Awakened to Anniekes

Chapter 2: Awakened to Anniekes – From Another World: Occupations

A bitter wind blew across the cracked earth.

My back ached. My head rang. I opened my eyes slowly, blinking against a sun that burned too bright and too white. The sky looked... wrong. Too many stars. Too many moons.

I wasn't on Earth anymore.

Around me, five others were sprawled across an overgrown stone platform, covered in moss and vines. Giant monoliths rose like broken teeth from the ground, their runes faintly glowing. Strange trees surrounded us—some twisted and blue, others wide-leafed and gold-veined. The air was too clean, too cold.

"W-Where are we?" Meloy muttered, sitting up, brushing leaves from her sweater.

"Anniekes," I said automatically, not sure how I even knew the name. It was like the thought had been placed in my mind. "This place... it's called Anniekes."

Steven groaned, clutching his head. "Okay. I know I was drunk... but this hangover's on another level."

Before we could say more, a glowing notification appeared in the air above us like a digital projection.

> [Welcome, Outsiders.] [World: Anniekes. Class Initialization Complete.] [You have been granted starting traits based on Earth Occupations.]

"What the hell?" said Arlo, already on her feet and scanning the area like a soldier dropped behind enemy lines. Her posture was sharp, eyes alert, one hand instinctively reaching for a weapon that wasn't there.

"I... I have a menu in my vision," Steven said, waving his hand like he was swiping a screen only he could see. "It says 'Chef Class: Upgrade Potential – Modifier: Elemental Fusion.'"

"What does that mean?" Ivan asked, eyes narrowing. He seemed more annoyed than surprised.

"It means we're not just visitors here," I said, trying to stay calm. "We've been chosen. Given something... different."

"Chosen for what?" said Ivan.

"That, I don't know."

Groaning, I pushed myself upright. My body felt sore, but not the same kind of sore you get from a hangover or a bad night's sleep. It was like I had gone through a transformation—something deeper. I looked around again, scanning our surroundings more closely.

We weren't in a forest—not exactly. It was more like an overgrown ruin perched near the peak of a mountain. The broken structure around us had once been a cabin or shrine, now collapsed with time. Gaps in the ceiling revealed swirls of snow dancing on the wind. Trees of all sizes circled us, and the air was thinner here, almost metallic.

"Hey, everyone, looks like we're on a mountain. A big one. My breathing seems... off."

That's when I noticed something strange about the people around me.

"Hey, you guys look different. Really different."

Meloy's eyes widened. "You do too! No way that's your normal height."

"What are you talking about? I'm normal height."

But I felt it now. My body was different. Stronger. I brushed my hand across my stomach and froze. Abs. Actual, defined abs. My arms were thicker, my shoulders broader. Something had changed.

I looked at each of them, trying to focus. I hadn't actually known all their names before.

"Hey... I don't know your names yet."

"No problem. My name is Melody."

"Hi, I'm Ivan. At your service."

"Name's Sana. Hope we can be friends."

"I'm Arlo. Nice to meet you."

"For those who don't know me, I'm Steven."

"Steven Cross? From Cross Restaurant?" Meloy asked, surprised.

"Yes, that's me," Steven said with a half-smile.

"Now that we've introduced everyone, can we talk about what happened right before the storm?" Ivan said. "I remember thinking... a perfect world where anything could happen."

"I think we all did," Steven said, frowning.

I nodded. "Yeah. And then a blue window appeared in front of my face just before we ended up here."

> [System activating and initializing...] [System online.] [Hi there, Host. I am your unique system, customized for astronomy and astrobiology.]

The message was clear. And it was directed at me.

"Did... anyone else get a personal message just now?"

They all looked at me, then back at their own invisible menus.

Steven nodded. "Mine just said my class was upgraded based on emotional flavor synthesis. Whatever that means."

"I'm seeing something about strength training linked to mental fortitude," said Sana. "Also... 'Soul Bracer'? Sounds like a superhero."

"I got 'Skyborn Vanguard'. I think it's trying to give me a pilot class," Arlo added, folding her arms.

"Threadsmith," Ivan muttered. "And it says I'm able to 'stitch magic into reality.' Sounds like nonsense."

"I have... Verdant Weaver," Meloy said, eyes sparkling. "Plants. Nature. Healing, maybe?"

As they talked, my own system interface buzzed again.

> [Robert Starfield: Class – Stellar Observer] [You are linked to celestial phenomena. Star Maps unlocked. Ability 'Graviton Pull' available. Skill Tree: Cosmomancy Tier 1.]

I felt something stir in my chest—a kind of gravity all its own. Like something ancient and massive had just looked my way.

The wind howled louder.

"Guys," Arlo said, turning toward the edge of the clearing. "Something's out there."

We all froze.

A deep growl echoed from the woods. The kind of sound that made your spine go cold.

From the shadows, glowing yellow eyes appeared—not one, but several pairs. A pack of wolf-like creatures crept into view, but they shimmered oddly, as if made from mist and bone.

> [Beast Identified: Rank G - Phantasmal]

The message flashed across my vision. And from the looks on the others' faces, they were seeing it too.

"Uh... guys?" Steven said. "I don't think this is just a game."

"We have no weapons," Ivan pointed out.

"Use your skills," Arlo ordered. "Just try!"

I took a deep breath and focused. A diagram of stars lit up in my mind. I pointed at the lead wolf.

"Graviton Pull."

The creature yelped as its body slammed into the ground, pinned by invisible force. Steven hurled a fireball, not knowing how he conjured it, and it exploded in a flash of boiling heat.

Meloy whispered to a seed in her hand, and a vine burst forth, whipping a second beast away. Ivan's hands glowed as thread spooled from his fingers, forming a sharp barrier. Arlo dashed in, faster than possible, like the wind answered her call.

Sana, calm and focused, clapped her hands. "Empower!"

A glowing aura surrounded me. My aim became sharper, my heart steadier.

Together, awkward but unified, we drove the beasts back into the forest.

Panting, I dropped to one knee. "Okay... this is real. All of it."

"We survived," Sana said. "Barely."

"We won," Steven corrected. "And we have powers. Skills. Classes. We can make this work."

"And we need to," Arlo said, her eyes on the horizon. "Because something tells me this was just the beginning."

As the stars twinkled above—too close, too bright—I felt the pull of something vast and unknowable

"Hey, guys! Over here—you're gonna want to see this," Steven called, standing near the edge of the cliff.

We gathered around him, breath catching in our throats.

Below us, stretching far beyond what we thought possible, was a landmass vast and shimmering, blanketed in forests, rivers, and glowing lakes. Cities sparkled like stardust scattered across the earth. Towering spires pierced the clouds, and strange lights danced across the distant skies.

It wasn't just a town. It wasn't even just a country.

It was a world—huge, living, and unknown.

Larger than anything Earth had ever held.

Anniekes.