*Drip* *Drip* *Drip*

The sound of drops of water falling echoes in my ears, followed by the rustling of leaves and the loud gust of wind that whistles so closely that I almost feel like I am flying.

[Host’s consciousness detected.]

Huh? Host... who? Is there someone next to me?

[Initiating introductory functions to User#33663.]

Intro... what? Who are you talking to? No, wait, how did you get in my apartment to begin with?

[Welcome to M.U.S.E. User#33663.]

Welcome to wha—

*Stomp!*

“Gyaaaa!” I scream.

“What!? What?” I look up in confusion.

Instead of the ceiling of my room, there’s a dark blue sky hanging above my head. Beneath my body, instead of the comfortable bed that took me months of work to acquire, is the rough, cold and grassy ground with plain earth as far as my eyes could see.

I couldn’t, for the life of me, make out the situation I am in. My legs feel as if they were smashed by a falling cargo and I have no idea how, what or why this is happening.

[Warning: User#33663’s heartbeat is rapidly increasing to dangerous levels, the host may lose consciousness if agitated any more.]

“Who?” I look to both sides but find no one around. “Where is this voice coming from?”

[Frequently Asked Question #003 has been detected.]

A FAQ...?

[Most reassuring answer: “The source of the voice is the currently running system.”]

“System? As in ‘operational system’? What system?” I ask while looking around the place.

[Frequently Asked Question #021 was detected.]

[Most used answer: “The system is an assistant assigned to the Host for the purpose of easing their integration into the M.U.S.E. and their new existence.”]

“I don’t know what you mean at all...”

I don’t know if it was the confusing response given by the voice, or the lack of danger in my surroundings right now, but I did start calming down.

“Aargh!”

And with calm, the pain also came back.

“Just what happened to my leg—”

I finally found the courage to turn around and look at them, however...

*Badump!* *Badump!*

I thought it was my imagination playing tricks on me. No, I hoped it was.

I mean, outside of the pain that’s clearly coming from it, there is just no way that I would believe that this is real. It’s just not possible.

[Warning: User#33663’s heartbeat is rapidly increasing to dangerous levels, the host may lose consciousness if agitated any more.]

*Badump!* *Badump!*

How can I believe that what I felt like was smashed wasn’t my legs. Worse yet, that I didn’t even have legs in the first place. And what is transmitting this pain is actually... a tail.

“This is...  such a bad dream...”

I passed out.

 

---

 

*Drip* *Drip*

Again, I wake up to the sound of nature all around me. I still have a faint hope that it’s just a video that I left playing on my phone or something.

[Host has recovered consciousness.]

And even that is destroyed in a moment.

Without opening my eyes, I ask an important question. “Can I turn off the voice?”

[Frequently Asked Question #045 detected.]

[The most accurate answer is: “Affirmative, once the host goes through all introductory functions the voice will no longer be a compulsory feature.”]

“I see...” I say under my breath.

I take a few minutes to get my mind in order and realize that the pain from before is gone.

“Maybe that part was a dream?” I turn around and slowly open one eye, hoping for the best.

A tail, still.

“I should’ve guessed as much.”

“But wait,” I see something different about it, “it’s not smashed anymore. Did I get treated or something?”

“System, did you heal me?” I ask.

[Frequently Asked Question #023 was found.]

[Most reasonable answer is: “Negative, the system does not directly influence the host or their surroundings.”]

“Mhm, then who did it?”

The sky is still dark but for some reason I can see everything around me as if it’s noon, nothing feels out of ordinary, for a forest that is. With that said, I can’t see anyone nearby or even the slight traces of any passerby.

[The host’s condition has stabilized.]

[The first introductory function will be presented to User#33663.]

“I guess I will have to find out later whether I like it or not.”

[Intro to M.U.S.E. #01: Your Existence.]

“Huh...?”

[Details: The host, you, has adopted a new body, as a different species, but also retained their original knowledge to a certain degree, which, functionally, means that now, the host has earned the opportunity to restart their life as an entirely new entity. Now, it’s the system’s job to accompany the host on their first steps into this new life by going through all ten steps of the introductory functions. Follow the instructions given by the system and complete the objectives to learn how to live from now on, and also be fairly rewarded for such efforts.]

“Hmm,” I closed my eyes for a bit before reopening them, “I expected something deeper, or more philosophical, when I heard the word ‘existence’ but this was fairly simple.”

[New objective: Get used to your new body.]

[Conditions for completion: 1.Reach an adequate understanding of your body. 2.Adapt your senses to that of your new body. 3.Utilize all currently available bodily functions.]

“That sounds easy.”

[Conditions for failure:]

“Hm?”

[1.Death.]

“Eh?” I freeze up.

I shake my head, “no, no, I must’ve heard it wrong. What was the condition for failure, again?”

[Conditions for failure: 1. Death.]

“Crap.”

[Instructory functions enabled.]

[Instruction #1: To identify the species the host currently resides in, make full use of the system commands.]

“System commands? What commands?”

[Currently available commands: “Show (my profile) (their profile) (its profile).” “Open (skill tree) (evolution road).”]

“Only five huh,” I mumble.

“Well, no use thinking too deeply about it. Show my profile.”

*Ping*

With a sudden but small noise, a screen, akin to the holograms that I’d see in futuristic movies, appears right in front of me.

 

Name: User#33663 Class: Reptile Species: Core Serpent Growth(Stage): 1 Day(Baby) Stats: Strength: 1 | Endurance: 1 Agility: 1 | Dexterity: 1 Mind: 1 | Magic: 1 Charm: 0 | Luck: 0 Stat Points: 0 Skills: White Core (Passive) | Grade: Root Moonlit Recompense (Passive) | Grade: Root Presence Control (Active/Passive) | Grade: Root

 

“Uwaa...” I let my disappointment escape with a sigh.

“I knew something was off with me having a tail and all this talk about a new body, or whatever, but a baby snake? Seriously?”

I took some time to read through the screen, then some more to take it all in. The weird name, stats and skills, nothing really made sense no matter how much I racked my mind over it, so I just decided to think less and act more. After a bit the screen disappeared by itself, but until then it just followed my sight.

“Show me their profile,” I ask the system as I look towards a tree.

[There is no target in sight.]

“Okay, so it doesn’t work on plants? What about the other one, show me its profile,” I say as I look at the same tree.

 

Name: (Unnamed) Class: Plant Species: Ako Tree Growth(Stage): 72 Years(Mature) Skills: Growth (Passive) | Grade: Foundation Photosynthesis (Active) | Grade: Trunk Ako Production (Active) | Grade: Crown

 

“Whoa,” I whisper, “it looks just like an average tree to me. That is surprising, I mean, assuming that the information is true, of course.”

As soon as I turn my eyes away from the tree, the screen disappears.

“Oh, it doesn’t follow my sight like the other one, I guess.”

I compare the tree’s info with my own before aiming at another tree and using the same command, then rinse and repeat.

“So, out of twelve trees, only three had a sort of ‘production’ skill, and none showed stats... Maybe stats are exclusive to me? Or to animals? Gotta check that later with small insects or anything inoffensive.”

After waiting for my screen to disappear I try testing the last two commands.

“Open skill tree, was it?”

*Ping*