Hazel leaned back against a wooden café chair, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. Her eyes absentmindedly gazed at the oak ceiling with lights hanging above her.
She’s been in this café for the past two to three hours trying to finish her essay for a class at her university. She was already on her third Mocha Frappuccino while vigorously typing on her laptop, getting closer and closer to completing her assignment. The only reason the young woman was taking a break was that her eyes were burning from constantly staring at the screen.
Stifling a groan, Hazel then trained her eyes back on the laptop while brushing a piece of her charcoal black hair to the side to properly see her computer.
The class she was writing this assignment was an English class. As for the assignment itself, the students were told to write an argumentative essay. The goal there was to make an argument regarding a topic and provide sufficient evidence to support it. It was your typical English essay, so Hazel wasn't too bothered by it. She would rather do something else that was more entertaining, but this took priority at the moment, unfortunately.
while working on her essay, Hazel’s phone started vibrating. When she glanced at her phone to see who it was, she saw her mom’s name on the screen, causing her brows to crease.
“Oh, no,” She grumbled. “What does mom want now…”
Reluctant to answer the call, Hazel picked up her phone and answered.
“Hello?” She said hesitantly.
“Hello, sweetie!” Her mother’s voice was heard through the other line. “I was just wondering how you were doing. Are you okay at your dorm? Is the university treating you well?”
Hazel mentally groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose after hearing her mom’s worried tone. After taking a deep breath, she tried to smile while talking into the phone. If she didn’t smile while talking, her mom would be able to tell, and that was the last thing she needed at the moment.
“Yes, Mom, I’m fine,” She replied, her voice sounding a bit strained as she forced down her irritation. “The university is nice, so you don’t have to constantly worry, okay?”
This was a regular thing for Hazel when it came to speaking with her mother. Ever since she left home to live in the dorms at her campus, her mom had been constantly calling her and making sure that everything was alright. Although she appreciated her concern, she found it a bit tiresome at times.
“Are you sure?” Her mom questioned. “If you need anything from me, you can always call and ask, okay?”
“Yes, I know, mom. But, really, I’m fine.”
Ever the worrisome mother as ever. Thankfully, Hazel knew just how to derail the situation to her advantage.
“So, how’s Damien doing?” She immediately changed the subject.
Hazel could practically hear the tone shift in her mother’s gasp, just as she switched gears, her voice sounding more excited and happier.
“Oh, your little brother is doing well!” She beamed; her worried tone from before becoming a thing of the past. “He joined a club about gaming. I believe he said that he helps test and codes games to make them better.”
“I see,” Hazel chuckled. “Sure sounds like him to join a club like that.”
Damien was Hazel’s younger brother. He was a bit of a game fanatic, which was why Hazel wasn’t surprised that her sibling joined a club about them. She believed that in the future, Damien would become a game developer. It made sense since he knew a little bit about coding and such when it came to making video games.
“I’m assuming he’s doing his homework and assignments like he should?” Hazel continued, doing her best to keep the topic away from her well-being, using her own sibling as a sacrifice.
“Of course! I even threatened to take away those little dru-whatever models he always collects." The mom lets out a sigh, prompting Hazel to chuckle.
"Druid Miniatures, mom," She corrected.
"Oh, now you're starting to sound like your brother!" The mom huffed over the phone. "Either way, I threatened to take them away, and he listened."
"I bet he did," Hazel stifled a laugh. "Well, I got to go…” She said, deciding to end the conversation short before her mom pestered her again. “I have an assignment to do at the moment, and I’m almost done.”
“Oh, then I’ll leave you to it, sweetheart! I love you!”
“I love you too, Mom,” Hazel smiled before ending the call.
Letting out a heavy sigh, she placed her phone back on the table before turning her attention back to her laptop. However, instead of feeling energetic to finish, she felt more drained than anything. Likely because of her conversation with her mother. This was normal for Hazel, so she tried not to let it get to her.
