My name is Kai Morales. I'm sixteen years old, heading into my last year of high school.
And I hate it.
Not because I'm failing, actually, it's the opposite. I've already passed every class except one: Mr. Tyler's literature class. That means I only have to drag myself in at nine forty-five in the morning, sit through one mind-numbing hour, and then I'm free.
Sounds like a dream, right? One class a day?
Trust me, it's torture.
ADHD turns every sixty minutes into a prison sentence for me. My brain doesn't sit quietly; it flips channels like a broken TV remote. Instead of listening to Mr. Tyler rant about Shakespeare, I end up doodling swords, rocket ships, and fantasy maps in the margins of my notebook.
Meanwhile, Mister Tyler sighs at me like I've just insulted the ghost of Shakespeare himself.
And me? I don't exactly stand out. My hair is dark and messy, like it's allergic to combs. My brown eyes twitch around, restless little birds that never stay still. Thanks to my mom's Puerto Rican side, my skin has a permanent tan, as if the sun had decided I was its favorite target. I'm not tall. Not short. Just… forgettable.
Which would be great, honestly. Except people always notice how spaced out I am.
Like today.
Whap! Something hit the back of my head, a crumpled paper ball. Laughter followed.
"Earth to Morales," someone muttered. "Still dreaming?"
Heat rushed up my neck. I gripped my pencil, wishing I could throw it like a dart. Mr. Tyler kept droning about "the hero's journey." My hero's journey apparently involved being the class joke.
The bell rang. I bolted. No backpack. No plan. Just freedom.
The sun hit me like someone had cranked a flashlight to maximum. Too bright. Too sharp. I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked faster than necessary, like the sidewalk was chasing me.
It was ten forty-seven. The best part about only having one class was being able to get out early every day. But today… felt different. Odd. Like the air itself was whispering, pay attention.
The streets were empty. Quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you want to nap on a park bench. Sidewalks stretched ahead in lazy lines. Sunlight pooled warm on the pavement.
I glanced left. Then right. Clear. Totally clear.
So I stepped into the crosswalk.
My brain whispered, almost too softly to hear: Why even bother going tomorrow? Why not ditch the rest of the week?
That's when I heard it.
The rumble. Low. Heavy. Too close. Too fast
The rumble grew louder, an engine clearing its throat like some mechanical beast.
I turned my head just in time to see headlights flare.
And that's when everything changed.
A truck appeared out of nowhere. And I mean nowhere. Two seconds ago, the road was empty. Not a car. Not a bike. Not even a bird dared to cross. Then, suddenly, a chrome grill filled the street, a semi barreling straight at me, big enough to flatten a building.
It felt wrong, like the universe had just skipped a page.
I froze. My brain short-circuited. There was no way I could move in time.
"Seriously? Truck-kun?" My voice cracked. "Why not lightning? Why not a random portal in my console? Literally anything else!"
The truck didn't care. It just kept coming.
Impact.
It was as if the world pressed pause and then played at the same time. My chest exploded with pain. My feet left the ground. The air shattered around me in jagged pieces.
And then silence.
The street. The sunlight. The truck. Gone.
I was floating in white. Endless, blinding, colorless white. People say your life flashes before your eyes when you die. Yeah, no. Not for me. No happy montage. No tearful farewell.
Just blank nothing.
Sound vanished, like someone yanked the plug from the universe. My stomach flipped. My body spun, weightless, like I'd been tossed in a dryer set to chaos.
Then, words burned into the white behind my eyelids.
[System Notification]:
Congratulations, Kai Morales.
You have died.
Penalty: Minus one Life.
Bonus: Eligibility unlocked.
I blinked. "Wait, what? Penalty and Bonus? Pick a lane!"
The words didn't care. They kept scrolling, steady and cold.
[System Notification]: You have been chosen.
A wave of light surged over me. For a moment, it felt like I was being logged out of reality. My body twisted and spun, rubber-banded through a glitchy loading screen. My limbs jittered, pixelated, then snapped forward again.
The white popped like a bubble.
But the words weren't done with me.
[System Tip]: Please remain calm during dimensional transfer. Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, and spontaneous screaming.
"…Spontaneous what?"
[System Tip]: Also, very, very low survival rates.
"Nice. Love the pep talk."
The light folded me like origami. Stretched. Snapped. Spun again. I tried to yell, but my voice broke apart like static on a dead radio.
[System Tip]: Do not panic. Resistance is futile.
"Stop quoting bad sci-fi at me!"
The white surged one last time.
And then nothing.
[Transfer Complete.]
Welcome to the World of Eros.
