Earth & First Body

In the middle of nowhere, in an unknown and vast universe—a universe where Earth doesn't exist—Ragnar, a noble human native to planet Saga, awakened after a week of unconsciousness.

This was his second body, while his original body remained on Earth, both connected by a single soul split across two physical forms.

As Ragnar opened his eyes, a wave of dizziness and sluggishness overcame him. Before he could make sense of his surroundings, he realized his entire body was strapped to a metal table that had an alien-like design.

'Ugh... Where am I? And what the hell is this strange place?' Ragnar thought, his mind swirling with confusion. 'Am I dreaming? I could've sworn I was practicing my swordsmanship just a moment ago in the Training Grounds. So, how did I end up here?'

Suddenly, with a deep, resonant groan, a massive door slid open approximately a few hundred meters ahead of him. The heavy metal panels parted slowly, revealing a threshold bathed in an eerie, flickering light.

As the giant door came to a halt, seven aliens emerged into the experiment room, their figures casting long, unsettling shadows on the walls. Their forms were strikingly alien—grotesquely beautiful and unnervingly foreign. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and their movements were fluid, yet disconcertingly mechanical. Each step they took seemed to echo with a haunting resonance, amplifying the sense of dread that filled the experiment room.

"Welcome aboard, human!" one of the aliens greeted Ragnar with an unsettling grin.

"You're finally awake, huh? Took you long enough. But it's good to see you're feeling better," another alien said with a mocking tone.

"Judging by your expression, you look pretty confused. Seems like you don't even remember anything either. Well, it's fine—it's not like it matters anyway," a third alien remarked, its eyes narrowing as it studied Ragnar with cold detachment.

"W-Who the hell are you guys?!" Ragnar shouted, his voice thick with panic. "And what do you want from me?!"

"Ah, don't worry. If you succeed, you'll live. If you fail to adapt, well, then you die," one of the aliens stated bluntly, a cruel edge in his voice.

"Adapt or die?! What the fuck are you talking about?! And what are you guys planning to do with my body?! I demand answers now!" Ragnar's voice cracked, a mix of anger and terror.

"You talk too much," one of the aliens snapped. "Alright, it's time. Let's begin the experiment!" Ignoring Ragnar's desperate cries, the aliens set to work, their hands moving with chilling precision.

Moments later…

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!! Stooooopppp! It hurts! Please, have mercy! Let me go! Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!" Ragnar's screams filled the cold, sterile experiment room, reverberating off the metallic walls. His eyes were wide with terror, his body trembling uncontrollably as he watched his own flesh being cut and peeled away with surgical precision.

The aliens worked with a detached, almost mechanical efficiency, as if they were dissecting nothing more than a specimen on a lab table.

Every nerve in Ragnar's body screamed with pain, his muscles convulsing with each deliberate slice. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with sweat as his voice grew hoarse from the relentless screams. He could feel the cold metal instruments digging deeper, his mind teetering on the brink of madness as he remained fully conscious, unable to escape the nightmare unfolding before his eyes.

'Son of a bitch! Why are they doing this to me?! Just why?! Goddammit! They could have at least put me to sleep before dissecting me! Aaargh!! Stop it! It hurts! Just fucking stop torture already! Ahh! Fuck this shit!' Ragnar's mind spiraled in a whirlwind of agony and rage, his thoughts growing more frantic with every second.

After what felt like an eternity, though it had only been about fifteen minutes passed, the experiment was finally completed. For a fleeting moment, Ragnar sensed something extraordinary within himself—a surge of immense, unfamiliar power radiating from every inch of his body.

"Haha! Yes! Looks like the experiment was a success! Woohoo!" one of the aliens cheered, almost dancing with excitement.

"Excellent! Now, let's put him to sleep quickly before he goes berserk," another alien suggested, less jubilant.

"Alright! And don't forget to implant the mind-control chip in his brain once he's stabilized," a third alien commanded, its tone clinical and devoid of empathy.

