The first thing I learned about reincarnation, in case you're wondering, is that it doesn't come with a user manual. No quick-start guide, no helpful hints, no flashy tutorial to tell you what's up. Just a cold, snowy mountainside, an extravagant outfit, and a very confused guy standing in the middle of nowhere. That's me, Taurus—former plane crash victim, now apparently a fantasy character thrown into the world's worst camping trip.
I'd been standing there for a while, trying to process everything. After the initial shock of realizing I wasn't dead (or maybe I was, but that's a different existential crisis), I'd spotted a path leading down the mountain. At least that was something. I wasn't exactly eager to play mountain goat, so a path was a blessing.
But before I started the trek down, there was one thing I needed to figure out.
"The system," I muttered, looking around, half-expecting some invisible force to respond. This world had a system, right? Some kind of interface, maybe like in the games I'd played. Maybe it was voice-activated.
So, naturally, I decided to try a few commands. You know, just to see what worked. "System, open!"
Nothing happened. Not even a flicker.
"Alright…System, activate!" I tried again, in my best dramatic voice.
Still nothing.
"Okay, what about…Status! Open status!" I waited. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
I tried a few more: "Menu!" "Inventory!" "Character sheet!" My voice echoed across the mountainside as I shouted out every command I could think of. Silence. Not even a faint glow of acknowledgment. It was like trying to communicate with a brick wall.
But I was Taurus, and I wasn't about to give up that easily.
"Alright, time to bring out the big guns," I muttered, cracking my knuckles. If normal phrases weren't going to do the trick, I'd just have to get creative. I dug into the deepest recesses of my memory, thinking back to all the comic books, movies, and anime I'd ever watched.
"Release the Kraken!" I shouted, thrusting a fist into the air. Nothing.
"Open Sesame!" I tried, channeling my inner Aladdin.
Still nothing.
"By the power of Greyskull!"
Not even a flicker.
"System, I summon thee in the name of justice!" I announced, putting on my best heroic tone. Yeah, no. The system wasn't having any of it.
I tried a few more from some anime: "Bankai!" "Gear Second!" "Nakama!" By the time I got to "Itadakimasu," I was desperate. Still, nothing popped up.
Sweat was starting to bead on my forehead, and not just from the embarrassment of realizing I was yelling anime catchphrases to a void of nothingness. The cold mountain air didn't help either, and I was starting to lose patience. So, I moved on to insults. Because if there's one thing I knew from years of gaming, it's that when things don't work, sometimes you just have to let the system know how you feel.
"You're the worst system ever!" I shouted. "What are you, broken? Defective?"
Nothing.
"Do you even know who I am? I could be out here saving the world, but no! I'm stuck yelling into the freezing wind because you don't want to work!"
Still nothing.
"Stupid… useless… piece of garbage interface!" I was starting to get creative, rattling off every insult I could think of, mixing in languages I didn't even know I remembered. French, German, even some half-formed Latin phrases I'd picked up from some pretentious fantasy novels. It was therapeutic, honestly. I hadn't vented like this in years.
And then, almost by accident, I muttered, "System, display."
A blinding light suddenly flashed in front of me. I blinked, squinting as a rectangular screen appeared, hovering in mid-air. I couldn't believe it. After all that, "display" was the magic word? Really? I was half-tempted to hurl another insult, but I stopped myself, staring at the screen that had finally, mercifully appeared.
The first thing I saw was a rather underwhelming set of stats. I mean, sure, I wasn't expecting to be some overpowered hero right off the bat, but this was…well, it was kind of sad.
Status Window:
• Name: Taurus
• Level: 1
• Occupation: None
• Health: 100/100
• Mana: 10/10
• Strength: 5
• Dexterity: 4
• Intelligence: 6
• Charisma: 3
• Luck: 1
"Wait…Luck is at 1?" I said aloud, staring at the number in disbelief. "Oh, come on. I survive a plane crash, end up in a fantasy world, and you give me 1 Luck? Are you mocking me?"
The screen didn't respond, naturally, but I swore I could feel it smirking at me. As if this so-called "Celestial Nexus" had a sense of humor. Figures.
I took a deep breath and scrolled down, hoping for some kind of redeeming quality. My eyes landed on my skill, the one the system had so generously bestowed upon me.
Skill: Eternis
Description: A mysterious skill with untold potential.
