"It is very simple," a voice said loudly in front of me.
It sounded like it came from all directions all at once.
A sharp voice, hollow but feminine.
All around me was white noise, glimmering stars, and a void that I couldn't make out.
Chaos, I thought of.
"You humans have achieved the next step in your evolution towards becoming a greater being." Continued the voice. "A being that exists as half deity and half personality in the universe. It is the path of evolution. We have systems in place for determining the levels of evolutions, the difficulties and the paths."
"The basic idea is this: whatever skills you had on earth will be amplified, the relationships you had on earth will be amplified into partners, teammates, and the aspirations you had on earth will materialise, into a concept we believe you are more acquainted with. Though the level-up concept is relatively new in earthly progress, it is consistent with the human nature."
"Your brain, unlike the greater beings, is built on dopamine, whilst other beings are rather consistently built on transcendental beauty. Dopamine is an inefficient system, but we have given you an interface that appeases that system most. If you have any questions, arise. Arise ye, and climb up in the path of evolution. Eventually, concepts will become clearer. Then you can see and hear. But for now, you will be transported to the next place."
For such a great speech, it was really monotonous. The feminine voice didn't change in tone. I would have expected more oomph something more guttural.
Being disappointed and all, I heard another voice resounding in my ear.
A hollow voice, followed by something unreal and fictional. A grey translucent screen that seemed to be speaking to me.
[ Being transported to another world... ]
"Another world...?" I thought. Am I happy about that?
[ Searching through memories... through accosted skills... through talents... through abilities... ]
[ No inherent earthly skills found -- error ]
Huh?
[ Searching through memories... through relationships... through possible connections... ]
[ Error - No possible relationships found. ]
Well...
[ Searching through memories... through ambitions... through childhood dreams... ]
[ Error __ Error__ No aspirations found. ]
Come on!
[ Transporting ___ to another world... ]
Ha... this is not any good...
Is this my punishment?
* * *
When I woke up I was lying face down in the soft grass.
This doesn't seem like an appropriate way to treat your heroes...
I looked around me and saw a bright world. Much different from earth. I took a deep breath of lively air, and it was like my polluted lungs were cleared of all their corruption.
Ah. Finally...
Don't get me wrong, it's not like I hated living on earth. But without getting to much into my backstory, because I know that only listening to that boring crap will make anyone listening want to kill themselves, I was a loner.
But most would call me a loser.
All I wanted was a good world. The system, or whatever it wants to be called, was wrong. I have had aspirations, it's just that none of them stuck around. The world is always changing. All I wanted was consistency.
Whenever I found something I liked, I would get discouraged by others, or I would see that AI was getting smarter, and say that it would one day replace me.
I didn't want to do anything in "waste" so I did nothing.
Others called me a loser. I was "bullied" and I didn't get along with anyone.
My siblings disliked me, because I was a NEET, even though I went to school.
I didn't study. I didn't have any friends. I didn't even train.
I did nothing. I had a few hobbies. But I half-assed them. I read manga, and light novels, and thought I was being smart, but I never finished anything. Just half-started it, and then left a third-ways through.
I gave up all through my life. I guess the Gods couldn't have given me a "Giving Up" skill.
But that's all over now.
I'm not there anymore.
So it doesn't matter anymore.
The sky is blue for all I care. The grass is softer than on earth, and the air is more lively. Full of oxygen. Ah, it's like I could try here. But I don't have any plans. Aspirations, I think they're overrated.
What are my classmates doing currently? Freaking out? Most of them are probably with their friend groups. What about families? My sister is probably in her friend group. My brother in his. My parents are most likely with each other.
If I listen to her, the voice that spoke, verbatim, then all equal relationships will find each other.
I waved my hand in front of my eyes, and brought myself back to reality. Though it didn't seem like reality, it was.
I could feel the ground, the air, the warmth, the cold.
I was hungry too.
Never been hungry in a dream before.
Where am I? I thought, as I quickly surveyed my surroundings.
* * *
What I saw around me was a forest. Trees that stretched a truck's height, and all of them looked to be of the same species. Luckily, I woke up near high-ground, and could see: absolutely nothing.
I was in the middle of the forest in a world I wasn't familiar with completely alone.
Perfect!
Agh, I love camping! Though I've never been camping before, and I've never actually done anything needed to survive in the wilderness... however, I was a fan of survival wilderness content.
Then... let's see... I expect there to be some kind of...
It materialised before my eyes with a ringing noise in my ears.
[ Name: Ezra
Magic Core: F
Level: 1
Health: 50/100
Experience: 0/1000
Inventory: 0/30
Hunger: 30/30
Thirst: 30/30
Skills: None
Relationships: None
Aspirations: None ]
Those stats really are dire, huh? I won't survive a day like this.
Anyhow, I thought as I stretched my back and leaned backwards, trying to regain some movement in my stale body, I don't want to be a loser anymore.
First off.
I need a goal.
Goals are important. Sure, I knew that back on earth. But when life is as simple and monotonous as reality, goals just seem to take away from "life" And I say that, even if I knew I wasn't alive and I wasn't dead either.
If I wrote down every act as a goal and did them, well that would be boring after a while.
But now?
That whole world was erased for all I cared.
Shelter.
Isn't that the most important thing? Well, if I retrace the steps those personalities usually take, water is the first priority, then is fire, and last is shelter.
But shelter seems like such a commodity.
Sleeping under a roof in this beautiful forest.
Ah...! It's like all my dreams are coming true!
But shelter...? I need sticks. I need food. I need anything I can bind them together with... Hmmm...
Isn't it funny, now it's like I've forgotten everything about earth.
I'm focused.
It's fun.
I don't want to be a loser anymore.
Every act on earth is an act of desperation. When I do something it's the last in the chain of a negative feedback loop.
But it's over now.
It's really over now.
Ha...!
Sweet agony, sweet freedom!