The number [%1] hung in the center of Bars's mind. Then a flood began. [%17]... [%42]... [%78]... As the numbers accelerated, Bars's memories of his small apartment in Aethelburg, of the rejected job applications, of his rainy window, faded away one by one. His existence was transcending its fleshy confines, transforming into a pure stream of data, an ocean of thought. It was neither painful nor pleasant; it was the redefinition of existence itself.
[%99]
And then...
[%100]
[MIND TRANSFER COMPLETE. WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF AETHERIA, TRAVELER.]
The absolute silence and darkness gave way to a soft, melodic female voice and a shimmering, silvery void that seemed to stretch on for eternity. Bars realized he didn't have a body. He was just a point of observation, a consciousness. Directly in front of him stood a gray human silhouette of his own size, its features indistinct.
[This is your Spirit Mirror. Your creation will begin here. Please state your name.]
A name. His name in the real world was Bars Veyron. But this world wasn't real. This was a new beginning. The surname Veyron was a burden that reminded him of his failures and poverty. He didn't want to carry that weight here. "Bars," he thought. Just Bars.
[NAME: BARS CONFIRMED. THIS NAME WILL BE YOUR UNIQUE IDENTITY IN THIS WORLD.]
The silhouette in the Spirit Mirror began to take shape according to the image in Bars's mind. A figure emerged that was slightly taller than his real-life self, with broader shoulders and sharper facial features, yet still resembled him. He didn't go for exaggeration; that wasn't his style. It was simply a slightly more idealized version of the self he wanted to be.
[APPEARANCE CONFIRMED. NOW, IT IS TIME TO CHOOSE YOUR PATH. SELECT THE CLASS THAT WILL FORM THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR DESTINY.]
Four glowing orbs appeared before him. Each was a different color and radiated a different energy. The first orb was blood-red. When he focused on it, the sound of steel clashing against steel rang in his mind; he felt the imaginary weight of armor and the tension in his muscles. Warrior. The unbreakable fortress of the front lines.
The second orb was midnight-blue. When he touched it, he heard the whisper of shadows, his fingers felt lighter, and it was as if he had grasped the cold hilt of a dagger. Rogue. The master of silence and sudden death.
The third orb glowed with pure gold. When he looked at it, a divine warmth filled him, a feeling of hope and protection spreading through his mind. Priest. The guardian of life and faith.
And the final orb... It was an electric purple, and when he touched it, he felt a raw, uncontrolled energy crackle at his fingertips. He felt the potential to bend the fundamental laws of the universe—fire, ice, lightning. Mage. The power of intellect and the elements.
Bars didn't hesitate. Brute force wasn't for him. Stealth, while requiring planning, was contrary to his nature. The support role of a Priest, dependent on others, didn't suit his solitary disposition. But Mage... the idea of turning the universe's rules to his favor with knowledge, intellect, and attention to detail was like music to his analytical mind.
"Mage," he whispered with his thoughts.
[CLASS: MAGE CONFIRMED. WARNING: THE MAGE CLASS POSSESSES HIGH ATTACK POWER IN EXCHANGE FOR LOW DEFENSE AND HEALTH VALUES. YOU WILL NEED TO USE YOUR INTELLECT AND AGILITY TO SURVIVE. IS YOUR DECISION FINAL?]
"Final."
[YOUR CHOICE IS YOUR DESTINY. PREPARE YOURSELF, BARS.]
The silvery void shattered in an instant. Bars's consciousness was swiftly pulled, as if into a whirlpool. And then... everything came back at once.
The feeling of soft grass beneath his feet. The warm sun on his face. The scent of freshly cut grass and wildflowers filling his lungs. The sound of a gentle wind and a distant waterfall in his ears.
He opened his eyes.
The sight took his breath away. He was in the middle of a vast, emerald-green valley. The sky, bearing no trace of Aethelburg's polluted gray, was an impossible blue. Around him rose enormous trees whose trunk thickness testified to a history of hundreds of years. Slender waterfalls cascaded down from small, floating islands suspended in the air.
This looked less like a game and more like a painting of a forgotten paradise.
[WELCOME TO THE VALLEY OF GENESIS.] [NEW QUEST RECEIVED: First Steps]
[DESCRIPTION: Find Instructor Elara beneath the Great Tree in the center of the Valley and receive your first instructions.]
Bars froze for a moment as he read the system notification. This reality was far more intense than he had expected. Just then, he was startled by a sound coming from the bushes a few hundred meters away. It wasn't the roar of a monster or the scripted line of an NPC.
It was a pained, panicked scream for help.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to rate and leave a comment; any feedback or criticism is welcome!
I'll be releasing a chapter a day. Stay tuned!
This is my first release, so I'm releasing 10 chapters!