A young man with a hair looks like golden silk lay sleeping on a bed consist of moss near a river that flowed through a giant forest.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the young man suddenly screamed. He began to breathe heavily, a look of pure terror appear upon his face. When he looked up, he saw a vast forest of giant trees. The blazing sun reflected upon his golden irises as he turned his gaze toward the flowing river. The water was so clear that he could see straight to the bottom; groups of fish swam in harmony, and a lot of shining rocks rested on the bed, reflecting the sunlight and tinting the river a sparkling silver color.
"Huh? Where am I?" was his first thought, but a sudden shock invaded his mind.
"Who am I? I can't remember anything. My memory is a total blank. I still remember language, basic colors, and animals, but nothing more."
The young man stood up and straightened his back. "I feel like I have slept for a year."
He looked down at himself; he was wearing an astonishing piece of art. His long tunic was made of silk so bright that it resembled a liquid moonlight. Every time he moved, the fabric glowed with a soft, pearly glow. Suddenly:
[ STATUS: SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE ]
"Huh?? What is that??"
The voice emerged from inside his head.
[ DO YOU WISH TO ACTIVATE THE SYSTEM? ]
"System? What system? I don't understand."
[ YES ] | [ NO ]
"Maybe," he whispered, "maybe I will learn something if I activate it."
"YES."
[ COMMAND RECEIVED: AUTHORIZING INITIALIZATION ]
[ DEPLOYING NEURAL OVERLAY... ]
[ LOADING CORE ARCHIVE ]
"What then? I have been waiting for nearly ten minutes!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A sudden, agonizing pain emerged from within. He felt as if his brain were boiling; a sensation of intense heat prevailed from his mind to his eyes. He dug his fingers into his scalp, trying to relieve the pressure. He ran to the river and immersed his head in the cold water, but it was of no use. As the pain reached his eyes, he suffocated on his own cries. He was on the verge of gouging his eyes out to end the torment when, suddenly...
< SYSTEM ACTIVE >
"Welcome, ( ##### #####) / (##### ####) ."
Breathing heavily, his chest heaving as he floated in the river, he remained motionless for a long time.
"What was that pain? I have never felt such a thing. Even with my lost memory, I am certain this was the first time I have been tortured to such an extent. Instant death would have been much better."
"That damn system. I wish I had never activated it. All that pain and I gained nothing—even my name is blank."
"Let's try to use it. How should I view my information? I don't know why, but this seems familiar."
"System, show my information."
A floating blue screen appeared in front of the young man, displaying his data:
"Bingo,it worked."
< Name: (##########) / (#########) >
< Age: 18 years old (###) >
< Current Stage: GUEST >
"Even my age is weird. And what is that 'Stage' anyway?"
"Hey, System, what other functions do you possess?"
< You are a Guest. The information shown is your limit, but you may also see the Stages of other creatures around you. >
"Other creatures, you say? Then let us look at that fish." A message showing [ GUEST ] popped up above a fish swimming in the river.
"You mean I am only as strong as a fish? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
< You are not yet qualified for the System. All unqualified beings are designated as 'Guest,' as you are not a true part of the System. >
A sound echoed from behind a large tree. The young man peered carefully toward the source, trying to remain hidden. "I don't know this place; there must be dangerous animals here."
Hiding in the shadow of a massive tree, he watched the creature.
"Grrr... Rrrr-ruff!" It turned out to be a small, cute-looking dog. It looked like a tiny ball of silver-grey lint. The young man exhaled and exited his hiding spot to examine the pup. It had big, clumsy paws that caused it to trip over every stick and stone, which was quite humorous to watch.
He approached it carefully and caressed its back. The dog growled, emitting a small "woofing" sound, but that did not stop the young man from playing with it.
A sudden thought emerged within his mind. What is a puppy like this doing here? It doesn't make sense for it to be alone; its mother must be nearby. And what if it isn't even a dog? It might be a wolf. If the mother finds me here near her infant, I will surely die.
The young man stood up and walked away from the small dog as calmly as he could.
AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A howling voice struck the man. As he looked in the direction of the sound, he saw an adult wolf.
The young man stood frozen, his breath hitching in his chest. Just a moment ago, he had been playing with the its offspring. "I was mistaken... that is not a wolf. I have never seen anything like it."
He watched in silent horror as the creature's head cracked open, splitting into eight lacerated petals that flared out like a nightmare. From the center of that dark pit, a long, slick tongue uncurled. A message popped up above its head:
< STAGE: USER >