AN: I don't really have anything I want to say, but a thanks to everyone who actually wants to continue reading whatever rambling nonsense comes out of my mind.

(^^)

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

[System Speaking]

(^^)

[...17%…]

[...35%…]

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[...68%…]

[...99%…]

[Restart 100% Complete.]

[Hello User_Amara. You have been granted access to the Symbiotic Yoke of Space, Time, Energy, and Matter. Otherwise known as the SYSTEM, it is my job to help guide you through the hardships life will try to force you to endure. Created by Gaia and modified by Kami, I am to be used by you as a resource of potential and nigh-infinite help guide you through my workings, a Tutorial has been created. To continue to the next step of the Tutorial, please say or think Menu.]

SYSTEM spoke in a feminine vaguely-British voice, with a soothing tone. Hearing a voice as soon as I awoke wasn't as shocking as it would normally be, given the fact I was basically a shut-in in my previous life. Still, waking up to a voice I didn't recognize had me lashing out as an instinctual reaction. I'm not entirely sure what shocked me more; the fact my hand passed through an intangible but visible glowing blue text box, or the fact I actually had a physical body.

Yeah, no longer am I confided to an ethereal wispy body, but more importantly… Hands!

I shake my head as I reread the almighty box of exposition. "So… none of that was a dream…" I slouch as I sigh. 'I should probably test that out… Menu?'

[Status][Stats][Skills][Inventory][Store][Quests]

[This is your Menu. You can bypass this by saying or thinking one of the Tabs shown before you, but it's always good to get a reminder. While in the Menu, your perception of time increases to appear that time itself has stopped. Opening Tabs from the Menu keeps this perception filter on, but if you bypass the Menu your perception of time will remain as normal. Let it be known that you can have multiple tabs open at the same time. Please say or think Status when you want to continue.]

I blinked as reality slowed down to a crawl. 'I can't move my body… Ah, it's only my perception that increases, not my movement speed. This definitely has it's uses. Status!'

[Titles: Fatebreaker: Immunity to All Effects of Fate/Destiny/Karma/Etc.]

[Kami's Blessing: Grants a Basic Affinity to Every Force/Element/Magick/Energy/Etc.]

[The Gamer: The Standard Title for any User of the SYSTEM|+10% Boosted Exp]

[Name: Amara Kasai]

[Race: Human]

[Age: 20]

[Sex: Male]

[Lv: 1 (0/100)]

[Hp: 10/10|1/min]

[Mp: 10/10|1/min]

[Sp: 7m/s]

[RC: +0.5%]

[The is your Status Tab. Titles are the Perks of this version of the SYSTEM. Each grants a description and boon to the User. You can extend each Title to show what it's effect is. Your Name is your name… There isn't really any need to explain that. Although, given that you chose that name, how it isn't you True Name, Name Magicks won't really affect you, so that's a plus. There are many Races in any given Multiverse, and you just so happen to be of the majority, good for you. Your age shows your Mental age, so if you ever modify your body to a younger, older, or stopped state, your age will still tick up once every Earth year. You Sex is the biological category of your Reproductive functions. Yes, you can change it through magic or other processes. You don't want to know how many times that question has been asked.]

[Level. A standardized Ranking System for measuring the levels of an individual's power. Given certain abilities, it may not be entirely accurate. Experience Points are gained and used to 'level up'. It's set to Lv*100, so it shouldn't be too difficult to level up. You get a certain amount of Bonus Points for leveling up, but that will be explained later. Hp, Health points, the Point System for measuring your Health. Aka, how long you have till you die. Mp, Mana Points, the Point System for Energy consumption. It's primarily used for Active Skills. The No./min next to your Hp and Mp shows the regeneration rate of health and mana respectively. If your Hp reaches 0 you will die. If you Mp reaches 0 you will feel exhausted. Sp, abbreviated form of Speed, shows your base movement speed. RC, Random Chance, is the added boost to upgraded and rare forms of loot drops appearing. Please say or think Stats to continue.]

My eyes widen at the gigantic dump of text. 'That is a lot of exposition. I hope it isn't that long for everything… Even if it is helpful to know these things. Uh, Stats.'

[Vit: 1]

[Str: 1]

[Agi: 1]

[Int: 1]

[Wis: 1]

[Luc: 0]

[Bonus: +40]

[These are your Stats! They are basically your base totals for everything related to the SYSTEM. Vit, Vitality, governs general health and defence. It's directly related to your Hp. Str, Strength, governs general physique and base physical attack. It's directly related to your Hp regeneration. Agi, Agility, governs general finesse and stamina. It's directly related to your speed. Int, Intellect, governs general knowledge and memory recall. It's directly related to your Mp. Wis, Wisdom, governs general judgement and critical thinking. It's directly related to your Mp regeneration. Luc, Luck, governs general chance and events. It's directly related to loot drops.]

