In a seemingly endless, white desolate place devoid of any landmarks or signs of life, Kai stood alone. His figure stark against the infinite expanse of white, the overwhelming sense of isolation and emptiness pressed down on him.
My voice broke the silence, confused, "What the hell. Where am I? Suddenly, I couldn't control my body, and now I'm here?"
My words lingered in the air, a fleeting sound in an otherwise soundless void.
I started walking. Minutes, hours, days—time seemed meaningless in this place.
Damn. Can this end already? I've been walking for I don't know how long.
As I walked, I stepped on something.
Looking down, I saw an envelope. I opened it and read, "Enjoy."
It was as if someone was toying with me.
Frustration bubbled up within me. "What is this? Some kind of sick joke?"
I crumpled the paper in my hand, my grip tightening as my anger grew.
With no other choice, I continued walking.
Tak! Tak! What the fuck? Do I really need to explain the sound too?
Anyway...
Each step echoed in the vast emptiness, a chaotic mix of confusion and... excitement?
I tried to piece together my situation—why was I here?
What was this place?
The desolation began to play tricks on my mind.
A vision of my past self.
Getting bullied in school.
I remember this.
After I graduated elementary, I started homeschooling because of this.
I shook my head with a forced smile.
Shadows flickered at the edges of my vision, whispers echoed faintly around me.
"Kai, eat this paper for me."
"Kai, why are you so ugly?"
"Kai, give me your money!"
Seeing these visions.
I scoffed at them.
I forced myself to focus, knowing that losing my grip on reality would mean succumbing to whoever was playing with me.
"I know this is part of the game, but it still hurts," I muttered to myself, trying to maintain my composure.
I recalled every detail I could about my life, my godparents adopting me, and the sudden move to another country.
And then, in this life too. My and Hanabi's parents leaving us, us trying to survive in poverty.
Suddenly, the endless white space began to ripple, distorting the space around me.
I stopped, watching as the environment shifted and changed.
The whiteness slowly dissolved, replaced by a dimly lit room with a table and a chair in the middle.
My computer!
"Is this another trick?" I wondered aloud, my voice echoing in the now tangible space.
I cautiously stepped forward, my eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger.
A figure emerged from the shadows, tall and imposing, with piercing eyes and an aura of authority.
My heart skipped a beat.
This is a new plot?
I thought I'd played every randomizer character already.
I'm excited.
"Welcome, Kai Ember," the blurry figure's voice was hoarse and unpleasant to the ears, carrying a weight of authority and the unknown. "I see you've found your way here."
I swallowed hard, pretending to be shocked. "Why am I here? What is this place?"
Aren't I a good actor?
"This is a realm of trial that I created," the blurry figure explained, its gaze steady. "A space where you must confront your own truths and prepare for the challenges ahead."
My confusion deepened. "What truths? What challenges?"
Hahaha...
I was struggling not to laugh.
And laughing internally...
This cliché.
I've experienced it many times, but this one is a little different.
"You have been chosen by me as my successor, Kai. A chance to reshape your destiny and the destiny of those around you. But first, you must understand the depth of your power and the weight of your responsibility."
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "And how do I do that?"
The figure smiled faintly, a hint of amusement in its eyes. "By embracing who you are. By understanding the nature of the world you are in. And by accepting the role you must play."
The figure's voice echoed in my mind.
What does he mean?
Did he know I'm not from here?
Did he know I reincarnated?
Questions dwelled in my mind.
My surroundings shifted back to the endless white expanse, but now, it felt less isolating.
A floating screen appeared a few meters away from me.
I glanced down at the crumpled envelope in my hand and smoothed it out. "Enjoy," it had said.
With a resolute expression, I began to walk towards the floating screen. As I approached, the screen flickered to life, displaying images and words in rapid succession. It was a visual representation of my life, the future, and my existence.
I watched, mesmerized, as scenes from both lives played out before me.
The other me talked. "Kai, ####### one. Protect our sister."
After hearing that, I felt a thud in my soul.
Something changed within me.
I can't tell.
"This is your story, Kai," the figure's voice resonated from the screen. "You have the power to change it, to shape it. But first, you must understand the trials that await you." The silhouette of the figure slowly disappeared.
Its voice was familiar?
Why does that voice seem familiar in the end?
Must be imagining it...
Looking at the spot where the figure disappeared, I closed my eyes, slightly trembling.
"FINALLY! The game officially begins."
I couldn't contain my excitement. I started jumping around.
Earlier, before I came to this desolate space, I couldn't control my body. When suddenly, my vision changed, and I came here.
Which gave me the idea of getting a new character story.
So I didn't play before, even after playing for 20,000 hours and years.
My surroundings remained a stark white, the floating screen still flickering with images.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Alright, let's see what this system can do," I said, stepping closer to the screen.
The screen displayed a series of options and menus, each detailing different aspects of abilities and... race?
My eyes widened as I read through them, realizing the overpowered system that lay before me.
"Status," I said aloud, and the screen shifted to show my current stats and many more unique functions.
______________________________________________________
Status
Name: Kai Ember
Title: The Progenitor of Vampires
Rank: Low Tier Warrior
Attribute Points: None [5 points are needed for an attribute upgrade]
Vigor: Low Tier Warrior
Mind: Low Tier Warrior
Endurance: Low Tier Warrior
Strength: Low Tier Warrior
Dexterity: Low Tier Warrior
Intelligence: Low Tier Warrior
______________________________________________________
My excitement dimmed with each detail I read. "What the hell is this? Overpowered? With these abilities, there's no challenge at all."
Maybe, I won't upgrade my stats?
I already know what the enemies and bosses' attack patterns are.
Hayst.
I thought I could finally live an exciting life.
Handicapping myself again.
If I knew this would have happened, I would have chosen the fans' favorite, Leonardo. The disaster magnet.
Even though Leonardo's luck was high, finding rare medicine, items, and a lot more, he faced numerous difficult challenges from the start, largely due to the greed of others. Many sought to control him as their puppet, while others attempted to kill him out of fear of his potential and talent. From the very beginning, his path was fraught with obstacles.
But if I chose Leonardo, I can just ignore the loots that I find...
Or sell them to gain money...
And can live an excitingly dangerous life.
"Let's call that lucky guy the protagonist," I said.
Well. There's a lot of characters you can play at the start, but Leonardo is the easiest to use.
Knowing that Leonardo was like a cheat code, the game developers nerfed him by making him a disaster magnet.
Obviously, that guy is very lucky, finding rare medicines that help him become talented, surviving many challenges, and getting strong at the same time, means he's the protagonist.
As an orphan, the protagonist grew up without the support of a family or influential connections. This made him a prime target for those seeking to exploit his abilities. Various factions and individuals tried to control him, seeing his potential as a means to further their ambitions. Simultaneously, others, alarmed by his capabilities, sought to eliminate him to prevent any future threat to their power.
I opened my eyes, blinking at the floating screen above me. "System, explain everything about yourself," I demanded, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside him.
A text box appeared on the screen, listing the system's capabilities and instructions for using it effectively.
______________________________________________________
[Status] - Displays current statistics and attributes.
[Inventory] - Access items stored within the system.
[Skills] - View and manage acquired skills.
[Quests] - List of current and completed quests.
______________________________________________________
For those who are confused about what's happening, this is the explanation.
Explanation.
Jk.
For those who are confused. When Kai woke up at the park, he had a dream of being the author in this world and knows all what's going to happen. He thought it was knowledge from a god from the future.