In a vast expanse of a realm devoid of hills or rivers there lay a stretch of land shrouded in mist. The edges were invisible to the eye.
Warm sunlight bathed the scene in a glow, while a gentle breeze brought a sense of tranquility.
Yet amidst this desolation stood Kael's soul, our hero. "Did I meet my end? But why?" Confusion clouded his thoughts as tears streamed down his cheeks, swollen from anguish.
"No, I'm not dead. It's impossible for me to... die," he lamented, with a heavy heart. The truth of his passing was difficult for him to comprehend as he fell to his knees, consumed by sadness.
In the moments before his end, memories flashed before him like a vivid film unfolding in his thoughts.
Kael, an 18 year old orphan was stepping out of a shop, buying some thing. He was so absorbed in the music listening through his headphones that he found himself vibing to the rhythm while crossing the street.
However, lost in his tunes Kael overlooked the traffic signals and stepped onto the road. His moment of distraction put him in peril as a white truck barreled towards him, blaring its horn.
Yet the high music volume drowned out the horn sound, plunging him into more danger. The truck driver slammed on the brakes in a desperate attempt to avoid colliding with Kael but it was too late. The brakes failed to stop the truck completely, leaving it to lurch forward with remained momentum while making screeching sounds.
The truck struck Kael, sending him crashing into a pillar of traffic lights.
In that moment all he could hear was silence. There was pain just a feeling of numbness spreading throughout his body.
"What," was the thought that crossed his mind before he lost consciousness. It was a moment that left him in a trance state. Blood poured out from him staining the pavement crimson.
This was how Kael met his end in that world. Now found himself in an empty expanse, devoid of life. All he could do was kneel there, filled with despair reflecting on the things that had led to his demise.
"No, I'm still..." He paused, his voice trailing off with a sob. "Still looking, searching for a family, a connection. But why is this happening to me?" Feelings of loneliness began to wash over him.
"Why am I so stupid?" He thought, gripping his head as his hands trembled. His heart raced in the silence that surrounded him.
For a while Kael wept until his tears dried and his cheeks flushed red. Gradually his mind started to settle down, and he found moments of clarity.
Kael wiped away the tears from his eyes and surveyed his surroundings with determination. Although there was a hint of frustration directed at himself he resolved not to repeat the same mistake. "I need to learn from this and make sure it doesn't happen again," he said firmly.
Kael scanned his environment, but all he saw was a look of confusion on his face as he intently examined his surroundings.
Out of nowhere a holographic display materialized in front of him catching him completely off guard. "What the hell?" He exclaimed as the screen came into life with LED pixels assembling together and producing mechanical sounds.
It held some information. To verify what he was seeing Kael reached out to touch the screen but his hand passed through it as if it were not there.
"Is this the system? The same one I read about in books," Kael said, his eyes widening in disbelief. He began to read the contents of the screen.
[ Hey Kael, it seems like you had a passing.
I am actually god. I dont want to drag this out any longer, so lets get straight to the point. When I hold a lottery to welcome new soul into a different fantasy realm you are the chosen one among them. It just so happens to be a day for me, as I was celebrating my birthday. As a gift I decided to send you to one of my created worlds. Youll have a blissful life there but be prepared to face the dangers of that world, which may surpass those of your current existence. You really dont have a choice but to follow me on this journey. Goodbye.
Oh and by the way I bestowed upon you a system cheat so make sure to use it wisely. Farewell.]
"Ah, f*cking God. "How dare you treat me like that?" Kael is furiously shouting at the god. Choosing him over another without his permission was one thing, but sending him to that dangerous world while celebrating his birthday fuelled his rage.
He began to punch the air, expressing his anger through it. However he felt a sense of relief in his heart. "Well that could be nice. It gives me an opportunity to start anew" a faint smile crept onto his lips.
With tears of joy welling up in his eyes, he vowed to himself, "I am going to make friends this time around."
In the midst of his joy and relief an invisible force yanked him with tremendous power. His once tranquil vision of a world transformed into a cyberpunk metropolis. Skyscrapers pierced the sky their upper portions shrouded in clouds. The distant sounds of planes zooming overhead echoed through the air.
Holographic screen lights flickered showcasing a vibrant cityscape. Kael found himself suspended in mid air held by that unseen force. Below him loomed a massive portal crafted from swirling energies. It exuded waves of energy throughout the city.
