The last thing I remembered...
...was dying.
I had just been promoted to captain of my own military unit. After years of hard work, I had finally earned the position.
Our latest mission sounded simple enough.
There were reports of smugglers operating along the border, so my team and I were sent to investigate.
One of those "go in, check things out, come home" kind of missions.
Easy.
Or at least, it was supposed to be.
Halfway there...
Something slammed into our truck.
The world flipped upside down.
Metal screamed.
Glass shattered.
Then...
Nothing.
I didn't even remember hitting the ground.
Guess I was already dead.
What a crappy way to die.
Not in some heroic last stand.
Not protecting my men.
Not fighting some impossible battle.
Nope...
A damn truck crash.
I had finally become captain of my own unit...
...and then I died.
Life really has a twisted sense of humor.
Or maybe death does.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in the middle of a massive grassy field.
The wind brushed against my face.
Birds sang overhead.
Slowly, I stood up.
Stretching endlessly before me was a vast forest unlike anything I had ever seen.
The trees towered hundreds of feet into the sky.
Their bark shimmered with strange colors, and glowing blue leaves drifted through the air like snow.
"...Where am I?"
A calm voice suddenly echoed inside my head.
"Welcome to System World 101. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sam."
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"W-Who said that?"
"I did."
"Wait... System World?"
I looked around.
There wasn't another person in sight.
"Didn't I just die?"
"Correct."
"You died in your previous world and have been reincarnated into this one."
I let out a long sigh.
"So... I really am dead."
I scratched the back of my head.
"So, you're the System that runs this whole world?"
There was a brief pause.
"No."
"I am only one of countless Systems that exist within this world."
I blinked.
"Hold on..."
"So everybody has their own System?"
"Correct."
"...That's actually pretty cool."
Then another thought crossed my mind.
"So... System World?"
I laughed.
"That's kind of a lazy name."
The voice ignored my comment.
"I am among the oldest Systems ever created."
"Long ago, I served another Master."
"He perished thousands of years ago."
"Master?"
"From this day forward..."
"You are my Master."
"My purpose is to assign quests, guide your growth, and become stronger alongside you."
I stared into the sky.
A real System.
Levels.
Skills.
Quests.
This was every gamer and manga fan's dream.
I couldn't stop smiling.
"So..."
"I'm really the main character?"
The System answered almost immediately.
"You certainly ask many questions, Master Sam."
"...I'll take that as a yes."
"So what's next?"
The voice became more serious.
"My power has weakened over the centuries."
"If we are to survive..."
"We must grow stronger together."
I clenched my fists.
That...
I could do.
"So how do we start?"
"Simply say the words..."
"Start Tutorial."
I took a deep breath.
A grin spread across my face.
"Alright then..."
"START TUTORIAL!"
DING!
Tutorial Initiated.
Reward: 360 XP
The adventure had officially begun.