The last thing I saw was my computer screen.
A loading bar was stuck at 99%. It hadn't moved for three whole minutes, and I was starting to lose my mind.
My heart was beating like crazy. "Come on, come on…" I whispered.
I was an indie game developer, which is just a fancy way of saying I did everything myself. I was making a relaxing farming game called 'Hearthwood Homestead'. It was funny, because my own life was the opposite of relaxing. I hadn't slept for more than four hours at a time in a month. I lived on instant noodles and coffee.
My small apartment was a complete mess.
There were empty coffee mugs and energy drink cans everywhere, standing next to old pizza boxes. Even my small plant, who I named Bartholomew, had died a few weeks ago. He probably got tired of watching me work myself to death.
Honestly, I felt like I was next.
Suddenly, I got really dizzy, and the room started to spin. My vision went blurry.
'I just need to finish this one last thing', I thought. My fingers were shaking over the keyboard. Just finish the game, and then I can sleep. For a week.
The idea of a nap was the most wonderful thing I could imagine. It was better than any magic sword I could ever put in a game. It was the final goal, and I was so close to reaching it.
The loading bar on the screen flickered, and then, finally, it hit 100%.
[Compile Complete]
A small, tired smile formed on my face. "I did it," I said to the empty room.
And then, everything went black.
It wasn't a scary darkness. It was soft and gentle, like sinking into a very comfortable bed. My head fell forward and rested on my keyboard. My last thought wasn't anything deep or special.
I just thought, with a feeling of pure relief: Finally. Nap time.
But, suddenly I wake up, waking up wasn't the right way to describe it. I just became… aware.
There was no body, no pain, no feeling of being tired. There was just a quiet, peaceful darkness. It was the perfect nap, and it felt like it lasted forever. I had reached my life's goal.
But of course, something had to ruin it.
Ding!
The sound was like a notification on a phone. It was loud in the silence. A screen made of light appeared in front of me.
[System Starting... Please Wait.]
[Checking Soul... Complete!]
[Reason for death: Overwork. Died while making a relaxing game. How ironic!]
[You get an 'A+' for effort, but an 'F' for how you died. Couldn't you have found a cooler way to go?]
'Hey! Finishing my work is a cool way to die!' I thought. I didn't have a mouth, but I still felt annoyed.
[Scanning soul to see what you want most...]
[#1 Thing you want: Sleep.]
[#2 Thing you want: Snacks.]
[#3 Thing you want: More sleep.]
[Okay, you're super lazy but also creative.
Found the perfect new job for you!]
[Welcome, to the Dungeon System!]
[You are now a Dungeon Core!]
The peaceful darkness around me suddenly changed. It felt like my soul was being squeezed and pushed into a new, solid shape.
The feeling of floating was gone. Now, I felt heavy. When the feeling stopped, my mind was locked into a single spot.
I was a rock.
A very smooth, shiny black rock, like a bowling ball. I could feel a warm energy humming inside me, glowing with a soft purple light. I was in the middle of a small, dark cave made of dirt and stone.
And a new screen with more details popped up.
Dungeon Name: ???
Core Name: ???
Level: 1
Dungeon Points (DP): 10
Mood: Very sleepy.
I looked at the "Mood" line. This new life really understood me.
Being a rock seemed like the best job ever. No work. No stress. The floor was even pretty comfortable. I could finally get some serious napping done.
But just as I was getting comfortable, a bright pink light suddenly exploded next to me with a loud
POP!
And my perfect, sleepy peace was gone.