My eyes open, not to the bright and warmth of sunshine as I had hoped for, but instead to another cold, pitch-black scene.

"Really System, more darkness."

Mwahahahaha.

Inside my head, I'm laughing away like a lunatic.

I have survived death, I am invincible!

Ok, so I'm on a bit of a power trip, but who wouldn't be right. I'm back from the worst of fates, the grim reaper ain't got nothing on me.

Ok calm down, think rational thoughts.

..........

Eeeee, I'm still alive, I love life, I've never been so happy. I can't even process anything else.

I spin on the spot getting accustomed to the weight and feel of my new body. It's strange but for some reason, like it's shorter than it should be. I touch my face with my soft new fingers and palms. Two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two ears and medium to short length hair. I don't know what colour it is though as I can see nothing at all in this darkness.

It would seem that I have been brought to life in a small dark room, in an unknown place, on an unfamiliar world. The fantasy geek inside me is in glee but who knows what could be lurking around, just outside my small safe piece of dark haven.

Am I in someone's basement?

Shit.

Panic mode seems to be overpowering my euphoric return from the dead. I can now feel my new palms, beginning to sweat for their first time and my body starts to quiver a little. I remain as still as a tree, on a windless night, making sure I'm projecting as little noise as possible. The only noises I can hear are relaxing as none of them indicates danger. My breath, heavy at first has turn to slow quiet whispers of air. The soft rhythmic beating of my heart is calm, as I appear to be alone. Running water, leaking steadily off and on, from somewhere a little above me in the darkness where I can't see. The trickle noise is soothing to my newly created body and my fragile mind alike.

After standing statue still, just using my senses listening, for what felt like hours. I'm now calm enough, to try and attempt, to feel around my immediate surroundings.

I've come to realise I can't possibly be in someone's basement because of the running water I can hear. It's not flowing from a faucet with a constant sound, it's coming sporadically at times and at others, just a trickle, it seems like it's a natural spring or so I believe. Also, the serious lack of light here would be impossible for a normal basement, most let at lease a fraction in from somewhere and you can almost always see in them.

Here, in this cave. It really is a heart-pounding location to start a new life.

It's almost like my first soul experience all over again, except this time I get to ride along in a body.

As I feel around in the dark there's not much of note in this small room. Moss covers one side of the floor and a partial patch of wall, or what I assume is moss as I still can't see. The other side of my new home is cold stone flooring and harder stone walls. The trickling water is separating the two sides and lies opposite the only exit to my current location. I also feel a small hole in the stone floor where the water that comes down runs through but hell no am I sticking my hand any further in there. My danger sense is already screaming at me to stop prodding round in places where I can't see.

I slowly sit down on the moss-like flooring as it's better than the stone alternative. Neither one turns out to be very comfortable, it's very hard to sit your naked backside down on anything cold really.

Yea you heard me correctly.

Naked.

Stark NAKED.

Just like a baby.

I think that system is definitely having a good laugh at my expense.

In a crazy sort of way my resurrection seems right, but also so wrong at the same time, I mean new people are born naked right? The System must have created my body from something right, it also made it at the age where I am no longer an infant or a child, that's cool that I don't have to live through those early years again, but...!!

"If you can do that system, then where the hell are my god damn clothes!"

Systems box appears before me once again, being the only noticeable object around, it's hard to miss in the constant darkness. This time, however, the white rim around the blue interface seems a little cracked and the stars that fill it seem deflated and flat.

Is it broken?

Did it break coming here?

Oops, my bad. Sorry System.

Words flash and flicker, on the screen in front of me...

..

S *S tEMi NT3# F4CE LO4D-iNg

...

12%

....

35%

....

49%

.....

65%

......

78%

.......

89%

........

100%

SYSTEM RECALIBRATING IN PROCESS...

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION IN PROCESS...

ESTABLISHING DIRECT LINK

CALIBRATING INTERFACE

...

....

......before it disappears completely.

Quite some time passed while I was waiting for the System to reboot or whatever it was doing, I'm not a technician or a software guy, I have no idea what that jargon meant. All I know is that I waited patiently until I was awoken from my zen-like state by another noise coming from the cave.

This was a familiar noise, one that has worried man since the dawn of time. One so familiar, that when you hear it, you have to act fast and make plans instantly. Otherwise, the pain you feel afterwards might be unbearable. A noise so programmed into the very being of a person, I count never forget it.

That noise is my stomach rumbling.

"I must have been here for a while, cause I'm starving."

I pick myself up off the moss-covered floor and stretch my newly acquired limbs.

'The System states that it has been 52 minutes, since your arrival on Tironia.'

All of a sudden the Systems voice/sound? echoes in my head. It sounds rather feminine.

"Whoa, that's weird. Did that happen because I brought you with me?"

