I woke up groggily, Groaning as I held my head. it was like someone had shoved a brick in there and then added fog for good measure, If the pounding headache wasn't indicator enough something was very wrong.
I could feel hard ground and grass under my bare feet and a small cursory glance at my surroundings showed a room filled with broken dusty bookcases and old stone walls that had long lost the battle against nature.
Definitely not my room, much to my despair. A cold feeling of dread made its way to the surface of my mind. Where was I? Had I been kidnapped? But if that were the case why wasn't I shackled? A quick check of my person's proved that much at least.
Why was I in so much pain? What happened to me? I felt as if I had been hit by a truck and then mauled by a bear. Every bone and muscle ached. Pushing the panic down I got up. But barely suppressed a scream as pain rocked my body in a sudden surge. Throwing up I collapsed back to the ground, letting out another scream as I hit the ground head first. This was not turning out to be a good day.
After a bit of coxing I finally managed to sit up without throwing up or collapsing in pain. Once again I wondered what the hell had happened to me?
"Where am I?"
[Initializing system]
System initialized. Universe 103 successfully merged with the talmerion empire.
...
All denizens have been randomly summoned to various safe locations.
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Integrating souls to the system…
error souls too weak for integration.
…
…
Error fixed: boosting overall power of the denizens.
"What the fuck!?"
I yelped in surprise as I backed away from the floating screen in front of my face. However relief filled my body as I realized that the pain in my body had disappeared! Did it have something to do with the integration? And what the hell was the talmerion empire? None of this made any sense.
Before I could try to wrap my head around this insanity another prompt appeared.
[Welcome denizen to the talmerion empire. You have been granted access to the imperial universal system.]
...
Loading imperial identification.
...
Name: Maria Stiller.
Attribute: Void
Race: human
Class: [undying]
Ranking: -1000
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Physical:
strength: 1
Dexterity: 2
Agility: 3
Endurance: 1
Free points: 0
Mental:
Wisdom: 2
Memory: 1
Skill: 1
Free points: 0
Metaphysical:
Luck: 9
Magic: 9
Nature: 5
Free points: 0
Attribute:
[Void] you gain power from the impossible. Your magic is that of an endless paradox.
Spells: none
Class: [Undying]
Through your connection to the Void you have gained the legendary class of [undying]
[Undying]
Rank: F-
Rarity: Legendary
Skills:
[Path of the undying]: You walk the path of torture for ever growing might. Whenever you die your soul overwrites your previous selves body reversing time to a set point. You lose all points gained upon death. But do not lose stat gains or skills.
I felt dizzy. This was just too much. my heart stopped as I heard a low growling npise. I didn't recognize the sound at all. But whatever it was was definitely not human.
My eyes dashed left then right looking for anything I could use as a weapon before stopping on a sturdy looking piece of wood. Rushing I grabbed the wood and held it in my shaking hands as I tried to find the source of the growling.
It didn't seem to be coming from this room but rather from just outside it. Shadows of something I couldn't quite make out filled the room through the myriad of small holes and cracks that adorned the walls.
It was when it reached one of the larger holes that might have once been a window that I got my first glimpse of the thing. It's face was reminiscent of a dog's but the snout was covered in leathery scales barely hiding its long sharp fangs.
However just as I got a glimpse of it, it got a glimpse of me. Immediately it started bashing its head into the hole getting itself stuck. It would be nice if that were the end of it. But the wall began to shake and new holes began to appear as it started to crumble against the onslaught. This day couldn't possibly get any worse
I needed to do something, so I charged with my improvised club and hit the thing on the head eliciting a howl of pain from the beast. I hit it again and again each time the sickening crunch of wood meeting meat made me sick to my stomach.
After a while the thing finally died, its head a bloody pulp and I sat down breathing heavily. I felt so tired and yet an odd sensation filled my body… the best way I could describe it was "potential" raw pure potential. It was as if the energy of what could have been scoured every nerve in my body. I was barely conscious of it as I drifted off though.
Level up! You are now level 2.
...
Class [undying] upgraded to [undying warrior].
...
For killing the Reider on your own and leveling up you have been rewarded with the following.
3 Physical points obtained. 1 meta physical point obtained. 1 mental point obtained.
...
[Basic Two handed weapons] has been rewarded.
With a start I woke up as the prompt appeared in front of my face. Groaning I tried throwing a pebble at the damned thing only for it to pass right through. Stupid system. "Coward" I told the screen.
For the second time today I got up. Picking up the now bent and warped piece of wood I'd used as a club just in case. It felt firmer in my hands for some reason.
I approached the now dead beast without much enthusiasm. Grabbing a small handful of pebbles and throwing them at the carcass proved that it was either dead and or a way better actor then I thought.
With a relieved sigh I tried to see the system. It took a bit for me to get the hang of it. You needed to focus for about 5 seconds before it would appear apparently. Would be nice if this thing came with a user Manuel.
Nothing really had changed except for my class and having some free points. I had an urge to spend those points but decided it would be smarter to wait until I had someone I could ask about this whole thing. No since waisting points if it turned out there was some optimal way to use them.
[Undying Warrior]
Grade: F-
Rarity: Legendary
Skills:
[Path of the undying]: You walk the path of torture for ever growing might. Whenever you die your soul overwrites your previous selves body reversing time to a set point.
[Basic Two handed weapons] Proper form can decide life or death in the heat of battle.
You now instinctively now how to properly wield and move around with two handed weapons.
I stared at the new skills and tried a practice swing with my "club" noticing that it did infact feel more natural. It had more power and didn't feel like I was yanking my arms out of my sockets every time I swung the thing.
Nice. Looking around I realized that with the broken walls and chance of another one of those things being around, it was probably a good idea to leave this place.
So I got up and headed for were I felt the door might be. Or at least that was the plan before I noticed the old man right next to the door. The very very dead old man with a sword through his gut.
It was at that moment that I felt a sharp stinging pain in my back as something was stabbed into me. Before I could manage a word I felt that same sensation in the back of my kneck as the world faded to nothing.