
[16] [3] [5] [15] [9] [18]
Emilia picked the 6 highest numbers among the list and began wondering where to go from here.
[18] [16] [15] [14] [12] [8]
'I always make multi-characters. I'll use ranged weapons as well as magic.'
Emilia distributed the numbers onto her attributes with a smirk. She felt her mind expand, her muscles tighten, her body become more nimble and light, and more full of life. Texts she had studied throughout her life flashed before her eyes and she gained deeper insight and understanding about them.
[Physique: 14| Dexterity: 16 |Vitality: 12 |Mind: 18 |Knowledge: 15| Social Ability: 8]
Lydia snapped her fingers, drawing Emilia's attention.
"Splendid! The [Pantheon] told me that people in this world would adapt quickly to the [System], but I didn't expect you to learn this quickly! So then, do you know what [Professions] and [Races] you can choose and how they operate?"
"I have a rough idea, but could you please explain?"
Lydia snapped again, another interface with a list of [Professions] and [Races] followed by their descriptions appeared¹. Emilia read through the information and made her choice.
"I'll go with Witch, Half-elf."
Emilia's ears became pointed at the top, her eyes grew larger and she felt more connected to nature. Magical energies in the form of light blue and pink winds swirled around her as a small storm had formed. She felt a connection to water, fire, air and earth and understood how to combine those energies and manipulate them.
[Physique: 14 (+1)| Dexterity: 16 (+2) |Vitality: 12 |Mind: 18 |Knowledge: 15(+1)| Social Ability: 8]
[Race: Half-elf |Profession: Witch (Level 0)]
"There we go," Lydia said, widening her arms as if to embrace Emilia.
"Now you're ready to begin your [Adventure Campaign]. I'm sending your first [Quest]'s details to you over the [System]. Do you have any further inquiries?"
"Of course I do! Won't people be suspicious of my changed appearance?"
Dozens of questions crowded Emilia's mind. However, the only one she could voice was the least important at the moment.
"Only other [Adventurers] will be able to see it. For those still outside of the [System], you'll still look like your regular self."
Emilia let out a sigh of relief.
'My mom always told me about gods, gnomes, fairies, elves, dwarves, and other creatures… I wonder what she'd say if she knew what was happening right now.'
"W-wait! There's something else. You told me that every human physically capable of participating would eventually join. Does that mean my family and friends will also become [Adventurers]?"
"Precisely. In fact, there are thousands of people around the planet receiving instructions for their Adventure Campaigns] at this exact moment. I'm not the only [Dungeon Master] who came to your world. They have been reaching out with the [Mystical Shapes] pouches, scattering them where they can easily be found."
Emilia frowns and leans her head down.
'Dammit, I should have invested more points in [Social Skills]. With my stats, I won't be a good [Party] leader. At least I'll make an excellent lone character.'
Lydia started sounding displeased and tapped her right foot on the ground impatiently.
"Well then, anything else? You can always contact me through the [Chat] if you want. I still have at least a thousand more humans to send off after you today!"
Emilia got up and dusted her legs.
"No… It's fine. Do I just walk out from where I came?"
'What's with her all of a sudden?'
"Don't worry, I'll transport you to your [Quest]'s starting location."
With a gracious gesture, Lydia joined her hands together on top of her head and spread them out, a rainbow forming from the trail where her hands passed through.
"May the [Pantheon] be with you, Emilia."
[…]
Emilia sat up on her bed, drenched up in sweat. Her heart was racing and she was breathing heavily, Lydia's voice still in her head.
'Could it be… Was all of that a dream?'
Images of what happened are still vivid in her mind. She picked up her smartphone and looked at the screen. Her alarm clock still hadn't gone off.
[Monday 5:27 AM]
She felt tears welling up from her eyes. Ultimately, that kind of fantastic dream really couldn't happen and she would go on living another normal day in her boring life. Even though the feeling of despair only lasted for a moment, it was terrorizing. Her heart slowly went back to a slower rhythm, as she took deep breaths to calm herself down.
[Tell me my hero! What do you need?… 𝄞]
Emilia looked at her phone, vibrating and playing her music tone alarm.
Flash!
A bright holographic screen popped up in front of her and she let out a little high-pitched scream.
[Quest received!]