Since the dawn of humanoid, humans have tendencies to impart their wisdom to the next generations. They wanted to convey their lifetime experience to their offspring, whether they wanted to pass their dream or to make sure that their kids didn’t repeat their mistake.

However, if they only told their kids that “you must do this” or “you must never do that,” those pieces of advice will be lost for the future generation. That’s why human creates fable, myth, saga, or any story in that matter – to pass their insight into the far future.

As time passed, those tales snowballing and become so abundant that humanities overwhelmed by their sheer amount. Many scholars studied those tales, whether it’s their language, cultural background, or even the story narrative.

Talk about narrative, do you know that not so long ago an anthropologist studied many lore’ narratives and concluded that there was only one hero story template after all – the monomyth or usually called as the hero’s journey.

In the hero’s journey, hero stories usually start when he was thrown into an unfamiliar world and experience transformation as they move forward.

Eh, why I blabbed this nonsense? Because right now, I become like one of them – one of those heroes who are thrown into a strange situation.

The last thing I remember was those distorted space, and then I fell unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself in this white area without any boundary. I looked around and saw many translucent orbs hovering aimlessly. I tried to touch them, most of it flew straight across my hand, but some of them stuck to my body, which gave me warm feelings inside.

I felt healed from the inside.

“My God, that man hand just grow after touching these balls,” someone shrieked loud enough after saw an amputee's arm grow back when the orb’s touch the amputee.

‘It seems that healing sensation wasn’t only my feeling,’ I thought.

Oh right, there are other people in this white space too – I count more than fifty of them earlier, and more of them continued to appear from nothingness. I should mention them first, but not every day I saw floating balls with healing properties like these. The people, on the other hand, not particularly remarkable, except for the selected few.

They’re in the state of panic or fear, some of them even screamed whether it’s a prank or a reality tv show, but they only got similarly confused cry from the other – well, as expected.

Other than those kinds of people, I found three people who still calm in this situation. Even though it’s not so obvious because they wore big cloaks, all three of them bring a sword, automatic guns, and many ammunitions, I also briefly saw one of them carry a hidden weapon. They’re still on guard, but didn’t appear to in deep thought or assessing this weird situation. Not long after, I could saw their tense expression for a brief moment before they take a deep breath and calm themselves.

“It seems they know what’s going on, but they didn’t create this situation or even control it in that matter,” I mumbled.

I walked further and stand where I can silently watch them. Those three people not moving from their place as though waiting for something while the other running around like headless chickens.

‘I better wait here and preserve my strength.’

About ten minutes later, those floating balls dissipated and leave nothing behind. Soon an orange portal materialized in the sky, and a small creature emerged from that portal. That creature appearance was similar to female human if not for four glittering wings in their back and its height that only about 30 cm tall, which impossible for any human.

“A fairy?” someone from the crowd said while squinted his eyes.

“Yes, yes. I am a fairy.”

The fairy smiled while answering, her voice was pleasant and lovely. Even though she didn’t answer that loud, the speech echoed inside all people ear. Noises from before disappeared after people realized what just happened.

“Now, now. Let me tell you this first. Congratulations to be chosen as a [Player].”

The fairy smile never left her face while she talked enthusiastically. The people on the other hand, they keep quiet, waiting for what she gonna say next.

“Some of you may be wondering why are you here, and some of you maybe already have the answer, well, partially,” the fairy glanced at the three people who carried weapons, “however fear not, as I, the guide, will share some necessary info so you won’t die dog’s death there. So, listen well.”

Nearly all people hold their breath and keep quiet, they understood the abnormality of this situation. The fairy looked at their tense expression with satisfaction. However, of course, there’s always an idiot who broke the silence with a shout.

“Fairy, please send me back to home. I have a little sister who still needs my help, fmpf fmpf fmpf.”