[The Bonus section, also referred to as Bonus points, are extra points granted by the SYSTEM to periodically boost your stats. You gain a standard increase of 5 Bonus Points every level up, with a net increase of 1 every 10 levels. So at level 11 you will gain 6 BP and at level 51 you will gain 10 BP. All of your stats can be improved upon through various means. You are not forced to automatically spend any BP you earn, other than the 40 provided by the SYSTEM for the Tutorial's Sake. After spending your 40 BP, please say or think Skills to continue.]

I mentally sigh at the next text box of exposition. 'Hmm… So while I could try to make it as even as possible, this is the decision which will shape my future. There probably isn't a class system, but it would be like mentally assigning a class to myself anyways… I always did like to play as close to a Battlemage as possible, and that is the overpowered route Han Jihan took anyways. Why fix what isn't broken?'

[Vit: 8]

[Str: 7]

[Agi: 7]

[Int: 10]

[Wis: 8]

[Luc: 5]

[Bonus: +0]

'Yeah, that will do for now. I'll have to compare it to the average person once I create an Observe skill, but it should be fine for a level 1. Skills.'

[Passives:]

[Gamer's Soul: Lv Max]

[-Provides a Body that Perceives Reality as a Game]

[-Immunity to Detrimental Effects Due to the Lack of Bodily Needs]

[-Immunity to Psychological Status Effects]

[Actives:]

[N/A]

[These are your Skills. You don't have many, really only the one, but it is possible to create anything you can imagine. There are many various ways to unlock skills, so don't be surprised if the first way you try doesn't work. Passive skills are automatically active, although some can be toggled on and off if the need arises. Active skills require the use of Mp to activated, although some may require the use of Hp instead. You can extend each Skill to show what it's effect is]

[Gamer's Soul is a unique Skill for this variation of the SYSTEM. It is essentially a combined version of Gamer's Body and Gamer's Mind. It bypasses the need of a 'well-rested' bonus for the efficiency of 24 hours/day work. The immunity to Psychological Status Effects includes a defence against boredom and a Will unseen in most species. To continue, please say or think Inventory.]

'So… it's a revamped version? Hmm… Taking into account the several references to The Gamer Manhwa and to it's multiple variations, I can only assume that the SYSTEM is either based from, or an updated version of Han Jihan's system.'

[+1 Wis]

I look at the newly earned point with acceptance. 'Uh, yeah, training… It'd be good to save any BP I earn just in case I end up in a bad situation. I'll try and find a leveling curve for training my stats in the meanwhile. Inventory.'

[Credits: 0]

[N/A: Empty]

[You don't actually own anything. I'll be polite and give you a set of clothes as part of your reward for completing the Tutorial, since appearing in the middle of anywhere while naked is a terrible idea. The Inventory is actually a Pocket Space inside of this very VOID. Pocket Spaces are just another term for Pocket Dimension. Think of the VOID as a House, each Pocket Space is it's own room. Although on a much larger scale. The Inventory is the only Pocket Space you may access from outside of the VOID. Please say or think Store to continue.]

A blush of red crosses my face as I realize I'm standing in the middle of the VOID naked. 'I really wouldn't want to deal with the repercussions of appearing in some random world, flashing everyone in my vicinity, so thanks. Anyways, the concept of Pocket Spaces intrigue me, I'll assume I will have some sort of access to the VOID after I leave, given your wording?'

[Of course, User-Amara. Both Skills; VOID Portal, and VOID Space, will be granted to you at the end of the Tutorial at Max Level. It will be like the knowledge to perform both Skills will be a part of your very being, much like Gamer's Soul is to you now.]

'Oh… alright then. Uh, you can just call me Amara, you know? The prefix of user doesn't sit right with me.'

[...Set User-Name from: User-Amara, to: Amara…]

'...Yeah, that's better. Store.'

[N/A: Empty]

[The store is an internal System set up to replicate the Material side of the Abyss Auction. It starts off with nothing, but will resupply with any material possession you have seen/sensed. It matters not whether the Item in question is seen through an electronic screen, or if it is one of a kind, the Item will be placed into the store for purchase. You may only use SYSTEM Credits for Store purchases. Credits can be converted to and from other legal currencies via the Store. Skills that you have seen/sensed used can also be purchased in Skill Book Format if you don't want to learn them from scratch. Skill Books may have requirements in the form of Stats, Items, or Titles. Please say or think Quests to continue.]

I read through the text box after the SYSTEM finishes her speech in relief. 'The Store, at least the Skill Book part of it, is basically an overpowered copying ability… I need to find a Skill that makes me immune to blindness and sensing in general asap. Okay… Quests.'

[Ongoing:]

[The Tutorial: Complete the Tutorial assigned by the SYSTEM]

[-Go through Each Tab from the Menu (6/6)]

[Rewards: +100 Exp|+100 Credits|+1 Set of Common Clothes|+1 Multi-Token|+Skill(Max): VOID Portal|VOID Space]

[Failure: N/A]

[Completed:]

[N/A]

[Failed:]

[N/A]

[Quests are SYSTEM and User provided tasks and events with specifically and generally generated Rewards and Failures. Succeed in a Quest to receive its Rewards. Fail in a Quest to receive its Failures. To complete the Tutorial and gain it Rewards, close all opened tabs and the Menu by saying or thinking Menu.]

