Kick The Bucket.

It hurts.

My stomach, it hurts.

Fuck, this is where I kick the bucket?

I lay on the cold, hard concrete ground, feeling the ache gnawing at me from the inside out. It's a familiar pain, one that's been my constant companion for as long as I can remember. But somehow, this time, it feels different. Like a dull echo of a memory, fading away into the darkness.

Life isn't fair to everyone, and I learned that lesson the hard way. My parents were never there for me, not that I expected them to be. I was just a mistake to them, a burden they never wanted. I don't even know their names, let alone their faces. All I know is that I was abandoned.

Apparently, my mother was a stripper. She danced under the neon lights, her body moving to the rhythm of the music as dollar bills rained down upon her. Men leered at her, their eyes filled with lust. And among them was my father, just another face lost in the crowd. They met in a haze of alcohol and tobacco, a moment of passion that left me behind as their unwanted consequence.

I was never meant to be born. They planned to get rid of me, to erase me from existence like an inconvenient stain. But fate had other ideas. A stranger intervened, a guardian angel in the form of a passerby who saw something worth saving in the bundle of flesh and bones that was me. And so, I was left on the doorstep of an orphanage, a nameless child with no past and no future.

Sinclaire— or rather, Claire— that's the name they gave me. But I prefer Sinclaire. It feels more like mine, like something I chose for myself. Maybe it's silly, but in a world where everything feels out of my control, a name is one thing I can hold onto.

Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh, welcoming the darkness that threatens to swallow me whole. It's strange, but I'm not afraid. There's a strange sense of peace that washes over me, like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. And as I drift away, I can't help but feel grateful that my suffering is finally coming to an end.

I bite the inside of my cheek hard, a dumb attempt to distract myself from the hunger that claws at my insides. It's been days since I last ate, maybe even weeks. Time has lost all meaning in this endless cycle of desperation.

The world fades away around me, the sounds of the streets growing distant as I surrender to the darkness. It's not so bad, really. At least here, in this quiet void, there's no hunger, no pain, no fear. Just the comforting embrace of nothingness.

But then, just as I'm about to slip away into eternal slumber, something changes. A sensation, faint at first, but steadily growing stronger. It's as if I'm being pulled, dragged away from the edge of oblivion and into somewhere else.

I jolt awake, when I open my eyes, I'm not greeted by the familiar darkness of the streets or the harsh glare of artificial light. Instead, I find myself lying on soft, cold grass, bathed in the warm glow of sunlight filtering through the snow-covered leaves above. It's disorienting, to say the least. I could have sworn I was just moments away from death, and yet here I am, alive and... well, alive.

The pain's gone. The gnawing hunger, the ache in my bones, it's all vanished, replaced by a strange sense of lightness. It's as if a heavy burden has been lifted from my shoulders, leaving me feeling strangely buoyant. I push myself up from the ground, brushing blades of grass and snow from my clothes as I take in my surroundings.

The snowy canopy above me stretches out as far as the eye can see, a vast expanse of white punctuated by patches of blue sky. It's beautiful, in a way that I've never experienced before. The air is clean and crisp, carrying with it the faint scent of earth. It's a far cry from the stale stench of the streets, and I find myself breathing deeply, filling my lungs with the freshness of it all.

I noticed something odd in the corner of my vision. I wanted to ignore it, if this dream would last any longer, I'd rather not do anything to end it abruptly.

A translucent window hovers at my side, glowing softly with text that seems to float in mid-air. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before, yet somehow, I know exactly what it is.

It was the genre everybody was talking about, systems.. was it? It was equally hated for it's repetitive nature, yet at the same time showed no signs of being overthrown. But the most shocking part of it all is that I can read it. Words, sentences, they all make sense to me, despite never having received a proper education. It's as if the knowledge is just there, waiting to be accessed.

[Congrats! You have died! ＼(^o^)／]

"Well that's not exactly news to me." My voice blurts out in annoyance.

"W-wait, my voice! I can speak!" I cheer, surprised by the sound of my own voice.

It's strange, hearing myself speak after so long. But there's no time to dwell on that now, not when there's a mysterious window floating in front of me, offering me some kind of reward for my untimely demise.

[Now granting: 5 extra rolls!]

I blink, my mind struggling to process the words in front of me. Five extra rolls? Rolls for what?

With a hesitant finger, I tap the screen, half-expecting it to vanish into thin air. But to my surprise, it remains, the text shimmering faintly as if in response to my touch.

