Word count: 1,226
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Today was a beautiful day.
Forests across Japan were teeming with life in the midst of spring. Fruits were abundant, flowers were in full bloom, and the sun's warm rays enveloped everything in a warm, comforting embrace.
Farmers were busy harvesting, while city dwellers took advantage of the pleasant weather to travel and socialize.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, except for one person.
Fujino Yuki stood leaning against a tree, eyes closed, giving the impression that he had dozed off while standing. But a closer look would reveal the anger on his face, with veins bulging, a slight fidgeting and hands trembling.
"Come on, how long are you gonna mope around?"
"…"
"Jeez, I get that you are upset, but it's not the end of the world. I turned off your pain receptors at the last moment. It was a painless death."
"…"
"Yoo-hoo, hello? Earth to Fujino, are you there?"
"…"
"If you don't respond, you're gay-"
"Shut up," Fujino interrupted with a groan. He was seriously starting to regret his choice.
"You don't get it do you? I fucking died. D. I. E. D. Do you know how terrifying it is watching a four-wheeler barreling towards you?" he sneered.
"…It was actually a twelve-wheeler" Fujino overheard, though he wasn't supposed to.
"Well… I guess you have a point. That was a bit unnecessary. But hey, I wasn't the one who put you there so blame the other guy, not me."
He had to concede at that.This one was lively and cheerful, almost like it belonged to a kid. The other one had a more profound and majestic tone.
"Well, we've definitely wasted enough time, I'm Xeno, your personal GAMER assistant extraordinaire!" Xeno announced enthusiastically.
Fujino looked puzzled upon hearing this; he had no clue what Xeno was talking about.
"…That's not the reaction I was hoping for," Xeno felt embarrassed. "Oh, I see! He hasn't told you yet, has he?" A shake of the head was the response.
Suddenly, a white screen appeared in front of Fujino, surprising him.
[Welcome, user. I'm your GAMER system. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.] the words appeared on the screen.
"I can tell you're confused. Essentially, GAMER is a power given to people like you. It turns the recipient's life into a video-game like experience. If you're still confused, think of it as an RPG game."
Fujino whistled at this. A power to turn life into a video game? Now he's sold. "Now you're speaking my language, where the hell have you been all my life." He smiled.
[Before we continue, please select your race: Human (currently) - Demon - ?]
He furrowed his brow. "Race? Why do I have to pick a race? Shouldn't it be a class?"
"Well, typically, yes. But you're not the first one to receive this power. Most before you have chosen the same class. So, to encourage diversity among GAMERS, it was decided to remove them altogether," Xeno explained.
Fujino hummed, wouldn't it be for the best if they just tweaked some of the classes instead of outright removing them?
"Well, I'm sure they had figured out a way to balance it," he turned his attention to the race options. Human was straightforward, but the demon choice required some consideration.
Demons had been portrayed in various ways, from malevolent beings seeking destruction to, embarrisingly, comical and quirky characters. Fujino couldn't decide which depiction was worse.
Then there was the mysterious "?" option. He had no clue what it could be. It might be something good like an elf, or it could transform him into a cockroach.
" "Fortune favours the bold". I'll go with the third option," Fujino decided to toss the hat and test his luck.
["?" Race have been selected. Changing the user's race in… 3… 2… 1… 0]
As the countdown hit zero, a sudden, intense pain shot through Fujino's abdomen. It was as if someone had lit his insides ablaze.
He collapsed to his knees, retching violently, with spit bubbling at the corners of his mouth as he curled up, trembling uncontrollably.
For Fujino, it felt like an eternity, but in reality, it only lasted a few seconds. The agony faded away, leaving him breathless and drenched in sweat.
"Woah, you're still conscious?" Xeno remarked, a hint of pride in his voice.
"What. The hell. Was THAT?!" Fujino Screeched. He didn't care if anyone overheard.
"That was your cellular structure and DNA unfolding and restructuring. All things considered, you're a pretty resilient person. Your predecessors passed out from the pain alone. Some for days on end."
Fujino stood up angrily. "And you didn't feel the need to warn me?" His tone was dark.
"I could've, but you would change your mind." Xeno retorted.
He but his lip near bloody. If he had known this beforehand, he definitely would've chosen the first option.
Fujino felt his anger rising, his fists clenching. Oh, how he wished Xeno was right in front of him. He would give a punishment worse than hell.
He let out a sigh, promising himself he wouldn't let Xeno off the hook.
[The procedure has been completed. It's my utmost wish that it proceeded smoothly, user.] Yujiro rolled his eyes.'Stupid AI'
[Please, take a look at your status menu, User.
Name: Fujino Yuki
Level:1 (0/200)
Race: ?
Health: 90 (+0.45/sec)
Stamina:50 (+0.25/sec)
STR: 11
DUR: 7
END: 9
AGI: 5
INT: 5
CHA: 3]
'Wow, it really is like an RPG game'
Upon reviewing his status, Fujino initially thought they were quite average until he noticed...
"Oi, why is my charisma so low?" It didn't add up, he believed himself to be quite charming. Girls would line up just to get a whiff from him!
"Incorrect, you're actually quite unpleasant to be around. So it's no surprise your CHA is low," Fujino was shocked to hear this.
"Bullshit, i'm a very pleasent person. People would do anything to be my friend!" Who does Xeno think he is, anyway?
"Oh really? name one friend then," Xeno challenged.
"…"
"Exactly,"
Fujino groaned.
"Alright, there are two important aspects you need to understand: Skills and Abilities. Skills are acquired by practicing a specific action repeatedly. For instance, if you chop trees consistently, you will eventually gain the [Woodcutting] skill. Skills can improve over time, giving more advantages and on rare occasions unlocking new abilities. Abilities are similar to superpowers, so it's crucial to acquire them whenever possible," Fujino affirmed.
"You should be getting some abilities as we speak, look at your system"
[Gamer's Mind (Passive): You are conscious of possessing the Gamer ability. As such, you would be able to interact with it's associated menus.
Gamer's body (Passive): You are a gamer. As such, your physicality will be affected by your status. Sleeping will speed up your recovery from injuries.
Observe (Active): You can observe objects and people around you, giving you a brief description on them. Does not work on beings substantially more powerful than you.]
Fujino cranked his neck. It's time to start his adventure. "Xeno, show where the nearest Adventure's guild is. Time to get the ball rolling."
"…There are no adventurer's guild in Japan." Xeno giggled, awaiting his reaction with a bated breath.
"…" The silence was so loud it was defeaning.
<—>
Taisho-era secrets!
Fujino was actually upset because he was treated like a typical Isekai MC, not because of his death. He was too embarrassed to voice it, and he has no memory since the moment of impact.
<—>
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. This chapter should show you the dynamics between Fujiro and Xeno. So expect more of that in the future!
Writing these chapters takes a lot of time, so I'm sorry in advance if I'm not uploading more regularly.
(9/8/2024) I made a few small edits to the chapter. I wasn't satisfied with some of the scenes so I changed them.