For the first time in a very long time, Erik filled his lungs with fresh air. It took long, desperate gasps for his racing heart to begin calming down and the mounting panic to subside.
Laying there in the grass, he felt like a drowning man that's just been rescued from certain death. Not a pleasant feeling at all. Rays of sunlight touched his face, blades of grass caressed the back of his head, and he heard the sound of rushing water somewhere close by.
"Ugh, that's like... the worst hangover of my life…" he groaned and finally took a good look around as he stood up with some difficulty. What greeted him was quite the picturesque scene. He woke up in the middle of a meadow surrounded by a lush forest from all sides. Behind him flowed a small creek, emerging from the impenetrable cover of trees and making its way to the other side of the clearing, where it disappeared away from sight.
What truly caught his attention, though, was the wooden dwelling standing proud on the edge of the meadow. It wasn't all that large and certainly didn't look modern by any definition of the word. More of a wooden shack than anything else... But to Erik, who felt like a coma patient waking up, any sign of civilization looked inviting non the same.
"Just... Where the hell am I?" He asked no one in particular.
[This, dear user, is a realm that exists outside of the mortal plane. One you are now in possession of.]
"Whoa, don't scare me like that!" He half yelled, almost falling back on his ass. In a bit of a panic, he threw his gaze at the dwelling, but it remained lifeless. It didn't look like anyone heard him. Or possibly, it was never inhabited in the first place...
Honestly, he didn't know which case he preferred more.
"And you're… Ah- Well, I guess I should thank you?" He stumbled over his words. This mysterious being saved him somehow... At least he had a vague sense it did. His memories were a bit confused on the matter, but one thought remained clear. There was a deal struck between the two of them, one that promised him a way back home. Wherever that was. And the floating textbox was his only lifeline at the moment.
[No need, your rescue served my own purpose as well.]
"Well, eh-" He felt a bit silly, talking to the air, but continued on. "What did you mean by me possessing this place? You meant that cabin over there?"
[Congratulations~! You are now the sole owner of this entire world, including the aforementioned 'beginner shack'. Please, familiarize yourself with your new home. Once you do, I'll explain your purpose here.]
"That's… I guess I'll do that then." He sighed. After all, he was a bit curious himself, though he couldn't really wrap his head around the idea of owning an entire world. If the ridiculous piece of floating text was to be believed, of course. Not that he had a reason to doubt its trustworthiness as of yet.
The floating screen dissolved in what he assumed was a sort of silent agreement, so he began walking down the clearing towards the cabin, or 'beginner shack' as his benefactor called it.
As he neared the building, he could clearly make out more details than when he viewed it from afar. The wood looked aged but sturdy, the windows were made up of a simple shutter with a latch with no sight of glass. The roof, on the other hand, was made of thick thatching. A small chimney peeked out of said roof, and Erik briefly wondered just how exactly that wasn't a disaster waiting to happen.
It didn't take too long to reach his destination, and he soon stood in front of the entrance. He couldn't help but feel a bit unsure.
To knock, or not to knock? He hesitated.
What if there really is someone living here after all?
That made him wonder. Do I even look presentable right now? He gazed down at himself and found a simple linen shirt, baggy pants, and a pair of sandals that looked like they would fall apart at any second.
Not exactly stylish, but it'll have to do. At least I'm not naked. He finally capitulated and decided to just go for it. It's not like he had anything to lose anyway.
Thud, thud, thud…
Three loud knocks interrupted the peaceful, almost eerie silence of the meadow.
Erik waited… and waited… But no one came.
"I guess it really is inhabited, huh?" He told himself and gently pushed on the door. It opened, accompanied by a drawn-out creak, a bit too loud for his liking.
As sunlight crept inside through the gap, he realized the interior looked pretty close to what he imagined. Utilitarian would be a pretty good way of describing it. Just like his new set of clothes, it did the job, although barely.
To the right stood two simple-looking beds with a crudely carved nightstand in between. The same layout stood to the left, so four beds and two nightstands in total. The beds didn't look very comfortable, with straw visibly poking out from inside the mattress, but anything was better than sleeping on the ground, he thought. Facing him directly, right in the middle of the room, was a square table with chairs on each side. The only attention-grabbing thing inside the shack was a diamond-cut crystal placed on top of the table and a hearth way in the back corner from which the chimney rose upwards through the roof.
