As I glanced up, I noticed a floating button hovering above me. It read: [Start].
"Okay… what the hell?" I muttered, my brows furrowed in confusion. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I exclaimed, "Alright, I'll say it—what the fuck is going on?"
After calming down, I rubbed the back of my neck. "Alright, so… do I just press it or something?"
I reached out to touch the button, but no matter how hard I tried, it didn't react. My fingers passed through it like air.
"Great," I sighed. "Do I… think about it instead?"
The moment I focused on the button, a blinding white light enveloped me. Instinctively, I closed my eyes. When the brightness faded and I reopened them, I found myself standing in an unfamiliar room.
It was cozy but unfamiliar—a bed with red covers and white sheets, a desk with a computer, a bookshelf filled with books, and walls adorned with anime posters.
I frowned. "Where the hell am I?"
Before I could process, a letter fluttered down from above. It landed in front of me. I hesitated for a moment, then picked it up and unfolded it.
The letter read:
[To Shiro,
You died in your previous life. When your soul came to me, I realized you were never meant to be in that world. My sincerest apologies for the error.
As compensation, I've placed you in the world you were originally supposed to inhabit. Knowing your love for gaming, I've made a few adjustments to suit your tastes. You'll hear from me again soon.
Best regards.]
I stood there, dumbfounded, holding the letter. "So… I'm dead? Just like that?"
Before I could dwell on it, a screen appeared before my eyes, seemingly out of thin air.
[Quest: Look around your room.
Rewards: 100 EXP / Random Skill Book / $500.
Accept: Yes/No]
Without hesitation, I said, "Yes." The quest notification vanished instantly.
"Guess that settles that," I murmured.
I began inspecting the room. The bed caught my attention first—the red and white combination was oddly nostalgic. As I observed it, a new screen popped up.
[Skill Unlocked: Observe – Level 1/100]
"Huh," I muttered. "So, I can gain skills just by looking at stuff? Not bad."
Curiosity piqued, I thought aloud, "I wonder if I can see my stats."
Another screen materialized in front of me.
[Stats Screen Displayed]
I blinked in surprise, then smiled. "Stats," I said, and the screen disappeared.
"Okay, so that works too." I repeated the command, and the screen reappeared. I scanned through the details displayed on it, noting everything seemed to align with the bio information provided in the system.
"So, instead of 100 EXP, I get 500 because of that boost," I muttered, smirking. "This is starting to get interesting."
I moved to the desk, my eyes landing on the computer. The setup felt eerily familiar, almost identical to the one I'd had in my previous life.
"This room…" I murmured. "It's just like my old one."
After thoroughly exploring the rest of the room, a new notification appeared before me.
[Quest Completed: You have received your rewards.]
I grinned. "hehehhehehehheh."
….
After thoroughly examining the room, a notification appeared before me:
[Quest Completed: You have received your rewards.]
I felt a faint surge of energy coursing through me as I leveled up. Glancing at my stats, I noticed I had gained a few levels. However, I didn't see the skill book I was promised.
"Wait… could it be in my inventory?" I muttered.
The moment I thought of it, a screen materialized in front of me, displaying a list of items I didn't even know I had.
[Inventory]
• 3 Minor Stamina Potions
• 3 Minor Health Potions
• Cookbook
Scanning through the items, I sighed in realization. "So this is the skill book…"
I selected the cookbook, and another screen appeared.
[Would you like to learn from this cookbook? Yes/No]
Without hesitation, I thought, Yes.
The book began to glow, dissolving into a bright ball of light that surged into my head. Suddenly, my mind was filled with an array of recipes, as if I'd been cooking for years.
"Okay, that's pretty useful," I muttered, rubbing my temples as the sensation faded.
Curious, I pulled up my stats again.
[Stats]
[Name: Shiro
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Fame: None
Title: None
Allies: None
Level: 3
HP: 130/130 (Regen 10 per minute)
MP: 350/350 (Regen 25 per minute)
Stamina: 120/120 (Regen 15 per minute)
Strength: 13
Endurance: 13
Agility: 13
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 13
Luck: 10
Points: 15
Money: $500]
I stared at the screen, debating how to allocate my points. "I should probably boost Intelligence… but maybe I should save these for later."
Shrugging off the decision for now, I turned my attention to the bookshelf. After skimming through several books, one title stood out to me.
[Skill Book: Sparks]
I blinked in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."
A notification appeared as I reached for the book.
[Would you like to learn Sparks? Yes/No]
I didn't even hesitate this time. Yes.
The book glowed brightly, vanishing into my body just like the cookbook. As I felt the knowledge settle in, another letter suddenly floated down from the ceiling.
Unfolding it, I read the handwritten note inside:
[To Shiro,
To use your abilities, simply imagine how a character from an anime might use them. Also, just so you know, you're currently in the universe of one of your favorite anime.]
I froze, the words sinking in. "Wait… I'm in a freaking anime!?"
My heart raced as I processed the information. Following the letter's instructions, I held up my right hand and focused. I imagined electricity sparking across my arm, just like in a classic action scene.
Suddenly, crackling energy began to coil up my hand, tiny sparks of electricity dancing along my arm.
I grinned in awe. "This… this is going to be fun."
Noticing another skill book titled [Flames], I wasted no time and learned it the same way I had with Sparks. Holding up my hand, I concentrated, and a small ball of fire flickered to life in my palm, glowing faintly against the backdrop of my surroundings.
Satisfied, I dismissed the flames and watched as two notifications appeared before me.
[Sparks has leveled up: 1/100]
[Flames has leveled up: 1/100]
"Alright," I muttered, grinning. "This is starting to get interesting."
I decided to explore the rest of the house. As I walked around, I instinctively pulled up my stats again and noticed something surprising.
[Intelligence has increased by 1.]
So my stats could improve naturally through certain actions—it seemed I didn't always have to rely on points or leveling up.
Eventually, I made my way to the living room, where a sleek game console sat beneath a large TV. Curious, I looked at the pile of games next to it and picked a few up to inspect them. As I did, another notification appeared.
[Would you like to learn skill books: Instant Dungeon Create and Instant Dungeon Escape? Yes/No]
"Instant dungeon?" I muttered, intrigued. I immediately chose Yes.
A new set of screens popped up, explaining the skills I had just acquired:
[Instant Dungeon Create]
Allows you to create a random dungeon to gain EXP, money, and loot.
[Instant Dungeon Escape]
Enables you to safely exit an instant dungeon.
"Now this is what I'm talking about," I said, excitement growing as I considered the possibilities.
Continuing my exploration, I stepped out into the backyard. It was decently sized, with enough open space to experiment.