REBORN AS A WHAT?!

I hate snakes!

I detested most reptiles, but my revulsion towards those legless, slithering creatures with scaly skin was on a completely different level.

Snakes are natural predators. Even the venomless ones can evoke a feeling of dread and unease merely through their undulating motion. Then there are the beady slit eyes, forked tongue, and sharp fangs—that can inject deadly venom into their victim—all disconcerting features of the creature.

Regardless of what most serpent enthusiasts claim, you see a snake; you run. That was exactly what I intended to do when I encountered the snake. Sadly for me, I wasn't nearly fast enough.

Damn. It killed me!

That was the reason behind all my conspicuous hatred of snakes.

Even in death, the memory of the little white snake biting me remained fresh in my mind. It hadn’t been a swift death either. The prolonged, excruciating pain added another misery to my end.

In my mind’s eye, I witnessed my entire life in reverse, from the agony and injustice of my death. None of it mattered anymore.

Slowly, even that memory faded as I moved closer to the unknown. Towards the immense, endless... void.

No words could describe where I was drifting, my mind muddled, unable to maintain coherent thoughts. Eventually, I descended into the void for my eternal slumber...

Abruptly, a blinding light crashed into me, ripping the most indignant scream out of my throat. It rekindled all the regret and resentment I had experienced with the weird and incongruous event of my death. The excruciating agony of losing my life flooded back, accompanied by a growing sense of restlessness.

The light dissipated, leaving me to lament in complete darkness.

Am I not dead? Is this the afterlife?

There was no one to clear my confusion. Only me and the endless darkness.

I couldn't feel my body anymore. Darkness claimed it. Yet my mind seemed to work. Well, not too perfectly, as I couldn't fathom how deranged the darkness was making me. I fell into a slumber.

An eternity later, I awoke again. Well, it probably wasn't an eternity, but it sure felt like it. Unlike before, the darkness didn’t frighten me. Something strange had enveloped me protectively in its embrace, fending off the strangling darkness.

Am I dead or not? I questioned, infuriated. Can't you get it over with?

I didn’t really expect an answer, but I actually got one, though it only confused me more about my predicament.

[Congratulations, you have transcended Death... and are being reborn.]

[Initiating emergency system protocol.]

Um, what? I was stupefied. Who are you? How are you talking to me?

The voice was of someone elderly, like an old and wise grandpa. Unfortunately, the grandpa didn’t seem to hear my plea anymore.

I spent an unimaginable amount of time with only darkness as my company. There was a growing sense of coldness along with the peculiar, fuzzy sensation spreading throughout my being, nourishing me.

I was always slumbering and waking up to find myself in the darkness. After waking for the ninth time in the darkness, I discovered I had been looking elsewhere when salvation was within me. Despite the darkness singing the melody of doom, I found a strong sense of life within me. It listened to my call, soothing my growing restlessness as I spent an unimaginable amount of time fostering the life force.

[Congratulations! You have learned the skill Basic Meditation (F)]

My mind jerked at the sudden elderly voice. Hey, invisible Grandpa, you’re really making me uncomfortable now. Can’t you just show yourself without giving these weird messages?

Receiving no answer, I went back to slumber again.

The force grew as I continued playing with it. But even a child would get bored out of their favourite toy, provided enough time. While I wasn't a child, I had a limit to my composure as well.

Eventually, I called upon the power, as sparkles of light coalesced in my mind's eye. Within a moment, my heart warmed up, the power building within me. But only after a couple more seconds, I felt uneasy holding onto the power. Intuitively, I was aware I had done something wrong that could harm me dearly. The force wouldn’t dissipate within me even if I released my hold.

What to do? Whattodo? Whattodo?

My choices were limited. It was either releasing the built-up power of frustration within me, which would harm me in ways I wasn't aware of, or trying to attack the all-encompassing darkness. I would be a fool if I chose the former.

With the decision made, I tried to jerk away, lobbing the power into the darkness.

Take this! I winced. Please!

A sharp twinge of pain assaulted me, but my attention was elsewhere. A shimmering light flickered through the cracks the force created in the veil of darkness. Bars of sunlight streamed through the small gap. I attempted to move my arms, only to discover no response.

I tried to scream out in indignation, but only a faint hissing sound escaped my mouth. My body convulsed, uncomfortably trapped in a confined space. I wriggled, desperate to break free from my predicament.

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Flashes of a golden shimmer clouded my vision, twisting into something I barely recognised. Alongside these visuals, the undeniably impressive elderly voice spoke directly into my mind. Again!

[Warning! You have initiated awakening...]

[Scanning for potential damage and soul trauma...]

[No latest damage or trauma found... Determining the hatching to be left undisturbed]

[Terminating emergency system protocol.]

[Preparing for early awakening...]

The voice was ancient, like expressing a divine decree, yet completely indifferent. Wait, shouldn't my focus be on what he is saying?

Umm, Grandpa, would you mind reiterating all of that?

[Congratulations, you have successfully hatched.]

[Kismet is intrigued with your birth. You have received the lesser blessing of Kismet. +5 All attributes]

Wait, what!?

[Welcome to Shattered Twilight, Hatchling.]

I died after that venomous snake bit me, and then... Wait, hatchling? A grim premonition washed over me. No, please don't tell me.

No, no, no, I tried to shout, but all that came out was the hissing noise. What happened to me?

The surrounding space trembled as I lurched uneasily. Eventually, the tiny space cracked open, flooding my sight with blinding sunlight. I finally discovered what had transpired.

