Crash! Splash!
The waves crashed rhythmically against the unseen shore, and the faint cries of distant seabirds echoed across the sky.
A salty breeze drifted through the air, moist and heavy, carrying the scent of brine and mystery. Glistening drops of seawater danced upon a sunlit wooden deck, reflecting the blue sky above like scattered crystals.
On this very deck, a young man stirred slowly, his eyes fluttering open as he blinked against the blinding azure of the heavens.
His breath hitched.
"I… where am I?"
Beneath him, the wooden planks creaked ever so slightly. The distant murmur of waves confirmed what his sharp senses had already begun to piece together—he was near the ocean.
Before the thought could take root, a cold and metallic voice rang out within his mind, startling him into stillness.
[{
A translucent screen flickered to life before his eyes, shimmering with ethereal light.
Andrew Smith frowned. His chest tightened. Gods? Entertain? What the hell is this…
As if reading his thoughts, the voice returned, impassive and unfeeling.
[{
[{
A strange calm settled over Andrew. Perhaps it was the unreality of the situation, or the daze of sudden displacement. The world felt dreamlike, yet far too vivid to dismiss.
"…Riverine, huh," he murmured.
His fingers brushed against the warm planks beneath him. Sunlight poured down like golden silk, warm but not scorching. A perfect, deceptive peace.
With a half-hearted prayer—more reflex than faith—he whispered:
"Status."
A pale-blue window flickered open in the air.
[NAME: ANDREW SMITHCLASS: NOT YETTALENT: NOT YETHP: 120/120STR: 10AGI: 11MP: 2INT: 13LUCK: --INFO: You know who you are, right? Still, in battle... you're no better than a hatchling.]
He scoffed bitterly. "Thanks for the reminder…"
The screen shimmered again, words trailing ominously across its surface.
[WARNING: IN 5 MINUTES, YOUR SHIP WILL BE ATTACKED BY SEA MONSTERS. PREPARE YOURSELF OR PERISH.]
Andrew's heart skipped a beat.
"…Seriously?"
The world seemed so serene, but death lurked just minutes away.
"Let's do this then," he whispered, his gaze firming. "Draw skill ticket."
[{}]
"…Even the system's got attitude."
With trembling hands, he navigated the inventory and activated the skill ticket. A thin book materialized in his palm—glowing faintly, pulsating with a rhythm eerily like a heartbeat.
Instinctively, he pressed it against his forehead.
Knowledge surged in—brief but sharp.
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED:Bone Arrow – Condense mana to form a sharp bone arrow that deals physical and magical damage.COST: 2 MPCOOLDOWN: 2 HOURSDAMAGE: 100(You can only use this twice before you're out cold. Be wise.)]
Andrew grimaced.
"Two hours? That's… barely survival."
A countdown ticked in the corner of the interface. The minutes slipped away like grains of sand.
"One last chance," he whispered, voice low. "Please… give me something good."
He activated the talent ticket.
A radiant glow enveloped his body, warm and sacred. In that instant, he knew—this power was his and his alone.
[NEW TALENT: BODMAS – Your mind is built like a perfect equation. Every calculation, trajectory, and cooldown obeys the hierarchy of your will. Passive effect: Cooldowns reduced by 40%.]
The corners of Andrew's lips lifted slightly.
"Now we're talking."
But the peace didn't last.
From the distance—first a ripple. Then a roar.
The sea trembled.
And so, Andrew Smith, Earthling, transmigrant, and bearer of BODMAS, stood at the threshold of a cruel, wondrous world named Riverine… where the gods were watching.