1 [Chapter:1][What the fuck is going on???]

'Eh…I'm not dead?'

Ra'al, or Al for short, blinked as the vast, clear blue sky came into his view.

'Strange…did that guy really didn't kill me? If someone stole over half my net worth and gave it away like free toffee, I wouldn't let him or her off once I find them…'

The scent of fresh grass, and air purer than anything he had every breathed in before, filled his lungs. The slow, yet steady beat of his heart reassured him that he was still alive.

'I didn't die…but…why can't I move?'

Al frowned as he realised he couldn't move his limbs. Or even his neck, for that matter.

'It feels like…I'm bound to something…no…like I have no energy at all…'

It was somewhat similar to sleep paralysis he had experienced a few times before. Scary thing it is, being unable to do anything but breathe, not even being able to properly open your eye lids, and the sound of your heart beat, of your lungs taking in air, become infinitely amplified, to the point where it becomes deafening. But it's not really that dangerous.

But this time was different. Rather than being unable to control his body…

'I can't even feel my body…wait…could it be that I'm really dead and this is heaven?'

But the next moment, his thoughts were dispelled.

((Congratulations on your reincarnation, host.))

'???'

Al blinked in confusion, or he would have if he could properly control his half-closed half-open eye lids which he could neither close fully nor open fully regardless of how hard he tried to.

Yet, strangely, even as his vision beyond less than a metre was completely blurred, courtesy to the undeveloped eyes of a baby, the hologram-like blue screen remained perfectly visible to him.

And even as his ears barely caught the sound of the wind breezing past him, the synthetic, strangely comfortable and soothing voice was also perfectly clear to him.

'Who…what are you?'

((You may refer to me as 'System', or assign me a name, host. At the moment, I am unnamed.))

((To answer your question of 'what' I am, I apologise, but you do not yet have access to such information. For a brief summary, however, you may think of me as the 'System' which appears in those 'Webnovels', 'Lightnovels', and other forms of fictions that you have read in your previous world.))

'System…wait…previous world? And you mentioned something about reincarnation…'

((It is always a joy to work with smart people, host. As you are currently thinking, yes, you have died. Or more accurately, your previous body and soul have died.))

((However, I have found your personality quite suitable to my needs of a host. Thus, I have copied your memories, your personality, your thought process, your 'Spirit' or 'Will' so to speak, and used it to recreate a new body and a new soul in this world.))

((And yes, your previous world isn't suitable for good and stable development, thus causing me to move you here.))

'That's…'

Al didn't know what to say. Or rather, he felt himself unable to accept all the information that he had been given.

((Also, please do not ask me anything you already know I won't answer. You are a smart person, host, I wouldn't have chosen you if you weren't. You should have a rough guess on what I can tell you and what I can't based on our brief conversation just now and your own knowledge from novels and comics.))

((As much as I would like to help you, for that is what I exist to do, I, too, am restricted by certain rules. And I am not designed to even consider twisting them, let alone going against my code.))

The System's voice brought him out of his daze as he pondered for a moment, before asking,

'What can you tell me about my current situation?'

As much as he'd like to know more about this mysterious and seemingly unimaginably powerful 'System', Al was more concerned about his currently weak, helpless state.

As a former fairly athletic young man, being unable to even twitch his finger, or control his arm, made him quite anxious.

((At the moment, you are in the body and soul of a newborn baby. And your baby mind wouldn't even be capable of holding your memories and facilitating your adult thought process if not for the System's assistance. As you grow older, your body and souls would develop enough to host your Will without needing the System's assistance, but even at that point, in order to maintain the System's existence as a secret, your Will will be protected by the System.))

((Also, since you've been selected as the ideal host of the System, the System will remain with you, or rather, you will remain with the System even in case of an untimely death, as the System will protect your Will and use it to recreate a new body and a new soul in another world should you die. Though I would not recommend acting suicidal as death would still result in certain penalties from the System.))

((Moving on, you are currently in a, by words of your previous life, 'magical world' with beings wielding a myriad different abilities, and those with power to destroy entire planets in existence. And at the top of the pyramid exist Gods and GodKings, holding enough power to wipe out entire planes of existences from the mere shock waves of battles.))

((Within what I can tell you about this world, there currently exist, within the world you are in, two major races, Humans, and Soul Beasts. Both races absorb a kind of energy from the atmosphere, released by the world, called 'Spirit Energy' or 'Spirit Power', nourishing their bodies and souls. Also, Soul Beasts have an advantage in 'cultivating' their Spirit Power and have much longer life spans, but have been prevented from rising to Godhood by human Gods and GodKings. Whereas Humans are capable of manifesting their 'Soul' at the age of six, after which their cultivation begins.))

((And you need not worry about meeting Gods and GodKings as they are restricted from descending to the 'lower world' you are currently in. And as long as you are careful, no one would be able to find out about your reincarnation.))

For a moment, Al remained silent, his thoughts rapidly moving through his memory as words and pictures appeared in his mind.

At the end of his thoughts, which lasted for less than 10 seconds,

'Soul Land?'

((Yes.))

'…wow…'