"What was that? I thought I was done for! But why does my voice sound... different? Is it... lighter? Higher-pitched?"
"Am I alive? No way—I was hit by that car. I remember flying through the air, head over heels. There's no way I survived that..."
"Wait, what if I've been reborn? Tokyo? Japan? Please, let it be Tokyo!"
As his mind raced in the void, a strange sensation began to pulse through him.
"What's happening? Why do I feel like I'm... coming back to life? This lightness... I can't even feel my limbs. It's like someone took my arms and legs away!"
Slowly, the oppressive darkness started to recede, replaced by blinding light. As his vision cleared, he blinked rapidly, struggling to understand what he was seeing.
---
A New Form
He opened his eyes—or at least, he thought they were eyes—and found himself floating in a dense, lush forest, surrounded by massive trees and vibrant, shimmering foliage.
"Where... Where am I? What the hell?!"
He tried to glance down, but was horrified to realize he didn't have a body in the way he was used to. Instead, he was a glowing, spherical wisp of energy with oversized, flapping elephant-like ears.
"What... What is this body? Am I some kind of balloon with ears?! This is insane!"
In his confusion, a massive white bird with iridescent feathers and two spiraling horns landed nearby. It fixed its piercing gaze on him, and he couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
"Oh-ho-ho! What the hell?!"
The bird's wings flapped in panic, squawking loudly before it took off as if its life depended on it.
"Hey! Wait—don't leave! I'm not dangerous! ...At least, I think I'm not."
---
Discovering New Skills
Floating aimlessly in the air, he marveled at the ease with which he moved. "Am I flying? Or is this just... floating on steroids?"
Just then, a glowing, rectangular tab appeared in front of him. It read:
---
Skills Unlocked:
Floating Magic (Level 1)
Fire Magic
Dark Magic
Dimensional Magic
Blood Control
Species: Unknown
Evolve Button Available
---
His eyes widened. "What is this?! A status screen? Oh-ho, this is awesome! Wait... Floating Magic? I've been floating this whole time! What's the point of that skill?"
Frustrated, he waved his glowing appendages in mock anger. "Who needs floating? Give me something cool, like laser beams or teleportation!"
Suddenly, a rustling sound snapped him out of his rant. Something was moving through the forest at high speed.
---
The First Encounter
New Skill Unlocked:
Keen Observation (Level 1): Detect enemies or objects within a 50-meter radius.
---
He blinked as a new skill notification appeared before his eyes. "What's this? Oh, sweet! I can detect enemies near me!"
Before he could process it further, the shadow of his approaching attacker emerged from the underbrush. In a flash, he zipped to the right and ducked behind a nearby tree.
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Peeking cautiously, he saw the source of the threat: a stunning white lioness with a flowing rainbow-colored mane and a spiraling horn. Her sharp gaze scanned the area, searching for him.
"Oh no. Nope! Not today!" he whispered, beads of... energy-sweat(?) forming.
Despite her terrifying presence, he couldn't help but notice how majestic she looked. His thoughts betrayed him. "Why does she look... kinda cute? No, focus!"
---
Chased and Cornered
The lioness's ears twitched, locking onto his hiding spot. She prowled forward with deadly grace, her eyes zeroing in on his glowing form.
"Ah crap! She saw me!" he muttered under his breath.
Without wasting a second, he turned to flee, propelling himself through the air as fast as his tiny body could manage. The lioness, unfazed, bounded after him, her leaps closing the distance with terrifying speed.
"I'm going to die again! This world is insane!" he screamed as he darted between trees, ducking under low branches.
In his frantic escape, he failed to notice the ground beneath him give way. With a loud, panicked yelp, he plunged into a massive hole.
"Aaaah! What now?!"
---
The Dungeon Awaits
He tumbled through the darkness, landing with a soft thud in an enormous underground cavern. The air was thick with moisture, and the sounds of distant growls and echoing drips filled the space.
A new notification popped up.
---
Dark Magic (Level 2): Manipulate non-living objects.
New Skill: Omniverse Storage: Store non-living items in a pocket dimension.
---
His glowing orbs blinked excitedly. "Oh, now this is what I'm talking about!"
As he floated deeper into the cavern, the hum of energy grew louder, sending chills down his ethereal form. The only light in the vast darkness was the faint, glowing blue of his body, which flickered and pulsed in the otherwise pitch-black space.
