Edra stared at the small screen with hollow soulless eyes ‘what’s going on?’ it was a clear simple thought that had become his go to thought since he first heard the system voice “WHAT IS GOING ON!!” he yelled desperately slamming his fist into the trunk of the withered tree, bruising his knuckles and leaving a fresh splatter of blood and skin on the trunk.

[SOLVED – Solution found]

[Recalculating character – Edra Walker – 10% completion]

Edra broke at this moment, he hadn’t shed a tear in the desolation of the infinite space, he hadn’t cracked then. However, now being out in the real world everything was dawning on him, and perhaps also his mortality as he looked at the endless desert around him, with his only companion being a transparent screen. He leaned powerlessly against the tree and slid down into a sitting position and wept, he wept because he did not know where his family was, he did not know where his friends were, he wept for a world broken and for himself for suffering so. He felt a nudge in his mind and looked at the screen.

[Recalculating character – Edra Walker – complete]

[Accept recalculation y/n – will automatically initiate in 24h]

Edra stared at the screen for hours, the sun setting in the distance colouring the landscape in hues of orange.

[Accept recalculation y/n – will automatically initiate in 16h]

Eventually he pulled himself together and wiped his face with his shirt ‘I’d be damned if I die, I’d be damned if I don’t, but I sure as hell owe it to my folks to not just sit here passively, yes I accept the recalculation!’ he though with a strong will permeating through his mind.

Recalculation initiated

1 – Destroying any machines or machine made items or buildings on person Edra Walker.

2 – System active for person Edra Walker.

3 – Rewarding person Edra Walker for fixing system bug.

4 – Demerits Edra Walker for being a system bug, regardless of intention.

Edra couldn’t help but be flabbergasted at the shamelessness of the system, he was obviously just fishing, how could he be rewarded and receive a demerit for the same thing. Before he could think further a bunch of notifications popped up in front of him.

[System active for Edra Walker]

[Title gained – One Who Traversed Time]

[Title gained – One Who Survived the Void]

[Title gained – Obstructer of the System]

[Title gained – One who communes with dragons]

[Title gained – Pest Control]

[Conflict with titles Pest Control & Obstructer of the System – calculating new title]

[Title recalculated, title gained – Conundrum]

Still in a daze and not really sure about what was going on, or how to feel about it Edra simply got up and got ready to turn the rowboat over as he had read that the night in the desert was freezing, and he already started feeling the temperature drop. When he got up his clothes fell apart except his belt which was handmade, everything else turned to dust, the same happened with the transistor and several items in the rowboat, luckily the boat didn’t break down as it was handmade in an old fashioned way. Naked and with nothing but a belt Edra crawled under the boat, just in time too as the wind kicked up and the sand started blowing everywhere. Luckily for Edra the desert didn’t get as cold as the deserts he had read about in the old world.

While he was lying under the boat going through the longest night of his life a new message popped up.

Quest initiated

No lvl requirement

Survive the desert and find a way out of the desert.

Reward

+1lvl or random desert related reward

Accept Quest Y/N

What was he supposed to do, say no, what would that accomplish? So he accepted it, shivering and butt-naked as he was.

The following day he crept out from underneath the rowboat, which turned out to be difficult with all the sand that had covered the boat during the night. Edra stretched his body and sneezed hard, he had gotten the sniffles from the previous night’s temperatures. He looked in all directions, but none of them seemed like a particularly good one, so he decided to walk towards the direction where the sun was rising from, figuring it would be easier to walk towards the direction of where the sun set or rose. He took a few steps and looked back at the rowboat, it had served him good, not just in the void as he figured it was called after the notifications last night, but also during the night time and the storm, who knew what sort a creatures lurked in the desert. He remembered seeing a title called one who communes with dragons; it could only refer to the creature he had seen in the first tear in the void. To abandon the boat or not abandon it, what would increase his survival rate?

