Life is supposed to be simple. Wake up, go to school or work, put in whatever obligations you have, go home, watch cute Japanese cats play with boxes on the internet and go to bed. And on a good day you don't even have to go outside and instead you can enjoy snacks all day long! What? You don't like snack or cat videos? Pft. Some life you're living then.

Regardless if you agree with my completely correct viewpoint or are just wrong, I'm sure everyone can agree that life is not supposed to be lurking in some underground tunnel in only your pajamas wondering if that sound you heard just now as something that would want to eat you.

Basically, I'm saying it shouldn't be the mess I'm dealing with right now.

I just want my cat videos, bag of salty and vinegary chips and comfy chair. Heck, at least let me have my phone so I can have some light!

The darkness was oblivious to my pleas though and probably spent some of its time silently mocking me too. Moving around in such an environment just seemed like asking to be murderlated by something with too many leg and eyes and a need to make things out of silk.

No, I'm not scared of spiders. They just creep me out a little. Okay, a lot. Blame the nightmares for that. I still have them now and then about a spider the size of a house crushing some village flat. I want to brush it off as a bad dream and move on but honestly it feels more like a memory stuck on a loop.

Thankfully that dream doesn't come very often anymore.

The scars it created on me as a child don't exactly go away though.

My wandering mind almost misses the glowing text that appears in my eyesight. No, not in front of my eye, but rather like it is inside it.

[Status] online.

My mouth utters the strongest curse I know as a feeling of dread wells up inside of me, "Friggin biscuits and crackers." Yes, even I'm embarrassed by how weak that was as a response, but any notion of learning to swear more naturally is lost by a spark of a memory.

[Status]. A system that I used to allocate my meager growth in my previous life. A life before I lived here on Earth. A life where that spider was a real thing I managed to not die to by the sheer luck of being knocked into a well by one of it's stupid legs.

Well that fear feels a lot less silly now.

The words faded away and were quickly replaced by box with a blue bar that was slowly filling up as text scrolled in the space below the bar.

Error. World not compatible with system. Adjusting system to compensate for differences in technological levels. 10%...35%...Skill System updated...48%...magic system import unsuccessful...implementing backup of older magic system...backup implemented...attempting import...import successful...76%...recording new equipment...cataloging...new equipment records complete...45%...

Wait. Did the progress bar just go backwards? Is it supposed to do that?

95%...Synchronizing with Earth mana field...102%...

I have to admit that I don’t know much about how this thing works, or about computers either but this definitely doesn't look right. I mean a loading bar shouldn't extend past the edges of the box and then start new lines that cover up part of the words, right?

156%...Restructuring interface...245%...New interface implemented...314.5%...[Status]: Earth Edition online.

And someone already managed to brand it. Well as long as it's not given a horrible branding it should be fine...right? I mean, clearly there is something weird going on here, but I can barely set the clock on the microwave, so I could be wrong about how weird that actually was.

Did other people have the same experience? The thought of it being something I experienced alone made me a little nervous. Just how padded would my new home be if I claimed to being seeing some kind of install window loading something while I was hiding in some kind of dark and creepy tunnel and thinking about how there definitely weren't spiders just a few feet away. Probably. Maybe.

The box blinked out of my vision and was replaced by a stack of three very short bars of different lengths in my upper left vision: one red, one blue, and the last yellow.

My memory of [Status] didn't have any colored bars, just text that would list your stats and skills when opened. Was this that new interface? Thoughts of probably imaginary spiders were pushed to the back of my mind to return and taunt me later as curiosity took hold of my attention like a child being given a new toy.

"[Status]," I whispered, remembering to keep the bracket pronunciation silent. My vision turned dark blue as information replaced the taunting of the darkness:

Name: Elizabeth Towns

Age: 18

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Gender: Female

Class: [Not Selected]

Level: 1

HP: 15/15

MP: 10/10

SP: 5/5

Power: 1

Insight: 2

Vigor: 1

Across the bottom of my vision were greyed out labels as well going from the left to the right:  [Skills], [Magic], [Inventory], [Missions]. Only on the very left a label marked [Status] was lit in white, with the label in green to show that it was the active tab.

The stats shown weren't unusual, each being the same as the ones in my last life, but the lack of a class was a surprise. Was it because I wasn't baptized in a Church to properly activate my access to [Status] and class so that I could level? Such a thing couldn't be helped after all, I mean, until a little bit ago this wasn't even a thing found anywhere on Earth and now it seems the world has been awakened to the system.