Realizing that she was no longer motivated to continue writing her essay, she decided to take a break for a little bit. Saving her work, Hazel then turned off her laptop. The screen turned black in an instant, revealing her reflection. Natural porcelain skin, amber-brown eyes, and flowing black hair that trailed down to her upper back. Hazel stared at herself for a few seconds before letting out a heavy sigh. She soon closed her laptop and placed it in her backpack. She then reached into it and pulled out something else instead. A Fantasy Novel she just recently bought.
Hazel was a major fan of the fantasy genre, or more specifically, Magic. She always had a fascination with the concept since she was little. More than that, she also always wanted to use it.
To be able to conjure up a ball of fire or summon a bolt of lightning was something Hazel desperately wanted to do. Imagine being able to move things with your mind or heal people with a spell. If she was capable of doing something like that, Hazel's life would be so much more interesting. At least more interesting than writing some stupid essay for her class.
Sadly, that couldn't happen since Magic wasn't actually real. Well, apart from parlor tricks and sleight-of-hand performances, which Hazel found rather mundane, to say the least.
Hazel, unfortunately, lived in the real world. Not a Fantasy one with swords and magic. And there was nothing that she could do to really change that. So, the only thing she could do to satisfy her obsession with magic was to read Fantasy novels. Where in their worlds, it was real.
But even when Hazel knew the hard truth of the matter, there was always a part of her that wondered; how would her life turn out if Magic existed?
Putting the thought aside for now, Hazel held her book and was just about to open it. Before she could, something materialized in front of her in the blink of an eye, startling her as a result. It looked like a Holographic panel from Sci-fi movies and novels. To make matters even more strange, there was something written on the panel. And it concerned Hazel deeply.
[System Integration will soon commence…]
[Worlds known as Gorus and Earth being selected for System Integration. During Integration, both worlds will merge into a new one. Name for the new world is pending…]
[While System Integration is in process, System and Tutorial Introduction will now commence.]
[All residents of both worlds will now be Transported to The Introduction Sequence.]
“What the…?!” Before Hazel could question what was going on, her vision started to go dark and she soon collapsed out of her chair and onto the cafe floor.
Around her, she could hear more bodies falling on the floor along with the terrible noise of cars crashing into one another along with a chorus of alarms blaring outside the building. And those were the last things that Hazel heard before darkness completely engulfed her sight and her consciousness faded away.
...
Hazel slowly opened her eyes, only to be instantly blinded by a bright light. She blinked a few times, allowing them to adjust to the sudden illumination flooding her vision. Once she could finally see clearly, she was in awe when she witnessed a white void surrounding her.
Everywhere she looked, there was nothing but the white space as far as the eye could see. No buildings, no roads, no vehicles, or anything of that manner. Another thing Hazel noticed was that she wasn’t standing or sitting, but in actuality, floating in mid-air.
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Panic gripped her heart at this sudden realization and she remained still, afraid that moving would cause her to fall into the void, never to be seen again. Looking around, there also didn’t appear to be any people with her as well. She was alone in this white space.
“H-hello…?” She called out with a shaky voice. “I-is anybody there?”
There was no answer. Only the sound of her voice echoing repeatedly and fading away could be heard. All of a sudden, a holographic text appeared before her.
[Welcome, Hazel Thatcher, to the System.]
Hazel’s eyes widened as she read the text, a mixture of shock and confusion plastered on her face.
“W-what the hell…?”
How did this panel know her name? The better question was why was this happening? Where was she? What happened when she left the café?
Plagued with so many questions, Hazel merely gawked at the panel, unable to say a word that inquired what was happening.
[Your world along with another has been selected for the System Integration Procedure. As such, both worlds will merge into one and all residents from them will be integrated into the system.]
Her eyes widened after reading. “M-my world is being merged with another? Why?!”
There were similar panels that said the same thing before she passed out and ended up here. But why was her world being merged with others? How was that even possible in the first place?
Could she be dreaming about this? If this was a dream, it was extremely realistic and vivid as hell. Hazel didn’t even believe that she was capable of conjuring up such a dream like this. In fact, her dreams were always barely understandable and weird like she’s having dinner with her family and her mom suddenly turns into a chicken for some reason.
