Chapter 2
Status Update! You're Dead!
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...
Huh?
System Integration Successful
Welcome to Memoriya
WAIT, WHAT?! System integration? Blue box? And what's Memoriya?
Confused, alone, and in pain, I started thinking about how unbelievable this situation I currently find myself in. I mean, my body being eaten while still being awake and conscious is also in the realm of impossibility, but I thought that I was being punished by some god or something. I've essentially been kidnapped into another world, so some administrator would dish out some whipping when they find me, right? However, I didn't expect to see some text pop-up flashing in front of me like some ad on any shady website I come across. Like seriously, how could I see blue when all I could see in the background are colors of different shades of grey? I guess that that shouldn't be the case that I should hold on to, but still! It's colors! And my favorite color at that! I could finally see a different color after going through hours of torment and internal screaming.
Staring hard at the blue screen before me, it suddenly winked out and appeared again, but the text had changed. Just like in a fucking video game!
You have been integrated into the system, helping you acclimate to the world around you.
Okay. I get that. So, I've really been transported to another world. And it seems that this world has some game elements, what with the magical blue screen and all. That's cool... if I was still alive, but there's nothing that I could do about it now. Wait, maybe this is just an elaborate prank, and I've just been thrown into a VRMMORPG after being drugged? But after thinking about it some more, the idea doesn't seem plausible at all after I've just been eaten while awake. Remembering the pain that I've been trying to forget, the thought of someone pranking me doesn't seem likely.
Yeah, that would just be a very bad prank. However, considering the anime my girlfriend forced me to watch, this system should provide me with a status, right? But usually, those protagonists are all alive. Even if they get turned into a slime or vending machine. Wait, now that I think about it, I could have a possibility of having one of those status screens.
Trying to slow down my frantic mind after something finally happened that didn't cause immense pain, the blue screen changed again.
Memoriya is a world of swords and magic
...
That's it? Nothing else? I mean, it's information that I desperately need but I think that I would have come to that conclusion if I wasn't a desecrated corpse. I guess the system does help numb the pain a little, but it doesn't really solve my current predicament, which is still being conscious even though I am definitely supposed to be dead. But if this world really is a place of swords and magic, then maybe there are gods too.
Oh, almighty Thanatos, please end my pain and suffering by guiding my soul to the afterlife. After giving out a silent mental prayer and waiting for a few more minutes, the magical blue screen disappeared from my sight.
Wait! Please don't leave me! I was just joking about the prayer thing! I need answers dammit! Screaming to the void, I tried reaching out and screaming "open system" in different ways, but the magical blue screen never came back after what felt like my 100th try.
How am I supposed to know my current status if you won't explain why you're here? I yelled, complaining to the darkness that was surrounding me, and again receiving no response. But do I even have a status now that I'm dead? I know that it could still happen after watching and reading too much Eastern literature, translated into English, but what if that only happens when a person is still considered alive? What if I don't even have a status? What if I stayed here forever, being eaten by the wildlife around me and decomposing till only my ashes are left on the ground, never to be seen agai-
Then, as if reading my mind, the blue screen came back, and a wave of relief washed over my soul. Calming my erratic mind for a few seconds, I finally turned my focus on the blue frame in front of me and saw that it was information about...me?
Status
Condition:
Deceased (January 19, 2023. 7:05 p.m.. Cause: Hemorrhage)
Time after death: 3 days, 10 hours, 27 minutes
Personal Information
Name:
Age:
Race:
Class:
Level:
Callum Hurst Foster
25 (October 12, 1997)
N/A
N/A
N/A
Resources
Health:
Stamina:
Mana:
0/28
0/20
N/A
Title
Permanent:
Temporary:
Special:
Transmigrator
N/A
Defier of Death
Attributes
Strength:
Dexterity:
Endurance:
Vitality:
Intelligence:
Wisdom:
Charisma:
Unspent Points:
12
10
13
14
8
10
16
10
Skills Cooking I Lvl 3, Fortitude I Lvl 8, Iefir's Quest System I, Inventory I Lvl 1, Landscaping I Lvl 5, Othim's Myriad Tongues I Lvl 1, Pain Tolerance I Lvl 7, Undeath's Oculus I Lvl 1
The first thing that caught my attention after laying my "eyes" on my status screen was my current condition.
So I really am dead, huh? Not only that but my race is even labeled as Not Available. Although I don't get what class and levels are supposed to be, I'll figure it out later.
My cause of death was definitely bleeding out. I'd already lost most of my mobility when I failed to balance myself and fell on top of Katrina, and after that excruciating pain of those glowing runes searing into my flesh and bones, my body stopped listening to any input I tried to give it. Surprisingly, losing my blood after Jake pulled the knife out actually made the whole thing worse, so that's that.
