*Tak-tak tak tak tak tak tak tak, t-t-tak , click* (Sounds of furious typing)

*sigh* “So boring … “

*Taktak tak tak tak tak tak, click,cl-click, cl-click, tak tak*

“I wanna go hoooome … “

“Hey Luke, stop your complaining and keep working on those interfaces, they’re supposed to be ready by tomorrow!” (Random company idiot)

I stop typing for a moment to turn my head at the idiot interrupting me and sneer at him.

“I finished my interfaces hours ago and I am now working on implementing unique user-input plugins. But boss-man was asking around earlier for your work on the database. Supposedly it was meant to be ready by now, are you sure you have the time to stand there criticising me?"

What an idiot, the higher-ups don’t care how I do my work as long as I finish it. Aah I should have picked another company for my internship, the rando’s here are so annoying.

“W-What has that got to do with you! Don’t get ahead of yourself, you’re just an intern while I’m a regular employee here!”

I stare at the guy in amazement, not quite believing what I just heard. Mister 'regular employee' quickly turns around and runs off to- No you idiot, isn’t your desk in the other direction? -Ah he turned around, and his face is as red as a beet.

As the idiot runs past me he glares at me like it’s my fault he doesn’t even know his way around here even though he’s been working here for over a year.

Typical.

I turn around to start working on the plugins again, yet again complaining in my head about how unpleasant the company environment is to program in.

Ah, it’s 4 o’clock, time to go home.

Since the team leader said I could go home at 4 because I finished my share of the work for today, I certainly see no reason for staying any longer. I get up, gather my things, log out of the IDE and shut down my workstation. Wouldn’t want that pleb to come back and try something vindictive, like undoing my work.

Not like he would even know where to start, why did they even hire the goon. Guess it’s true the IT scene needs a lot more people but c'mon, we're talking bottom of the barrel here.

As I pass by the cubicle at the exit I run into my team leader, who is a pretty chill dude.

“Eyoo Luke, you heading off? Since I properly received your Interfaces and they look good you’re free to go, tomorrow you don’t have to come in since the plugins are only planned for next week. It would be troublesome if we decide to change a few settings after you’re already done.” (Chill team leader dude)

“Sure thing boss man, have a nice weekend.”

“Ayooo Luke I keep telling to call me Kyle, stop with the boss man thing!” (Chill team leader dude Kyle)

“Sure thing boss man Kyle.”

“AAAARG Cheeky bastard!” (Suddenly not-so-chill Boss man Kyle)

I hurry out the door and down the stairs. I remember hearing that Kyle once threw his flipflops at the idiot from before for messing up an entire repository. Sounds lethal since you don’t know where his feet have been.

As I leave the company building I look around and yet again remark upon how oddly different, but still somewhat the same, it looks from back home. Doing an internship in another country wasn’t my first choice but a family member set it up so I couldn’t in good conscience reject the offer. It’s not like England is that far away either, I just take the train to cross the canal at the start and end of the weekend.

Since I don’t have to come in tomorrow I’ll just head straight home.

I send a text to the family I’m staying with whilst I'm in England to tell them I won’t be back until Monday since I got a day off. They’re acquaintances of the family member that set me up with the internship. I’m starting to think she just wanted me here for some reason. I then take the tube to the station and park my behind on a bench as I wait for the cross-canal train. I take out my phone and look up a few things as I start to plan my weekend.

Not like I require much planning, all I do is read, play games and sometimes watch a series or anime. Maybe I should start working out again, I’m starting to develop some slight padding.

Since I stopped working out after my previous girlfriend left I’ve been steadily gaining weight. I’m still rather fit but I wouldn't expect to be able to run any significant distances. My arms still rock nice muscles since I can do the exercises while I’m reading, but legs or tummy is a big no no.

Oh the train is here.

I get on and quickly find a seat with a table so I can put my laptop on it. I settle in and turn on my laptop and start reading.

Wi-Fi on trains is a beautiful thing!

About half an hour in the train suddenly stops. As I’m starting to curse about delays all the lights go out and since my laptop is no longer powering up or connected to the Wi-Fi it’s likely all the power on the train has gone. Which is strange, since these trains are very high-maintenance and get checked quite regularly since a lot of rich businessmen also take this train daily to go across the canal for deals and such. Of course, the bad luck doesn’t end there.

I start feeling tiny vibrations in the train, making me start thinking the train is turning on again. But those tiny vibrations soon escalate into significant shaking, much like an …

“An earthquake? Here in West-Europe?”

There’s no way right? But if not an earthquake what then, on top of which, we're right underneath the … canal …

According to the screams and yells I’m hearing it seems I’m not the only one that has thought of the possibility of an earthquake whilst we’re underneath the sea. Of course, what was actually happening was way, way, wayyyyyy worse.

Greetings Earthlings! Did I say that right? Anyway, greetings and rejoice! For earth has finally broken through the 8 billion population cap previously assigned for your tiny planet as the point of no return! This means you are truly a species focused on dominion and greed! Congratulations!

