Opening my eyes, I stared at the whiteness of the ceiling above me. The serene stillness of it filled me with an odd sense of calm. I smiled, though I couldn't explain why.
The white light reflected off every surface, almost blinding, and for a moment, I thought my vision was deceiving me. As I scanned my surroundings, I realized that everything was drenched in the same hue—the walls, the floor, even the bed beneath me, clothed in spotless white fabric.
I sat up, the crisp rustle of the bed's cover breaking the silence. The room was eerily plain, with no windows, no doors, and no discernible features. An isolation room, maybe?
That's when it struck me: I couldn't remember anything.
No matter how hard I tried, there was no spark of familiarity, no anchor to ground me. My mind was a blank slate. I couldn't recall who I was, how I got here, where I came from, or even my own name.
I looked down at myself. The only thing that stood out was the plain white patient garb I wore, split into a top and trousers. Around my left wrist was a black band, a stark contrast to the white surroundings.
Attached to the band was a small tag bearing the text: [M.S 257].
I stared at it, searching for meaning in those letters and numbers, but nothing came to me. I had no understanding of what they could signify.
The room's silence pressed against me like a physical weight. I felt like a ghost trapped in a space with no past, no future, and no escape. Who was I? What was this place?
Only the emptiness answered.
I stood up and walked towards the wall. As I reached it, I placed my hand on it. There seemed to be a certain feeling, like I had done this procedure over and over, but I couldn't remember it.
A certain compartment opened, revealing a strange orange pill.
[Place the pill in your mouth.]
I heard a detached, robotic voice speak, almost as if it was coming from inside my head. I would have freaked out if I knew how or if it hadn't felt so… normal.
I picked up the pill and placed it in my mouth, feeling like I always did. Once in my mouth, it dissolved, and my body felt refreshed.
As I intended to go back to the bed, I saw a pathway open. It was like a makeshift door, blending seamlessly into the wall, which I hadn't noticed before.
[Head to the training hall]
The same detached voice spoke.
I entered the pathway, reaching the opening. I expected a hall full of people, but when I stepped inside, I found myself alone. The hall was large, but I was the only one there. It prompted the question: Was I the only one in this entire place?
My tag had a combination of letters and numbers, which seemed like part of a sequence. But if this place was designed for me, was I the only one with a dedicated training room?
I pushed the thought aside and focused on trying to jog my memory, maybe from the day before. Suddenly, the wristband on my left arm chimed, and the top part glowed a soft blue.
With that, a visual screen appeared before me.
---
[Daily Fitness:]
Strength: Lift 10 ton ten times (0/10)
Speed: Reach speed of 200 meters per second (0m / sec)
Battle Training: Enter the virtual room for more information.
---
This would have freaked me out if it wasn't so normal. I looked around and saw the area for the strength test. It was filled with weights of different sizes.
I walked over to one of the smaller ones, gripping it with one hand. I could feel the strain immediately, but I powered through, lifting it to my chest and then back down. The strength training counter increased by one.
After that, I moved on to the next weight, one requiring both hands to lift. I repeated the motion until I'd completed ten.
After taking a few deep breaths, I moved to the next test: agility. A treadmill-like machine stood in the corner, monitoring speed. The goal was to reach 200 meters per second. These tests were beyond the limits of a normal human.
I began running, pushing myself harder with each step. The machine's counter ticked upward, and soon, I reached my top speed—280 meters per second.
With the strength and speed tests completed, there was only one test left. A small, square-shaped platform stood to the side, its top emitting a faint blue glow.
I stepped onto it. Instantly, the world around me shifted. A flood of blue light consumed my vision, and I found myself in the middle of a sprawling forest. Virtual reality? Teleportation? I had no idea.
With a ding, a new screen appeared in front of me.
---
[Name: M.S 257
Age: 300 days
Race: Human/Autom
State: Human
Level: 0
Grade: Rank F
Experience to next level: ∅%
Hit points: 200/200
Energy: 100/100
Stamina: 270/270
Status:
Str: 22 ↑↓
Agi: 28 ↑↓
End: 27 ↑↓
Vit: 20 ↑↓
Dex: 25 ↑↓
Int: 5 ↑↓
Charisma: 20 ↑↓
Sp: ∅
Talent:
Re-inforcement
Copy
[KAINOS]
---
Quests: ∅
---
This screen was confusing. It resembled a video game interface, but I wasn't in a game, was I? "Autom?" What did that mean? Was I some sort of experiment?
I had so many questions, none of which had answers. My age was 300 days—almost a year. Why couldn't I remember anything?
Was this mind erasure? Why had they wiped my mind? It all felt wrong, like I wasn't supposed to be here.
I glanced at the screen again, noticing the "disconnected" skill. I touched it to view more details.
---
[Disconnected: Due to multiple disturbances, the brain has been damaged.
Effects: Intelligence stat has been mildly disconnected, reducing usable stat value by 75%.
Disables evolution possibility.]
---
This sounded more like a curse than an ability.
As I pondered this, the familiar detached voice spoke again.
[Please pick a weapon]
The screen flickered, and a new selection appeared. Swords, bows, arrows, staffs…
Instinctively, my hand reached for the swords. The weight of the weapon felt right. It wasn't just a weapon—it felt like an extension of me, something familiar and essential. I chose a longsword, its simple design perfect for my grip. In my other hand, I selected a dagger—light and nimble.
The moment I made my decision, a compartment rose from the floor. The two weapons I had chosen appeared in front of me.
I gripped the longsword with my right hand and the dagger with my left. They felt natural, almost like they were meant for me. My body hummed with readiness.
I turned to face my opponent, but she was unlike anyone I'd ever seen.
She wore a long, flowing black jumpsuit that seemed to ripple like liquid silk with every movement. The cloth clung to her slender frame, its intricate embroidery tracing abstract patterns along the edges—symbols that looked both ancient and arcane. Her long black hair cascaded down her back in smooth waves, almost ethereal in the dim light, while her piercing, unblinking eyes glowed faintly with a bluish hue. The edges of her dress shimmered as if laced with starlight, giving her an almost ghostly, otherworldly presence.
Her footsteps were silent as she approached, her expression unreadable, but her stance poised and ready for the battle to come.
[Battle training has begun.]
She was my opponent.....
°°°°°°°°°°°
Character Attributes:
Strength (STR): Multiplied by 10,000 to determine output capacity in kilograms.
Agility (AGI): Multiplied by 10 to determine movement speed in meters per second.
Vitality (VIT): Multiplied by 10 to determine total health points (HP).
Intelligence (INT): Multiplied by 10 to determine energy reserves.
Dexterity (DEX): Represents flexibility and precision.