The Wild World Of Esteria

Your body is still intact in the real world.

That unexpected response made me raise my eyes in astonishment.

[System Response]

We've been interacting since you got to this world."Haah!” Technically, it's what we'd been doing. I chuckled slightly, thinking how sly and perhaps coy the system had been so far.

I haven't been coy with you. I've only given you details you've needed so far. Though I can read your thoughts almost exclusively, you'll have to develop a level of symbiosis with me to fully express your thoughts for you at any given time when you actually need it. As you are now your thoughts may not necessarily correlate to your needs.

Questions flowed through my mind as the system typed away, but it seemed to keep answering them. I sighed, reflecting on everything so far as I read the latest message. Then it occurred to me."Wait, when I think I first entered this world, I think I heard a voice welcomed me. Was that you or...them?"

[System Response]

That was indeed me. Would you like me to activate system voice responses?

"Oh yes please. It's easier than having to read all the time.

[System Response]

Ok. I'll read out responses as I type them. 

"Thank you," I said as I acknowledged the voice. It was a feminine voice with a nice depth to it, more like how a female commentator would talk when commentating.

I looked at the door to the room, wondering why the guards hadn't come in this time due to the discussions I'd been having.

Still, lots of questions burned through my head. I never really grasped my full reality in this new world, much less what role I was to play. How long was I here? What was the point of this system? What war was ongoing here? How did this place work? Who even was this system? Was its name just...system?

[System Response]

Do you want me to answer those questions of yours?

A wave of irritation swept through me. The way the system read my thoughts was starting to creep me out. At the same time, somehow yet oddly, I felt the necessity to not always talk and just have your mind read.

"Yeah, yeah. Answer all the questions please," I said in a rather bland fashion.

[System Response]

I will tell you all you need to know about this system and this world. I'll advise you please sit back or rest on the bed. It's going to be a long one.

After pouting and sighing, I retracted to the wall behind and rested my back. The armour I was wearing didn't seem to agree with that posture due to the rigidity of its structure. It leaned in an unnatural position on the wall compared to when I was sitting freely. I didn't know about complex armour technology here or ever. All I knew was fishing.

[System]

Welcome!

This is your fisherman system, one of special types of mods only granted to persons or creatures from other worlds. You belong to the Water clan by virtue of your system and are advised to join up with them as soon as you can to get your best chance at survival in this world.

This world is called Esteria, and is a fantasy world with an RPG style where its original inhabitants have always fought for control of the sacred artifact. The sacred artifact grants powers to clan members and authority. Over a period of two Esterian years, a sacred artifact's prowess expires and another one comes up. When this happens, clans search for this new artifact, inevitably battling for it and the supremacy that comes with it.

This has been the way of Esteria for as long as it's been.

Yeah. I kinda thought so. My life really was bound to this thingy in my head. It was as if I had an intelligent symbiotic parasite attached to my life now. There was strangely a degree of acceptance from me to this reality.

Perhaps the real question at this stage was whether I was the only one who had transmigrated to this world, given what had been said so far. Also, what did the system mean by Esterian years?

[System Response]

Your answers will be taken care of once I finish giving you the details I need to.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, rather surprised. "Ok then."

[System]

For context, you've been in this world for two hours forty-five minutes and thirty-eight seconds already, including the times you were unconscious.

I honestly felt it was longer than that, given how I felt generally, and the residual memories I had in my head.

There are four broad clans which make up Esteria. The rest are very small clans that broke out of the major four. The four clans are; Fire, Water, Air and Earth clans.

I laughed lightly at the absurdity of this. What was this, an avatar world? So I could bend water...or more specifically fish?

[System]

You'll know in due time. The princess who was with you earlier is the only heir to the Fire clan.

 She awaits her coronation, which largely hinges on whether she can deliver the sacred artifact to her clan. The Fire clan are the current holders of the artifact and currently the most powerful. But time is running out for the artifact and for them. And the new sacred artifact is rumoured to have surfaced.

"Hmm..." I wondered how deep the politics and warfare in this world played out with everything I'd heard so far. It felt like time itself was running out for the princess to find this artifact.

But I couldn't yet wrap my head around why I would be bothered about finding the artifact, when all I needed was the elixir of life to sustain my system. The system cut me off from my musing.

[System]

The elixir of life is always found along with the sacred artifact. So it'll be beneficial if you and your clan found the artifact as indeed you'll find the elixir alongside it."Ohh..."

[System]

But there is one warning I will give you. You must never fall for the princess!

Well, that was an unexpected information that I couldn't wrap my head around, and all I could say was; "What?!"