Suddenly, my vision turned dark, and a weird voice sounded in my head once again.
"[Welcome, player x-5362! You have been carefully chosen to take part in building a new world for humankind. A world where anything is possible as long as you become powerful enough.]"
I felt conflicted and unsure if what was happening right now was my mind's imagination or reality. But the cruel awakening hit me when I understood I had zero to no control over my own body, nor could I feel anything else but the void around me. This alone made me believe this unknown voice was telling some sort of truth. After all, a force capable of stripping me of my consciousness would not be a mere prank you could see on TheyTube that is often so popular these days.
"[As a player, you can think of this world as a game you have been playing all your life. I have crafted this world to possess magic! But, as well as dangers that humanity has never faced before. You, as well as other participants, can build this world however you desire. Be it one rules it all or play a democratic game of choosing who controls the masses. It is a new land, a new age, and new opportunities! Go conquer and create. I will be watching you!]"
It felt weird, listening to the mysterious voice in my head telling me that I was chosen to build a new world in a game. Sounds completely ridiculous to me. Real life is not a novel or a game; you cannot simply create a different world out of thin air. And the most important detail: why would I want to be in somebody's stupid world-building game or whatever this is? I am a free soul! But... Even if I could not feel my body, I know my heart is racing at this moment.
This is exactly what I had been waiting for. Can I really say goodbye to that dark and lonely world and leave all my worries behind? Could I, Lee Gaon, become so powerful that people would never look down on me again? Yes! I will do it! I know I can! Following my heart is most important, after all!
Just as I had been immersed in my own glorious monologue, the mysterious voice once more rang in my mind.
"[There are fifteen fighter roles in this world you can choose from. As I have mentioned before, you can think of this as a game. Please read well and choose carefully; the role you choose will determine your life and death. There is no second life or retry. Dying means the true ending.]"
The words I least wished to hear at this moment entered my mind. This is not a world a gamer would want to travel to. Having multiple lives and knowing one can resurrect after death is what drives us to perfect our survival skills, but also makes us feel more relaxed and not afraid of death. For a moment, it made me contemplate if I truly wanted this. But, I don't believe I have a choice. At the end of the day, I will have to follow the rules of this world to survive. In any case, all I can do now is wait for the most important task of my life: choosing the correct role.
This time, a different voice sounded, which felt very familiar. Oh, right, I have heard this many times, the same AI-generated female voice that has become extremely popular on the internet lately.
"[Player x-5362, please input your real name and surname.]"
My long-shut eyes finally opened with a bright white window screen welcoming me. I looked around, but everything seemed to be a void, dark space. My naked body was floating in the air like I was a hot air balloon.
The feeling of anxiousness hit me ever so quickly. For some reason, watching yourself surrounded by darkness in an unknown place feels very heart-clenching. The fear of the unknown makes my blood race, and I feel scared, but weirdly excited!
After a short moment, I gathered myself and extended my arm toward the screen. As my fingertips gently tapped on it, I felt a soft electric current run through my body. The keyboard opened up, and I could finally type in my name.
The first thought I had was to set up a fake name. But thinking about it more carefully, I decided not to be afraid to use my real name in this world. I want to make it known!
"Let's see. L-E-E-G-A-O-N."
It felt good to finally be able to speak. A sense of freedom surged deep in my heart, something I had never felt before.
Just as my finger tapped on the last letter of my name, a voice of the system echoed in my mind once more.
"[Welcome to the game, player Lee Gaon. The system has noticed you have used your real name. As a reward for honest behavior, you have been awarded 10 starting skill points.]"
Starting skill points? I wonder if it is a similar system to MMORPG games? If it turns out to be the case, I will have to be very careful how I spend my points...
"[You may now select your role based on the affinity the system has calculated to match your style. You have three options to choose from.]"
Right in front of my eyes, the name screen was instantaneously replaced with a golden sheet of paper that hung in the air like a holy relic.
[Role selection]
[Special note: Each role can evolve and grow with the user.]
[Blue moon warrior]
[Shapeshifter]
[Special affinity role]
Under the special affinity role, there was a text in a dark red color and a different shift.
[This role will be randomly generated for you. There is a 50% chance of gaining a powerful role and a 50% chance of gaining a weak role.]
So, the roles that suit me the best are these... I love to gamble, so the random role grabs my interest the most. I wonder if it is possible to inspect these further?
I extended my finger toward the screen, and a gentle jolt of electricity tickled my fingertip as I pressed on [Blue Moon Warrior.]
[-Role selection-]
[Blue Moon Warrior:]
[A powerful sword class that specializes in dancing with your sword as your partner]
[The user can control the sword with their mind to engage in flying sword combat.]
[Starting basic abilities:]
[Level 1 Moon Slash]
[Level 1 Ten Thousand Lotus Stab]
[Level 1 Dance of the Eight Immortals]
[Special passive abilities:]
[Level 1 Quick Movement]
[Level 1 Wind Dance]
[Level 1 Wind Steps]
[Unique Abilities:]
[Immortal Path-??? The user's level is too low to inspect.]
Wow! This class is amazing! But... I cannot imagine myself dancing with a blade while fighting my enemies. It is slightly embarrassing.
"NEXT!"
I swiped the screen with utmost enthusiasm. I do not remember the last time I was this excited.
[Shapeshifter:]
[A powerful shapeshifter class that allows the user to transform into a beast-human hybrid.]
[The user has an increased affinity with nature and can control basic elements such as fire, wind, water, and earth.]