What surprised him the most, though, was just how tidied the interior appeared to be. Clean as a whistle, not a cobweb in sight.
Though the air could use some ventilation, he noted.
The floorboards creaked underneath him in protest as he finally took a step inside, his worries all but abandoned.
First things first, let's air out this room.
The shutters took a little while to figure out, but he soon got them opened, and another dose of sunlight spilled inside the room.
"And… done!" Clean air began pouring in, chasing out the uncomfortable staleness inside the cabin. With that out of the way, he turned his attention towards the crystal that clearly stood out. Like a noble amongst peasants. Some kind of metal pedestal secured the fist-sized gem in place. It looked priceless, a genuine work of art.
"Hey… System? What is this gem exactly? It's obvious it doesn't belong."
He asked the air, just to make sure. Always better to ask before he touched something he didn't fully understand. For all he knew, it might be dangerous.
[That is the vessel for your soul. In essence, it is your heart. The core of your existence.]
The System dropped that little piece of disturbing information like it was nothing.
"W-wait a moment. What do you mean by that? That's not-" He quickly touched the left side of his chest for reassurance, and indeed, he felt the constant beat of his heart. Relief flooded his body before the System chose to elaborate further.
[The vessel you now inhabit is nothing more than a puppet made of bone and flesh. Should you lose it, you can always make a new one. Remember, as long as that crystal remains in one piece, you'll be incapable of dying.]
"That's…" Pretty fucked up, he wanted to say. Though he took the news better than he expected. Maybe already dying once steels your nerves somewhat? He briefly wondered.
"So I'm basically a lich?"
As the words left his mouth, they made him stop. Where did that word come from exactly? He probed his mismatched memories but found nothing. He knew what the word meant, certainly, but he had no clue when he heard it first. Or used at all, for that matter. A weird sense of something oddly close to Deja Vu took hold of him but passed as quickly as it appeared.
I'll… I'll figure it out later.
[Please, keep such jest to yourself. What a crude comparison! No, you're much more advanced than that.]
"So I should probably hide this somewhere, right?" He gazed into the glimmering gem once more, trying to figure out just what made it so special. While it did look quite expansive, that was all. No spark of magic or anything like that. Just an ordinary, priceless gemstone.
[I'll leave that to the user's discretion.]
Erik considered it for a while but eventually decided to keep the gem resting snuggly on its pedestal. It wasn't like he knew where to hide it at the moment, and keeping it in his pocket just sounded wrong. What if I lost it? He shuddered at the thought.
I'm never taking my eyes off that gem! He made himself a promise
[It's about time I gave you an explanation of what you're here to do, so listen carefully.]
The System interrupted his musing, and he straightened subconsciously.
[You got lucky, user. For you see, I'm the one, the only… landlord system~~~!]
It announced with a miniature fanfare. Erik could almost hear the trumpets playing a celebratory tune and the confetti bursting out all around him.
Truth be told, he didn't know what to think.
"The what now?" He finally asked in bewilderment.
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[Tch- no appreciation at all. That's just simply what I do! My purpose, you know? I can help you become the most powerful being in the universe, so don't make fun of me!]
"By… Renting property? Frankly, this whole thing sounds a bit ridiculous."
[Yes! And it's simple! You can use this little realm I so graciously granted you to build a place people can rent and live a happy life! The more people you bring in, the bigger the rewards I'll be able to grant you. Also, every now and then, I'll set you up with a task or two to complete with all sorts of prizes and whatnot… Oh! And the interface. Almost forgot about that little feature. With that, you'll be able to manage this estate, buy new housing or other services, and keep tabs on your residents. Quite nifty, no?] It announced as if expecting some kind of praise.
"That's... quite a lot to take in. What do you get out of it anyway? This sounds like a lot of work for no reason." Erik replied, still absorbing this newfound information. It sounded like a terrible joke, but the System appeared completely serious.
[Well… What if I said it was just in my nature? Some are born human, some as blood-sucking vampires, and some just happen to come out as a landlord system! I never decided this was what I wanted to be, you know. No one ever does. But I'm glad I finally found my user, one way or the other~ I could hardly count myself as a mature system without one!]