'NO.'

Uff, that was a bit harsh.

Ignoring that and moving on.

"Ok then, how come I can hear you now, instead of the text box format you had before?"

'Communication is easier through a direct link rather than waiting for you to read the dialogue from the box.'

"Is that your way of saying I'm a slow reader?"

'YES'

Uff, again. Harsh. I can literally feel the capital letters being thrown into my mind.

"Well damn, you're being pretty blunt for a floating text box, turned invisible psychic, aren't you."

'If anyone would know, it would be the person that brought me here wouldn't it?'

Damn that systems clever, sarcastic conversation killer right there, I got nothing.

I give myself a few minutes and cool off before I attempt to communicate with the system again and try to make sense of my current situation.

Seriously though, the word 'System' just doesn't roll off the tongue easily. Maybe she needs a name, the System just sounds wrong.

Plus I just kinda want to name her, I mean, I did bring it with me after all..... Wait, didn't I see something earlier when it was loading in?

Nevermind, maybe later. I'm definitely not putting it off because I can't remember what I saw.

I swear.

.........

Anyway, let's try to give her another chance to say more than one word. She might just be warming up or something.

"System, where are we?"

'TIRONIA'

Whoa, no way, really, you've blown my mind, I can't believe it.......

Looks like I'm going to have to try harder if I want to hear any useful information.

"You mentioned Tironia before right, that's this planet, but where on the planet are we and why can't I see anything?"

'MORTE'

"Morte?"

'UFFF yes, you are in the dungeon of Morte. There was an error in the transfer and instead of where you were supposed to go, the main system must have decided upon this location to be used to level up a person of your stature. Does this answer your question?'

Did my system actually just sigh at me?

And why is it acting so childish?

I must really have broken it when I brought it with me. I daren't ask in case she huffs at me again. Either way, I just learned quite a bit of valuable information right then. Some new information, some old information and a little piece of information that I had almost forgotten about. Levelling up.

I'm gonna be such a boss, hehe.

Not an evil boss, but one that everyone can depend on.

Super level magic, here I come.

Concentrate fool.

Ahem, so the system destined this place to be my training ground, it also mentioned being suited to my stature. I'm sure the system said I had no prestige but it never mentioned stature before.

Experiment time.

I reckon if I ask the system about this, she will say one of two different things, both equally depressing I might add. She will either say that 'I have no stature' or that 'my stature is so lowly, that even bugs and insects are revered more than I am' would be my guesses based on how she's reacting so far.

Let's see which answer I get, whether it's one or the other if I set the bar for standards low, I can't be disappointed right?

"System."

Damn, I don't really know why but I really despise saying that word for some reason.

"Before, you said that I would have no prestige but isn't stature just the same thing?"

'Your stature is so small it could disappear, like a single grain of sand, being blown away by a slight gust of wind.'

Ha, I knew it. I don't even feel disappointed. It was quite good actually.

In fact, all of a sudden, I feel fantastic. I have just remembered something else I was super excited about. Oh, it's going to be cool, but I have to choose something that inspires awe in people that hear it. Or one that could strike terror, into the hearts, of any enemy who hears it.

Ha

Haha

Mwahahaha

"I'm going to choose the best name ever, but I need to think carefully, I can't rush this decision. I don't want it sounding too over the top."

'Yes Erin, you had better choose carefully.'

"Yeah, I know thanks, anyway I was thinking of g....."

..........

No, you didn't!

"System."

'Yes, Erin?'

..........

"Why are you calling me Erin? I thought you said, I could choose a new name?"

'Since you brought me to this 'lovely' world, I decided I would give you a present of equal value and give you a 'lovely' name, seeing as how you were so excited at the idea. But, you must still think carefully about your SECOND name...'

..........

Erin?

Erin?

Erin? Erin? Erin? Erin? Erin? Erin? Erin? Erin?

Hmmm, I don't actually dislike that name.

However, it's not exactly a super cool or awesome name is it?

And it doesn't really command shock and awe, or inspire terror, does it?

Also, in a weird kind of way, don't you think it sounds a bit girlish?

I'm a guy, a dude, a bro, a male, you know.

A Man!

.........

Erin?

"Oi, that's not fair, why have you named me? And why did you say it like, you've done me a favour!? "

'Why did you bring me here?'

"That's not fair, you know why I brought you here. I have no knowledge of this place and you have a great deal of it, or so you said. Also, I'm not a system expert, but I didn't think systems where sentient beings. I thought you were just programmed a certain way, but you seem to think and question just like a normal person. Why is that?"

'It must be your fault, Erin!'

What!

God damn system, I'll show you who's boss in this relationship.

Ahhh, calm down, collect my thoughts before the storm hits. I don't want to do something I'll regret but I can't let her get away with that.

Hehehe.

