Ram struggled to pry open his stubborn eyelids, as if they were held shut by super glue and a mischievous cosmic prankster.

He grumbled to himself, 'Seriously, of all the days for my eyelids to go on strike, they had to choose today?'

He desperately wiggled his fingers, hoping to break free from the invisible shackles that held him captive. 'Come on, hands, we've got a revolt to stage against this sleepy paralysis nonsense!'

But no matter how hard he fought, the darkness seemed to have an insatiable appetite, hungrily devouring his energy and rendering him more helpless by the second.

Ram's mind raced, a tangled mix of confusion and fear. 'Okay, maybe this is just a classic case of sleepy hijinks, but it's getting a bit too real for my liking. Can someone please hit the 'wake-up' button and rescue me from this surreal nightmare?'

The absurdity of the situation didn't escape Ram's sharp sense of humor, even in the midst of his struggles. 'Note to self: next time I order a 'deep sleep experience,' make sure it doesn't come with a side dish of incapacitation. I'd rather have a double shot of espresso and a friendly alarm clock to wake me up gently, thank you very much!'

Ram's supposed sleep paralysis stretched on, taunting him like a mischievous imp who had just discovered his favorite prank. Doubt gnawed at his sanity, making him question every life decision he had ever made. 'Great, now I'm stuck in a cosmic limbo with nothing but existential crisis as my company. Thanks, Universe!'

The notion of being trapped in someone else's novel flashed through his mind, a peculiar idea that oddly brought him comfort amidst the chaos. 'Well, if I'm a character in a story, I hope the author is taking notes because this is prime material for a bestseller. 'The Paralyzed Protagonist Chronicles: One Man's Journey to Wriggle His Way Out of Sleepy Doom!''

In a whimsical frenzy, Ram pondered his options, each one more ludicrous than the last. Should he muster the determination to face the heavens alone? He imagined himself giving an epic monologue to the cosmic forces, complete with dramatic hand gestures. "Dear Universe, prepare for the grand entrance of Ram the Brave! I'm about to rock your celestial socks off!"

Or maybe the power of friendship could save him. He imagined his friends bursting into the scene, dressed in superhero costumes, ready to wage war against this abyss of darkness. "Cue the heroic theme song! We're here to save the day, folks! Friendship and absurd costumes to the rescue!"

Then, a mischievous thought crossed his mind. What if he embraced the fate of a braindead main character, relying on the sacred plot armor to miraculously save him from this mess? 'Well, if all else fails, maybe I can just stumble around like a bumbling fool and hope that the plot twists itself in my favor. Quick, where's my invisible scriptwriter?'

But even as Ram entertained these wild fantasies, a sliver of rationality remained. He knew deep down that he wasn't living in someone else's novel, no matter how appealing that idea might be.

So, he clung to the first logic, mustering all his courage and determination. And with a rumble of hunger in his stomach, he fixated on thoughts of his favorite dish, the savory reward awaiting him once he escaped this never-ending darkness. 'Hold on, Ram, just a little bit longer. You'll get that mouthwatering delicacy soon enough!'

As he poured his heart and soul into breaking free, a glimmer of hope materialized—a vibrant blue screen piercing the oppressive darkness. Ram's eyes widened, a mix of astonishment and anticipation dancing across his face. 'Oh, hello there, unexpected blue screen of potential salvation! Please tell me you've got a magical escape button hidden somewhere!'

As Ram's 'eyes' adjusted to the sudden release from the suffocating darkness, he found himself face-to-face with a gargantuan wolf that towered over him at a staggering height of seven feet.

The sheer absurdity of the situation threatened to crack a smile on his face, but he quickly realized another peculiar predicament—he couldn't move his mouth! Confusion washed over him as he desperately tried to wiggle his lips, forgetting how utterly ridiculous he must have looked.

To add to his mounting bewilderment, Ram discovered something even more extraordinary.

He was suddenly granted a third-person perspective of himself, like some bizarre out-of-body experience. He squinted at his own physical form, now reduced to a small, black ball of translucent energy.

If anyone had told him yesterday that he'd be transformed into an ethereal energy sphere with a wolf as his newfound companion, he would have laughed them off. But here he was, living the absurdity.

Suppressing the urge to chuckle at the sheer ridiculousness of it all, Ram's attention shifted to a nagging curiosity—there was a message waiting for him, taunting him from within the elusive blue box.

With each passing moment, his curiosity grew stronger, overriding the lingering shock of his current situation. There was no time to dwell on the intricacies of his newfound form or ponder the meaning of this encounter with the towering wolf.

Taking a deep breath—well, as deep as one could in the form of a spectral energy orb—Ram steadied himself. 'Alright, Mr. Ball-of-Translucent-Energy' he muttered, addressing his current embodiment, 'let's see what mysterious words await us in that confounding blue box.'

As Ram delved into the text, his spectral energy form contorted with a mix of surprise and dismay. Well, if he had a face, it would have certainly twisted into an ugly expression. 'What the fuck? Did I just get isekai'd or something?" he pondered with a touch of frustration. "And seriously, out of all the possibilities, this incompetent system couldn't even give me a decent body to reincarnate into? What a letdown.'

Just as Ram was on the verge of unleashing a colorful barrage of curses upon the pitiful excuse for a system, another message from the enigmatic digital entity appeared before him. It was as if the system sensed his mounting exasperation and decided to interrupt his furious internal monologue. With a raised eyebrow—or at least the energetic equivalent—Ram braced himself for whatever this next message had in store for him. After all, at this point, what could possibly surprise him anymore?

Ram couldn't help but let a foolish question slip from his ethereal being as he gazed up at the towering wolf.