Great. Very helpful. So I had a skill that did…something. Maybe. Possibly. I wasn't sure if I should feel excited or insulted. "Untold potential" could mean anything from "the power to control the cosmos" to "the ability to make toast slightly less burnt." Knowing my luck (which was literally 1), it was probably closer to the latter.
Next, I moved to the Inventory section. I tapped on it, hoping for some cool gear, maybe a weapon or a potion. But, of course, it was empty. Not a single item to my name.
"Perfect," I grumbled. "Just perfect. Nothing but snow and rocks, and I don't even have a stick to my name."
I sighed, scrolling further down the interface. There was one last section labeled World Map. Now this, I thought, might be useful. A map could show me where I was, maybe point out some landmarks, maybe even give me a clue on where to go.
The map loaded, displaying what looked like a massive landmass covered in forests, mountains, rivers, and cities. But most of it was…blurred out. Blacked out, like someone had taken a giant Sharpie and scribbled over it. Only a tiny spot was visible, right where my marker was currently positioned.
"Are you kidding me?" I said, my voice dripping with disbelief. "You give me a map, but you blur out the entire thing except for where I'm standing? What is this, some kind of cruel joke?"
The screen remained frustratingly silent, its flickering display mocking me with its incomplete information.
"Fine," I muttered. "Guess I'll just go down the path and see what happens. Maybe I'll run into a merchant or a talking tree or something. Anything's better than yelling into the wind."
With one last glare at my low stats, I dismissed the screen, which thankfully vanished on command this time. I took a deep breath, turned toward the path, and began my descent down the mountain.
The wind picked up as I trudged along, my boots crunching in the snow. The path wasn't exactly paved, more like a narrow trail that wound its way down, barely wide enough for one person. Rocks jutted out here and there, and I had to keep my balance as I navigated around them. The whole time, my mind was racing, trying to make sense of this strange, new world and the bizarre situation I'd found myself in.
Eventually, I started to feel the weight of my ridiculous outfit. Whoever designed this thing must've thought I was planning to parade through a royal court, not trek through snow and ice. The cloak was heavy, the fur lining itched, and the intricate patterns? Completely unnecessary. I felt like a fashion disaster in the middle of nowhere.
"Maybe Eternis can summon a better wardrobe," I grumbled, trying to lighten my own mood. "Or at least a heater."
The path curved ahead, leading down a steep slope that forced me to half-slide, half-stumble. I caught myself on a nearby rock, panting from the unexpected exertion. "Who knew reincarnation would involve so much cardio?"
As I steadied myself, I couldn't help but wonder about the world beyond this mountain. What kind of place was this? A part of me expected to see something familiar, maybe a castle or a village, like in the games I'd played. But as far as I could see, there was nothing but wilderness.
"Guess I'm not in Kansas anymore," I muttered, adjusting my cloak and continuing down the trail.
The whole time, I kept a wary eye out for any signs of life. An animal, a plant, heck, I'd even settle for a creepy forest spirit. But the mountainside was eerily silent. Just me, the snow, and the endless, biting wind.
As I continued down, I couldn't help but wonder about the skill I'd been given. Eternis. "Untold potential," huh? It sounded fancy, sure, but what did it actually do? For all I knew, it could be as useful as a rock. Or maybe it would save my life. Either way, I'd have to figure it out sooner or later.
"Hey, System," I called out, on the off chance it was listening. "Mind giving me a tutorial on this Eternis thing? Or at least a hint?"
Silence. Figures.
"Alright, Eternis," I muttered, testing the word on my tongue. "Let's see what you're made of. Activate Eternis!"
Nothing.
"Eternis, do something!"
Nada.
"Oh, come on!" I groaned. "Are you just going to sit there like a glorified paperweight?"
The path finally leveled out, and I came to a small clearing, a wide expanse of snow surrounded by jagged rocks. I took a moment to catch my breath, shivering as the cold seeped through my cloak. Despite the frustration, despite the bizarre reality of my situation, a small part of me couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement. I was in a new world, after all. Maybe, just maybe, something amazing was waiting for me out here.
"Alright, Taurus," I said to myself, smirking as I looked out over the landscape. "New world, new start. Let's see if you're up to the challenge."
And with that, I took my first steps into the unknown, hoping that somewhere down the path, the answers (and maybe a bit of warmth) were waiting for me.