I'm a snake! I screamed. Once again, no words escaped my mouth, only an eerie hiss. I shot out through the crack and found it to be an egg planted in the earth. Freed, now it was time to assess my situation better. Yet nothing changed.

No matter how many times I glanced at myself, the sight of a little white snake coiling on the grass didn't change.

The sheer incredulity of the situation overwhelmed me, disabling me from comprehending the predicament I was in. The shimmering transparent texts and the elderly voice only added to the confusion.

People don't reincarnate after death. Or do they? Even if they did, they didn't retain their memory.

The abnormality of my situation was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It challenged my understanding of the familiar world I knew. Then again, the familiar world changed before I died, no?

[As a creature of chaos, you have lost your privilege to gain a Class.]

[However, the system has considered your circumstances. Many options of the Path are still open to you.]

[Achievement unlocked! Bizarre circumstances might create unexpected and unique results. But the path you walk is not without any reward. You have gained the Mark: Fatemarked.]

The voice interrupted my contemplation. I tried to scream again, this time more out of exasperation. Gah!

I wasn’t sure if I understood it right, but it felt like I lost something important. Was it something greater than my humanity? After venting a little, I collected my thoughts and assessed my situation.

So, I'm a snake. Am I experiencing any cognitive difficulties? Most reptiles were intellectually limited. I was certain they were incapable of processing coherent thoughts like I was doing now.

Was I somehow different?

Well, I don't feel foolish, I thought, aside from my usual foolishness. Perhaps I retained my intelligence in this rebirth. Or could it be that I am incapable of recognising my diminished mental capacity?

That would be a cruel joke—cheating death only to become a witless snake.

Perhaps I was simply insane, and all of this was nothing more than a figment of my imagination. But a snake? Seriously, brain? Couldn't you have chosen something better?

Something majestic, like a dragon.

[Preparing status page...]

What now?

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[Shai]

Rank: Foundation (F)

Path: Favoured Hatchling Lvl 1

Laws: None.

Mark: Fatemarked. Blessed by Kismet (Lesser)

Attributes:

Primary Attribute: Total (Base)

* Physique: 6 (1)

* Mind: 8 (3)

* Soul: 14 (9)

* Recovery: 7 (2)

Special Attributes:

* Insight: 6

* Evolution: 11

* Fortune: 12

Unallocated points: 1

Aspect:

Golden Eyes (Dormant) | Venom (D)

Skills [2/8]:

Basic Meditation (F) | Bestial Instinct (E)

Boon:

Inventory | Lingual Comprehension

Remark:

I'm only a Level 1 Hatchling.

[System Log] [Active Quest]

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[You can summon and surf around the status page simply by willing it strongly.]

So I'm in some weird video game? I questioned. Or I'm insane.

None of the two options seemed appealing to me. So I shouted inwardly. Log out! Exit! Sign off! Goddamn it, send me back to my life!

Only silence answered my call.

I could not deny my death. Honestly, I didn't remember much as I had been in a panic, but I was sure something had seriously gone wrong with the world.

Yes, I never heard of or encountered anything like this, but that didn't make it impossible. It happened. It killed me. And now I was reborn as something less desirable than a human.

But why a snake? I was torn between celebrating my new life and lamenting that I had transformed into the creature I despised the most. Well, it's better than dying, I suppose.

I recalled the agony of my death. It was an experience I found unpleasant to relive or even contemplate. To avoid dwelling on the agonising memory, I shifted my focus to the status page before me.

I sucked a deep breath through my tiny nostrils and mouth, unsure of how to interpret the system. This expanded my horizons in a whole new way.

It felt peculiar to see shimmering texts running across my vision. The system provided a comprehensive breakdown of my being. While I recognised most of the terms, I wouldn't mind having a better explanation.

First came the primary attributes, encompassing the four fundamental aspects of my being. All described in familiar terms and accompanied by numerical values.

Unfortunately, I lacked a frame of reference to determine whether my stats were impressive or mediocre. In fact, they seemed rather lacklustre to me. I was a little taken aback by the fact that my [Strength] was merely 6; 1 if I excluded the blessing by the Kismet person.

It's probably because I’m a newborn, tiny snake? I wondered. Yet unlike I imagined, my sight was clear, in contrast to the bleary view a newborn creature should have. Wait, with all this reincarnation and things, won’t magic be something real too?

The image of how I shot a small beam of translucent light out of my mouth did inspire confidence in the notion of magic being real.

With a thought, I felt the familiar energy within me, the same energy that accompanied me in the darkness. I called upon the power, mimicking how I broke the egg. It surged within my tiny form, and like before, an uneasy expression developed on my features. I had to get the power out of my system again, or I might injure my baby form.

I jerked my head as the power gushed out of my mouth in a swift motion to strike the lush grass, digging a small hole in the ground.

Whoa! What did I do?

[Would you like to learn Qi Dart (E)?]

Yes...? I thought hesitantly.

[Qi Dart will cost 1 Insight Point.] [Accept | Decline]

I looked at the prompt suspiciously for some time and accepted it with a thought.

A raw surge of intangible pressure overwhelmed my mind instantly, causing me to squirm on the ground. A flood of information and insight on how to manipulate energy came to me, branding my body, mind, and soul somehow that I would never forget. The sheer feeling was overwhelming like I could do nothing to reject it once I accepted. Thankfully, it didn’t press on me longer, leaving a surreal feeling of nausea.

[Congratulations! You have learned Qi Dart (E).]

[Qi Dart (E): Mastery – 1%

Attacks with a sharp semi-corporeal projectile of energy.]

The elderly voice spoke as I thanked him after getting a hold of myself. Now, it was time to check out my skills.