Chapter 2 – Naked, Lost, and Possibly Enlightened
Waking up in a fantasy world sounds great in theory.Until you realize you're naked, hungry, and probably hallucinating a sarcastic operating system.
The forest air is cool and damp against my skin as I stand there, trying to remember how dignity works. Morning light filters through the canopy, painting everything in gold and green. My breath fogs slightly in the chill. My new body doesn't feel human—too light, too efficient. Muscles respond like they've been fine-tuned. Even breathing feels optimized.
Which is great and all, except for one small detail.
"I need pants," I mutter, glancing down. "Like, immediately."
[Observation: Modesty Protocol not required.]
"Not required?" I glare up at the invisible interface. "Try standing in a magical forest with your ass out and tell me it's not required."
[...]
The silence feels judgmental.
I sigh. "Figures. First I die, then I get reincarnated into an open-world survival sim, and my tutorial guide's an AI exhibitionist."
The system doesn't respond. Probably offended. Or maybe it's laughing in binary.
I step through the forest carefully, avoiding roots that glow faintly when I touch them. Everything hums with energy—soft, rhythmic, alive. Each sound feels magnified: birdsong, the crackle of leaves, even my own heartbeat. The air itself feels charged, like static before a storm.
I stop beside a tree that looks more like crystal than wood. It's warm to the touch, vibrating faintly.
"Alright, magic tree. What's your deal?" I ask, half-joking.
[Scanning environment...][Mana density: 212% above baseline.][Emotive resonance field detected.]
"Resonance field?" I repeat. "You're gonna have to start using smaller words."
[Simplified: Emotional output influences matter.]
I blink. "So... feelings make things happen?"
[Affirmative.]
I stare at my hand. "Right. Feel something. Easy."
I think back to the wolf from before—the fear, the adrenaline—and try to recreate that raw burst. Nothing happens.Then I remember the quiet awe I felt when I woke here—the strange peace, the wonder.The glow from the tree pulses once. Then twice. Then, faintly, the bark beneath my palm shifts color—soft gold to pale blue.
I pull my hand back. "Okay, that's... actually cool."
[Resonance Response: Stable.][Note: Congratulations. You have successfully felt something.]
"Wow," I say flatly. "Emotional validation from my UI. Peak self-improvement arc."
Still, I can't help but smile. There's something pure about it. The world reacts—not to strength or logic—but to feeling. It's poetic in a way that makes my chest ache. The kind of thing my old life never had room for.
I keep walking, following a trail of moss that glows faintly underfoot. The forest opens up into a small clearing where sunlight hits a shallow pond. Water so clear it looks like glass. My reflection ripples—still me, still this unfamiliar body that feels both alien and right.
I crouch, cupping water into my hands, and drink. It tastes faintly sweet. My throat burns for a moment, then cools.
[Hydration: Optimal.]
"Thanks, mom," I mutter. "Next you'll tell me to eat my vegetables."
[Affirmative.]
I almost choke laughing. "You're serious?"
[Nutrient deficiency: Minor.][Recommendation: Consume nearby flora. Identified as safe: 3 species.]
I glance around and spot a patch of strange, luminescent mushrooms. "Yeah, no. I've seen enough fantasy games to know how this ends."
[Note: Cowardice acknowledged.]
"Okay, now you're just being passive-aggressive."
The system doesn't deny it.
I spend the next few hours wandering. The forest shifts as I move—flora thickens, the air hums with invisible tension. I start piecing things together from the system's random pop-ups.
Apparently, every living being in this world has something called a Core, and mine is still "unawakened." The energy here, Resonance, is emotion made tangible—used to shape magic, enhance strength, or even alter reality itself. Which sounds incredible until you realize it also means a panic attack could literally cause an explosion.
The longer I walk, the more I start to understand how alive everything feels. The forest breathes. The ground hums. Even the air seems to pulse faintly in rhythm with my heartbeat.
By midday, the novelty of reincarnation starts to wear off. Turns out enlightenment feels a lot less profound when you've been walking barefoot through moss and dirt for three hours.
