*Loud Ringing Noise*

For a moment, it felt as if everything was over. A loud crash and a bang was the last thing I remembered happening. It was over... Like hell it was. The Good Lord didn't bring me back to life just to end it again in such an anticlimactic manner!

My eyes slowly began to open. No sooner than that did I feel immediately attacked by bright sunlight that forced me to squint and cover. I was breathing heavily as I pondered if I somehow managed to end up in the afterlife, but the pain and aching coming from all over my body quickly snapped me back to reality. It took me a whole minute to collect myself before I noticed something else that was strange.

Since when was I in a forest…?

I didn't notice that I had my back up against a tree the whole time and that everywhere around me was just trees. Okay, something's definitely going on here. Last I checked, the academy was very close to a metropolitan area and the forestry that belonged to the academy did not look like this at all. There weren't any benches, open fields, or even students who were usually cycling about or taking a picnic.

Weird. I mustn't have been blasted too far away... I mean, we were in an enclosed space for heaven’s sake. Most people would die from the blast alone, let alone from the landing. I mean I get that Awakened aren't like most people, but still. Something was definitely going on in here.

When I looked around, I also noticed that the ground was void of all kinds of debris and the like. It was as if I was... transported here...

No no no... That can't be... I mean seriously? Another world? Another dimension? I mean, back at the campus some of my seniors introduced me to some oriental moving-art, anime it was called, that featured things like this... Or maybe like the works of Alice in Wonderland or Narnia by those English authors, but... this should be highly unlikely.

And there I go again forgetting about the fact that I've been dead for centuries and then subsequently resurrected in a completely different time period. Well, now that I think about it, this might just be a similar case. But first things first, I'd better get out of here. Moping around in the middle of nowhere isn't gonna do crap for me so my next best chance is to find any sign of civilization to ask for help. Best case scenario, It was only a teleportation and I was still at least in the same world.

No sooner did I get up and start walking when somehow a female voice - something that sounded like one of those voices in video games. Yes, I've played quite a few of them along with the guys at the dorms, though Nobu should really stop taking those things too seriously

‘Welcome, Charles Habsburg, to Orbis.’ the voice sounded very surreal, like it was inside of my head.

Following that, a sort of blue panel opened up in front of me and in it was written a whole array of things, including my name along with other outlandish sounding things like level, HP, MP, Strength, Agility, etc. etc. Now I'm totally convinced... God was having fun with me right now. He's literally turned my life into some sort of RPG game. The outlandish circumstances I've found myself in has now just gone far over the level of 'unbelievable' and into the realm of 'what the actual fuck'.

Stat Screen 1 [https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/240x117q90/c/923/g70Vm9.png]

This has gotta be some sort of insane dream. But then again, weirder things have happened. Well, pondering these things won't be of any help, so I might as well see if this voice in my head would be so kind enough to give me a sort of 'tutorial'.

"So would you mind giving me a bit more to go on, miss…?" I said to the voice whilst checking out all the extra panels that appeared before me. I asked the voice for a name just to be polite. For all I know she might be one of the powers that be in this world. Or she could just be some emotionless programming, but then again, this doesn't seem like a simple game.

'...I am called Intea...' the voice said

"Very well, miss Intea... Can we first start with - if you have any liberty to tell me - what kind of situation am I in exactly?"

'I am not quite at the liberty to tell you that exactly'

Of course she wasn't. It never really is that simple with these kinds of things. Well, I'd hoped she'd give me a more straight-forward answer, but I should at least try to probe further while I can.

"What is this world? Is this some sort of game?"

'Perhaps most of you summoned here would think of it as such, but I assure you this world is very much real..'

"Wait, by others, you mean?"

'It seems that there are many others who were summoned here besides you, all from your world and with similar conditions in fact."

Well if that's true, then that might be a saving grace for me. At least there'll be others with similar conditions to me here... Wait, by similar conditions she means...

"The other awakened?"

'Yes. In fact it's your condition as special summoned beings that allows you to hear me and make use of the interface.'

Interface? Like those things you use that's part of informational technology? My, this just is something to behold.

"You keep using the word summoned. What do you mean? It's as if I'm a demon someone conjured up."

'That might not be too far off from the truth actually... but I'm not at liberty to deliberate further. At least for now.'

Typical. "Then can I at least know what you are?"

'What I can tell you is, I am here only to give you a brief introduction before you set out on your own path. The panels will help you on the rest of your journey.'

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Well at least she's being honest to me and not giving me any pretense or false hope. I had wanted to ask what this journey meant and what goal was to be achieved for at least a chance to return home but I figured she wouldn't be at liberty to tell me that either.

'Then before I begin giving you a short tutorial, I have to explain the basics of Orbis. This world is not as advanced technologically as your previous one. But what it lacks in that aspect, it makes up for with one thing.'

"And that thing being...?"

'Magic.'

I honestly couldn't believe my ears. I think I really did end up in a fantasy world. If I had had this happen to me back in my previous life, I would have definitely thought I was going insane and turning into a heretic. I always thought that the phrase 'magic is only science we haven't discovered yet' rang very true especially with the modern era as half of the technological wonders I've seen may as well be magic if I wasn't specifically told of the various underlying scientific, physical, and technological factors at work. Yet here I am standing, talking to a voice in my head trying to convince me that this magic thing is real. If this gets even more unreasonable, I am most definitely going to treat this as a modern RPG game for how absurd it was.

'I will explain that system to you later on, but first, the explanation of the panels.'

"Carry on, then, ma’am."

'As you can see there are some panels appearing in front of you right now. This is your user interface. In here you can see details of your powers and skills with your overall strength and power being represented by your level. These other panels are your inventory, a world map, as well as a quest log.'

