Today marked the seventeenth year since I came to this world. Theoretically, I would be thirty-four by now. It should have been an unforgettable date: hitting the age of seventeen twice, and hopefully outliving it.
Back on Earth, I died because of medical problems. I could not do anything more to keep myself alive, even if I had wanted to. I also did not come from a wealthy family, so the care I could be given was not the best.
The first years after coming here were the hardest. Besides having to act like a baby and grow up all over again, there was the burden of starting from zero and leaving my old family behind without saying goodbye. Knowing that I could never return to my old world made me cry every night before sleep. Thoughts of killing myself came day after day, but if I did it, I would waste the chance my Earth self had craved so much: a chance to live a life, even if, sadly, it was not going to be a happy one.
Similar to the fantasy novels I used to read on Earth, this place was filled with creatures. Some were similar to Earth animals, some were straight out of fantasy, and some were weird monsters born of darkness. The first were not as dangerous as the latter, and some were even used for various tasks.
The civilization here was not very developed in terms of modernity. It was similar to medieval times.
After turning seventeen, you had two, or maybe three, choices. First, you could live a normal life. Despite the world's dangers, you could get a regular job, but with the current situation, it was too risky to try to enjoy life like that. You would be surrounded by fear every day. The second and third options were to join or create a guild and kill or capture different creatures.
Of course, you could create your own guild and do everything alone, but that was like asking a crazy man with a gun to shoot you. So, in the next few days, I needed to prepare and look for a guild.
Voiders, the creatures born of darkness, disintegrated back into darkness once killed, except for their hearts, which carried the essence of darkness. Humans in this world were unique. Unlike other animals, they could absorb Voiders, obtaining a cheap copy by using the essence in their hearts to enhance their own bodies.
I could not help but sigh inwardly. It was still too early to wake up and start anything. Unlike Earth, time here passed faster, with a day containing twenty hours.
The nightmares, the old memories from my previous life, hunted me every time I allowed myself to rest.
Waking up from an unpleasant dream, I stared at the ceiling to collect myself before getting out of bed. My routine was monotonous. My mom worked a job that required her to be present most of the time, while my father was dead, if I could even call them parents. So I had to rely on myself most of the time. Sadly, my past life was not much help in this department. I had never had to grow up alone. I had been a teenager my whole life, and when it came time to actually do something, I got sick and came here. But at least the memories I carried made it easier to adapt.
I was not rich on Earth, so the financial situation here was not that big of a shock, even if it was still a problem. Most people living in this village had the same issue.
Splashing cold water on my face, I left the house. Dwelling on memories I could not change was not going to help me, even if it was easier said than done.
The village was around three kilometers long and two kilometers wide, similar to a small town. The only thing keeping it from being a city was the constant problem with Voiders and other creatures, though the latter were not as worrying.
The settlement layout was simple as well. Everything important was in the center, while unimportant things were at the outskirts. I was not at the edge, but I was not far from it either.
Walking through the streets toward the heart of the village made me anxious. Soon, I would be doing things I had only ever read about in books, and that terrified me no matter how brave I tried to be. Since turning fifteen, I had decided to join a guild, training every day. Of course, with the lack of food here, I could never become the best athlete, even if I had the body for it. Still, I was above average.
When I reached a white-gray building, I looked up and read the sign: "Dunmere Library." If I was going to join a guild, I needed one that actually fit my criteria. I could have researched this long ago. There was no age limit as long as you respected the rules, but I had been too ignorant. Maybe it was better to do it now, since I was older and more accustomed to a small part of this world.
Inside the library, I turned right. Anything related to guilds was kept in a separate section for specific reasons. As for the guild I planned to join, I already had one in mind, but I needed to be sure.
It was 9:00 a.m. I had been reading about Wayfarer, the guild I would join in the following days. Compared to the other guilds, I had chosen this one for the profit. It would be more demanding, but the payout was better than most guilds. You would get 10% of the hunt and 20% if you killed the creature.
Humans used Voiders' hearts in the process of awakening. Until they actually became Awakened, they were called Replicants. That name suited them, given their nature: to replicate other being. The process itself took both time and luck. To begin with, you first needed to consume the essence in a Voider's heart. It took between 30 and 50 hearts, and if I started soon, I would be nineteen by the time it happened.
When I got home, I was holding a form for guild registration. Sadly, the form was not enough to join. There was also a physical test. I was not too worried about failing it, since I was not sedentary, but it still mattered.
I had one day left, besides what remained of today, until the test.