Free Web NovelChapter 1: A New Life Begins
The light from the screen faintly illuminated the room plunged into darkness.
Sitting in front of his computer for more than twenty hours, Adam was still typing a few lines of code.
A renowned freelance programmer and part-time writer, he was used to sleepless nights. His reputation was built on a rare quality: he refused to work on a subject he did not master.
When a client asked him to develop a medical program, he studied medicine.
When he worked on financial software, he learned finance.
And when a studio had asked him to debug a particularly complex fantasy game, he had spent several months studying everything related to fantasy worlds, medieval weapons, medicinal plants, and even military tactics.
This habit had allowed him to acquire knowledge in countless fields.
But it had also destroyed his health.
As he fixed one last critical bug, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his chest.
His hands froze on the keyboard.
His vision blurred.
Then everything went black.
When he regained consciousness, he was floating in an infinite white space.
In front of him stood an enormous wheel of light.
Hundreds of rewards rotated across its surface.
"Welcome, traveler," a mysterious voice announced.
Adam looked around.
"You have been selected to be reincarnated into another world. As compensation, you will receive three gifts."
The wheel began to spin.
First stop.
Reward Obtained:
Satisfaction Return System
The more appreciated the services provided by the host are, the greater the rewards obtained.
Second stop.
Talent Obtained:
Accelerated Learning
Your learning speed is significantly increased.
Third stop.
Skill Obtained:
Delimiter
Allows the identification and analysis of certain limits or restrictions.
Before Adam could ask a single question, the white light engulfed him.
A few seconds later, he appeared in a vast wind-swept prairie.
In front of him stretched an immense cliff.
Far below flowed a fast-moving river.
"So... I really have been reincarnated into another world... I thought that only happened in stories..."
He had barely spoken those words when a scream rang out.
Adam looked up.
A figure had fallen from the top of the cliff.
"Huh?!"
A woman in armor was plunging toward the river dozens of meters below.
SPLASH!
Without thinking, Adam ran.
Fortunately, the river flowed right beside the prairie.
He rushed into the freezing water and swam toward the figure being carried away by the current.
After several efforts, he managed to grab her and bring her back to the shore.
The young woman wore damaged knight armor.
Her body lay motionless, soaked with water and blood. Her once-flaming red hair was plastered strand by strand against her pale skin by the mud along the riverbank. Her face had lost all color from blood loss.
The silver armor had been pushed aside, revealing her generous chest rising and falling with difficulty, a slow and irregular movement that betrayed her weakness. Lower down, a gash in her abdomen poured blood. The edges of the wound were swollen and dark, thick blood seeping out in stark contrast to the milky whiteness of her abdomen.
Her wide hips rested heavily on the ground, while her long, firm legs revealed regular training.
She was unconscious.
Adam quickly examined the wound.
He removed her armor, then parted her clothing to get a better look.
"Not good..."
Adam quickly examined the wound.
Thanks to the vast knowledge he had accumulated during his years of work, he possessed solid foundations in first aid and medicine.
Without wasting time, he cleaned the wound as best he could. He searched for some common medicinal plants and fortunately came across yarrow, which helps wounds heal.
He crushed the plant and applied it to the wound, then improvised a bandage using his shirt.
Fortunately, he always carried a survival multi-tool with him that contained a small knife, a pair of scissors, a saw, a file, and a magnesium fire starter.
As he finished the treatment, Adam took a deep breath and looked at the young woman lying before him.
Her face was pale, and her breathing was weak.
Even though the wound had been bandaged, she remained in critical condition.
"If I want her to survive, I’ll have to keep taking care of her."
Fortunately, the surroundings seemed calm.
The vast prairie was deserted, and no monsters or dangerous animals were visible on the horizon.
Adam let out a small sigh of relief.
"At least I won’t have to fight a dragon on my first day."
He stood up and began exploring the riverbank.
Many branches had washed ashore in various places.
Some of them had probably come from the immense black forest located atop the cliff.
The current had carried them here before they dried beneath the sun.
After several trips, Adam gathered a large amount of wood.
Thanks to the magnesium fire starter, it did not take him long to light a fire.
A few minutes later, flames were crackling softly.
The warmth began to heat the soaked young woman.
Adam then removed his jacket and carefully placed it over her.
"It’s not much, but it should help."
His stomach suddenly protested.
He had not eaten anything long before arriving in this world.
So he approached the river.
The water was clear and filled with small fish.
After several clumsy attempts, he managed to catch a few using a branch he had sharpened into a spear.
"My hunter ancestors would probably die of shame if they saw this."
Back near the fire, he cleaned the fish before cooking them.
The smell quickly spread through the air.
Adam then sat near the flames, alternately watching the fish cook and the mysterious unconscious knight.
The hours passed slowly.
The sun was already beginning to descend in the sky.
It was then that a faint groan caught his attention.
"Mmh..."
The young woman’s fingers moved slightly.
Her eyelids trembled.
Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.
Eyes of a deep blue.
For a few seconds, she stared at the sky without understanding.
Then her gaze fell on Adam.
Instantly, she tried to sit up.
"Don’t move!"
"Where... where am I?"
Her voice was weak but filled with suspicion.
"Near a river. I pulled you out of the water after your fall."
The young woman tried to speak, but a pain shot through her abdomen.
Her face tightened.
She looked down at her bandage.
"You did this?"
"Yes. I’m not a doctor, but I have some first-aid knowledge."
She remained silent for a few moments.
Then her expression relaxed slightly.
"So... you saved my life. Thank you."
The moment those words were spoken, a sound echoed.
Ding!!
And a translucent window appeared before Adam.
System Notification
Satisfaction Confirmed
Target: Unknown Female Knight
Satisfaction Level: 72%
Service Evaluation:
Rescue: Excellent First Aid: Good Protection: Good
Reward Obtained:
+86 Satisfaction Points
Current Satisfaction Points: 86
Adam blinked.
"Points?"
Before he could think further, another window appeared.
Satisfaction Points
Total: 86
Available Functions:
Status (Locked)
Inventory (Locked)
System Shop (Locked)
Lottery Draw (Locked)
Unlock Condition: Obtain 100 Satisfaction Points.
"So I have to help people to earn points..."
His gaze fell upon the young knight.
"And the more satisfied they are, the more points I gain."
Adam’s eyes widened.
"So that’s how this system works..." he muttered.
And for the first time since arriving in this new world, he had found a new interest.