[Would you like to roll for attributes? (You can always save your rolls later.)]

[Yes] [No]

"Yes."

I tap the "Yes" option without hesitation, my curiosity getting the better of me. If I'm going to be stuck in this strange dream, I might as well make the most of it, right?

The window begins to shimmer, the text swirling around in a hypnotic dance before settling into place. It's like watching a roulette wheel spin, each rotation bringing with it the promise of something new.

After what feels like an eternity, the spinning finally comes to a halt.

[You've found...]

[Average (1 in 16)]

[Use] [Discard]

"Uhh, I guess I'll equip it?" I mutter to myself, unsure of what exactly I'm getting myself into. With a tap of my finger, the window disappears, reappearing not even a second later. This time, the text is accompanied by a series of options, each one representing a different attribute:

[Select an attribute to convert!

Lowest-In-The-World: 1 in 2

Below Average: 1 in 8]

~~~

[Tips: None]

[System Luck: 1x]

[Index]

[Strength: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Durability: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Vitality: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Stamina: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Speed: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Intelligence: Below Average]

[Battle Intelligence: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Magical Capacity: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Magical Ability: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Charisma: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Luck: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Presence: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Potential: Lowest-In-The-Word]

"What the hell.." I stare at the list of attributes, feeling a strange mix of confusion and intrigue. It's like looking at a menu of possibilities, each one promising a different path forward. But which one should I choose?

I hover my finger over the options, my mind churning as I try to make sense of it all. Strength, speed, stamina— they all sound appealing in their own way. But there's one attribute that catches my eye, standing out like a beacon in the sea of options.

Intelligence.

It's a strange choice, I'll admit. After all, I've never been one for book smarts. But something about the idea of being smarter, of knowing more than I do now, it's appealing in a way that I can't quite explain.

I tap the option for intelligence, watching as the window shimmers and fades away. In its place, a new message appears, informing me of my decision.

[Attribute converted: Intelligence]

[You still have 14 rolls remaining Claire, would you like to use them?]

[Yes] [No]

I look down at the snow beneath my feet, it stings but a feeling exhilaration can't be contained. For the first time in my life, I have control over something else— even if it's just a single attribute in a strange, realistic dream. It's a small victory, but it's mine, and I'll take it.

I can't feel a change in my train of thought, but I'll just guess it worked.

With a newfound sense of determination, I tap the Yes option without hesitation. If I'm going to make the most of this opportunity, I need to be smart about how I use my rolls. Who knows what kind of challenges lie ahead in this world? If I want to survive, I'll need every advantage I can get.

The window reappears, spinning once again in a whirlwind of possibilities. I watch with bated breath as it comes to a stop, revealing a new attribute waiting to be claimed.

[You've found...]

[Exceptional (1 in 50)]

[Use] [Discard]

...

"Man, I'm finally done." I let out a sigh as I stare at the system window, whilst seated in the frigid, hard grass.

All my 15 rolls have been used, each one offering me a glimpse of the potential hidden within me. It's a strange feeling, knowing that I have the power to change myself in ways I never thought possible. But as I look around at the serene beauty of this new world, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement bubbling up inside me.

My attributes now looked like a scrambled mess, but that was fine.

[Lowest-In-The-World: 1 in 2

Terrible: 1 in 4

Below Average: 1 in 8

Average: 1 in 16

Above Average: 1 in 32

Exceptional: 1 in 50]

[Strength: Above Average]

[Durability: Below Average]

[Vitality: Terrible]

[Stamina: Terrible]

[Speed: Average]

[Intelligence: Exceptional]

[Battle Intelligence: Above Average]

[Magical Capacity: Average]

[Magical Ability: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Charisma: Above Average]

[Luck: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Presence: Lowest-In-The-Word]

[Potential: Terrible]

As I take a moment to reflect on my newfound attributes, a sense of pride bubbles inside me. Sure, they may not all be perfect, or good, or subpar but they're mine, and that's what matters. With each roll of the system, I've become stronger, smarter, more capable than I ever thought possible.

But there's still so much I don't know about this dream. Where am I? How did I get here? And most importantly, what am I supposed to do now?

"Your Highness! Please, stay back!" A voice interrupts my thoughts from far, far away, pulling me back to reality.

Instinctively my head snaps towards the direction of the noise, far behind me. I scramble to my feet, heart pounding in my chest as I contemplate whether to investigate or haul ass far away from here.

"Agh! I've been slashed, Vira, fall back with the prince and run!"