***Velgo the Shadowborn***

So this is the smell of our new home, huh? Velgo noted as he sniffed the air. Kind of disgusting, but it will change after I take over the Dungeon. Probably. Who could know that my dream would come true in such an unexpected way? Gha-ha-ha.

His Shadowbark Tribe was at the bottom of the hierarchy among the kobolds of the Silent Moon Alliance. Still, this fact didn't stunt his ambitions, for he was Velgo the Shadowborn—his Tribe's pride and their only hope—the first of his kindred who had been born with the Darkness Concept in the last one hundred planetary cycles.

When Velgo had been given a choice to become a Chief Warrior or a Chief Shaman, he had chosen the latter without hesitation. He had thought that with magic at his disposal, he would have the chance to return his Tribe to the long-forgotten glory of the past days. Reality proved him wrong.

No matter how talented he was, it didn't matter if he lacked the resources to advance his power. And without a Dungeon to supply him and his people with the necessary Essence, their Tribe was doomed to stay a laughingstock.

All Dungeons of the Alliance had already been taken by one of the stronger Monster Tribes. The kobolds themselves weren't that strong in the first place, and his own people were inferior even compared to others of their Race. There was no way the Lycanians—their Sentient wolf overlords—would allow him to be in charge of a resource as valuable as a Dungeon Core. No matter how rare his Secondary Concept was, he was still a weak canine from a weak monster race. His own—perhaps boundless—potential didn't change much if his allies were useless.

Velgo hadn't fallen into despair, though. He had known that the moment of truth wasn't far, that the Fusion was coming. But he had never expected to hit the jackpot as soon as his Tribe was relocated.

Velgo scrutinized his surroundings. He and one hundred twenty of his tribesmen stood at the center of an underground hall large enough to contain them all without being cramped. The walls that surrounded them were made of materials he had never seen being used in a building. He assumed that the level of civilization of their new planet was ahead of their own by far. The only source of light that kept them from absolute darkness was the sphere one meter in diameter that floated a meter above the ground at the center of the room.

Holding his wooden stuff with a lizard skull at its top, Velgo approached the floating object—the Dungeon Core. He guided his Mana towards it, binding his existence to this source of Essence.

"Gha-ha-ha-ha-gha!" Velgo laughed hysterically as he felt the Core accepting his Mana, bending to his will. "Let this be the start of the new era for the Shadowbark Tribe, brothers and. . .brothers! Woof!"

The other kobolds raised their weapons above their heads as they loudly shouted, "All Hail Velgo the Shadowborn! All Hail the Shadowbark Tribe! Woof-woof!"

Velgo grinned in contentment, showing off his sharp yellow fangs. It was the greatest day of his life—the day that would be the start of his legend! Or so he thought.

***Lex Lurker***

As if waking up from a nightmare, I opened my eyes widely and tried to catch my breath. I relaxed my neck and shoulder muscles and slowly breathed through my nose. I wasn't dead. The truck didn't kill me.

It was as if I experienced that period of time all over again. It wasn't anything at all like a mere dream. . . At least I got to see Lisa again, but. . .I'm not even sure if I still feel anything towards her. At least my plan should have worked well enough for me to escape this annoying obsession. I hope. . .

"Oh my, oh my!" An ethereal voice interrupted my thoughts.

The familiar Being of pure white stood before me, watching me with something that could only be described as fascination. I wasn't sure how to interpret Her expressions, though—She wasn't human after all.

With a smile as creepy as it was beautiful, She said, "So it was love, after all. Such a wonderful feeling! If only I could experience it for myself. To think that it can bring such a big change to someone's life! This insignificant little girl became a divergence point between you and him. To think that another world's Tyrant would risk his own life for a stranger. It's so cute. And so silly!"

What the hell is She talking about? Who's this Tyrant? Earlier, She also babled about True Earths and Mirror Worlds. What's this nonsense about?

"Don't you think that it would be too boring if I just told you all the little secrets of the Omniverse?" She asked playfully. "Don't you think it would be more fun for you to figure out everything on your own? Who am I to take away the sense of wonder and discovery from a young hatchling?"

I would be kind of offended at being treated like a child if She wasn't a godlike existence. I wouldn't be surprised if She was a thousand years old.

"Oh my, you sure know how to flatter a woman! Of course, I'm young by Deity standards, but, unfortunately, not that young."

Okay, things just started to get awkward, I thought.