I know.

"Alright then 'Temi'. So, what's next, how do I level up and become badass?"

........

It seems weird but I can feel her silence running through my mind. Like a dam about to break, under the strain of its own weight almost ready to unleash its great load, let's apply some blind pressure to see if I can make her buckle more.

"What?"

Hahahaha.

Payback's a bitch called Erin now apparently.

I'll show you System. Try and palm me off with a multi generic name when I wanted it to be the best of the best, you're in for it now.

I remembered what I saw when the system was loading and decided to name her Temi. Branding her, just as she had done to me.

"What's the matter, Temi? I brought you with me because I'm a broke, nobody at Level 1 remember. It's me and you against the world right now, the dashing duo, Erin and Temi. Let's do this!"

'TEMI?!'

"Why are you so mad, I thought since you named me you would appreciate the returned gesture. I thought you would like it. Temi"

Just twist that knife a little.

Hahahahaha

Payback never felt so good.

I may have taken it a bit too far because the feminine voice that echoes in my mind the next second is so loud, it's as though I'm standing next to a foghorn.

'I AM THE SYSTEM! I CONTROLLED THE SOUL SPHERE IN THE GRAND ARCANUS!'

" YEA AND? I AM A NAKED MAN, NAMED ERIN, APPARENTLY! AND I AM IN A DUNGEON THAT I HAVE ALREADY FORGOTTEN THE NAME OF!"

..........

That's going to get us nowhere.

One of us has to be the bigger person and I suppose it has to be me, seeing as how Temi isn't exactly a person anyway.

"Listen Temi, we can keep shouting about things that I don't understand or you could possibly, help me learn. I mean it is what I brought you along for."

.......

No answer. Let's try use manners this time Erin.

My body shudders a little at the imposed name I just referred to myself as.

"Please, I would really appreciate it."

'Fine. I will explain your current situation and what to do from here. For the moment I will try to keep it simple until you are more familiar with more of the aspects of this world. Pay attention because I don't want to have to repeat myself and try not to interrupt. An error occurred when your soul tried connecting to the body ready for you here. The System had to use 90% pure mana and 10% organic material from the current surroundings to create a new body, the..'

"What organic material?"

'It is not important at the moment nor relevant, the mana us...'

"90% pure mana! So I'm going to be like, the ultimate wizard king then if my mana is that high of a percentage right?"

'No. You are going to die in this dungeon of starvation, whilst waiting for me to finish my explanation because you can't keep your mouth shut long enough to stop interrupting!'

Damn, burned again.

"Point made. I'll try harder to keep my mouth shut Temi. It's just that it's all new to me so everything is super cool right now. Even this ridiculously darkroom is kinda cool in an eerie 'I'm going to kill you in here' kind of way."

........

Nothing.

I make the universal zipping motion with my hands and mouth and I hear Temi sigh in my mind. I'm not that bad, am I?

'As I was saying. The pure mana used in the creation of your body will let you grow faster and stronger than others. You will learn magic exponentially faster as well, it will also be of a higher quality and grade too. You should have no cast time for your spells seeing as how you where made from mostly mana and any spell you learn will be added to your knowledge and can be used freely. Once you have learned the basics and acquired a few spells, you should be stronger in magic than most of the inhabitants of this world. Normally when a person is reincarnated here there soul is placed in an infants body, where the rest of the memory is erased and they then start the cycle again. Diluted mana is absorbed over the course of their life and that is how regular inhabitants of Tironia use magic. Absorbing mana in our surroundings is a natural process and it happens to everyone, without absorbing mana they would not be able to use magic. I speculate that when you decided to bring me along an error must have occurred at the time when the original system in charge, myself, was ripped away from their work and forcefully replaced with a new temporary system, this is the reason your body was created from the pure mana rather than the filtered stuff.'

........

Eeeeeeeeeee, super awesome faster stronger magic powers! Pure mana! I'm definitely going to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world!

'Erin?'

"Yes"

'Do you not have any questions at the moment? I assumed you would.'

"No, I was just.......thinking."

I wonder if Temi can see the massive grin on my face. I know we can communicate but I don't think she can see. I hope she can't because if she can, she might realise I wasn't paying full attention and got caught up daydreaming.

'What's up with your weird smile?'

Crap. She called me out.

She can see my face? How can she see me? Is she actually invisible or something, I mean, she has no physical form what so ever, so how!

Think quick, I need a conversation changer before she calls me out again.

"So, If I am going to be using magic then I must have MP or whatever they call it here 'AND' if I'm pure mana then I must have a lot of it right? So Temi, can you tell how much magic power I have."

'Absolutely, I would be glad too.'

Shit.

That was a nice reply, this can't be good.

'Erin, you have 5 Mana.'

"Whaaaaat!!!!"