'Yeah! Free Stuff. I'm a college student at heart, so free stuff that isn't meant to be harmful is always welcome! Menu.'

As the Menu closes, reality speeds back up to a normal perceptive view. More importantly, I can finally move my body again. As I stretch the tension caused by the massive exposition dump out of my body, SYSTEM speaks up again.

[Quest: The Tutorial, is Completed]

[Rewards gained: +100 Exp|+100 Credits|+1 Set of Common Clothes|+1 Multi-Token|+Skill(Max): VOID Portal|VOID Space]

[You Leveled up +1]

As soon as I finished stretching, a standard set of clothes appeared on my now not-naked body. Just the basics; a black jacket, white shirt, black track-pants, black and white sneakers, and a hair-tie around my wrist.

Ah… yes, the description of the body, a very important part of any good work of fiction. I'll start with my hair. Long, curly, set to a deep brown. It traveled down to my mid-back, tied up or not. My complexion was a sweet mixture between pale and ivory, leaning more to the pale side due to my seclusive tendencies. My eyes were a sort of pale blue. They used to be brighter when I was younger, but after a few years of wear and tear, they seemed to lose a bit of that colour. I had a bit of a scraggly beard, rough but smooth. It settled in at a lighter brown than my hair but not by much. I was and am definitely more in the lean muscle category of body shape. Think of a muscled twig. Well, my muscles weren't toned or extravagant, but they were still relevant if I didn't hide them behind baggy clothes like I normally did.

An automatic positive to this whole thing, I would say, is the fixing of my eyesight. I normally required glasses to see anything far away in moderate detail in my past life. The SYSTEM already fixed that, without even mentioning it as anything big. It probably isn't; fixing a guy's eyesight compared to total Multiversal domination and an infinite potential, but it's not something I'll forget any time soon. "Thank you…" I spoke quietly as I delved into the explanation of my new skills and item.

[You're welcome, Amara.]

[VOID Portal: Lv Max|Cost: 1 Mp]

[-Allows Instant Entry/Departure out of your Own Personal Dimension]

[-Only those that You Allow Entry to May Enter]

[-You May Force anyone to Depart at Any Time]

[VOID Space: Lv Max|Cost: 1 Mp]

[-Allows Creation of Pocket Spaces within your Own Personal Dimension]

[-Pocket Space Creation: Empty/Home(Room Type)/Dungeon(Creature Type)/Etc.]

[Multi-Tokens are 1 use coins used to instantly transport yourself to a Random Universe. Random in this context means one of the near-infinite worlds that have been assigned by Gaia and Kami as Self-Destructive. While you could stay here and 'grind' your stats for an eternity, it has been known that growth in a hostile environment is more rewarding for everyone then passive progression could ever be. TLDR; You may compare the two types of growth to a Zenkai Boost of a Saiyan. Passive growth doesn't yield as many gains as active growth does.]

I nod in acceptance. 'It makes sense after all. The Rewards for completing a 'save the world' Quest will always be more accumulative than defeating the same Dungeon Pocket Space again and again.' I take the Multi-Token out of my Inventory; it look the same as any standard gold coin, although the wispy nature of the indentations does make it appear more than it seems.

[Would you like to activate the Multi-Token. To do so removes (x1) Multi-Token from your Person. Would you still like to proceed. (Y/N)]

I sigh with a reflective smile on my face. "Alright, time's a wasting. Let's do this thing." I press the Yes option, the text box disappears, and everything once again fades to black.

(^^)

Titles: Fatebreaker|Kami's Blessing|The Gamer

Name: Amara Kasai

Race: Human

Age: 20

Sex: Male

Lv: 2 (10/200)

Hp: 80/80|7/min

Mp: 100/100|9/min

Sp: 7m/s

RC: 0.5%

[Stats]

Vit: 8

Str: 7

Agi: 7

Int: 10

Wis: 9

Luc: 5

Bonus: +5

[Skills]

Passives:

Gamer's Soul: Lv Max

Actives:

VOID Portal: Lv Max|Cost: 1 Mp

VOID Space: Lv Max|Cost: 1 Mp

(^^)

AN: Yoke… It's an actual word, meaning something that binds, unites, or connects. I thought it would be fitting.

Sorry for the exposition, but I needed to get it out eventually. It's one of those inevitable parts of a Gamer story, and it's probably the smallest amount I could get it to without writing incoherently… Or more incoherently than I normally write.

I'm not actually sure which fictional world I want to go to first… So yeah, it was a great idea to start posting before I got even an inclination of an idea of where to go from here.

*Sigh* I guess I'll do what I do best and waffle my way to an acceptable story…

This was a terrible idea, but I'll try to make the best of it.