Chapter 1: Wait… What!?
Alicia blinked—or at least she tried to. Except… she had no eyes. And apparently, no body either. Darkness stretched in every direction, endless and absolute.
"Uh… hello?!" she tried to shout. No sound came out. "Okay, this is officially weird…"
Suddenly, a blue light appeared in the darkness, hovering like it had somewhere important to be. Alicia yelped and fell backward—well, whatever counted as backward without legs.
"AAAaaah! I—wait… where is my body?! My hands?! Legs?! Something is very wrong here!"
As the panic set in, the light pulsed gently and words formed in midair:
"Hello, host. Congratulations on your successful rebirth."
Alicia squinted—or tried to. "Rebirth? Host? Did I… die? I don't remember dying!" She flailed with nothing, imagining a dramatic fainting scene.
"This is the Strongest Planet Core Spirit System. You have been chosen as the host."
Alicia paused. Planet Core? Spirit System? That sounded like… one of those weird novels she read about systems, reincarnation, and leveling up. And she loved those.
"Okay… brain, focus. What exactly am I?"
"You are now a newborn planet core. Your current form is… minimal, but consciousness is intact. More functions will unlock as you progress."
Alicia's nonexistent mouth formed a grin. "Minimal, huh? Cute. But what can I do?"
Another text appeared in the hovering blue light:
[Knowledge]
She tapped it with her mind, and the system started explaining. Stats, functions, and something called a "newbie gift package" that she could claim immediately.
Ding!
"Newbie gift package ready. Claim?"
"Claim!" Alicia thought eagerly. Instantly, the system handed her:
Beginner Encyclopedia
Low-tier Energy Conversion Method
2 Life Energy Stones
Alicia floated in her own confusion—and excitement. "Okay… so I'm a planet core, I have some stones, a method, and apparently an encyclopedia. Awesome. But also terrifying. And slightly… head-achy?"
She rolled—well, sort of—and stared at the blue floating texts. For the first time since waking, she felt a spark of curiosity outweighing panic.
"This is… going to be interesting."
Alicia's nonexistent fingers twitched. Her new life as a planet core was beginning. And for once, she wasn't sure if she wanted to scream, laugh, or just… absorb some space energy.