A mask was placed on my face.

"Count to ten!" said the anesthesiologist.

Ten... A deep breath, and the anesthetic gas filled my lungs.

Nine... After the operation, I'll wake up a different person!

Eight... Oh! It seems the dizziness is starting.

Seven... I'll have the opportunity to become like everyone else! No! Better than everyone!

"Did you get his autograph?" came the voice of my surgeon.

Five...

"I got caught up and didn't manage to. I'll definitely get it later!" This was the anesthesiologist again.

Three...

"Then pray that I don't mess up..."

After that, laughter rang out, seemingly swirling around me, filling the entire space, and then I blacked out...

[Subject: No. 695365701-mi.]

[Status: critical.]

[Achievements on planet Earth: outstanding.]

[Recommendation: preserve and use.]

I couldn't move or open my eyes. But I could hear birds singing, water gurgling... Then rustling was added and...

"He's asleep!" came a very quiet female voice. Pleasant.

"Hit the knees!" replied a hoarse male whisper. Unpleasant.

"Maybe we should just kill him right away?" the female voice again, and closer now. Not as pleasant as it seemed at first.

"I've never seen clothes like this before. We should question him: maybe he has treasures buried here."

I've had major physical problems since birth, but my brain has always worked perfectly. It was thanks to my brain that I earned money for the most complex operation. I also have a good imagination, and without seeing, I knew that two people were now sneaking up to my motionless body.

Good dream, the sound is very clear...

[Attention!]

The sounds disappeared.

[Begin initialization?]

Come on... It can't be!.. Did the surgeon mess up after all?! Or are these hallucinations from the anesthesia?

In any case, why not press "yes"? How many times in my life have I dreamed of the system's arrival and healing. And I even prepared for it to the best of my limited abilities from birth.

Yes!

[Important message!]

[This is not a game! You are in the real world! Your next death will be irreversible!]

Considering the dialogue I just heard, this is not the best news... But let's assume.

[After initiation, you will forget about it and consider yourself one of the inhabitants of this world. Your task: to leave your mark here and influence the largest number of intelligent beings!]

[This is the only thought you will remember!]

What the hell?

Then why are you telling me all this?

[Choose a race... Failure...]

[Choose a race... Failure...]

[Choose a race... Failure...]

[Cancellation of the initiation procedure!]

[Failure!]

Holy shit! It can't fucking be! Again?!

"What is this???" came a female scream right in my ear.

"Aaaah!" the man's voice sounded, moving away.

But I was finally able to open my eyes.

Blue sky with sparse clouds. On one side, the edge of a forest, on the other — a narrow stream. The back of the fleeing short man was already ten meters away, but the slender redheaded girl in leather shorts and corset was quite close. She was also trying to crawl away, but it seemed she had twisted her ankle and wasn't having much success.

Out of habit, I tried to prop myself up on my hands to rise, but suddenly realized that I could feel my legs!

Well then...

Hooray!

My legs moved, and I managed to pull my knees up and stand on them. Meanwhile, the girl had crawled to the stream.

"Stop!" I shouted.

Why? Well, I need information, and for some reason, she's clearly afraid of me and will gladly tell everything.

The runaway frantically turned her head. She was apparently looking for her companion, but he was no longer in sight.

"I'll catch you, it'll be worse!" I shouted again and tried to stand up.

I fell twice. Not because the muscles weren't responding, but because the brain didn't know what signals to send and was learning on the go.

Finally, I succeeded. What a thrill it is to stand on my own, even if still unsteadily!

Oh! The "menu" button is still available. There's a minute to take a look. Anyway, while the neurons (or whatever) are establishing connections with the rest of the body, and the girl is fearfully huddled by the water and not moving.

Actually, all of this is extremely curious — literally a few minutes ago I was put on the operating table, and now I'm standing on my own feet God knows where and seeing the word "menu"...

Or it's an extremely realistic dream induced by anesthesia, in which I can think it's a dream, and it doesn't affect it. Or I've entered the system... With all this, I'm in a state close to euphoria and have a firm belief that everything is going as it should be.

In principle, if we take the system option, it can give time for adaptation and suppress some emotions, for example — fear. And, of course, it's affected by the fact that now, possibly, my most cherished dream is coming true!

Okay — if this is a dream, then I just need to seize the moment and enjoy it! And if everything is real, and I really got into a world with a system, then... The same! Enjoy, have fun, and, of course, figure everything out as quickly as possible!

