"So, where am I headed?" the young man asked, taking a hearty bite of the warm, savory Focaccia bread, savoring the soft crunch.
"You're headed to the world of El'Tamora," it replied, its voice as cold as the icy wind that swept through the room. "Used to be governed by gods, mighty ones at that. But these days? The demons are running the show."
"Huh? What happened to the gods?" He raised an eyebrow, his curiosity sparked.
"No one knows," it answered, its tone carrying a strange melancholy. "One moment, they were here, and the next—poof—gone. People say it was because they lost their followers, their believers. Now, demons are the ones being worshipped."
"Oh, great... demons? This is gonna be a real fun time, huh?" the young man muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. "So what's the game plan? What's my goal here?"
"For me, I'd say just survive. You know, outlast your time on this new world," it said bluntly, staring at him with its usual detached gaze.
The young man laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, nah. If I'm gonna live again, I'm going all in. I'm not just gonna sit around waiting for the clock to tick down. Besides... didn't you want that promotion?"
It blinked, taken aback. "I do want the promotion... but your life is more important to me," it admitted, blushing just a little.
"Oho! An administrator who actually cares? That's rich," the young man teased, grinning like he'd just won a prize. "Tell me, do you give all your players this much attention? Or am I just special?"
Its face flushed darker, and it cleared its throat, clearly trying to keep its composure. "First things first," it said, trying to move on. "Type in your username."
A system screen flickered into existence before him, the reality of what was about to happen hitting him like a punch to the gut. He'd read about this in stories, sure, but now? Now it was happening to him. He couldn't help but chuckle, almost nervously, at the absurdity of it all.
Taking the quill, he wrote the first thing that came to mind, a name that had been with him in every game he'd ever played.
[Focaccia Bread]
He clicked 'Confirm' without hesitation, the name practically rolling off his fingers. When the prompt popped up, asking if he was sure, he didn't even think twice—he clicked 'Yes.'
"Focaccia Bread? Really?" it asked, its tone somewhere between disbelief and judgment, like it was trying to figure out if he'd lost his mind.
"Yeah, why? It's my go-to name. Always has been. Makes sense, right?" The young man shrugged, totally unbothered.
"Well..." It's voice was flat, deadpan. "That's the name you'll be using in the new world. Forever."
The young man froze. His heart skipped a beat. "Wait, what?! No, no, no—can I change it?!" he asked in a panic, his face a mix of disbelief and horror. "I thought 'username' was just some placeholder! I didn't know it'd be my actual name in the new world!"
It stared at him blankly. "You're supposed to be this smart guy with high intellectual potential, right? How did you mess this up so badly?" it said, almost visibly facepalming.
The young man sighed deeply. "Well, looks like I'm stuck with it, huh? Guess it's unique. Besides, I'm a weird guy. Who even cares? Focaccia Bread for life, baby! Best bread out there!" He threw his arms up in the air, trying to shrug off the disaster.
It looked at him in stunned silence for a moment before muttering under its breath, "Well, that was a 180."
The young man grinned, all cocky confidence. "What can I say? You either roll with it... or you don't. And me? I'm rolling with it. So, what's next?"
"Alright, next up—status window," Snow said, its voice smooth, like it was just having a regular chat. "You can either say it out loud or just think it. Your call."
Focaccia grinned, totally unfazed. "Done, next!" he said, way too casually for someone who was literally about to get transported into a whole new world. But hey, he was used to this kind of stuff—anime, manhwa, webnovels... need I say more?
His eyes flicked over his status window, scanning it like he was checking his phone.
Name: Focaccia Bread
Level: 1
Title: None
Class: -
Ability: -
Skills: -
"Wait, hold up," Focaccia said, frowning. " I get why 'class' is blank but why's 'ability' and 'skills' just... empty?"
Snow sighed, sounding almost too chill. "Well, Mr. Bread, you'll unlock your abilities once you're transported to the new world. Skills come with experience. It's like leveling up in a game. You've played plenty of games before, right?"
Focaccia nodded. "Yeah, I think, I've got the basics down." He glanced back at his status with a shrug. "A bread for a name though."
Snow was clearly ignoring him at this point, moving on to the next thing. "Right. Now try your inventory."
Focaccia didn't miss a beat. He tapped into his inventory as natural as breathing.
"Inside your inventory, you've got some basic stuff to help you survive. Consider it a welcome kit from the us to you," Snow explained, clearly in tutorial mode.
Focaccia's eyes flicked through the items. "Okay... 500... currency. Guess that's the new world's money? Sounds about right." He skimmed the rest. "Five low-grade potions and a low-grade iron sword. Not exactly epic loot, but it'll do."
"Next," Snow went on, "Every human brought here gets ten premium currency. You know, like those new player bonuses in games where they throw you a couple freebies? You know what I'm talking about, right?"
Focaccia's face fell. "A freaking gacha? Even in this life? Seriously?" He let out a dramatic sigh, clearly not ready for this. "Snow, you've been watching me, right? You know I can't pull anything good. I always lose my 50/50s. Gacha hates me."
Snow, ever the patient guide, didn't even flinch. "Look, you could get a lot from those pulls. High-grade supplies, rare weapons, even skills. It's not all bad, promise."
Focaccia rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Oh, sure, high-grade trash and a fancy potion. Maybe a glowing rock or something." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Great, can't wait to see what my luck pulls. Let me just... prep for the disappointment."
Snow let out a quiet laugh, trying to keep things light. "You're really being extra about this. It's just ten pulls. Just give it a go."
With a snap of its fingers, Snow summoned the gacha fountain. The water inside shimmered, a bit too bright, a bit too... suspiciously magical.
"Throw the coin in the fountain, and let's see what you get. Hope for the best," Snow said with a soft smile, clearly trying to ease Focaccia's nerves.
Focaccia, feeling the weight of his doom settling in, flicked the coin into the fountain. He watched as the coin hit the water, a soft gleam catching the light.
The moment it landed, the fountain lit up. Not just a regular glow—no, this was a show. It shifted from gray to green to blue to purple to gold, and just when Focaccia thought it was done, the light exploded into a prismatic burst of color.
"Uh...Is it suppose to be doing that?" Focaccia asked, his voice filled with pure confusion. He squinted at the shifting colors, trying to make sense of it.
Snow froze. Absolutely froze. It looked like it had seen a ghost. For a solid few seconds, it was utterly silent. Then it managed to say, in a voice that was barely above a whisper, "It... means you've pulled the highest rarity possible."
Focaccia stared, blinked, and then burst into laughter. "Are you serious? Me? I pull the highest rarity? Good joke though."
Snow's voice was still a little shaky, its tone struggling to regain its composure. "I—It's really happening. You've got the highest rarity..."
Focaccia slowly shook his head. "Huh. Maybe it took pity on me because of all the failed 50/50s in my life."