[NEW SYSTEM USER] DETECTED
Please wait while initiating your [Personal System Interface…]
Early activation trigger identified.
Bonus [Perk] awarded.
She couldn’t help but grin. Against all chance she had unlocked the [System] ahead of the normal schedule. She had heard rumors of the privileged rich and [Noble] classes giving their children a head start but the means were a closely guarded secret. She had done it on her own. This was massive. A perk at the very start of her journey. This was beyond all expectation. She went to the next screen.
WARNING: TRACE [MONSTER SYMBIONT] DETECTED
Recommend eradication to maintain sanity during coinciding full moons.
As part of your [Initialisation] the System can revert you to [Base Human].
[Note]: All Traits, Perks, Skills and accumulated XP will be lost.
Please authorise [Cellular Regeneration]
Yes
No
Just as the first screen had filled her with elation, the second filled her with dread. Infected. She would be hunted down and destroyed. There was no tolerance for uncontrolled monstrous traits within civilization. All the races were united on this. She had been bitten by a [Were]. While there were rumors and legends of [Weres] that could control their monstrous side there were no actual living examples she was aware of. It was likely a myth. She frantically assented to the [Regeneration]. Losing the [Perk] was regrettable but a small price to pay for her sanity and her life.
If the second screen filled her with dread the third just built upon her horror. “Oh no,” she all but breathed, this was a disaster. She hunched in on herself, curling up in a ball beneath the all but forgotten window in an alien world.
[PSI] INTEGRATION INTERRUPTED
Energy surge imminent.
System unable to disengage at this time.
mitigating…
Mitigation insufficient.
buffering…
Isolation failing.
[Critical System Infrastructure] under threat.
100% of free System Capacity allocated.
What!? This didn’t make sense. What was happening? No, what had happened? She still needed to authorise the regeneration. She flicked to the next screen.
COMPENSATING…
Shunting excess energy to [Emergency Teleport Protocol].
[ETP] overloading…
[Isekai] probability equals one
Calculating potential outcomes…
Opportunity to increase [System Extents] probability greater than zero.
Risk [CSI] to stack deck?
Acceptable for Optimal results.
System Override engaged…
[Moderator] Class assigned.
Channel excess energy to upgrade to [Arbiter] Class
Success!
Channel excess energy to upgrade [Attributes]
ALERT!
Critical threshold approaches.
UPGRADE ABORTED!
[Attribute] upgrades failed
She blinked. Probability? Isekai? Blink. Blink. She had never even heard of these words. What did this all mean? She was outside the [System]? But she was reading this right now. Surely that meant she was still part of it?
[NSU] CONNECTION LOST
searching…
[NSU] CONNECTION LOST
searching…
[NSU] CONNECTION LOST
searching…
There were hundreds, no, more than hundreds of identical screens. More than she knew how to count. What was she going to do? Her [System] was disconnected. That was impossible. Yet clearly it was not. And she had lost most of her memory. She scrabbled at her brain. What was her name? Her family? Friends? Surely they would miss her but what could they do? She was here, wherever here was, and they were all way back there.
She paused, she could hear footsteps.
She focused on the far wall, tracking them as they drew closer. Her hearing was absurdly sharper.
She drew a long shaky breath as the door opened.
A woman entered. Dressed funny but recognizable as a normal human. Only slightly taller than her but a whole lot rounder. She picked up more footsteps. Heavier and more deliberate. Two more pairs of footsteps approached but did not enter the still open door.
The woman smiled at her drawing her attention, “Hlulo!” With an open gesture at herself she continued, “my nmae is [Sraah] and I’m a [Matnel Haleth Censuloor].” The woman noticed her preoccupation with the doorway and the unseen lurkers. “Dno’t wrory aobut tehm, tehy wlil saty out tehre. I’m jsut hree to tlak, nihotng esle.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
She frowned. She could almost understand. And her eyes widened. The woman’s name and her title had stood out distinctly. With [System] emphasis. It was working again. She pulled up her notifications.
[NSU] CONNECTION REESTABLISHED
reinitialising…
The woman was still gibbering at her. She ignored her. She needed a skill to translate whatever language this was. To her complete surprise the [System] responded. This was totally different to what she had been taught to expect.
SKILL AVAILABLE: [POLYGLOT]
Grade D
Gain fluency in up to four languages.
Six language points available
Assign skill?
Yes
No
”Holy Bec’s Taint!” Her involuntary exclamation interrupting the background murmur of unintelligible babble.
It was a Grade D Skill. Unbelievable. A [Gold Tier] skill as a starter. This was unheard of. To be offered even a [Bronze Tier] starting skill was so rare it was extreme good fortune. A [Gold] skill was perhaps the result of a lifetime’s effort and only if you were lucky at that.
She assigned the skill. She would take all the good luck she could get. She certainly needed it.
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU HAVE LEARNT THE SKILL [POLYGLOT]
0 / 450 points
Current languages known: 1 / 4
[Common].