Let's go! Menu!

[Level 1.]

[Name: unknown player No. 1.]

[Race not selected!]

[Choose race.]

[Inventory.]

[Magic/abilities/skills (unavailable until race is chosen).]

[Outsider's blessing — activated!]

[Details at 2nd level.]

The inventory reflects what I'm wearing: rough cotton pants and shirt, light sandals, gloves, as well as a shield, sword, and a small bag, presumably with "fabulous" riches.

All the gear is the simplest, without additional characteristics. That's clear.

[Choose race.]

Oops! Now a square is highlighted with a genderless being. On the smooth face, there's only a thin line of a mouth, as well as holes for the nose and eyes. There aren't even ears. Probably, there are holes in their place too... Wait!

Struck by a sudden realization, I waded to the stream and, stepping into the water, looked at my reflection.

Whoa, fuck!!! Now it's clear why the girl is all trembling, and why that short man ran away so quickly.

From the rippling surface of the water, that very genderless being I saw in the menu was looking at me.

I need to try to choose something more pleasant and preferably with a penis. Maybe at least in this world it will work.

So. The menu looks like character selection in the latest parts of Mortal Kombat — a bunch of little squares. Unfortunately, all but the first three are crossed out, and underneath it says: "temporarily unavailable".

Of the three open ones: genderless, human, and hobbit.

Human!

[Saving choice...]

[Attention! No connection to the system! Autonomous operation!]

The menu flickered, and then the first page appeared again, but in a slightly modified form.

[Level 1.]

[Name: unknown player No. 1.]

[Race: human.]

[Choose race.]

[Inventory.]

[Magic/abilities/skills (unavailable until 2nd level).]

[Outsider's blessing — activated!]

[Details at 2nd level.]

I looked into the water again and finally thought to take off my gloves. Hooray, I'm human again! True, with a different face... Not ugly, as far as I could tell from the reflection in the not very reliable "mirror". Brunette, as in my past life. However, somehow young... Looks no older than twenty.

Hmm... Why didn't the race selection option disappear?..

I looked at the girl, but she had fallen asleep. Or, more likely, seeing the changes in my appearance, she had fainted.

It doesn't matter...

[Choose race.]

It gets more and more interesting. The selection menu hadn't gone anywhere, and I still had access to human (now active), hobbit, and faceless.

So what does this mean: due to a glitch and lack of connection to the system, I can choose who to be at any moment? Is this good or bad? And why such a limited choice?..

My gaze fell on the girl who had stirred and opened her eyes again (human), and I immediately remembered the fleeing short man.

Could he have been a hobbit?.. Let's assume. Then the next questions are: what's the difference between races and how will changing appearance affect my development?

We can't do without additional information here...

I took a few steps (they were becoming more confident) towards the girl and drew my sword.

"Hello!"

"Don't kill me, sir!" she exclaimed and quickly crawled away from me, using her hands.

"Stop! I won't kill you if you quickly and clearly answer my questions."

"As you command, sir!"

"I am a mighty Messenger of the Stars! And I need information about the backwater where I am to carry the truth put into my mouth by the infinite Universe!"

The girl opened her mouth and blinked her long eyelashes. And she's not bad: redhead, green eyes, nice figure... Stupid, though, apparently.

"Tell me about the leveling system!"

"A-about what?"

"About levels, magic, abilities and skills!"

"What's there to tell about them?.. They just exist."

Oh boy.

"How do you level up? How to increase them?"

To avoid wasting time, I decided to explore the capabilities of my body and started by squatting, then struggled to stand up... It's hard, but it's a pleasant kind of hard!

"Well, um... You kill someone, and over time the levels become higher."

"If you kill mosquitoes, does it grow too?"

"What are you saying, sir! Monsters there or intelligent beings..."

"How did you want to kill me?"

"What are you saying, sir, we just wanted to wake you up! And then you turned into... into..."

Interesting, what form did I have before waking up. Probably my earthly one.

"What level are you?"

"Third!" the girl said proudly and puffed out her chest.

"Why so low?"

"Why l-low? I'm only nineteen!" she pouted her lips offendedly.

Three levels in nineteen years? And this isn't low? Something's not right here...

"From what age can you start leveling up?"

She looked at me like I was an idiot, but still answered.

"When you turn eighteen, these letters and numbers appear that you understand even if you're not literate, and then they grow. And I'm not low! Only Bert and Fish have more!"

Bert and Fish?