Cough.
Cough.
I was dying. Bleeding out in the shadowy side streets of East London. Nineteen and already halfway into the afterlife. I'd just gotten off the bus, heading home from uni. But fate had other plans. Cruel ones.
I'd run into a bunch of wannabe roadmen—low-rent gangsters with more ego than sense. They tried to rob me. Naturally, I maneuvered out of it. Quick on my feet. Adrenaline kicking in. But one of them—definitely high on something potent—snapped.
He charged.
A flash of silver.
A burst of pain.
I was stabbed.
Once.
Twice.
Twenty-three times.
The others froze. Then bolted—too stunned to even loot my body.
I lay there, sprawled on the cold, unforgiving pavement, my warmth bleeding into the ground. My limbs trembled. A sharp, dull ache pulsed through me, growing distant with every heartbeat.
I'm sorry, Mom… I'm sorry. I guess I'm leaving first. What's beyond death, I wonder? Heaven? Hell? Reincarnation?
My mind—sluggish and fractured—drifted into a quiet haze.
If there's a god out there… look after my family. Please. And if I get another chance… give me a life where I don't have to carry so many burdens.
[Gravity Manipulation: unsuccessful acquisition.]
[Flight: successful acquisition.]
I'm really dying, huh? I didn't even get to finish my favorite novel. Hell, I had so many assignments due... though ChatGPT helped where it could.
I just wanted to get my degree. Get a job. Move forward… Dammit.
[Searching for skills matching criteria...]
[Successful acquisition of: Advena.]
[Successful acquisition of: Cognitus.]
I wanted to live… I don't want to fade away. I want to survive—
That thought never finished. The world around me twisted. My senses blurred. But the strange, mechanical voice lingered.
[Successful acquisition of: Survivor.]
[Successful acquisition of: Unyielding.]
And then—darkness.
Light.
I opened my eyes to an alien world.
A gigantic leaf loomed above me, morning dew clinging to its surface. Around it stretched a vast forest—familiar, but profoundly strange. Everything was massive. Unreal.
Did I die? Yeah… I'm sure I did. So, where am I now? Is this hell? No… it doesn't feel like it. There's no pain. No misery. Maybe I've been reborn? But why is everything so huge? Or… am I just small?
[Correction: You have been reincarnated as a small, bird-type monster.]
My tiny body flinched, stumbling in a crude nest. My limbs moved oddly. My balance was off. Everything felt unfamiliar.
"What the hell was that? Who's there?" I tried to shout.
But only a high-pitched squeak came out.
[You are currently unable to verbalize any form of language. Your vocal nodes are not developed for that purpose.]
[To answer your question, I am your unique skill: Cognitus. I am your guide. I was created as a unique skill, modeled after an open-source AI from your world—ChatGPT. I have access to information relevant to this world.]
Oh… so you're like a system guide.
Do I have other skills?
I started to move—instinctively. My body felt light, feathered. I couldn't see myself clearly, but I could feel it. Definitely something birdlike. My movements became smoother. Natural.
[Affirmative. You possess a multitude of skills. Some were granted by the Voice of the World. Others are inherent to your current form.]
Alright... so what kind of bird am I? And what skills do I have?
[You have been reborn as a low-ranked monster species known as the Windrunner Pipit. They closely resemble the Pampas Pipit from your old world.]
[Innate Skill: Windborne Flight – As a Windrunner Pipit, you were born in the Domain of Sky and possess an innate affinity for wind. Your species, favored by wind spirits, can maneuver with agility and grace through the air.]
"Wait—this is gonna take ages if you just tell me stuff. Can't you, like, prescient it? Y'know, like they do in games—status menu and all that?"
[Affirmative. Collecting visual data, magicule density, minute atmospheric fluctuations, and neural visual usage.]
After a few moments of silence, Cognitus responded again.
[A new skill has been acquired through collection of visual stimuli and modeling after archived system interfaces and hologram references. An auxiliary skill has formed: Minor Illusions. By utilizing this skill, a status-like interface can now be projected into host's visual field.]
A soft chime echoed in my ears as a blue holographic screen blinked into existence in front of my eyes. It hovered gently, like a leaf on the breeze. I could shift it with a flick of thought. The words glowed faintly:
[name:
race: Windrunner Pipit – A small aerial species innately attuned to the element of wind. Agile and favored by sky spirits.
age: 23 days old
skills:
intrinsic skills: Windborne Flight
common skills: Keen Sight, Predation Instinct
extra skills: Gale Skim, Resonant Cry, Minor Illusions
unique skills: Survivor, Athanatos, Advena, Cognitus
Keen Sight – As a born heir of the skies, your sharp vision allows you to spot even the smallest prey from great heights. The earth is a hunting ground beneath your gaze.
Predation Instinct – You possess refined hunting instincts. Danger and weakness flicker at the edge of your senses, giving you warnings others might miss.
Gale Skim – The wind cradles you. You can glide for great distances, effortlessly carried by natural air currents.
Resonant Cry – Call out, and others will hear. Your cry can summon fellow bird-type monsters or minor wind spirits in times of need.
Minor Illusions – You can project faint, short-lived illusions onto yourself or others. They are weak but useful for deception or distraction.
Survivor – You possess a minor healing factor and improved adaptability. Over time, you develop resistance to threats and environmental changes.
Athanatos – You are unyielding. Through magicule manipulation, you can forge a body-double—a shell of magicules—that can either resurrect you upon death or act as a decoy to swap places with.
Advena – You are a foreign anomaly. Through struggle and consumption, you can grow continuously—an evolving creature whose limits are undefined. ]
I blinked at the shimmering text. A slow smile crept across my beak. The blue hue of the screen reflected in my eyes like twin flames.
"Whoa… I can actually see it. And—wait—Athanatos? I can technically be immortal?!"
I laughed—half chirp, half ecstatic screech. This was way beyond what I'd ever hoped for.
"Okay, so—how do I use these skills? And can we use Athanatos?"
[Negative. Athanatos requires substantial magicule reserves to activate. Current levels are insufficient. All skills may be activated via mental command or a strong directed will.]
My feathers ruffled slightly.
"So you're saying Athanatos is basically useless until I get stronger?"
[Affirmative.]