I wake up, open my eyes, and stare into the sky. This isn’t my room. I immediately get up and look around. I'm standing in a patch of a grass field surrounded by trees as the sun shines down on me.
"How did I get here? Last thing I remember I went to sleep after I got home from college last night. I have finals today, I can't waste time out here."
I reach down and touch the grass, feeling it in my hands.
“This is definitely real… I’m not dreaming.”
I notice some sort of chalk-like dust on the grass. I pick up a bit of it on my finger. Its color shifts between blue and purple as I move it in and out of the sun's light. I stare at it, and try to figure out what it is. Suddenly, a purple and slightly transparent screen appears in my vision, directly above the dust.
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[Item Information]
E-rank Item: World Crystal (Dust Form)
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I stare at the screen in initial shock, before I immediately recognize what it is.
"It looks like the same type of menu screens used in an RPG, but why is there one here? Am I going crazy?"
I look at the screen as it sits above my finger, and think of the word “close” in my mind. Sure enough, the small purple screen vanishes. Next, I think of the word “profile,” and once again, things happen exactly as I expect them to. Another screen shows up around the center of my vision.
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[Profile]
Name: Louis Silva
Species: Human (Earth)
Age: 21
Level: 1
Class: None
Unique Skill: Dice (Lvl 1)
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While all this information was interesting, I was mostly focusing on the illustration of me depicted to the right of all of it. It showed me staring forward, wearing a white sweater and blue jeans. I look down, and sure enough, that’s exactly what I'm wearing.
“That’s odd! This isn’t what I went to sleep in."
I peer at the rest of the illustration, noticing my light brown hair, and the bright blue eyes that I've always hated. My mother used to tell me they looked beautiful, but all the friends I ever had just ended up making fun of me for them. Other than my clothing, nothing was out of place or unordinary.
“Really? I’m still 5 '9? I couldn’t have gotten a little height boost in this new world? Whatever then, time to check this out.”
I bring the word “dice” to the front of my mind, and feel something materialize in my hand. I bring it up and look at what's now in it. I open my hand up and see a purple and blue 20-sided dice, made of the same material as the crystal dust from earlier. I notice that every single side has the same thing on it, the symbol for infinity. I stare at it and try analyzing it like I did with the dust. I smirk as it works similarly to how I expect it to.
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[Skill Information]
Unique Skill: Dice
Skill Form: Infinity Dice (Lvl 1 Form)
Information:
* Upon use, the skill will summon a random item or trigger a random effect on a creature or item within range.
* Use conditions: Must be rolled on a flat and stable surface. A flat surface will temporarily materialize upon the activation of the skill if none are nearby.
* Item/Effect List: Infinite. The skill will duplicate a random item or effect that is already existing within the world.
* Probabilities: Every item or effect has an equal chance to be rolled.
* Range: 5ft
* Potential Targets: A random creature or item within range. However, Louis Silva can be chosen to be targeted with 100% certainty.
Excess Information: Tap here to view.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Passive Skill Effects:
* You gain experience at a much slower rate than the default.
* You gain stats at a much slower rate than the default.
* Your stat values are set to 3 instead of the default of 10.
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“What in the world is this? Is this really all I have?! Why is there so much to read here?!"
I ignore the excess information for now, as I don't want to to get even more overwhelmed.
"I don't think I have anything other than this... and what was all that stuff about my level and stats?!"
I sigh and accept that this is probably all I have to work with for now.
“Hmm... Does the infinite list include negative things as well?”
I think that it’s probably best if I don't try using Dice for now. There’s something else I’m curious about, so I think of the word “stats.”
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[Statistics]
(More stats may be revealed at future levels.)
Level: 1 / 100
Strength: 3 / 1,000
Agility: 3 / 1,000
Vitality: 3 / 1,000
Stamina: 3 / 1,000
Magic: 3 / 1,000
Craft: 3 / 1,000
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My jaw drops in shock as I stare at the screen in front of me.
“Are you kidding me?! What even is this stupid skill?! I already worked hard for everything in my normal life and now I have to work even harder here?!”
In frustration, I give up on thinking logically and put all I have into my unique skill.
"Y'know... It'd at least be pretty cool if I could snap my fingers to activate it..."
I shrug before snapping my fingers. A purple transparent table without legs materializes before me. It looks similar to the screens, except it is thicker and on its side. The dice disappears from my hand and materializes above the table, dropping onto it. A screen sits above it.
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Rolling Infinity Dice
. . .
Rolled!
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I stare at the table, expecting something to happen. The dice, as I expected, had rolled onto the only thing it could have, the infinity symbol. I wait for a few seconds, but nothing happens.
“Does it not even work?! Does the only thing I have here not even–”
I'm interrupted by the sound of a loud thud behind me, sending shivers down my spine. The purple table dematerializes as I turn around to see something I never would have expected. It's a giant stone boulder, which was almost twice my height. I calm myself down and analyze it the same way I did with the dust and dice.
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[Item Information]
?-Rank Item: Boulder of Treasure
* At the center of this boulder lies a random ore that remains unknown until excavated out.
* It can be any type of ore/mineral/crystal already existing within the world.
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“You’ve gotta be kidding me… An entire other layer of randomness?! What would I even do with a piece of rock right now, even if it is valuable?!”
I kick the boulder in anger, hurting myself and not damaging it at all.
“Should I try to roll again? Would that even help me? Wouldn’t I risk getting a negative effect? What if I just poison myself and I die instantly?! I’m as weak as a stick at the moment!”
I think for a second before realizing that I have no idea what I’m even trying to accomplish. The idea of having to face what happened to me makes my heart sink, so I quickly try to focus back on the seemingly fake situation, part of me still hoping that it might just be a dream. I think back to the RPGs I've played in the past, and remember the exact word used for seeing stuff that needs to be done.
“Quests.”
Sure enough, the purple screen appears in front of me again. However, this time part of it was highlighted in red.
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[Quests]
Main Quest: Save the World.
Sub-Quest: Find a home village.
Unique Quest: Use your unique skill, Dice, on yourself every 24 hours.
* WARNING. FAILURE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS QUEST WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE AND UNAVOIDABLE DEATH.
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I begin to freak out slightly, before eventually regaining my calm. I try to visualize a timer of some sort in the top right corner of my vision. Exactly as I envisioned it, a red screen with numbers on it appears.
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[Unique Quest Timer]
23:58:43
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Everything begins to make sense to me. I'm pretty much restricted from gaining any stats or levels, so the only way I can get anything would have to be my skill. It's probably a terrible risk to use, but if I don't use it in the span of 24 hours after the last roll, I'd instantly die. Risking it all is apparently the only option I have to move forward.