A woman who stands beside me shouted to the fairy with tears in her eye, the fairy’s irritated look appear after hearing the woman cries that interrupting her speech. The fairy raised her hands, and then her hand started glowing with a bluish light. The aura changed from warm and comfortable into cold and distressing. The air became so thin, which makes it harder to breathe, I saw some people fainted while standing.

When I realized the woman was in danger, I immediately blocked the woman mouth with my hand and forced her bow while bowing myself.

“I’m sorry, she really didn’t know any better. I hope Miss fairy be generous and overlooked this one.”

The fairy silent for a moment, looking at us bowing to her.

“Fine, finally, someone that knows some manner. Consider this your good day human.”

“Thank you, Miss,” I said while still bowing.

After the fairy release her bluish sphere on her hands, this place aura reverted back and return to warm and comfortable again. The people who terrified earlier finally could take a deep breath of relief.

The fairy finally shifted her attention to others and started talking again.

“As you heard earlier, you’re chosen as a [Player], and you’ll be playing many interesting games, but first of all, you must see this.”

The fairy said it with a smile, but the people could felt something dangerous underneath it. She snapped her finger, and in that instant, I felt unbearable pain in my head before it finally subsided. After that, I noticed that a gleaming floating window appeared on my retina.

“What the hell is this thing?” someone near me shouted.

“It seems all of them got it too,” I mumbled and then inspect the window in the front of me.

Status Name Tobias Rank Colorless Strength 15.3 (Colorless) Stamina 20.0 (Colorless) Agility 11.0 (Colorless)

“What the heck is this? Did I just got the gamer’s interface?” I yelled instinctively.

The fairy chuckled after seeing my reaction and then said, “Correct, was it dream for you, young people to have that kind of interfaces?”

The people still quiet after that excruciating pain, they weren’t vigorous enough to answer the fairy yet. Besides that, they also felt intimidated from the fairy’s aura earlier.

I raised my hand and asked, “Is there any catch you don’t tell us yet?”

The fairy shifted her eyes to me, in a brief moment, I saw her expression change a little, but then she let out her usual refined smile and answer my inquiry.

“As I said earlier, that'll help you to finish game scenarios. Without this system, your chance to survive is zero, and it won’t be interesting for all of us, right?”

“Is there any prize for the winner?”

“Heh, I like your confidence. You don’t know yet what game it is and ask this kind of question.”

‘I just want some motivations for this bullshit,’ I said in my heart.

“To answer your question, yes there are prizes for the winner,” the fairy said with a smirk.

“Whether you wanted to revive your loved ones, become a world sovereign, riches, and beauty, immortality, or all knowledge in this universe? No problem, this game can fulfill any of your desire. As long as you keep survive, you’ll have your chance to get what you wish.”

“As long as I survive, huh,” I murmured.

The other also thought the same thing, they finally understood that they’ll put their lives at stake here. Many people enjoy to read this kind of development in stories, but when they put in the character shoes – to bet their lives in reality, most people will chicken out.

Even so, there no shame to cowardice, that’s human nature – it’s what helped us to survive. After all, everyone only has one life.

“So, how this system could help us to survive?” I asked.

The fairy let out a wide grin and then said, “Observe.”

Many vibrant orange orbs soared from her body, those orbs soon merge into one giant portal like the one where the fairy appeared earlier.

From that portal a flying beast appeared, that creature seems like a gigantic crow, but it’s wing flaring with dark fire. The monster let out an ominous aura, from one glimpse, I understood that this crow could slaughter all of us.

However, before anything happened, the fairy slightly moved her hand, and then the crow fell down instantly with a confused look on its eyes. I also heard some people nearby screamed when looking at this scene – well, it’s understandable as I also forgot to breathe because of that.

Soon, the crow corpse vanished completely, left nothing but some kind of glittering stone on that spot. That stone let out a beautiful reddish glow that enchanted everyone, but before long, it soared towards the fairy right hand.

