A vast valley forest. led between several mountains f a mountain rahis forest has mist shrouding it. In here, all manner of animals and pnts thrive. Things that thrive here are mostly protected from the world outside, letting them flourish uhe watchful nature of the peaks that surround the valley.

  In this vast forest, there lies a red fox, ying in a tree hollow. It y motionless, almost as if it was devoid of life. Some flies have actually nded on it, perhaps sensing there was something to cim. However these flies soon took off, as the breath of life of the fox began to stir once more. Though its breathing was shallow at first, it began to bee deeper. Then, its eyes slowly opened, showing the world that it was not yet dead.

  Huh…? I open my eyes? I’m not dead? The fox thought to itself, seemingly bewildered that it in fact is alive. How? If somehow those people kept me alive, I should be floating in a Genesis Vat, being hooked to life support? But I don’t feel like I’m floating in liquid, nor sense I’m hooked up to life support systems?

  The fox groarying to get up.

  And what that thing I’m feeling on my ass? It feels long and weird. Is it attached to me or something?

  Suddenly, it heard a voi its head; a gentle and calm female voice.

  [Detected vital signs from the host.]

  Wha?! The fox tried to scamper up and back, but could only end up moving just a bit before falling back dowo imbance.

  [Startup sequenplete. Hello, host. Wele to the Myriad Realms.]

   The fox tried to scream that out, but what came out were a couple of barks and yelps.

  [Host, calm down. You speak to me with your thoughts. You’re in a dangerous forest filled with predatory animals and spirit beasts.]

  Who are you? It then noticed its hands in front of it. It raised them off the ground and ied them. These hands were now actually paws; bck paws that had the markings as if they were wearing bck socks over reddish-brown fur. And why are my hands like this?

  [I am what you would call a System, host. As for why your hands are like that now, you were reinated into the body of a fox.]

  A fox? But I’m human!

  [Unfortuhat’s not the case anymore.]

  This doesn’t make sense. First off, I should’ve been dead, since I decided to peacefully pass away on my deathbed. Sed, Myriad Realms? Where the hell is that in the universe? Third, why the heck a fox? Why couldn’t I be reinated as an ordinary human?

  [To answer your questions. First, you were a benevolent soul with mas in Diqui. Thus you were favored and allowed to reinate with your memories instead of going to the underworld, feasting on the soup of fetfulness, and reinating anew. Sed, the Myriad Realms do in your previous universe. Rathter, it exists in its own dimension, far removed from your old ohird, unfortunately you do not have the authority to have the ao that question. Perhaps you think of it as a quirk of fate?]

  Authority…and being favored. That means there’s someone above yht? You have a maker after all. You couldn’t have been spontaneously created by my sciousness after all.

  [Your query is correct. I do have a maker, and they have bouo your soul.]

  I suppose I don’t have this “authority” to know who your maker, or makers, are, right?

  [Yes you do not.]

  How you guarantee you won’t harm me?

  [There are no guarantees in life, as you should know. 99.99% ever actually be 100%, and 100% does in the real world. There is always uainty. However, what I say is that I am bound to your soul. If you cease to exist, then I cease to exist, and there is no way for me to remove myself from your soul. That shows I do not have an iive to do anything harmful to you.]

  …So what you do?

  [I provide assistance like tips and answer queries about cultivation. I also open up a “store” feature, where you buy and sell items, from mundane food and daily life ies to valuable items that could be sidered immortal treasures. This also includes talents and skills as well.]

  So like an A.I. assistant.

  [Yes, you sider it. I also be a versation partner as well, if you want.]

  What’s this though about “immortal treasures”? I know valuable things be sidered treasures, but immortal? Does that mean there’s beings that are sidered immortal?

  [Yes there are. Beings with long lifespans and manipute the world freely. To the current you they wield unfathomable power.]

  So that means…cultivation is a thing?

  [You know about cultivation?]

  The theory of it. I am familiar with qi however.

  [Yes, cultivation does enpass taking qi from the enviro and bringing it into yourself until you create your own qi. This also enpasses maniputing the elements and the enviro using your own power and qi. There’s many more to it, but that’s the basics.]

  Well…doing this, I could cultivate until I bee an immortal and beyond, right? Heh…I always said if I ever bee immortal, I’d use all of immortality to heal people. Though it’ll be a problem if I try healing people or making medies with these grubby…paws.

  [When you cultivate to a higher realm, your body adjusts, and bees more human. Once you bee immortal for example, you make it that you’re indistinguishable from ordinary humans.]

  Oh. That’ll make things easier iure. So, where do I start?

  [First I want you to look at your status. Please think “status” in your mind.]

  Like this?

  StatusName: Nameless Fox

  Age: 0.1/10yrs

  Gender: Female

  Species: Generic Fox

  Bloodline: Unawakened

  Cultivation: Mortal

  Cultivation Level: 0/10 Realm 1

  Virtuous Karma: 0

  HP: 10/10

  Qi: 0/0

  SP: 10/10

  Vigor: 1

  Crity: 1

  Fortitude: 1

  Spirit: 1

  Celerity: 1

  Charm: 1

  Talents:

  Skills:

  Abilities:

  Titles:

  [colpse]

  I’m seeing a lot of things.

  [This is your status. It’s a breakdown of your total capabilities. I suggest looking into it frequently to gauge what you do.]

  Why am I so weak?

  [Hmm? You’re weak? That’s…odd. Judging from what the higher ups have told me, you’ve performed so mas of merit that it should’ve strengthened your body. Let me look into it.]

  Oh okay. The little fox decided it was a good time to try and adjust to its new body. It tried getting up on all fours. Though a bit shaky, it mao get up. It then took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air and the sts. Yeah…this is a forest alright.

  [I’ve checked. Ihere’s a problem. Let me rectify this.]

  Oh, okay.

  Sagefox