This conversation was going nowhere. Of course, I didn't mind Her company that much. . . When She wasn’t trying to brainwash me into becoming Her mindless slave, She didn't seem like that bad of a person. But. . .

"But I don't have too much time to play with you, sneaky boy," She said with a sad sigh. "I have other responsibilities as an Administrator, and I can't spare even one Avatar for fooling around and flirting with young boys. With power comes responsibility, yadda yadda. But don't you worry! You’ve already amused me enough and I know will entertain me even more as I. . . continue watching you, he-he."

Voyeur much?

"Oh, don't be rude, please. I'll turn away whenever you do something indecent. . . Like, you know, brushing your lovely teeth."

Suddenly, She approached me very close—Her golden irises sucking up my attention like two black holes. I couldn't feel or hear Her breathing. She didn't really feel like something alive, let alone like a woman. And yet, even if She really was suppressing Her power, unnatural attraction towards Her sized my whole being. I wanted to touch Her. I wanted to feel Her white lips with my own. I wanted Her.

Resist it, damn it, I told myself. Stop embarrassing yourself, you fool. She's just making fun of you.

"You deserve a little gift, boy," She slowly whispered with Her enchanting voice, Her lips just an inch away from my ear. "To be fair, I'm going to give you a choice. A fish or a fishing pole? What do you choose?"

Huh? Why would I want a fish now? I wondered. Oh, wait. She probably means that I can either choose between something that can help me immediately and something that would be useful long-term.

Under normal circumstances, it would be a simple choice, obvious even. But the current situation was anything but normal. The outside world didn't seem to be friendly. No matter how you looked at it, I was in a pinch. If I chose the proverbial fishing rod, there was a chance that I would die before I could make use of it. . .

Can I hear a more detailed explanation, please? I asked internally, fully understanding that She could read my mind.

Instead of replying, She leaned even closer to me, Her “bountiful” two-dimensional chest touching my own. In spite of its plastic painting-like semblance, I could feel its softness and weight, but the discrepancy between what I saw and what I felt made it more unnerving than arousing.

Okay then, no further details for me. I accepted my defeat like a true gentleman.

A person who was dying from hunger would rather choose a fish than a fish-pole, but I wasn't that desperate yet. Or, at least, I didn't feel this way, likely because of my own ignorance. Maybe if I had encountered some of the monsters first, my choice would be different. But at this time, I had already made up my mind.

I'd rather be a hungry fisherman than a sated nobody, I gave Her as my answer.

"Won-der-ful!" She hummed as she slightly distanced Her body from me.

A distorted smile was plastered on Her face, making it look like a grotesque but strangely appealing caricature.

"I didn't expect any less from someone of your caliber, Lex Lurker!" The loudness of Her voice made the whole room shake, but as if I were protected by an invisible force, my ears weren't hurt in the slightest. "Let me bid you adieu! I also want to wish you good luck. Or, rather, awesome Fate! You will need all of it. I hope you won't regret your choice, sneaky boy."

One moment She was saying such ominous words. The other, She had completely disappeared from the room as if She had never been here in the first place.

Thank you for cheering me up, oh mysterious Goddess! I lampooned innerly.

"Oh, right! My name is Luxuria. It was nice to meet ya!" Her voice sounded in my head even though She was nowhere in sight.

Before I could think of a witty, sarcastic way to reply, a bunch of holographic messages inside classic blue boxes filled my line sight. A human-like but still genderless voice politely read them to me.

You have been Connected to the Genesis System by Luxuria, Gamma Administrator. Connection type: Player.

Okay, that sounds terribly gamey. . .

Welcome to the System, our dear sentient humanoid friend! As a Player, you can skip the boring cultivation stuff and gain Essence just by slaying the poor souls that dare to oppose you. But know this - being a Player is not a right, but a privilege! To keep this status permanently, you must complete the first four Tutorial Trials. Fail any of them, and you will be reduced to nothing but a Civilian. For further details, talk to your Tutorial Guide. Good luck!

So I either will be transported to the Tutorial any moment now, or it can be completed right here. . . Though I'm not sure that my current state is healthy enough to complete any sort of "trial". I remember hearing something about a Safe Zone. Wouldn't it make more sense to transfer me there?

My simple thoughts were interrupted by a melodic sound.

*Ding!*

Congratulations! You are the first of your kind to leave the Tutorial Zone and return to your native planet—Earth! You are awarded the Title [Pioneer Of The New World]! You have a new Personal Perk available!

