I don't know how or why I woke up here, but it's not like I have much a choice anyways, so as my grandfather would say, one day at a time, hoping for the best.
We imagine you must be very confused, but don't worry; we will explain as much as possible before you immerse yourself in your new reality.
So let's get started.
Your life as you knew it is over, and unfortunately, we can't give you any information as to why this happened, but don't worry, your new life is about to begin..
A single thought popped into my head as I looked at the floating text in front of me.
What the fuck was going on?
Your new life promises adventure, love, and so much more, all at your fingertips. Well…that last piece of information isn’t technically correct, but you will have time to discover all the secrets of your new home reality soon.
No, seriously, what the fuck was going on?
To get started, we will first need a name. So please think or say the name you wish to have so that we can continue.
Did someone drug me before I went to sleep or something?
We are sorry, but (Did someone drug me before I went to sleep or something?) It's too long of a name; please select another.
For a few seconds, I just looked at the text floating in front of me, just now noticing that there was nothing around me but total and absolute darkness. How did I miss that? I wondered.
Also did that…whatever it is just read my mind? Is it reading my mind right now. Oh great, I thinking I’m getting a headache.
Sighing, I looked at the text, glancing at the darkness around me every now and then, not knowing what to think or make of this situation. Was I just having a nightmare? Or was I drugged and was currently having a trip? Then again, I’ve never taken drugs so I had no idea what that would feel like anyway. That thought offered no comfort as that basically meant anything could be happening and I’d never know it.
And suddenly the floating text became a lot more appealing at least as a distraction from the potential existential crisis.
With that thought in mind, I decided to just go with the flow and see where this took me. Anything was better than standing in the abyss I currently found myself in.
"Mark," If I had to pick a name, I would choose mine.
We are sorry, but (Mark) is not in accordance with the naming regulations of the reality you are entering. We now see that this was a misunderstanding on our part for the lack of clarification, so we will give you a few examples so that you can formulate your name as per the regulations of the natives.
Examples = Dark Meadow, Sky Scraper, Berry White, Nightlight Nourish.
What the fuck are those names? They sound like they come from a show my sister used to watch after school. Wait, what was it called again?
Surprisingly, the answer came almost immediately as images of countless brightly colored mini horses assaulted my mind.
Oh right, My Little Pony, that’s the name... oh no.
And now worrying about the meaning of the abyss wasn’t bad anymore.
Was I having a nightmare about My Little Pony? Wait, why would I have a nightmare about that show? I remember it being very kid-friendly.
For a couple of seconds, I dwelled in the thought of what was happening to me until I eventually changed my focus on creating a name ridiculous enough for my nightmare or drug dream to accept. My mind finally settled on one that I would use in my next DND campaign if I got out of this with my memory intact.
If this was a dream, and I’m seriously praying it is one, I was bound to wake up sooner or later.
“Magus Adora.”
It was a joke name that sounded good but basically said, adore the mage in Latin. Yes, I really am that much of a geek.
Magus Adora, what an excellent name! Now let's move on to the next step, which is to select your race.
A massive computer-like display screen appeared in front of me, presenting a large shadowed image of a creature, along with a title and description of the beast.
DRAGONS
Dragons are immense, powerful, winged reptilian creatures created from the fires of Equestria by the brothers of creation a few millennia ago. Their diets consist primarily of Gems and Meat, but there have been a few cases recorded of vegetarian dragons. However, this diet affects their size.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 15 VIT = 10 DEX = 10 INT = 5 WIS = 2 CHA = 1 LUK = 10
STARTING SKILLS = Fire Resistance, Fire Breath, Flight.
The image immediately shifted to another creature as soon as I had finished reading about it, without my word or input, likely something that would occur a few more times given the situation.
CENTAURS
Roamers at heart, centaurs love open spaces and the freedom to travel. As much as they can, centaurs run. They race the wind, hooves thundering and tails streaming behind them, but don't be tricked; they enjoy fighting.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 10 VIT = 7 DEX = 8 INT = 8 WIS = 5 CHA = 5 LUK = 10
STARTING SKILLS = Mana Recharge, Stampede, Dash.
BREEZIES
Small, and cute, what else can you ask for?
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 1 VIT = 1 DEX = 2 INT = 3 WIS = 5 CHA = 30 LUK = 12
STARTING SKILLS = Flight, Puppy Eyes, Charm.