Spoken: 3 ⇒ 5
Read: 2 ⇒ 4
Write: 1 ⇒ 3
Wow. 450 points to upgrade the skill! That was massive. She knew it was only 25 points to upgrade a Base skill to Bronze. This was going to take some doing. And what was with these numbers. She already knew [Common] just fine, though admittedly her reading wasn’t that good and her writing even worse. It looked like there was a boost improving things. Perhaps that was her proficiency rating? Obligingly the [System] responded to her musings
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY SCORE
1. Elementary
2. Limited
3. Working
4. Professional
5. Native
Increased use to improve rating
‘Hummmphhh.’ She was slightly miffed. She’d been speaking [Common] all her life. That was all anyone spoke no matter their race or species. It was galling to see she previously had only a working proficiency in her native language. No matter. Moving on. She needed to learn whatever this new language was.
[POLYGLOT] ACTIVATED
Unknown language detected.
Do you want to add this language to your Skill?
Yes
No
Absolutely yes. The screen updated.
[POLYGLOT]
0 / 450 points
Current languages known: 2 / 4
[Common].
Spoken: 5
Read: 4
Write: 3
[English].
Spoken: 0 ⇒ 2
Read: 0 ⇒ 2
Write: 0 ⇒ 2
Aha! Now she was cooking. Returning her attention to the room the woman was still speaking in a calm and measured monologue. “We can’t really help you if you refuse to listen my dear.” She could understand her. ”We are very concerned for you. Is there anyone at home who we can contact? Or are you fleeing a bad situation? We can provide help…” The woman trailed off as she noticed her attention and comprehension. “Ahh. Hullo…” she paused again leaving room for her to respond with her name.
Her name. A refreshed panic filled her. She still didn’t know her name.
“I can’t know my name!” The distress in her voice noticeably evident even as she heard the unfamiliar words.
“There, there,” the woman consoled her. “You’ve had a big shock. Perhaps with some time and therapy you will remember your name. There is no rush.” She patted her hand. “My name is Sarah, in case you missed it before. What can you remember? Is there anything you can tell me?” Gently the [Mental Health Counselor] probed “Were you attacked love? Can you remember any details?“
“Attacked? Yes! Yes attack! Dog. Monster!” Her breath sped up again as fight or flight instincts warred afresh. She clutched at her arm.
“Hush, peace. You are safe now.” The [Counselor] was crouched next to her and embraced her as she shook in remembered trauma. Gently Sarah asked “Can you tell me where the dog attacked you? Were you at the beach? Was anyone with you?”
“Dark, alone, city, storm,” disjointed answers spilled out. She looked around the room again. “My clothes? Where my clothes?”
The [Counselor] shook her head. ”Your clothes were cut off you as you went into surgery. They are ruined. We will get you fresh ones. You have been in a coma for two days dear. And apart from your broken and mauled arm and a reasonable deep gouge just above your collarbone there is no injury that would indicate head trauma.”
“Head trauma?” She echoed.
“Yes. Perhaps it was the shock of being attacked. Your coma was very concerning but all our scans showed nothing was physically wrong.”
“Scans? [System Scan]? Your [System]? What [System] say? What tells you?”
Sarah leaned back slightly. “Well, I suppose it was x-ray and ultrasound and CT scans and I think they also did an MRI. Apart from the trauma to your arm and neck you are in good shape considering.” As an afterthought she added, ”Though you are reasonably under-nourished for a normal 16 year old.”
“16? I 18” indignant she paused, “or maybe 17…” she conceded. ”I think.”
“It’s of no matter,” Sarah smiled at her, “you’re doing great. What about siblings or your parents? Can you remember them? Is there anyone we can call?”
She looked around the room. ”Call?” There was no one here to call apart from the two guards outside the door.
”Yes, call. You know, contact. Or send a message?” Sarah was patient with her. Maybe that was like the [System Newel Pillar]. She frowned. She hadn’t had time to register at the City [SNP]. She had no [Safe-point] anchoring her [Soul]. No one could leave messages for her there. Perhaps you could send messages directly? She had no idea. She tried to send Sarah a message. It didn’t work. She dismissed the notification. Then she smacked her head in frustration, she was being silly. She had her own [System Interface] she could look up.
[PERSONAL SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Name
[Charlotte Della Porta]
Age
17
Level
1
XP
Copper
0/450
Race
Human Variant:
[Werewolf]
Safe-Point
Unassigned
Class(s)
[Moderator]
[Arbiter]
S
SSS+
Attributes
Strength
Agility
Endurance
1
1
1
Memory
Intelligence
Wisdom
1
1
1
Toughness
Fortitude
Charisma
1
1
1
Skill(s)
[Polyglot]
D
Trait(s)
[Minor Regeneration]
[Lycanthropy]
F
F- (Cursed)
Perk(s)
[Expert Spatial Proprioception]
D
Free points
68040 (15000 Reserved)
“Holy… “ Charlie was struck dumb. She remembered her name, her history. But this paled into insignificance. Her class was beyond [Mythic]. She felt faint. She needed to sit down. She was already sitting down. She needed to…
“Quick, put your head between your knees.” Sarah steadied her. “Breathe. You’re safe. You’re not alone.”
She knew that as she drew in a shuddering breath.
But she was.
She had never felt so alone.
— -O- —//— -O- —
Later that night Sarah stirred in her sleep as a blue prompt flashed behind her eyelids. “Donkaemeupjistyet” she mumbled to her still sleeping partner beside her as she rolled over burrowing into the covers.