The Tutorial Performance:

Trials Completed: None

Contribution Points Earned: 0

Overall Ranking: None

Grade: FFF

What the heck? I really couldn't wrap my head around what all of this meant. It was really too much for some guy who had just woken up from a coma, was left alone on the planet, then was teased by a creepy Goddess, and then re-lived his most emotional memories only to be played around with by that same Goddess again.

I patiently waited, expecting new messages that would explain my situation in more detail, but nothing happened. I just blankly gazed at the words that were still floating before me. When they started to annoy me more and more, I mentally willed for them to disappear, and so they did.

Huh, controlling something with my thoughts alone sure is convenient.

Without anything else to do, I relaxed a little in my bed while looking out the window. I couldn't see most of the monsters anymore, but I was sure that they still were somewhere there.

So, I guess that instead of sending me to the Safe Zone Realm or into the Trials, Luxuria decided to leave me here? Was it the point of the choice She had given me? Would She have teleported me away if I had chosen the fish? It doesn't seem like I was given any sort of advantage by Her, but. . .

I needed to figure out what to do from now on. Thankfully, I had already received some tips.

Those holographic screens seemed like something out of a VR game, and the System also called me a Player, mentioned a Title and a Perk. Maybe I have a character sheet or something along those lines? Menu?

In response to my hesitant mental command, a neat-looking blue screen appeared.

Player Menu

Status Race Concepts (locked) Quests Gear (locked) System Shop (locked) Options (locked)

Well, this is a lot of things to process. . . For better or worse, most of the options are locked, though. Also, there's no voice reading it for me. That would have been really annoying otherwise.

First, I decided to do the obvious and check my Status.

Basic Information

Name: Lex Lurker

Origin: Outer Universe Zeta, Mirror Earth Type Y, Progeny Type S-93

Race: Lesser Human (Natural Sentient)

Connection Type: Player

Class: None

Rank: Bronze, Level 0

Titles: Pioneer Of The New World

Hmm, so there is such a thing as Levels? It should have been obvious, though. One of the first messages told me that I could get stronger by killing things. However, that doesn't reassure me in the slightest, considering that my opponents are humanoid reptile-riding wolves and freaking dragons.

Condition

Health: 86%

Physical Fatigue: 12%

Mental Fatigue: 29%

Status Effects: Malnutrition, Weakness, Tiredness, Mental Stress, ???

The first three sections also had bars like in a video game. It seemed that my Health bar increased as my healthiness did, filling out when Health was 100%. Conversely, both Fatigues started from 0% and increased as I got more and more tired.

Will I die if my Healthbar hits zero? What would happen if my Physical or Mental Fatigue reaches their maximums? Is that 100% too? Would I lose consciousness? I hope to never find the answers to those questions. Not first-hand, at least. And what’s the deal with the question marks, anyway?

The next part of the screen was the most peculiar one.

Attributes

Body: 7 (-3)

Nerve: 9 (-3)

Mind: 13 (-1)

Spirit: 21 (-1)

Fate: 10

From what I could understand, my stats had been decreased by the multiple status effects, most of which were due to my coma. Did it mean that my original Body was ten or that the current one was equal to four?

For how long was I asleep anyway? I wondered as I proceeded to check the next section.

Sub-Attributes

BODY: Strength (41%), Endurance (59%)

NERVE: Agility (39%), Balance (61%)

MIND: Intelligence (67%), Wisdom (33%)

SPIRIT: Clarity (35%), Willpower (65%)

FATE: Charisma (10%), Luck (90%)

Okay, this is something that requires some freaking explanation, I thought. The FATE section, in particular, makes me worried.

Thankfully it seemed that the System was kind enough to provide some additional details for this part of the Status in particular.

Attributes Info

Each Attribute is associated with multiple traits that determine your overall capabilities. You can increase your basic Attributes either by training or directly by gaining Levels and evolving your Race. Sub-Attributes determine the direction of your specialization in a particular characteristic. For further details, consult your Tutorial Guide.

[Body] reflects the overall capabilities of your physical vessel in terms of solid matter.

[Strength] reflects the development of the various systems responsible for the exertion of physical power. The higher is this Sub-Attribute, the stronger you are, and the more explosive is the potential of your actions. Additionally, this determines the Intensity of your Vita.

