I jerked awake, expecting a hospital room. Instead, I was in an endless dark space, covered in mist. I reflexively checked my arm. Huh? It’s not broken?

I carefully stood up, making sure not to strain anything. A quick series of movements let me know I was okay. Actually, more than okay, it was unsettling how good I felt.

Is this a dream? Perhaps I’m in a coma or something? I swiveled my head around at the impossible surroundings.

The thought of being in a coma disturbed me. My brain was working fine, so staying in endless fog until I woke up would not be ideal.

There was a light brush against my leg, causing me to look down.

Huh? A cat?

The silver hair and eyes threw me off at first, but it was definitely a cat. Kitten, actually. It rubbed against my legs, purring faintly. I had always had a soft spot for animals, so I reached down and scratched the little guy on the head. The faint purring grew noticeably, and a smile appeared on my face. I picked the kitten up and snuggled it in my arms; the vibrations increased even more.

Well, at least I won’t be alone while I’m here. Wherever here is. I gestured pointlessly to the nothingness around me.

I walked around in the fog for a bit, absentmindedly petting my new friend.

A giggled suddenly echoed in the distance, followed by a feminine voice, “My, my, it seems she likes you.”

I froze. “Who’s there?” I asked, looking around in the darkness. I did a full 360, unable to locate where the voice came from.

“Oh my, I forgot my manners,” The voice replied. A swirl of the fog in front of me coalesced into a human shape. The fog solidified, leaving a young woman with silver hair and eyes, identical to the kitten’s, behind. “I’m Restia. It’s nice to finally meet you, Andre,” She smiled with annoyingly perfect teeth; her face was also annoyingly perfect.

This is a weird-ass dream, I thought to myself.

“This is no dream, sadly. It is very much your reality now.” The woman stated firmly.

Wha-? Did she just-

“Read your mind?” Restia finished. “Yes, I did.”

“H-how? What? This is weird.” I stammered.

“I know you have a lot of questions, so I’ll explain everything first. If you feel the need to ask me anything, ask at the end. Okay?”

I hesitantly nodded.

“Good, then let’s begin. First off, you’re not in a coma or dream, you’re dead. You died at the hospital in the middle of an operation,” She motioned around her, “This is Limbo, a type of Limbo, I guess. You see, I’m a goddess of a separate universe from your own, and this is my personal dreamscape. The other five have realms of their own, but that doesn’t really matter. Anyway, the deity of your realm decided that the life you lived was unfair and cut short. So, He transferred you over here to live a new life in this universe. This world was chosen based on your personality and aptitude, meaning you don’t have to worry about disliking it. In fact, it would be easiest to treat this beginning portion more like a game made for you rather than reality.” She breathed deeply, “Any questions?”

Eh? I stared stupidly at her for more than a minute. I died and reincarnated? The reality of being dead hit me like a truck (pun not intended).

Part of me was happy that I no longer had to deal with my shit parents, but I still enjoyed my life. I had friend(s), hobbies, things I wanted to do in the future. Being brought to another world was better than just dying, but still.

Interestingly, I was surprisingly calm despite all this, which confused me. I should've probably been freaking out right now.

Now’s not the time to think of useless things.

I shook off my shock and asked a few questions; I wanted as much information as possible, “You said something about ‘five others,’ what was that about? Second, what’s the deal with this cat? I highly doubt there’s just a random animal here on accident. Also, what type of world is this exactly?” I could probably think of more if given time, but I already felt overloaded as it was. These were just the most important that came to mind.

The goddess fired off answers as if she expected them, “There are five other deities in this universe other than me. Each of us represents an ideal, mine is change. The other gods are Akron: god of stagnation, Azon: god of chaos, Cyran: goddess of order, Lyros: god of life, and Zaria: goddess of death. The answer to your second question is simple. That ‘cat’ was created to be your bonded in Iris. We aren’t so stupid as to send you into a new world alone. She was designed based on your personality and tastes to fit how you would live in this world-”

I interjected, “What do you mean she was created for me?” This sounded like some borderline, freaky-deeky shit.

