One day, my life changed forever.
I was walking home after my university classes when I noticed something unusual on the ground. It was a stone, but not an ordinary one. It seemed to emit a faint glow, and its surface was so smooth that it reflected my face like a mirror.
Something was drawing me toward it.
I bent down, reached out my hand…
And everything went dark.
A deep void swallowed me, making me feel as if I were suspended in nothingness. No sound, no ground beneath my feet. Just absolute darkness.
— Help me… — a voice suddenly echoed.
I didn't even have time to respond before another cold, emotionless voice spoke:
— You have reached Level 1.
Light returned.
I found myself standing in the middle of a dense forest.
The trees here were enormous, their tops lost somewhere high in the sky. Sunlight pierced through the leaves, creating golden patches on the ground, but… something was off.
Silence.
Absolute, unnatural silence. No birds singing, no rustling leaves, no chirping insects.
I swallowed nervously and, to make sure this wasn't an illusion, slapped myself on the cheek. The pain was real.
— What the… Where am I? — I muttered, trying to grasp the situation.
Remembering the voice, I instinctively shouted:
— Show status!
A translucent panel appeared before my eyes:
- Attack: 1
- Defense: 1
- Speed: 1
- HP: 1
- …
— What?! Everything is at one?! I'm weaker than a child! — I almost cursed out loud.
My gaze fell on the "Skills" section. There was only one entry:
- Traveler
Clicking on it, I read the description:
"You have been teleported to another world."
— That's it? No active or passive abilities? What kind of useless skill is this…
— Don't worry, you're not alone.
I flinched.
Floating in front of me was a small, glowing white sphere. Its surface softly shimmered, covered in strange, shifting symbols.
— Was that you speaking? — I asked.
— Yes, it was me, — it responded in a calm voice.
— Who are you?
— I don't know… I was just in the darkness until you touched me. But now I’m here and… it seems my energy brought us somewhere. My stats are all at zero as well, but there’s something odd… Instead of numbers, I only see question marks.
— Hmm… But your name… "Soul of the Universe"? — I thought aloud. — Sounds like you're really important.
— Maybe… But what matters now is finding other people.
— Alright, then I accept your help. If we’re in this together, we need to stick together.
Suddenly, a new message appeared before me:
New Skill Acquired: "Synchronization with the Soul of the Universe."
Unique Skill Acquired: "?????"
I froze.
— …What? Why is the skill unknown?
But before I could even process this, an unsettling feeling washed over me.
— Wait… — I tensed up. — Why is it so quiet here? Where are all the birds?
The Soul of the Universe remained silent.
Then…
Rustling.
I shuddered.
— Oh no… I jinxed it… — I whispered, turning toward the source of the sound.
— I hear it too… — the Soul of the Universe murmured.
Something was in this forest.
Suddenly, something slimy and translucent jumped out of the bushes.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
— AAAH!!! — I screamed in fear.
But within a moment, I realized what was in front of me.
— Phew… It’s just a slime. The weakest monster in every game! I can definitely beat it! — I exhaled, preparing to attack.
Then, a terrifying thought struck me.
— Wait… I only have 1 HP. What if it kills me in one hit?!
Panic set in, and without thinking, I shouted:
— Analyze!
A status window appeared.
- Slime (Level 1)
- HP: 10
- Attack: 3
- Defense: 0
- Speed: 2
I gulped.
— Wait a second… If its attack is 3 and I have only 1 HP… then one hit could kill me instantly?!
Sweat dripped down my temple.
— Stay alert! — the Soul of the Universe warned me.
The slime suddenly leaped toward me! I barely managed to jump back.
— Damn… I’m too slow to counterattack! If this keeps up… I might actually die?
And if I died… was that it? No second chances? No respawning?
For the first time, true fear gripped me.
Suddenly…
— Push! — the Soul of the Universe shouted.
An invisible force knocked the slime back, dealing slight damage. But it wasn’t enough to kill it.
— What?! Even you couldn’t finish it in one hit?!
The slime's HP dropped from 10 to 9.
— That attack barely scratched it?!
My mind raced.
— Wait… You just used the slime’s attack, didn’t you? That means… you copied its skill?!
— Maybe… but I don’t know how, — the Soul of the Universe admitted. — I just reacted when I saw you in danger. I didn’t have any offensive abilities, so I instinctively repeated the slime’s movement. And it worked.
I quickly checked my own status.
— No new skills for me… but your status has changed! Your Attack is now 1.
A realization hit me.
— Synchronization… It lets you gain skills too? But why didn’t I get “Push” as well?
I clenched my fists.
— Damn, I still don’t understand how this works…
No time to think. The slime lunged again.
— Soul, keep attacking! I’ll distract it!