Ridiculous. All of this. Just what did I get myself into?
He swore he had a headache coming. And a nasty one at that.
"So… Let's just say I'll accept all of this for now. What exactly do you want me to do? I haven't seen anyone around, and it certainly doesn't look like anyone lives here. Also, you promised you'd allow me to see my home again, don't think I forgot about our deal."
[As I explained before, this realm exists on a separate plane from the other worlds. You'll have to travel by portals to find potential tenants. And that will take mana. Now, one thing to remember is that you should always accept payment in mana. This whole realm runs on it, and you'll be able to use mana to acquire anything you might need. It's possible to materialize gold with mana, but not the other way around, so keep that in mind. Mana over gold, always. Most importantly of all, though, you'll need mana for the portals I mentioned, and that costs a ton to maintain. Considering your original world has no ambient mana at all, the price to open a portal there would be astronomical.]
"So, if I get this correctly, I need to make a lot of this mana if I want to travel home? Can't you just send me there directly? You had enough power to-"
To bring me back to life.
"...to bring me here, so why not help me? I promised I'd do what you asked me to, so there shouldn't be a problem, right?"
[I'm sorry, It's against my nature.]
"Nature? What are you on about? Sounds like bullshit to me, you know we had a deal."
[I agreed I would help you see your original world again, not that I would bring you there immediately. Please calm down. The law of the world forbids me to act against my purpose.]
"I just-"
He took a deep breath. This whole reincarnation business was getting to him.
I let my emotions get the better of me. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the System, after all.
"Yeah, ok… I'm sorry. This- It's been a wild ride for me so far. I guess I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this. How much of this mana would I need exactly?"
It took the System a little while to respond.
[Around 20 million mana, with slight deviations.]
That sounds like a lot, but maybe it's not?
"And how much do I have right now?"
[Just over 10 points!]
…
"This is a lost cause." He pulled out one of the chairs and unceremoniously plopped down on it. It was pretty uncomfortable, but he couldn't care less.
[Now, now. Cheer up! You've got a bright future in front of you, and all the time in the world. There's no reason to rush.]
"..."
[Well... I'll just unlock the interface for you, ok? Just think about opening it, nothing to it. If you have any questions, just ask, and I'll give you an explanation.]
And with that, the system prompt disappeared, leaving Erik alone with his thoughts. As alone one in his situation could be, in any case.
There's no point sulking about it now. I'll just have to hope my memories return in time. The sooner I figure this out, the quicker I can return home.
So, with his newfound resolve, he opened the so-called interface as per the System's instructions.
SYSTEM INTERFACE Mana: 10 Income / day: 0 mana Dwellings: 1 Tenants: 0 Store Storage Construction Portals Tasks Research
What greeted him was indeed some sort of interface, one oddly similar to the System. Although considering it originated from the metaphorical hands of said System, that wasn't much of a surprise.
He soon discovered that focusing on each topic brought up a different screen over the first, filled with more details. Though most were barren at the moment, a few provided him with insight on how this whole thing worked. For example, focusing on the 'dwellings' tab brought up a list of buildings in his possession. Focusing more on the sole entry brought up yet another screen, this one detailing the shack he was currently sitting inside.
The Beginner Shack Type: Communal (4) Quality: Shabby Rent / day: 10% Current capacity: 4/4 Upgrade: available (200 mana) (Unlock more details with research)
I'll dive into that later, he decided and continued mopping through the rest. The store and the storage tab were surprisingly empty, but he figured that wouldn't remain the case for much longer. On the other hand, the portals and the research tab refused to open at all. A quick question thrown at the System revealed that those two were locked for the time being. Sure, no big deal.
Last on the list was the construction tab, empty again to no one's surprise, and the task tab. Miraculously, that one had several entries split into two categories. He opened 'regular tasks'' first.
Familiarize yourself with the System!
Progress: 1 / 1 (Completed) Explore the interface to your heart's content. After all, how can you be expected to do a fine job without knowing anything about your tools first? Reward: 10 mana, random consumable (uncommon) Claim? Y / N
Get paid for the first time!