I gave up almost as quickly as I started to wonder how a world like Earth that didn't have mana could suddenly require the implementation of [Status] to regulate it. Such things were the realm of Gods as was the creation of the system in the first place. So let's leave that to the powers that be and instead focus on the problem at hand:

This stupidly dark tunnel.

Or that is what I would be complaining about if there wasn't a white glow coming from next to my feet and casting its light on the space around me. To my left was a rough looking wall while my right faded into darkness. I would make a comment about the walls but honestly all I know is that they looked like rock and met in a curved arch about my arm's length above my head. I don't know if it looks carved or not and honestly I couldn't care. I mean, would anything change even if I did know? I'm betting not.

Unknown details about the history of this place I'd been dumped into aside, the source of the glow was my phone. I could only guess that when I ended up here I'd somehow taken it with me, but in the dark it was impossible to find. Now that the screen had turned on and was glowing solid white though it was easier than catching gummy bears in my mouth.

What? That doesn't count as playing with my food but rather a test of skill so stop staring at me like that!

Well, a flashlight is a flashlight, even if it's my broken phone, though I did wonder if having my phone break due to magic was covered under my warranty. Probably not, right?

Probably not, right?

With a heavy sigh for how I was going to explain my broken phone to my mother, I picked it up. I mean, broken or not at least it let me see where I was going.

Job Stone acquired.

The text in my sight surprised me. Did that mean my phone was the Job Stone? I tried putting it down.

Job Stone discarded.

And then picking it up again.

Job Stone acquired.

And then did it a few more times.

Job Stone...

Job Stone...

"Ehhhhhhhhh?" leaked out of my mouth as I stared at my phone in confusion. Job Stones were crystals that a person used to choose their class based on the options provided by the Heavens. You get a class every ten levels, usually building off of your first one, though some people get lucky and gain special classes with no level cap. Stuff like "Brave" or "Doom Knight".

Anyways, those big glowing chunks of rock also let you allocate any bonus points you gained from levelling into your stats. Usually it was something you'd have to do every couple levels or so depending on your class. It sounds easy, but to use one you'd have to go to a church and make a donation in order to even see the thing, much less touch it. Basically it was a super expensive hassle. I mean the nearest one to my home was three days by horse, and three times that for those of us who were so poor we had to walk!

I had to wonder as I held the small example of how the universe was unfair, did this mean the Job Stones on Earth were people's cellphones? I mean compared to my last life this just seems completely broken! I went nearly ended up a beggar due to the few times I used one and now I just get one for free! I swear life is just picking on me now.

With a heart far heavier than it was in my last life I pressed my thumb against the screen. Almost immediately something connected with a nearly audible 'click'.

Choose your class:

1. Hunter

2. Villager

3. Bait

4. Victim

5. Soldier

None of these looked impressive by name. I mean who chooses to be a Villager or Bait? I had a feeling that Victim was clearly not a good choice either. Hunter was likely because it was my class in my last life, but in all honesty it was good for finding animals the like, but against anything too strong and you're basically worthless in a fight. I mean, sure you can kill a bear, but who has heard of hunters fighting giant spiders or tracking dragons? Outside of video games I mean. We all know those things aren't realistic anyways.

The only thing on the list that looked like it had the strength to fit monsters looked like the Soldier. I mean Hollywood makes them look like they can take on almost anything, so at the least that made it seem promising. If I could get strong enough to fight things off reliably I could enjoy my old life of snacking while watching movies or browsing the internet.

Well since it's my only hope at a long and quiet life, let's pick it!

Class: Soldier has been selected. Next class selection will be available at level 10.

Assault proficiency has been raised by one level.

Thrown proficiency has been raised by one level.

Pistol proficiency has been raised by one level.

One bonus point awaits allocation.

Oh! A bonus point already? Super lucky! I mean not all classes get one at level one. But since I don't know where would be best to put it just yet I'll wait. I mean, since I don't have to pay for  the option to allocate it, it's not like I can't choose something later, so let's keep it for now.

As I started to consider my plan in how I was going to live now that Earth has become a playground for monsters a dangerous sound came from my stomach, reminding me that my snacks didn't come with me and that it was about time to eat. Maybe I should have been-

Skill: Gluttony (level 1) recognized.

Skill: Iron Stomach (level 1) recognized.

Eeeeehhhhhhh!?

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Emily's Food Report:

Since I've been pulled into this tunnel from my comfy couch I haven't found anything to eat yet. Plus now [Status] claims I eat too much!

I want to complain some more but I'm too hungry to bother. I wish I managed to bring my bag of salt and vinegar chips with me.