"Talk"
"Think"
[Phone messages]
{Writing/Audio}
------------------------
Pov-1st
Yo. My name is Liam Ellis. And from what the divine being that is assigned to me said, you all are gonna be viewing this as some kind of story. He said that usually when someone is isekied, it's by some godlike being saying they killed them on accident.
Me? I died of heatstroke after the AC broke in our workshop. Probably should have brought my water bottle that day, but oh well.
How did I react to being isekied? Well. . . "Oh, Those books were real?" Yeah, I was more tired than anything.
Which, in fairness, was completely valid because my entire life after highschool was work, get groceries, go home, eat, play a game or read something, wash up, sleep. I needed nothing else, so having to do all of it again from scratch just drained me.
Anyway. The divine being, or V as he calls himself, said souls that isekai are because of an error in the reincarnation system they set. Once a new soul is made, it is sent to a world that is the most in sync with its RKV, or Random Karma Value.
Sometimes, however, a soul can sync with more than one world because of this value, meaning once that soul's body expires, it's sent to the other world because it still registers as 'New'.
So, they give those that are sent to another world a prize that depends on the affinity and aspect of the world they were originally born within to bring to the world they are being sent.
My affinity is Chaos, and my aspect is Gacha. Which takes the form of a Gachapon machine I can summon, which even has small toys in the gacha ball pods. But to use it, I need Tickets which I can only gain from completing missions I get from the app V gave me on my phone, or from just doing something that's an achievement in wherever I'm being sent to.
A chime from my phone causes me to grab it out of the empty void around me to see a new message from V.
[V: Alright kid, that should explain everything to them for now. Time to get to work~]
I could only groan as the world around me shifted like ripples in a lake as I'm now on a train platform with pristine white tiled floors with nothing but white mushroom cap building on the platform with a seat under it and green hills around me.
"You could have at least sent me here before the monologue V, that was worse than a flu headache" My benefactor dosn't apologize, but I get a transaction on the Chaos App for three bronze tickets, which makes me feel a little better as I take a seat.
Snapping my fingers causes an old-looking gachapon machine to appear in a small poof of golden flames on the seat next to me, before putting in the three tickets and pressing ability, trait, and skill. I like to spread my stats in RPG's sue me.
The lights within the machine glow while the gachapods begin to bounce around before it flashes a bright bronze as three pods drop to the bottom.
Grabbing them, I look them over with as each one has a metallic copper color on the bottom, but this one has the word 'Ability' etched on in a weird font. Opening the container, I take out a small gumball with the image of a cartoon leaf on it, which I toss and catch in my mouth.
A shiver runs through my body as I chew. It tastes like mint and a hint of lemon, but the taste isn't what made me shiver. It was the feeling of when you stood in the sun after being in a cold building, the warmth through my entire body like a wave for a second then disappearing.
Wait. I get my powers by eating the prizes? Does that mean I can sell them to someone else if I don't want one later down the line? I didn't get a message from V confirming or denying it, so I'll put that thought in the back of my head for the time being.
Looking at the other two gachapods, they're both the same as the first one, so I decide to open the 'skill' one first. Inside is a copper soda can with the image of various musical instruments around it.
Opening the can, I take a sip and sigh as the taste of an iced vanilla espresso with honey sooths my tastebuds before filling my mind with a knowledge of instruments I've never touched, and ways to control my voice I've never thought of.
I always wanted to play an instrument, but never got around to it. Guess I can figure out what I like later though.
Moving onto the last Ability pod, I open it and take out what looks like one of those children's tattoos you could get from the store machines. This one was an image of a shirt with sparkles around it.
Shrugging, I pop it onto my arm and watch as the black ink becomes animated and begins showing a washing machine spinning constantly to clean and mend a shirt with small holes in it before spitting out the clean sparkling shirt and disappearing.
Damn, dude. Where was this when I had to spend 4 dollars a wash in my apartment complex?
Shaking my head, I mentally slot Leaf Blade into my ability box and hold up my left hand. Watching as four leaves seem to grow out of the air before circling my hand.
"Like Razor Leaf from pokemon" Looking back at my phone, I open the states page of the app and check my mana.
"Hold up. Curse? When was I cursed?" Clicking on the curse Icon I watch as a new window pops up.
