With a bluish flash CD gained vision and simultaneously stumbled. He almost lost balance as he dropped from about 2-3 inches off from ground. 

He immediately snapped in alertness as he took notice of himself and his surroundings. There were many more other man/women were present around him. A bit surprised and confused, he immediately took a small step back to put himself further in middle of crowd. He hunched his back and changed his face to that of a beaten puppy. This method had served him well for almost all of his school life. Project a sorry face and bully ignore you. 

'where am I ? '  This was his first thought within same second. Whatever anyone say about him, but no one was ever was able to question his reaction time. 

Immediately he begin to recollect his last memories and revised them. Last memory was that of going to sleep on Friday night during reading books on his tablet. That was his regular routine. Nothing afterwards. All this was over within another second. 

Next thing he did was to analyse his immediate situation. He was wearing a rough spun cloth shirt and pant. In fact, everyone around him was wearing same. Man and woman both.

'Mass kidnapping ? Doesn't make sense. Why kidnap so many and make them wear same cloths ?  Some kind of cult kidnapping ? maybe. Or something else ? Nobody seems to be in bad shape ?  Was I kidnapped in my sleep ? maybe. But then how come I woke up standing up ?'

Just then a loud voice came from a few feet in front. A Monk type person was standing on some platform which was not visible from CD's position. 'Plus one to cult theory.'

"Welcome visitors !!! On behalf of Alfrin kingdom I thank you for your help in culling herds. ......"

CD listened for few seconds but it was clearly BS greeting and very less in content. While keeping one ear on speech CD leaned toward his right to a man who was built like a barrel and almost a foot and half shorter then CD. 

"Hey, do you know what is happening here ?" CD murmured in low voice just enough to reach man. He wanted to avoid raising any attention of speaker. 

"Bullshit welcoming speech, they always waste first 2 minutes after respawn for this BS" . A normal volume answer came confusing CD even further.  'This is normal for this guy ?'

Just then the guy shouted at top of his lungs "Hey !! stop wasting my time !! let us go." . Immediately, many of man and woman started to booing the speaker.

Speaker stopped his speech and stared to crowd with tiredness of a office worker. Then like he came to some decision, he said "OK. Only first time visitors please stay back for receiving your gold for equipping yourself. Rest can leave when they wants. I will stay for question answer session."

'WTF ? gold ?? '. Now confusion was in full force. why would anyone pay him gold ? 

Just as CD was wondering, his eyes landed onto a man walking away. Or more like a monster walking away with most of crowd. It had green color skin with body proportion of Arnold in Terminator series and height of wrestler Khali. CD just spent a few seconds in shock and staring at monster's back. 

As most of people left, CD realised that he was standing on a large circular floor with strange designs. Almost like patterns made of gold. A sudden realisation hit CD like a truck kun from fantasy novels.

'Am I in fantasy world ?!! Wait a second, gold ! That guy was too short !! Almost like a dwarf !! That monster was like an Ork !! WTF ???  This do not happens in real life !?  Did I got transported to fantasy novel ? No. wait for further inputs. No point panicking. Wait, fantasy world!! Isn't there a VR fantasy game world from UNverse AI ??  I had to clear all the test for my VR office login, didn't I ?? Yes !! I am in VR game. 

A relief passed through CD's thoughts. He now knew where he was. But then, panic started to rise again. 

'How I am logged in ? I distinctly remember going to sleep in my bed with my tablet. I don't remember putting on my office VR helmet. How did I lost my memory ?? Wait, memory are lost if they get erased before they become permanent memories by sleeping. So today must be Saturday and something happened to me to not record my memories of putting on VR helmet. Like a brain trauma ? Well, no point panicking, wait for further inputs. Till then proceed with caution.'

By now most of people in circle had walked off. The monk now addressed the remaining peoples. "Well, kingdom has provided 4 gold as initial preparation aid to all visitors. As all of you are visiting first time, you can collect gold from treasurer at gate. A small market is located immediately outside compound for selling various items and training aids etc. This compound and market outside are protected by Royal Guards, so no violence is permitted. Prices are restricted by kingdom to avoid fleecing newcomers. Please feel free to explore.". With this, monk type person simply left. 

