The library gave way to a medieval tavern upon the Storyteller's clapping, the sound echoing in my ears.

I glanced around our surroundings, torn between wonder and concern. Not only humans, but elves, dwarves, beastfolk, and yet more fantastical creatures milled about, eating, drinking, and enjoying the company of one another. A bard played his lute, and a pair of elven dancing girls swayed in the background, dressed in silks that seemed to be made from the finest of fabrics and revealing bare, pale skin. At the same time, what looked to be televisions were scattered about the room, just like the average sports bar in my world. Tavern maidens ornamented in orange and white uniforms milled about, serving a veritable menagerie of customers.

My host, as I was beginning to think of her, gave a bemused smile at my stunned reaction. "Nothing beats a fantasy story, right? And, since I'm your hostess, please let me treat you. You are my newest guest, after all, and it's the least I can do for someone who has so graciously agreed to help me." As she spoke, I realized she also had changed her style of dress, now wearing what looked to be a medieval villager's clothes.

I gave a wary stare, still skittish at the notion of trusting the Storyteller who saw fit to bring me from the path into the afterlife. "And yet my instincts tell me there's a cost to accepting that generosity you're offering. I take it you want me to play my part in the tale of this world?"

"Of course," the Storyteller responded with a smile, not quite beginning to allay my fears or trying to deny the accusation. "But it beats death, right? And besides, I think you'll learn to enjoy yourself once you get used to things in this new world. Just give it some time, and if you decide you don't want to be here, I'll let you move on."

The Storyteller's smile deepened, and I wasn't sure how I felt about the mischievous gleam that remained in her eyes. "...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to hear you out. After all, I did just agree-"

"Oh, good!" the Storyteller said with a bright smile, cutting me off before I could finish speaking. "In that case, we can get you settled in and prepared for your adventure! Of course, I won't be sending you off entirely defenseless or unprotected, not like how you are right now."

"Right..." I murmured, a bit taken aback by the abrupt change of subject, if it even was one. At this point, I was a stranger in a strange land, in more ways than one.

"You need a name, for one," the Storyteller noted as if reading my mind. "How does the surname 'Rell' sound to you? It's not a common name among humans, but it is the name of a hero in the past who helped save this world."

"Won't that just confuse people?" I countered. "And why can't I just keep my old name..." I trailed off as the realization hit me. "...Wait a minute."

The Storyteller burst into laughter, apparently surprised at my dilemma. "Hahaha, w-wait, you only just realized? You died as a nobody, so you lost your name when you died. After all, it's been spoken for the last time." Suddenly, the Storyteller's manner came across as less playful than...something else. It wasn't that the strange red-eyed girl was sadistic so much as alien, or distinctly inhuman, incapable of relating to a human beyond that of a distinctly separate being. Even the elves and whatnot around me seemed more relatable than the entity across the table from me.

"For the last time...but my family-!" I began.

The Storyteller sighed, interrupting me once more. "You won't be able to see them again, even if you could. You have no body to go back to, and beyond that, time works differently between dimensions. In other words, you weren't so much forgotten quickly as you were separated from the world you came from. But enough of that for now. If you really want to discuss this further, we can do that when we talk next time - and there will be a next time." She slouched backwards, her long twintails swirling about as she did so. "If you don't like my idea so much, pick a name already."

I thought for a moment, wondering just what I was going to do with my life now that I was stuck in a different dimension. Then I remembered a story I had read, one that stirred vague, disturbed notions that touched on something I suspected, but wouldn't give voice to. "...'Wilmarth'. I'll go with 'Wilmarth'."

"'Wilmarth', hmm?" The Storyteller murmured the name, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Wilmarth...Heh. Is that how you really feel about me, I wonder. Perhaps we're more alike than you believe. Very well, then. Your name is Wilmarth, Frost Wilmarth."

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

As she said those words and snapped her fingers, the world shifted and twisted, and a tingling sensation ran through my body.

"What-?" I began, and my voice sounded...different, yet the same. "What was that?"

"I just named you. It was a necessary step to ensure your spirit wouldn't be taken from you again. But, since we've come this far, let's continue. As a hero, you'll be able to raise your level in this world and become powerful, assuming you survive long enough to do so. That's the shift you just underwent, as you became a Level 10 Adventurer. Now, if you focus for a moment, you should be able to bring up your 'Status Page' in your mind. Go ahead, give it a try!"

"What is this, a tutorial..." I muttered, complying with the instructions. After a moment, I saw a table of stats pulled up in my mind, including a slew of details.

Frost Wilmarth Level: 10 Class Adventurer 1 HP 150 MP 600 Agility 5 Intelligence 9 Charisma 8 Strength 3 Luck 5

Abilities and Skills

Memory 3

Cleaning 1

Cooking 1

Spells

Fireball

Lightning Bolt

Healing

"Hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of distributing your initial 'Skill Points' for you! Everyone starts with 30 and can only earn points by maxing out skills or classes, which you haven't done quite yet. But you really don't have many skills, huh..." Her finger resting on her lips, the Storyteller would have been cute if the rest of her mannerisms were less disturbing. "Ah, well, you'll have plenty of opportunities to develop new ones in due time, of course. For now, though, why don't we discuss the basics? I'm sure you've noticed this already, but your physical abilities are significantly improved over what they were before, though far from exceptional in this world. You'll also find yourself having more new magical abilities to develop, which should allow you to cast spells and survive until you can get your hands on a weapon."

"And where exactly is "this world"?" I interjected. The torrent of information was beginning to overwhelm me, with the constant bombardment of new stimuli from the surrounding tavern only crushing my mental faculties yet further.

"Where indeed?" the Storyteller remarked, an amused look in her eyes as she answered me. "It's called the world of Kaldara, and this city is known as 'Thurgia'! It's on the outskirts of civilization, the perfect place for an adventurer to start off at before working towards the capital and further glory. You have the potential to become a great hero, if you survive, of course. It's a pity that it will take a bit of time for you to develop properly. In the meantime, I've given you a basic foundation for earning the mage class, with the ability to cast elemental spells and a healing spell. And beyond that..."

With another snap of her fingers, a pop-up notification appeared in my vision:

Legendary Skill Acquired: Skill Taker Lv. 5

"Call it a cheat, if you want," she mused, "though since you can only equip three skills at a time, at first, you'll need to be careful with what you choose. It's not a huge loss, though, as unequipped skills won't disappear. You should also realize that some are also not exactly useful without a tool or weapon, so they can be situational, like "Cooking", "Archery", or "One-Handed Swordsmanship"."

"And what's the real catch?"

"Oh, catch? You don't trust me? I'm hurt. Well, not that hurt, really. But there is a cost, as always." Her soft yet ominous smile came as no surprise, yet was unpleasant regardless.

"There's a cost," I repeated flatly.

"Of course there is. You can't expect to be on a Hero's Journey without adversity, right? You probably noticed that first name I gave you. Well, that name of yours belongs to the Empire's most wanted criminal who you just took the place of. Everyone's going to be hunting for you, by both name and face. Good luck, hero!"

"Wait-!"

With that, she vanished abruptly, though not before snapping her fingers once more.

Legendary Skill Acquired: Shapeshift Lv. 5