It was always like that, so she was finding it a bit difficult to believe that this scenario right now was a dream as well. And yet at the same time, this couldn’t have been real, right? She couldn’t really be experiencing something like that, right?
Hazel tilted her head in confusion while re-reading the panel. “System Integration Procedure? What does that mean?”
Instead of giving Hazel a proper answer, another panel materialized.
[Commencing Player Initialization Sequence!]
Suddenly, Hazel is overwhelmed by an electric sensation coursing through her body, as if she got struck by lightning. Her entire vessel tingled with sparks of electricity trickling across her skin.
Despite her body looking like she was being electrified, she felt no pain whatsoever. Just a slight discomfort that made her stomach lurch, making her curl up into a ball in an attempt to alleviate it. It reminded her of that time she ate too much junk food when she was a kid and sat near the toilet, vomiting like there was no tomorrow. It felt surprisingly similar to that, but not as bad.
This lasted for a few seconds before the tingling and discomfort slowly faded away. Letting out a sigh of relief, Hazel lifted her head to see another holographic panel appear.
[Player Initialization Sequence has been completed!]
[Please Select a Base Class of your choosing!]
“A…class?” Hazel mumbled, cocking an eyebrow. “Like in an RPG game?”
For a moment, Hazel believed that she was simply dreaming about this whole scenario after reading this panel. However, she was reminded of the Initialization Sequence before, confirming to herself that this wasn’t some dream.
Base Class
An adept fighter that focuses on close-quarters combat. They can wield any weapon they see fit from swords, spears, maces, flails, etc. Due to their inclination to fight up close, they don heavy metal armor to protect themselves from any close-range attacks. Can Evolve into [Brawler], [Knight], [Swordsman], [Berserker], etc
Base Class
known from watching and attacking from a distance. Their main weapons are ranged types like Crossbows, Bows, and even firearms. They rely on their senses to weed out an enemy and take it down before it causes any trouble to them. Can evolve into [Archer], [Hunter], [Gunslinger], etc.
Base Class
Stealth-type fighters that attack while remaining hidden. Their weapon of choice is usually daggers, throwing knives, poison, and other covert weaponry. Can evolve into [Assassin], [Thief], [Scout], and [Spy], etc.
Base Class
Fighters that rely on holy magic to aid them in their battles. With holy magic, they can heal, buff, and shield their allies from danger. Can evolve into [Healer], [Priest], [Exorcist], etc.
Base Class
able to manipulate mana and cast spells to destroy their enemies. The more mana they possess, the more powerful their spells can be and how many times they can cast them. Can evolve into [Druid], [Necromancer], [Warlock], [Sorcerer], etc.
“Wow, this really is like a game…” Hazel marveled at the message, displaying her available classes.
She wasn’t sure why this whole system thing had an RPG mechanic, but as soon as her eyes laid on the Mage class, any confusion she felt before was instantly replaced with eagerness and joy.
She could be a mage? Ever since she was a child, she always wanted to use magic. And at this very moment, she now had the option to choose a class that allowed her to wield her greatest dream. Who could say no to something like that?
Forgetting the fact about her world being merged with others, along with the fact that she was in some white void, Hazel made her decision with only one goal in mind. Becoming a Magic User.
“I choose the Mage class!” Hazel declared without hesitation.
[Base Class [Mage] has been selected!]
[Skill [Mana Shield] has been obtained!]
[Skill [Mana Bolt] has been obtained!]
Hazel glanced down at her body, curious if anything changed. Sadly, she was still the same as before. At least her body wasn’t being electrocuted this time, so that was kind of a bonus, she guessed.
[Please pull up your Status Window to check your current progress by saying "Status".]
Hazel cocked her head. "My status window, huh?"
So, all she needed to do was say "Status" and it would appear? That sounded pretty straightforward.
Taking a moment to collect herself, Hazel closed her eyes and sharply inhaled. "Status..."
A split second later, she opened her eyes as another panel appeared before her very eyes.
Status Window
Name: Hazel Thatcher
Race: Human
Level: 1
Class: Mage
Free Points: 0
Attributes:
Strength: 7
Agility: 8
Endurance: 8
Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 13
Willpower: 12
"Huh, so this is my status window, huh?"
