Anandriel floated in a dark space. In panic he tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. It seems like in this place his body didn't exist, just his consciousness, or was it soul? Was he dead? He hadn't even discovered where he was from or anything about his past before this happened. How sad! At least he would see what comes next. He decided to examine this place.
The space around him felt endless, yet he could feel as if it was incomplete. He couldn't explain the feeling but something felt off. He focused, trying to push his mind this strange space, but then a light suddenly appeared in distance.
At first, it was a faint flicker, barely visible. The flicker grew into a spinning wheel, casting images of life and death, joy and sorrow. A tree sprouted, flourished, then withered, just as faces smiled, wept, and aged in the blink of an eye. Seasons passed, birth to decay, actions rippling like water, their consequences endless. Kindness met cruelty, fortune met ruin, all bound by the same thread. The wheel turned, relentless and unbroken, weaving the fates of all.
Anandriel stared, unable to look away, feeling an inexplicable pull. It was as if the wheel was connected to something deep within him, though he couldn't explain it.
Before he could gather his thoughts, a voice slithered into his mind. It was smooth and chirpy, just like the voice you would expect from peddlers who wants to sell you something fake while convincing you that's it is nice..
"Ahh, my dear friend! Welcome, welcome! You're looking a little lost, aren't you? But don't worry, help has arrived! You, my brother, have just won the cosmic lottery! Congratulations! You are now bound to the Inter-Dimensional Trading System! Isn't that exciting?"
Anandriel blinked, his mind reeling. Is the wheel talking? He looked at it but couldn't see any mouth or anything, but he was sure that the voice was coming from the spinning wheel. What did he just say? Inter-Dimensional Trading System? What did that even mean?
"Wait, what? Where is this? Who are you? What are you? Where am I?" Anadriel asked as he calmed himself. In the dreams that branded itself in his mind, he had seen a lot of strange things.
The voice chuckled, and he could almost feel the wheel examining him in a way that would have made his skin crawl of he could see his body. If Anadriel was in control of his body at this moment he would have covered his body for fear of... it's best not to think about that.
Sounding surprised at his comportment, the wheel said "You're in the Karmic Void, my friend! A place between cause and effect, the grand intersection of all realms! And, lucky you, you've been chosen to bear the my prestigious self, the Inter-Dimensional Trading System! Don't worry about the details, you're in great hands."
Chosen indeed! There's no free lunch, but Anadriel of course did not say his true thoughts out. He didn't ask for this, and yet, here he was, floating in this bizarre void with a talking... wheel? This must be one of his dreams and he would soon wake up from it.
"Why me?" he asked, with suspicion .
The wheel spun faster, and the voice came back, seeming more charming than before.
"Why you? Oh, come now! Don't be modest. You've got potential, kid! Potential! The cosmic storm that zapped me awake? Yeah, that's what set everything in motion. Activated me! Oh,I have been asleep too long! And now? Now you're tied to the most powerful law in the universe, karma. Every little action you take, every deal you make; there's a cost and a reward. It's all about balance, baby!"
Baby your head! Which potential?!! Even a fool can spot this lie, but if Anadriel should talk he didn't know what would happen. All this talk about being bound to it.
"What do you even want from me?" he finally asked.
"Glad you asked! Real simple stuff, really. You, my friend, are now the proud owner of an Inter-Dimensional Trading System. Think of it like... well, like a little mom-and-pop operation, except your customers? Oh, they come from everywhere! Different worlds, different dimensions! And they all want one thing: to trade. You'll oversee the shop, make sure everything stays nice and balanced. You do that, and you, my friend, are golden."
Here it comes! I would become an all-powerful shop keeper indeed, Anadriel thought, scoffing.
"So, what do I gain from it?"
"I'll keep the Karma, you of course can kelp all the gold paid. And yes, power, anything you want you would get. You will be able to access a lot of things from different worlds, things that you can never imagine. You can develop your own force. Think about it, anything you want at the palm of your hand at no risk"
No risk indeed!
"But I've never done this before" he protested trying to see how to come out of this embarrassing conversation without offending the other party.
"Details, details!" the voice said, waving off his concern as though it were trivial. "You'll pick it up as you go. You're a smart guy, aren't you? You'll be a natural! And besides, you don't have a choice. You're in, my friend. And let me tell you, there are no refunds in this game!"
Anadriel didn't think he had a choice, and frankly this might be a great opportunity for him. He didn't know who he was or where he came from. He knew that there are great forces beyond Windrest village and he didn't even have any to stand on the same stage as them. He can't stay in Windrest forever no matter how quiet and loving the town was, he needed to explore the world around and to know more about his past. If he was the person in his dream-which he don't believe he is-he may have enemies that are powerful beyond imagination. This so called system should level the playing field.
"So, where do I start?" he asked, pretending to sound defeated.
"Now we're talking!" The voice oozed excitement. "Just pick a spot for your shop. That'll be your anchor to your world. Yes your world. What's the name of this world again? Hmmm... Ana'im. Effect? Interesting name in the old tongue. But this world wasn't registered on the constellation of worlds. A new world? Unexplored? Seems I have been asleep for too long." The wheel muttered to itself. "You'll be up and running in no time, making all kinds of deals, collecting karma. What could be better?" it continued talking to Anadriel.
A bird view of Windrest village appeared in between Anadriel and the wheel. He saw the forest east of Windrest, the forest seemed endless. Wow! Even Serbin would not have imagined that the forest was that long. The South of Windrest was bordered by Sabertooth mountain, the mountain seems to enter into the cloud.
Eastward was a great river, that was rumored to run into the ocean. The west was the way to the empire. Windrest village was truly positioned in an advantageous position where games and water was within reach, but it was a discouraging area because of the aftermath of the cosmic storm.
"There, by the forest." Anandriel said, choosing a spot the outskirts of the village just beyond entering the endless forest.
The wheel pulsed, and the voice hummed approvingly.
"Excellent choice! A prime location, really. The shop will manifest there. You'll call it... The Balance Bazaar. Sounds fancy, doesn't it? Classy. You're gonna love it. And hey-just a quick reminder: you've got missions to complete too. Fetch a few artifacts, balance the scales, yadda yadda. You get the gist. It's all about karma, baby!"
Anandriel felt a pit forming in his stomach. His life wasn't his own anymore. This system was in control, and he couldn't escape it.
"What happens if I don't... if I refuse?"
The voice grew colder, losing its false warmth.
"Refuse?" it hissed. "Oh, you don't want to go there. Disrupting the balance? That's bad news, friend. Real bad. You refuse, and let's just say... things get messy. You wouldn't like it. Not one bit. So, let's not talk about 'refusal,' okay? You play the game, you walk the path, and everything stays nice and balanced."
Anandriel sighed. He was trapped. There was no way out.
"And now, time for your first mission! Which is also your reward for the being bound to me." the system said, back to its fake cheerfulness. "You'll be heading to the world of Vel'Kora. No big deal, that place; real heavy on karma. You're gonna grab the Manual of Forging Karma from the Torrhen Archive, the manual was created by the Forgers themselves. You will need power to work this path my friend, and that manual is a means to get that power. Very valuable! Very important! But no pressure!"
Before Anandriel could respond, the stars around him blurred, and the wheel spun faster. The space collapsed in on itself, pulling him forward.
He heard that hateful slick voice shout, "Try to come back alive"
-----
At the edge of the village, near the forest, the ground began to glow faintly. A soft light flickered in the clearing, growing stronger as something took shape. Slowly, a majestic building began to materialize