"Why is the map blank save for the area I'm around?" Oh please don’t tell me, it’s like a game where the more I explore, the more I can see?? Tch. Where’s Google Maps when you need it.

'Users are given free reign to explore and live this world however they see fit. Thus even leveling up can be done through basic training and the like. For your stat screen, you have three things you can keep a track on which are essential. Your HP for your life, your MP to cast magic spells and tune up your attacks, as well as your energy to do other kinds of powers and skills. For your skill stats, strength obviously increases the damage you deal with your weapons as well as the powers of some skills. Likewise focus is the same but in terms of your magical powers, though in virtue of your class, you shouldn't need to focus too much on this. Agility deals with your natural reflexes and your speed. Vitality deals with the amount of damage you can take and how fast you can heal. Endurance also helps with the damage you take, but it also deals with energy and its recovery. Stamina mainly helps along with your other physical stats as it focuses a little on energy, strength, and agility.'

Honestly it all seems so convoluted. Although, it's a simple enough mechanism for this. I just still want to ask something that I've been very curious about...

"What happens when my HP runs out? Do I die permanently or…?"

Even though I couldn't see it, I could just feel she was smirking at me. And her answer didn't do much to help either. 'I wouldn't think it wise to test out that theory.'

She continued to explain the other panels which was typical things you would find in an RPG, but there were some things that were distinct from what I could gather. This place was still a real life world. I could still go hungry and die from other causes which relates to my HP which I think can change by becoming stronger. I need to gain experience to level up, and from what I can tell from these kinds of games, I think I could do that by killing things... probably. It's a good thing to know that besides leveling up, my stats can increase by regular old training and in fact my own physicality prior to being brought over to this strange land also helped. When I was at the academy, I decided to train my body to become more agile and joined a few sports teams as well, which is why my strength and agility are of a higher point. I guess P.E really does have its benefits.

'Well user, that is all I may be able to say for now and this might also be the last time we talk to each other.'

"Well, it would've been nice to have a guide along with me."

'The panels will serve to notify you of anything else. They'll guide you along the way.'

"Then, I guess this is it. Thank you again, miss Intea. Whatever you are or wherever you are, I'm glad to at least have some form of help."

'...You are a strange one, Charles. You seem to be very unfazed by all this.'

"As you might've already known, I've been through a lot of strange things as of late."

'That you have... As a parting gift and as a sign of thanks for your cordiality, I'll be giving you a little something. Farewell, user, and may your journey be filled with good fortune.'

And after that, the voice stopped, and as she said, a panel appeared in front of me.

*You have received a new skill!*

*Blessing of Intea: You have received a blessing from the Goddess of Wisdom herself! Experience you earn is now doubled permanently.*

I won't lie. I was stupefied. An actual Goddess... Lord Christ have mercy on my soul. I made the sign of the cross immediately hoping I wasn't just hexed by a demon. But she was extremely kind-sounding and she never insinuated anything harmful. I'm just going to put that at the back of my mind for now. No use thinking over things you can't do anything about. And besides, this new skill I've earned might very well come in handy. I wonder if any of the other awakened brought here got the same kind of fortune. Well that is assuming that there are other awakened besides me as Intea had said.

Getting back to the point, I should really get out of here and try making my way to find any signs of civilization. Looking from where I am, I could make out what seemed like a clearing not too far away from where I was. There might be a road there and if I'm lucky, I might be able to hitch a ride. After all, at least traveling the road would be safer than traversing through thick forest.

"GROOOWLLL!!"

I really wish I had thought of that sooner as no later than when I started to walk towards the road did an angry and ferocious-looking wolf all of a sudden jumped at me and started trying to tackle me. Luckily, I managed to dodge the beast’s bite at the last second as I saw it lounging at me. When I put a little distance between myself and it, I got a good look at the wolf which was quite a bit bigger than what regular wolves should be. The balancing of this world is totally off the wall. I saw a slight glimpse of the wolf's stats and saw that it was quite a few levels above me and had quite considerable health.

My first instinct was quite obvious, actually, and that was to immediately get the hell out of there. I immediately evaded another lounge from the wolf and made a run for it. It only took me a few minutes to realise that trying to outrun a wolf at level 1 is quite a futile thing to do. I tried checking my inventory and again I was let down by the fact that I wasn't even given a decent weapon. Or any at all for that matter.

As I was evading the wolf as best I can, I nearly crashed into a tree which I dodged by only a hair's breadth. The wolf giving chase, was slightly too slow on the take and so it crashed itself into the tree, actually managing to crack it. Thank the Lord I dodged that one... but this is an opportunity.

The ferocious beast was momentarily stunned and this was my chance. There was a sharp-looking dagger stuck to one of the trees near there and below it was a corpse of a man with his back so gruesomely hacked, presumably by this horrid wolf.

Stealing from the dead may be horrid, but this was do or die.

Quickly pulling the dagger out, I lounged at the wolf that was still picking itself up and thrust the blade deep into its damned bony skull. It felt like stabbing another goddamned tree with how hard the wolf's skull was. I looked again at the wolf's stats as its health had taken a great blow and was continuing to decrease as the dagger stabbed deep into it.

It shook furiously trying to get me off, and I'll admit that it bloody hurt me being shaken like that. After what felt like another few minutes of struggling, the beast finally weakened as it fell to the ground lifeless. My lungs were heavy, my throat was sore, and my heart was pounding like there was no tomorrow. Honestly it was terrifying almost being made into a ragdoll. I pulled the dagger out which took quite a bit of effort before slumping to the ground, taking deep breaths before I finally started to calm down. Then a notification appeared.

*You have gained 70 XP!*

*You have levelled up!*

Brilliant.