“What a waste, it only drops common rune,” the fairy sighed and then said, “Anyway, whenever you, system users, killed a living being, you’ll have some chance to get this kind of rune. This rune will become one of the keys to surviving in this game. You could become strong and survive anything as long as you consume enough runes.”

“Anyone wants to try this?” the fairy asked.

Her question startled many people, they wanted to try that so-called rune, but after remembering the scene earlier where the fairy killed the crow without even blinking make their heart shrink and didn’t dare to raise their hand.

Even so, their reaction was understandable, if the fairy had sadistic tendencies and killed them after they raised their hand, where they could sue?

Maybe the fairy will said ‘You want the rune? You must kill the one beside you, hahaha. Now please kindly to kill each other.’

Well, maybe not like that, but that beside the point. The point is an average human that already get used to safety won’t take any chance when it involved their lives. They didn’t have enough information to make the gamble.

However, three people have enough of that missing information – people who know what’s going on before the game even begin, people who equipped with many weaponry on their body. I saw two of them already moving their hand up.

“So, it’s safe,” I thought and then raised my hand ahead of them.

“Me, I wanted to try that rune,” I shouted.

The fairy startled for a moment, “You again? Fine, catch,” she said while tossing the stone to my hand.

Strength Rune (Red) Acquired Store Consume

When I touched the rune, an interface appeared on my retina, and it gave me two choices, whether I store or consume the rune.

“Pick consume,” the fairy said.

I nodded and then consumed it.

The Rune’s rank is above your capability to consume it. Most of its energy will be wasted, do you want to proceed? Yes No

[The Rune’s rank is above your capability to consume it. Most of its energy will be wasted, do you want to proceed?]

[Yes] [No]

I startled for a moment, but I still picked yes. Its energy will be lost, but at least I’ll understand more about this rune. Also, I shouldn’t store it after the fairy told me to consume it earlier, I couldn’t afford to go into the fairy bad side – yet.

The rune gradually faded as though it evaporated, from that rune dim lights immediately emerged and enveloped my body. These lights felt warms like the orbs earlier, sometimes I can feel my body changing to the better and sometimes felt a little pain, but the hurting body parts soon become warm and comfortable again. I felt those light somehow developing my body in each cycle. The process repeated a few times until it stopped, and soon, I come back to my sense again.

I took a deep breath and glanced at the system’s interface.

Status Name Tobias Rank Colorless Strength 20.3 (Colorless) Stamina 20.0 (Colorless) Agility 11.0 (Colorless)

“My strength just increased by 5,” I mumbled.

Still couldn’t believe it, I punched the air without caring curious look from everyone else. Compared to before, I sensed a significant rise on my punch force.

“This…” I couldn’t find a word to describe my current feeling.

The fairy smirked at my reaction and said, “Everyone, that’s an example of what runes could do, what he consumed is a strength rune – as its name implied, it can increase your strength. There are many kinds of runes and some rules you need to understand, but I’ll let you find it for yourself in the first scenario later. From now on, you must use your own wit to get your own rune.”

Many people give me some look of envies after hearing what the fairy said.

‘Hey, it’s not my fault that you didn’t dare to take the chance,’ I thought.

“Now, now. I’ll send you all to your next world. Good luck, and don’t die boringly,” the fairy said and clapped her hands once.

Blinding lights appeared from the sky, it surrounding everyone in the vicinity. After a while, the surrounding people fade away, and soon, my eyes could only saw white, vibrant color.

Not long after, I found myself stood on a lush, virgin forest, many trees towering against the sky like trees from tropical rainforests in Asia. Meanwhile, the fog below my feet makes it harder to spot any small dangerous animal like a snake or poisonous spider. I couldn’t recognize many of vegetations surrounding me, some of them have big thorns, and their toxicity was very apparent from many animal corpses near it.

“Just where the heck that fairy throws me to?”

Scenario Begin Main Objective Survive Until The Third Great Race War Concluded

“Damn, I just got hero’s journey-ed.”