Resita looked at me funny, “You know, created out of magic. She’s like – oh, what do people on Earth call it? Ah yes, a spirit animal. Your personality was reminiscent of a tiger on your planet, so we made her a Nekomata, a type of feline shape-shifter. Your personality actually made it possible for a dragon to be your companion, but that would stress the laws of causality too much.”

Nekomata? Laws of causality? What is she talking about? Wait…I think I've heard the first word. Isn’t it Japanese for-

“Bingo,” The goddess said happily, “You catch on fast. Also, the laws of causality are how much gods can directly or indirectly interfere with the world. It’s a pretty complicated topic for a mortal, so that’s as much as I’ll explain.”

“Okay, what about my third question then?”

The goddess frowned for a second, “Hmmm. It would be easier to show rather than tell.” She pointed a finger at me, “Get ready.”

“Wha-?” I asked, only for my question to soon be answered. A torrent of knowledge washed over me about this new world: who lived in it, what magic (yes, magic) was, everything. Well, not everything, but it sure felt like it. It was like all the knowledge of a brief world history textbook was slammed into my brain all at once.

The name of the planet I came to was called Iris, and it was a typical fantasy world. Elves, dwarves, gnomes, and giants type of fantasy world. The technological advancement was similar to that of Ancient Rome, despite it having thousands of years of recorded history. Magic was the main hindrance as well as its greatest blessing. The people of Iris relied on it too much, making technological advancement impossible or irrelevant.

I read fantasy novels in my free time occasionally, but I wasn’t obsessed with them; it was just nice to read one as an escape every once in a while. This led me to question the accuracy of the world being ‘chosen’ for me. Wouldn’t a world with technology be a better choice? I quite enjoyed a funny video to decompress now and then.

After I finished mentally filing through all the information, the goddess spoke to me, impressed, “Wow, you recovered a lot faster than other players. Most don’t take too well to the memory implanting.”

After one question was answered, a new one took its place, “Players? As in plural?” I asked.

The goddess smacked herself on the head, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. You’re not the only person that was summoned here. There are approximately three hundred more with circumstances similar to your own. Well, presently, at least.”

“Ooookay,” I drew the word out. “But why players?”

“Didn’t I say to treat this like a game? It will help you adapt better. Besides, it will seem like a game when we establish your system and start making your avatar.”

Avatar? Does that mean there’s-

“Character creation,” Restia finished for me again. “Yep.”

She seemed a little too enthusiastic at this point. Maybe it had something to do with her being a goddess of change? I was too overwhelmed to bother thinking about it for long.

Restia clapped her hands, “Okay. Now, let’s activate your system. It’s a common enough trope on your planet, so it should be familiar. In case it isn’t, just think or say ‘status’ to activate it.”

Status?

A series of transparent blue screens appeared in front of me.

Name: Andre Jones

Alias: N/A

Titles: N/A

Height/Weight: 177cm/170 lbs (77kg)

Race: Human

Class: N/A

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Strength: 7

Agility: 9

Endurance: 10

Vitality: 8

Dexterity: 9

Reflexes: 10

Intelligence: 20

Wisdom: 18

Attunement: 0

Enhancement: 0

Mana: 0

Charisma: 8

Lifespan: 80+

The numbers were a bunch of gibberish at first, but I figured out that if I focused on each one, an explanation would appear.

Strength: Measure of the density of an individual’s bones and muscles. Allows one to lift heavier, jump higher, and run faster. The average human male has a strength rating ranging from 6-8. Note: strength is an exponential attribute, so an individual with a strength of twenty is not two times stronger than an individual with a rating of 10. (Scales higher every point)

Agility: Measure of an individual’s ability to control their body, allowing for more complex actions while moving. The average human male has an agility rating ranging from 7-9. Note: exponential attribute.