DIAMOND DOGS
Diamond dogs are a race of vicious but simple-minded dog-like humanoids who dwell in the warm mountains of Equestria. Though highly aggressive, Diamond Dogs are notorious for being extremely unintelligent and prone to infighting; they also love to let others do the hard work for them.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 9 VIT = 6 DEX = 9 INT = 1 WIS = 1 CHA = 2 LUK = 35
STARTING SKILLS = Bite, Gem Detection, Dash.
GRIFFONS
Griffons are the incarnation of greed, surpassing even the dragons themselves in this department. Money this, money that, after all, money is what makes the world turn.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 9 VIT = 6 DEX = 19 INT = 5 WIS = 5 CHA = 3 LUK = 5
STARTING SKILLS = Flight, Claw Attack, Haggle.
HIPPOGRIFFONS/SEAPONIES
Hippogriffons/Seaponies are the good and lovable cousins of the grumpy Griffons; with them, both the water and the sky are yours to conquer; what else can you ask for?
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 5 VIT = 7 DEX = 18 INT = 7 WIS = 6 CHA = 5 LUK = 5
STARTING SKILLS = Flight, Water Form, Claw Attack.
MINOTAURS
The Minotaur, big and strong, known for their fierceness in battle and their incredibly good sales pitches, they are a force to be reckoned with both on the battlefield and in the market.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 12 VIT = 10 DEX = 5 INT = 4 WIS = 4 CHA = 14 LUK = 4
One with the earth, the earth ponies use their innate magic to mold the world around them in ways most don't even notice; it's safe to say that without them, this world would be an arid desert without life.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 10 VIT = 15 DEX = 5 INT = 5 WIS = 7 CHA = 6 LUK = 5
One with the wind, the pegasi use their innate magic to mold the world around them by affecting the very weather with their innate magic; without them, who knows how the weather would act.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 7 VIT = 5 DEX = 20 INT = 6 WIS = 6 CHA = 4 LUK = 5
Of all the different types of ponies, these are the ones in tune with the very fabric of the world, the magic around them, their horns work as a point of focus for them to channel their magic and the magic around them to mold the very fabric of creation.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 3 VIT = 4 DEX = 3 INT = 20 WIS = 10 CHA = 5 LUK = 8
STARTING SKILLS = Telekinesis, Mana Burst, Hoof Strike.
CHANGELINGS
Changelings are bug-like shape-shifting ponies who can morph their bodies into anything. These incredible bugs have poisonous fangs as well as translucent wings designed to scare even the bravest pony into submission, which they need for love consumption.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 6 VIT = 6 DEX = 10 INT = 14 WIS = 4 CHA = 9 LUK = 4
STARTING SKILLS = Love Bite, Shapeshifting, Flight.
KIRINS
Kirins beings of fire and passion their very existence is one of fire that never ends.
LEVEL 1 STATS = STR = 7 VIT = 7 DEX = 7 INT = 9 WIS = 9 CHA = 7 LUK = 7
STARTING SKILLS = Fire Mode, Levitation, Hoof Strike.
This is a very detailed dream or a nightmare for someone that only saw a handful of episodes...
With a heavy sigh, I began to go over the options my dream was giving me one by one, eventually deciding to take option number one for no other reason than the simple fact that I wanted to be a dragon, at least for the duration of my dream.
What would man in his right mind not want to be a dragon?
I mean, imagine dreaming of being Neltharion from WOW; how badass is that?
"Dragon," I muttered.
Excellent choice! Now let us begin with the automatic customization of your character! Don't worry; this will only take a few moments!
For clarification, we will use your mind to design the ideal character for you, taking into account things like your favorite color, your preferred gender of identification, and other similar details!
So my dream and or nightmare will create the character for me, that's lazy even for me, but whatever takes me out of this void.
Character customization complete! Watch with joy your new self!
Well... I had to admit that the design was rather creative and beautiful, and considering it all came from my head, it was pretty surprising, especially when you consider my total lack of artistic talent.
Now, let's move on to the next step, the stats! You didn't think we were going to let you go without giving you a little help first, did you?
You will start with ten points to use them anywhere you want as a gift!
Well, would you look at that? My dream is being generous; perhaps it's not a nightmare after all.
STR = 15 VIT = 10 DEX = 10 INT = 5 WIS = 2 CHA = 1 LUK = 10
STAT POINTS = 10
I looked at the floating block of text in front of me with my supposed stats pondering where to use my points, as it was more than apparent that the dream would not continue until I used them.
Of all my stats, the ones that looked the worst were my intelligence, my wisdom, and my charisma. Especially my charisma, which was at the lowest possible, I assumed.