Oh, what the hell? I mean, It will help if I get into a casino or have to fight something like that face snatcher from Avatar. But why? I didn't get a message from V, so either he doesn't know, or just doesn't want to explain it to me then write it again for this book.
Moving back to my mana, it only took 7%. But I'd rather learn how to use a sword before getting within stabbing distance of something. Looks like I'll be using the ranged aspect of this skill more than anything.
That being said, I need to raise my stats immediately if I want to feel safe. I have no idea what threats are out there, but the fact V said this world is infinite makes me paranoid of what kind of monster I could run into.
Alright, list. First is to find a town, city, or kingdom once I get out of this place, then get money, need a stable income if I want equipment. Second is to train all my stats to at least D or D- before I get involved with adventuring stuff. Third is finding out what kind of world I'm in and what makes it so rare with RKV.
"Like mom said. When poor, care for oneself; When capable, care for others" Grabbing the stick I broke earlier, I dismiss the gachapon with golden flames as a chime rings through the station.
Looking to my left, I spot a metro train the same white as the tile floor slowing to a halt down the platform, causing me to get up quickly while looking around as I walk over just to make sure I'm not gonna get jumped by something.
Stepping aboard, I pause for a second at the wall of clouds blocking three fifths of the car, and preventing me from seeing what's beyond them before simply ignoring it and taking a seat.
{Now Leaving: Platform C-115} {Time of arrival at next platform. 1 hour}
Well, I might as well check the level requirements for my stats while I'm here. Then again, once I stop at the next platform, I should probably explore the area and find out where I am. . . Oh god.
< - >
Str: 126 sit-ups[0]-push-ups[0]-Curls[0]
End: 64 hits taken (3%) [0]
Dex: 117 Kilometers jogged [0%]
Int: 194 Hours of study [0%]
Mag: 64 Spells used (6%) [1]
< - >
Oh, now this is a challenge. Dex alone is 73 miles I have to jog, not run, jog. If I did it nonstop, I could get it done in about four hours. But I don't want to go in some random direction and get lost in a place I don't know, so at most I can only do thirty minutes a day of jogging in a loop somewhere safe.
Then theirs Int. That is 8 days of non stop study to rank up. Even if I did 5 hours a day of studying, that would take me an entire month.
So heres how training will go. For Str I do 25 of each when I wake up and before bed, Then jog around for thirty minutes for Dex. Wash up hopefully in a shower if I can find one, then use Leaf Blade, which takes 7% of my mana until it's at 30% for Mag. I have nothing to study for Int, so I'll have to find something to study and do so for 3 hours at breakfast and another 3 after dinner. Then at night I punch something until my HP is 70% for End before going to bed.
I don't know if anything will attack me while I'm trying to sleep, so I'll never go below 70% HP or use my mana at night just in case. Call me paranoid, but I ain't gonna let some goblin or skinwalker or whatever is in this place, catch me lacking.
Taking out my phone, I decide to look through the missions I can take on here.
[Battle Mission: Fight and kill an D rank Corruptor] [Silver Ticket]
[Fetch Mission: Find the glowing butterfly] [Silver Ticket +]
[Search Mission: Find a kid's lost pet] [Bronze ticket]
Lost pet it is. I can already see someone saying coward, Suck it up. I'm in a new world where I don't even know what a corruptor is. I'm not dying for something like pride or bravery. It's a silver ticket; I can get that from anything.
Hell, I can combine 5 bronze tickets for that silver, or get it from an achievement, or get it when the missions refresh. So nothing here only has to be done one way. Life has many doors, Ed boy.
{We are now approaching our destination. Thank you for riding the Nexus Express. And have a lovely day.}
Getting out of my seat, I look out the window and look at what looks like an underground city, but I can't tell for sure. You can't see a sky, but I can see pipes leading up into the floor/roof of this place.
Grabbing a flashlight that was held on a panel near the train doors, I walk onto the cobblestone platform and make my way to a receptionist in his 30s, who smiles as I walk over.
Rep: "Hello lad, Welcome to Level-C-880. You must be new to this whole thing, huh? Got that fish out of water look"
I have to act nervous by rubbing the back of my head thanks to my curse. "Yeah, I woke up at a different platform, and not knowing what to do, I simply boarded the train. Could you explain what's happening, if it's no trouble?"
