" .y..ke..up!"

Uh...Who is shaking me? Let me sleep in peace. I couldn't help but complain to myself as I felt a shake all over my body, originating from my right shoulder.

"Hey! Wake up!"

A loud voice entered my ears, followed by a shake bigger than the one before, which finally put me awake.

Half opening my heavy eyelids, I saw the face of a man partially blocking the clear blue sky.

Completely opening my eyes and sitting up, I looked around me.

What in the world?

Immediately I was stunned, but as the aftereffect of the sleep ended, my thought process became clear again. Looking around me I had the idea that I was in the 'Tutorial'.

What I didn't expect however was for the mentioned tutorial to be a big and round clearing of a forest. I knew it was a forest because of the tall trees and green vegetation around the clearing.

The land of the clearing has short green grasses, and there were many people upon the grass. Some were seated looking around in confusion, some walking around conversationing with one another, while some were wailing to themselves laying on the grass.

"Hey! Do you know where we are? Did you also.. die before? If yes, then when and where was that? Is this afterlife?"

The man who woke me up loaded me with one question after another. I looked closely at the man again, brown hair and beard, with his black eyes and the fit body visible through his clothes, gave him the perfect appearance of a middle-aged man, doing his best to stay fit. Though his angular face had a worried look.. or so was he trying to show.

"I apologize for my rudeness, I am extremely confused right now, it's been a while since we are in this peculiar environment and you were the only one still sleeping so I thought maybe you knew something.. "

The man said in an apologetic manner noticing the peculiar look I was giving him. So I had been sleeping for a while, it may have something to do with the old thing.

"Relax a bit, being anxious wouldn't solve anything. Why don't you sit down?"

I put a hand on the man's shoulder and offered him to take a seat next to me. Only to be surprised at the next moment...

The hands which were stretched were...

not the one I knew. They weren't the hard and thick hands of a hardened man I was familiar with, but rather the soft and tender hands of a young adult.

"Hehe.. the recoil finally hit you huh. And here I was wondering why you were not surprised."

The man said with a chuckle as he sat next to me.

"What's going on?"

I asked the man even though I had the gist of what was happening.

"Turns out that all the dead people from the year are living and breathing here, and that's not even the most surprising part. It turns out that most of the old folks are living in the body of their younger self."

The man said as his voice contained a hint of jealousy at the end of his sentence as he looked at me.

"I wasn't that old when I died, I was around yours or rather your body's age."

I said to ease the jealousness of the man. Well, 36 years are still considered young.

"So how did you die? I died in a car accident by the way."

The man said as he looked at me, not as jealous as before.

"There was a fire, a big one."

A big and, painful one. I couldn't help but shudder a little as I remembered the experience of my slow and painful death.

"Yikes! Thank goodness we don't remember the pain of death.. or man it would have been painful for you."

The man said with sympathy, as he looked at me with pity.

So they don't remember their death experience. I inwardly noted the point as I put on a helpless smile.

"Yeh. Thank god, all I remember is that I died at a moment and opened my eyes to see you next."

"Hehe. Everyone has the same experience buddy. Oh, and by the way, the name's Michael, Michael Rotter."

"Nice to meet you Michael my name is Tommy. No last name."

I uttered an alias as I shook the hands offered by Michael.

"Quite the unique name, well anyways. Get up friend look around our afterlife."

Michael said as he rose on his feet dusting his pants, he set off to another destination.

I would have to keep a close eye on you... Michael. I thought as I looked at the departing Michael.

Now that I think about it everyone's wearing the same clothes. Though it's not much of a surprise, considering the situation. Looking around every person had the same white shirt with black pants, and brown shoes, although they didn't look that good, I was sure that they were strong.

Getting up I started looking around, and I was not the only one doing so almost all the people around me were walking around in groups or alone looking around or talking to each other.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Many discussions about wheater it was heaven or something else were talking place. A group of teenagers were talking about this being some fantasy world they were summoned to for saving the world.

Before I could start my information gathering...

*Crack!**Crack!*

The sound of a glass cracking rang from above, attracting my attention to the part of the sky, which was cracking like glass.

"What the hell?"

"Oh! Some god's going to descend."

"First a young body now this, will someone tell me what's going on!"

"Oh! Looks like our summoner is going to make an entry."

The people started talking among themselves, gathering under the crack which was starting to expand, some time later the round space between the crack shattered leaving a black portal behind.

Is it going to be the entry of the guide of the tutorial? Looking at the portal big enough to fit a grown man, a question popped into my mind.

A man in a black coat and pants walked out of the portal, not so surprisingly floating in the air.

The people below silently observed the man above, I being one of them. The man with his muscular and sturdy body combined with his shaved beard and the hairs of the same level looked like a retired general.

He was looking down at no one in particular, but at the same time, it felt as though he was looking at you. Like it does in a picture where the person is looking at the camera.

"Ahem... Before you mortals start loading me with questions know this, I am a projection, a video is what it's called in your world. So I won't be able to answer your questions."

The people looked at each other and sure enough, they seemed dissatisfied. Some even raised their hands or directly asked questions like 'Where are we?', 'Is this afterlife?', 'Are you god?' and more only to meet the silence of the man floating in the sky.

