I was shocked to see the sky, and not only that, I could speak. My voice could be heard. it was unbelievable, but that was the reality
"No way, I can talk? And the sky, it's beautiful, magnificent, and splendid."
I couldn't describe how I felt. I didn't even know how much I had missed the sky. I had been in a void of complete darkness, for what felt like an eternity, so it was expected.
It was normal that I would feel excited just from the sight of the sky and clouds.
Since I could talk and hear myself, I quickly tried other things. I tried raising my right hand, and to my surprise it followed.
I couldn't believe it, and tried raising my left hand, and it also appeared. They were both there, active and smooth, up-towards the sky.
I made a few movements with my fingers and they moved just as I wanted them too.
"Wow… I'm really back aren't I?"
I sat upright and stared at my legs. I had them, they were there. It was a complete upgrade from that void—knowing I didn't have any limbs back then.
Still excited, I quickly stood up and gazed around my surrounding. I was in the middle of a forest. Green tall trees with birds chirping.
Before me was a stream of water following.
I quickly moved to the water, bent down, took a portion with my hands and washed my face. I stared at the water, and my reflection stared right back at me.
"Who are you?" I asked, and the figure stared right back at me. I was curious and raised a hand, and so did the reflection.
"What?"
I raised my other hand, and the reflection followed suit.
"Why are you copying me?" I asked, puzzled.
I didn't want to believe it, but that was my own reflection. The face before me was completely different from what I used to look like.
"Who are you?" I asked again making sure it was truly me.
I placed my hands on my face and caressed it. My skin was smooth, with no wrinkles, different from my 31 years old self in my previous life.
"Have I truly been reborn?"
I had been reborn, and figured what that voice said was actually true. Frankly I wanted to come back as a baby, start a brand new life, but I guess this would do.
"If I'm reborn, does that mean I'm in another world?"
I stood up and looked at my surroundings. There were nothing but bushes and long trees. No building or signs of life.
"Am I alone?"
I walked along the water, trying to figure out where I was. And just as I had passed a couple miles, I heard a sound from one of the bushes.
I became curious and decided to check what it was.
Moving, I felt my heart racing, for I knew it would be something that I couldn't comprehend.
My thoughts raced as I thought of all the possible things that could be behind that bush. If I was in another world and the same as earth—from what the voice told me, then it should be an animal.
I approached the bush, ready to pull it out of the ground ,when suddenly a strange creature burst out from inside it.
I fell on my butt and panicked as the creature came over me. I thought I was going to die, but the creature didn't look frightening. It began licking my legs.
Seeing this, I quickly composed myself and sat upright.
"What are you?!" I asked, about to place my hand on it, when a thunderous sound began echoing.
'An approaching footsteps.'
It was no ordinary footsteps as it shook the surrounding area. I became nervous and stood to my feet, ready to brace whatever that was. Then, from the bush another creature appeared.
It was similar to the previous creature but bigger in size. The creature towered before me with a staggering nine feet in height.
It had the appearance of a lion, with four legs, a long tail and a well built body. It looked normal, but something was strange, something weird, and not the fact that it was covered in so much fur—more than the average lion.
But rather, the fact that it had wings attached to each side of its body. For a brief moment, I looked down at the small creature and noticed the same thing.
They both had wings.
'What the hell?'
This wasn't normal, more like it was impossible. There was no way a lion would have wings, at least not on earth.
The creature stepped forward and we locked eyes. Its green eyes shimmered and orange fur danced in the wind, its expression streamed that one wrong move would be my end. It was terrifying, dangerous and above all, daunting.
While the tension built-in, the little creature went and stood behind one the bigger back legs.
'Is that you mama?'
I tried forcing a smile out, presenting myself as unharmed, and definitely didn't touch its baby. But my message wasn't clear.
The creature released a thunderous roar to my face—so wide I could see the inside of its mouth.
'Holy shit, this thing is capable of swallowing me whole.'
I gulped, my eyes locked on the creature as it blocked the sun from hitting me. I was ready for the unexpected.
Just then the creature started pawing the ground with its front leg—like a bull does before charging.
'Is it telling me to start running?'
Instincts kicked in, and my body responded.
'Hai Hai Captain!'
I turned and dashed away from the creature, not daring to look backwards at all.
"I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!"
I was gonna die. I had just been reborn and I was going to die.
"Damn it, what made me think to almost touch the child of an angry creature?"
I turned my neck to check if the creature was chasing me. It wasn't. But something felt off. The creature carried its child by the scruff—in its mouth, and for a second I could've sworn it smirked at me.
It was giving me a headstart.
Suddenly, the creature shot upwards, its wings beating the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
'Fuck.'
I turned back my neck and continued running as fast as my legs could take me—deep within the forest that I had no knowledge about.
As I ran, I saw the shadow of the creature on the ground, as it passed above me and I knew I was dead for sure. I had died once, been reborn, but now, I was gonna die again.
"This is madness!"
I jumped over a couple of tree branches and continued running. For some reason my body was a bit light, compared to the body I had back in my previous life.
Frankly, if I had tried this kind of race back then, I would have probably been beat by now. Thankfully I wasn't.
However, something felt off. I couldn't breathe well. It wasn't serious but I could feel the struggle with my respiration pattern. It was as if the air around was ntoxicating to me.
Before me were two pathways, one shallow and the other a bit rough on the edge but promising. I followed the latter even though it was the creepiest—for all I knew the first one would have proved a dead end.
I turned left, running. I had hoped the creature would have followed the other way—since it would be hard for it to actually see me from up there.
However, I couldn't have be more wrong.
I felt the shadow pass over me again, sending an icy shiver down my spine. I raised my head upwards, trying to locate where the creature was. Just then I bumped my feet on a tree branch and fell to the ground.
"Damn!"
I tried to get up, but my feet throbbed with pain. Then a massive shadow emerged over me. I instinctively turned, and before I saw it, the creature landed above me.
I was beneath it and it was above me, its brown and yellow body colors cascaded with the light of the sun.
This was it, and there was nothing that could be done.
"Hold on. Where is your baby?"
I asked, with a smile on my face, thinking I could win its favour over by caring for its child. However my message, just like before wasn't clear. Instead I was answered with something else.
The creature let out a thunderous roar, saliva spraying from its jaw. Just when I thought it was over, a massive ball of green light began glowing—forming in its mouth, carrying dust and particles of leaves from the trees, swirling around.
I didn't know what that was, but it definitely wasn't good.
'Is that magic?'
At this point, I couldn't think straight, my vision was blurring, and my breathing growing worse, barely able to draw in air.
'Is this the end again.'
I was either gonna die from the massive energy that was forming right before me, or from choking to death.
Either way I was gonna die except that appeared.
I locked eyes with the creature, it's gaze fierce and unyielding. It showed little to no remorse that it was about to obliterate me out of existence.
I closed my eyes, bracing what was coming from me. If only I could catch my breath and muster some strength, I might just escape this madness.
I closed my eyes, and then I heard a voice. It called out something indistinct, and suddenly, a strange panel appeared before me.
I quickly opened my eyes and saw the same panel—just before the ball of energy.
'What is that!'
[Ding!]
[Conditions Met!]
[Your body is rejecting the mana-air of this world!]
[Looking for suitable air respiration.]
[Scanning… %…%…%…%… Scan Done!]
[You have acquired…
a new core; Aetheric Respiration.]
[Due to the host unable to give an accurate order, the new core would now be implemented.]
[Ding!]
[New Core: Aetheric Respiration Implemented!]
[The Host can now breathe easily!]
A smug played across on my face as I locked eyes with the creature, saying:
"I've awakened a system."