Peering out from the rubble of a worn and broken tower, a woman with a thin yet athletic frame and fox-like features surveyed the battlegrounds below, a harsh gust ruffling her black and orange-ish gold hair as she did. She was a vesani by the name of Aurelia, and the current captain of the party that was gathered behind her. Only a few short hours had passed since they had to retreat yet again and the movement of the nine tails at her back did little to hide her uncertainty. This was their last forward base. The conflict was quickly reaching its climax, and Aurelia stood at the precipice of a decision.
In front of her, legions of the voidborn that threatened to consume everything she and many others held dear. And behind her, the remnants of the once-mighty kingdom she had offered her protection to. Despite her efforts, much still lay sieged, its people scattered, and its hope nearly shattered. This… this was beyond anything she had ever faced before.
Aurelia could feel the weight of her sword in her hand, the familiar grip providing a shred of comfort amidst the chaos. Around her, the sounds of battle echoed, cries of anguish mixing with the clash of steel and the roar of monstrosities from the realms beyond.
Her companions had fought valiantly beside her, their resolve seemingly unwavering even against the odds. But Aurelia knew the truth— they couldn't win this fight. Not against the malignant beings that threatened them here today. The Twin Essences of Death were not far behind any one of them, one misstep and they would take them from this fight.
Even so, she made her choice.
With a determined gaze, Aurelia turned to her comrades, her voice cutting through the noise of the growing forces outside. "Go," she commanded, her tone firm. "Get to safety. I'll hold them off."
Her comrades– friends, immediately protested, their voices filled with a sudden apprehension. But Aurelia silenced them with a somber gaze. This was completely different to how they had all seen her act until now, they knew she would not hear any arguments. "We can't run forever, and our forces are spread thin as it is. The people of your lands still need you." she stated, her eyes flicking between the group and the conflict below before closing briefly. "Rest assured, I won't make it easy." she promised, a semblance of her usual demeanor returning.
Reluctantly, her companions obeyed after a time, having seen firsthand the severity of the situation. One by one, they passed her, heading further into the kingdom's walls. There was frustration in some, tears in others, but they all knew this was not a choice one would return from. When it finally came to the last of their party, Aurelia's closest friend, she quickly wrapped her arms around Aurelia and gave a tight squeeze as emotions welled across her body.
"May the Lamb's Arrow reach you before the Wolf's Jaws, Old Friend."
Aurelia returned the hug, pulling away with the best smile she could muster as she looked into her friend's eyes and then towards the encroaching enemy. "I hope the same, but I have one last mission to complete before they can have me… and I will see it done."
Aurelia watched her friend slowly nod before letting go, her form disappearing into the dark stairwell alongside the others. Alone, Aurelia pressed a hand to the edge of the tower, momentarily preparing herself to face the innumerable horde. With a small huff, she nodded to herself and leapt into the fray, charging forward with every ounce of her strength as her sword gleamed with spiritual energy.
The battle raged on, Aurelia's blade a blur of motion as she cut down enemy after enemy. But for every foe she felled, another seemed to take its place. The tides of voidborn relentless in their advance. Even she knew it was only a matter of time before she was overwhelmed.
Aurelia didn't know how much time had passed since her fateful choice, each minute felt like hours, but she could tell she wasn't in a good state. She had already been injured in various places, blood seeping from each wound without showing any sign of stopping, her mana was running thin, and her senses were beginning to dull.
But then, in a sudden moment of clarity– opportunity, Aurelia saw her chance. She could not waste it. With a swift motion, she hurled herself off the towering creature that wildly swung down at her and towards the heart of the swirling rift that attempted to manifest nearby. Her sword poised, she dove into the vortex, deep into the source of where her enemies originated.
Pure luck was all it was, a one-off gamble, but she had an idea of what to do. Their numbers greeted her enmasse, but she didn't need much time now. Aurelia used what remained of her spiritual reserves to mark each portal she could locate from within, valiantly fighting all the while.
However, she knew that it would not be enough on its own, she would have to use more than that, she would have to use everything in order to achieve the result she desired. That meant even going as far as to convert her very life energy into the mana she needed.
A decision made and the will to act upon it. She would perish here, but not without taking out all of the gateways alongside her. Spiritual energy was not so easily cleansed from entities so corrupted, Aurelia could only hope it would buy enough time for a more permanent solution to arise. However, such brazen decisions have consequences.
In the brief moment of that choice, everything seemed to slowe and the atmosphere darkened to a supernatural degree, a light mist forming against the ground. It was time. Aurelia turned to face the figure that had been stalking her since the beginning. She knew, if she wanted to succeed, that meant beating– delaying… Kindred.