Endurance: Measure of an individual’s body to perform an activity without becoming fatigued. Essential for running long distances and carrying heavy equipment for long periods of time. The average human male has an endurance rating ranging from 8-10. Note: exponential attribute.

Vitality: Measure of an individual’s ability to restore damaged tissues and blood cells. Useful for healing wounds and resisting sickness or poison. The average human male has a vitality rating ranging from 7-9. Note: exponential attribute.

Dexterity: Measure of an individual’s ability to manipulate their extremities accurately. Useful for tasks that require finesse like archery and craftsmanship. The average human male has a dexterity rating ranging from 7-9. Note: exponential attribute.

Reflexes: Measure of an individual’s ability to respond to outside stimuli. Those with a high reflex attribute will experience a ‘slow-motion’ effect when mentally focusing or responding to danger. Those with a value of 20 will ‘unlock’ a sixth-sense that alerts them to danger. The average human male has a reflex rating ranging from 7-8. Note: exponential attribute

Intelligence: Measure of an individual’s ability to solve problems and recognize patterns, essential for casting magic. Those with high intelligence can process information faster and more efficiently. Increased memory storage and memory recall for those with a value of 15. Increased chance to understand completely foreign information with a value of 20. The average human has an intelligence rating of 10. Note: exponential attribute (the rate of the exponential increase slows dramatically past 10)

Wisdom: Measure of an individual’s willpower and ability to recognize danger, essential for resisting charm spells and mind manipulation. Those with a high wisdom experience ‘gut-feelings’ when trying to solve an issue. The average human has a wisdom of 10. Note: exponential attribute. (the rate of the exponential increase slows dramatically past 10)

Attunement: Measure of an individual’s control and sensitivity of magic. Those with a high attunement value experience less strain when casting spells or utilizing Enhancement. Attunement values range from 0-10,0 being no control of magic, and 10 being an innate control of magic. While some are born with high attunement, it is an attribute possible to train. Note: exponential attribute.

Enhancement: Measure of an individual’s ability to increase their body’s strength with mana. This value can be improved through training. Values range from 0-10 Note: exponential attribute.

Mana: Measure of the amount of magic power in an individual’s body. Necessary for casting spells and enhancing physical attributes. Can be increased through meditation and rituals. Note: exponential attribute.

Charisma: Measure of an individual’s physical appearance and sex appeal. Those with a value of 8 are considered average, 10 would be considered attractive, 12 extremely attractive, and anything above that: breathtaking. Charisma values of 0 are reserved for beings that induce the terrified status effect (not necessarily unattractive). A value of 1 is reserved for beings that are hideous (does not induce the terrified status effect).

Lifespan: A value of one is equivalent to a year on Earth (also equivalent to one year on Iris). This is a predicted value, meaning it considers lifespan under normal circumstances.

Seeing my abilities rated so honestly had quite the humbling effect it turned out. I especially winced when the system only classified my looks as average. It couldn’t have given me a point or two higher? What surprised me though was my Intelligence and Wisdom ratings. Wisdom almost doubled the average amount, and Intelligence did double it.

I asked Restia about this, “Yo, goddess. You sure this thing is accurate? Why are my Intelligence and Wisdom values so high?”

“The system is accurate, have no doubt.”

I studied the values in front of me a little longer. I only got C’s in B’s in school. I guess common core isn’t a true test of one’s intelligence. It was true that I put forth little effort in school, but to be twice as smart as the average human seemed to be an overestimate of my abilities. Well – not twice as smart because it was an exponential value, but the point was still valid.

I decided to ask another question, “What’s the ‘Class’ thing mean?”

The goddess explained, “That will be decided when you create your avatar.”

“How does that even work? I get dropped in a body I design and just exist?”

“No, you’ll be given a normal life and memories to help you acclimate to the world. Don’t worry, most of it will be sped up like you’re watching a movie.”

Now that was confusing. How does that even work? I hijack some poor kid’s body before they’re born?

