Chapter 1: Me and the Birds

This is too much…

Blinking again, I carefully look at the portal over the city as if to make sure it's real.

To think all of this was just a dream, I knew this day was going too well. Ah– if this isn't part of some sort of doomsday scenario I should go get some sushi after work.

Looking behind me, I see George coming over with his ever-present coffee cup in hand.

"Hey George, how's your day?"

"Same old, what were you looking at?" Raising an eyebrow in question, I look at him for a second before responding.

"Do you see what I'm seeing?"

"Yup" Looking at George sipping his coffee, I quickly ask him with 

an annoyed tone radiating from me.

"Can you slap me?"

"Sorry, I'm not into that kind of thing"

How about I slap you?

"Okay– Don't look at me like that. I'll do it"

Wait!

"Wait!" Quickly ducking to avoid the suspiciously fast slap I begin to notice our coworkers starting to come near the window to watch whatever that is.

"Why do you ask me to slap you if you are just going to avoid it?"

"I thought about it and realized it was dumb, just pinch my arm" While taking another sip of his coffee, I quietly watch as his hand makes its way into my stretched arm and he burrows his nails into me.

"So?" Feeling the small sting in my arm, with a nod and a deadpan face, I answer.

"This is not a dream"

"Why would it be?"

While wildly gesticulating at the portal outside, I tell him "Maybe the fucking big shiny swirling massive fucking portal outside made me think so?"

"You're right" Not even caring about my outburst, he starts to look outside once again while taking a big drink from his coffee cup.

"So, what do you think it is?"

"A new powerful weapon the Russians developed, and we are its testing grounds"

"You are a comedian, Georgie" Rolling my eyes I take my phone out of my pocket. Taking note of the time, we have 6 minutes until our break ends.

Before I could put my phone in my pocket, I heard George saying something while slightly stuttering.

"Say, Suzume, would you please tell me please that you see a hand opening the fucki–"

With the sound of the cup shattering, I look up from my phone and notice everyone is openly gaping at something in astonished silence.

Looking at the hand coming out of the portal– more accurately, a really big black nail, I quickly start to feel like this is not a normal Monday anymore.

"Do you think we'll be getting paid leave?" Not hearing him not respond, I sigh and check the time once more.

4:05 PM

I'm not even through half of my work, and with how everything is going, work is the least of my worries.

Seeing the news helicopters closing in on the portal, my mind naturally asks a question

Where is the government?

If a space-ripping thing– a monster, were to appear on my territory I would of course send the military to deal with it.

Sadly I'm not the president or work for the government.

Not that I would like to do that, only idiots do that. Like my friend George over here.

"What is that?"

"I'm recording!"

"Has anyone seen the boss?"

"The fuck going on?"

While watching my dear co-workers lose their minds at the aspect of the genre of reality swapping from a trash slice of life to a stupid fantasy story, I keep watching as the nail keeps opening the portal as it starts to go upwards.

This whole situation is a fever dream.

Quickly nodding in realization, I leave everyone behind and start to go to the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"I'll test if there is fall damage" Ignoring the absolute look of confusion on George's face, I leave the office and start walking in the hallway.

Swiftly ignoring the elevator I start fast-walking up the stairs.

4:07 PM

Stupid subconscious brain, I'll show you who is the boss around here.

Putting my phone back as fast as I got it out, I opened the door to the rooftop.

What greets me is jets flying in the direction of the portal, and news helicopters circling it below with their cameras pointed at it.

Also, did I mention that the sky is now deep orange? You know like when it uhm–

Crazy stuff, you wouldn't get it.

Getting my phone out in what seems like the tenth time in 5 minutes, I once again check the hour, unlock the phone, and quickly turn the camera on.

Selfie mode.

Taking a quick picture to remember takes nothing you know?

Click!

And even if I said I would 'test for fall damage' I'm not that dumb. Who would want to die, even in a dream?

I just wanted to come here for a better view

Searching for news about portals and monsters makes results quickly come out.

Sitting on the edge of the building, I dangle my legs while looking at the news.

China, Brazil, France, 

Even the moon? This is kind of– I don't know. Crazy?

These fucking sirens are going to make my head explode.

ROAR!

Quickly grabbing myself in order not to fall off the building– the really tall building, I see an eye looking through the portal, no nail in sight. Just an eye, so big it the whole size does not fit the portal.

The portal now covering the whole city of New York– and getting bigger by the second.

With the shaking finally stopping, I see that all the aircraft are falling down.

I think this whole situation is getting more and more like a fever dream.

Shaking my head, I once again put my phone in my pocket and look at the red-eyed beast above.

At the hundreds of thousands of smaller things falling through the portal

Is that a goblin?

Squinting my eyes, I try to make sense of the things I'm currently seeing.

A bull? Is that a fucking hydra?

This is way above my pay grade, literally.

Before I notice, a small tremor starts to shake everything. Quickly growing bigger.

An earthquake? Shit.

"Ah, Fuck– fuck"

Feeling myself slipping away from the edge, I try to keep myself stable but–

A strong wind pushes me, with the earthquake finishing the job.

Fuck

Panicking, I start to flail my arms. But the moment my feet leave the ground and I start falling, I see a screen appear in front of me.

[System integration successful]

"AAAAHHHHHHHH"

Fuckfuck–

[Dimension 'Earth' will now commence the tutorial]

"AHHHHHHH" Not being able to do anything else but scream I am barely able to notice everything around me get destroyed.

The company building is just gone– now concrete falling all around, with almost every building meeting the same fate.

[Current difficulty: Humanity Must Die]

Screaming harder than I've ever screamed, the ground getting closer and closer– sirens sounding louder and louder, I close my eyes and–

[Say 'status' to view–]

Splat!

As my consciousness finally keeps up, I scream again, but instead of screaming in fright, I scream because of pain.

[System integration successful]

I keep hugging my body as I scream, not caring for anything– not being able to care for anything instead of the pain I'm feeling.

[Dimension 'Earth' will now commence the tutorial]

[Current difficulty: Humanity Must Die]

[Say 'status' to view–]

Splat!

"AAAHHH–" As I keep screaming- I start to notice that the pain is gone.

[Current difficulty: Humanity Must Die]

Cracking open one of my eyes, I notice the floor is away from me– even though I should have already died.

[Say 'status' to view–]

Splat!

This time I see it.

I'm up here again, falling, but alive. One moment I was about to die– died but now I'm here.

My Breath is shaking, i'm falling– but I'm here.

Ignoring the screen in front of me, I just watch quietly as I fall, eyes fully open, concentrated on just myself and the ground.

Splat!

"What the fuck" breathlessly at what I just witnessed– experienced. I can only swear in amazement.

Splat!

"Is this–" pausing slightly, I look at the screen discussing system integration.

"I think I get it" not getting it at all, not getting over this situation, I only read the screens that appear.

The system screens.

Splat!

"I think I know what's going on" As if a lightbulb appeared on my head, A genius realization came over me.

"I've read about this, those novels are going to come in handy"

Splat!

While the pain is there, I only feel it for a second before I'm back up here.

Pausing my thoughts for a second, I start to think again.

I guess that second is the amount of time I take to die.

Caressing my non-existent beard, I start to think about my situation.

So I died, but I'm back? 

Splat!

I guess it's more accurate to say that I keep dying, but I keep coming back.

What did the screen say? I think it was–

"Status"

[Name: Sakai Suzume]

Difficulty: Humanity Must Die

Age: 25

Level 0

Body: 0

Mind: 0

Mana: 0

Skills

[(EX) Regression]

[Regression]

Go back in time to system initialization after death

Can I get a refund?

Splat!