World 2.1

It's dark.

Yuri feels herself floating, but being unable to see anything, she can’t actually tell if she's moving or not.

And then, she hears a strange sound. A sound she can only describe as the reversed ringing of a bell.

Then a gentle chime, like something out of a video game series she used to enjoy.

A purple window gradually fades into her sight, and white text begins to appear, written by an invisible hand in elegant font.

Congratulations!

You have successfully crossed from one new world to another!

Huh...? What's...

Another window pops up, more abruptly than the first, and even more confusing at that.

「Achievement System」has been unlocked!

Another window. Then another. They pop up in rapid succession, but they don’t disappear, giving Yuri plenty of time to read them.

「Menu」has been unlocked!

「Skill Tree」has been unlocked!

「Active Skills」have been unlocked!

「Passive Skills」have been unlocked!

「Quest System」has been unlocked!

「Skill Level-Up」has been unlocked!

「Love-List」has been unlocked!

「Currency: Crystal Hearts (CH)」has been unlocked!

「Shop」has been unlocked!

Achievement earned: 「The Love of God*」

「Love-List」updated: Priestess (bond: 5%) has been added!

What the... what??? What does all this even mean!?

In morbid fascination, Yuri tries to reach up and touch the asterisk beside "The Love of God". Her arm feels like lead, and moving it is like moving aforementioned lead through a pool of molasses; not impossible, but certainly difficult.

But the effort pays off, and despite the opacity of the window, it feels perfectly solid beneath her finger.

「The Love of God」

An omniscient, omnipresent kind of love that can only be received by members of any specific faith, but can be reciprocated by anyone.

Requirements: help complete tasks in a religious organization

Active Skill 「Divine Intervention」Level 1:

In a life-or-death situation, a random god, spirit, or other divine entity will come to your rescue.

There is currently a 7% chance of a random divine entity helping you outside of emergencies.

Gods met: 00/??

Spirits met: 01/??

Andromeda: 100% help

Passive Skill 「Auto-Initiation」Level 1: All divine entities find you [endearing].

"Endearing" is colored green.

Yuri taps it, and another window appears.

[Endearing]: others will quickly come to trust you and even enjoy your company.

Effect: raises your bonds with all previously-met entities even when you're worlds apart, at a rate of .0001% per minute.

Isn't this all video game terminology? So why am I seeing all this?

Naturally, her question doesn’t receive an answer.

Though it does seem to trigger something, as before she can even realize it, Yuri feels herself falling. Air rushes against her back as a scream is ripped from her lungs. The purple windows are gone now, too far up to be visible.

Yuri hears a distant thud.

And then, she hears rain.