My eyes snap open, just like yesterday, but this time I immediately spring to my feet, adopting a defensive stance with the steel sword clutched tightly in my hand, ready to fight off anything that dares to attack. It takes a moment for my mind to catch up, but soon I realize there's no immediate threat. My body relaxes slightly as I lower my guard and start scanning my surroundings.
I'm in the center of a vast, open space, the soft grass stretching endlessly in all directions. Tall trees encircle us, their trunks forming a ring, as if I'm trapped in the middle of a forest. The radius of the circle is easily two or three kilometers.
My gaze shifts to the ground, and I spot my family—Mom, Dad, and Ann—still lying there, peacefully asleep beside me. As I look around, I realize that others are sleeping as well, scattered in every direction. My vision widens, and I count the people with a quick glance. There are over a thousand of them, and as I observe their faces, I realize they all seem oddly familiar, like they belong to people from our neighborhood. It looks like I'm the only one awake.
???: "OH THERE ARE ONE WAKE UP EARLY!! WHY ARE YOU WAKING UP EARLY THIS IS SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR A TIER 0 BEING!"
The yelling sound came from my back and made me jump back surprised by an unknown sound then I looked at the sound origin I saw a fairy like the one in the children's look just like a jiggle bell she was small around 20 centimeters from head to toe she had a pair of big yellow butterflies wings bigger than herself look at me with curiosity overall she is a totally typical fairy that people thinking of when they talk about a fairy.
Hovering closer, her wings buzzing softly
???: "How curious! A Tier 0 creature waking up before the system's synchronization is complete? That shouldn't be possible! Tell me, how did you manage such a feat, hmm?"
He straightens up, keeping his sword ready but lowering his guard slightly "Well, I guess I'm just... lucky?" Sam answer
Giggles, her voice chiming like bells "Lucky? Oh, please! Luck alone wouldn't override a system-imposed restriction. Come now, human, don't be shy. Share your secret!"
Scratches his head, feigning thought "Maybe I'm just a light sleeper. I've always had a knack for waking up early. Internal clock and all that."
Frowns, her wings fluttering faster "Hmm... Internal clock? That's a new one. But I've been a system guide for centuries! No one wakes up during this phase unless—" She gasps and points dramatically. "Unless you're cheating!"
Chuckles nervously, raising his hands in mock surrender "Cheating? Do I look like someone capable of outsmarting your almighty system?"
Narrows her eyes, studying him intently "You do seem ordinary... almost disappointingly so. But then again, appearances can be deceiving. Are you sure there's nothing special about you?"
Shrugs casually, trying to keep his tone light "Look, I don't know how your system works, but if waking up early makes me special, I'm not complaining. Maybe you should be asking why everyone else is so late."
Pauses mid-air, tapping her tiny chin thoughtfully "That... is an excellent point! Lazy humans, all of them! Perhaps the system is coddling you Tier 0 too much."
Smirks slightly, sensing her curiosity fading "Exactly. I'm just the exception that proves the rule. Now, instead of worrying about me, shouldn't you be focusing on getting everyone else up and running?"
Huffs, crossing her arms "Fine, fine. But don't think I've forgotten about you, human! I'll be keeping my eyes on you, so no funny business!"
Nods earnestly, suppressing a grin "Wouldn't dream of it."
I felt a secret relief wash over me. It seemed that the fairy couldn't look into my record, and I hadn't shared my traits. Something deep inside me—an instinct—kept telling me that this was the most important information I had, and it couldn't be shared with anyone. Not even my own family.
As for why I'd woken up early this morning... it had to be Unbound. That was the only explanation.
I tried to pry information about the system from the fairy, but nothing came out of her lips. She just shot back with, "No telling!" "No cheating!" "Shut up, tier 0 trash, or I'll blast your head off!"
I kept my mouth shut for the next 30 minutes. I didn't think she was kidding. If I remembered correctly, these fairies liked to make examples out of people by blasting their heads off. I didn't want to be the one to lose my head before the real challenges even began.
While I waited for the others to recover, I sat next to my family and resumed my experiment with my Soul Record. As I focused, I realized something—there was a new sensation beyond my usual five senses. It was faint, almost weak, but it was there. I could feel things inside my body and just under my skin. It should be mental power, I thought. I continued testing this newfound sense, trying to become familiar with it.
One hour passed.
Ding!!!
[Congratulations! You have earned a new skill:
Mental power manipulation
Ding!!!