[The user gains the ability to transform after the first kill on a beast; each beast can provide unique transformations.]
[Starting basic abilities:]
[Level 1 Transformation]
[Level 1 Fireblast]
[Level 1 Windblast]
[Level 1 Waterblast]
[Level 1 Earthblast]
[Special passive abilities:]
[Level 1 Enhanced Regeneration]
[Level 1 Enhanced Vision]
[Level 1 Enhanced Hearing]
[Level 1 Enhanced Movement]
[Unique ability:]
[Nature is Me, I am Nature-??? The user's level is too low to inspect.]
"Intriguing, however, I'm not interested in becoming half-human, half-beast. No matter how cool it sounds, it's just weird."
I could not help but mumble to myself.
I could imagine my friend from high school would love this, as she always loved to cosplay with cat or dog ears. I wonder how she's doing these days...
I suddenly remembered my best friend from high school, but ever since we finished school, we went on different paths, and it became harder and harder to find time to talk or hang out.
Well, I bet Soo-Ah is doing just fine. After all, nobody was as tough as her in school. Anyhow, I have more important business to take care of at this moment instead of caring for her. I must be careful with what I choose. The first two classes sound very powerful and well-crafted. The only problem is that I do not like the idea behind them. I wish I could choose a playstyle similar to the character I used to play in The World of Dragonia.
I'm not sure how much time has passed, but it felt like an eternity spent standing in one place, calculating all the pros and cons. Surprisingly, the system did not rush me. Perhaps, in the big scheme of things, a couple of hours is only a small speck of dust in space for a being that can create this place.
It appears I only have one choice left. Hehe... Me and my gambling addiction.
I froze for a moment before clicking on the random class. Is this really a good idea to bet my life on a chance? It was the first time in my life that I had to think hard before choosing. But my gambling addiction kicked in, and I tapped the screen.
"You better be good!" I shouted as I crossed my fingers, hoping not to get a low-tier role and end up dedicating my life to hiding or depending on someone else.
[Confirm your decision.]
[-Y/N-]
My face felt like it had lost all its color. I was afraid and yet so weirdly excited. The very moment I tapped on the [Yes] option, a burst of golden light blurred my vision as I felt my body bend and tear.
First, my heart began beating as fast as if I was sprinting with all my might. Then my arms and legs started vibrating uncontrollably. My whole body quickly followed suit. An excruciating pain raged through my body as I could feel the changes happening in every single cell. I wanted to scream, but I could not even make a sound. Perhaps it was the pain, or perhaps the system had shut my voice off. But the complete silence, following the pain, made my mind almost break.
My mind and vision became clear again after what felt like an eternity, and I felt somehow different, but I could not tell what exactly had changed.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[YOU HAVE RECEIVED A SPECIAL GRADE ROLE]
[YOUR ROLE GRADE IS D]
[USUAL STARTING ROLE GRADE IS E]
[YOUR ROLE NAME IS]
[DEATH EATER]
"A Death Eater... huh?"
Only after recovering from the mental and physical torture did I understand where I was.
That... I did not expect to happen to me right after arriving in this world. I wonder if there are other people who had to go through the same pain as me?
My mind was still drifting somewhere else, but then it suddenly hit me. A Death Eater? It sounds like something from a horror movie.
They surely don't expect me to eat corpses or something, right?
My face switched from excitement to horror instantly. I wanted to cry, but no tears came out. Suddenly, the two previous roles sounded ever so pleasing to my ears. But I knew I could not go back.
"Can I inspect this role at least, please?"
Shockingly, as if responding to my command, a screen once again popped up in front of me.
[Death Eater (Special role)]
[A class that specializes in dancing with death. The user gains the ability to reap the souls of the dead, which must be used as food. The player loses the ability to gain nourishment from any other source. The souls also strengthen the user and give birth to new class abilities. User controls a scythe made of their own soul, which is used as a weapon (can evolve).]
[Basic starting abilities:]
[Level 1 Kinetic Slash (evolving)]
[Level 1 Kinetic Shield (evolving)]
[Level 1 Soul Harvest (evolving)]
[Level 1 Space Distortion (evolving)]
[Special passive abilities:]
{[Level 1 Laughing at Death- Each second in combat gives the user 1 stack, which can stack up to 100 times.]
[Level 1 - Each stack gives 0.1% attack power.]
[Level 1 – Each stack gives 0.1% defense.]
[After the user reaches 100 stacks, a special ability is granted:]
[Level 1 Death Shall Not Claim Me- User becomes immortal for 10 seconds.]
[Level 1 Increased Regeneration]
[Level 1 Increased Vision]
[Level 1 Quick Movement]}
[Special unique ability:]
[Level 1 Memento Vivere- After slaying 100 enemies, the user dies and is reborn nine days later. Rebirth grants the player a new unique ability and boost in strength. Times reborn: 0/7]
I read the role description for about ten minutes to make sure I had not missed a single thing. To think that my joke would actually come true and that I must consume the dead to survive is beyond ridiculous.
I was not certain if it was me being sick in the head or if today's events made me go crazy, but for some reason, I liked this role and the abilities I could test in a short while.
"Death Eater! Hahaha! How ridiculous! Well then! I shall become the worst nightmare of anyone who crosses my path!"
I couldn't tell, but if anybody could see my face right now, they would think I had gone crazy. A grin as big as the sky was slowly rising on my face.
However, it felt so right and so good. I wanted to see those people again, those same people who ruined my life. I do not know what I was thinking, but as I gazed into the horizon, for the first time in my life, I felt like I could finally be myself!