Cold dirt slammed into my back.
Air tore into my lungs, sharp and damp, thick with the smell of wet leaves and something wild, almost musky. My chest heaved like I'd been drowning for hours.
I blinked up. Branches clawed across the sky, green crowns stitched together so tightly they blocked most of the light. Patches of gold slipped through like tiny knives, stabbing shadows into the forest floor.
I blinked again. The world didn't fade.
"Okay…" My voice shook. "Not Kansas. Not anywhere close to Kansas."
I sat up and froze.
"Oh, come on."
I was naked. Completely, gloriously, the forest can see my everything naked.
"Seriously? I get reborn in a new world, and I show up with less dignity than a plucked chicken?"
A soft chime cut me off.
A glowing screen blinked into existence in front of my face, hovering in the air like a hologram. Blue letters shimmered across it, steady and smug.
[System Notification]: Boot sequence complete.
Welcome to the World of Eros, Kai Morales.
The screen expanded into a list.
[Status Kai Morales]
Level: Zero
Health: One hundred out of one hundred
Mana: Zero out of Zero (Locked)
Strength: Five
Dexterity: Five
Vitality: Five
Intelligence: Five
Wisdom: Five
Luck: Five
[Skill Trees]
Body Path: Locked
Mind Path: Locked
Spirit Path: Locked
[System Tip]: Congratulations. You are painfully average.
I stared, mouth hanging open. "Average? That's my big reveal? I died for this? You couldn't even toss me a pity point for effort?"
[System Tip]: Effort not detected. Try harder next time.
I groaned, rubbing my face. "Okay… skill trees. Body, Mind, Spirit. Sounds like a superhero starter pack. Can I unlock those now?"
[System Notification]: No. All paths remain locked until Level Two.
"What? Level Two? I'm still Level Zero! How does that even work?"
[System Tip]: The kind of logic where you are currently weaker than some squirrels.
I squinted. "You're telling me a squirrel could take me out?"
[System Tip]: Correct. Multiple squirrels, definitely. Even one, if it gets creative.
"Fantastic. I'm not even at the bottom of the food chain. I am the food chain."
Another cheerful ding!
A glowing box popped into existence, humming like a fridge that knew all my secrets. It cracked open with a hiss, spilling light across the dirt.
Inside floated three objects, each glowing faintly like they were embarrassed to be seen with me.
First: a Rusty Shortsword.
Its blade looked like it had been dunked in swamp water for a decade. The edge was more orange than silver, flaking rust like dandruff.
[System Tip]: Warning. Do not cut yourself. Tetanus is a terrible way to die.
"Great. A sword that's more dangerous to me than to the monsters."
Second: a Basic Cloth Wrap.
It wasn't armor. It wasn't even proper clothing, more like a dish towel with dreams of being pants.
[System Tip]: Covers the essentials. Barely. Please wear it before traumatizing the forest wildlife.
I sighed. "Even the trees are judging me."
Third: the pièce de résistance, the Sacred Potato of Protection.
Yes. A potato. Brown, lumpy, with a suspicious dent on one side. It floated lazily in the air, like it was proud of itself.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
[System Tip]: Behold. The potato. Majestic. Sacred. Holy.
[System Tip]: No, seriously. Do not eat it. Do not lose it. Protect it with your life. If you misplace it, I will be disappointed.
I cradled it carefully. "I died, got isekai'd, and my ultimate weapon is… mashed potential."
The items hovered a beat longer, then dropped into my lap with all the dignity of a sack lunch.
I sighed, tied the cloth wrap into a wobbly toga, gripped the sword by the least rusty spot, and tucked the potato carefully under my arm.
"Congratulations, me. I've officially become a very confused caveman."
Ding!
[Quest Assigned]: Try Not To Die.
Objective: Survive the next ten minutes.
Reward: Wooden Shield.
Failure: Death. Obviously.
I stared. "Ten minutes? That's the tutorial?"
[System Tip]: You would be amazed at how many fail this one.
"…Fail at just standing around? How?"
[System Tip]: Tripped. Strangled by their own toga. One tried to fight a squirrel while still naked. Would you like the complete list?
"Nope! Already depressed enough."
[System Tip]: Good. Saves me from reminding you that statistically, you still might.
I threw my hands up. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Siri from hell."
[System Tip]: You're welcome. Please don't die naked. It's undignified.
I groaned, tightened the toga, and prayed I wouldn't be the first player in history to be killed by pants.
The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
I pressed my back against the trunk of a tree, trying not to breathe too loudly. My sad toga stuck to my knees, the rusty sword quivered in my sweaty grip, and the Sacred Potato sat heavy in my pocket, probably judging me harder than the trees.
