I woke up in the plains right next to a forest. There wasn't much around me except a vast and empty space filled with bushes and lush grass. Rabbits and birds were roaming around the landscape undisturbed. For a brief moment, I thought that everything that happened up until now was simply a fever dream. But then, what seemed like Keppy's voice made me snap back to reality.
"Welcome to the new world, Michael."
"So it wasn't just a dream after all..."
"That's correct. Once you died your soul was transferred to a new world. You were given a second chance"
"I- I see... But where are we exactly?"
"I cannot tell you. This world is unknown to me."
"So you don't know where are we? Damn it. What should we do anyway?"
"As your assistant, I will try to help you survive throughout your journey."
"Now that I think of it... where are you anyway? I can't see you anywhere."
"In your body."
"WHAT?!!"
"My presence here doesn't disturb any of your vital activities. I became one with you, and you became one with me."
"So basically you're in my mind?"
"You're the only one capable of hearing me. But no, if you look on your left forearm, you will see a 'watch' attached to your skin. I prefer to call it 'Timepiece'. From here, you can order me to do a lot of things."
"What can you do?"
"For example, I can create objects if I have the right materials, or I could scan any creature you encounter, thus giving you all the information you need. Another thing I can do is to store an enormous amount of objects without even placing a burden on you."
"That's very advantageous."
"Also there is a so-called 'Level-up system'. It is very similar to those in video games. You gain a certain amount of "moxie" and you level up."
"So basically this "moxie" thingy is the equivalent of experience in videogames?"
"Correct. There is a certain amount needed to level up, and each time you do, you'll need more moxie than the last time. You can see the amount of moxie you currently have and need on your watch. It's always displayed on there."
"Very interesting to say the least. You mentioned before the fact that you can store a lot of stuff without giving me a burden, correct? Where can I see the things that you stored, I think that place is called 'inventory'."
"Exactly. To see your 'inventory', you need to double-tap with two fingers your watch, be it on the screen or the sides. Once you do that, you will see a much wider 'menu' with various options that you can customize at your liking."
"This is so surreal. It's almost as if I'm in a videogame. Like the ones my son used to play.."
As I said that, I began to tap the watch as Keppy told me to; I then saw a sort of miniature hologram; there were many options, at the top of the hologram I could read 'Inventory', 'Stats', 'Creation', 'Skills' and finally 'Notes'. As I began scrolling through each of these I learned how this system works, their names are pretty self-explanatory. However two things caught my eye; the inventory bar where, I saw everything that I had with me, including my rifle, pistol, and ammunition, and the skills bar; where I saw an enormous branch of skills divided into various categories including 'Combat', 'Utility', 'Reconnaissance' and 'Taming'.
"I can see that you were captivated by the skills bar, let me explain to you everything you need to know. In the 'Combat' branch you can gain a multitude of bonuses and skills for your combat purposes, which includes abilities that you couldn't even master during your service as a SWAT operator. In the 'Utility' branch you can learn skills such as gathering and crafting abilities. Whilst in the 'Reconnaissance' branch you can master a multitude of skills related to stealth, agility, recognition, and mapping. Finally, in the 'Taming' branch, you can master the skills of taming wild creatures."
"I can't help but be amazed by such things. In our old world, we never even had this technology."
"Try to learn the 'Timepiece Connection' skill. It will connect the Timepiece with your mind, and thus, allow you to do certain things in case you're unable to select them manually. Once you've learned the skill, think of an object from your inventory that you wish to have in your hands."
As I learned the skill, I thought of the rifle I had carried with me back in the old world, and it instantly appeared in my hands.
"For now, I suggest you should gain some moxie. There are many rabbits on your right near the apple tree, you can kill them and harvest some resources including food and leather."
"You're quite talkative today, aren't you? Well, I guess it is time to go hunting."