The space couldn't be called a room as it's a massive black void. Each step caused ripples against some inky floor with a minor sheen to it. Reece takes a moment to get his bearings stepping into this odd place. He tries to not grin too harshly with the strange card in hand.
"This is the fabric between, the realm of souls being so far out in the outer universe allows me to easily transport you here." Penelope walks into the center view of Reece with a gentle smile. A clipboard and paper appears with a pinkish flame. It's held out towards him. "This is the job contract for being a hero under my employment."
Reece hesitantly takes the contract to carefully read it. The details paint a fairly average work contract but there's otherworldly details like fighting demon kings, training heroes, slaying dark gods... And Zombie extermination? He raises an eyebrow at this, he's going to be dealing with extra dimensional odd jobs like these? The retirement plan being a heavenly realm for heroes is a plus.
"I really need to get an understanding of all this otherworldly information but you're really just giving me a job." Reece looks at Penelope in disbelief about this. He just moves his thumb on the line asking him to place a digit on above it. A language he doesn't recognize writes itself but strangely, that's his name? "Weird but I accept, I trust you will be a good employer."
"Of course, I want the highest quality workers but I'm only able to give you that card while also supporting your sister but there's something else..." Penelope raises her hand and simply snaps before the contract bursts into a reddish flame. It spreads across Reece's arm and sticks to him like it's more of a fluid. "Your system-"
Reece wasn't really listening to that last part as it was drowned out by his scream. A pink fire was spreading across his body and whatever instinct remained in his spiritual body told him to panic. It slowly faded into him and he paused to ponder his arm before turning towards a screen which appeared? It read... [Loading]
[Done! Happy birthday!]
[:D]
"As I was saying, your system is a tool for development and information. Also please be patient with her... She's the last one I had on hand." Penelope lets out a tired sigh while rubbing the bridge of her nose. She quickly switches back into business mode and steps closer to Reece. "I hope you understand everything you just signed up for, the fates of other heroes and worlds rest on your shoulders now."
"Same for my sister... I hope you fulfill your deal, Penelope." Reece says with his attention stuck on this new system. The menu is supposed to show information but why is everything blank? It's just odd to him. "Is it meant to be blank?"
[You're currently in a clean slate status! When you're able to absorb that card and enter a world it should change!! Ooh, I'm so excited :D]
He looks at the message screen and nods? Reece finds it hard to respond with this strange entity personality?? This will be another thing to get used to. "I'll try..." He can't help but sigh.
"Good, now... I'll get you an easy job, I expect your system to explain her mechanics as it happens." Penelope disappears into a pink mist for what probably felt like a whole minute. She reappears quickly! It was honestly strange to witness for Reece. "I got one job for you, it's simple helping a hero slay a demon king."
"Uh, okay? I guess I'm going to be in the same boat as the hero..." Reece looked around with clear uncertainty in how he should feel about that. He flinches when Penelope starts to walk a little too close. "Hey, I didn't really get much details about how I-"
"Hush, your journey is about to begin and a world will be in your hands, good luck." She placed a hand on his face and everything started to fade into a mist. His form felt heavy as it sunk into darkness.
He didn't really understand it, reincarnation, transmigration, and even what being a hero material meant in terms of this whole situation. Today, he was reborn.
…
His eyes were heavy, and the air was strangely sweet? It takes a moment to get his bearings. Reece couldn't move like he wanted to, his body was too heavy! When he opened them at last, it wasn't what he was expecting... He was in a cradle!?
'What... What the hell!? Am I a baby!?' He couldn't speak but his internal thoughts were more than enough for a reddish screen to appear in front of him. 'You better have some explanations for this, System.'
[Oh! It seems someone didn't read the reincarnation section very well! You see some gods plan ahead and you were summoned beforehand] The screen had this animated avatar on it. She used it to emote without typing them out unlike the time during the in-between space. [I can speed up your perception of time and block out unvital baby memories! Seeing your own birth has negative mental health effects]
'Well, that's good to know, I should skip until I'm a toddler... Zero mobility sucks.' Reece pauses and ponders his situation. If he's stuck with his system for a while then talking with her isn't a bad idea. 'Can you show me the general menu? I'm curious about my status.'
[Of course! Also how do you feel about my avatar? It's much better to talk with a face than a bunch of letters] She isn't really talking, there's no voice attached to those messages. Another system screen will appear instantly! The contents take a second to load.
'You look like a cheap Webtuber' Reece makes the most deadpan expression a baby could make looking towards the screen with her avatar appearing on. His gaze turns away from the crushed system and towards his status menu.
[True Name: Reece Ashworth
Current Name: Wolfhard Wirth
Species: Kobold
Stats -
Might: 1 (1)
Agility: 1 (1)
Endurance: 1 (1)
Spirit: 1 (1)
Sense: 1 (1)
Personal Skills: Reading lv, 4 [T], Writing lv. 4 [T], Understanding lv. 3 [T]
Innate Skills:
Item Skills: Wonderland Pocket Castle lv. 1 [S]
Coins: 0
Quests: Defeat the Demon King Vine [MAIN]
(Key: [S] - Soul, [P] - Physical, [T] - Technique, [E] - Ethereal)]
'Okay, lets go from top to bottom... The heck does Kobold mean here?' Reece looks towards the teary eyed avatar for answers. He internally sighs seeing her like this. 'I might've been a little too harsh, sorry, I just not in a good mood from how I just suddenly become a baby'
[A-Alright... I'm going to explain everything! Kobolds here are elf-like humanoids with tails! Yours is too small and weak, so you probably haven't noticed yet, They're viewed as the animalistic counterpart to the gnomes which are the humans of this world] The system provides basic outlines of each species found here. [Pretty much, any little spirits found in folklore from your world is a proper group here, isn't that interesting?]
'I guess?? I don't like the idea of me being thought of as animalistic but I'll need to make do with the hands dealt for me.' Reece just looks at his stats but can't help to look over at his skills and just get confused at whatever is going on with them?? 'Okay... One thing at a time, what's up with these stats?'
[Okay! I must also explain coins as well! Each stats name describes what their effect is, if you don't then don't feel scared to ask.] She makes a few arrows pointing at the numbers in the parentheses. [These are your true stats, each body has base stats that can be raised normally but true stats are your stats but how much is allowed into the body is ruled by the gods requesting your aid. True stats are gained by processing coins into power at a conversion rate of 5 coins to 1 stat.]
'Wait, why would they restrict my power if they're asking for my help??' Reece furrows his brows looking at his frankly awful stats. He's going to glare at his skills since he vastly underestimated what nonsense could be going on. 'Whats going on with my skills? Why is reading and writing considered a skill?'
[They're already taking a risk with you and some worlds have a balance to maintain, the gods don't want a random person with 90+ stats ruining their 20 average world which may damage the livelihood of both divine and mortals.] The avatar does a shrugging motion to Reece's expression but perking up at his skill question. [My role as your system is enhancing and logging your innate skills! These are your basic skills that are good enough to be logged into my tracking software, these are mostly proficiency buffs than any actual skills but understanding allows you to translate foreign languages faster!]
Then before Reece could ask anything else, a door opened into his nursery. A motherly figure peers towards his crib…