Using this strategy, we repeated the process ten times until, finally, the slime collapsed into a puddle of goo.
You gained 3 EXP (100 EXP required for next level).
— WHAT?! Why do I need so much experience to level up?! — I yelled in frustration. — I’m going to be stuck at level 1 forever!
The Soul of the Universe chuckled.
— Then we better keep hunting.
I sighed and sat down, exhausted.
— Fine. But first… I need food.
I glanced around and saw a strange-looking mushroom.
— Analyze!
Error. Analysis failed.
— WHAT?! Even my Analyze skill is useless?! What kind of protagonist am I?!
Frustrated, I stared at the mushroom. Was it safe to eat?
Without hesitation, the Soul of the Universe absorbed it.
— It’s not poisonous, — it calmly stated.
— Are you sure?!
— Yes. I just… know.
I quickly checked its status.
New Skills Acquired:
- Absorption (Level 1)
- Analyze (Level 1)
— Wait… You got Analyze?! But I already have it…
And that’s when it hit me.
— Synchronization… You gain the skills I gain! But why don’t I get “Absorption”?!
I didn’t have an answer yet.
But one thing was clear.
I had a long way to go before understanding how this world worked.
And this was just the beginning.
— Soul, won’t people be afraid of you? — I wondered, glancing at the glowing orb floating beside me.
— They can’t hear me. We communicate through synchronization, — she replied calmly.
— Oh! That’s actually great news!
Still, to avoid unnecessary questions, I asked the Soul to hide inside me.
Before stepping into the village, I checked my status:
Status
Attack: 2
Defense: 1
Speed: 1
HP: 10
Skills:
— [Force Push] (Lv.1)
— [Analysis] (Lv.2)
Unique Skills:
— [Soul Synchronization]
— [????]
— [????]
— Wait… another unique skill?
One of them definitely belonged to the Soul, but what about the second one? When I activated synchronization, my stats increased, and my [Analysis] skill leveled up.
Does this mean we grow stronger even without leveling up?
With this thought, I confidently stepped into the village.
Arrival in the Village
— Good day! Can I ask you something?
An elderly man with a gray beard approached me.
— Good day, young man. I am the chief of this village. What do you need?
— Is there a place I can stay for the night? I’m a traveler, and I’m not familiar with the local prices.
The chief stroked his beard, thinking.
— We don’t have an inn, but I can offer you a place in my home for 15 bronze coins.
— Damn… I don’t have any money, — I muttered.
— Perhaps I can offer you some mushrooms? Or hunt a few slimes?
The chief burst into laughter.
— Young man, even children can kill slimes! Show me how many mushrooms you have.
I opened my cloak, revealing the mushrooms I had gathered.
— You must have traveled far, young one. Where are you from?
— From very far away, — I answered vaguely.
However, exhaustion took over. My vision blurred, my legs weakened, and I collapsed.
Waking Up in the Chief’s House
When I regained consciousness, I felt the warmth of a thick blanket covering me.
— What happened?
I quickly checked my status.
Status Update
[Soul Synchronization] – Consumes 1 mana per second.
Mana: 100
— What?! I was in that state the whole time?!
— Wait… I have 100 mana? Does that mean I’m a mage?!
I immediately called out to the Soul.
— Hikari, you called for me?
I checked her status.
Soul of the Universe – Status Update
Mana: 15
— Wait… my status showed 100 mana, but hers only has 15?!
This meant that when I synchronized with her, I was borrowing her stats!
— Hmm… and [Force Push] now costs 10 mana instead of being free… Does this mean we get stronger without leveling up?
That’s an interesting possibility.
Just then, the door opened, and a young boy, about ten years old, ran in.
— Dad, dad! He woke up!
The village chief entered the room.
— Young man, you surprised me when you suddenly collapsed. How are you feeling?
— Much better, thank you. I apologize for the trouble, I was walking for a long time.
— No need to worry. The important thing is that you’re okay. Now come, my wife has prepared some roasted hare. You’ve probably never tasted anything like it.
My stomach instantly approved of this decision.
A Meal and a Challenge
At the dining table, I sat with the village chief, his wife, the young boy, and a small girl.
— What’s it like being a traveler? — the boy asked curiously.
— I’ve just started my journey, but it’s already full of adventure. It’s exciting but also dangerous. That’s why it’s important to protect the people you care about.
— Do you know how to fight?
— Of course!
— Then let’s duel!
The chief laughed.
— You mean a sparring match with wooden swords?
— Yes!
— Hmm… interesting. I’d like to see what you’re capable of. The forest is ruled by druids, and few return from there… If you survived, you must have some skill. Very well, I accept your challenge!
Tomorrow promised to be an interesting day.
Hikari vs. The Village Chief – Duel Begins!