I didn't think the entity would actually follow through.
But here I am. Alive again. Sort of.
At least I didn't end up in hell. Maybe this is hell though. Hard to tell when you're stuck in a baby's body that can barely move.
The worst part? I'm completely helpless. Can't walk. Can't talk properly. Can't even control when I piss myself. This is definitely some kind of punishment.
I miss being twenty-something. Being able to make my own decisions. Having a functioning body that did what I wanted it to do.
Now I'm trapped in this tiny, useless form in what looks like medieval times. Great.
The room I'm in has rough stone walls. No electricity. No modern anything. Just wooden furniture and animal skins hanging from hooks. The air smells like smoke and something I can't identify. Something earthy and unpleasant.
Through the small window I can see trees. Lots of trees. The same kind of ancient forest I woke up in before. Before I died again, apparently.
Wait. That doesn't make sense.
My memories are all jumbled up. I remember the car accident. I remember the white room. I remember the entity with the wheel. But then there was something else. Someone else.
A man in Roman clothes. A button. A choice.
Did I die twice? How is that even possible?
My head hurts trying to figure it out. Baby brains aren't built for this kind of thinking.
The woman who takes care of me has long blonde hair and tired eyes. She speaks in a language I don't recognize. Sounds Nordic maybe. Like something Vikings would speak.
She feeds me some kind of mushy grain that tastes awful. Changes my cloth diapers when they get dirty. Rocks me to sleep when I cry.
I think she's my mother in this life. The thought is weird. Having a new mom when I still remember my real one from the car accident.
Is my real mom okay? Did she survive the crash? I'll never know now.
The man who comes around sometimes is tall and bearded. He has scars on his arms and callused hands. Probably a warrior or farmer. Maybe both.
He looks at me with something like disappointment. Like he was expecting a different kind of son.
Can't blame him. I'm probably not what any father hopes for.
At least he could have made me an adult. Starting over as a baby is the worst possible option. I have all these memories and experiences trapped in a body that can't do anything useful.
And why did I wish for a system? I could have asked for immortality. Or supernatural strength. Or the ability to go back to my original world.
Instead I asked for some video game nonsense. How do I even open the system? I can't talk properly so how am I supposed to activate it?
This is why they say don't make rash decisions. Panic makes you stupid.
As I tried talking I noticed how dumb I was being. I was just born. How am I supposed to talk like an adult?
My vocal cords are tiny. My tongue doesn't work right. My brain is still developing.
I spent weeks just making random baby noises. Crying when I was hungry or uncomfortable. Sleeping most of the day.
It was frustrating beyond belief.
But slowly, very slowly, I started to figure things out.
After five months of practice, I can barely say simple words. My first real word was "mama" which made the blonde woman cry happy tears.
My second word was "system."
She looked confused when I said it. Probably because it's not a word that exists in whatever language they speak here.
But something happened when I said it.
A translucent blue screen appeared in front of my eyes. Only I could see it. The woman didn't react at all.
The text was in English, which was a relief. At least the system understood me.
[Your Status is]
[Name: Njal]
[Strength: 0]
[Endurance: 0]
[Intelligence: 17]
[Skills] [None]
Njal. That must be what they named me in this world.
The stats made sense. I have no physical strength or endurance because I'm a baby. But my intelligence is higher than normal because I have adult memories and experiences.
Seventeen intelligence for a baby is probably pretty good. Most babies don't even know they exist yet.
The lack of skills was disappointing but expected. What skills could a five-month-old possibly have?
I tried focusing on different parts of the screen to see if I could get more information. Nothing happened. The system seemed pretty basic so far.
At least it proved the entity wasn't lying. I really did get what I asked for.
Now I just had to figure out how to use it.
Over the next few weeks I experimented with the system whenever I was alone. Tried saying different commands. "Inventory." "Map." "Help." "Tutorial."
Most of them did nothing. But occasionally I'd discover something new.
There was an experience point counter that was currently at zero. Skills could apparently be learned and leveled up. There were other stats that were locked until I got older.
It was like being in a role-playing game. Except the game was real life and the stakes were actual death.
The more I learned about this world, the more dangerous it seemed. I heard the adults talking about raids and battles. About people dying from disease and starvation.
This wasn't some fantasy adventure. This was a harsh, brutal time period where life was cheap and death was common.
I was going to need every advantage I could get to survive.
The system might be my only hope.