[Endurance] reflects the development of the various systems responsible for the resilience of your vessel. The higher is this Sub-Attribute, the more your body is able to exert itself and resist damage. Additionally, this decreases the rate at which Physical Strain builds up, how cost-effective your use of Vita is, and how high your Vita’s Density is.

[Nerve] . . .

Okay, it seems to be rather detailed. . . Maybe a little bit too detailed for my tastes. And what in the world is Vita?

I briefly checked the rest of the page that described the functions of my other stats but didn't find the answer as to why exactly I had a pathetic 10% in Charisma. . . I decided to read this screen later and, for now, checked the last part of my Status, where I found the answer to my doubts. Or, rather, the answer to one of the mysteries of my life.

Personal Traits and Perks

Traits: [Void Touched] (???), [Forever Alone] (Rare), [A Boy in Love] (Rare)

Perks: None, +1 Title Perk available!

Is the almighty Genesis System trying to mock me? "Forever alone", my ass. . . Are you kidding me?! And "a boy in love", really?

Bitter from the unfair accusations, I first checked the most annoying Trait.

[Forever Alone] (Rare)—Through years of Solitude, you have gotten used to Loneliness. You are definitely not just some asocial loser. Effects: +20% Default Affinity to Loneliness Concept, +15% Default Affinity to Solitude Concept. Your Masteries of Loneliness and Solitude improve 50% faster.

A-a-a-and I don't get it. . . Other than the fact that it is definitely mocking me. I remember that the Concept section is locked in my Menu, so I don't even have a way to learn what any of it means. . . I guess it's another penalty for skipping a Tutorial. Let's check the other two then, I guess.

[A Boy in Love] (Rare)—your Affection for your dearest person has grown to Love, and now nothing can stop you. Except for a truck, of course.

Effects: +15% Default Affinity to Affection Concept, +10% Default Affinity to Love Concept. Your Masteries of Affection and Love improve 30% faster.

Yeah, yeah, a truck joke, so funny. I wonder if Luxuria has something to do with these snarky comments. Anyway, it's pretty much the same as my other Trait. I'll know if it's any good when I unlock Concepts. Let's see what it says about the last one. It seems rather mysterious with all those question marks.

[Void Touched] (???)—like a Mirage, you exist between reality and The Void.

A? ???v?, ?? b??o?.

Effects: +30% Default Affinity to Mirage Concept, +5% Default Affinity to Void Grand Concept. Your Mastery of Mirage and Void improves 100% faster. Your Mastery of all other Elements improves 20% faster. Unlocks Magician Concept.

Creatures close to you in power are less likely to perceive your existence before you intentionally make your presence known. All means to hide yourself are twice as effective. Your ability to influence others is suppressed—in exchange, the world is on your side. Your Charisma is permanently set to 10%, and your Luck is permanently set to 90%.

?????ERROR??????? HE is watching you.

Well, crap. . . That sure wasn’t ominous at all. Does it mean that I have this particular Trait to blame for my unique life experiences? Yeah, people definitely have always tended to ignore me unless I was the first to initiate our interaction or if they touched me by chance, but. . . It seems way too far-fetched to think that there is some kind of esoteric bullshit going on. Also, it's rather depressing to know that I'm never going to become a charismatic leader. Well, at least I'm supposed to be lucky, right?

This description created more questions than it answered, but I didn't want to dig deeper for now. I had a lot of things to deal with already.

Still, who the heck is HE? Does this mean Luxuria has company right now? Let's have a dull, ordinary life and make them bored as hell. It won't be easy with all these monsters around, but it's worth a try. Oh, well, who am I kidding?

A sudden sound distracted me from my thoughts. It took me a second to realize that it was the growling of my stomach. I hadn't paid attention to it before, but I was actually rather hungry and thirsty. It wasn't anything unexpected, considering that I had been connected to life support systems for who knew how long.

Just when I tried to move my body and stand up from the bed, the air around me started to feel different for no particular reason. The window nearby dimmed as if it was covered by a dark veil. Complete darkness descended on the room, but it didn't last for more than a few frightful seconds before it was illuminated again by the artificial lights on the ceiling. The machinery behind the bed even started working again.

It was obvious that the electricity had returned, but it didn't explain why the window had become pitch black. As if the System heard my confusion, it shoved a new message in my face.

You have entered a Dungeon. Welcome to Shadowbark Kobold Nest!

Sentients Present/Entry Limit: 1/5

Size: Small

Rank Limit: Bronze, Level 10

Difficulty: Easy