Do I hate them for stabbing me in the back, figuratively and literally? Yes, yes I do. Could I blame them? No, I can't bring myself to blame them. The whole thing was just too abrupt, and I am still reeling from the shock of them betraying me. Like, does Katrine, who I now know is actually Katrina, love me for those past 3 years that we've been together? Because if she did, then I wouldn't be laying here being eaten by fucking birds and mutts! Was it all just an elaborate lie to try and kill me to use as an ingredient in their "ritual"? This feels like a very convoluted way to kidnap someone to another world.
A kidnapping that only works when the person you're taking is supposed to be dead.
I swear, if I ever see that snake again, I would drop-kick her so hard, that she'd be passing through another dimension, hopefully an equivalent to hell. And don't get me started with Jake. I thought we had something, like a brotherly bond that I never had. But it wasn't like that at all. What kind of brother would stab someone in the back and sear runes into their flesh and bones? So if he is in this world and I see that two-faced psychopath again, then he better be ready because he'd be 6 feet under the next time I lay my "eyes" upon him.
After fuming and calming my rising anger, I took another look at the condition section more thoroughly to try and distract myself, I noticed that it had actually been 3 days and a half since the time of my death. Of course, I was shocked, I mean, it felt like I was transported just yesterday, then got eaten by satan's hellspawn right after, and a wolf after that. I reckon that the pain made me see time differently somehow, and my empty eye sockets aren't any help at all. Speaking of empty eye sockets, I'll take a gander and say that the reason that I can still see the world around me is because of the skill [Undeath's Oculus I]. When I gave that part more focus on my status screen, a new pop-up opened next to it.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
This is really feeling more and more like a videogame. Would have been better if I didn't experience hell before seeing this.
Undeath's Oculus I Lvl 1
(Unique)
The sight of death knows no bounds.
Lets the user of the skill see the world around them even when any visual organ is absent, obscured, or destroyed.
This skill is only available to the undead
I was right, so that's how I could still somehow see even after my eyes and brains had been turned to compost by Satan's hellspawns. I would be surprised if I somehow awoken a hidden talent to echolocate, but I'm kind of relieved that it was just a skill. Because, If I had this, then I wouldn't have been here in the first place. I would have kicked Jake's nuts and bitch slap Katrine so they wouldn't be able to do this again to another person.
Back to the topic of eyes though, there is that one important question, which is... how do I turn it off? There has to be a way to switch it on and off, right? Because I wouldn't be able to sleep if I could still see everything in my immediate surroundings. But do I even need sleep? It feels like I've been awake for the whole 3 days now, even if I tried sleeping while dead. The only way to pass the time was to try to reminisce and remember all of the TV shows and movies that I'd watched before I got transported here. I guess that you could say that I've been in a trance to pass the time, which kind of helped me tune out my surroundings, but that doesn't really solve the issue. Perhaps I could get a skill that lets me replicate a sleeping condition so that I don't have to see myself slowly decomposing, although it is taking a little longer though.
Scanning more of my status, I got over to the title section, which only had two titles available in it. What the hell does transmigrator mean? I mean, I know what it actually means, I know my fair share of religion and its inner workings... somewhat. But I don't get why it's a title. And more importantly, what does it do? And with the question cometh an answer, by way of the blue box.
Transmigrator
(Unique)
To cross between worlds is not a feat many could do.
Gives the title holder access to the world system.
Gives the title holder 10 free points to allocate for their attributes.
Gives the title holder the skill [Iefir's Quest System I].
Gives the title holder the skill [Inventory I].
Gives the title holder the skill [Othim's Myriad Tongues I].
This whole shebang really got my whole metaphorical blood pumping. Seeing so many skills that this title gives gets me all excited for what the future might hold. Maybe I could actually become an actual undead and do something else other than lay here, get devoured, and decompose.
Looking over my attributes section, I could actually see the 10 unspent points that the title gave me, which means that I didn't get scammed. Seeing my strength stat sitting with 12 points is kind of a downer though. I could deadlift 500 pounds of weight when I was still alive, so I was a little shocked that it wasn't one of my higher stats. But that only got me more excited about the possibilities. If 12 points on strength already gives me the ability to lift 5 grown men with a bit of effort, then what could I lift if I have 20? Heck, if this is a world where I get more points after leveling and doing quests, then me having 500 on strength is in the realm of demigods. But the only way to experience that is to actually be alive. Well, partially alive if I turn into an undead.
