I stayed seated on the ground as I thought about things and absentmindedly looked at the rocks. Until it all made sense, I shouldn’t have even been thinking about it in the first place! I wiped tears from my eyes. “T-this shouldn’t be happening… I am supposed to die!” I exclaimed with righteousness. Although as expected, nothing happened. 

 

I cried for a while, hoping for everything to be a lie; hoping for everything to just vanish into nothingness. It was unfair, why couldn’t everything just end there? I thought I was finally free from everything. 

 

As my thoughts drifted I began to think about the positives. 

 

“I am finally free from this thing I called a curse, this rng simulator as I liked to put it…” Although I did not feel that much more happy thinking about the positives, more importantly. “Just… where am I?” I looked around looking for an answer, the skeleton was there but aside from bones hinting about a lot of death, I had no answer. 

 

I couldn’t fathom what situation I was in, the only logical thing for me was that I didn’t die and ended up in some type of coma, a prisoner of my own brain. But I also felt like that would’ve been impossible. Especially with the RPG-like notifications.

“I guess… I just have to accept it for the time being, although… I have many questions…” Sigh. I attempted to stand up, albeit with difficulty I had little to no practice in the skill called balance. It was a bit complicated, taking me a few seconds just to be able to stand without support. 

 

Even though it was hard, I felt happy that I was making some form of progress. Sure, I couldn’t run, or walk correctly for that matter. But it was something new to me, it made me feel joy.  “Maybe it isn’t so bad…” I muttered as I looked at my feet. I thought I would’ve felt weird from being so far from the ground, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it should've been. There was also the possibility that I was just short. 

 

I saw how my feet were doing, I did notice that I had no socks, no shoes, no pants even. A quick look at my body and I realized. “I am naked… and I am also a girl. Although I suppose I should've realized it with the voice change.” I had no idea how to feel about it, I guess I was happy that I no longer had to deal with my other struggles. 

 

“Well, I should get clothed…” I said as I glanced back at where I woke up. There it was, a dirty skeleton that seemed to have been there for quite a while. The cloth was dirty, but looking around there was nothing. Did I have to steal from the skeleton to survive? 

 

“No other choice… Sorry…” I apologized as I approached the skeleton, there was nothing else in the cave, aside from more bones. The only thing that was different was that place I woke up in, I felt bad for stealing from a dead person, but I wasn’t going to stay in such a state.

 

“Sorry mister skeleton, but I need it more than you!” I justified myself as I pulled it from under him; with a swift motion it came off along with a cloud of dust. “Cough, cough, I did it!” It was my first triumph, I raised it with one hand for the world to see. “Sorry again…” I apologized for my deeds again, although I quickly became stiff, the skeleton had collapsed. “Sorry…” 

 

I sighed seeing I had now done something even worse. “Eee…” The skeleton started turning into dust. “Why so dramatic?!” It got faster… “I am sorry!” I genuinely felt bad for the skeleton. 

 

However, I couldn’t take my eyes away from the skeleton, was it guilt? Was it curiosity? Whatever it was, it was beyond me. I watched it disintegrate into nothingness for a few seconds until nothing was left. “Sorry…” A final apology. “What’s that?” 

 

There was something shiny where the skeleton just was. With more curiosity I extended my hand and touched it, it felt fluffy and light, no idea what it could’ve been, having no other choice I grasped it and brought it towards me. It was a small bag that was made out of something soft, was it leather? I had no idea. It also seemed to have something inside. 

 

I opened the insides. “It’s an apple…” I said with disappointment. “I was hoping to find a legendary weapon or something… Grrr.” The growl returned along with the slight pain, then I felt saliva build up in my mouth. “So that’s what it was… Lucky for me I can eat now. Although, why would I find an apple in a pouch that came out of a skeleton?! That makes absolutely no sense.” 

 

Without a second thought, I took out the apple and bit it, it was crunchy and juicy. It might have possibly been the best apple I ever had. 

 

Ding!

 

[Title acquired: Scavenger ⁠— It was mine, I swear! It was left there for me to take! +50% Substance Bonus ⁠— Bottom 30%] 

 

“Ha?" What do you even mean?! "What's substance anyway..." 

 

[Title acquired: Desecrator  ⁠— Merciless even against corpses! Who needs peace? -30% Charisma +50% Luck ⁠— Top 5%.] 

 

“I said I was sorry!” Even the game thing recognizes it was wrong! 

 

Ding! 

 

[Title acquired: Taboo Seeker ⁠— You like stepping on glass… We admire it! Everything has consequences, be careful... +50% to all stats. Especial effect: Enables progression. Side-effect unsuccessfully evaded. ⁠— Top 0.3%]

 

“Even though it sounds good, I am afraid of what it means by stepping on glass, side-effect does not help either… and yet, I was planning on grabbing the other bones...” I heard yet another notification. 

 

[Side-effect: You are now degraded ⁠— Nations’ rules do not apply to you nor to people interacting with you.]

 

“Ha?! Now I lost citizenship?! I don’t even know where I am!” This was stupid, everything was stupid! Why would titles give stat bonuses?! Hell, why would they even have side effects? Also, what was with the percent numbers? Was it a global scale for ego-boost? I mean, I understand no one sleeps with a skeleton, but like, if titles are so easy to get why are mine so high?! It simply does not make sense... 

Also... the notifications are quite overwhelming...

 

“Well, at least I know I cannot stay here forever…” I grabbed the empty bag and covered myself with the cloth I took from the skeleton. Although he was gone, now. I am sorry… “I guess I should leave the other bones alone?” I thought about it and decided to leave them alone. 

 

“Now, where should I go?” Then it dawned on me. “It doesn’t matter, now, does it? No one has to care for me anymore.” Everyone I knew, was effectively gone. I was alone now, which I hadn’t thought about. “I mean, I don’t know…” 

 

I felt strange, almost empty. Was it, apathetic? I felt like there was no reason for anything at all. I could go and venture to the outside world, but for what? Everyone likes having a purpose for themselves no matter how bland it was, and yet, I felt like I had none. “Sigh, I guess I’ll figure it out along the way…” Although I still felt oddly reluctant to leave, something was not quite right. 

 

I prepared myself and started walking out of the cave. I felt a bit excited about having a new opportunity at life. If it wasn’t just a dream, that is.