My feet are filthy. My stomach growls. And, most importantly, I'm still naked.There are a lot of ways to start a new life, but "nude in the woods" shouldn't be one of them.
"Alright," I mutter to myself, scanning the underbrush. "Let's play everyone's favorite game: What counts as pants?"
[Survival Priority: Food > Shelter > Clothing.]
"Yeah, except dignity doesn't rank under shelter."
[Noted.]
The system's tone is neutral—flat, precise—but I swear it's humoring me.I trudge through the clearing, tugging at anything remotely wearable. After a while, I find what looks like an abandoned camp: a few broken crates, an empty fire pit, a half-rotten bedroll. The air still carries the faint, acrid tang of smoke.
Someone was here recently. Or died here recently. Either way, I'm not picky.
I kneel and sift through the debris until I find a torn satchel containing—miracle of miracles—a folded piece of fabric. It's rough and faded, but unmistakably clothing.
"Don't be gross," I whisper, giving it a cautious sniff. It smells like dust and damp leather. "Close enough."
[Contamination level: Minor.][Fabric integrity: 42%. Usable.]
I grin. "You had me at 'usable.'"
The pants are a little too short and definitely too wide, but after some creative folding and a vine-as-belt situation, I look almost civilized. Almost. I find a half-torn cloak, too, and drape it across my shoulders. It smells faintly of woodsmoke and rain. The kind of smell that feels like memory.
For the first time since waking here, I feel… human again.Not reborn or chosen—just a guy with pants. That's enough for now.
[Vital Status: Stable.][Emotional Output: Neutral-Positive.]
"Neutral-positive," I repeat. "Yeah, that's about right."
I tie the satchel strap over my shoulder and start moving again. The forest grows quieter the deeper I go, the hum under my skin rising and falling like a heartbeat. Every so often, light flickers in the distance—pale shapes that vanish when I blink.
"Hey, System," I ask, "is there anyone else out here?"
[Unconfirmed. This region is designated as an Awakening Zone. Low-level fauna and ambient resonance entities may exist.]
"'Resonance entities.' Great. That doesn't sound ominous at all."
[Note: Avoid hostility. Emotional instability amplifies aggression in native lifeforms.]
"So, basically—don't freak out."
[Affirmative.]
I nod to myself. "Good life advice in general."
The path slopes downward, and soon I find myself beside a shallow stream cutting through stone. I crouch to wash my hands and face. The water is cold but pure, glittering faintly where sunlight touches it. My reflection stares back—still me, but not.Softer features. Sharper eyes. Like someone tuned up the contrast on existence.
"Guess this is me now," I murmur. "Version 2.0."
The System hums quietly.
[Observation: Acceptance improves resonance alignment.]
"Yeah, well," I say, cupping another handful of water, "I'm learning to work with what I've got."
[Acknowledged.]
It's strange—there's something grounding about talking to it. The System doesn't coddle or argue. It just... exists. Like a quiet thought that answers back. And somehow, that's enough to keep the loneliness at bay.
When I finish drinking, I sit back on the grass and look up. The canopy sways gently above me, threads of light weaving through leaves like veins of silver. Everything hums in rhythm—trees, air, heartbeat.This world breathes.
And maybe, for the first time in a long time, I do too.
[Directive: Proceed east. Path leads toward human settlement.][Estimated travel time: 3 hours.]
"East it is," I say, pulling the cloak tighter around me.
I take one last look at the forest, then start walking. My footsteps blend with the hum of the world, the pulse in my chest syncing with something unseen.No destination yet. No goal beyond staying alive. But somehow, that feels like enough.
The System flickers softly in the corner of my vision.
[Note: Progress begins with motion.]
I smile faintly. "That supposed to be encouragement?"
[...]
[Affirmative.]
The words linger, warm and steady as the sun overhead.
And so, with patched pants, borrowed courage, and a voice in my head that's slightly too philosophical for comfort, I keep walking.The world unfolds around me—bright, vast, alive—and for once, I don't feel small inside it.