But really? A 10 in dexterity? I consider myself fast, you know? And being able to cook should at least give me more on my dex since using a knife requires some finesse. However, I did quit pursuing my track and field hobby. It just wasn't for me, even if I do have the endurance to do it. And speaking of endurance, it's one point higher than my strength. I could kind of see why though. I've had my fair share of participating in marathons, and those runs require a lot of stamina. Not only that, but you also need the knowledge on how to conserve your energy, so having 13 endurance was expected.
Reading more about my attributes, I see that my vitality stat is my second-highest attribute. I guess being a food-loving idiot does have its perks. But it seems that it's useless now that I'm a corpse in the middle of nowhere. A stupid idiot who got swayed by some nameless girl in university, and ended up with a knife on my back. I hope Jake has some decency to give my kitchen knife back. Speaking of being a stupid idiot, it seems that I really am one. Only having 8 points in intelligence does explain why I had a hard time understanding most of my lessons back in uni. I even had Professor Jones tutor me just to pass my A-level mathematics, and I only barely managed to pass it.
My wisdom being 10 also explains why I'm such a gullible idiot who trusts people too much, even after all the red flags that were thrown at me. Like really, Callum, your former girlfriend's favorite movie genre is horror with too much gore in it, read the fucking signs. If only I had one more point of wisdom, then I'd probably be alive and eating good food right about now.
With further examination, I see that my charisma is my highest stat from the others, which isn't a surprise at all. I consider myself a social monster who likes to strike up a conversation whenever he gets the chance to do so. I pride myself on befriending anyone that I come across, even if that person is actually a backstabbing psychopath who could do magic using runes and glyphs. Heck, I even consider my university professors as friends and actually got invited by one of them to attend their marriage, which I immediately accepted. I mean, who could say no to a fun time with free food and booze? So seeing that my charisma is 16 seems to fit the bill, unlike my physical stats.
I mean, really? A 10 in my dexterity? I get that I am slow to learn new things, but I believe that I could still outrun an enraged ostrich. But for now, I'll keep the complaints to myself since there's that one last title that I've got in my special titles section.
Giving the title {Defier of Death} more focus, the expected blue frame flashed right next to it, providing an explanation of how the title works.
Defier of Death
(Unique)
You have achieved the impossible and defied death's embrace, resisting the natural order of the living.
Gives the title holder the skill [Undeath's Oculus I]
The holder has a 50% chance of negating a fatal blow that leads to instant death, magical or otherwise.
Well, that sounds powerful. I see how I got the [Undeath's Oculus I] skill now, but the effect of the title is really the winner here. Having a chance to essentially cheat death is a huge boon for a living, breathing, blood-pumping being. I guess the only thing that the skill gives me is the chance to avoid anything that extinguishes my soul, prolonging my stay in my prison called a desecrated corpse of a body. But with the possibility of becoming an undead creature in the future, this title effect would be a great way to negate anything that puts me down another time. That is if I get the chance of turning into an undead. I'm not holding any resentment currently, other than my undying hatred for corpse-eating corvids, so my chance of turning into a flesh-eating zombie is near to non-existent if my knowledge about the undead on Earth stays the same here. So I guess I'll just have to lay here and wait it out, however, I don't think that I'll be sane if another wild beast takes a bite out of me.
While contemplating whether I'm just a sitting buffet for the wildlife here, I started thoroughly looking at my available skills.
Let's see here...Oh, so my [Cooking I] is at Lvl 3. That fits. I was a foody back when I was still alive, so whenever I had the time to cook, I'd always go and make something for myself and my former girlfriend. I even tried to compete in a baking contest that my local church put up and got second place. Aunt Marge is unbeatable at making anything pie-related though, so it's no biggy. I definitely wasn't salty at losing to an old woman in her 60s in a pie-baking contest with only 5 participants, not salty at all. But other than my above-average cooking skills that got me a cooking skill at level 3, there's more here to look at that is more interesting than the ability to light fire and cook meat.
I get how I got [Landscaping I] at level 5 since that was my job for the past 3 years. It would have been weird if it's still at level 1 after spending 4 years learning it, and then another 3 years using the skill. I also kind of understand [Pain Tolerance I] and [Fortitude I] because of my painful childhood and the pain that I experienced while and after I got transported here. And the high levels indicate that I really did a number on myself. However, even after considering that my [Pain Tolerance I] is at level 7 and [Fortitude I] at level 8, the pain of being consciously eaten is still excruciating. Nevertheless, I don't get what the other skills are, other than [Undeath's Oculus I].
Focusing more on the skills that I'm not familiar with, I started with [Iefir's Quest System I]. Giving the name a mental squint, a pop-up flashed right next to it, giving its description.