Just as CD was about to follow, a ping sounded in his ear, like he was wearing earphone. A message was floating in front of his eyes.

"You got system message, do you want to play ?"

CD immediately thought 'yes' . His elder brother Vicky's voice came. He was clearly tired from voice. 

"Hey Dodo. Don't panic, you are in VR game Life. You had an accident and are in medical care. To keep your mental health good, I have got VR gaming access recommended directly via your MMI chip. Lawyer has applied for consultation cum strategy room renting. Please wait till approval comes from AI. It will take a few hours"

Only Vicky called him Dodo. 'So something serious happened. Accident .... so I am not in condition to wake up easily. After all, doctor sent me to VR world. Lawyer must be for handling of legal side. Did I left a will ??  Well, shop while waiting'

CD left for market after getting 4 gold at gate. Market was old style market with vendor only having a table for their business. It was a single street of around 2-3 hundred feet long. Most vendors used trunks as table and storage space. After a few minutes of browsing, CD was clear on what was on sale. Surprisingly, 'system' were also on sale. Every system was different kind with different price. CD looked for his own system, but was surprised to find that other then 'logout' icon, there was no system available to him. 

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

CD immediately grabbed a passerby who was wearing same cloth as him and asked him about not having system. The guy look at him in confusion. "Did you not read the lore page ? Dude it was the first page during login ! Anyway, this is earth, some million years after someone broke dimensions and magic became reality. Natural progression is driven from that. Someone has to create bio-bot which infect your brain to create any kind of system. Till you purchase a system, you only get logout button." 

As that person left, CD decided to purchase a system. There were many types and many prices, but maximum price for a system was limited to 2 gold max. NPC and player had no distinction other then rough spun starter cloths of new players. Old players and NPC were very much similar and hard to distinguish. 

After almost 20 minutes of browsing, CD filtered out most interesting systems. While most were simplified, attribute systems, a few were very complex. Competition among vendor was fierce. CD had almost finalised his system and was about to go that that vendor, when a scholar looking vendor grabbed his hand.

"Hey, I see you looking at these pathetic systems and not selecting any. Clearly you are a man of quality, how would you like to get the most ancient of system available !! only 1 gold and 50 silver !! "

CD was about to reject when a neighbour vendor laughed and said " so ancient of system that it is outdated !! Nobody purchase it anymore. He did not had any customer for last whole week !! Now he is grabbing customer forcefully. Ha ha ..."

Scholar looking vendor look almost ashamed but defended himself to CD. "Hey, it is the original base of cultivation system, nothing wrong with it. As a matter of fact, it is only system till now which allow other systems to work in parallel with it ! "

Neighbour gave a derogatory laugh again at this. " Yeah, he sell some cultivation system. Nobody cultivate, magic systems are so easy, who will waste money on cultivation. And what does it cultivate ? magic only !! Any system provide better interface than that. Moreover, it is only temporary mana system, and where will customer buy cultivation techniques ?? nowhere !! They are extinct !!!" 

Scholar was almost desperate now. He turned to CD and offered "1 Gold and 20 silver, and I will personally start your cultivation base. Rest you can follow ancient scroll copy I will give to you. He is just jealous as my cultivation system provide temporary mana over your body limits. Trust me no other system provide this benefit. Moreover, it work with any other system !! Trust me, you wont get better deal."

At this point CD was actually interested in this 'parallel' system. If a system can provide temporary advantage over your limits while working with other regular systems, why leave any advantage? Also CD was a scientist by profession, curiosity regarding 'original system' was also a big part of his decision. Scholar looking guy seems to be some kind of student from some institute and doing this to earn extra money. 

"OK, but 1 gold. Also, I will need all information regarding all systems if I am spending a gold on it. You dont seems to have many customers anyway. Tell me about this system."

Bitterness was clear on scholar's face. "Because that asshole keep scaring all my customers. It took almost 6 months to sell 3 vial of system and even they were afraid to use it after that asshole bad mouthed my system. But ok. I will answer your questions as much as I can. And please spread to as many people about benefits of my system. I digged this out from archive of mage collage. It is my only source of income for collage fee. Nowhere else you will find ability to have 2 system simultaneously."

