[Welcome to the <Dimension of Acclimatization>]
It was the very first thing he heard. There was no human emotion in the voice. The bed beneath him was also not soft.
[Do you like to receive an introduction to the dimension?]
He didn’t answer. He was busy recollecting his memory.
He had grown up in an orphanage. His parents once abandoned him. So he didn't want to be a burden to his new family. As a result, he chose to attend a public school.
Even though he was talented in sports, he was forced to abandon the path. He accepted his fate and studied to secure a stable job in the future.
He had entered a first-rate university. Then...
“It all started with meteorites raining down from the sky.” That was the last thing he remembered.
But now that he thought about it, he felt something wrong. At least for the last 24 hours. ‘The feeling of being stared at… the lost phone…’
Another prompt cut off his thoughts.
[Do you like to receive an introduction to the dimension?]
“Who are you?”
[The Tower Spirit.]
“Tower spirit?” He frowned, as he couldn’t understand the meaning. However, he discovered every word the voice said appeared on the wall opposite his bed.
[#00008850 had accepted the trial of <Arkid Dimensional Mercenary>]
“Arkid Dimensional Mercenary?”
[#00008850 had made a contract with <Arkid Dimensional Mercenary>]
“What? Who the hell is #00008850?”
[#00008850 had lost the right to own a name. Would #00008850 like to see the contract?]
“What the hell are you talking about?” Even if a hint of irritation appeared on his face, he was relatively calm. “I am… I am!”
However, no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t remember his name. His memory of 19 years was still intact, yet he couldn’t recall his name.
[Do you like to receive an introduction to the dimension?]
“An introduction?” He frowned and ignored the voice.
There was a wooden roof above his head. It was not too high, just 2 meters. There was nothing else in the room except a flickering flame torch on the wall and a table at the far end.
The round room lacked a door and only had a few wooden planks protruding from the walls.
He attempted to climb the stairs while glancing at the trapdoor in the ceiling. However, his first step missed the stairs, and he stumbled. He tried to stabilize himself by grabbing the wooded stairs, but his hand passed through them.
And he was crawling on all fours. He turned around to find the stairs were still there. He attempted to touch the planks again but failed.
[#00008850 need to choose a tutorial quest before leaving the tower basement.]
“Tower basement, huh? Tutorial quest?”
[Do you like to receive an introduction to the dimension?]
He sighed, saying, “tell me about it.”
[The world of #00008850, the plane of Tellus, had reached the pinnacle of its evolution. It is going through a metamorphosis.]
“Plane of Tellus?” He frowned. “You are talking about Earth, right? And what is the pinnacle of evolution and metamorphosis?”
[According to the language of #00008850, the plane of Tellus is indeed Planet Earth. The Plane of Tellus has absorbed enough mana to go through second evolution.]
The more he heard about it, the more confusing it became. Yet, the tower spirit continued.
[The Tellus Plane underwent its first evolution 65 million years ago.]
“65 million years?” As an excellent student, he was knowledgeable about the earth’s timelines. When he tried to remember what was roaming on Earth 65 million years ago, only one word appeared in his mind, “Dinosaur?”
[Yes, the dragon-born used to rule the plane before the first evolution.]
“The KT Extinction. The meteoroid that was bigger than Mount Everest!” Even if it made perfect sense to him, he couldn’t just believe it. Like a recorded message, the Tower Spirit continued to explain.
[The plane of Tellus had 3200 years ago successfully endured the first trial of the second evolution.]
“Bronze civilization collapse, huh?” These were a few of the historical mysteries left unresolved. Nevertheless, the mystery was so simply resolved. He couldn't help but wonder whether he was dreaming.
[In the Final trial, the plane will clash with the Plane of Hesperus.]
“Clash? Do you mean to say that people live on the alleged Hesperus plane?” he asked, with a non-existence frown on his face.
[#00008850 doesn’t qualify to learn this information.]
“An alien invasion?”
[#00008850 doesn’t qualify to learn this information.]
