On an ordinary morning, Yasser—a 22-year-old with a knack for sarcasm and a sharp wit—was yawning, clutching his iced coffee while scrolling through his phone with a look of pure disdain. "Man, these game ads are all the same. 'Be a hero! Gain infinite power!' If I were a hero, the first thing I'd do is cancel the internet to escape this nonsense."
Suddenly, a strange dizziness hit him, as if the ground decided to wobble. Before he could toss out another snarky comment, a blinding white light engulfed everything.
When Yasser opened his eyes, he found himself sprawled on grassy ground, surrounded by towering trees stretching into the sky. The scent of damp earth and wildflowers filled his nose. For a moment, he thought he was in a weird dream, but it quickly sank in that this was far too real. "Okay, either I got kidnapped by hardcore gardeners, or I'm in serious trouble."
Yasser stood, brushing dirt off his simple t-shirt and jeans, and scanned his surroundings. The forest was eerily quiet, save for distant bird calls and the faint trickle of a nearby river. No signs of people, not even a path. "Great, I'm officially in one of those adventure movies where the guy like me dies in the first five minutes."
Before he could start planning his next move, a tall man in a black robe embroidered with gold appeared before him. His face was hidden under a hood, but his gleaming eyes were enough to inspire awe. "Yasser ibn Abdullah, you have been chosen," the man said, his voice deep and resonant like thunder.
Yasser raised an eyebrow. "Chosen for what? If this is a contest, I'm not interested. I don't even like playing bingo with my aunts."
The man seemed unfazed by Yasser's sarcasm. "I am the ruler of this realm, and I have decided to grant you a rare opportunity. I will transport you to another world, one filled with magic and adventure. As part of this opportunity, I will grant you one wish."
"A wish?" Yasser repeated, scratching his chin. "Like a genie in Aladdin? Alright, let me think. Sports car? Nah, useless in a forest. Money? Hmm, the currency here's probably different." Then, an idea sparked, inspired by all the games he'd played. "Okay, I want a gacha system. Like in games, but a strong one that gives me skills, weapons, and stuff. But, uh, no bad luck, please. I'm not in the mood for that."
The ruler gave a faint smile. "A gacha system? An interesting choice. I will grant your request, but its power will depend on your efforts. The system will award you points based on the tasks you complete. Now, prepare yourself."
"Prepare? Prepare for wha—" Yasser didn't finish his sentence as the white light returned, swallowing everything. When it faded, he was still in the forest, but the ruler was gone. "Awesome, now I'm alone in who-knows-where with nothing but my bad jokes."
Suddenly, a transparent screen popped up in front of his eyes, like a game interface. It was written in clear English:
Gacha System: Welcome, Yasser!
Current Points: 0 First Quest: Find a nearby city and gather information about the new world. Reward: 50 Gacha Points + Random Item. Note: Try not to die on the way. The monsters here aren't friendly.
Yasser burst out laughing. "Even the system's got a sense of humor? I think we're gonna get along." But he quickly sighed. "Alright, a city? I don't even know if I should go left or right. And what's this about monsters?"
He decided to follow the sound of water, figuring a river might lead to civilization. He walked cautiously, glancing around nervously. "If a bear or something pops out, I'm telling it I'm vegan. Maybe it'll leave me alone."
After about half an hour, he heard an odd noise—a mix of a growl and rustling. Yasser froze, his heart racing. "Okay, Yasser, chill. Maybe it's just a tree moving." But when he peered through the trees, he saw a creature the size of a large dog. It looked like a wolf but was covered in green scales, its eyes glowing red.
"Oh, hell no, that's not a tree!" Yasser whispered, backing away slowly. The creature, which looked like a "scaled wolf," sniffed the air and let out a low roar.
Yasser scanned his surroundings, searching for anything useful. He spotted a thick stick on the ground and grabbed it. "Great, I'm up against a magical beast with a stick. It's definitely gonna run away in fear."
The scaled wolf crept closer, and Yasser, acting on instinct, hurled the stick at it. To his shock, it hit the creature square in the head, making it stagger back with a yelp. "Hell yeah, I'm a beast!" Yasser shouted, but he didn't stick around to see the wolf's reaction. He bolted, sprinting toward the river.
After a few minutes of running, Yasser stopped to catch his breath. The river was now in front of him, its blue waters sparkling under the sun. No sign of the wolf, which made him sigh in relief. "Thank God, I'm still alive. But seriously, I need to find that city fast."
The screen popped up again:
Quest Update!
Bonus Achievement: Survived an encounter with a Scaled Wolf! Reward: 10 Gacha Points. Note: Throwing the stick was a smart move… or just dumb luck.
"Ten points?" Yasser said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I almost got eaten! They should've given me fifty at least." But he grinned. "Alright, so the system gives points for everything I do. Maybe I'll pull something cool like a magic sword."
He looked at the river and decided to follow its course. After another hour of walking, he started hearing distant sounds: laughter, the creak of wooden wheels, and what sounded like a vendor shouting in a market. "Finally!" he said, picking up his pace. As he emerged from the forest, he saw a small city surrounded by stone walls. The gate was open, guarded by men in leather armor.
"Alright, Yasser, play it cool," he muttered as he approached. One of the guards eyed him curiously. "Who are you? Where'd you come from? Your clothes… they're strange."
Yasser flashed a confident smile. "I'm Yasser, a new adventurer. Came from… a really faraway place. Heard there's some cool stuff to do around here."
The guard looked skeptical but nodded. "Enter, but be careful. The city's safe, but the forest is full of monsters."
"Oh, I figured that out myself," Yasser said as he strolled in, ignoring the guard's stare.
Inside, the city buzzed with life. Stalls sold food and weapons, kids ran around, and mages in colorful robes wandered about. Yasser felt a mix of excitement and confusion. "Okay, I'm officially in an RPG world. Now I need to figure out the rules."
The screen reappeared:
Quest Completed!
Achievement: Reached the city of "Lifara"! Reward: 50 Gacha Points + Random Item (Pulling now). Gacha Pull: Congratulations! You've obtained Minor Strength Ring (Increases physical strength by 5%).
Yasser glanced at his hand, where a simple silver ring had appeared. "A ring? So I'm five percent stronger now? Watch out, world, I'm unstoppable!" he said sarcastically, though he was secretly pleased. "Alright, time to find a place to crash and learn more about this world."
End of Chapter One