[We welcome you]
A low voice echoed inside my mind. My mind was now groggy and foggy, and pitch black.
"Where am I...?", I tried to ask, which caused my mind to stir awake realizing I couldn't hear my own voice. And yet I was interrupted by a mechanical voice this time.
[Soul integration process has begun. Player Naoto may experience pain during the installation. Beginning in...]
[3]
[2]
[1]
I became distracted by this sudden countdown.
'The hell is soul integration--?', I tried to inwardly say, except at this time my mind started getting fuzzy.
I had no idea where my body had gone, only that knowing this inside my mind. It seemed that something had happened that caused me to lose consciousness. I then woke up, but only to see I'm stuck in my mind somehow.
And that there was this voice ringing inside my head, almost like it was installing a program.
'Don't tell me...did this happen when I selected yes while trying to save my clear data...?', I surmised, thinking of the possibilities.
I was then interrupted again by another notification.
[Installation in progress...10%...20%...30%...]
The installation began of whatever "this" was supposed to be, causing my thoughts to get distracted again. Not by the mechanical sounding words, but what came after.
My fuzzy and groggy mind soon went from that to feeling full and having a headache at the same time once the bar in front of me.
Wait...a blue window with a status bar?
This can't be possible--!?
[40%...50%...60٪...]
'Ohhh....', I let out an inwardly growl. Now I felt this pounding headache, soon developing into a migraine.
I had yet to experience what a migraine felt like. Now I can imagine those who experience one couldn't focus on work. This constant throbbing...is unpleasant...
My mind soon wandered off because of the sharp throbbing it was now experiencing. I wanted to clutch my head, but my body wasn't here. I was in the darkness of my mind. Yet that didn't seem to stop the progress bar.
[70%...]
At this point I felt a massive pulse strike against my head. With the active migraine it felt as if my head was starting to split apart.
'Ahhh!', I let out a rather loud scream. Despite being surrounded by darkness in the recess of my mind, I really wanted to grab a hold of something.
[Weak.]
However, at this time an actual voice resounded inside my mind, which caused me to get distracted by the current pain I was feeling.
…?
Unsure, I stayed silent, but the same voice spoke out to me once again.
[You are weak.]
This...
[Wallowing in pain, with such a mere headache? Weak.]
'You call this a mere headache!?', I inwardly retorted, trying to ignore the pain.
[At least you are aware you are not alone.]
As I thought, there really was another voice echoing in my mind...
Who...?
[Who I am is not important. Has the Vermillion Blood really only amounted to such? Such a disappointment.]
Hearing this voice speak again, only further questions arose.
Vermillion Blood...?
Thinking that, I tried to wait for an answer, but it seemed this voice ignored my question, and spoke out something else.
[Steel your resolve. The next wave is coming.]
The moment this firm voice said something, it became quiet. The mechanical voice continued it's progress shortly after.
[80%...90%...]
The moment the progress continued I felt several hard strikes pound against the inside of my head. No it felt as if this splitting was starting to reach across my whole body, despite not being able to see it.
"AHHHHH!", I replied, trying to let out an ear-curdling scream. Yet my voice became inaudible, and an eerie silence streaked across my mind.
I felt my mind was starting to tear down the fibers of my being. 'Is this pain I'm feeling...the soul integration?', I tried to say, only to feel the pain getting worse and worse.
[Yes. It is good you can tell what is happening.], The firm voice said again after staying quiet for a few moments.
Integration...the soul?
What is my soul integrating to...?
[You know.]
Hearing just those two words echo in my mind, time seem to have suddenly stopped, if time even existed in this place. My mind became clear.
No...I knew. I knew very well. It was spoken to me since the beginning.
You are...
[Soul integration has reached 100%. Installation complete.], The mechanical voice said.
[We welcome you, Player Naoto, to The Gamer's System. You truly are fit to be my son.]
…!
After the firm voice said that, it vanished. I soon felt as if a presence has left my mind, leaving me alone again.
That voice felt so distant...Yet strangely familiar, as if I had always known who this voice belonged to. Or perhaps if was better to say my soul knew of this voice?
Unfortunately it seemed this voice was completely gone now. But then the mechanical voice spoke out once more.
[Player Naoto has successfully launched the Gamer System. You have one unread message.]
Hearing this echo in my mind, the excruciating pain I felt earlier had subsided. And now my mind was even clearer than before.
I then saw a few holo panel windows appear inside my mind. Seeing these windows appear, it looks like everything that was happening was real.
So it looks like I really did obtain the Gamer System. It's not like wasn't aware of what this pertained to. I myself was an avid video gamer. I also dabbled into anime, manga, and even light novels. And receiving a system like this, many would immediately know what it was. This system came from a very popular story after all.
And these blue windows in front of me is definite proof of that.
One was labeled [Status]. One [Inventory]. One [Skills]. And one [Equipment], which expanded out from [Status].
Each window covered different areas of interest, so I decided to have a look.
How do I go about doing this...do I just think, [Status]‽
As if it reacted to my thoughts, the other windows vanished, and my [Status] window expanded. I was then able to inspect its details.
[Status]
----------------
Name: Naoto Level: 1
Job: None Stamina: 100/100
Title: [Inheritor of the Vermillion Knight]
HP: 100/100
EP: 10/10
CP: 0/200
Strength: 10 Defense: 10 Arts Str: 10 Arts Def: 10
Speed: 10 Dexterity: 10 Move: 1 Range: 1
Intelligence: 10 Critical: 0 Luck: 0
-------------------------------------------------------
Remaining Points: 3
Wow...It really is an rpg-like status window!
But this structure...There's some terms that should not be here. Wait, I recognize this...!
However before I could even get a glimpse of anything else, the mechanical voice spoke out once more.
[Due to Player Naoto successfully integrating his soul into the Gamer System, Player Naoto will begin reincarnation shortly]
'Reincarnation...? Wait..! If I reincarnate now, what will happen to my fam--!?', I tried to yell back at the Gamer System, but unfortunately it cut me off and didn't respond to my worry.
[Reincarnation starting in three...two...one...]
Hearing this was the last thing that echoed in my mind, along with the blue windows vanishing from sight, returning to black darkness. Everything went silent and my consciousness vanished, again...
Not again...!
Yet little did I know the next time I would wake up, I would find myself in an unfamiliar land, waiting to be explored to my heart's content...