I am Robert, a somewhat regular 19-year-old. Though now that “somewhat” is probably just “not”, because right now, I am in a bit of a situation.

“Did you say, there was an error?” I ask the man in front of me, somewhat bewildered that there can be an error with a situation like this.

“Don’t look at me like that, I am just here to pass you along, I wasn’t the one who messed up.” He replied, although, despite the defensive words, his deadpan expression and voice had no change.

Is this his attempt at looking innocent or is he really like that all the time?

Wait no, that’s not the important part.

I look at him again, trying to get a confirmation once again because this is just too ridiculous.

“So, you are saying that while some gods were summoning some heroes via the very mild method of having a school bus crash and kill them all, I, an innocent bystander, was brutally flattened and thus sent along with their souls to the intended destination?”

The man just nods along, clearly, he got used to it as it is not the first time I had to ask him.

“And, because I was not an intended target, I do not get to become a hero but, instead, will be reincarnated in this new world instead?”

The man again nods, as patiently as before.

“And what I reincarnate as is…a rock?”

Just as before, the man nods nonchalantly.

“Why do you look so used to this, is this really an error or did you reincarnate people as rocks every time you want to get some heroes?”

The man was just about to nod again before catching himself, shaking his head this time.

“No, this is truly a unique situation. Even getting accidentally involved is incredibly rare, but then being reincarnated as a rock is something I truly have witnessed for the first time.”

I eye the man suspiciously, but despite his words that would seem like an excuse made on the fly, his face is as emotionless as before. Seriously, you’d think that with a face like that he would talk like a robot or something.

“You are thinking something rude again.” He comments.

Ah, I wonder if saying he looks like a robot is rude? I used to be called a robot sometimes by my classmates…well I suppose it’s a different context.

Wait, no, I am getting distracted.

“…But why a rock? It’s not even a living thing.” I try to reason. Mostly to hopefully change the outcome, even though I more or less already accepted the truth.

“Rocks are indeed not living beings and thus would normally be unsuitable for hosting a soul. However, exceptions exist.”

The truth that I accepted being the fact that I … will be a rock.

And there’s nothing I can change about this fact.

I suppose I just have to go with it and do what I can.

“Why did this exception occur?” I probe, only to be shot down.

“It seems you have finally accepted your fate. Time for you to be on your way.”

Ahhh, just like that? I should have been reluctant for longer to gather more information!

Like the flip of a switch, even before I finished my thought, everything went dark. It is not like the darkness when you close your eyes, which merely covers the light from entering your pupil, but rather a complete utter darkness, as if the pupil did not even exist.

Is this how blind people feel I wonder?

Ah, but I cannot hear anything either.

Or use any of my senses at all for that matter.

Guess I’m worse off than blind people.

Just as I was complaining to myself, a notification akin to a video game came to view. Though I am not really sure what my view is since I lack eyesight. Nonetheless, I saw it.

Reincarnation as a Spiritual Rock Complete.

Loading Interface.

Seriously, this is straight out of a game. Or a game isekai. Do I get a meteor shower spell?

Initiating Extremely Basic Interface

Ah, not even basic, but extremely basic. Wish I at least got a latte to go with this.

While trying to entertain myself, the “Extremely Basic Interface” comes into view.

I must say, they are certainly on-brand with that name.

Time: 0 1

Level: 1

Skills: Dormancy

Great, an interface I could make within minutes of learning a coding language.

Level and Skills are fine I guess, I wonder what is up with at time section though.

While briefly pondering over this, since I have very limited options as far as what I can do, the time changes.

Time: 0 2

Although my sense of time has plenty of room for improvement, I suppose that roughly felt short? Less than a minute I think. Half a minute? So that would make the timer Hours and Half-Minutes? That does not seem right at all but this whole situation leaves much to be desired.

Higher Level of Cognition Recognised.

Updating Interface.

Oh, it is reacting to my thoughts.

Time: Year 1 Day 2

Level: 1

Skills: Dormancy

Oh.

Well, I suppose I am a rock, my sense of time Is different than that of a human. I suppose I should be glad? If I felt every passing moment normally, I would go insane, though that might still happen anyway.