Aurelia didn't remember how long their fight had lasted, it had been a haze in her mind, but the flow of time had since returned to normal. Blood caked her form as she leaned against her blade planted in the ground. She was bruised and battered, many of her senses no longer worked like they used to, yet she smiled as energy continued to build within her spirit. She would be the one to decide how her tale ended.
And so, she rose once more. Her movements weary, she picked up her blade and slowly trudged forward with heavy breaths. She would fight to the very end. Despite stumbling and lacking finesse all the while, she continued to bring her blade down until her body refused to listen. Like moths to a flame, they surrounded her. She could only give a light laugh, staring up to the purple haze that was the sky. There was a moment of calm, but then her body pulsed with a burst of energy, a bright flash erupting throughout the realm.
[. . .]
[. . .]
[. . .]
[System Initializing… Complete. ]
[Manifesting Soul… 0%... 1%... 2%... 21%... 69%... 100% Complete.]
[Installing Base Modules… Complete. Base Modules Initializing… Complete.]
[Launching Program Executables… Complete.]
[Core Systems Online… Remaining installations will now complete in the background.]
[Current Patch: Experimental / 4.546b]
[Awakening Soul Conscious…]
[Congratulations! Your soul has been randomly selected for another chance at life with the multiverse's favorite system. Please stand by while the system gathers your details…]
System?
Aurelia's thoughts raced across the empty, blank space, no response seeming to be heard. It was strange. Instinct called for her to move, but her mind felt… disconnected somehow. Her body did not respond to her will. Then it hit her, and the silent words that filled her mind began to make sense.
She had died.
Vivid memories flashed through her consciousness, she remembered it clearly now. Despite the fact that she now lacked a physical body, her thoughts did more than enough to express the uncertain sensation she felt permeate throughout her being. She had died, after all, how could she not feel at least a little strange? And now, she was suddenly being granted another chance? She didn't know how she was supposed to react, and that was assuming this was all even real.
[Thank you for your patience. We will now begin the character creation process.]
Yet… somehow, something deep within her being knew this "System" was legitimate in its offerings. It wasn't like she had much to lose now. The least she could do was see what it was all about.
[Due to the unfortunate nature of your death, your former body has been destroyed. Please select from one of the options below to continue with the character creation process.
1. Regain your original body.
2. Create a new body from scratch.
3. Use an existing character model.
4. Randomly roll for a character model.
Please Note: Randomly rolled character models gain additional items as compensation for the risk.]
The words of the System then manifested in the darkness that surrounded her consciousness, creating an interface of sorts to interact with. Without even thinking, Aurelia immediately felt change take form as her image reflected at her in one of the mirror-like windows. She had already subconsciously selected the option she was most familiar with.
[You have selected Option 1. Would you like to make any adjustments to this body before continuing?]
Aurelia looked herself over in the box, twirling it around with a flick of her newly reacquired finger. Her race was known for its ethereal beauty, and her own body was no different in that regard. It still had its usual height, curves, and subtle nods to her athleticism from years of fighting. The same could be said of hair and eye color, as well. She had seen nothing amiss, everything was there. It was almost creepy, in a way.
Nevertheless, now suddenly with the option to make changes, Aurelia couldn't help but feel all the minor insecurities she had about herself come to mind. Surprisingly, she didn't have to put in much more thought than that before the System automatically made its adjustments. Save for the slight increase in her bust size, not much actually appeared to change, but Aurelia had no trouble spotting each and every difference. It was like the System knew exactly how to perfectly align her ideals to reality. That all being said, she still couldn't help but feel a level of awe as she more or less fondled herself to double check if the changes were genuine or not.
They were.
[Race "Vesani" Confirmed. Due to the selections made in the character appearance section, your age will be set accordingly. Age "21" Confirmed.]
[Does this complete your adjustments?]
Now with a proper means to respond, her mind and body finally clicked together to give an answer.
"Ahem. Yes."
[Character Appearance Confirmed. Do you wish to retain your former name?]
"Yes." Enthusiasm filled her tone, the familiarity of life growing with each question answered.
[Name "Aurelia" Confirmed. This concludes the Character Creation process. Now relocating to the Alternate Start Menu.]
Aurelia tipped her head slightly, confused at what the System meant before a phantasmal window popped into her view. Now in front of her were lists upon lists of named worlds and locations stretching on further than she cared to count. All it took was a passing glance to get a summary of what entailed within each realm, but Aurelia wasn't exactly sure what to make of it or how she was to go about choosing.
A selection was required, however, and none of the options exactly jumped out at her. Or rather, none of them were her former home. It didn't help that there was little in the way of a filter that she could find either.