CD paid vendor a gold and got a small vial of about 1cc liquid to drink. After CD drank it, vendor touched his stomach and CD felt like something rotating inside like some current flowing clockwise inside his stomach. So CD started asking questions about magic. 

"what did you do ?"

"I started you mana circulation inside your 'core'. You could have done so yourself but it is very difficult to do for first timer. I took a year to even feel it myself. I just jump started your core."

"How does that work ? How will I use it ?"

"Ahh. It is like solar system creation. I have started rotation, you just have to keep adding mana to it. It will condense with more mana addition. Just make sure never to empty it fully. you can feel the mana flow inside, can't you ? 

"Wait, wont it slow down ?"

"What !!?? No!! Mana is on meta-physical level , why would it slow down ? There is no friction on meta-physical plane !  Visitors ... do I have to give you even basics ??"

"Um... yes ? I am not from here. "

"Gah !! Ok. .... When world broke, meta-physical plane or soul plane or .... whatever plane people call it.... broke away. Our mind is connection between soul and body. Mana has 2 parts, mind part and energy part. When your mind grow, your soul create more mind part, ie miasma. Body give energy to miasma to create your mana. When you use mana to do magic, mind part remain behind and energy part is used to influence the physical world. Slowly, body again restore the energy part to create mana from miasma again. OK ? I think that just about cover it whole."

"Then how your system work ?? I mean what it do differently from other system? "

"Hah !! ... thats where beauty of this ancient system lies. since your mind create mana. Until your mind grow, your mana can not grow. But, my system do not use your mana. It use environmental mana !! only extremely tiny fraction of your mana I have used to start core rotation. While anybody else can only draw environmental mana for it to dissipate again, your core will keep it rotating around it. Yes it will be spent when used, but this rotating mana is additional mana for you to use !!  Other system do not use this."

"How will I grow ?? I mean how anyone grow using mana or system?"

"I think you are confused. Mana to now grow your mind or body. your mind or body grow from life energy . What do you think your body give to miasma ?  Heat ?? No !!! It give a part of life energy to miasma to create mana. Also, system is not a tool to grow you, it is a tool to show your growth and allow you to guide growth. System just show you your attributes and allow you to use up life energy you earn in manner which you decide. It do not create life energy."

"so... where does life energy comes from ?"

"where else ? from life !!! Living things create life energy . When they die, they leave behind a small part of mana, life energy and life abilities. This can precipitate in form of core. When you kill a monster and use up its core, this give you additional life energy, which you can guide to increase your attributes. Mana usually get dissipated but with my system, you can store it temporarily into your core. yes, it won't permanently increase your abilities, but you are still able to use wasted mana !!! life abilities you can absorb, depending upon if you want them or not.  Your second system can help with that. Most systems are now simplified to make them easy to understand. Hey , shouldn't you take notes of all this ?" Scholar was a bit confused. 

CD waved his hand " Nah.. its alright, I have 87% edetic memory and 158 IQ. If I process it properly, I will remember it."

Scholar simply shrugged "Well, anything else ??"

"What about XP ?"

"Ah... some system call it XP, but it is basically life energy leftover of a living being. Whatever you call it ."

"How come different system have different attributes ?"

"They are just using different names. Some allow you to go in details of each attribute and allow for detail manipulation. While other keep it simple and distribute life energy as per fixed algorithm. Like, some use simply strength, while other break it into strength and defence, while some other can break it into some more details. Internally, they are similar. But a advise from me, go for a system which allow you detailed control. That way you can select which detail you want more. Generic system will increase attribute in same field equally."

'Now this is information. Good thing I already selected most detailed system to purchase. This info about magic itself is worth a gold, core system is a bonus'. With this CD thanked scholar but before leaving, CD used created excuse to ask for more later. 

"Hey, if I recommend your system to someone and they want to know some more details, I will come to you."

Scholar was annoyed but still agreed readily for future sale prospects. Also, he handed over a small 3 page leaflet to CD as 'cultivation technique'.

Just as CD was about to go for second system, he got ping of system message again.