But of all the stats, raising charisma wouldn't help me at all, I mean; if I thought of this problem as a gamer, which I was, charisma was not exactly a primary stat, so to speak, since it only worked in political situations, in buying or selling items, and when the Bard wanted to fuck someone, beyond that it had little use and had no reason to be maxed.
Also, considering the fact that this was a dream, using the few points I was given in my charisma would be totally useless because for the duration of this dream, I wanted to do things more in the realm of the magical and fantastical, not have the power to fuck someone with my words.
Which left only two options, my wisdom and my intelligence.
Which if I was right, affected my mana and my mana regeneration, respectively; of course, this was just a hypothesis based on the games I had played so far, and considering this was a dream, my dream, to be precise, it had to be based on things I knew, at least I hoped so.
I stared at the floating block of text displaying my stats for a few moments, internally debating how to distribute my stats between my intelligence and my wisdom.
Eventually, deciding to allocate 3 points in wisdom and 7 in intelligence.
Wonderful!
STR = 15 VIT = 10 DEX = 10 INT = 12 WIS = 5 CHA = 1 LUK = 10
STAT POINTS = 0
You are now ready to start your new life as the gamer! so please have in mind everything is real... and your life as you knew it's forever out of your reach, so you better adapt, learn and overcome, or perish... anyways, have fun! Toodalo!
With that final ominous message, the dark void that surrounded me began to quake as if an earthquake of staggering proportions was attacking it, and only it, until eventually, everything around me began to crumble like a wall of glass shattering into a million pieces all around me, each broken piece revealing a ray of light behind it.
This continued for a few moments until there was nothing left of the darkness that once enveloped me, leaving me in the middle of nowhere.
"Well, that scared the crap out of me," I muttered, taking on my new surroundings.
Apparently, I had found myself standing in a volcanic zone, which made some sense, considering I had chosen to be a dragon, which leads me to the next question.
What did I look like?
I mean, I already knew what I looked like thanks to the picture that my dream had shown me a few moments ago, but in person? I was eager to see it.
But before that, let's see how immersive my dream was with the gamer thing and all.
"Stats," I thought, and immediately after, my stats appeared in front of me, floating in a big block of blue text.
Name = Magus Adora. Race = Dragon. Evolutionary State = Hatchling. LV = 1 EXP = 0/50
STR = 15 VIT = 10 DEX = 10 INT = 12 WIS = 5 CHA = 1 LUK = 10
STAT POINTS = 0
So mental commands work, interesting; I'm liking this dream more and more.
"Skills,"
♦Gamer's Mind - Passive - LV MAX = Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows a peaceful state of mind and immunity to mental disorders.
♦Gamer's Body - Passive - LV MAX = Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. Sleeping in a bed restores HP, MP, and all mass effects.
♦Fire Breath - Active - LV 1= You breathe into your opponents the very essence of your draconic ancestry causing (105% of INT = 13 DMG per second)as Fire damage.
COST = 10 MP/S COOLDOWN = 5 SECONDS.
♦Fire Resistance - Passive - LV 1= The body's durability to fire increases, allowing for less damage taken. 2.5% decrease in damage taken by fire-related attacks.
♦Flight - Active/Passive - LV 1 = You can fly, how awesome is that?
Flying Movement Speed = 10MPH/ 17 KMH Maximum Altitude = 100 Meters / 329 Foot.
Now, where the fuck am I, and where do I get a mirror.
With a sigh, I looked in every direction with a contemplative expression on my face, trying to find a path to take, but no matter where I looked, all I could see around me was burnt rocks and nothing else.
"Well, this doesn't give me many options," I muttered; I mean, left and right looked exactly the same; I guess I have no choice but to take a random path and walk around until I find something interesting.
I was starting to question a lot of things as time passed. But mainly, I was questioning if this was a dream after all.
I mean, for hours, I'd walked and flew aimlessly across the land. By the way, yes, flying is awesome and I will never get tired of it.
Anyway, here I was, still on this endless plain of black, cracked earth, threaded with burnt rocks and the skeletons of dead animals as far as the eye could see. And that was all I could see.
Heck, even the sky went with the theme, looking like something out of an apocalyptic setting, with gray and black clouds covering the entire sky as far as my eyes could see.
It was just, gray, black, gray, black, and occasionally a lighter shade of gray or darker shade of black. I don’t even know how that last part makes sense, maybe I’m just going crazy.
"Maybe this is how dreams work?" I muttered, trying to rationalize what was happening and not being particularly successful at it, while also praying that I would see some other color other than gray or black.