"Ten minutes," I whispered. "All I have to do is survive ten minutes. Easy, right?"
[System Tip]: Statistically, no.
"Wow. Thanks. Comforting."
[System Tip]: You'll be amazed at how many people fail this one Quest.
"…Fail what? Standing still?"
[System Tip]: Tripped. Strangled by their own toga. One attempted to fight a squirrel while still naked. Do you want the complete list?
I groaned. "Nope. Already depressed enough."
[System Tip]: Good. Saves me the trouble of reminding you that statistically, you still might.
The minutes dragged. My heart pounded like it was trying to dig its way out of my chest. Every crack of a twig made me flinch. Every gust of wind sounded like footsteps sneaking up behind me. My brain raced in ten directions at once: food, water, where I even was, and, most importantly, what in the world the potato actually did.
But nothing happened.
I hugged the tree tighter. Just me, the forest, and my nerves tying themselves into sailor knots.
Then ding.
A glowing pane shimmered into view.
[Quest Complete]: Try Not To Die.
Reward: Wooden Shield.
Experience: plus twenty.
Progress: Level Zero → thirty out of one hundred.
A battered wooden shield blinked into my hands. Round and scuffed, its leather strap smelled faintly of wet dog.
I grinned. "Yes! My first win. And all I had to do was… stand here."
[System Tip]: Congratulations. You are now better at standing still than a squirrel.
"Hey, I'll take it."
I strapped it onto my arm. Heavy, but solid. For the first time since the truck hit me, I almost felt… safe.
That's when I heard it.
Squelch. Squelch.
I froze.
Something oozed out from behind a rotting stump. A blob, green and glistening, wobbling across the dirt like jelly someone left out in the sun too long. It pulsed, sloshing inside itself, little bubbles popping as it dragged closer.
[System Notification]: Enemy Encountered Acid Slime.
Level: One.
Danger: Moderate.
"Moderate?" I hissed. "That thing looks like angry pudding!"
The slime quivered. A wet schlorp noise, and then fwip!
A glob of goo launched from its body, smacking against a tree. The bark hissed, smoke curling up where the acid ate into it.
"…Okay. Angry pudding that spits acid."
The blob bounced toward me. Instinct screamed. I raised the shield.
SPLAT.
The impact rattled my teeth. Goo splashed across the wood, sizzling and burning tiny holes. Droplets stung my arm, sharp pinpricks of pain.
"Augh! It burns!"
[System Tip]: Shields are not acid-proof. Please avoid getting hit.
"Great advice! Where were you ten seconds ago?!"
The slime wobbled, then leapt again.
I swung the rusty sword with a yell. The blade cut straight through, splitting the blob into two halves.
For a glorious second, I thought I'd won.
The two halves quivered, shivered, then slurped back together.
"…Oh, come on! Why didn't that work?"
[System Tip]: Pro tip. Slimes resist cutting damage.
"You could've mentioned that earlier!"
The slime hurled itself at me again. My shield buckled under the weight. Goo splashed over the rim, burning fresh holes into my arm. I stumbled backward, heel catching a rock.
I hit the ground hard.
And the slime landed right on top of me.
Cold, wet weight crushed down against my chest, like being smothered by a rotten water balloon. Acid steamed where drops hit the ground beside me. The blob oozed upward, toward my face.
"Oh no. No hugs. I do not want slime kisses!"
I thrashed. My sword was too far. My shield was pinned under the blob's weight.
But my hand brushed my pocket.
Potato.
I yanked it free and jammed it into the slime's core, right in the wobbly middle.
The reaction was instant.
The slime convulsed, shuddering violently. Steam poured off it. The potato hissed and bubbled, its skin peeling as starch bled out into the goo. The blob squealed like a furious kettle, trembling harder and harder.
"Please work. Please, please start working."
The slime sagged, collapsed, and rolled off my chest in a puddle.
I scrambled to my knees, coughing.
The goo melted into the soil, fading into nothing but a faint shimmer across the dirt.
Silence.
Then ding.
[Quest Complete]: Enemy Defeated Acid Slime.
Reward: Beginner's Healing Potion.
Experience: plus twenty.
Progress: Level Zero → fifty out of one hundred.
Bonus Loot Drop: Cloak of Slight Dignity.
Effect: Covers more of your body than a potato sack.
Defense: plus one. Fashion: questionable.
I stared at the half-melted potato steaming in my hand. "Did I just kill a monster… with a potato?"
[System Tip]: Correct. Sacred vegetables are a valid combat strategy.
