Chapter Two - Second Life

Chapter Two - Second Life

What is the difference between a hallucination and a delusion? Since this perverted peeping podium (ha, alliteration) took my clothes, I couldnt exactly look it up. Still, I could only imagine that being able to feel my hand on the oddly warm, black marble-like podium, as well as the cool, white marble-like floor beneath my bare feet was not a good sign of my mental health.

It didnt help that I was staring at a floating box that was labeling itself as the Incarnator Menu, after having a friggin podium judge my entire life. It also didnt help that the longer I was here, the more I was starting to worry that this actually was the afterlife.

It just felt so real.

But I dont want to think about that now, so I guess I will take a look at this menu.

Incarnator Menu:

Points Balance: 273 points

Stats:

Strength: 0 (+)

Endurance: 0 (+)

Vitality: 0 (+)Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Agility: 0 (+)

Dexterity: 0 (+)

Perception: 0 (+)

Acuity: 0 (+)

Willpower: 0 (+)

Charisma: 0 (+)

Magic: 0 (+)

Luck: 0 (+)

Abillity Menu:

[Arts] [Communications] [Defense] [General] [Intelligence]

[Magic] [Relationships] [Vitals]

Records:

[Life Records] [Ability List] [Achievement List]

Well, I let my breath out, noting that I can feel the air in my lungs and throat but that the room seemed to be sealed entirely. I can guess what the stats mean, but I would rather not. A little help, Podi?

Another screen appeared after I asked, which made me feel a little better about having just given a podium - of all things - a name. If it worked, it worked right? I took a look at the floating box, muttering under my breath as I read it; the silence in this room was getting to me.

Strength means amount of physical strength, isnt that a tautology? I dont mind though, it was obvious enough to merit it. Endurance, affects how long you can perform physical actions or resist the environment. Again, pretty obvious I suppose. Seems like it would overlap with Vitals though, as that improved health and lifespan

Agility improved speed and reaction time, Dexterity improved fine motor control - which seemed like it wasnt really important compared to the others - Perception improved your senses, Acuity improved how fast you thought, and Willpower improved, well, willpower. The next three stats were a bit more complex than the ones before.

Charisma affects interpersonal relations and physical beauty, how would that even work? Beauty is subjective, so how would someone become objectively more beautiful? I wondered aloud, rather hoping that Podi would give me an answer of some kind. No such luck though, so I just shrugged and moved on.

Magic improves your affinity with magic of all kinds, as well as your mana pool and mana regeneration rate. Sounds like that would be great, if magic existed. I am still waiting on my Hogwarts letter Podi, and every year that passed I lost a little more hope. If you can get me a wand, an owl, and a way into Ravenclaw, I might even forgive you for the peeping. Maybe.

The final stat, Luck, supposedly improved the myriad paths of Destiny, whatever the fuck that meant. After that, there was a brief note that stats purchased in the Incarnator Menu are added to your total stats at birth and that the average human had a score of one hundred in each category. Although that could apparently vary wildly depending on genetics and other factors.

The last line told me that I could purchase one stat point for ten Incarnator Points.

Alright, thanks for the information, I said, and the help screen disappeared, making me slightly more suspicious that Podi was actually intelligent and listening to me. Of course, I immediately dismissed that thought because I dont want to think this could be real. Let me take a look at that ability menu then. I might as well go through it as it is listed and start with Arts.

There were not many options, but considering I didnt remember seeing many additional options unlocked for Arts, I had not really expected all that many either. It was a quick read.

[Arts] Abilities Tab:

[Rhymer]: This ability makes it far easier to find rhymes in any language! (25 points)

[Relaxing Read]: When reading a book for entertainment, your stress falls away. (25 points)

[Fanciful Speech]: When attempting to speak artfully, you will find it much easier to do! (30 points)

[Stories are Life]: When reading a book for entertainment you require 25% less food and water, as well as become tired 25% slower! *Warning! This ability can only be used for entertainment purposes. Reading an entertainment book for the purpose of reducing consumption or sleep will result in this skill failing to activate!* (100 points)

[Heroic Reading]: Reading an inspiring story improves one stat by up to 10% and for as much as five days. The amount of stat growth and the duration of the buff depend on the quality and length of the story. (250 points)

[Never Stop Reading]: Vastly improves your ability to multitask while reading. Allows you to have multiple parallel thoughts, so long as one of those is devoted to reading an entertainment related book. (500 points)

[Money Is Life]: When working on finances, you require up to 10% less food and water, as well as become tired 10% slower! This effectiveness of this skill is dependent on the complexity of the finances involved, as well as your Vitality and Acuity stats. *Warning! This ability can only be used when working with finances. Performing financial work for the purpose of reducing consumption or sleep will result in this skill failing to activate!* (100 points)

[Fast Thought: Geometry]: When performing geometry, your Acuity is doubled! (200 points)

[Practical Physics]: You gain a minor bonus to all actions. Bonuses decrease as the complexity and danger of the action increases, but increase with your Perception and Acuity. (200 points)

[Fast Thought: Reading]: When reading, your Acuity is doubled! (200 points)

[Fast Thought: Trigonometry]: When performing trigonometry, your Acuity is doubled! (200 points)

[One Language To Another]: When you are trying to learn a new language, it is much easier to learn if it is related to a language you already know. (250 points)

