Scarlett winced at the sharp sting of the marks but kept her voice steady. "What are these?" she asked, still feeling weak.
{These are your elements: Water, Fire, and Earth. They will aid you in your survival.}
Scarlett blinked, her gaze focusing on the symbols now etched into her hand. "I really don't understand all that is going on?" Her voice wavered slightly. "Am I really transmigrated here?"
{Correct host! And yes! You can access each element through your mind. Focus on the desired element, and it will manifest. Water for healing, Fire for offense, and Earth for defense.}
{But you can only test it now since you haven't left the echo cemetery, once you leave, you can only use it again after the announcement that the monster apocalypse had begun.}
Determined to test it out and confirm if the system was right about her transmigrating or if she was just hallucinating, Scarlett closed her eyes and concentrated on the water element. Almost immediately, a soft blue glow began to radiate from her palm. She stared at it in awe and then was filled with fear.
"It worked," she murmured under her breath. "I'm no longer on Earth."
{Excellent, host. Now, your next step is to explore your surroundings, gather resources, and prepare for the challenges ahead when the apocalypse starts.}
The system's voice turned more serious as it continued.
{The monsters you'll see in this world come in many shapes and sizes. Smaller ones represent children or infants who have died, while the larger ones are adult representations. Be warned, as the stronger the bigger they are. If they perceive any threat from you in your hunt to kill them, they will target you relentlessly. And yes, you're no longer on Earth, host.}
Scarlett's heart sank. "I'm on a different planet?" Her voice trembled with disbelief. "What world is this?"
{Yes, the world you are in may resemble Earth especially since you woke up in the same cemetery where you were buried, but this is not your home planet. You've been transmigrated to a parallel world to be ravaged by monsters. Your task is to survive, gather resources, build a city, and save what's left of humanity. Only through survival here can you hope to return to Earth and prevent the real apocalypse from happening there.}
"Build a city?" Scarlett repeated, disbelief thick in her voice. "Gather resources, build a new city, and fight monsters to survive? And I can return to Earth later?"
{That's right. This world is called Eridoria, a test ground, and it's on the brink of collapse unless you stop it. You're transmigrated here for a purpose before the apocalypse strikes Earth, your planet. You must gather resources, fight monsters, and build alliances to create a new sanctuary. Every monster you kill will yield rewards and materials necessary for construction and survival.}
Scarlett's eyes widened as she processed the gravity of the situation. "This can't be real..." she muttered under her breath. "I don't believe any of this. I'm too weak for these expensive jokes. I'm not even interested in playing the hero. Send me back to Earth, please."
{Everything is real, host. Your presence here is a chance. A test. Succeed, and you will be able to prevent the apocalypse on Earth. But if you die here, you will die on Earth too. Or if you back out before the trial starts here, you'll still die. The same goes for everyone else whose spirits were summoned from Earth.}
{The meteor that struck Earth didn't cause casualties other than summoning everyone's spirits, but they're still on Earth and going about their normal activities. However, none of that matters. The true threat… the monsters… will arrive soon here and on Earth if you're not able to stop them.}
Scarlett felt the weight of her situation crushing down on her. "So, I escaped death only to face death again..." she muttered bitterly. "And now, I'm supposed to save humanity? Just how many people can I save alone? How am I supposed to protect the whole world?"
Ding!
{You are not the only one chosen, host. Others with similar abilities have been selected as well. Though many may come from different parts of Earth, all humans are now in the same world: Eridoria. Together, you will rebuild. Or together, you will fall.}
Scarlett clenched her fists. "So, there are others…" A thought crossed her mind, darkening her features. "I hope my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are here. It would serve them right to die in this place." She let out a dry, bitter chuckle. "And my husband… If he's turned into a monster, I'll be the one to kill him."
Her voice was low, filled with venom. "I'm done being the 'good girl.' I won't let anyone into my life again, never. I'll hurt those who try to hurt me tenfold." She gritted her teeth, her anger intensifying. "Love? That's just a joke. Fuck love!"
Ding!
{The system will provide guidance and support as you progress. Your current location is the Cemetery of Echoes, a temporary safe zone.}
I can't even back out. Scarlett thought to herself, anger etched on her face. Well, I might as well just survive then and return to Earth. There are still a lot of things I haven't done yet, she added as she bit her lips desperately. But is this real? Monster apocalypse?
Scarlett took a deep breath. "What's my status?" she asked, determination starting to harden in her voice.
{Health: 50%}
{Strength: 10}
{Agility: 15}
{Intelligence: 12}
SKILLS:
Affinity: Water, Fire, and Earth.
Rank: S
Scarlett frowned at the numbers. "I'm still weak," she muttered. "But I guess the killing of monsters will start soon."
{Yes, host.}
She paused, a thought nagging at her mind. "You said everything's still the same on Earth. Does that mean I'm still buried there, dead? Because I don't understand. If I'm still buried, then I don't believe I'll ever come back to life. I don't even know how long I'll be staying in this new world. Or has my situation changed?"
{You are no longer dead on Earth. You've been saved by someone and placed on life support.}
"Really? Who saved me? I don't even have friends or any family members." Scarlett asked, her curiosity sparking once more.
{You'll meet that person during this apocalypse, and when you do, you'll know.}
{Just hope the person doesn't die before you find him because once he's dead, you'll be dead both on Earth and even here.}
Scarlett cursed under her breath. "What?! I knew you were going to say that!" she muttered angrily. "So my life is linked to his because he saved me? I'm thankful he saved me, but why should I die when he dies? That's not fair."
{Well, he saved you, hence you're still alive and back on life support thanks to him. Now it's all up to you to save yourself in this world because once that man dies, you'll die too.}