On the ground lay the cloak. It dripped like swamp laundry, smelled like wet socks, and looked like a blanket that had lost a fight with a raccoon.
I gagged, then threw it over my shoulders anyway.
Another pane popped up, smug as ever.
[System Notification]: New Title Acquired Cloaked, Not Naked.
I slumped against the tree, half-laughing, half-hysterical.
I raised the potato stub like a fallen soldier. "Your sacrifice will be remembered."
[System Notification]: Potato Loyalty plus one.
A howl rolled somewhere deeper in the forest. Low. Haunting. Not a wolf. Not a dog. Something worse.
I pulled the cloak tighter around me.
"Next quest," I whispered. "Don't die again. Preferably not by soup."
The forest was too quiet.
The shadows shifted with the breeze, and for a second, I could swear something was looking straight at me. Between the trees, one patch of darkness clung heavier than the rest, thick as tar, like the sunlight itself refused to touch it. My breath caught.
Something crouched there. I couldn't make it out fully, but the shape was wrong—low to the ground, too still, too sharp at the edges. For just a flicker, I thought I saw two pinpricks of gold, faint as dying embers, watching. Blinking. Then the branches swayed, and it was gone, nothing but leaves and light again.
My skin prickled, hairs rising as though I'd stuck my finger in a socket. Goosebumps raced up my arms, and my chest squeezed tight. If I moved—if I even breathed—I was sure something would leap.
I tightened my grip on the shield, the leather strap creaking like it wanted to give up. My pitiful checklist didn't help my nerves:
One swamp cloak that smelled like expired soup. At least I wasn't naked.
One rusty sword that couldn't cut butter unless the butter was already melted.
One shield is still smoking from acid burns.
And half a potato I was disturbingly attached to. Don't judge me.
The silence pressed in heavier. Then, with a cheerful ding—
[System Notification]: Passive Skill Unlocked — Danger Sense (Basic).
Effect: A prickly feeling on your neck when something wants you dead.
Accuracy: Thirty percent. It may also be triggered by squirrels, falling leaves, and suspicious vegetables.
"…So that wasn't just me imagining it?" I whispered.
[System Tip]: Statistically, you were imagining it. But also statistically, you may be hunted at this very moment.
"Wow. Very comforting. Thanks for the panic attack."
[System Tip]: You're welcome. Anxiety is free.
The shadows around me stayed still, but my chest didn't loosen. I kept scanning, heart drumming. Whatever was out there—or wasn't—the System had just officially given me paranoia as a skill.
The System chimed like it had been waiting for me to say something stupid.
[System Notification]: Tutorial Phase: Ongoing.
Remaining Objectives: Classified.
"Classified? Really? That word always means surprise doom incoming."
A breeze stirred the branches. It carried the sharp scent of damp earth mixed with something metallic, like iron. My stomach twisted. My heart went double-time, pounding like it wanted to stage a jailbreak.
A bird shrieked above me, then burst out of the canopy, wings flapping frantically as if the forest had just whispered "boo."
[System Tip]: Reminder. You survived ten minutes. Barely.
Probability of surviving the next ten: statistically tragic.
"…Thanks. Really boosting morale here."
The leaves rustled behind me. I spun, shield trembling, sword wobbling like a tuning fork. Nothing. Just shadows moving across the undergrowth.
Then it came.
A howl.
Long. Low. Wrong.
The sound rolled through the forest, vibrating in my ribs. It wasn't a wolf. It wasn't a dog. It was deeper, older, like the forest itself had grown lungs and decided to practice scaring children.
The System didn't waste time.
[System Notification]: New Quest Available: Final Tutorial Encounter.
Accept? [Yes] / [No]
My throat went dry. "Oh no. Nope. Absolutely nope."
The Yes button pulsed bright.
The No button stayed gray.
Of course.
"…Figures."
The howl came again, closer this time. The ground itself shivered under my feet. Leaves rained down from the canopy like confetti for my funeral.
I swallowed hard. My shield felt too small. My sword is too dull. My cloak is too swampy. My potato is half-eaten.
"Great," I muttered. "The ultimate underdog loadout."
The System chimed, smug as ever.
[System Tip]: Congratulations. Chapter One complete.
Try not to die in Chapter Two.
I groaned. "You are officially the worst sidekick ever."
[System Tip]: Reminder. Bravery is optional. Screaming is not.
The forest went silent again. Waiting. Watching.
Something massive moved between the trees.
I tightened my grip on the shield, pulled the cloak tight, and whispered, "Okay, Kai. Round two. Try not to die screaming."