The goddess sighed audibly, “You really think poorly of me, don’t you? Your avatar will be placed in the body of a woman who would’ve otherwise not gotten pregnant. There will be no ‘hijacking’ involved.”

“Oh, I guess that’s okay? Wait, would I even be their kid?” I replied, even more confused than before.

“Yes--in a way. You’ll still be born naturally, just with a copied version of your parent’s genetics instead of the real thing. I’ll design your appearance based on them though, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Think of it like artificial insemination with extra steps.”

I nodded along; the comparison slightly helped with my moral objections.

“Okay, now that we’ve sorted out the ethics of this,” The goddess said annoyed. “Take a look at your race options.” She swung her hand in the air and a set of new blue screens appeared in front of me.

Holy shit, that’s a lot.

I assumed that my new body would have been human, so seeing that I had options was cool. The screens detailed hundreds of races with pictures of their appearance and a list of attributes. Besides the nude portraits of my possible options (no female portraits for my horny, male mind sadly), this really was starting to seem like a game.

I browsed the list a bit before stopping. “What do these numbers mean?” I asked. Attached to each of the races, there was a numerical value after the letters ‘CP’.

“Those are your contribution points. Think of it like currency for a god’s favor. The more you have, the more we can interfere on your behalf. Right now, you have one thousand to spend on your race and class.”

“Is that a lot?”

“Yes, it is. It’s actually a lot more than most players. The value was calculated based on your past and personality. Seeing as you have a pretty good chance of helping Iris with your new life somehow, you get more than the average player.”

“Cool,” I mumbled, looking back over the race list. I saw some interesting ones: a high orc, an elf, and some monster called a raisher. I might enjoy being a monster, but it might also hinder me. I decided to keep it vanilla and filtered out anything monstrous from my list of options. I was never very good at creating characters on video games, so this proved to be more difficult than planned.

Maybe I should just stick to being a human? I talked to myself, hand hovering over the option.

“If I may interject,” The goddess hastily stepped towards me. “It would be wise to make yourself as powerful as possible. I know I told you to treat this like a game, but it isn’t. There is no ‘leveling up’ in Iris. The only way to get stronger is through training and magic. This means your race has a large role in initial, overall power. It would be a waste of your points to not choose something worthwhile. Not saying that humans are weak if trained properly, but the options you have are much stronger.”

I slowly slid my hand away from the screen and nodded. I figured ignoring a goddess's direct advice wouldn’t be wise and reprioritized my selection. I filtered the list from highest to lowest according to CP and looked again from there. I did a double-take when I saw a literal dragon as an option. It did cost twelve hundred points, but it surprised me that it was even a choice.

There were several races that caught my eye; though, they were all too exotic for my tastes. My plan was to not stand out.

Too bad there’s not a race similar to humans, just way more powerful. I guess an elf might be a good option?

Elves were always a staple in fantasy games, usually powerful too. Selecting one might not be a bad idea. My thoughts were simply a complaint, but the screens instantly shifted, revealing a race that fit my criteria.

Royal Fae: A powerful and unique elven race, the Royal Fae are natural-born magic users. Despite their size, they also possess a deceptive amount of physical ability, putting them on par with the most athletic races. Royal Fae closely resemble high elves, save their less elongated limbs and less pronounced, pointed ears. Royal Fae mature at a rate similar to humans until the age of thirty, then virtually stop aging physically. The average Royal Fae stands slightly taller than a human male.

Cost:

Base – 500

Bonus – 600*

Strength: 14 (+2)*

Agility: 16 (+2)*

Endurance: 16 (+2)*

Vitality: 14 (+2)*

Dexterity: 16 (+2)*

Reflexes: 18 (+2)*

Intelligence: 18

Wisdom: 20

Attunement: 8

Enhancement: 6

Mana: 20

Charisma: 14

Lifespan: 5000+

Race Abilities – Royal Fae:

Note: Evolution bonuses can be acquired as the player familiarizes themselves with their body. Bonuses are automatically unlocked should the user purchase the ‘Evolution Bonus’ package. (Maximum Evolution abilities can only be unlocked through training)

Enhanced Senses: Royal Fae possess senses far greater than that of a human, useful for alerting them to danger otherwise undetectable to others. It should be noted that this can sometimes be a disadvantage if their senses are overloaded.