As they injected an unknown special drug into his veins, a cold, burning sensation spread through Ragnar's body. Within seconds, his muscles began to spasm uncontrollably, his body convulsing violently against the restraints, as if seized by a powerful electric current.

His limbs jerked and twisted in unnatural directions, and his back arched painfully off the metal table, eyes rolling back into his head. Every nerve seemed to ignite in a blaze of agony, his entire being caught in a relentless storm of involuntary movements.

"It hurts!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!! Help! Help me! Aaaaaaaagghhh!!" Ragnar's voice erupted in a raw, piercing shriek, his throat strained and hoarse from the sheer force of his agony. His screams seemed to echo endlessly through the lab room as he felt his body expanding at an impossible, excruciating rate.

The sensation was like being torn apart from within, as his skin stretched tight and his muscles bulged uncontrollably. His eyes widened in terror, the once familiar shape of his body morphing grotesquely before his eyes. Every nerve screamed in protest, the pain so intense it was almost blinding, leaving him feeling as though he was on the brink of complete and utter collapse.

"Oh no! It's a failure! Fuck!" one of the aliens exclaimed, its voice filled with alarm.

"Goddammit! What went wrong?!" another alien demanded, frustration evident in its tone.

"It's your fault! Why didn't you put him to sleep sooner?!" a third alien snarled, its voice trembling with rage. "Dammit! We've wasted yet another valuable drug!"

Ragnar wasn't the first human subjected to these brutal experiments. In fact, the aliens had captured and experimented on over several million humans before him.

Unfortunately, despite their extensive efforts, every single attempt had ended in failure. Not one human had managed to adapt or survive the torturous procedures. Each experiment had been met with grim results, leaving a trail of lifeless bodies as the aliens struggled to unlock the secrets they sought. Ragnar's situation was nothing new to them; it was just another grim chapter in their relentless quest for success.

The experiment room was vast, spanning an area larger than 750+ soccer fields. It was filled with millions of tables, each holding a sleeping human from many different worlds.

With Ragnar now deceased, the aliens turned their attention to the next batch of human subjects. However, due to their sadistic nature, they preferred to conduct their experiments while the humans were fully awake. This way, they could revel in the sounds of terror and agony as they dissected their victims, savoring each scream as a form of perverse entertainment.

Moments later…

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!! Stooooopppp! It hurts so much! Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!! Noooooo!! Please stop!!" A female human's scream echoed through the vast experiment room, her voice a raw wail of agony.

After a short while, her screams gradually faded into silence as she succumbed to the same brutal fate as Ragnar. Her life was extinguished in the cruel, unrelenting experiment, leaving nothing but the cold, relentless hum of the machinery and the echo of her final, desperate cries.

"Tch! I can't believe we failed again!" Frustrated by yet another failure, the aliens expressed their anger and decided to take a break. Their irritation was palpable as they stormed out of the grand experiment room, leaving the scene of their relentless failures behind.

***

On planet Earth…

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have attained a new passive skill "Infinite Regeneration."]

The sound of the system notification echoed in my head, pulling me from the depths of my unconsciousness. My eyes snapped open, and I found myself staring up at the familiar ceiling of my bedroom, the soft glow of morning light filtering through the blinds. My heart raced as I sat up, my mind struggling to process what had just happened.

What's going on? How am I still alive? Wasn't I... dead? My thoughts churned in confusion as I took in my surroundings, everything exactly as it was before. But it wasn't just the room that unsettled me. It was the memories—vivid and brutal, burned into my brain like a brand. The pain the aliens inflicted on me earlier... It felt too real to dismiss it as a dream.

Even now… I could still feel it—the searing agony from the moment those aliens tore me apart, their cold, unfeeling eyes watching as my body cut open. A shiver ran down my spine, and I found myself instinctively clutching at my chest, half-expecting to feel some sort of wound. But there was nothing. No blood, no scars. Just the rhythmic thumping of my heart beneath my skin, alive and well.

Impossible... I'm sure I had died. Every nerve in my body had screamed with pain before everything went dark. There was no way any of it could have been a dream. Was there?