[Congratulations! You have earned a new title: Early Access]
Ding!!!
[Congratulations! You have earned a new title: The First of Skill Wielder]
[SOUL RECORD]
Name: Samuel Barlow
Race: Human??
Class: Unassigned [Level 10 for available]
Title: Lucky Man 9, Early Access, The First of Skill Wielder
Level: 1 [Tier 0]
[STATUS]
Strength: 8
Agility: 8
Vitality:9
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 10
Luck: 100
[SKILLS]: Mental power manipulation
[COMMON SKILLS]: language, mathematics, cooking, exercises,….Etc.
[TRAITS]: the Eye of ???, Unbound
I was genuinely surprised as I looked at my new skill.
[Mental Power Manipulation
I immediately tested it out. To my delight, it made controlling my mental power far easier, requiring much less focus.
Then, my attention shifted to the upper section title.
[Early Access]: You can utilize existence energy before the tutorial begins, proving a great feat—increases EXP gain from all sources by 25%. I didn't even fully understand how the system worked yet, but I could already tell this had to be one of the best bonuses.
[The First of Skill Wielder]: You are the first to wield the skill in the world— increases the effectiveness of all skills by 5%. Nice one!
I was silently celebrating in my mind, feeling a rush of excitement when, suddenly, the fairy moved.
The fairy flapped her delicate wings and flew to the center of the crowd. She took a deep breath—one that seemed to pull in more than just air—and then shouted with a force that defied her small size.
"WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Her voice wasn't particularly loud, but it resonated through me, vibrating through my body, mind, and soul. It was as if every part of my being was compelled to awaken, even though I was already awake. My cells screamed in unison, an overwhelming cacophony that made me want to curl up and shut everything out.
Minutes passed like hours, the intense sensation finally beginning to fade. Around me, people stirred, groaning and blinking in confusion. They looked around with dazed expressions, questions plastered on their faces. Why? Where? How did we get here?
"Sam?" My family's voices pulled me back to the present. They were already on their feet, looking at me, waiting for some kind of reassurance.
Eve clutched Sam's arm tightly, her voice trembling "Sam? What's going on? Where are we? What was that voice?"
Michael Looking around, his face pale "This... this doesn't make sense. We were at home, and now we're—where even is this?"
Kate Tearfully "Sam, what's happening? Are we in a dream? Tell me this isn't real."
Sam Steps forward, holding his hands up to calm them "Listen, I don't know all the answers yet, but I need you to trust me. Whatever this is, it's real, and we need to stay calm."
Eve Clinging to him tighter "Calm? CALM? We're in the middle of nowhere with... with thousands of people around, and you want us to stay calm?!"
Sam Puts a hand on her shoulder, speaking firmly "Yes, Eve. Panicking isn't going to help us. Look, I've seen some... strange things before, and I have a feeling this is connected to that. But we'll get through this—together. I promise."
Michael Gestures toward the fairy now hovering above the crowd "And what about that? Are you going to explain how a freaking fairy is real?"
Sam Points toward the fairy "That's what I'm trying to figure out. But for now, listen to her. She's probably the only one who knows what's happening."
The fairy hovered above the group, her wings shimmering as her voice rang out like a bell.
"WELCOME, HUMANS, TO YOUR TUTORIAL! I AM LILIA, YOUR TUTORIAL SYSTEM GUIDE. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION AS I EXPLAIN THE RULES OF YOUR TUTORIAL!"
Before she could continue, a random man shot to his feet, waving his arms wildly. "Rules? What rules?! This is insane! I demand to go back to Earth RIGHT NOW!"
Lilia turned toward him, her glowing eyes narrowing. Her smile twisted into something sharper. "Oh? A brave one, are we? Or perhaps... just an idiot."
The man took a bold step forward, shouting louder. "You can't just abduct us like this! Take us back, or I'll—"
Lilia raised her tiny hand with a casual wave and sighed. "Manners, please."
In an instant, a beam of golden light shot from her hand, striking the man square in the head. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, his head gone entirely.
Gasps and screams erupted from the crowd as people stumbled back in terror. "Oh my God!" "What the hell?!" "She killed him!"
Lilia clapped her hands together, her cheerful tone cutting through the chaos like a knife. "Now that I have your attention, let's continue. Interruptions will not be tolerated. You are no longer on Earth. You are now participants in the tutorial system. Survive, adapt, and ascend—or perish. Simple, isn't it?"
I couldn't help but think to myself, That's so cringe.