I woke up in an unfamiliar place, feeling like I was floating in space. "Am I dead?" I thought to myself, looking around to grasp what was happening. To my surprise, I found a woman in a dazzlingly bright dress standing before me—a sight so beautiful that even the prettiest girls I knew couldn't hold a candle to her radiance. "Are you a goddess?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity. As I spoke, she smiled, confirming my suspicions.
"I am Neira, the goddess of Time and Space," she said with a divine voice. "I'm sorry, Alexander, but your time is up on Earth. It was an unfortunate accident caused by some lower gods while fixing anomalies on Earth." Her words slowly sank in, and I couldn't help but wonder if I really was dead. The mysterious surroundings and the sensation of floating gave weight to her claim. "So, what happens to me now? Do I go to heaven or hell?" I inquired, unsure whether to believe her proclamation of godhood.
"Worry not, Alexander," the goddess reassured me, a gleam of excitement in her eyes. "You have the option to reincarnate into another world! I know you're one of those people who reads a lot of fantasy novels, and those fantasies will now become reality for you!" Her words filled me with an overwhelming sense of joy, realizing that I had a chance to embark on an extraordinary adventure beyond my wildest dreams.
Suddenly, a thought struck me: "Goddess, is it possible for me to choose my own power?" This was the moment I had been waiting for. If I truly found myself in a fantasy world, there should be swords, magic, and all sorts of incredible abilities, right?
As if the goddess had read my mind, a slightly eerie smile curved her lips. "Don't worry about that, Alexander. A friend of mine will bestow upon you your 'powers.' Now, I will send you to this world. Good luck and have fun in your brand new life. I hope you survive this time." With those words, my vision underwent a sudden shift. The trees that surrounded me were towering and oddly unsettling, their foliage unlike any vegetation I'd encountered while hiking or exploring Earth's forests. I couldn't help but wonder where the goddess had teleported me.
Approaching a plant with red petals that caught my eye, I leaned in for a closer look. It was unfamiliar, unlike anything I'd seen before. "Appraise!" I muttered, expecting some kind of response, but nothing happened. "So, no appraisal in my arsenal, huh? This is going to be challenging."
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I ventured deeper into the forest, my senses on high alert, and so far, no signs of danger or monsters had presented themselves. The eerie atmosphere aside, the surroundings exuded an unusual calmness. I even contemplated the possibility of setting up camp for the night, provided I could navigate my way out of this forest by daybreak.
"Hmm, I should start looking for some shelter for the night. I don't know which plants or fruits are edible in this forest. Might as well go 'caveman-style,'" I mused aloud. I began to trek through the forest with surprising ease. Perhaps my current body was an improvement over my previous one; fatigue didn't come easily, my senses of smell and hearing were unusually heightened, and my athleticism seemed enhanced. I could only hope that these weren't the only gifts bestowed upon me by the goddess.
As I continued my journey, a fruit caught my eye. It resembled an apple, but the color was off—its hue was an unexpected shade of brown. "This seems poisonous, but I need to eat or risk starving," I reasoned with myself. Taking a deep breath, I took a tentative bite. To my surprise, the flavor that greeted my palate was a delicate balance of sweetness and sourness. It reminded me of a fusion between a lime and an apple. Encouraged by this discovery, I gathered a few more of the peculiar fruits before resuming my quest to find additional sustenance.
Continuing my exploration, I stumbled upon something intriguing—a vibrant red vine. My curiosity was piqued, I extended my hand to touch it without a second thought. "Ouch!" A searing heat instantly coursed through my hand, leaving a painful mark behind. "Perhaps I can use this for fire? But how do I collect these vines?" I pondered. Taking caution, I decided to wrap the vines with some nearby leaves, strangely discovering that they didn't ignite upon contact.
Searching for a way to extract the potentially fiery material, I spotted a rounded stone nearby and picked it up. With careful precision, I began pounding the vine-covered leaves. Unexpectedly, a sudden *BOOM* shook the air as a small explosion erupted, propelling me several feet away from the now-smoking bundle. Shocked and singed, I lay there, realizing that my impromptu experiment had backfired. "Well, that was certainly dangerous. I guess I'll have to find another method for starting a fire. I really should have learned those basic survival skills back on earth," I muttered to myself, reflecting on my lack of preparedness.