Kael sat bolt upright, heart racing, as if he might at last escape the smothering walls of the lecture hall and the weight of the sickness that oppressed him. There he was, lying in soft grass under a great piece of sky colored in brilliant shades of azure, with fluffy white clouds dotting the surface. Cool and refreshing, the air was a thing so far removed from the musty atmosphere he had just escaped.
"What. where am I?" he muttered, struggling onto his elbows. As his gaze took in his surroundings, his mouth sagged with wonder. He was laying amidst an oasis: greenery abounded around him, a myriads of colors belonging to flowers and trees that danced with every light breeze. Chuckles, laughter, and chatter sounded in his ears-a symphony of life, intoxicatingly wild.
Standing up, he brushed off the grass, and now, standing in a simple tunic and trousers, he seemed a million miles from the worn jeans and tee he had become so accustomed to. Now, as he looked around himself, he felt the soft glow and, down at his hands, dim radiance lit with every movement.
"Is all this — a dream?" He hardly more than breathed it. It was too real, too bright. He drew deep the sweet scent of wildflowers that danced around him and felt a surge of release, a freedom he had not known in years.
"Welcome to Erendath, Ascendant," a cheerful voice broke through his reverie. Kael turned toward the speaker—a diminutive, rotund creature with large luminous eyes and a ball of fur on its head, waddling up to him.
Kael asked, incredulous to pass off all of this as some tremendous dream.
"I'm your Ascension system guide! Here to help you on your way!" his voice rang out, laced with excitement mixed with authority. "You just woke up in the realm of Erendath, and now it is quite a good time for your adventure to start!
Kael blinked, trying to take in that input. "Ascension. MMORPG? Surely not?
"Well, that was it, obviously!" babbled the system guide. "You just got reborn into Erendath and started as a Level 1 player a.k.a as a Level 1 Ascendant in this wonderland: a world of quests, monsters, and magical stuff. But beware, not everything living here is friendly. There are Darkspsawns lurking in this world!"
Quests and adventure were music to Kael's ears. He had been dreaming about moments just like this but never get the chance to live that moment. "What do I need to do?"
The system guide waved his paw and a shimmering, holographic panel that floated in the air instantly appear before Kael. "This is your Status Screen. It has listed your Level, Skills, and Attributes. EXP are obtained through defeating Darkspawns, monsters and doing quests."
Kael scanned the screen, his eyes widening.
Name: Kael Relan
Class: Warrior
Attribute: Rebirth Core (Special)
Level: 1
HP: 100/100
MP: 50/50
EXP: 0/100
STR: 5 AGI: 5 INT: 5 CHA: 5 END: 5 LCK: 5
Skills: None (Yet!)
"Wait, what? My stats are terrible!" he shouted. Frustration crept into his voice. "How in the hell do I make that work and stay alive?
The guide chuckled, his eyes glistened. "Every grand adventure must start from the ground up! Complete quests, gain experience, and your stats will increase. Believe it, Kael; your journey has just begun!"
Kael looked into the glowing interface, his heart racing, trying to understand what was in front of him. "Wait, what? What's this. A Rebirth Core?" he muttered, trying to keep his mind working quickly. "What does that even mean?"
Kael turned to the floating, chirping guide beside him and broke out into excited pointing: "Look at this, I have Rebirth Core trait! What does that even mean?
The guide exclaimed, "Oh, Kael! Ain't this great? You are among the few with this characteristic! That means you can break your limits and grow stronger much faster than any other! And. You get to rebirth again when you die. Cool, right?
Kael just arched an eyebrow as skepticism washed over him. "Stronger? To get reborn? What's the catch, there is always a catch, isn't there?"
He nodded seriously this time. "Really, yes! It means you will attract attention. The Darkspawn will be drawn to your power. You will have to be careful."
"Great, all I needed… enemies on top of everything else!" Kael snarled, but beneath his anger was a flicker of hope. "Still, it may be the break I need to finally make some serious changes for myself. I cannot afford to let it slip away."
"Alright, what's first?" Kael asked as the excitement began to well up inside him.
"You are to seek out the nearby village of Eldergrove. Speak with the Town Elder, and he'll give you your first quest. But beware, for the Darkspawns lurk in the shadows hunting for the weak. Be on your guard!"
Hearing the word 'Darkspawns', his heart was doing a little somersault. A warning bell rang in his head, reminding him of that urgency he felt even in his previous life. "Roger that. I'll be careful."
It was only as he neared the path to Eldergrove that his eyes dance of vibrant and full of life. All seemed enchantedly divine, as birds sang at their song while sunbeams filtered through leaves to a light ballet upon the forest floor. Every step he took was like a step into fantasy; each a moment, a breath of freedom he longed to take.
Then he heard a rustling in the underbrush. Kael's heart stopped, and his adrenaline rushed. He turned to the system guide, who was taken aback.
"What was that?" Kael whispered.
"Shhh.. !" the system guide went on exhorting him. "Be quiet o—or—"
Before it could finish the sentence, a shadow sprang from underbrush. In the same heartbeat, instincts kicked in and Kael tensed up to bolt. Then a small rabbit hopped out to meet him, the color of its fur an incredible pure silver.
Kael exhaled a deep breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.
"It's just a rabbit."
"Now, see, it's not all a menace." the system guide sheepishly grinned. "But beware: the Darkspawn may hide anywhere."
But Kael trudged on up the path, unabated; his racing heart was driven not by fear but exhilaration.
For him the worlds of Ascension opened on high in all their grandeur: a canvas of boundless possibility and challenge, and at last the long-overdue opportunity to be a hero, as he always felt he could be.
Kael's stomach churned with anxiety as he approached the village of Eldergrove: quaint, wooden cottages lined up with cobblestone paths running from one to another, meandering through lush gardens. The villagers went about their chores, suspiciously unaware that in very little time, he would be undertaking an impossible mission.
You've arrived at the first village - Eldergrove
Objective: Meet the Town Elder
As Kael finally made a little small talk with the Town Elder, his heart felt excited when the Town Elder actually handed him his first quest: collecting healing herbs. This was the time to carve one's way into this new world.
SYSTEM ALERT: QUEST RECEIVED!
He accepted, snorted deeply, and strode off to fulfill his desire. There was much more about the excitement of the Rebirth Core in him at some hidden power to tap into than anything else. It led wonderingly and amazedly thither, and the meadows opened ways unto the woods and, with every step, he felt life return to him and felt at one with the world about him.