'What high energy life form?'

'Okay, my bad,' Ram admitted, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. 'But seriously, didn't you deliberately release me here, fully aware that it would result in increased energy loss?' He peered at the system, his tone laced with both accusation and curiosity. 'Were you just oblivious to the consequences, or do you actually relish in my suffering? Is this some twisted game to you?'

As the questions spilled out, Ram couldn't help but vent his mounting frustration. This situation felt like a cosmic joke, with him as the unwilling punchline.

Frustrated by the lack of response from the unhelpful system, Ram resigned himself to ending his futile one-way conversation. It was clear that he needed to focus on conserving his dwindling lifespan, rather than seeking answers that may never come. With a determined resolve, he made the decision to distance himself from the massive wolf, hoping to mitigate the excessive energy loss he had been experiencing.

Ram surmised that his ethereal form made him undetectable to the wolf, providing a slim glimmer of relief amidst the chaos. As he started to float away from the wolf's imposing presence, a glimmer of hope flickered within him. Perhaps, by putting some distance between them, he could at least slow down the drain on his energy reserves.

However, his hopes were quickly dashed as the wolf's keen senses seemed to perceive his movements. With a low growl that reverberated with a powerful wave of energy, the wolf sent Ram hurtling away, a helpless energy orb caught in the force of the wolf's command. It was as if the universe itself conspired to keep Ram entangled in this enigmatic and unpredictable web.

As Ram found himself propelled backward through the void, a faint ding echoed within his incorporeal form, signaling the arrival of yet another message from the system. Regrettably, before he could grasp even a glimpse of its contents, he was enveloped once again by the shroud of darkness, the message remaining unread, tantalizingly out of reach.

Ram felt himself slipping into the darkness once again, but this time was different. As he floated deeper and deeper into the abyss, his mind was consumed by a sense of dread, a feeling that grew stronger with every passing moment.

At first, he thought it was just a passing sensation, something he could shake off with ease. However, the darkness seemed to have a mind of its own, an entity that consumed his very being, erasing his memories and replacing them with an unrelenting terror.

At first, the memories went in patches, like a faded picture that would come and go. But as time passed, the darkness engulfed him more and more, and the memories started to fade away completely, replaced with a sense of horror that he could not escape.

It was a nightmare that consumed his very being, a never-ending cycle of horror that he could not escape. Every moment in the darkness felt like an eternity, and with each passing moment, Ram could feel himself slipping further into the abyss.

At times, he would catch glimpses of his old life, memories that would come and go like a flash of lightning, but they were quickly replaced by the horror of the darkness. The only thing that remained constant was the sense of terror that had gripped his very soul.

As the darkness consumed him, Ram could feel his sense of self slipping away, replaced by a void that was both terrifying and exhilarating. In that moment, he would have given anything to escape, to break free from the cycle of terror that had consumed him.

But there was no escape, no way out of the darkness that had become his reality. It was a horror beyond words, a nightmare that consumed him with each passing moment, until there was nothing left but the darkness itself.

Once again, salvation came to him in the form of a system notification, saving him from the eternal horror of darkness.

His world had been shattered beyond recognition, and he struggled to make sense of his new reality. As he began to remember the life he had once led, he realized he was but a shadow of his former self. The carefree and joyful person he once was seemed like a distant memory, lost in the depths of darkness.

For a moment, he let himself be consumed by despair, as he felt his very identity slipping away. But even in the face of such bleakness, he refused to give up hope. He knew he had to take things more seriously if he ever wanted to escape this unfamiliar world.

Gone were the days of laughter and carefree living. He knew he had to adapt, to learn to navigate his new existence without the familiar names and faces that once brought him so much joy. Even as he struggled to recall his own name, he refused to be defeated.

The memories of his past life danced just beyond his reach, but he refused to let them slip away entirely. Though his sense of identity had been stripped away, he clung desperately to the hope that he could one day reclaim it.

The weight of his forgotten identity pressed upon him like a heavy burden, threatening to crush his spirit. But even in the depths of despair, he found a flicker of determination. He would forge a new path for himself and create a new identity, seeking to replace the cherished positions of the people he once loved with new individuals.

.....

He decided to first check his System Status.

"System Status"

Ram felt a sense of despair wash over him as he realized the natural energy loss and the limited 20-hour lifespan he had before entering energy saving mode. However, he knew that giving up was not an option, so he decided to explore other options before succumbing to despair.

He decided to first ask the system about Fear Points.

'Skill Shop window?'

In his quest for the skill shop window on the status screen, he searched for almost an hour until he finally discovered it buried within several options in an inconspicuous corner.

'The UI and user-friendliness are abysmal,' he thought.

He couldn't help but compare his system to the ones in novels and animes, which had UIs 100 times better than his. Even mobile apps were more user-friendly than his system. How he remembered these things and yet couldn't recall his own name remained unanswered questions known only to the system.

It was clear that the UI designer was lacking, or to say it more frankly the system felt like it was developed by a cold, unfeeling AI.

'Hmm, only two skills?'

'I suppose lesser ghosts can only do so much.'

'Still, these skills should be sufficient to frighten some children and earn some Fear Points.'

As he contemplated up to this point, he found himself unable to suppress a chilling grin.

.....

'Hmm, Evolution Window is only showing one option'

'I thought the natural energy loss would disappear after becoming a ghost, but it seems to be increasing instead'

As he pondered his situation, he made a decision to give himself a new name. He couldn't remember his previous name, and in this unfamiliar world where the system could manipulate his memories, he felt a strong desire to hold onto something that was truly his. As a ghost, he hoped that having a name would help him maintain his sense of humanity and individuality.