When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a room made of gray stones that looked neither old nor newly built. Light of unknown origin and a crudely made table greeted me. It was made in an extremely simple way, just enough to meet the minimum needs.
A sound echoes in my mind.
"While the souls of mortals were mixing into the void in a forgotten war. The gods guided the souls lost in the emptiness. For the lives they could not save, they gathered the lost souls and showed them a path. The god Spigel gathered the lost souls in the Rift so they could complete themselves."
My mind was in turmoil. I remembered nothing about where I was or how I got there. I remember nothing—not even who I am, or what I like or dislike. Instead of exhausting my mind pointlessly, I decided to try to adapt to and analyze this new environment.
When I passed into the next room, another chamber built from the same gray stones awaited me. In the middle was a table and a few chairs, and several doors leading to other places: Training Room, Bathroom, Altar, Floor. Another notable feature of this room was a bar-like structure.
Without wasting time, I went to the bathroom. A simple bathroom greeted me. Without knowing what to expect, I looked into the mirror.
A terrified elf in twenties stared back with golden-like eyes. After feelings of dread and disgust rushed on me from not recognizing myself.I didn't know those eyes. A spike of pure self-disgust made me want to shatter the mirror. My black hair framed my face, and besides a few earrings made of symbols I didn't understand, there was nothing else noteworthy.
A sharp spike of disgust flared in my chest, and for one irrational second, I wanted to smash the mirror and wipe that unfamiliar face out of existence.
"Okay… okay, calm down," I lied to myself. "My ears are pointed. I'm… an elf, I guess. I don't look old. But… what else?"
I dug through my mind desperately—childhood memories, a mother's voice, a father's silhouette, anything that could anchor me. Friends. Places. Smells. Sounds. A single moment of joy or grief. Anything.
Who am I?
Who was I before waking up here?
And why does it feel like my own identity has been carved out and erased clean?
"Welcome the Rift" the man said while polishing a glass. "How can I help you?"
I hesitated. "There's a lot I don't understand… but first, where is this place?"
The bartender tilted his head, as if weighing where to start. "Rift. In short…somewhere around void. The corridor between worlds."
"That answer… just gave me more questions," I said, frowning. "What about this 'complete themselves' nonsense you mentioned?"
Victor's lips curved into a thin smile. "You are sent to a randomly chosen quest. There, you complete your task, and if you survive or die, you return here again."
Half angry, half sad, I glared at Victor. He must have noticed, because he said, "Here, take this as a welcome gift. You can use the training room to practice your shooting."
"Thanks, Victor."
When I entered the room, empty shelves covered in cobwebs and rusty swords on the wall greeted me. In the middle stood a training dummy whose loneliness could make anyone feel sad. In another corner were target boards, their red circles almost shouting, hit me. All of it was drowned in the smell of mold and the sound of creaking floorboards.
"This place is in terrible condition… but it'll do for now."
My fingers took the arrow, set it in place, and drew the bow as if I'd done it every day for years. One arrow, then two, then three—I stopped counting after a while. I can shoot more accurately than I expected.
Seeing nothing else of interest, I left the training room to check out Victor's shop. Maybe I could find something useful. Honestly, I still had no idea what Victor meant by "adventure."
Back in the main hall, I noticed something I hadn't before: text above the large door. This must be what they call the Floor. "Rabbit Massacre." A disturbing name, really.
B RANK Rabbit Massacre
The rabbits are hungry and waiting for you. Don't worry, they're actually quite cute. You can't criticize their productivity.
"Victor, what's with the rabbit in this floor's description?"
"Cute rabbits. Their fluffy tails are just a bonus."
"Are you kidding me? Rabbits?"
"Just cute white rabbits, that's all."
I studied Victor's face to see if there was anything more to learn. But his marble-like face betrayed nothing. No matter how much I stared, Victor's poker face gave me nothing, and I gave up.
"..."
"What can I buy from your shop that would help on this floor?" After I asked this, a shop window similar to the Status or Floor display appeared.
After staring at the shop for too long, I decided to buy Flash Step along with one mana and one health potion. Rabbits are supposed to be fast, right? After buying them, all I got was a book titled Flash Step. Apparently, I would have to learn the skill myself.
Flash Step
Directing mana into the leg muscles grants a sudden speed.
*This hybrid technique doesn't need any casting.
I guess I'm ready for rabbit stew now.