Luckily, the System seemed to catch on to her indecisiveness and offered a few alternatives to the overwhelming number of options. At least, that's what Aurelia thought it was doing.
[Due to the lack of selection by the user, the system will adjust the selection size.]
Aurelia watched as the vast list of choices rapidly began to shrink, simply disappearing from view as the popular, recommended, and default sections took form in their stead. A much more manageable list, albeit still notably extensive. She softly murmured the choices as she went top to bottom, her expression alone telling a story of each passing world. But she was still at a loss.
[Due to \\ERR\\, the system will further adjust the selection size.]
Each world was so vastly different from her own. That wasn't even to say what she would be doing in any given world either, was this simply just another chance to live life or were there things she was now obligated to do? Did it even matter to the system? How was she not to be confused? And to top it off, the system suddenly opted not to react to her thoughts on this matter for whatever reason. Aurelia found it borderline frustrating.
[Due to the lack of selection by the user, the system will select the best fit option, option "DanMachi" will be selected. A compensatory item will be awarded and redeemed upon entry into the selected world as a result.]
"DanMachi… DanMachi… isn't that the one focused on that strange dungeon full of–" Aurelia began, only to be cut off as the space around her immediately began to churn and twist. Was there an issue with the system that caused it to act so strange all of a sudden? No answer came to her mental inquiries.
Like a prelude of what was to come, a pinprick of light could be seen growing across the far reaches of the space, creating a thin line that acted as the horizon. When Aurelia finally came to acknowledge it, everything had already become a blur of color that engulfed not only her body, but the very ends of the space as a whole.
[Thank you for choosing the multiverse's favorite system! Please enjoy your newly acquired life and try your best to \\ERR\\ live it to its fullest!]
When Aurelia's eyes opened next, it was not the far reaches of the dark nor was it the ambient glow of the system. Reality took its time to sink in. Although her senses were immediately saturated, eventually, her blurred vision cleared, the rustling branches of the trees filled her ears, the growing sensitivity of the grass beneath her palms, the crisp scent of a nearby body of water, each of her senses slowly began to adapt one by one.
In an instant, Aurelia's second life in a strange new world began. An experience so surreal, one could almost become addicted. That left but one question:
How would she live it?
[Conditions Met: Redeeming "Compensation Ticket"... Selecting Random World… Drawing 10 Items from the "Dark Souls Series":
50 Throwing Knives - Common Consumable
5 Purple Moss Clumps - Common Consumable
10 Mossfruit - Common Consumable
3 Gold Pine Resin - Uncommon Consumable
Lightning Spear - Uncommon Spell
1 Divine Blessing - Rare Consumable
Black Flame - Rare Spell
| Farron Greatsword - Ultra Rare |
|| Moonlight Greatsword - Legendary ||
||| Scale of the Darkeater - Mythic |||
The following items have been added to your inventory. You can access your inventory by focusing your thoughts on it.]
Aurelia didn't know how long it was that she laid there, staring towards the sky, a stark contrast to the view she had seen in her final moments. She was still digesting everything that had happened up to this point. Although she was no longer as mentally drained as she was prior to arriving, her thoughts were still running a mile a minute trying to file away all the new information that now filled her mind.
The System was something equally complex as it was simple. In no short amount of time, she had able to utilize many of its basic functions without issue. In fact, Aurelia would be the first to admit that there was an unnatural familiarity that came alongside using the System and its features. On the other hand, however, there were equally as many aspects about it that were left unexplained or unrevealed. In a sense, unless she prompted the System to react in some capacity, she was at the whims of whatever it chose to disclose to her.
Nevertheless, Aurelia opted not to dwell on it for long. At the end of the day, it seemed the System was a part of her for the future to come, working out its quirks was just another thing she would have to grow accustomed to.
Letting off a small sigh, Aurelia's gaze remained fixed towards the clouds, or rather, the various windows and menus that now filled her vision. Few among them grabbed her attention more than one, however: the quest menu. Although there wasn't much of a selection, the little that was there was something her former self had familiarity with.
Fighting monsters.
[Quests]
World Quests:
[The Black Dragon] - Slay the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
Main Quests:
Side Quests:
Completed Quests:
[Learn the System] - Redeemable Rewards Available.
Aurelia didn't need long to decide on the idea. As her finer memories resurfaced, so did her resolve. Her curiosities, her courage, her comrades, her sacrifices; all were core components to who she was and how she lived. She may have this chance at another life, but that didn't mean she had to change who she was to compensate.
