"It's so over, isn't it?"
Eric, a boy of sixteen, with unkempt black hair & a sterile gown, lay on the hospital bed. He dark tired stared at the white ceiling and the faintly blinking fluorescent light.
"Actually, it never even began."
He had Muscular Dystrophy, a disease that progressively weakens and degenerates muscles, making him extremely frail.
It started in childhood and only grew worse; he couldn't live what you'd call a normal life.
He rarely went to school, and even when he did, he couldn't do much. Mostly, he made a few notes in the nurse's office.
At home, his mother had long since left his father, a businessman of some sort. His father was a busy guy who only came home to sleep.
Not long after he turned twelve, he was permanently admitted to the hospital, his disorder worsening.
He had no siblings or friends who would come to visit—
"Cut it out with this backstory," he interrupted me as he sighed, gripping the edges of the hospital bed and lifting his body up.
Even doing this much was exhausting and painful for him. His muscles felt like they weren't even there, like when you try to move a certain way in dreams, but it never works out.
"Fuck this shit. I should end it all. And soon" he spat, finally managing to sit upright. The position took a toll on him, but he was feeling hungry.
"Why does this thing look pinkish?" he muttered, picking up an apple from the side table and eyeing it curiously.
Indeed, the apple had a pinkish hue. It was also on the smaller side. Maybe some new variety.
"Oh well," he shrugged, sinking his teeth into it. "Tastes the same."
As he ate, the soft sound of chewing filled the room. The deathly silence was now more noticeable. He didn't like it at all, so he immediately reached for the TV remote and turned it on.
Blip.
He changed the channel.
He changed it again.
"Ah, right. Mountain climbing. A thing I can never do. Way to rub salt on my wounds," he muttered, clicking again.
"The fuck…" He stared at the channel, surprised. A bald, muscular guy was hosting a podcast, sitting half-naked on a yacht and shouting into a microphone.
"What toxic shit… 100 push-ups? Who has time for that in this economy?" he grumbled, pressing the next button, but the remote didn't work. He tried several times with no luck.
"Argh… not again." He threw the remote onto the bed in frustration. Now he would have to listen to this bald ape or get up to turn off the TV.
"Who even lets this crap air on national television? I thought this stuff was only on YouTube… Bet he's selling a course."
"Shut up now…" he said, throwing the remote at the TV in hopes of turning it off, but he missed and hit a glass, shattering it.
"Kill me now…" he muttered. He had no choice; he would have to get up and turn it off himself. He dragged his body from the bed and placed his feet firmly on the ground, breathing deeply. But the moment he tried to rise, he fell face-down on the hard marble floor.
Thud.
"I will kill you, you motherfucker… shut your trap…" he shouted angrily. This bastard had made him fall. He was hurting all over now.
More than that, however, he would now have to call a nurse to help him back onto the bed.
How pathetic is that?
"So pathetic."
"I am begging you, please shut up…" he mumbled, crawling on the floor toward the TV stand.
"Push-up? Push-up? Shut your trap. If I could, I would gladly take on your challenge…"
"Huh? Is he talking to me now? Annoying. Fuck it, I'm doing it."
He had to get up anyway, so he decided to give it a shot. He turned himself face-down and placed his palms firmly on the floor. Then, with all his might, he pushed hard.
At first, he felt no strength in his arms; his body didn't move.
"Argh…" But he kept pushing. He thought he could do it. If he couldn't even do this much, what would he do all his life? Would he have to be a burden on everyone? Would his life pass by in this small sterile room? Would half his diet be medication forever?
He had to do it. He was determined.
And then, it happened. His body slowly lifted up, his elbows bending closer to his chest. He was using every ounce of strength he had.
"Ah, yeah! Take that, baldy… I did it. I did…" But the success didn't last long. The moment the push-up was complete, a sharp pain exploded in his chest. His arms gave out, and he fell onto his face.
"Ah… ah… fuck, I'm dying…" he gasped, clutching his chest. It was as if his heart wanted to break free.
He was having a heart attack.
He had exerted himself too hard, gotten brainwashed by a streamer. Such had been his life.
That was the last thing he heard, and then he went flatline.
"At least it's over now…" he thought, smiling bitterly before dying.
"Ah, too painful…" His chest wasn't hurting this time, but his head was pounding. He opened his eyes and immediately squinted shut. It was too bright.
"The doctors saved me, huh? I must be on an operating table, with that big light shining in my face," he thought.
"Oh, thank the lords, he's opened his eyes! Are you alive…?" A smooth but worried voice whispered near him—a voice that felt oddly familiar yet new.
"Yeah, I'm alive," he said, opening his eyes again. What greeted him was not an operating room, but a clear blue sky, framed by tall, lush green trees.
