Ding!
[Game over! You have died!]
Game over, huh? So, I really died. Dammit! Fucking aliens! Alright, calm down… What the hell is this black void? Where am I? What’s this place? Is this… the afterlife or something? If it is, then I guess I must be currently in my soul form. Hmm, so the afterlife really does exist after all.
[Hello, Beginner Player! Would you like to Respawn or Continue?]
[Beginner Respawn Tokens: 2 remaining]
[You've already used one Beginner Respawn Token in your first death. You now have only two tokens remaining!]
"Hahahahahaha!!!" I burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the air. I didn’t know what was going on, but it seemed like things were finally starting to make sense now. I see, I see! So that’s how I came back to life after dying once. Jeez, it was really confusing at first, but at least now I have a clue about what had happened during my first death. Not bad—at least there’s some progress.
Anyway, as I stared more closely at the hologreen screen, I noticed the system text: “Would you like to respawn or continue?” Respawn or continue? What the hell does "Continue" even mean? I thought I’m dead right now—so why is there an option to continue? W-Wait a minute… don’t tell me "Continue" means quitting the game for good. Does that mean I’ll be permanently dead, with no chance to respawn ever again?
Well, I’m not sure what will happen if I click "Continue," so it’s probably best not to take that risk. For now, the safest choice is to select "Respawn." Furthermore, I only have two respawn tokens left, so I need to use them wisely.
[Would you like more information on how Beginner Respawn Tokens work? If so, click the Beginner Respawn Tokens icon for further details.]
Wait, what? There’s an option to view more? I didn’t hesitate—I clicked on the Beginner Respawn Tokens icon right away to check.
[Beginner Respawn Tokens: When consumed, you will restart from the beginning, returning to your bedroom as if it were the start of the game. Your memories, skills, and player stats will be retained. Basically, you'll be going back in time to your original starting point.]
Ah, I get it now—so that’s how it works. However, it still doesn’t explain why I don’t remember much about my first death. Could the shock of dying for the first time have wiped out some of my memories? I’m not sure if that’s the reason, but it seems like that’s the only logical explanation for now. Anyway, is there a way for me to check what will happen if I click the 'Continue' option?
“System, could you please provide details about what will happen if I select the 'Continue' option?” I asked.
Ten seconds later…
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Ten seconds passed with no response. Son of a bitch! I can’t believe I’m getting ignored! Well, whatever. I guess I’m left with no choice but to use the respawn token after all.
Alright, before I do anything rash, let’s take a moment to calm down and strategize. I need to devise a plan to survive. Since I’ll be going back in time, that means the aliens are going to try to abduct me again.
After giving it some thought, I came to the conclusion that once I respawn, my best course of action would be to leave my house immediately and head somewhere far away—maybe to a park or a nearby convenience store. The main point is to keep as much distance between myself and my house as possible, since the mysterious portal is likely to appear in my bedroom again. While I can’t be entirely certain this plan will be effective, it’s certainly worth trying. Anything that might break the cycle and offer a new chance is worth pursuing.
Alright, I’ve made up my mind—this is the plan I’m going with. Without a second thought, I got up, feeling pumped, motivated, and ready. I took a deep breath and pressed the “Respawn” option.
WHOOSH! BLINK! BAM!
In an instant, I was back in my room again.
“Holy shit! I’m actually alive again!” I blurted out, my voice trembling with disbelief and amazement. The absurdity of it all was still too overwhelming to fully grasp. “Alright, where’s the clock?! I need to check what time it is now!”
I glanced around my bedroom and realized I didn’t have a clock anywhere. A sudden jolt of realization struck me as I remembered that my old alarm clock had stopped working years ago. Since then, I’ve relied on my iPhone as my primary alarm clock nowadays.
Without hesitation, I bolted out of my bedroom and sprinted to the living room. I figured I must have left my phone on the table when I was watching movies yesterday.
“Found it! Nice! Alright, let’s check the time…”
I glance at my phone, the screen lighting up with the time: 9:23 AM. A wave of relief washes over me. It seems I still have some time before the alien abduction begins. If I remember correctly, the mysterious portal appeared at around 11:37 AM last time. Phew, that means I still have approximately two hours left to prepare.
Ding!
[Daily Quest: 1 Push-up, 1 Sit-up, 1 Squad, 1 High Jump, and 1 Meter Run.]
[Would you like to begin your Daily Quest now? Please choose 'Accept' to start or 'Decline' to postpone and do it later.]
[Reward: Upon completion, you will gain STR +1 & AGI + 1]
Oh, right—I almost forgot about my daily quest. Since that's the case, I'll complete it first. Without further delay, I began my workout training immediately.
One push-up! One sit-up! One squat! One high jump! One meter run!
Less than a minute later…
[Daily Quest Completed!]
[STR: 11 >> 12]
[AGI: 6 >> 7]
“Excellent! Hahaha! Alright, I need some energy, so let’s eat something real quick before heading out.”
GROWL!
My stomach rumbled unexpectedly—I guess I must’ve been really hungry. “Ugh, I’m so hungry…” I muttered while rubbing my stomach.
Without wasting another moment, I hurried to prepare and devour a quick breakfast. The food was simple but satisfying, a much-needed boost to start the day. Once I’d finished eating, I grabbed my things and left the house. I walked briskly through the nearby park, enjoying the morning fresh air as I made my way to the nearest convenience store.
The clock now reads 9:54 AM, leaving me with about one hour and forty-three minutes before the alien abduction is supposed to begin. As long as I can avoid getting sucked into that otherworldly portal, I should be good. Well, hopefully…