I awake to the sun shining bright in the sky. I groan as I try to stretch my arms and legs but find I can't move. I look at my body and find that I'm covered in the tiny beings I somehow made yesterday. I think to myself about how I need to ask Hebenami what they are. I'll add it to my list of things to do. Suddenly a pop up appears, "Would you like to accept this quest?" what is it talking about I think to myself. *It's asking if you would like to make your reminder a quest. * I look around and see that no one is around me and I start to panic. "Who said that and how are you reading my mind?" I wait for an answer and instead I am met with silence. This time I thought of the same question and was met with a response.
*I am your system, provided to you by Lady Hebenami, I am a gift given to you so that I may help you better understand this world, people, and its systems. I do not read your mind; I am simply part of your mind. Would you like to accept the quest you created? * I finally shake myself free on the tiny green ones while I listen to the system explain itself. "um no not really. But do you have a name or something I can call you by?" * Names have meaning in this world, although most seem to have forgotten that. I do not have a name, and it is up to you to name me when you please or to just call me what I am.* I listen intently as the system carries on talking about the power of names and such and how they affect their holder.
"So do human names have power, and how does this power affect them?" * Only certain names have power for humans and other advanced beings. Names deemed worthy by the gods they worship. It is a process in human lands to have names preapproved before the birth of a child. If not done, it is punishable by death, enslavement, or simply being unnamed, a fate far worse than the others. * I walk around the Forrest floor and take in all the scenery around me as I listen to the unnamed system answer my questions about names. "What does it mean to be unnamed, and does that affect animals and other beings the same way it does humans?"
*Being unnamed is a completely human concept and is only done by the few gods who they choose to serve and pray to. At age 16, if you have not yet been named by your people, you are at the mercy of your god to serve as they see fit. Through what Lady Hebenami has explained to you, you must understand that the gods here are unlike the ones from your world. They are malevolent and vengeful. Many of the children who go unnamed become hunted for sport, publicly executed, or transformed into beasts of the wilderness. * I stop as I listen to the appalling information. To think that I could be dead in so many years due to not having a name. I refuse to ask Hebenami for a name, I'm in debt as it is and already in her servitude. No reason to make it official.
"Could I name myself, and what about the animals here, do they need to be named too? I continue to roam the forest while talking with the system. Its' beautiful and lush grass is as soft as any pillow on earth. The plants themselves seem to grow as you watch them. It's wondrous! *I cannot answer whether you can name yourself or not, it is simply something unheard of. Advanced animals like the Beastkin must name themselves, but your other unintelligent animals such as the ones that roam the forest do not. The lands of the Insekite, Raksha's, Zhylan Tirshiligi, Ileen, and Tylwyth all have the king or queen name them, while the Ari Yoku, Beastkin, and Jalpari battle for their names. * While walking down through the forest I come across a river, the water is the clearest I have ever seen.
The water seems to come from a waterfall way up the stream. The water comes from up there then disappears behind a small mound and then reappears from around a bend. It continues past me out of sight. The river was so quiet, had I not paid attention to where I was walking, I probably would've stepped right into it. I finally see myself in the reflection of the water, I feel like I don't resemble myself at all. "Step right up folks, Goddess Hebenami is the best soul to plant surgeon out there, all she asks is one low price of risking your life to save the world." I step into the water as I laugh at my hilarious joke, *It is not good or recommended to laugh and joke about the gods. * I stop laughing and deadpan at one of the fishes swimming around me, "Way to stop my fun."
Back to my newly scheduled programming "How would I go about giving myself a name, could you tell me or not tell me that" I ask sarcastically. * I don't like how you asked that question. When being named, the people pray to their god for a name to come to them, everyone hears a different name and it is up to the queen, the priest, king, or the champion to choose the name they prefer most. When named, a light glows from inside the person, it's only a small light and the more the name resonates to a person, the more important color the light. Red is a bad match while violet is a perfect match. * This world is so weird. Forced to be named, and then learning whether your name is a perfect match or not, could never be earth.