Huh, I know they said we’re going to breach 8 billion some point soon, but this soon? Some countries must be hiding numbers.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Apparantly my calm isn't quite the normal response to this, the screams and shouted demands for answers in the train make it difficult to even focus on the weird box in front of me.

Of course, not all is well on earth!

Since you breached the cap you are now target for the Universal Dimensions System Agreement and as such your planet will be unlocking the basic energies of Mana and Qi whilst also getting the most basics of systems! As this agreement focuses on implementing all of this as smoothly as possible humanity will be transported to the 8 billion reserved places we have provided for a reasonably safe quasi-tutorial! Rejoice!

Since there is a significant time dilation everybody will be given a 1 year tutorial while only 1 week will pass on earth. Don't think this purely a boon, it is merely a requirement for your initial survival! The qmore primitive species adapt to new energies a lot easier, which means you will have to fight for your dominance yet again as you return! Rejoice!

As purely electronic devices do not function in a mana-rich environment all the devices on your person will be removed upon teleportation. People with devices needed for a disease or injury will be healed of such. Rejoice!

All minors, that is people under the age of 15, will teleport alongside their parents, if they have no parents they will be accompanied by their closest adult relatives, if those are not available willing adults will be selected.

What. The. Fuck. This sounds like the spiel of a company. What is in it for them?

Our company wishes you all the best in your Otherworldly tutorial and hopes you’ll look favourable upon us upon your (potential) return to the planet designated as 'Earth'.

For any complaints head to your nearest System Appointed Administrator upon leaving your tutorial.

The weird box that just kept wiping out it's own text to show new stuff finally dissapears. What doesn't dissapear is the panic I can hear on the train, despite it having been several minutes since they started. Luckily my compartment appears to empty except for one man who is just daftly staring at something I can't s- Oh ... Guess I'm doing the same thing.

This is like an amalgamation of otherworldly clichés huh … I wonder what the place they’ll send us to looks like. Shame my laptop is kaput. At least nobody will ever see those videos in my ‘new folder’. Now I just have to take care of that box in my closet and I’ll be- “WHOA!!”

Please remain calm, your teleportation will soon commence. Upon arrival all your electronic devices will have been removed and you will have been healed of any urgent ails. As soon as you arrive please open your personal system by saying ‘status’ or thinking of the word ‘status’. You will be given a complementary starter pack and an explanation of your dedicated tutorial slot.

We hope you have a pleasant stay at your location!

I take another look at the text screen that suddenly appeared in front of me as it seems slightly different from the earlier ones and shake my head, hoping this won’t happen during the tutorial as something that big suddenly appearing in front of me would spell disaster if I’m doing something dangerous.

Oh I wonder if there’ll be other races in this tutorial. I’ve always wanted to stroke beastgirls’ ears and tails. I wonder if it would feel similar to the animal they’re based off …

Teleportation commencing, please remain calm

It seems I was one of the last to teleport on this train because I don’t hear anymore clamouring from the passengers. I’m wondering how my family will manage, since everybody is technically an adult will we all be in different places?

I get surrounded by light and my body freezes up against my will, almost like I’m being encased in the heaviest liquid ever, but I can’t feel anything. It’s already impossible to see my surroundings. I also start to hear a very peculiar sound. If someone were to ask me what fractals sound like, this would be it.

I wonder if that’s specific to teleportation. It’s pretty wild and it’s the first time I felt a sound seems abstract. I hope my brain isn’t leaking out of my ears.

The sounds stop and the lights start dimming, signifying the teleportation is coming to an end.

At least I hope it is, I’m starting to turn into Stephen Hawking here!

All of a sudden everything stops, the world darkens around me and I start hearing the sounds of birds and crickets. Infinitely better than abstract fractal-thingy sounds.

My eyes slowly adjust to the darker surroundings and I instantly see I’m in a forest. But it’s quite unlike any forest I’ve ever seen, personally or on the web. The trees are humongous and even though they’re placed quite far away from each other the canopies block practically all the sunlight. This is probably the reason I don’t see a lot of growth on the forest floor. Some ferns here and there, a lot of moss.

Are those normal mushrooms here? They look absolutely lethal. Better not touch them

I look down on some mushrooms next to the base of a tree that are such a bright blue they’re practically fluorescent. I'm almost certain they'd glow in the dark.

“Huh, if this was an isekai novel those would be rare mushrooms used to make mana potions or something.”

…

Should I take them after all?

Something I do realize shortly after getting my thoughts back on track and away from the local flora is the fact that this seems like an awfully weird place to start a tutorial.

DING!

… What the fudge?

“OH! I was supposed to check the system as soon as I got here, heh woops.”

If I remember it correctly it was – status!

Name Luke Wick Age 22 Gender Male Race Human Class - Level 0 >Attributes >Skills >Abilities >Titles >Messages (3) New!

DING!

“Oh now there’s 4 messages, they're probably fairly urgent if I get a new one this fast, so to read them I guess I just focus on the word 'messages'?”

Messages > Welcome to the other world! NEW! > Starter pack (basic) NEW! > We done fucked up, Sorry! NEW! > Survival Item pack (compensation) NEW!

“ WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FUCKED UP!?!”