Whatever, going by my feeling from earlier of it being roughly half a minute, I guess it’s probably one second of my feeling being worth one hour of actual time? Making the day 24 seconds…yeah that’s about right I suppose.

Having settled the issue of time, I try to focus my thoughts on my only skill, “Dormancy”

Using Dormancy

And just like that I blinked, or that’s about as good a comparison I can make. The updated timer before me coldly stating the effects of my skill.

Time: Year 2 Day 7

Guess I laid dormant for a year, something I am thankful for since being conscious for that whole time in this world of darkness would have been no fun at all.

Now that I think about it, it seems there is actually nothing else for me to do. If I was a tree at least I could maybe make fruit and spread seeds to make more trees, but I’m just a rock. The only skill I have is one used to pass time. Will I level up if I use that enough? Or will there be some other circumstances down the line? A rock having a soul is supposed to be an exception to the norm after all.

Still, since there was nothing immediate for me to do, my only option was to become dormant again.

Time: Year 4 Day 11

Two skips, still nothing. Not really unexpected either.

Time: Year 4 Day 245

This time the skip was shorter, the reason for which soon became apparent.

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Cool, I guess. I mean, I have no idea what they are, but I received them despite being a rock and even got a notification so they should be special, especially with that lofty name and all. Still, focusing on the notification or thinking about the words “hope fragment” do not do anything, so time to use dormancy again.

Year 7 Day 56

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Oh, that thing again. I wonder what it does, maybe if I get enough fragments I can make a full “hope”?

Year 12 Day 13

Received Title: Lucky Stone (Minor)

Something different this time. Even stranger than the last. I suppose something happened that caused this, I just don’t know what. The closest I can imagine is that a child found a rock and called it lucky, but is it that easy to get titles? I feel that in 12 years I would have had other titles in that case.

Still, I wonder if this title does anything.

Focusing on the notification, something actually happens for once.

Lucky Stone (Minor)

Grants the holder a 5% boost to luck.

Grants nearby creatures a 1% boost to luck.

That’s good, probably. Not sure what luck does as far as this interface is concerned, but being lucky is better than being unlucky so I have nothing to complain about.

Year 19 Day 67

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Another one. 7 years since the last time something happened, and 12 years since the last fragment. No meaning to these breaks I am sure, but this minimal level of thinking keeps me at ease at least.

Year 47

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Oh wow, that was a long break. These fragments are getting rarer I suppose.              

Year 51

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Received 1 Hope Fragment

Wow, that is a bunch of fragments. It was slowing down for a bit but now that makes up for it. I still do not know what they do, but it’s the only thing aside from a title that I got, so I really want to get more of them. This newest batch somewhat uplifts my mood.

I was always the type of person that did not need much to be happy, but this situation really did make me understand of taking joy from small things.

Year 61 Day 31

Received Title: Family Heirloom (Minor)

Title grants unique stats depending on circumstances.

Calculating…

Grants Heirloom Owner 1%  boost to luck

Grants Holder 1% of Heirloom Owners earned Experience

Oh.

Oh!

This is great! I’m curious what strange person made a rock the family heirloom, but I would hug that person to death if I could. I can earn experience now! Of course, it’s passively since someone else has to earn it, and it is only 1% as well, but those are just minor details.

First and foremost, I will now be able to make some progress with my level! Although I am unsure exactly what I get out of it, it would at least put me forward. Maybe I will get new skills? Maybe, finally, I can actually sense what is happening around me?

Honestly, I will take whatever I get, anything that breaks up this monotony is more than worth it… well, I haven’t really felt the passing of time since I keep going dormant, but seeing the years tick by on the clock still makes me feel a bit hollow.

Anyway, time to continue along I suppose, I wonder how long it will take for me to level up.

Year 61 Day 177

Reached Level 2.

Skill Dormancy has been upgraded to Advanced Dormancy.

Blanklines

I am in the middle of making a story, but I wanted to take a small break. Having read Tree of Aeons on this site I ended up really liking the idea and so I decided to write this. That said, although this is certainly inspired by that story and you will find plenty of similarities, the story will still develop differently, especially with consideration to the personality of the main character. I could explain more but just wait and see.