The first thing I noticed upon opening my eyes was the array of beautiful and diverse colors, mainly green and blue, but also brown, red, and even yellow. The place to which this portal had transported me was a forest, but it was not just any ordinary forest. What caught my attention was the variety of trees, from birches and oaks to conifers like firs and pines. What surprised me was the presence of trees that should not have been there, such as acacia trees, which are characteristic of open clearings in Africa. To make it even more amusing, there were also banana trees and coconut palms here. It was so strange to see all these different types of trees in one place that I marveled at this wonderful sight.
The grass and various bushes differed depending on the tree they were near, creating a landscape as if someone had pieced together all forest landscapes into one. It was beautiful, but there were also trees here that I had never seen before. Some had weak and thin tree trunks but abundant leaves, while others contradicted themselves by having leaves on one side and needles on the other. Some bore fruits like apples and bananas simultaneously. The trees here were so diverse that one could walk through this vast forest and marvel at them, constantly being amazed and surprised.
I then focused on the sky above the towering trees. The sky was also surprising, with clouds of various shapes and sizes, some flat and long, others thick and fluffy, resembling something out of a fairy tale. What astonished me were the islands in the sky. Upon seeing them, I was speechless.
"Where am I?" was all I could manage to say before falling silent and gazing at the distant islands in the sky. I then noticed the Sun, which, to my surprise, resembled the one in our solar system. However, my attention quickly shifted to the two visible moons—one full and blue, the other in crescent phase and white. The full moon was barely visible, while the crescent moon seemed ghostly but clearly visible. It was unexpected that it would provide any light at night.
As I gazed at this surreal scene, I couldn't believe it and kept telling myself it was impossible, defying all logic. After a brief contemplation, I realized that there might be something here that Earth did not have, something like magic or another force at work in this world. As I considered this, I realized that I was in a completely new environment,
not knowing anything, which scared me. However, what comforted me - my clothes were intact, the temperature was fine, but I felt a new feeling, hunger and thirst for something to drink.
I approached the nearest apple trees and ate a few apples to satisfy my hunger. Finally, I set off, wandering through the forest, admiring the new trees, but something was missing—companionship. I didn't know what to do or where to find the nearest people. So, I stood still and prayed to God to help me find someone to keep me company. I thanked God for to this day, as it fulfilled my dream, my heartfelt request that no force but God could grant—a system.
After my conversation with God in prayer, I opened my eyes only to notice the miraculous image of the system. At first, I thought I had gone mad, but when I turned around, the image turned as well. I couldn't believe it, so I touched it to confirm its reality, feeling the delicate pixels before my eyes. The image displayed information such as:
- Mitsuaki lvl 0 Exp 0/10
- Good lvl 0 Exp 0/100
- Evil lvl 0 Exp 0/100
I felt like I had gained something I had always asked for, as if my request had been heard. The joy I felt at that moment was indescribable. However, I wanted more information beyond just levels and my gaming nickname, Mitsuaki, meaning "light." Curiously, I addressed the system uncertainly.
"System," I said tentatively.
*Yes?* the system responded in a woman's voice, (this tone sounded about my age, I was 17 at the time) which I heard in my mind, almost like telepathy, while the words appeared as individual images with captions of what the system said.
My eyes widened in surprise, never expecting the system to communicate with me in this manner. The only thing that came to mind was, "Who are you?" I asked, eager to uncover the truth behind the voice.
*I am the system,* the voice replied, seemingly more astonished than I was.
"What is your name?" I tried to learn something about the system.
*I have no name,* the system stated, sounding somewhat melancholic.
"Okay..." I felt uncomfortable, unsure how to continue the conversation. After a moment of contemplation, I asked, "System, please tell me who you are and what you know about this world," feeling sorry for the system.
*I am a system whose task is to support you in all your travels through the world of Locfaiion and provide you with the necessary knowledge to survive,* she spoken in a caring tone.
"Survive? Is this planet dangerous?!" I demanded answer, fearing that this place might not be as wonderful as it seemed.
*Yes, Locfaiion is ten times larger than Earth, and various creatures inhabit the entire planet, from humans, elves, dwarves, and orcs to beastfolk, monsters like goblins, trolls, undead, slimes, dragons, and other natural anomalies that are hunted by all races,* the system explained, sounding somewhat sad and disheartened.
Hearing the way the system spoke, I wanted to help in some way. "Hey, System, would you like to be my friend?" I asked politely and confidently, believing it was the right thing to do.
The system emitted a surprised sound, then added, *Sure,* with an uncertain but happy voice. Though I couldn't see the system, I could tell it was pleased that I didn't treat it as an object. We both fell silent in a cheerful atmosphere, but after a moment, I asked with interest, "System, could you tell me something about this world, anything that could help me understand this strange, beautiful, yet dangerous planet?"
*Sure, Locfaiion, due to its vast size and differences in its position in the solar system and the need to illuminate the entire planet, has very long days and nights. Depending on where you are, days can last from 12 hours to even 48 hours, and nights from 12 hours to up to 24 hours. This may seem short compared to the length of the day, but due to the dangers that await during the night, it is still alarmingly long. Just as the day resembles that of Earth, the night differs, and the presence of two moons creates two phases of the night—one blue, where total darkness falls, and the moon is visible only during the day, albeit faintly, and the other white, which always seems full during the day, barely visible but shining like the sun at night, providing enough light to function normally. During both phases, monsters appear, but the type of monsters that appear depends on the phase of the night. That's how the day looks here,* the system explained proudly, as if prepared for this all its life.
"Wow, thank you so much. This knowledge will be very helpful," I said cheerfully and optimistically, smiling gratefully. The system responded just as cheerfully.
Suddenly, as if someone wanted to disrupt our good moment, I heard a loud noise coming from the bushes...