Progress: 0 / 1 You won't get anywhere without some mana. Receive any amount of it by any means. It may seem like a small step, but it's an important one! Reward: Double the received mana, random consumable (common)
Huh, that might require some explanation.
"System, how do these tasks work exactly?"
[Regular tasks are those I give you at my discretion. Milestones, usually. When you complete them, you can claim the below-mentioned reward. Simple as can be! With the daily tasks, you get the option to choose between three of varying difficulty and need to complete them on the same day.] The System was quick to respond.
"Ah, but what if I don't pick any, hypothetically speaking? Also, what happens when I fail a task? I don't see a time limit anywhere..."
Would the System punish him somehow? It was a stretch, but he had to make sure.
[There is no penalty unless stated otherwise.]
"That's good..." He focused on the first task that he had already completed. "So how do I claim these rewards? Should I do it now?"
[The same way you opened the interface. Proceed at your own discretion.]
"Well, I guess there is no reason not to claim them now." After all, he would take any and all mana the System was willing to give him, though he didn't know what to think of the random consumable. Some kind of food, perhaps? The interface immediately understood his intentions and threw yet another screen at him.
Congratulations! You receive: 10 mana
You receive: Bell of Opportunity (consumable, uncommon)
Suddenly, the space in front of him warped and distorted. Wisps of bright, bluish energy coalesced into the palm of his hand, and he couldn't help but stare in shock at the blatant display of magic. Floating screens full of text were one thing, but this was the first time he saw genuine magic!
His hand felt strangely warm, though not painful. The strange magic quickly swirled into a small orb. Erik watched the fascinating phenomenon for several seconds. He briefly considered touching the ball of energy, only to see what would happen, though his sense of self-preservation prevailed. For all he knew, his finger would disintegrate upon contact.
Better wait it out and see.
It blinked out of existence just as suddenly as it appeared. The only evidence it ever existed was a tiny ornate bell resting in his hand, no bigger than his thumb. It shined in the sun with a golden hue.
When he held it out to his eyes, wanting to inspect it in detail, the System threw another screen at him.
Bell Of Opportunity Type: consumable, single use Searching for potential customers can be a gruelling task, so why not make it easier? Ringing this bell will transport you directly to someone in need of lodging. While not a guarantee, striking a deal should be a straightforward affair.
Only works on already accessible worlds!
Surrounding area might not be safe, use with caution!
Provides a single use portal back.
He immediately started handling the little bell with more care. How awful would it be to ring it by accident?
"This seems awfully generous." He noted. "Do I not need to spend any mana to use it?"
[None at all!] It replied simply.
"That's all well and good, but I still don't know how to travel anywhere. How do I even open a portal if I don't want to use this bell yet?"
He wasn't exactly eager to use this bell quite so soon since he wasn't sure how hard opening a portal anywhere really was. Maybe saving this little trinket for the future would be a better idea.
[It's all in the portals tab, I'll unlock it for you! You can really only afford the simplest of portals right now. Willoran is a world with the highest concentration of natural mana, so opening a portal there is your only option as of yet. Portals naturally consume the mana in the air, so you only need to supply a little to travel there. Random portals also cost less than focused ones. So on and so forth.]
He did as instructed and opened the portals tab. What greeted him was a list of greyed-out options with exorbitant prices.
100 mana just to open a portal to a random city? This is this scam!
The only option available was a single-use portal to a random part of Willoran. And that's 'random' in the truest sense of the word. 10 mana for a chance to land in the middle of the sea, some kind of deadly desert, or maybe an open maw of a hungry predator. Who knows what lives in a world full of magic, after all? No, thank you, I'll pass.
"I guess ringing this bell really is my only option, huh?" He stated to himself.
Well, might as well get to it. If it doesn't work out, I'll pay for the portal and hope for the best. I'm not exactly looking forward to finding out what happens when I die in this body. At least this little bell allows me to teleport back if something goes wrong.
While he did consider the danger mentioned in the bell's description, he figured the potential risk wouldn't be as high, considering that he would be transported near other people. At least he hoped.
"I guess I'll see you later? Hopefully, if everything goes right."
[I'm always with you, whether you like it or not~]
That's not ominous at all... Was his last thought accompanied by the chime of the ornate bell. The meadow once again found itself devoid of life, but hopefully not for much longer.