The smell of sanitizers clung to my nose as I lay in the hospital bed. It had been like this for much of life, especially the last 2 years. The monitors around me beeped steadily, the only thing interrupting it was the clamor of the doctors right outside my room.
I sighed and with each breath I knew I was coming closer and closer to the end. Alone with nothing but the monitors and the muted tv. I didn't blame my family for not being here, 14 years of never ending medical issues had drained them.
17 years old having never gotten to experience the world as a normal child. All of my experiences were through books or shows living vicariously the characters.
I heard the monitors begin beeping frantically followed by the rush of medical staff into my room when I realized my eyes had closed and resisted my attempts to open them.
The sounds slowly faded to a low hum and I thought I had finally managed to open my eyes again when I saw a light at the end of the darkness. I reached for it and felt that I was moving closer.
"This must be the 'light at the end of the tunnel' they talk about." I said and was surprised to actually hear my voice. I was halfway there when a new source of light opened up beside me and pulled me inside.
A brief sensation of falling suffused me, but it didn't last just the sensation of my feet touching carpet. Looking around I saw that I was inside an office, a desk taking up the middle with a man sitting in a high backed chair that watched me.
I knew that this situation should be weird, but it was almost as if I was completely at peace. The man continued to study me before finally nodding and a chair appeared across from him. In the moment it took me to think about sitting in the chair, I was already there, eye to eye with the man across the desk.
I couldn't describe his features though, I only had the feeling that he was a man.
"Welcome, Jacob. I have been waiting for this moment since you were born into the wrong world." I thought I should feel surprised at his words, but I didn't. I just merely nodded and he continued.
"It's the effect of being in my presence. Your soul can tell when I'm lying or telling the truth, so you accept every truth as if you've always known it." He said as he pulled his hands together on the desk.
"Now as for why you're here. You weren't meant to be born here. Your soul accidentally attached onto the body of a doomed child. A child that should have died at just 4, it was actually your soul that allowed it to live for 17 years.
You will be going to where you were supposed to go. A world of magic. And do not worry, you were supposed to receive a gift upon being born there and it seems that the tiny amount of energy on earth was able to awaken it already. It wasn't enough for you to use it, thankfully, but it has been accumulating points for all the years you lived.
It's a daily points system. You get a set amount of points each day that are boosted by your age. You managed to accumulate 17 years worth of these points which comes out to 53,107. Another couple years and you would have gotten to double your points per day. Let me be clear, though this may seem like a lot of points, remember that this is used for everything. Stats, buying magic affinities and things similar.
It's not a small amount by any means, but you should still use it wisely. And remember that the stats are still proportional. An infant with 100 strength is not going to be as strong as an adult with 100 strength. Alright I believe I've spoken long enough, sorry for the mishap with your previous life, and hopefully you enjoy your new life." The man raised a hand and I felt the same pulling force now pushing me back towards the door.
My voice not even leaving my lips as I was hurtled from the room down the tunnel. Bright lights blinded me as I rapidly approached the tunnel and when my vision cleared I was met with the tired and sweaty face of a young woman. She had dark hair, black that shone as dark blue in the light. Her eyes were equally dark and she looked down at me fondly as well as the baby across from me.
I could hear them talking but was unable to understand the language, my system seemed to sense my annoyance as a screen appeared before me.
[Welcome, Corbin Glayder
Corbin Glayder
Age: 9 months (17)
Points: 53,107
Would you like to purchase: Language of the World-Human for 3,000 points?
Or
Language of the World-All for 15,000 points?]
I stared at the text and considered the options. I didn't know what "All" encompassed, but surely it could only mean what it said. It would suck if there were only 3 languages, but before I could talk myself out of it I mentally selected All.
[Congratulations on your first purchase!]
One moment the language was incomprehensible and then suddenly the voices came into focus as if I had always known it.
"Congratulations Queen Priscilla! 2 healthy baby boys. Should I go get the King?" The woman that was holding me merely nodded her head, her eyes never leaving me or my brother as she smiled down at us.
"Curtis and Corbin, my 2 beautiful boys." She cooed. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes, but she seemed only to care about me and my brother. I could only wonder if my previous mother had ever looked at me with such love.
Soon a large man entered the room with a hurried pace and came to stand beside the bed. Before I could catch their conversation, I felt a wave of drowsiness pass over me and my eyes began closing. The only thing on my mind is how bizarre this was.
Living 17 years only to be reborn in another world, to a King and Queen no less.
[Corbin Glayder
9 months (17)
Black hair
Red eyes
Affinities: Fire
Mage Type: Augmenter
Points: 38,107
Stats:
Strength:1
Dexterity:1
Intelligence:10
Mana:0
Core:Unformed
Skills:
Language of the World-All
Mana Sensitivity
Next chapter: 5 Years Later