Rebirth and Second Chances

Chapter 6: Arrival

I didn't feel movement; there was no experience of traveling as SYSTEM trans-located me from where I was to the sublevel Universe I'd selected. One moment I wasn't, the next I was.

Taking a deep breath, I allowed myself to notice the heaviness of my body, the pull of gravity, the warmth of the air. In those first few seconds, the unconscious reflexes that allow us to operate our bodies were obvious.

The muscles needed for breathing, the blinks that moistened my eyes, the minute muscle adjustments that allowed me to balance and stand. I noticed everything and gloried in those achievements. I'm not sure how long I was 'dead' but I had spent over a decade bedridden in my past life. Being able to stand and walk again was a miracle.

Past life?

Wait, a moment. I wasn't supposed to remember my past life this clearly, was I? It was supposed to be events and memories you might find in a dream. Soft reflections of possibilities.

SYSTEM had made a mistake?

Somehow, I doubted that was the case. A being, capable of establishing rules and orders for all those multiple dimensions and Universal sublevels, wasn't likely to make mistakes. But that meant it left my memories for a reason, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

The prospects that SYSTEM had left my memory intact because there was something in them, I would need to survive, frightened me. What could be so bad that the evils and technologies I understood from Earth would be needed and migrate to this world?

I wasn't a technophile by any stretch of the imagination. I was like so many other people. I knew how to use cell phones, the internet, an automobile. But I had no clue on how they really worked. The science behind combustion engines, micro-circuitry, or satellite technology required knowledge that I simply hadn't invested the time or effort to learn.

I wondered how all those people who transmigrated in novels I'd read conveniently had the knowledge to create innovations using Earth's technology. Bring Gunpowder to this world? I didn't see how I could do it. I knew saltpeter was one of the components. Every novel I'd ever read mentioned it. But where to get, how to process it, and the formula?

About the only product I could think of that I could make use of in this world was fiction. I was well read, so if there was a market for fiction, I should be able to reproduce at least the characters and plots of some of the most popular novels.

SYSTEM had said this Universe had amenities comparable to Earth, hadn't it?

"Caraid? Are you with me?" I asked as I began to glance around and examine my surroundings.

[Yes, Mac. It looks like we have returned to wh]

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[WELCOME TO TALAHM, MAC DE BELENOS

RANK SET: LEVEL ONE PRINCE

REWARDS: 100,000 GP

RING OF HIDDEN DEPTHS

***

RESPAWNS ARE POSSIBLE ONCE EVERY SOLAR CYCLE.

AS A NEWLY ASCENDED PRINCE YOU WILL NEED TO REPORT TO THE CURRENT SEELIE RULERS.

***

QUEST: TRAVEL TO THE CAPITAL AND REPORT TO KING LUGH AND QUEEN MAB

REWARD: 50,000 EXP.

FACTION SEELIE COURT 1000, FACTION UNSEELIE COURT - 1000]

[ACCEPT YES / NO]

A quest?

This world really was going to work on game mechanics.

I understood from my dealings with SYSTEM that status screens would exist to display abilities and skills, but I hadn't realized the similarity to game mechanics was going to be such an intracule part of my new life. That System mechanics was going to be so closely parallel the games I was used to playing.

At least my first quest wasn't to go out and kill ten rats. I chuckled softly before wondering how dangerous this trip was likely to be. Fortunately, I remembered I had my very own guide to help me figure things out.

"Caraid can you see my quest screens?" I asked.

"Yes, Mac. I am here. I have been integrated with your SYSTEM architecture and can view and manipulate menu's, sub-menus and sorting features. I am unable to accept quest prompts unless you change settings in the configuration menu to allow advanced access."

There were even configuration and setting menus? 'I hope the profanity filter defaults to off,' I thought.

"This quest, should I accept it?

"Do I even have a choice but to accept?

"I mean, it should be pretty safe, right?"

[It should be safe so I would say yes, accept the quest.]

[You could reject it, but you will go to the Capital at some point, you might as well be rewarded for it.]

[I would wait until we leave the ascension chamber before accepting though. By waiting until we leave the room, you ensure the mythical properties of this chamber aren't interfering with quest mechanics.]

[Travel to the capital should not be dangerous, merchants, caravans, and the kingdom's subjects make use of the trip daily. Although there are no 'roads' as you understand the concept, the paths have been well-traveled so wild creatures and monsters have learned to avoid those areas.]

[You are aware that once you arrive, things will get tricky? You are a new Prince, a Sidhe royal, you have the ability to bind with the land and establish your own kingdom. Politics are going to come into play, and there is nothing more dangerous than politics amongst the Seelie and Unseelie.]

[Those hoping to make a name, gain levels, and experience will test you; or those that will wish to enhance their standing will form machinations or jockey for position using you.]

[It is the only way for the nobles to gauge your strengths and find out what the lineage and heritage you now claim means. Some might and will attempt to utilize you and your abilities for their own advantage.]

[You probably will be challenged to duels. We better hope Belenos' Aura is powerful because there are some duels you simply can't refuse Prince or not. Politics and nobility are not for the weak.]

"You know you seem pretty well informed and knowledgeable for a commoner, Caraid."

[You thought I was some poor little goatherd, did you?] Caraid snorted in amusement.

[No, even with my hybrid birth, they educated me.]

[The Seelie were embarrassed enough at my existence; they certainly would not allow me to shame them further by being stupid.]

[Plus, I think SYSTEM may have tweaked my memories and racial knowledge a bit. I seem to know more about historical events for both Seelie and Unseelie than I did. All that back story and history on Belenos wasn't common knowledge. More something a scholar would have.]

"Speaking of SYSTEM didn't it seem a bit rushed at the end?" I asked.

[Almost as if IT were afraid you would change your mind.] Caraid agreed.

[How exactly did you come to choose my body as your new host form?]

"I selected from a list SYSTEM generated. You were the only Seelie, Unseelie form offered. The other choices seemed to be more servant based, and I didn't want to live my life completely at the whims of others. I'd experienced that enough in my past life."

[Strange that you choose me then. I have lived a life of austerity, biting my tongue and accepting slights and slanders almost since birth. That stigma I mentioned is very real. Why put yourself in that situation?]

"Some of it was a lack of choice, as I mentioned. Some of it was because my soul seemed to resonate more closely with yours. We had similar histories. Childhoods filled with pain and deprivation.

"Maybe it is nave of me, but I thought, that in some way I could redress some of the wrongs you experienced and get closure for both of us.

"My choice aside, I still don't understand why SYSTEM seemed to rush the process towards the end?"

[There have been rumors that this Universe's System has been having problems. Guests not rewarded correctly, S Ranked quests made available to F-Ranked individuals. It hasn't been going on long, the last few decades maybe. But the reports of inconsistencies reported have grown.]

[Perhaps SYSTEM was responded to System errors?]

"System? Not SYSTEM?" I asked uncertainly if there was a difference.

[SYSTEM is the framework that enforces Universal Laws. Insures Order and Chaos are regulated. And dispenses Karmic justice across all multi-verses.]

[System is this Universes method for tracking experience, levels, quests, factions, and Ranks. The operating system restricted this multi-verse. The system is a sub-routine of SYSTEM.]

"So you think SYSTEM manipulated my choices to insert me in this Universe? Hoping or planning for me to figure out why the System seems to be error-riddled?"

[I'm not sure. But I wouldn't rule it out. ITS cosmic imperative seems to be to fix problems and maintain order. Maybe IT needs to use tools to impose those fixes.]

I'm not sure how I felt being used as some kind of cosmic tool. But it certainly beat the alternative.