It was a strange sight, seeing a naked man push a small rowboat in the desert. He didn’t do it just because of the cover of the previous night, but because it was the only reminder he had of the world before all of this happened, he couldn’t help but wonder just how much time had passed considering the one title he had gained - one who traversed time -. As the sun passed him by it became harder and harder to find his direction, and he felt more and more exhausted, the thirst was the worst part, for that reason he decided to continue during the evening and nighttime instead as it hadn’t been nearly as cold as he had thought originally.

After four days he was reaching his end, he was shivering from thirst and lack of food, his body was weak and he felt like he was dying. But he felt strength from somewhere to continue, it was a strange feeling that made him continue onwards on pure will, this lasted him another day and a half where he then collapsed into his boat looking up at the starry sky, at least his last view would be beautiful he thought as he looked at the extraordinarily bright stars, it was then that he saw clouds gathering everywhere from out of nowhere. When he heard the first lightning strike it brought him out of his dying trance, he still couldn’t move, but he wasn’t dead yet, then the rain fell, a little at first, but more and more fell, he opened his mouth and felt the life-giving water fill his dried up body with vitality! The rain was cool and wonderful As Edra lay there he screamed out a primal sound from the deepest part of his soul, it contained his frustration his anger his sorrow and his unquenchable will to live!

[Title gained – Denying Death initiate]

[Skill gained – Invigorating Roar 1/10]

It was a strange feeling for Edra as he gained the title, he felt as if his body got a boost, as if that part of him that refused to give up got a little stronger. After an hour of drinking the rain he realized that too much was falling and his boat was getting flooded little by little, he didn’t mind too much though, it was nice. He could hear thunder and the roiling of the clouds, but now he felt as if he could hear it from ground level too. Edra finally sat up in the half full boat and squinted his eyes towards the sound; it was like a dark blanket approaching him stretching from one side to the other behind him.

“Shit!” he yelled when he finally realized what it was, he quickly rolled out of the boat and somehow moved his weary body as he began to try and turn the boat onto the side so he could empty it for water, but his feet kept slipping, he began panicking yelling out the new skill he had gained but nothing happened, in a last desperate attempt he roared out and he felt a surge of newfound strength allowing him to keep steady just long enough to get the water out of the boat whereas he let go and it fell back down, he quickly jumped back into the boat grapping onto the seat the best he could. He dared only look up one last time, as he saw the earthbound wall of water tower over him as it collided with his small rowboat, the boat began squeaking as it was thrown around, turned around and almost sunk. Somehow or the other Edra kept the boat afloat, utilizing his new skill to the best of his ability! This wore him down more and more. Finally the boat was steadily floating on the makeshift desert ocean, and he grabbed the ores and began paddling with the current helping him forward. Eventually he collapsed from exhaustion and the stars and moon poked out from the clouds reflecting in the disappearing desert ocean in the most mesmerizing way, not that Edra could see it.

For so long he thought he would be happy regardless of who he met after his long isolation, he was convinced that no matter what he would be joyful, but what awoke him was a languid scream, if he had had any strength he would have yelled something back, but he was too lacking in strength at this point, all he heard was some female yelling pervert over and over, he couldn’t even open his eyes.

The next couple of days were hazy at best, every time he opened his eyes he would be somewhere else, inside a tent, around a bonfire, looking up into the open.

It was one afternoon while rocking side to side on a wagon full of hay that he took that one breath that restored all of his functions, he could feel small random drops of water splish and splash his face, when he opened his eyes he saw a gray cloudy sky. He sat up slowly, his body was sore, but he felt strengthened, and not as if he had half a foot in the grave. There was a coarse blanket covering his body, however he could feel that he was wearing light linen clothes underneath. He looked around and saw fields of green and wheat covering the hilly landscape, with random trees and rocky outcroppings; it was a completely different landscape than where he had just been. The man next to him was riding on a brown horse with spots.

“Aye, you awake lad” the light-skinned man asked joyfully, he wore a blue linen shirt and brown trousers and had an impressive beer belly, his age around 50 or so Edra estimated.

“Ah, yes I just woke up, I have so many questions” he said hoarsely coughing in the process his voice dry and strained from all of the skill activation and screaming in the desert.