Iefir's Quest System I
(Unique)
Go forth and forge your own journey, for destiny is nothing but your tool.
Lets the user of the skill access the Quest System, giving appropriate rewards corresponding to the difficulty of the quests.
May you grow strong enough to withstand the currents of fate.
The more I understand about how this world works, the more this feels like I'm stuck inside a fucked up game or something. Is this really an MMORPG or something? Or is this the next level of LARPing? Because if this is one, then please Mr. Administrator, fix your fucking bug and help me actually die here. I don't even care if I become a senseless soul in the endless void. If it could get me to stop feeling the sensations of my insides slowly turning to mush, then that's a small win for me. But alas, there's no one here to hear my complaints. The only thing I could do was learn more about how my skills work and some hidden features of this status screen of salvation.
However, how do I access my current quests though? I can't see it in my status screen. Unless the only way for this skill to work is for me to actually be alive and walking. Which, in that case, I just got majorly fucked. No, not fucked, scammed! I got scammed by some god who created this shitty system! If that really is the case, then how am I supposed to use this? Isn't this just a completely useless skill? And why does it have another passage at the bottom?
Hey God! I want some compensation here! But with no way to scream and for my voice to be heard, my protest never bore fruits of any kind. There's no use thinking out my grievances so I'll just see what my other skills do. Turning my attention to [Inventory I], a new pop-up was shown to me.
Inventory I Lvl 1
(Epic)
The world is nothing but an object to fit in your own hands.
Lets the user of the skill store non-living items inside their own pocket dimension.
So it really is just like what I expected, a magical video game storage. I did expect it to be that kind of inventory, so seeing that I have my own bag of holding skill, I started trying to activate it to see if I could use it.
Open! Not good, huh? Inventory activate! Not that either. Maybe I just need to squint at the skill harder for it to trigger. After a few seconds of staring and notoriously bad call-outs that only got worse and worse as time went by, another blue screen flashed in front of me.
Insufficient Mana
This skill requires 10 Mana to activate.
Wait, I need mana to use that? Looking over my resources section, I finally spotted my problem. N/A. Not Available. Meaning that I don't have Mana at all. So, how do I use this then? Aren't I getting scammed again? And why don't I have Mana to begin with? Oh, right, I'm dead. It is frustrating to see another skill fail me just because I'm not alive. But what can I do about it? Pray? I tried that, didn't work.
I don't think there's been a precedent of someone still being conscious after dying, right? I hope it is not like this when people actually die. Even after visiting Uncle Eddie's grave twice a week, he'd be too lonely if that was the case. And I really hope that this isn't a normal occurrence for those two psychos. Kidnapping bodies to this world of magic. What are they even trying to accomplish? Summon C'thulu? Wait, that might actually be a possibility with those crazy fucks. And now that I'm recalling that awful day, I feel my metaphorical cheeks heating up after remembering that cringey line that I said when Katrina said she loves me.
She's never gonna let that down when I see her, huh? If I still had a mouth, I would be squealing right about now. I could just die from the embarrassment alone if I wasn't already deaded.
Shrugging off my embarrassing train of thought, I moved on to the last skill that I didn't know of. And lo and behold, another blue screen appeared.
Othim's Myriad Tongues I Lvl 1
Language is but a concept, a tool for you to understand this world.
Lets the user of the skill understand and speak this world's common tongue.
Now lead a life that would bring about a great story.
And there it is. The fabled translation skill that lets me understand this world's language. However, it only lets me speak this world's equivalent to English, so I still have to learn the different languages that others speak.
And why does it have another passage just like that quest skill? Thinking out my confusion, I can't help but think that those two skills are related somehow. But there's no use in dwelling on it now, since, you know? A magical Google translator!
Maybe there are elves here who speak Elvish or something. Learning that would be cool and awesome, since, you know, elves? There's also a possibility that there are dwarves here who speak Dwarvish. Perhaps they could make a metal coffin for me, with cushions and an air conditioner or heater so I don't have to lay here on the grass and gravel uncomfortably. And hey? There could be a chance for a sentient race to come across my body, and understanding what they're saying would at least give me another way to entertain myself. Like watching a stream for 5 hours on and off.
If I had a message skill or telepathy, then it could mean a chance for salvation. Being able to walk around would be nice, even just being able to twitch one of my fingers would be great. But that is only me hoping for the impossible. There's no way that someone would come across my dead, half-eaten body. I mean, who would even come in the middle of nowhere filled with plant life and corpse-eating birds who are actually Satan's hellspaw-
"Well well well. Look what we have here." An amused voice sounded out, sending a chill to my metaphorical spine.
"Aren't you a curious soul?"
So this is the time when I actually die, huh?