They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die.
Mine didn't. I was too busy choking on instant noodles to get sentimental.
One second I was watching an anime about overpowered heroes with harems, and the next I was sprawled in the void, getting a lecture from a smug goddess with zero fashion sense.
"You weren't meant to die yet," she said, sipping tea. "But you did. So… here's the deal. I'm bored. You're interesting. Off you go."
I blinked. "That's it?"
"Yup." She winked. "Make it entertaining."
And just like that, I woke up in a forest, with silver hair, sharp ears, and a screen floating in front of me.
[Welcome, Kael Vernis. Race: ???. Class: Undefined. Status: Error.]
Error? That's how my new life starts?
Perfect.
I took stock of myself. Light tunic. No shoes. Pointy ears. And... a tail?
Nope. That was a vine. I was laying in one. My new body felt light but powerful. There was a strange tingling in my fingertips, like static magic. I pulled up my sleeves—no tattoos, no marks—just the faint shimmer of something otherworldly beneath my skin.
The forest wasn't quiet. There were birds with four eyes, insects that glowed red, and a weird little creature chewing on my bootless foot. I kicked it. It squeaked and exploded into glitter.
I wasn't on Earth anymore. That much was clear.
Then the tutorial screen opened. I tried to tap it. It zapped me.
[Tutorial: Welcome to Aerthis. Use the System Menu to access your stats. All actions are tracked. Choices matter. Good luck.]
I swiped my hand through the air. A transparent screen followed me.
Kael Vernis
Race: Unknown (Pending Classification)
Level: 1
Class: Unassigned
Health: 100/100
Mana: 60/60
Titles: [Glitched]
No skills. No abilities. No items.
What a promising start.
I stumbled forward. Every step felt surreal. The trees were taller than skyscrapers, their leaves shimmered like stained glass. The air itself tingled.
Then I heard it.
A growl.
From the underbrush, a beast emerged. It looked like a wolf… if wolves had obsidian fur and green smoke rising from their mouths.
[Feral Shadowfang – Lv 5]
I did the only thing a rational, newly-reincarnated protagonist would do: I ran.
It gave chase. Fast. Too fast.
I tripped over a root. The thing pounced.
Then—
A flash of blue light.
The wolf exploded midair, its body evaporating into sparks.
A girl stood over me. Cloaked. Hood up. Staff crackling with residual energy.
"You're in my territory," she said.
And walked away.
I sat in the dirt, heart racing, soot on my face.
I wasn't ready for this world. Not even close.
But I had no choice now.
Welcome to Aerthis, Kael.
Time to glitch your way to survival.