Well, they were dead a moment ago and now here they are living and breathing, of course, they would have a lot of questions.

"Now if your futile attempts are over, let me continue."

The man said as though he knew that some people would ask questions even after his warning.

"As you all know, you mortals have died in your respective worlds. We are giving you another chance to live, that too in your most ideal body. Complaining will not change the age of body you are in so save your breath for what's to come next."

The old people among the group looked dissatisfied but stayed silent not voicing their complaints. They had a vast experience in life so they knew better, when or where to speak.

I though noted another thing said by the man, 'died in your respective worlds' not Earth, does that mean there are other worlds?

"Now since the mundane things are taken care of, let us get to the main point."

The man paused for a few seconds and continued.

" 'Nothing in the world comes free', it's true before death and even after death. So the fact that dead mortals like you are walking in a healthy and young body too shall come at a price... right?"

The man asked as a small smile appeared on his face.

I don't like where it's going. And I was not the only one who didn't like it as the people around me too had a worried and anxious look.

"We don't ask much from you. Not much at all.."

*Rumble* *Rumble*

The ground started vibrating. As many footsteps could be heard from the distance. Some birds like creatures flew away from their trees.

"All you have to do is survive! Survive for three nights. If you do you would be permitted in the Tutorial. If you don't.. then that would be the end of you, believe me, there's no third chance in life."

*Roar!* *Rumble!* *Rumble!*

A distinct roar was heard as the vibration got more intent, a few nervous ones even fall.

"Well, then mortals I wish you luck. Give your best performance for the audience above."

The man said as his body or rather the projection disappeared in thin air.

The audience above? Does that mean we are being watched? Before I could ponder over the matter any further or the people could voice their complaints...

*Ding!*

A clear voice rang in my ears followed by a translucent blue screen that appeared before my eyes.

-----------------------------------------------

Quest Information:

Description: You had been granted another chance to live, prove that you are worthy of this chance by completing the objective.

Objective: Survive for three nights.

[83:59:57]

Rank: N/A

Reward: 1} Access to System!

2} Entry in Tutorial!

3} Extra rewards based on

performance!

-----------------------------------------------

"What the hell is this?"

"Oh my god! It's the legendary system of Litrpgs!"

"Oh! It disappeared on its own just by a single thought."

"And reappears after a thought too."

"You can't even touch it, my hands passed right through it."

I too had read many web novels and the ones with the system were my favourite, but who would have thought that I would have my own one day. Though it's only the quest log for now. Just thinking about having a system like the ones in the novel is.. exciting.

But I didn't let myself be lost in excitement like the people exclaiming in amazement. Who completely forgot about the roar and rumbles of before. I observed the quest objective, keeping an eye around me at the same time.

The man said that we have to survive for three nights that would have been 72 hours if it was night, but since the sun is high in the sky and the timer started at 84 hours, it should be noon right now.

*Crack!* *Crack!*

The sound of glass cracking rang.. again. This time however it was fainter and rang from all around.

Looking at the sky I saw the 'thing' cracking.

The 'thing' was a transparent barrier surrounding the clearing. And I knew it was a barrier because of the space and place the cracks were appearing.

"What is it this time!?"

An annoying voice sounded from the people, starting the long dissatisfied comments of people.

*Zooom!* *Zooom!*

Sounds like the launching of missiles came from the forest as the green bean of light shot in the sky.

Even in the afternoon, the green beam was visible, some near while some far.

I have Ideas of what was to happen, but...

I wish I am wrong.

*Roar!* *Shatter!*

But to prove the fact that I am right, a roar of a wild beast followed by the sound of glass shattering rang as the barrier shattered!

"Oh my god."

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

"What in the world are these things!"

"Monsters!"

At that moment I realised that the barrier surrounding us wasn't transparent but rather illusionary, trapping us in the illusion of a peaceful forest.

And what greeted us past the illusion was a large horde of creatures.. no monsters!

Wolves with bodies twice as big as an adult wolf with the mane of a lion. The grey monsters with their red eyes, saliva dripping from their mouths, looked at us... humans! like a hungry beast looking at a fat piece of meat.

Looking at the horde of monsters who had surrendered us I involuntarily took a step back, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm my racing heart.

*Growl* *Growl*

The wolves took a step forward, causing further panic in the already scared people.

"Wh.. what's up with the..these wolves they d..do.. don't look normal."

"Damn! They are monsters get me out of here I don't want to die again."

"Mommy *sob* where are you?*sob*"

When the panic was increasing among the group...

*GROWL!*

A growl much scarier than the ones before sounded in the forest. As a thing with glowing blood-red eyes walked out from the forest. The moment my eyes landed on the thing, the heart which had somewhat calmed down started beating wildly again.

*Gasp!* *Gasp!*

"We are done for.."

I could hear the gasps and sounds of horror from the people around, which was completely understandable, after all, in front of this.. this thing the wolves looked normal.

"This... this is not the afterlife."

Someone standing at the front muttered as he retreated backwards.

*ROOAR!*

The thing opened its massive jaw letting out a terrifying roar. As all the wolves followed him letting out loud howls.

The wolves circling us moved in action at the same time, pouncing at the group of humans with their jaws wide open...

And...

All hell Broke loose...