Chapter 5 The Beginning: Waking up to a new world (Part 1)
Before everything went dark and dizzying, “I remember wondering whether I was about to die”
The last thing I remember was walking down central street and taking a short cut through an alley, and then nothing. Everything just went dark.
Dark? It’s still dark. <Status> I call for my status window and nothing happens. I try calling it out a few times and as I realize nothing is happening I start to feel a twinge of anxiety. This is new. My status window has never been unavailable… I didn’t even know that was possible.
I can’t move but I don’t feel hurt, I just… Can’t feel my body. This feels so surreal. I can’t move but I’m definitely awake. Except I can’t tell if my eyes are open. I feel apart from my body. Separate as if it doesn’t exist.
This is definitely new.
(Lesser God Realm)
At this moment. The universe, every universe, every star, sun, world, realm was ripped apart. Torn then erased. For one moment, everything was gone and not gone, in the universe and somehow somewhere else, somewhere out of existence.
One moment before everything was pieced back together. The god’s all joined together in the less god realm as the focal point for existence to be recreated, but not recreated, stitched back together but not the same way. Stitched back together but not in the all in the same place.
All godhoods of the gods used as material to heal and stitch the universe back in place.
One moment where everything was and wasn’t. One moment that stretched on for an eternity for a few but was never even noticed for most.
(Terra)
I hear something. I hear something! I hear screaming… Is that me? All I hear is screaming, all I heard for a few minutes was my own screaming. The personification of my pain given voice by a part of me that seemed apart from me.
After minutes of voicing my pain. Of feeling uncontrollable pain and relief all washing over me I finally felt myself again.
Despite the pain, I felt relief because the pain itself signified that I was still alive. Weirdly enough I’m surprisingly calm about all these, take away the screaming and the anxiety (which I’m keeping down pretty well), and this would be impressive.
I move my one good arm with everything I have. I can’t even feel my left arm. I can’t stay like this, I can move now so I need to do something. I open my eyes but the dark seems different (which is a weird thing). Darker yet brighter. It takes me a second to realize it feels darker because it’s no longer so early in the morning. It’s more like it’s early at night.
Did I passed out for this long? I tilt my head a bit before realizing three soul shuddering things.
1.) There in the middle of the sky are three moons staring at one another in unison. From my perspective forming the shape of a pyramid. “Since when are there 3 moons” I take the time to wonder?
2.) Everything in the sky is brighter. The stars are shinning as if they are closer. In fact I can’t recognize any of the constellations and even when I find one I know it feels like they’re in the wrong place. The sky feels wrong.
3.) When I finally tear my eyes away from the sky I finally finish tilting my head to the side to realize there’s nothing around me only rubble.
This morning when I woke up I was in the middle of my home town, now I’m surrounded by nothing. My mind is swirling with the possibilities as to what could have happened. Even more so, considering the stars are all wrong and everything around me is different, perhaps I’m no longer home… “Could this be one of those stories where I’ve been transported to another world?” I wonder.
I push all of these possibilities aside and try to calm my mind. Almost my entire body is in pain, but a numb pain that feels more like a dull ache. Ugh. This is terrible. Still, regardless of what happened. I’m still alive and I’m all about focusing on the positive.
I try to call out for my <status>
—————————————————————————————————————
| -Status- |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Name: | Daichi Seishin |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Level: | 5 |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Race: | None | Status: | Touched by Chaos |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Title(s): | None |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Divine Protection: | None | Attribute(s): | None |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Health: | 1/100 |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Mana: | 1 |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Strength: | 8 | Dexterity: | 8 |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Vitality: | 8 | Endurance: | 24 |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Intelligence: | 40 | Wisdom: | 40 |—————————————————————————————————————
| Magical Aptitude: | 1 | Luck: | 100/100 |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Skill(s): |
—————————————————————————————————————
| None |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Ability: |
—————————————————————————————————————
| None |
—————————————————————————————————————
| Inheritance: |
—————————————————————————————————————
| None |
—————————————————————————————————————
I immediately feel relived to see my status window. Seeing on of the constants in my life makes me feel more secure momentarily. That relief is turned to shock almost as soon as I take a look at the actual window as my eyes open wide.
The numbers are mind goggling. I don’t know what I should even be focusing on. The fact that apparently luck had a cap, that my magical aptitude is so low (disappointing) or that I’m an inch away from death!
I’m hurt but how could I possibly be that hurt!? I can’t even tell what’s wrong with me!
Then I actually take a look at that abnormal status that has something to do with my mana. My mana is suddenly unsealed but worthless and somehow abnormal… I think if I were anyone else I’d be feeling overwhelmed.
If I’m this hurt how am I not dead? Why is my luck 100? So many questions pop up one after another. I can’t even decide what to focus on first.
I try to remember what happened but it feels so vague. I remember vague snippets of things happening that couldn’t have happened. I was in an alley, when suddenly the ground I was on was the peak of a ledge overlooking the entire city much higher than everything else and suddenly but almost seemingly at the same time there was nothing there and I was just falling? None of that makes any sense.
I feel exhaustion wash over me just trying to think of an answer, an answer to any of the dozens of questions passing through my mind. Even as that happens I vaguely wonder whether closing my eyes would equate to death.
I wonder if I yell if anyone would hear me. Actually I just wonder if there’s anyone left around here but me. Just as I’m about to close my eyes and let things play out however they will…
I hear a voice in my mind, as if someone is talking to me from inside of my own head. Which is an extremely discomforting sensation I might add…
This world is no longer your world. In the aftermath of the chaos that has spread and been contained reality has folded in upon itself. A wrinkle was formed. This world is not Terra and it is not Amos. Both of your worlds no longer exist alone. They have been merged into this world. This is our world. This is the divine realm of the Gods. The land masses of your worlds are here, along with parts of other things from other places. Beyond the stretch of land your world’s once held lies a vast world which you are all a part of now. Those of you that have survived are the lucky ones. As such we will give you a gift. A gift of possibility. No one in this world will be limited by their race.
I try to pay attention but the waves of exhaustion cause me to pass out before catching that last part. Something about a gift…
We grant you the ability to evolve, to choose, to grow. That is the good news. Now hear the rest, all of you are now in danger. If you want to survive you will need to become strong, strong enough to survive what comes next.
9 Tribulations 