“Well son we sure have a few questions ourselves, you nearly frightened the misses off her horse when we found you naked like that” the elderly man grinned jovially “now that would’ve been a sight” he continued in a laughing matter slapping his round belly.

“I heard that!” the lady driving the wagon snapped looking back at her husband.

Edra couldn’t help but laugh joyfully at the banter, it was so, normal.

By evening they set up a campfire and heated up a stew. The man introduced himself as Ben and his wife as Hilde. Hilde was very matronly looking Edra thought to himself, she had kind facial features and hay blonde hair with streaks of grey.

“So how in Asot’s name did you end up in a boat at the edge of the endless desert?” Hilde asked curiously, all but forgotten their first meeting.

Edra sat in contemplation for a while, he wasn’t sure what he felt so nervous about, it wasn’t like it could hurt him to tell them about him, so he did, he told them what had happened from beginning to end. He did notice that they both looked very shocked and they did withdraw a little from their previous open selves, but what was he supposed to do, he knew nothing. Soon after they began to ask questions about the world before, and Edra gladly expounded and explained, reminiscing brought him much joy and sorrow, it was bittersweet, and somewhere along the story telling his tears began to drop, he didn’t notice it at first until Hilde and Ben moved close to him and comforted him. He didn’t know if they believed him, and he didn’t care.

Edra felt refreshed after talking about the past; he looked up at the same starry sky, the only difference was that it was brighter “How long has it been?” he asked nervously.

Ben and Hilde looked at each other “It is common knowledge that the three worlds united in times immemorial, from the carnage the gods rose, and the war of the worlds began, this god that you speak of that governs all I do not understand, however we do have access to the system, as should you young man. We are currently in the third Era of the lord Astair the 4’th” Ben said surprisingly softly.

“No I didn’t say god I said system and simulation” Edra spoke once more exasperatedly. “Yes the gods provide us guidance through the system, we heard you lad” Ben spoke again more clearly.

“that’s not…” then it dawned on him, millennia must have passed, how was he communicating with these people, and why was it that they misheard everything he said about the system or the universe being a simulation, he tried a few more times but to no avail “does everyone speak English?” he asked instead.

“English?” Hilde looked confused “Boy we speak Brutsh as this is the Brutsh country, part of the Pahain continent” her answer only leaving Edra with more questions than answers.

They were good people, they had saved his life, they had taken care of him and clothed him, there was no reason for them to lie or trick him here, then why did he understand what they were saying with such clarity?

Ben broke his stream of thoughts with a question of his own “Edra, you say that the system wasn’t around before, do you perchance not know how to use it?”

What was there to know, he had gotten titles and a skill what else was there to it? “What do you mean, isn’t it just automatic?”

“Whether you speak truth or not, you just made your story more believable” Hilde spoke pouring some hot stew into a wooden bowl for Edra and then Ben. They both savored the smell and when Edra took his first spoonful he felt more alive than he had felt for a long time, food was live! The fatty meat and strong soup livened him up.

Hilde continued “You have to activate your status screen to navigate your journal, skills, titles and attributes, this is basic knowledge, so either you are a simpleton or you speak the truth”

Edra had never played games much, and especially not rpg’s he was a retro platformer guy when he did play, so he didn’t know too much. “Okay I’ll try” first he spoke out loud status screen, which earned him so warm laughter from the couple whereas they explained that he simply had to think it.

Basic Information

Race: Human Class: Classless 0/0

Age: 23 Subclass: Locked

Level: - Exp to next: -

Active Title Set as

None

Attributes

Health: 21/21

Mana: 5/5

Stamina: 11/11

Vitality: 10

Endurance:1

Intelligence: 5

Magic: 5

Willpower: 10

Strength: 2

Dexterity: 1

Soul power: 50

Resistance

Heat: 5%

Soul: 35%

Void: 50%

Death: 10%

Necromancy: 10%

Chronomancy: 10%

Navigation Bar

[Journal] [Titles] [Skills]

Active Blessings

None

Edra didn’t really know what the stats meant, were they low? Were they high? His soul power seemed high but he certainly didn’t know? He then navigated to his journal and saw that he had succeeded in his quest, and was prompted to take his quest reward.

