(Lucas POV)
As shocked and confused as I was, I figured I was just hallucinating from a concussion or a head injury and tapped on the [YES] in front of me.
Suddenly it was I was surrounded by light so bright that I felt I would go blind even with my eyes shut, and just as suddenly as the light came it seemed to be sucked out by a force and was replaced by absolute darkness.
As I opened my eyes to look at what my damaged brain and imagination cooked up for me I saw absolutely nothing, but slowly I started to see small flickering lights at the far end of my vision, almost like twinkling stars at night. As my eyes seemed to be adjusting, more and more twinkling lights appeared in my vision and I saw what I remember to be galaxies in front of me.
"Holy fuck!", I thought to myself. "I have got to ask the doctors what they've been giving me. This is trippy as fuck!"
As I continued to marvel at the sight in front of me, a vague, hazy humanoid figure appeared in my peripheral vision.
"What the fuck is my brain doing now?!" I muttered under my breath.
"Please don't show me Nina Tucker. Please don't show me Nina Tucker. Please don't show me Nina Tucker." I said repeatedly as I stared at what I can only describe as 'The Truth' from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
'The Truth' as I called it suddenly opened its mouth and spoke but I heard the voice directly in my mind.
[Individual Lucas Holden seems uncomfortable by the Main system's current visual representation. Would Individual Lucas Holden like to change the current representation?]
Without my brain even having a chance to process the information I was given, my mouth automatically splurted out the words, "Yes, please! Anything but that."
A white glow encompassed 'The Truth' and as it slowly dissipated, what stood before me was a life-size version of Palutena from Super Smash Ultimate. Upon seeing 'her', the only thought I had was that my damaged brain has fulfilled one of my greatest fantasies. Inwardly I thanked every god I could think of for giving me the brain damage that made this kind of vision possible.
As I was losing myself in my delusions, 'Palutena' spoke but just like the last time, I heard the voice in my head.
[Upon scouring the internet history of Individual Lucas Holden this image was chosen as a representation of the Main system. The Main system will now inform Individual Lucas Holden of his current circumstances. Does Individual Lucas Holden consent to information transfer or would Individual Lucas Holden have the Main system relay information in the traditional human way of speech?]
Not wanting to lose the chance to speak to my thicc waifu I chose the second option and said, "Hey can you speak informally to me and call me Lucas? Calling me Individual Lucas Holden, again and again, sounds a little weird. Also, can you do that memory transfer thing to me again after you explain it to me verbally?"
[System preferences of Individual Lucas Holden have been registered. System preferences successfully applied. So Lucas, let me explain what happened to you and what is currently happening all over the world.]
I held my breath involuntarily. My biggest fantasy is playing out. I'm talking to a real-life version of PALU-FUCKING-TENA! Before I got lost in my fantasy again, Palutena spoke again.
[The Earth has currently been integrated with one of my sub-systems named GAIA, due to the various mythologies of your planet. Currently, all human beings over the age of 12 and under the age of 65 are preparing for the launch of the convergence protocol on the 4th of January, 2026, which transports said individuals into a video game-like world in order to prepare for the integration with the Omniversal Alliance.]
My brain kinda just froze with the influx of information that seemed to come straight out of an isekai novel. But I caught on to a certain bit of information. Wasn't the year 2030? What the hell happened to fuck up my brain so bad?
Before she could continue I asked, "Hold on a minute. Isn't it the year 2030? Are you sure you're not getting it wrong?"
[To answer your question, Lucas, the year is 2026. Due to the integration of the GAIA, the world froze for 5 minutes, during which you died due to the lack of CPR. As it is the system's responsibility for the safety of all individuals until complete integration, GAIA attempted to resurrect you and failed due to the lack of authority. Thus it forcefully integrated the Main system aka me, in order to save your life. It was too late however and all I could do was combine your soul with another version of your soul from an alternate timeline that was about to die.]
I took a sharp breath, given the earth-shaking information I just received, and said, "So you killed me? And then... transmigrated me? So which one is the real me? Also you said saftey until integration what does that mean?"
[Technically, you died because of GAIA, which is a sub-system of mine and then I transmigrated you. You are the real you. As both of your souls combined into each other, you only received memories from 'yourself' that is 4 years older than the current 'you', but those memories are not important as the system did not integrate into your Earth in the alternate timeline. The system only integrates with the prime timeline of the omniverse. Any alternate timelines are only shadows of the prime timeline hence alternate timelines are infinite and cannot influence the prime timeline.]
[With regards to your next question, the safety period of any planet lasts until it is fully integrated into the main system. At that point, your planet may engage in a planetary conflict with others or a civil conflict within your own planet and the system will not intervene.]
"Okay so when will they safety period end?" I asked, while feeling both terrified at the possibility of planetary conflict, a scale I cannot even imagine, but at the same time, I was so excited that my heart was beating out of its chest.
[Safety period will end when players in GAIA fulfil certain conditions. You do not have enough authority with me for those answers.]
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Author's note:
This is my first novel so I welcome any and all feedback and criticism but please don't just spam some dumb reviews like those I've seen on other books on this site. Please be respectful in the reviews and the comments not just to me but also to other reviewers and commenters.
Also, power stones or whatever... do what you want.