Now that the shock was wearing off, Nick was ready to learn more. “Where am I? Am I dead? Are you a goddess? Is this some kind of isekai?”
“Those are some great questions, Nick. Let’s tackle them one at a time. Like I said, my name is Pax, and this is a temporary dimension created for your orientation. For everyone arriving from your planet. Although you’re far from home, you are very much alive, standing at the starting line of your adventure.”
“I’m a mortal like you, not a goddess. Although my boss and your sponsor most certainly is. As to your final question, just let me look up the word isekai.” Pax got a distant look in her eyes, like someone who’s having a conversation while reading the screen of their phone.
A few minutes later, she began to laugh. “No, Nick, you haven’t been isekai’d. Wait… I guess maybe you have, although I’m a lot gentler than Truck-kun. Wow. This is incredible. I can’t believe that a pre-integrated society made a whole genre out of this concept. Moving on, this isn’t your reincarnation. Although, to be fair, you went through some considerable changes before you got here and have many more in store on the road ahead.”
Pax stopped to make a few notes on a pad of paper, then looked up again. “Thanks for telling me about this genre. I know what I’ll be binging for the next few years. These mangas and light novels sound intriguing.”
“Forgive me if this question is impolite.” Nick interrupted Pax before she could discover anime and web serials. “You said that you were mortal. But you aren’t human like me, are you?”
“Rude.” She chuckled to let him know she was joking. “I am human, but I’m not from your planet. Technically, we’re not the same species according to the System, although our bits and bobs are in the same places. We just run a size bigger back home. This isn’t quite a first-contact experience, but close enough.”
Pax laughed again. Her warmth melted the edges of Nick’s unease, although a cold core remained. “Let’s give you a proper explanation and begin at the beginning. We have plenty of time left until your tutorial, and I’m here to get you started off on the right foot during this exciting change for your planet.”
Figuring that this was going to take a while, Nick helped himself to another cookie. “This is a huge moment for your species. I’m honored to help you take your first steps into the multiverse, maybe even the greater omniverse one day.”
Pax was friendly and enthusiastic. Nick let her words wash over him as he took another long sip of lemonade. The frosty brew was a perfect balance of sweet and sour—the most delicious drink that he’d ever tasted. Although the woman was a bit odd, Nick couldn’t sense any malice in her. She seemed genuinely excited to be here with him.
“Welcome to the first day of your new life.” Pax beamed. “You’re lucky to have been sponsored by our GM—that’s short for Green Mother if you didn’t notice the prompt. Astra loves to mentor newly awakened species and always puts her thumb on the System’s scales to help you make it out of the gate without stumbling. Let’s go over the basics, then hook you up with a class and some premium gear.”
“Since you lucked out and your sponsor is a big spender, you should be able to get a rare class or even an epic right away, providing a ton of advantages right from the start. No toiling for decades in a common class, or, gods forbid, a basic. Most of those poor souls don’t even survive their tutorial. Once we have you sorted, I’ll send you off to a manicured tutorial planet for some power leveling and easy questing. I’ll see you again at the end to help you decide your next steps.”
“Tutorial? Sponsor? I’m afraid I’m not following.”
“Right, I’m skipping ahead again. Let’s start at the very beginning.” Pax’s expression turned serious. “Nick, I have some good news and some bad news.”
“Hit me with the bad news first.” He braced himself for what she would tell him. He had a sinking feeling that, although he felt safe at the moment, something was deeply wrong. The fuzzy part of his memory wasn’t there because something wonderful was happening to him.
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Pax got that distant look in her eyes again. She took a long moment to reply, meeting Nick’s gaze with genuine sympathy. “Sorry. It seems I’m not authorized to discuss the matter after all. Don’t worry, the System will fill you in when the time is right.”
Nick wanted to press the issue and discover the dark truth that she was keeping from him. But then a strange thing happened. His attention… slid around the subject like water over wax, and he couldn’t remember what he’d been thinking about. Seeming to recognize the blank expression on his face, Pax gestured to grab his attention.
“I know that you have some holes in your memory, but I promise that it’s temporary. Think of it as a trauma band-aid. It will let you process all the emotions subconsciously without having to face the truth head-on, keeping you from shutting down so you can concentrate on surviving. Just focus on the here and now, and it will all come bubbling up to the surface before you know it.”
Her choice of words and display of empathy only made Nick feel worse. Before he could dwell on it further, Pax continued. “Actually, there’s a good chance that you won’t remember our encounter either, once the tutorial begins. It would pose too many questions that you aren’t ready to have answered. Regardless, everything should come back to you within a few weeks, maybe even the first day if you’re unusually resilient.
“Back to the good news. Like I mentioned earlier, your planet has been claimed by Astra, the Green Mother. She’ll be your sponsor and protector until your species has adjusted to living in our little corner of the sector. The GM is a benign deity who will watch over your people until you can stand on your own two feet. Again, this is one of the best possible outcomes for a newly awakened species. Being part of our faction grants access to premium training worlds, incredible resources at bargain prices, and expert guidance along the myriad paths to power.
“A full mentorship package was included with her bid, which means you’ll be receiving lots of help courtesy of yours truly. The GM believes in full species autonomy, so there won’t be any nonconsensual tinkering with your mind, body, or soul, unlike some of the more… hands-on deities. All for just a small tax on the experience and essence you acquire.”
By now, Nick was starting to feel tentatively optimistic. Although his newfound hope didn’t square with the tendrils of dread still lurking in his bowels. “While you’re free to join anyone you wish after the tutorial, our faction boasts one of the highest survival rates for neonates. And your advantages don’t stop there.
“In addition to having found an ideal sponsor, your species has awakened an amazing geneline trait, which will stack with the boost to your magic that came straight from the System. Versatile is one of the best traits available for a species in the E-grade. Those bonus attributes will help you survive your tutorial and will open doors when it comes time for class advancement. Most people would kill for that extra free slot, literally.”
Nick’s unease sharpened at Pax’s repeated use of the word survival. It seemed to imply that there was no guarantee that he would live through whatever awaited him next. He leaned in, trying to parse the meaning of her words and what was hidden between them.
“And everyone who doesn’t have Gift of Tongues is jealous of those who do. I’m not joking; your kids will hate you. Okay, half-joking, but new planets wouldn’t be able to integrate without it. All things considered, your odds of living through the tutorial and reaching Tier 2 are well over 90 percent. Some of the best numbers I’ve seen since landing this gig.”
Nick was still processing what he was hearing, since it sounded too good to be true. His unease must have been clear on his face, because Pax offered him an encouraging smile as she wrapped up her spiel.
“I remember how overwhelming all of this is, at first. You must feel pretty confused and isolated. Don’t worry, Nick. I’ll get you paired up with some of your own kind as soon as we exit the orientation and you finish your tutorial. It will be a solo run for you since they group participants by the portal they took. It’s a dollop more dangerous than going in with a group, but the rewards are better as a result. After you finish, your next quest will involve forming a party and working as part of a team.”
Rate of survival. Class advancement. Odds of living to reach the next tier. He had by no means begun to absorb the full implication of Pax’s words. But the terms she used were surprisingly game-like, and the gaming part of Nick’s brain processed them the same way as when he was navigating the early hours of a new release.
He focused on committing every sentence to memory, although it seemed like it might be some time before he could ponder her orientation at his leisure.
It was around this time that he noticed flashing at the edges of his vision. System prompts that only existed for a slim fraction of a second before fading away—far too brief for him to read. It seemed odd, almost as if the System was struggling to process something.
Pax didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, and it didn’t last long. So, Nick chalked it up to the stress he was under and focused on unpacking his orientation.