Rep: "Don't worry, lad, I'm a Dream Node. It's my job to explain these things. Let's start at the top. You are a Dream walker, someone who is lucid in these infinite levels of dreams or, as we call it, the Dream Core."
So that's what V meant when he said infinite world. . . Wait, how is this in the RKV? This seems more like a dimension in itself than one world. Unless it's one world with infinite layers to it.
Rep: "Each level has three states. L is Livable, levels where no outside danger can enter. C is Corrupted. These levels have small cracks where fear can leak inside and take form. And last, N is Nightmare. In these levels, those small cracks are full-blown rips where creatures formed out of phobias and nightmares live, hence its name."
"I see, so this level has small leaks that the level has to defend against." That would explain the mission to beat a D rank corrupter. But that still begs the question of how powerful a corrupter on its own is. "Where should I go since I'm new to all this?"
Rep: "Here. This is a map of the level. The building you want to head to is called the Lucid Institution, It's where you can get an ID and key for a simple flat within any level other than N."
Taking the map, the first page only has a directions list to the Lucid Institution. The most noticeable thing, however, is the words next to it. {layer 1/5}
Memorizing the directions, I nod to the receptionist in thanks "Thank you very much for the help. But what does it mean by layer 1/5?"
Rep: "Not a problem, lad. As for the layer. This is layer one of a 5 layered mega city. Each level only has so much space, so when the original Dream nodes of this place started building, they built cities on top of one another after reaching the edge."
Holy shit, so a level has its own size to it? Like Minecraft's small, medium, and large worlds. That's honestly pretty cool; no level would be the same, but for them to have rules for each one is awesome, yet terrifying.
"Thanks a ton, sir. And have a nice one," I thank him with a nod before making my way down the street.
Rep: "And you as well, enjoy your stay!"
I follow where the map says to go while looking at the city I'm gonna have to live in for a time. It's run down, and every building seems to be damaged in some way, but people are still living here with happy smiles as some watch their kids play.
I don't know if they're truly alive or not. But for my sanity, I'm just gonna say they are. I'll treat them like normal people, just like they seem to treat me, as some wave in greeting, which I wave back.
Arriving at the Lucid Institution building, which was more repaired than others, I walk in and look around, only spotting the left wall spouting rows of machines in it that look like ATMs with the word registry over them. So with a shrug I walk over to the closest one.
{Hold hand to scanner}
Holding my hand on the screen for a moment, I winch as a small spike pricks my finger and causes the screen to glow blue before shifting to green and a section under the screen opens with a key and ID under it.
{DNA registered. Welcome to the Dream Walker Institute. Plese take your key and ID. Your living location for this level is projected onto the card. Books for Lucid Institute and its goals will be delivered in the next 3 days.} {Have a wonderful day}
"Well, that was easy. Then again, if I had to manage a massive institution that spanned infinite levels, I'd automate it too." Taking the key and ID, I open the doors and make my way to my new apartment.
Taking a left down Steam Street, yes, that's its actual name. I stop at a 6 floor apartment building and walk inside after putting my ID to a scanner and making my way to the top floor to room 66.
". . . I'm gonna ignore that" Walking inside, I walk around the one bedroom home I can call my own. A couch and queen sized bed are provided, and luckily I don't need a washer and dryer. The bathroom is gonna need a shower curtain, necessities, and the kitchen is gonna need food, and dishes.
Feeling my phone go off, I fish it out of my inventory while throwing my flashlight in.
[V: Here, bro, I got you. Can't have a story if the MC dies from real-life problems~]
"Thank you, V. Very cool" Okay, that's my goal for now. Get food and basic needs before finding a job and finishing my home before trying to explore past this layer before traveling to another.
Looking at my phone, It's 11:44 PM. So I'll skip my training for today so I can get everything started on the new day tomorrow.
.
.
.
[V: Alright! That's a wrap for this chapter~ How do you all like it so far? Tell me with some comments, and sorry for my terrible upload schedule and focus. My mind just never stays focused, and medication is expensive]
[V: If anyone wants to suggest a layer of their own, go ahead and put your layer here. Just remember. The layers are like this: {Layer-N-545-} I already have a good thirty levels ready, and I want more. Also, feel free to use this if you like it~]
[V: All Art this chapter]