"Huh?" He instinctively tried to sit up, only for a wave of piercing pain to split through his head. He collapsed back down, groaning.
"You're not fully healed yet… I still don't quite have the hang of this. Please stay still…" the voice urged.
When he opened his eyes again, he realized he wasn't in a hospital. He was lying on the ground in a forest. Above him, a boy about his age held his hands over him, both hands faintly glowing green.
"Another world? Really…?" He quickly pieced things together. He'd actually died—and now he was in another world, in someone else's body.
"It's working, keep going…" he said, glancing at the boy healing him. The boy had long, unkempt gray hair and wide green eyes.
"So, that bald streamer killed me—or was it that push-up? Maybe it was the pink apple… heart attack… well, whatever. I died, and now I'm reincarnated," he mused, as memories from this body began flooding his mind—a life filled with hardship.
The original owner of this body had been born into poverty. At twelve, he was abducted & sold to a mine for ten gold coins, working alongside other kids his age, digging out blue magic crystals from the rock. Then, on the twelfth full moon of his sixteenth year, his magic core awakened—so did the boy's beside him.
Both were promptly sold from one trader to another until one day, they managed to escape.
After fleeing, they hid in the forest, but hunger got the best of them, and they'd been drawn to a tree with pink apples. He remembered climbing the tree, slipping, and falling to his death. The white-haired boy had used healing magic to save him.
And here he was.
"Okay… I guess…" he muttered as the pain subsided. He pushed himself up, looking at the boy, who stared at him, wide-eyed.
"Are you sure? Your head's still bleeding…"
"Forget it. Remind me—what's your name again?" he asked, testing out his body, which felt strong, responsive, and completely under his control. With a smile, he swung his arms around, savoring the freedom.
"Miners don't have names," the boy replied, still watching him with curiosity at his sudden change in demeanor.
"Ah I see.. Then what should I call you?" he asked, jumping up and down, marveling at how light and strong his new body felt. "Reincarnation, huh? Pretty cool stuff…"
"Reincarnation…?" the boy echoed. "Actually, I lied. I do have a name. My father gave it to me, but I'd rather not use it. He wasn't… kind to me. He beat me up and didn't give me food. And at night he—"
"Alright alright stop right there, no need for the full backstory." He paused mid-jump. "Let's call you Fem."
Fem's eyes brightened slightly. He didn't particularly love the name, but he was grateful to finally have one. He could've named himself, but somehow, it never felt right. Names should be given, not taken.
"Fine, Fem it is. And what should I call you?" Fem asked, glancing at him as he stretched, clearly pleased with his newfound energy.
"My name was Eri… no, this is a new life. Call me Star." He glanced up at the sky as he chose his alias, noticing two suns—one large and yellow, the other smaller and reddish.
"Star… got it. If you're feeling well, we should get moving. This forest might have monsters," Fem suggested, looking around. They were deep within the dense canopy of trees, surrounded by the rustling of leaves in the wind.
"Hold on, I want to try something…" Star smirked and got into position, placing his hands on the ground. He was ready to do a push-up. "With a body like this, it'll be easy."
He pushed himself up easily. "Ha! Look at that—piece of cake!"
[Ding! Did 1 push-up +1 Strength]
"What was that?" Star heard a deep, rough voice echo in his head. It reminded him of that streamer. But there was no TV here. He ignored it and kept going.
[Ding! Did 1 push-up +1 Strength]
[Ding! Did 1 push-up +1 Strength]
[Ding! Did 1 push-up +1 Strength]
Although Star was thrilled with how easy push-ups were now, the voice was starting to grate on him. With one final push-up, he stood up, and his eyes caught a status panel hovering in front of him.
[Ding! Did 1 push-up +1 Strength]
It read, "A system… so, it's that kind of world." He smiled, fully aware of what this meant.
"Is something there?" Fem asked, confused by Star's sudden stillness.
"Oh, you can't see it, huh?" Star said, pointing at the system interface.
"See… what?" Fem was still baffled.
"Forget it," Star replied, then addressed the system. "Are you a responsive system or not?"
The system didn't reply.
"Change your voice to something nicer. A female voice if possible."
Selected Voice #2
This time, the system spoke in a sharper yet more pleasant feminine voice.
"Now show me my status."
Status Window
Name: Star (self-given)
Level: 1 (3/10 XP)
Class: None
Affinity: None
Attributes: Strength (50/100)
Skills: None
Mana: Invalid
Health: 58/100
Dexterity: 28%
Agility: 69%
Luck: 20%
Endurance: 40%
Inventory: (empty)
Star scanned the status window, instantly understanding it all. His years of RPG gaming had trained him for this.
"But where's magic?" he murmured. This was supposed to be a magical world, yet his mana was listed as invalid. From his memories, it was clear his core had awakened with a fire affinity, but now he couldn't use magic.