Evolution Bonus:

Greater Senses - Senses are far superior to a normal Royal Fae, allowing almost perfect knowledge of surroundings

Biolimiter – To prevent sensory overload, the body automatically adjusts senses for appropriate scenarios

Enhanced Physique: Royal Fae possess mana infused bones and muscles, allowing for physical abilities far greater than a human. They can also trance instead of sleep. In a trance, mana regeneration is doubled, but stamina regeneration is halved.

Evolution Bonus:

Greater Physique – Physical abilities are far superior to a normal Royal Fae

Iron Body – Skin, bones, and muscles have increased durability

Regeneration – Heals wounds and disease faster

Transfiguration: Royal Fae possess the ability to alter the structure of their body slightly. Useful for creating natural weapons and changing appearance

Evolution Bonus:

Greater Transfiguration - Capable of altering the body more than a normal Royal Fae

Maximum Evolution Abilities: Potential Unlocks

Shifting: The ability to warp the user to any location within sight instantly. Uses mana.

Telepathy: Ability to peer into the minds of others. Useful for extracting information and sensing surroundings

Goddamn, that’s a lot of shit. It costs a pretty penny; it might be worth it, though.

It was kind of shitty that I couldn’t unlock the two best abilities on the list right away, but the others made up for it. I thought a little longer before slamming my hand on the ‘Bonus’ option.

Fuck it, this will do.

A faint ding sounded out and the goddess, who had been quietly watching all this time, broke into a smile, “Good choice. Now, time to choose your class. This is really just to help me narrow down how to tailor your backstory. If you choose a warrior class, you can still use magic and vice versa. Your implanted memories just won’t have much knowledge of how to use it. That being said, I would recommend the mage class. It complements your attributes nicely.”

I only understood about half of what she said but gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. Then the screen shifted in front of me once more. There were only four classes in total: warrior, archer, cleric, and mage; they were filtered from lowest to highest. I hesitated slightly when I realized that mage was twice as expensive as the cleric class, which sat at a value of 200CP, but pressed the button right after. It seemed fitting that my race and class added perfectly to 1000CP.

Mage (N/A) – Cost 400

While it is common practice for warriors to manipulate mana inside their body to enhance their combat prowess, only about 1 out of 800 individuals are born with the aptitude and sensitivity to manipulate mana outside their body. It is a skill possible to learn; however, it is extremely difficult. This makes mages a rarity in the world of Iris.

Strength: 5

Agility: 5

Endurance: 5

Vitality: 5

Dexterity: 5

Reflexes: 5

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 10

Attunement: 6

Enhancement: 0

Mana: 10

Charisma: 8

Lifespan: N/A

The physical stats, as expected, were dogshit. The only redeeming factor seemed to be the rather high mental attributes, which was also expected. I did know it was a nonphysical class, but the fighter’s pride in me was virtually begging me to choose the warrior class. I’d spent years honing my body into a weapon, to not use it seemed… wasteful.

Whatever, my race bonuses should make up for my lack of strength.

I confirmed the selection with a click and turned to Restia, “I’m done. What now?”

The goddess waved her hand, “Now, we’ll combine your race and personal stats together. These will be your starting attributes for when you assume complete control of your avatar.”