It seemed that the Status Window was some kind of Information Panel involving Hazel. It had her name, race, level, class, and even her attributes. Curious about the last bit, she scanned her attributes a bit more to get a better understanding of them. There were six Attributes in total, but she wasn't sure what exactly all of them were for.
Some seemed self-explanatory like Strength or Agility. But what did Intelligence or Wisdom do? Did they make her smarter and wiser or something? In RPGs, these stats were for Mages to give them more mana and make their spells stronger, but Hazel wasn't certain that these stats did the same thing.
Before Hazel could delve further into her status window, a new panel materialized before her.
[Full Integration Procedure has been completed!]
[Once again, Welcome to the Multiverse! As a resident of a world fated to become part of the system and the vast worlds, you are given the opportunity to rise and take advantage of what you’ve been offered! Whether it's glory, power, luxury, or anything else you desire, the system will allow you to achieve those goals. With the Leveling System, you can grow stronger by killing your enemies and completing quests produced by the System. The power and Class you currently possess are only the beginning, and you can choose whatever path you wish to take. Protect your world or conquer it and other worlds like it; all of this is up to you. Good Luck, and may you reach the pinnacle of your potential.]
[Initiating Dungeon Tutorial Sequence!]
[Randomly selecting Dungeon Tutorial Location.]
[Dungeon Tutorial has been found! Dungeon Fractura has been selected! Player will now be transported to the Dungeon!]
At that moment, everything faded to darkness as Hazel lost consciousness once again. However, it was only for a brief moment, and quickly woke back up, finally feeling the ground as she lay down on it.
Opening her eyes, she was once again blinded by a light, but instead of the white void, it was a bright purple hue. Once they adjusted, allowing her to see, Hazel found herself in what appeared to be a gothic-style…church.
Standing up, she scanned her surroundings to get a better look at the church she was transported to. There were no candles or any other light source except the purple hue poking through the stained glass window. Upon closer inspection, those windows bore images, like certain churches back in her world that had Jesus and other biblical figures on them.
While admiring the figures on the stained glass, Hazel lowered her head and realized that she wasn’t wearing her normal clothes. Instead, she was draped in a gray robe with a belt around her waist.
Could it be a magic robe?
She lightly touched the robes with her finger and thumb, rubbing it to feel the material. Hazel didn't know what it was made of, but it was likely wool or linen. At least that was what it felt like to her.
Pulling her hand away, her eyes trailed from her robes down to another item that was lying next to her. It was a gnarled staff or scepter. Picking up the item, she admired its craftsmanship for a moment. It was around Hazel’s height or a little longer and felt smooth to the touch as if someone polished it. The staff had a bit of weight to it, but not enough to hinder her as she moved around.
Much like the robe, this must've been a magic staff. She likely obtained these items after selecting the Mage class. That was the only conclusion she came up with that could explain why her appearance changed after leaving the white void. Which meant that the System likely gave them to her when she left.
“So, I get new gear to match with my class, huh? That’s pretty convenient.” Hazel smiled, slightly elated that she had magic items in her possession.
She then immediately froze, suddenly hearing a low growl nearby. Slowly turning around, her blood turned cold while being face to face with her first monster. And it was not what she expected to encounter at all…
It looked like a wolf of some kind, but twice as large, and its body was covered in purple-glowing cracks spiderwebbing all over as if it was cracking at the seams like glass. Its purple eyes glowered at Hazel while snarling viciously.
As she continued to stare at the creature, a new panel materialized in front of her. And it appeared to contain information regarding the monster currently glaring at her.
Level 2
A fractured monster that is now a shell of its former self due to the mana overload that destroyed this world, turning it into a Fractured World. Unlike regular dire wolves, a Fractured Dire Wolf is more vicious and dangerous due to its fractured Physiology. They are extremely dangerous, especially as a pack, so it is advised to be cautious around them.
Staring at the info regarding this so-called “Fractured Dire Wolf”, she barely reacted as she looked up and watched said creature leaping at her, its mouth gaping open and ready to rip her to shreds.