'So it won't answer anything about the planes,' he thought. Looking at the stone wall, he asked, "Then tell me about the <Dimension of Acclimatization>."
[The last fragment of the Lunar plane. The Dimensional Mercenaries had modified this subspace for the trial.]
“Trial for what?”
[#00008850 doesn’t qualify to learn this information.]
It irritated him a little, but he didn’t show it.
“Show me the contract.”
[The contract is on the table.]
"Table!" He walked up to the table to find an e-tab on the table.
He began by inspecting the table to see if it resembled the stairs. He then investigated his surroundings once more.
A dungeon-like cell, lit by fire torches, yet there is a tablet.
‘What a bizarre setup.’
Nonetheless, he focused his attention on the contract information on the tablet. He read the contract carefully to ensure that he understood every detail.
It was two pages long. Aside from the blurred sign at the end of the deal, there were three major points.
[1] During the Acclimatization period, Party A <Arkid Dimensional Mercenary> will provide bare minimum necessities to Party B <#00008850/*****>.
[2] Party A <Arkid Dimensional Mercenary> will not be held liable if any unforeseen events occur in Party B <#00008850/*****>, such as death, limb loss, or enslavement.
[3] If Part B <#00008850/*****> failed to return the experience points, Part B <#00008850/*****> will be forced to do paid labour for Party A <Arkid Dimensional Mercenary>.
“Experience point?” Even though he was familiar with the fundamentals of gaming, the process of earning it worried him.
[Defeating the natives of the dimensions, completing quests given by <Arkid Dimensional Mercenary>, and protecting the tower spirit will give #00008850 experience points.]
‘As expected.’ He could probably guess that much.
[Experience points are one of the three types of currency used by dimensional dwellers. #00008850 can level up or exchange experience points for various items.]
But more than words like currency or level up, something else had piqued his interest; "What is a dimensional dweller?"
[#00008850 doesn’t qualify to learn this information.]
The so-called tower spirit refused to cooperate. But what irritated him most was that he couldn’t remember whether he was playing a game before coming here.
“Is it some kind of game?”
As soon as he asked, he realized how silly the question was. Earth didn't create a perfect VR game, much less one that was completely immersive.
Even if they did, he wouldn’t have enough money to try it.
[<Dimension of Acclimatization> is an independent dimension. It is independent of the space-time stream. <Arkid Dimensional Mercenary> had modified it to give the #00008850 an understanding of the situation. In planet Earth’s terms, #00008850 can call ‘tutorial.’]
“So it is a game, huh?”
[No, it is reality. However, death in the trial will cause expulsion from the plane of Luna.]
With an IQ of 121, he used to think his intelligence was better. However, it still made no sense to him.
"So you just kidnapped me and put me on a death march? Is it some kind of prank? Maybe a death game?” He had no other way to explain it otherwise.
[#00008850 should read the book to understand the situation.]
“A fire torch. A tablet. And now a book, huh?” He shook his head and went in search of the book.
The book flashed when he touched it. When he opened his eyes again, it had vanished from his grasp. It left him with a sharp pain in his head.
He frowned as he grasped the content of the book. He ended up with even more questions than he began. But the tower spirit didn’t give him a chance.
[This fragment of dimension will soon cease to exist. #00008850 is requested to accept the quests for the trial.]
"Plane of Luna, you say?" The Earth had absorbed that plane during the first evolution. It was the K-T extinction event. It wiped out more than 70% of all life on Earth.
Then comes the first trial of the second evolution. It was the end of the Bronze Age. It annihilated almost the entire known civilization at the time.
He couldn't help but wonder what terrible fate awaited the humans. And the meteor showers he remembered were only the beginning.
He took a deep breath and looked at the wall. On the wall across from him, the spirit displayed two quests.
[<1> Quest: Striker.
Quest description: Survive in the wilderness.
Period: 10 days.
Rewards: Skill (Grade?)/ Weapon (Grade?)]
[<2> Quest: Defender.
Quest description: defend the tower.
Period: 10 days.
Rewards: Skill (Grade?)/ Weapon (Grade?)]
