So, here we are. Back in the void.
Not that I'm… you know… actually hurting. Nah, totally fine. Totally fine. Totally not thinking about how maybe, just maybe, Windy could've actually made me a better man if you know what didn't happen. Nope. Totally fine.
The entity was still there, seated on its floating chair, hovering effortlessly in front of me.
"Sign here," it said.
A contract suddenly appeared in front of me, massive and terrifying, and a pen floated toward my hand as if guided by invisible strings.
And holy hell, the thing in front of me was ridiculous. A contract so massive it probably contained the secrets of the universe, printed in minuscule font meant to give a normal person aneurysm just by opening it. It had pages upon pages that screamed "Nobody in their right mind is reading this!" — like those endless Accept Terms and Conditions agreements everyone blindly scrolls through.
At the very bottom of the last page, a tiny little space waited for my signature.
Dylan S. Chase.
I sighed, then signed.
And then… everything went wrong.
At first, the void got brighter. Then brighter. Then, for a second, I couldn't see anything at all.
Classic cosmic overkill.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a hard, cold floor. I pushed myself up, brushed the dust off, and blinked.
The people in front of me, the citizens... nope, definitely not from Earth.
A Minotaur—yes, a literal man with four legs—was chatting with a girl who had wings like an angel, only sharper and way more intimidating. A half-human, half-robot was casually buying ice cream from a shop nearby. This place… it looked like Earth had been genetically modified, sprinkled with magic, and then just… turned up to eleven. Hyper-modern utopia vibes, but none of the people here were human.
And then it hit me. The thing that actually made my jaw drop.
A screen appeared directly in front of my eyes. Floating. Blinking. Absolutely impossible to ignore.
Redemption System
Status: Active
User: Dylan S. Chase
Level: 1
Strength: 1
Charisma: 1
Dexterity: 1
…More stats hidden
Oh.
That's when I realized: this wasn't a vacation.
This wasn't a mistake.
This was… my new life.
Somewhere deep down… I hated it already.
±±±
I stopped talking. Not out of politeness, not because I was thinking of some witty comeback… but because no matter how cocky you are, when you get sent to a world where a Minotaur is chatting with a winged girl and a half-human, half-robot is casually buying ice cream, you… calm down.
And yeah, I was calm. Quiet. Hiding inside myself.
This… this was not a joke.
Because what I was staring at, what I had signed up for—the Redemption System—was serious business. Redemption doesn't come easy. It's not about charm or wit. It's about… changing yourself. Somehow.
The screen suddenly shifted and displayed:
Rules of Riveria & the Redemption System:
1. World: Riveria — A hyper-modern utopia, similar to Earth in design but filled with magical, cybernetic, and mythological citizens.
2. Currency: Kreon (¢)
Assigned 3,500¢ daily.
Unused funds do not carry over. Reset occurs each day.
Higher levels = higher daily funds.
3. Levels:
Gain levels by completing daily tasks and missions.
Levels increase stats: Strength, Dexterity, Charisma, Voice, Appearance, and… other personal metrics.
4. Daily Tasks:
Required to maintain and increase stats.
Tasks vary in difficulty depending on current level.
5. Missions:
Larger assignments outside daily tasks.
Often involve interacting with citizens of Riveria.
Completing missions increases your influence and unlocks new abilities.
6. Stat Progression:
Core Stats (Strength, Charisma, Dexterity) increase by completing tasks.
Special Stats (Appearance, Voice, Physical Attributes) increase by completing missions.
Neglecting progression may cause setbacks or "humiliation penalties."
7. System Interaction:
The System does not speak. It only displays information.
Guidance is always silent.
Observes your every action. You cannot hide from it.
8. Rules of Conduct:
Exploitative, predatory, or purely self-serving behavior is penalized.
Genuine effort toward redemption is required.
Emotional growth is mandatory. (Yes, even for someone like you.)
9. Citizens & Society:
Citizens vary: mythological, magical, cybernetic.
Interaction with them is key to progression.
Some may test your morality, others your strength.
10. Failures & Penalties:
Ignoring tasks or violating rules can result in stat loss, setbacks, or forced humiliation events.
Redemption doesn't come easy. Good luck.
±±±
I stared at the floating screen, blinking like a complete idiot.
The citizens of this world kept moving around me, chatting, talking and going about their activity like it was the most normal thing in the world. Me? I just kept… standing there, trying to make sense of all of it.
The numbers, the rules, the daily allocations, the levels, the endless tasks and missions—it all slammed into me at once.
I sighed.
And that's when it hit me, hard: I was officially… fucked.