Royal Fae:

Strength: 16

Agility: 18

Endurance: 18

Vitality: 16

Dexterity: 18

Reflexes: 20

Intelligence: 18

Wisdom: 20

Attunement: 8

Enhancement: 6

Mana: 20

Charisma: 14

Lifespan: 5000+

Mage:

Strength: 5

Agility: 5

Endurance: 5

Vitality: 5

Dexterity: 8

Reflexes: 8

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 10

Attunement: 6

Enhancement: 0

Mana: 10

Charisma: 8

Lifespan: N/A

Andre Jones:

Strength: 7

Agility: 9

Endurance: 10

Vitality: 8

Dexterity: 9

Reflexes: 10

Intelligence: 20

Wisdom: 18

Attunement: 0

Enhancement: 0

Mana: 0

Charisma: 8

Lifespan: 80+

Finalized Status:

Name: ???

Alias: N/A

Titles: N/A

Height/Weight: 183cm/190 lbs

Race: Royal Fae

Class: Mage (???)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Strength: 15

Agility: 16

Endurance: 16

Vitality: 16

Dexterity: 18

Reflexes: 18

Intelligence: 22

Wisdom: 20

Attunement: 8

Enhancement: 6

Mana: 25

Charisma: 14

Lifespan: 5000+

Unique Traits: Enhanced Senses, Enhanced Physique, Transfiguration

Bro, how the hell are these values calculated? This shit doesn’t make any sense. Strength decreased, but Vitality stays the same?

I assumed it had something to do with my class; this was only a guess though. There was also the ‘(???)’ next to my class to worry about. Some sort of sub-class, maybe? And the new category with the name ‘Unique Traits’ popped up. It was pretty self-explanatory, I supposed, after I glanced over it. My name was also blank now, probably something to do with the backstory.

I finished investigating, full of mixed emotions, and asked the goddess a question, “Onto the backstory?”

“Yep, it’s finally time,” she said, rubbing her hands together, “A few ground rules first. One, you have to be as general as possible when speaking about others and outside circumstances. I’m not manipulating reality for you to have a harem. The most I can do is a nudge here, a suggestion there, and so on. You can be as specific as you want with your own actions, though. Two, you need to find a way to introduce your companion into your life,” She pointed at the kitten that had curled up at my feet. “Introducing her organically is the best way for you to bond. Thirdly, no matter what, you will have to leave your family when you turn thirty. Any more, and you risk the Laws of Causality forcibly removing you. Also, you have to leave for at least a year. Lastly, make sure to include something about your class. Other than that, you have creative freedom. If anything is too crazy, I’ll let you know.”

I thought for a moment. What kind of life should I live?

After thinking for a solid fifteen minutes about something that fit the criteria, I began, “I want to be born to loving parents, one mage and the other a warrior. I don’t care if I have any siblings, but I have nothing against it. As I grew up, I asked my parents to teach me what they knew. I particularly focused on magic but didn’t neglect to practice the other. I would also like to have a decent educational background if possible. As for how I met her,” I gestured towards the kitten.

“One day, when I was practicing what my parents taught me, I was ambushed by an animal I couldn’t defeat. She came to my aid and helped defeat the beast. Unfortunately, she was heavily injured and lost consciousness. I took her to my parents, who desperately tried to heal her. When they succeeded, they asked her who she was, and how she got here. She told them she had no family and was living alone. To repay her kindness, my parents adopted her, treating her like a daughter. Eventually, at the age of thirty, I left home. Whether I was forced to or left of my own free will is up to fate; however, I don’t want anything unfortunate happening to my family. Of course, my new companion accompanied me on the journey.”

The goddess clapped enthusiastically, “You’re really good at making stories, you know? You also did a wonderful job keeping it general as requested, so I won’t have to change it too much.” She scrunched her brow for a moment, “Okay, I think I have something similar to what you’re looking for. Everything’s pretty much the same, but you’ll have to grow up isolated from people. That fine?"

“Yeah, that’s fine,” I replied, surprised that was the only drawback. I expected something worse like: 'your parents hate you… ' or something.

“Okay, we’ll begin your life now. Time flows differently here, so thirty years won’t seem that long. Most of the memories you get will be passively learned from an ‘outside’ perspective,” she said in air quotes, “Intermittently, you’ll be placed directly in your new body to adapt to it. Now, you ready?”

“I hope so.”