Vision 1 - We need to talk (3)
A message materialized before my eyes, its text warping and distorting through the fabric of space.
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[ New existence "Arthur" has accepted the world as his reality. ]
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[ Scanning existence soul. Profile is being generated. ]
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[ Name: Arthur Xanders
Age: 20
Points: 0
Blessing: None
Active Attribute: Cool Guy (General)
Active Skill: Strong Will Lvl.1
Passive Skills: Adaptability Lvl.1
Overall Stats: Strength Lvl.4, Stamina Lvl.5, Agility Lvl.4, Magic Power Lvl.5
Description: Lowest Level on the entire planet of Teraa. ]
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"What the hell?" I muttered, my voice tinged with disbelief.
A translucent window suddenly appeared in front of me, displaying text that felt both alien and familiar. I knew what it was—a Profile—but seeing it materialize out of thin air was still jarring.
My eyes lingered on the floating tablet, and I found myself fixated on the first line. 'Accepted it as my reality?' What did that even mean? What would have happened if I kept being in denial? The thought left me with more questions.
Before I could dwell on it further, the screen flickered, and the previous messages vanished, distorted by a new one.
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[ Due to existence's profound understanding, a deeper scanning is in process. Basic Profile is updating... ]
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A game-like interface had appeared out of nowhere, feeding me cryptic messages. It was surreal, but it also hammered the truth: I was no longer on Earth.
Persephone, who had been observing me silently, finally spoke, her tone laced with amusement. "Looks like you've received your Profile."
I turned to face her, my gaze meeting hers. She floated slightly above the ground, her amethyst eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and detached interest. Though to me she seemed like someone who was watching an animal playing in the zoo, I am that animal.
According to the last message, I have to wait for the cosmic to complete a deeper scan of my soul. If I truly am on Teraa, I especially need access to dark matter. Otherwise, I was doomed.
As the tablet flickered and dissolved into nothingness, I blinked and turned back to Persephone. She was almost at eye level with me, despite floating a few centimeters above the ground. I straightened my posture and spoke with newfound confidence.
"So, Persephone, huh? That's a fitting 'god name' you've chosen for yourself. What's your real name?"
Her long eyelashes fluttered once, then twice, as if she were processing my audacity. Her piercing gaze locked onto mine, as though she were peering directly into my soul.
"Your attitude has changed rather quickly," she remarked, her voice smooth but laced with intrigue.
"You're the one who wanted me to believe," I shot back. "So, what's the problem?"
I might have sounded a bit rude, but this was the world I had dreamed about. I knew more about it than most, and that knowledge gave me a sliver of confidence.
Persephone's gaze swept over me, slow and deliberate, as if she were appraising every inch of my being. Finally, she spoke, her words dripping with a mix of curiosity and detached interest.
"You are… intriguing. A mere human—one without even a soul record—yet you can perceive me and resist my charm without succumbing to base instincts. That, I must admit, is most unexpected."
I wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. And honestly, who talks like that? I also didn't appreciate the implication behind her words, but given her status as a higher existence, I wisely kept my mouth shut.
Unbothered by my silence, Persephone continued her appraisal. "Then there is the matter of your soul—it does not seem bound to this universe, as though it lingers on the fringes of existence itself. And the way dark matter ebbs and flows around you… peculiar. Quite unnatural." She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "And to think, despite being a foreigner to this realm, you still managed to guess the name I chose for myself. That, too, is a first—even for me. How very… fascinating."
Fascinating? Was that all I was to her? Some oddity to be examined? Then again, perhaps I am exactly that.
I pushed the thought aside and focused on my own assessment of the woman before me. Trusting strangers so easily was a red flag in itself, but what truly unsettled me was the sheer force of her presence. I didn't need anyone to tell me—Persephone was powerful. Not in a metaphorical sense, but in a way that felt almost tangible. Perhaps my growing connection to dark matter allowed me to sense it, but one thing was certain: I am standing before something far beyond human comprehension.
Noticing that Persephone had finished with whatever she had to say about me, I spoke again, rolling my eyes for emphasis. "You don't really expect me to believe that the goddess of the underworld would come to greet me personally, do you?"
She raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by my skepticism. Based on her name, she was the goddess of the underworld, but she wasn't the Persephone from legend. None of the gods here were. They were simply powerful beings who had adopted the titles of ancient deities.
