The darkness cracked like glass. Fragments of void shattered, revealing blinding light that bled into Ahmed's vision. His body, which a moment ago was a floating spirit, now trembled as flesh, bones, and nerves stitched themselves back together. His lungs screamed for air, his skin prickled with new sensitivity, and for a horrifying moment, Ahmed thought he was being reborn like a chicken in an oven.
"Yaa latif!" he gasped, clutching his chest. "Is this… puberty 2.0?!"
Before him spread a world that defied logic: towering mountains rose like blades, forests stretched endlessly, and the sky gleamed an impossibly clear blue. Strange birds with three wings circled overhead, their cries sharp and alien. In the distance, rivers glittered like liquid silver, and massive trees with trunks as wide as houses reached into the heavens.
🔊 [SYSTEM NOTICE: WELCOME TO YOUR NEW REALITY. SURVIVAL CHANCE: 0.0001%.]
Ahmed's eyes bulged.
"0.0001?! Ya rabbi, that's less than the chance of the government fixing potholes!"
🔊 [CORRECT. ENJOY YOUR SUFFERING.]
"Laaa! I refuse!" Ahmed wailed. "Put me back! I don't care if Earth had potholes, at least there I had wi-fi!"
🔊 [DENIED. RETURN REQUEST INVALID. SUFFERING IS PERMANENT.]
Ahmed clutched his hair, which, oddly, now shone with a faint silky sheen — the only upgrade the System seemed willing to give him.
First Steps into Chaos
He stumbled forward into the grass, which was tall enough to brush against his chest. The air was rich, buzzing with energy that hummed in his veins. Ahmed inhaled deeply and instantly choked.
"Tfou! Wallahi this air is too strong, ya rab! It's like I smoked three shishas at once!"
🔊 [CORRECTION: THIS IS SPIRITUAL ENERGY. BREATHE PROPERLY OR DIE.]
"Eh?! How do you even breathe spiritual energy? It's not a sandwich!"
🔊 [SOLUTION: INHALE, THEN STOP BEING STUPID.]
Ahmed followed the advice reluctantly. His chest swelled, and for a second he thought, hey, maybe I can do this. But then the energy burned his lungs, forcing him to cough violently and roll on the ground like a man possessed.
"Ya khraaa! I'm overdosing on oxygen!" he wheezed.
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST IS EXPERIENCING 'QI INTOXICATION.']
"Intoxication?! I didn't even drink yet!"
🔊 [CORRECT. YOUR BODY IS TOO WEAK TO HANDLE THIS WORLD. PLEASE CONSIDER DYING QUICKLY.]
Ahmed spat into the grass, glaring at the invisible System.
"Chniya?! You throw me here, you give me zero skills, and now you tell me to die?! I swear if I find your plug, I'll unplug you and use you as a phone charger!"
🔊 [ERROR: HOST'S THREATS ARE PATHETIC. 😂]
Ahmed Discovers Danger
A low growl interrupted his suffering. The grass rustled. Ahmed froze. Slowly, he turned his head — and nearly fainted.
Out from the bushes crawled a wolf-like beast, except this wolf was the size of a car. Its fur shimmered with silver streaks, and its eyes glowed a hungry red. Its fangs gleamed like daggers, dripping saliva onto the soil.
Ahmed's soul nearly left his body.
"Ya ummi! Even the stray dogs here are on steroids!"
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST HAS ENCOUNTERED A 'SPIRIT BEAST: SILVER-FANGED WOLF.' DANGER LEVEL: EXTREME. SURVIVAL CHANCE: 0.00001%.]
"WHAT?! You downgraded me from 0.0001 to 0.00001?! System, wallahi you're trying to get me killed!"
🔊 [CORRECT. 💀]
The wolf snarled, muscles rippling under its fur, preparing to pounce. Ahmed did what any brave Tunisian would do in this situation: he raised his hand and shouted nonsense.
"BASTA! SIT DOWN YA KLAB!"
The wolf blinked. For a second, Ahmed thought it might have worked. Then the beast roared so loudly that his ears rang.
"Ya latif, this is not Disney, is it?!"
The Sprint of Survival
Ahmed bolted. He didn't think, didn't plan — he just ran. His legs pumped faster than they ever had, his lungs burned, and his heart threatened to explode. Behind him, the ground shook as the wolf gave chase, snapping its massive jaws.
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST IS RUNNING LIKE A SCARED RAT.]
"Shut up!" Ahmed screamed. "Help me, give me a weapon, a gun, something!"
🔊 [DENIED. BEGINNER PACK WILL BE UNLOCKED AFTER YOU SURVIVE FOR THREE HOURS.]
"THREE HOURS?! I can't even survive three seconds!"
🔊 [CORRECT. BUT RULES ARE RULES. 🤷]
Ahmed dodged between trees, leaping over roots, his screams echoing. He tripped, rolled, scrambled up again, and continued. His tracksuit, somehow brought into this world with him, was torn by branches and mud.
"System! Wallahi this isn't fair! At least give me shoes with good grip!"
🔊 [DENIED. YOUR SUFFERING IS CONTENT.]
"…content? For who?!"
🔊 [HIGHER BEINGS. THEY ARE LAUGHING AT YOU RIGHT NOW.]
Ahmed nearly burst into tears as the wolf lunged again. He ducked behind a massive rock, trembling.
Unexpected "Victory"
The wolf charged — but instead of crushing Ahmed, its paw slipped on wet moss. The beast skidded, slammed headfirst into a tree, and collapsed with a whimper.
Silence.
Ahmed peeked out, shaking like a leaf. The wolf wasn't dead, but dazed, twitching on the ground.
"…did… did I win?" he whispered.
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST HAS ACHIEVED VICTORY. METHOD: STUPID LUCK.]
"Victory my khra! That was an accident!"
🔊 **[CORRECT. HOST IS A CLOWN.] 🤡
Ahmed puffed his chest despite the insult. "Still, victory is victory. If anyone asks, I'll say I wrestled it down with my bare hands!"
🔊 [LIE DETECTED. HOST IS PATHETIC.]
Ahmed stomped his foot, furious.
Ahmed's First Taste of Power
Before he could celebrate more, the wolf's body dissolved into particles of light. The energy swirled, then shot into Ahmed's chest.
He screamed as warmth filled him, his veins igniting like firecrackers. His body shook violently, his vision blurred, and strange words burned into his mind:
[Qi Initiation… Level 1 Achieved.]
Ahmed gasped, collapsing to his knees.
"…I… I leveled up?!"
🔊 [CORRECT. HOST IS NOW A WEAKLING WITH SLIGHTLY MORE STAMINA.]
"Ya rabbi, even when I win you still roast me!"
🔊 [YES. ROASTING IS PERMANENT.]
Ahmed clenched his fists, trembling with newfound strength. For the first time, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he could survive.
Then a shadow fell over him.
He looked up — and froze.
Dozens of glowing eyes stared from the forest. More wolves. Bigger. Angrier.
🔊 [NOTICE: YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE NEXT LEVEL OF SUFFERING.]
"…eh beh… kill me now."
Epilogue Cliffhanger:
The pack of wolves howled as they stepped into the clearing, surrounding Ahmed in a deadly circle. Their fangs glinted under the alien sun. Ahmed stumbled back, sweat pouring.
"System… please… give me ANYTHING."
🔊 [BEGINNER PACK WILL BE AVAILABLE IN… 2 HOURS, 59 MINUTES.]
Ahmed screamed into the heavens.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]