Though funny enough, I was surprisingly calm about my whole situation….mostly anyway, still probably going a little insane.
Sighing, I decided to try and take up to the skies once again.
Which had proved so far to be unexpectedly easy. If I had to describe it, kind of like a mix of walking on air with a little invisible rock climbing, only you don’t have to actually grab anything. Curiously enough, I had no wings, so I had no idea how my flying business worked exactly, but who was I to question the logic of a dream? And if I really needed to I could just bullshit it and say it’s magic.
"Really wishing I could fly a little higher though," I mused. Yeah, turns out the limitations of the spell proved to be a minor setback, especially here, where being one hundred meters off the ground was basically the same as being in the ground because everything still looked freaking the same.
Taking a deep breath, I looked around, catching sight of a large volcano in the distance, the one place I had yet to explore.
When I first got here I didn't want to wake up, and a volcano looked like a place that would force that event to happen. You know, like falling in a dream, and waking up before you hit the ground.
But, seeing how I had been here for quite some time without doing anything but stare at the burnt ground like a mindless baboon, I might as well see what's up. If anything it’d be a change of scenery and some actual color for a change.
Measuring the distance to the volcano by sight, I guessed that it would take me at the very least several hours to reach the foothills. Thankfully, flying didn't seem to tire me, so it was time to flap my non-existent wings and venture into the unknown.
As I started flying towards the volcano as fast as my skill would allow, I again contemplated the frankly insane situation I was in.
But before I could dwell in thought for much longer, a deafening crash behind me shattered my train of thought violently fast.
Shocked, and confused as to what was going on, I twirled around, gaping in disbelief staring at the crater that had formed upon impact, as the earth trembled violently around it, huge cracks expanding out the crater like veins.
A loud and powerful roar erupted from the dust the sudden hit had created, forcing the earth around the crater to collapse in on itself as fire engulfed the nearby vicinity.
From the fire that now engulfed the crater a dragon rose, one that was very different from me. Limbs and tail ablaze with red flames, the dragon looked at me like I was a worm not worthy of his time.
The dragon in question was huge, very huge, at the very least a hundred feet tall and that was a measure just by the eye. Unlike me, the dragon seemed to be more western-inspired, which means he actually had visible wings all covered in blood-red scales and an orange underbelly.
The beast sighed almost in annoyance tilting its head, as a far-too-wide grin spread across its face, baring hundreds of razor-sharp teeth at me.
Oh goodie, first bit of color I see in this world and it’s something that’ll likely use me for dental floss.
“Fuck,” I muttered. Because at that very moment, I knew I was fucked. Just by sheer size alone fighting and outflying him wasn’t an option. The only solace I could take was that at least by dream standards this didn’t completely suck...
“FOUND YOU!” The dragon's voice echoed triumphantly across the area, as he pointed his massive claw at me.
“Me?” I asked meekly.
“No, the rock behind you…” The dragon deadpanned. “Of course you! Where do you think you are going, young hatchling!?
I blinked, “Somewhere?” I answered with a shrug, silently hoping this would be resolved peacefully.
“Yeah, back to the safe land,” The dragon snorted rolling his eyes, grabbing me by the neck like a fucking cat with one of his claws, something I found quite humiliating. But, he was a massive fire-breathing lizard who towered over me, so, I could overlook a thing or two, for the sake of survival.
Great, now I’m taking this like it’s all real, I must be going crazy, or sane…or both? What, I’d rather not risk it anyways. Besides, it wasn’t like I would fight the massive dragon if it was a dream, one tends to run in nightmares.
At least the massive beast was being civil for the moment.
“I can’t believe some younglings, traveling so far without a care for the world, in my days you had to ask the Dragon Lord for permission, now those were the good days!”
Oh great, the massive dragon is the -in my days- kind of guy. Well, it’s settled, this is not a dream, it’s a nightmare.
Wait, if this a nightmare or reality… God, I will need therapy after I find what is what. Anywho, if this nightmare or reality gave me the powers of the gamer, that means I can inspect the guy.
Observe was it?
“Observe,” I thought, and nothing, maybe I just had to look at the Kaiju carrying me to unlock that?
With that thought in mind, I lifted my head toward the dragon in question as he flew across the land, only to notice he had a name hovering above his head. I had to squint in order to pick it out since his head and neck were about ten stories high and the text was pretty small.
Trok LV ???
Well, that ain’t helpful. Yup, I’m boned…or dream boned I guess.
