Chapter 4: Naked and Afraid (1/2)
Mike cursed internally, [I still had a whole bunch of questions. She didn't even let me get a word in edgewise before sending me on my way. The next time I see that firefly goddess I'll make sure to give her a piece of my mind.]
For the second time since he died, Mike opened his eyes in a strange new location. He found himself in a small clearing lined with massive, ancient-looking trees and filled with a riotous explosion of multi-colored flowers. A small pond could be seen off to his left. Birdsong and the sounds of insects filled the air as a gentle breeze carried the delightful aroma of the flowers mingled with the scent of wet earth.
The change from a dark, endless purgatory (no matter the company) to a sun-dappled, paradisaical forest clearing was simply too much for him to handle all at once. A sense of contentment he had never experienced before overtook him, and he felt the need to bask in it for a moment. He enjoyed the feeling of sun against his skin, the natural music that filled the air, and the breeze between his legs...…wait.
Mike looked down and discovered that not only was he completely naked, but the body he was now inhabiting was smaller and more slender than he was used to. He rushed over to the pond and gazed at his reflection. He was greeted by the sight of a young boy of about 13 or 14 with a mop of shaggy brown hair. His gaze was immediately drawn to the reflection's face where an arresting pair of light yellow-brown, almost golden eyes stared intensely back at him.
[These eyes are going to cause me some trouble, but at the very least they should be popular with the ladies.]
The rest of his face was rather plain. Examining the rest of his new form he determined that he was slender, slightly pale youth who was in overall good health.
Glancing down at his waist, Mike sighed. [Well, at least I'm properly proportioned.]
While concentrating on his body, he realized that he was filled with a strange sense of energy seemingly coursing throughout his entire being. The more he focused on it, the more he felt that it was responding to his will. After some experimentation, he decided to put it off for future considerations.
[Now, let's see. That firefly goddess forgot to explain all of the important stuff before sending me here, but I should at least see if the system is working. Usually in novels I need to say something like [Status] to open the menu]
As soon a Mike thought the word [Status] he noticed a ghostly sheet of information pop up in his vision.
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[Status]
Michael Rasmussen
Race: Human
Age: 15
Class: Skill Master
Title: Multiverse Traveler – Active
Blessed One
Hunter of Renown
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[Skills]
Primary Skills:
Communication Magic (Rank 1)
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Secondary Skills:
Lifestyle Magic (Rank 0)
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Passive Skills:
None
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Inherent Skills:
Traveler's Luck
Fate-Touched
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Mike blinked, a little surprised by what he saw. He was disappointed that he hadn't gotten any unusual race or sealed bloodline. [I guess that was too much for me to hope for. Not sure why I'm 15, but I suppose that firefly goddess never said anything about reincarnating into an adult body. I'm really not looking forward to going through puberty again.]
The system was very skill centric by its appearance, but at least it showed class and titles. A little annoyed that the status window didn't display attributes or levels or anything like that, he nevertheless felt excited about having magic skills. He tried concentrating on the Communication Magic entry and was rewarded with a more in depth description.
- Communication Magic (Tier 3, Rank 1) -