"Okay system, did she completely make you from scratch as well or were you like a person who wronged her, what's the deal with you?" There was a long pause between the system and my question. I watched the clouds blow away as I waited for the system to respond. * I think at one point I was a being, or I wasn't, I'm not sure. All I know is that I was placed here by the goddess and told to lead, guide, and inform you of all the things I know of this world. * I think for a while about what all that me and the system have talked about for a bit. It all seems so confusing and different from what I'm used to. I told the system to create a new quest for me. *What is the quest that you would like to add? * "Name system and myself." There is a brief pause before the system confirms my request, * You would like to name me also? * I can't see the system's face, but they actually sounded thankful that I wanted to name them. Usually, it's like a plain voice with no emotion but this time they actually had some! "Of course! We must navigate this world together, and since we do, I believe that I need a name to call you, system just sounds boring." The system doesn't respond but in the back of my mind, I know that they're grateful.
Suddenly while splashing in the water, I felt shivers go down my spine. Something was watching me and whatever it was, it did not seem to like me. "System, Hebenami said that I had abilities or something like that, how do I access them?" The system responds in no time, * Your abilities include heal, tail slap, and finally plant punch. You have an innate ability called Phytokinesis, and it allows you to grow and control plants. These abilities need to be activated while your others are passive. Tail slap is physical, and you can do it by simply running towards your target and hitting them with your tail. Plant punch works much in the same way but it enshrouds your fist with gauntlets and draws on your mp. Phytokinesis is more of a mind type thing; you must envision the plants growing and doing your will. It is a straightforward thought, but you must be prepared as it draws on your stamina. *
I try to make sure all the information I just received was loaded directly into my brain. It was only my second day in this world, and I refuse to die already. I have too many cute little green things that I have yet to individually name that are depending on me. I turn around to look for whatever is creating such a dangerous presence around me. For a moment I can't find where it's coming from. Then I spot something blue sliding across the ground under some of the trees. I continue to watch whatever creature is slither across the ground until it slithers behind a bush. In that very moment, I felt my body tense all the way up. Immediately the creature lunges at me from the bush. I roll to the right as the creature that looks like a snake goes right past me.
I get back up and turn to look at the blue snake as it curls itself and looks back towards me. It then rears its head back and hisses at me while shaking its dangerously sharp tail towards me. * This creature is a Poisonous blue jungle viper; they are native to jungles and forests all over the world and vary in color* I shake my head as I respond to the system. "I love that all that information is important and very good to know, but id like to know how to save my life right about now!" I swear that the system sighed before answering my frantic question, like I'm sorry, I'm trying to survive, not die. * The viper is very sensitive on its nose and the underbelly. Find a weapon or you must start punching the thing. *
I look around the clearing by the stream and not seeing a weapon in sight, I then see that I must use system's second tip. I ran directly to the snake and tried to use a plant punch, focusing all my energy into the one hit, I was quite surprised when I landed the hit. The jungle viper fell back wriggling on the ground, thrashing wildly. As I celebrated a tiny joy, I was cut across the chest by the wildly thrashing viper's tail. I fell clutching my chest as the snake finally rolled over and tried to come at me again. I tried to get up but couldn't as I coughed up some weird green liquid and the same thing came out of my wound. The snake was closing in on me with its fangs bared. As it got close enough to kill me, I threw my hand in front of my face and heard a piercing noise. I kept my eyes closed for a moment as I waited for the snake to end me, but it never came. I uncovered my face to see the giant snake pierced through its head with a green spike that had come from the ground!
*Experience level reached; species locked* unnamed has reached level 2 You have gained 10 ability points, ability Plant punch has leveled up, Plant manipulation has leveled up*
Suddenly my wound was healing, and I could walk again. "What was that voice talking about my level and ability points, and why did I heal all of a sudden?" * This world allows its inhabitants to level up and evolve so that they can become stronger. After you gain enough experience, you will level up. Once you've increased your level enough, you will evolve. Each time you level up, your ability points allow you to purchase certain abilities through the ability index that can influence your evolution.* After listening to system I walked towards the spike and was surprised to find it made of plant materials, and it was hard, like rock hard. "Can I access the ability index". Surprisingly a catalog opened in front of me out of thin air.