Looks like this adventure was only just beginning.
"What's down here? Treasure? Monsters? ...More lionesses?"
He steeled himself, determination lighting up his thoughts. "Whatever it is, I'll figure it out. I'm not dying again—not without answers!"
A glimmer of hope flashed through his mind. "Oh! That's good. A pocket for me."
He paused. "Wait, let's try 'float.'"
As soon as the word left his glowing lips, he felt a shift. He began to float.
"Huh? What the—?"
"It wasn't working before, but it seems like things are finally going in my favor."
The darkness surrounding him started to recede, and the sound of flowing water grew louder as he ventured deeper. Glowing crystal formations and vibrant herbs began to appear, their colors shifting in the dim light like faint rainbows. The further he went, the more crystals grew, their emerald hue lighting up the cavern. On his left, a stream of water flowed through the cave, leading deeper into the unknown.
"Whoa, there's a crystal! That looks nice."
"Can I store it in the 'Omniverse'?"
"Let's try."
Concentrating on the word "Omniverse," he reached out toward the crystal. A small black circle materialized on its surface, and the crystal was absorbed into it.
"Let's try getting it back."
He focused again, and the black circle appeared in front of him. To his surprise, the crystal floated out from the black void.
"Ooh, this is great! It's working."
He sent the crystal back into the black circle.
"This is so nice."
With renewed interest, he floated toward the water, the gentle current pulling him along as he followed the stream deeper into the cave.
"Let's try storing this too."
He attempted to say "Omniverse," but accidentally muttered "absorb."
"Ooh, my mistake. I meant to say 'Omniverse.'"
To his shock, a strange black tendril extended from his form, reaching out and pulling some of the water toward him.
"What?! What is this... holy crap!"
A notification appeared before his eyes.
---
New skill: Water Magic confirmed
Use: The user can manipulate water to attack.
---
"Ooh, today's my lucky day."
He blinked, confused. "But what is this skill? It didn't even show up in the status tab."
He shrugged. "Eh, whatever. I've got a new skill!"
His gaze shifted to the nearby crystals and herbs, and a mischievous glint danced in his eyes. He extended his abilities and began absorbing them one after another, pulling each crystal and herb into the black circle.
"Alright, this should be enough now."
But then, a larger crystal caught his attention.
"Wait! There's one more thing."
A grin spread across his face as he approached the crystal. He used the "Absorb" command once again.
---
New skill: Crystal Manipulation confirmed
Use: The user can manipulate crystals.
---
New skill: Wind Magic confirmed [Level 3]
Use: The user can manipulate wind.
---
New skill: Clone Creation confirmed
Use: The user can create multiple clones.
---
"Ooh, now that's something new and useful!"
He watched as several of his skills leveled up.
---
Dark Magic [Level Up]
Fire Magic [Level Up]
Wind Magic [Level Up]
Water Magic [Level Up]
---
"Wait, what?! Just from absorbing four crystals?"
He was momentarily stunned, then tried absorbing a few more, but nothing happened.
"There must be a reason... this world is crazy after all."
With a grin, he approached a nearby herb and used the Absorb command.
---
New skill: Minor Healing confirmed
Use: The user can heal minor injuries.
---
New skill: Herb Identification confirmed
Use: The user can identify herbs.
---
"What's next? This is insane, man!"
Excited by the constant influx of new skills, he walked toward the water, and with a thought, he began to manipulate it. Using his new Water Manipulation ability, he formed the water into a floating throne.
The water swirled around him, shaping itself into a spherical, solid structure that began to mold into the perfect form of a throne.
"Now this is something."
"Ha! Ha! Now, give me your daughter's hand, or this gun's bullet will be in your head!" he laughed, adopting a mock villainous tone.
"How dare you oppose your king!" he continued, pretending to deliver a dramatic monologue.
"This is a really good throne," he murmured to himself, thoroughly impressed.
Floating comfortably on his new water throne, he chuckled, taking in the sights. He noticed a few more crystals up ahead but felt no real desire to absorb them.
"I don't need any more. I've got enough."
"I'm not going to eat them or something; there's no point in hoarding them."
As he continued his journey through the cave, a door began to materialize in the distance. It grew larger as he approached, drawing him forward into whatever new challenge lay beyond.
"Time to see what's next," he muttered, a spark of excitement lighting up his thoughts.