[Quest rewards denied – Class required to gain levels]

[Automatically initiating second reward]

[Jackal’s ring of defy faith : +100 luck, one time use, lasts 5 seconds]

The ring automatically appeared in his hand, the couple didn’t seem to care as if a magically appearing ring was the most normal thing in the world.

Edra then navigated to his titles.

Active

Inactive

Denying Death: Initiate

Special Titles

One Who Survived the Void

One Who Traversed Time

One Who Communes with Dragons

Conundrum

Special Titles

By thinking of the titles individually Edra could see what they did.

[Denying Death: Initiate – You walked a fine line between living and dying, nothing but a novice still: (+10%) resistance to death, necromancy and spells and skills related to these, vitality +10]

[One Who Survived the Void – The endless void is mysterious and has claimed the lives of those far beyond yourself: (+10%) resistance to the void, magic +5]

[One Who Traversed Time – A man out of place, and out of time: (+10%) resistance to chronomancy, Willpower +10]

[One Who Communes with Dragons – A dragon gifted you with its language, it was miracle that you lived to tell the tale: Soul power +50, intelligence +5, learnt the language of the dragons and any dragon subspecies, mastering the language of the dragons is hard! Learnt all of the languages spoken by your race, and the dwarves whom have close connections with the Dragons]

Well that explained some of the stats, but he didn’t see where his soul resistance, endurance or heat resistance came from, so he went back to look at his journal, and saw an entry called past events.

There were the titles gained upon arrival. But he saw an event even previously.

[Survived a dragon gifting you its language to communicate with you +35% soul resistance]

Looking through the events he also saw the remaining two.

[Pushed yourself to the limit in the scorching desert +5% heat resistance]

[Surpassed your physical boundaries in the throes of disaster +1 Endurance]

Active Skills

Passive Skills

Invigorating Roar 2/10

Communes with Dragons

Already knowing what the communes with dragons skill provided Edra looked at the active skill.

[Invigorating roar 2/10: Upon activation for 5s +5Strength +5Vitality +5Soul Power – upon ending lose 5% maximum health. Cooldown 10minute]

“Honestly I don’t know what I’m looking at here” He said naively, and the couple said that he could show them his status screen if he joined their party.

After clamoring about his strange titles the couple calmed down, they definitely believed the young man now, they also explained what the stats meant, Vitality was maximum health and health regen, endurance was a boon to maximum stamina and health as well as the regeneration to them, and was a somewhat difficult stat to acquire for most common-folk so the couple didn’t know too much about it. Intelligence determined thought process and magic damage and affected the mana regeneration too, magic determined the mana-pool and mana regeneration. Dexterity was nimbleness, and they knew nothing about soul power, and albeit they had heard of will-power as a stat before, it was not something they had had any knowledge on. What was interesting to Edra was that the status screen would get more advanced the more you traversed, for example almost everyone would end up with a reputation bar. Overall they were very apologetic that they didn’t know more, but they had simple lives and classes the wife a merchant and the husband a farmer, they didn’t seek the level grinding, only each other and their kids.

As night fell Edra was looking into the darkness of the shared tent listening to the snores of the couple, the heavy breathing of the horse, the gentle dying embers of the fire and the calm meadow wind passing by the tent, of course there were also all of the sounds of nature, crickets and other insects, the occasional flapping of wings.

What Edra found most shocking was by how okay he was with everything, yes he had been sad and shocked, but he had sort of just accepted it now. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was related to the stats, maybe the will power or the soul power stat. He knew that the stats were amazing, his scraped hand had healed already, and he had somehow survived his trip and been nursed back, something which should have killed him; it was obviously related to the stats.

‘Truly a brave new world’ was the final thought that crossed his mind before he fell into a deep comfy sleep.