Letting off a huff, Aurelia rose from the ground with a slow stretch to her muscles before eventually turning to face the rising sun with renewed vigor. Pointing an arm out, a gleaming, teal blade manifested within her grasp, its edge reaching towards the horizon as she took a step forward; her first in this new world. She would make a vow to herself then and there.
"Through the unknowns beyond death, I will carve a path forward and make the hope that was tomorrow, a promise."
"..."
"That sounded a lot cheesier than I thought it would… nice sword though.'' Aurelia mumbled in admittance, a short laugh soon to follow the declaration as she inspected the new blade. Although a somber smile clung to her cheeks for a moment, it quickly turned to one of excitement as her eyes trailed the landscape before her, "Well… by choice or not, I am here. There's nowhere to go but forward now."
A few hours had elapsed since Aurelia began her trek. Naturally, she had not a clue where she was actually going, but she figured moving towards the nearby body of water was a good start. The chance of there being a settlement near said water was fairly high given her prior experiences. All she had to do was get through whatever edge of the forest she was in and reach the shoreline. From there, Aurelia hoped it would be a lot more clear to see with all the trees out of the way.
The plan was solid.
That being said, Aurelia wasn't exactly in a complete rush either. The sun had only just reached its zenith, meaning she now had an idea of how much time she had to work with. Ironically, it didn't seem too far off of what she was used to in her old world. In that regard, Aurelia had little complaint as it just meant she had more time to adjust to everything.
As Aurelia walked, her nine tails idly swayed as she flicked through the golden interface that had manifested in front of her, "Archer, Blacksmith, Bard, Cleric, Duelist, Knight, Shielder, Wizard… just how many options are there?" she mumbled aloud. It was one of the rewards offered by a quest she completed.
From what Aurelia could tell, the System would give her a number of skills and equipment based on whatever she chose. She gathered it must've been the System's way of getting people started. Given how she had fought in the past, Aurelia already had an idea of what archetype would be best fit for her style, it was just a matter of finding something she felt suitable.
After spending a short while browsing the selections, Aurelia eventually looked over the potential candidates one last time, before mumbling, "I suppose it is the best fit, after all." She then pressed her finger onto the confirmation icon, the interface dispersing into a fine mist of golden particles. At the same time, a subtle ping in the back of her mind alerted her to the additions suddenly added to her inventory and status. Satisfied, Aurelia gave a nod to herself, looking ahead to the fringes of the woodlands she had been traversing.
It wasn't long before the dense greenery of the forest began to fade, perhaps a couple hours at most if the sun's position was anything to go by. In its stead, rock, sand, and lapsing currents became the norm. Aurelia was hoping for a little luck as she scanned the horizon. Although the waterfront was the perfect place to try and find a quick meal or put together a small shelter, she'd prefer some actual security in finding a town proper.
Thankfully for Aurelia, Lady Luck still appeared to be smiling upon her.
With her natural eyesight enhanced as it was, Aurelia could easily make out the shapes of structures in the distance. A small port town, no doubt. Among the most notable aspects were the various braziers that were strewn about. However, Aurelia had felt that the level of smoke rising from them was unusual, even when accounting for the slight chill that hung in the air.
Picking up her pace to investigate, Aurelia bounded forward through the terrain, it doing little to slow her as she made her way across the coastline. In no short amount of time, thin pathways, old camps, and similar signs of life began to prop into view. Just a little bit more, Aurelia told herself. Parting a slew of branches and shrubbery, Aurelia looked ahead with eager eyes… only to halt in an instant.
The atmosphere immediately shifted. The thick scent of sulfur and ash filled her nostrils, a wave of intense heat coated her cheeks, and the sounds of fighting, screams, and roars alike echoed throughout the area. Aurelia should've known her first interaction with the locals would not be one so simple, her luck was due for a shift. However, she didn't hesitate to charge into the fray with a sword in hand and magic at the tip of her fingers. Some things never change.
[Quest Added: Every 'Tail' Begins Somewhere]
A/N: Another story added to the banks, frankly I've been on the binge of a gamer/system-based fic for a while and playing all the games like BG3, various roguelikes, etc, I've finally just gotten to putting it to a document. I will admit while I do wish to have fun with the things that come with these types of fics, there are various limiters and the like I put on the System I have in mind and just in general try to make it more interesting for the main character to develop as their own.
As for when I update, well, I'm unsure. I suppose I am curious to see the reception or interest in such as fic to aid the motivation, but otherwise it is sort of just on the whim of how I feel about any of my stories that I feel like working on. WIP hell is tough haha. Nevertheless, hope y'all find the premise interesting for the character and its system or at least enjoy the set up for the next chapter! Until next time!
Edit Date: 6/2/2024