I came home wide-eyed and looked at the first thing I saw. It was my parents' pale skin, with purple around their necks, and a rope tied tightly as they swayed left and right, lifelessly.
I woke up in a fright and thought to myself,
"That dream again?"
For a year straight, I have had a dream about my parents committing suicide when I was 16.
Why? You may ask. It's because their favorite son, my little brother, ran off with all of their assets.
I have been constantly blaming myself for what happened to them.
Today is the day I finally face my fears and celebrate my birthday, even though I can already feel my hand shaking.
I arrived at a bakery and requested a chocolate cake with:
Chocolate icing
Chocolate-covered strawberries
Vanilla icing writing: "Happy 17th, Sylus"
As the cake was prepared, I looked at its soft icing and beautiful texture. I already felt the smell of the chocolate cake rising to my nose.
This reminded me of how cartoon characters would float toward a pie.
I finally mustered up the courage to eat it, and the cake melted in my mouth. Everything was in perfect harmony—from the strawberries to the vanilla icing, everything complemented each other.
I didn't even get to finish my cake when someone bumped into my table. They were pushed and completely ruined it.
As I was about to scream at him, suddenly, a small goblin appeared in the air.
He—or it—was floating and said some jumbled words before saying, "The First Scenario will begin in a short while."
I thought I was dreaming when I first looked at it. I pinched my cheek just to make sure, and it was real.
Suddenly, I saw something from a video game like a blue hologram floating in front of me.
The First Scenario begins in 5 minutes!
Good luck!
Was this a joke? Was someone playing a prank on me? But deep down, I knew it wasn't a joke or a prank—this was reality.
I started running from the bakery and into a nearby alleyway.
Once I thought I was safe, I looked at it again, and it said the same thing, but now it was slightly different.
The First Scenario is starting!
The system wishes you the best of luck on your travels!I stared at it for a moment before the text changed once more.
First Scenario
Prove Your Worth.
Incarnations must prove their worth to the scenarios.
Kill at least one living being.
Time limit: 30 minutes
Punishment: Death
I started looking around, and it was pure chaos—people were killing each other left and right.
The moment the clock started to tick down, I knew I had to find something to kill.
Until I saw an ant colony near the garbage in the alleyway where I was.
I immediately stepped on the ants and almost immediately got notifications.
You are the first one in your dome to complete the scenario!
Reward: 100 coins
You have killed an insect (ant).
You have killed an insect (ant).
You have killed an insect (ant).
You have killed an insect (ant).
You have killed an insect (ant).
You have killed an insect (ant).
You have killed an insect (ant).You have been rewarded with 78 coins.
I thought to myself, What are coins?
The moment after, the white goblin appeared again. He explained,
"Say 'Attribute Window' to check your stats."
He also explained that coins are used for the following:
Upgrade things
Buy stuff
Trade with other incarnations
Etc.
I immediately said,
"Attribute Window."
My window said,
Name: Sylus Lee
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Stigma: None
Constellation: None (1 is interested)
Attributes:
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Stamina: 1
Mana: 1
Skills: None
Coins in possession: 178
Overall evaluation:
A weak, kind-natured young boy who went through a traumatic accident that made him a shut-in.
I tried out the system and said,
"Invest 3 points into Strength."
3 points invested into Strength!
You feel power bursting through you.Then the goblin appeared, and so did some new text.The First Constellation Selection is about to begin!I got another notification which said,You have 5 minutes to choose a constellation. If you don't, then you will have another chance later on.
"A constellation '???' is interested in you."
The system's voice said.
I chose the constellation, but the system denied the request, so I got one more notification from the system right as it was about to end.
The Constellation '???' gifts you their stigma.
Stigma: Return by Death
Unlocked!I checked my attribute window again, and this time it read:
Name: Sylus Lee
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Stigma: Return by Death
Constellation: ???
Attributes:
Strength: 4
Agility: 1
Stamina: 1
Mana: 1
Skills: None
Coins in possession: 108
Overall evaluation:
A weak, kind-natured young boy who went through a traumatic accident that made him a shut-in.