Just as I started questioning my sanity, something caught my attention. A soft glow flickered at the edge of my vision. I blinked, and suddenly, a holographic screen materialized before me, floating in midair like something straight out of a video game.

"Huh? What is this?" I muttered, reaching out cautiously, my fingers passing through the hologram screen. It flickered slightly but remained in place, displaying text in bold letters:

[Congratulations on awakening!]

A system? Like... one of those game systems in LitRPG novels I used to read? My mind raced, struggling to make sense of the situation. I had read countless stories about this—main characters waking up with superpowers, abilities, or systems that granted them god-like power. But those were just stories. Fictions. Yet here it was, right in front of me.

No. This can't be real... right?

I closed and rubbed my eyes, convinced that fatigue or some kind of delusion was playing tricks on me. But when I opened them again, the hologram screen was still here, as clear as day. My heart pounded in my chest as a strange mix of excitement and fear washed over me. If this was real, then... what does it mean?

SLAP!

Without thinking, I slapped myself on my right cheek—hard. The sharp sting exploded across my face, and I winced, holding my jaw as I grimaced. Pain. Real, undeniable pain.

"Damn it," I rubbed my cheek, feeling the sting from the slap. "Okay... this is definitely real, so I'm not dreaming after all."

Holy shit! My mind swirled with possibilities. If the pain was real, then everything else must be, too. But how? How did I survive? And why is this system—this strange game-like interface—suddenly part of my life? The questions came fast, one after another, each more confusing than the last. There was no logical explanation for any of this, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something beyond my understanding was happening.

As I stared at the hologram screen, a new thought crossed my mind. If this is like a game system... does that mean I have abilities now? Powers? The notification mentioned something about a skill—what was it again?

I glanced back at the message.

[Infinite Regeneration: You possess an extraordinary ability to heal from any injury or wound, regardless of its severity. Each time you heal, your regenerative powers not only restore you to full health but also enhance your physical capabilities, making you progressively stronger with each recovery.]

My brows furrowed. "Making you progressively stronger with each recovery?" What the hell does that even mean? Wait, are you saying I could... grow stronger without limits?

I flexed my hands experimentally, feeling a strange surge of energy coursing through my veins. There was no visible change yet, but deep down, something had definitely shifted. I could feel it—a raw, untapped power waiting to be unleashed.

If this was real, then maybe... just maybe, I could use it to my advantage.

Hold on… Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something? After giving it some thought, I finally remembered what I wanted to do.

"Status Window!" I said.

Name: Sol Gaseo

Title: Beginner Player

Race: Human

Class: None

Level: 1

HP: 100

MP: 50

Strength: 10

Agility: 5

Magic Power: 5

[Skills:]

Infinite Regeneration (Passive Skill)

Out of nowhere, while I was viewing my status window, a new notification suddenly appeared:

[Infinite Regeneration: Daily Quest Activated!]

[Daily Quest: 1 Push-up, 1 Sit-up, 1 Squat, 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.]

Whoa, what the hell is this? I only have to do each exercise once? And just a one-meter run too? Damn, that looks easy as hell. Seriously, is this for real? But hold on—what's the reward for completing the Daily Quest, though?

Ding!

[Reward: Upon completion, you will gain STR +1 & AGI + 1]

I blinked, staring at the message. Wait, you're telling me I can increase my stat points just by doing these basic exercises? No complex quests, no dangerous dungeon raids, and no risking my life fighting monsters—just simple workouts? Holy shit! Damn son! Plus, I can do these exercises at home too.

"Hahaha! I don't know what's going on, but this is fucking awesome!" I exclaimed, excitedly.

GROWL!

Ah, crap! I'm so hungry... but I'll eat breakfast later. For now, let's finish this easy Daily Quest first. Without a second thought, I pressed the 'Accept' button on the hologram screen and started the daily quest immediately.

"Woohoo! Alright, let's get this done quickly so I can finally go and enjoy some breakfast!" I said to myself, enthusiasm replacing my hunger. With renewed determination, I set off to complete the daily quest as swiftly as possible.