The gods and goddesses of Teraa weren't what people imagined them to be. They weren't divine entities born from myth; they were ordinary beings who had grown so powerful that mortals began to worship them. And when they grew bored of this world, they left in search of greater power across the universe. Their lifespans had expanded tremendously, but they never achieved true immortality. Eventually, they died, and new powerful beings took their names. Why bother introducing yourself as a new god when you could simply adopt a name the world already revered?
A few seconds passed in silence before I broke it again. "So, are you going to tell me?"
A glimmering smile spread across her face as she raised a slender finger to her lips. She winked, her expression playful yet enigmatic. "That's a secret."
My face twitched in frustration. I had expected as much. When a higher existence chose a god's name, they only revealed their true identity to those they considered close. For beings who had lived for centuries, their real names were sacred.
I knew about most of the gods from my dreams, but Persephone was an enigma to me. At least her response confirmed that she had no real interest in me—she was just toying with me. Still, it was better to be cautious. Higher existences were unpredictable, and their motives were often inscrutable.
In the middle of our conversation, another window panel appeared in front of me. This one was larger, its translucent surface tinged with a deep purple hue, the text written in dark, swirling letters.
Finally! I thought. I still didn't know what attributes I possessed. My basic stats were abysmal, and I didn't have access to a system with a store or any fancy features. The 'Profile' was just an information panel, a summary of my existence.
I focused my mind, trying to parse the information displayed before me.
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[ Name: Arthur Xanders
Age: 20??
Points: 0
Blessing: None
Active Attribute: ??????
Exclusive Skill: ?????, ?????
Active Skill: Strong Will Lvl.1 --> Lvl.4, Prescient Description Lvl.1, #%^..
Passive Skills: Adaptability Lvl.1 --> Lvl.3, $&@..
Overall Stats: Strength Lvl.4, Stamina Lvl.5, Agility Lvl.4, Magic Power Lvl.5
??????
Stats: No Nubecula has been selected at the moment
&*@!%_-/,...
Description: Lowest Level on the entire planet of Teraa. ]
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"..."
I was speechless. My updated Profile looked nothing like the basic record—and not in a good way. Most of the information was obscured by question marks and strange symbols. The skills I had supposedly gained were unreadable, and my overall stats hadn't improved. The only thing that remained clear was the damning description: Lowest Level on the entire planet of Teraa.
'What the hell? Is it broken? How is this supposed to help me?' I thought, frustration bubbling up inside me. I tried to visualize the window changing, to make sense of the garbled text, but nothing happened. My attributes remained hidden, my skills incomprehensible.
For a moment, I felt a pang of hopelessness. Even with my knowledge of this world, how was I supposed to survive like this? I sighed and closed the window panel. I know my situation is beyond strange—I was an existence not from this universe.
Mentally exhausted, I let my knees buckle and sank to the ground. The cool ground beneath me was a small comfort as I stared out at the sea, releasing a long, weary breath.
"Sigh..."
So much had happened in just a few hours. I had woken up in a different world—one I had only dreamed about—and now I was faced with this bizarre Profile system. I hadn't hated my old life, but I hadn't loved it either. Part of that was due to the people around me, not the world itself. But this? This is something else entirely.
One might call this a fresh start, but this world is dangerous. My mind drifted to the fragments of my dreams that I could still recall. When this world first changed, it had been a place of endless possibilities. People gained unimaginable powers—flight, healing, control over fire, ice, and even new elements. They could lift buildings with a single hand.
That might sound exciting, but it had been centuries since those early days. Now, such powers are commonplace. People have skills, abilities, and a deeper understanding of the world. Teraa is divided into nations ruled by the powerful, each with its own set of rules. And if that wasn't enough, there were higher realms filled with mysterious beings who watched over the inhabitants of this planet like spectators.
Tilting my head back, I gazed at the stars above, their light casting a soft glow over the sea. Another sigh escaped my lips.
"Sigh..."
It was almost funny. People here worshipped these higher beings as gods, praying for strength and survival. But in reality, they were nothing more than puppets in a cosmic game. I had always been told that gods watched over us, but if this was what it meant, I'd rather they didn't.
My gaze shifted from the stars to the woman beside me. Persephone, a higher existence, I had one in front of me, her expression as serene as ever. I patted the ground beside me, inviting her to sit.
"Why don't you join me?"
Without a word, she complied, her movements fluid and effortless. For a few minutes, we sat in silence, the breeze brushing against our faces. It was a rare moment of calm amidst the chaos.
Finally, I broke the silence. "We need to talk."