Turning to Fem, he asked, "You can use healing magic, right? How do you do it?"
Fem looked startled by the question. "Why ask me? Can't you use magic? You were emitting fire from your hands that night when we were escaping…"
Star recalled that moment. The memories of how to use fire magic were still with him. He brought his hand up, focusing, and tried to channel mana to his palm. Nothing happened.
"I have no mana, just like the system says," he murmured, then addressed the system. "Why don't I have mana?"
The system didn't respond. Apparently, it could only reply to certain commands, a "low-tech" system, so to speak.
"We should get moving; the sun's already overhead, and nightfall is close," Fem urged, more firmly this time.
"Yeah, but where to? Got any place in mind?" Star asked, looking around. The forest stretched as far as he could see. Had they really wandered this deep?
"I remember the way we came," Fem said, touching a nearby tree he'd marked earlier. "We can go back to the road and find a village or city from there."
"Lead the way," Star said, sliding his hands into his pockets as he followed closely behind Fem. The two began retracing their steps slowly, with Fem checking the trees he had marked to ensure they were on the right track.
"You're quite sharp, aren't you? What did you use to mark the trees?" Star asked, glancing around. It was his first time in a forest, and he was taking in the experience. Oddly, he felt no fear—probably because his new body felt powerful, responsive, like he could take on a lion if this world had any.
"When we were still in that mine, I grabbed a particularly sharp crystal for self-defense," Fem replied, pulling a long, needle-like crystal from his pocket and holding it up for Star to see. Both ends were pointed, and it gleamed brightly in the sunlight.
"That's a fine weapon. We could sell it. I hear crystals like that go for a fortune," Star said, recalling fragments of his new memories. Both of them were hungry and broke, so selling it seemed like a smart idea.
Fem didn't respond; instead, he stopped, his body going rigid. He'd noticed something.
Star picked up on it too. Something was moving behind the bushes.
"Uh, Star, don't move…not an inch," Fem whispered in a voice so low it was almost inaudible. He began to back up, moving at a torturously slow pace.
Star, sensing the danger, crouched slightly, ready to run at a moment's notice. His gaze was locked on the bush, which rustled ominously.
With a loud, guttural growl, it emerged—a monstrous boar. This wasn't some ordinary animal; it was enormous, about the size of a car, with pitch-black skin and tusks that curved inward, nearly a meter long.
It charged too quickly to react, instantly tackling Fem, hoisting him up on its tusks, and then flinging him aside as if he weighed nothing.
"Fuck Fuck…" Star muttered, watching the scene in stunned disbelief. Everything had happened so fast that he was momentarily paralyzed. Before he could worry about Fem, his own life was in danger.
Adversary Detected: Wild Boar (Level 20)
The system buzzed in his ears. Star took several cautious steps back, not daring to turn his back on the boar, which was now eyeing him menacingly.
"If I turn away, it'll trample me in an instant. Running isn't an option either—it's too fast. My only choice is to face it head-on," he thought, calculating his moves. Years of gaming had honed his combat instincts.
The boar roared, charging at full speed. In less than a second, it was upon him. But Star was ready. Instead of panicking, he positioned his hands and caught both tusks, though it did little to stop the beast. He was pushed back as his legs scraped against rocks and roots, pain shooting through him. But he held on, knowing this was his only chance.
Achievement Unlocked: Courageous lvl 1
Active Skill Acquired: Explosive Strength
The moment the notification appeared, Star felt it—a new switch in his consciousness. He flipped it, and suddenly, the tide shifted.
For one precious second, he managed to halt the boar's momentum. His muscles surged with newfound strength, anchoring him to the ground and halting the boar in its tracks.
"Ha! It's working…!" he started to say, but the effect was brief.
Skill Used: Explosive Strength (-50 Strength)
In the next instant, his energy was drained. His grip faltered, and he fell, collapsing beneath the massive beast. The boar didn't hesitate, stomping down on his chest with brutal force.
"Damn…not again," Star whispered, the air crushed from his lungs. His ribs shattered under the pressure, pain exploding through him. Just as his vision began to fade, he caught sight of a bright flash—a streak of light moving across the scene. Suddenly, flames engulfed the boar.
It squealed and bucked, thrashing wildly in an attempt to douse the flames, but the fire clung to it mercilessly.
"Bullseye," a voice called out triumphantly. A figure stepped forward, wielding a bow. His face was pale, eyes bright orange, framed by long, silvery hair. He was about 6.5 feet tall.
As he strode past the now-smoldering carcass of the boar, he approached what was left of Star, who lay battered and gasping. Leaning over, he smirked.
"Rejoice! You have been saved by none other than the Phoenix of Ryddgria," he declared with a self-satisfied grin.
To be continued.