A surge of revitalizing energy coursed through his body rejuvenating his weakened form that had been burdened by sorrow and despair.
Kael watched the portal with a skeptical expression wondering if the energy was responsible for the development of this technology. A large crowd of people was entering and exiting the portal clad in ancient armor and carrying lethal weapons on their backs.
"This is strange. Why are they dressed in such old fashioned attire when they possess advanced technology?" he mused before adding, "And why didn't they notice me? Is it due to this force or am I still a mere soul?" His mind was filled with thoughts.
In a moment, the invisible force tugged at Kael's curiosity, pulling him towards the portal once more. "What? No! I'm not really a fan of travelling," he protested, against the force's grip as it persisted in dragging him into the portal.
As the scene shifted from a Cyberpunk City to a lush green forest the chilly breeze transformed into a gentle warmth. The sounds of zooming planes were replaced by the sweet melodies of chirping birds and even the energy emanating from the portal seemed to permeate every nook of this place.
The force that had held him back faded away as he touched down on the carpet of grass.
"Hey did that god accidentally teleport me here or is this world somehow linked to the other one?" Kael pondered scratching his head. He moved forward in search of answers about this new location.
The trees towered high like four story buildings with ample space between them allowing sunlight to filter through. Wooden houses were nestled among the branches of the trees.
"It looks like people reside in those tree houses. I wish this world could become a second home.. another realm. By the way where's the System, like cheat?" Kael suddenly recalled. "Does it require a special situation to activate, similar to those stories? What a hassle," he sighed, taking a breath.
As Kael strolled along the dirt trail in the forest he found himself captivated by the scenery. Time seemed to slip away unnoticed as he walked on without feeling fatigued or drained. "This energy, it always replenishes the energy within me. Is this how it works in these fantasy realms? Truly a dreamlike world," he mused continuing his walk for about half an hour.
When Kael reached the end of the path he was taken aback. "What in the world is this?" he exclaimed. Before him stood a massive crystal wall that enveloped the entire area like a hemisphere. Its height surpassed that of any skyscraper he had seen before and it completely covered the forest with a grand entrance right in front of him.
People were coming in and out of the entrance donning shiny armor and wielding weapons that radiated an aura. In contrast those entering the dome from the outside sported worn out armor, damaged weapons with noticeable blood stains.
Kael couldn't help but shout out, "What happened to them?" His outburst drew curious glances from the crowd before they resumed their activities.
Kaels heart raced with unease. "Is this the danger that the deity forewarned me about? How brutal! I think I made a mistake in my life by letting my guard down for a moment." With that thought in mind he cautiously approached the entrance.
As he noticed a few guards in shiny armor wielding weapons standing at the entrance and keeping an eye on the comings and goings of people Kael gulped.
"Those figures looked intimidating. Can they tell I didn't belong to this world?" With that thought in mind he tried to make his way out of there, by keeping his head down and avoiding drawing their attention.
Those guards exuded a more powerful aura than any others he had seen.
He took steps to blend into the crowd. Just as he was about to leave he heard a voice say, "Hey boy! Stop there. Are you new here?" The commanding tone made Kael freeze.
He turned slowly and mechanically asked, "Are you talking to me?" while pointing at himself.
"Yes, come here," one of the guards instructed, gesturing for him to approach.
Kael approached the guard, his eyes wide with fear.
"Haha are you a newbie?" the guard asked flashing a broad smile.
Noticing the guards expression Kael opened his mouth and replied "yes sir" in a voice, while lowering his head.
"Alright alright dont worry. Here take this book it might be quite helpful for you" the guard said handing over a book that appeared to be made of leather as he tapped Kaels shoulder.
Kael took the book and expressed his gratitude saying "thank you sir" before almost rushing away from the guard.
"haha he got spooked just by seeing our uniforms. How is he going to survive in this place?" another guard commented with a laugh causing all the guards to join in, with amusement.
"Huu, they believe I am a beginner. Probably because I wasn't radiating any aura like everyone else," he remarked glancing at the provided handbook.
Out of nowhere a holographic display of the system materialised in front of him.
[Congratulations host on entering PT-1 {Primordial Terrene 1}
Fetching details about the system and the realm of Aetheria…]