[Fast Thought: Calculus]: When performing calculus, your Acuity is doubled! (300 points)

[Road To Self Improvement]: Reading a new book has a chance to randomly increase a stat by one! *Warning! Point totals reset on death and do not carry over to new lives!* (500 points)

[Fast Thought: Finances]: When performing work on finances, your Acuity is increased up to double. Bonus is dependent on your understanding of the finances, as well as your Luck stat. (500 points)

[Fast Thought: Physics]: When performing work in physics, your Acuity is increased up to double. Bonus is dependent on your understanding of the physics involved. (500 points)

[Great Luck: Wealth]: After you are born you gain a bonus to your Luck that is applied when you are dealing with money. This bonus can be up to double your Luck. (750 points)

[Perfect Memory: Math]: You are able to remember all mathematical knowledge you have ever learned. (1000 points)

[Fast Thought: Governance]: When performing work in government, your Acuity is increased up to double. Bonus is dependent on your understanding of all involved factors and the complexity of those factors. (2500 points)

[Money For Blood]: You gain the ability to spend your money to recover your Health. The amount of Health you regain is dependent on the value of the currency spent. Currency spent in this manner is destroyed. (2500 points)

Wow Podi, that is a long list of things I cant afford, I comment and let out a low whistle. Ill admit that Fast Thought: Governance doesnt make me mad about how little my life is worth at least. Knowing that it would cost my life three times over to not mix up sine and cosine is kind of depressing.

I sigh, and then tell Podi just to hit me with all the rest of the lists at once. I want to get this done, whatever it is. However, I perked up when I saw the next list to open, and then immediately became disappointed. If there isnt any magic, why would mana regeneration matter anyway?

[Magic] Abilities Tab:

[Mana Sink]: Your mana regeneration is massively increased! This skills effectiveness is dependent on your Vitality, Acuity, Willpower, Magic, and Luck stats, as well as your current Health and on the amount of mana in the environment and the percent of your total mana you have. The more mana in the environment, and the less mana you currently have, the greater this skills effect. (5000 points)

[Relationships] Abilities Tab:

[Gratitude in Death]: This skill massively and permanently increases the stats of a loved one who attempted to save your life if you die regardless. Stat improvement is dependent on your relationship, Charisma, and Luck stats. This skill also allows you to send a short message to the target of this skill from the Incarnator Menu after death. (100,000 points)

[Vitals] Abilities Tab:

[Improved Training]: The lower your physical stats are, the easier they are for you to raise! (100 points)

I closed the Relationships tab quickly. I didnt want to look at it. If this is some kind of fantasy brought about by my injured mind, then there is no reason for me to worry by reading it. If this is - God forbid - real, then the cost of being able to send a message back isnt something I want to look at.

So I cant get clothes, I cant afford most abilities, and the abilities I can purchase arent very interesting, I sigh. Im not very impressed Podi. A small part of me almost hopes this isnt all a dream, because I would hope my brain could do better than this!

Honestly, the longer I was here, the more nervous I was feeling. I was shifting my weight from foot to foot, agitation running through me just under the surface. I had been hoping that I would just wake up part way through some of this, and I obviously hadnt.

So, how do I get out of here anyway? I ask and a new screen appears.

[Would you like to ReIncarnate? You will be unable to spend Incarnator Points while in a World.] [Yes]/[No]

I hesitate, despite how uncomfortable I am starting to feel, I had a worse feeling about that option. I didnt want to make it yet, so I chose no and went back to looking at my options. Should I just treat this like the novels my boyfriend likes? Well, I like them to, but it is easier just to pin the blame on him and it is funny to see his face when I do

Ok Podi, give me [First Words], [Better First Impression], and then split the rest of the points evenly between Vitality, Acuity, and Charisma- there is an extra point left over right? Add that one to Charisma.

There wasnt any fanfare, my Incarnator Points just dropped to eight, and my Vitality and Acuity went up to six, while my Charisma went up to seven. I hadnt managed to put my choice off for long.

This isnt real. My thoughts were blurring worse than they were when I was shot. This isnt real. This isnt real. It isnt real!

Podi? Reincarnate me now.

[Beginning ReIncarnation. You currently are only allowed to ReIncarnate into worlds with a system. World found. May your life be glorious, Incarnator.]

The world went black. For a moment, for an eternity, I felt nothing. Then I felt warmth, pressure and suddenly there was bright light that blinded me and I was pulled into a womans hands. I tried to blink and rub my eyes, but my body would barely respond. I heard a voice, a worried woman.

My eyes clear enough that I can see the woman, and clear enough that I can look down on myself. The worried voices continue, but I cant understand the language.

I am a baby, a newborn.

Oh God, this is real!

Grief overwhelms me and I cant help but scream as I begin to cry. The midwife smiles and the worried voices are filled with relief as I am handed to a new woman who is laying in a bed. After all, a silent baby is a terrible sign, and the wailing they hear is a sign of healthy lungs.

My new mother rocks me in her arms as I cry. She doesnt know I am grieving being unable to say goodbye to another mother. And a father. And an uncle. And a boy who loved me enough to risk his life for mine.

My new body is exhausted, my eyes - blurry with tears - are heavy. My new mother is singing a soft lullaby in an unknown language and rocking me slowly. I dont want to be awake, I let sleep take me.