Otherworld Avatar

Lily opened her eyes slowly as the rays of the morning sun woke her up. As she came to, the first thing she did was to check if she felt any pain or injuries, but she quickly realized that she was fine.

Wow, I really did die and get reincarnated, it wasn't all a strange dream I got from reading all those novels, Lily thought, and the reality of the situation hit her. She started sobbing quietly, tears streaming down her face as she remembered all the people and places she would never see again, all the stories whose ending she would never know. The worst thing, though, was that she realized that nobody would miss her all that much. Her parents died when she was young, and she had no siblings, so there was no family who would mourn her death. She was a recent hire at work, and although she got along well with her colleagues, it would not be hard to replace her. She wondered how long it would take for the nice old landlady to find a new tenant for her apartment.

Still, I don't think I did all that bad in my life on Earth after being orphaned at six. I managed to get into a good university and was about to finish my education. I do wish I had more time for my social life though, Lily sighed, and started wiping her tears away. It seems like fate has decided to give me another chance, and I should not squander it. She took a moment to compose herself before getting up and taking a look at her surroundings. First, she took a good look at her own body. The goddess had said she was making it from scratch and that she would make some "adjustments", but Lily was not sure what she meant. The first thing she noticed was that her chest was noticeably bigger. She supposed that she couldn't complain that a goddess of love and passion gave her bigger boobs, since she had been a little insecure about her old pair, especially since all of her girlfriends had been bigger. It was hardly the worst thing a protagonist could suffer, she supposed as she continued checking herself out. She didn't feel any taller, but she couldn't be sure, and she was fine with that. Being 5'8" was plenty tall for her, though she realized she had no clue how that compared to the average of this world. She was wearing a green sleeveless shirt, and a pair of plain blue pants. She wouldn't call her apparel eye-catching, but it was practical. The next thing she noticed while checking herself out was that her muscles were noticeably larger. She wouldn't call herself ripped, but it was the body of someone who exercised regularly. Dalia did mention she would give me skills equal to several years of training, the improved physique is probably a part of that, Lily realized, and made a mental note to exercise regularly to keep her new look. It was not something she managed to do back on Earth, spending most of her free time online or reading.

She turned her attention to the nature around her. The alien sun looked a little larger than Earth's own, but it was still low over the horizon. It's good that it's still morning so I have time to get a bearing, and find shelter before nightfall. She saw that she was standing under a tree, in the middle of a forest clearing. Tall, ancient oaks circled the area on all sides, but she did notice a small stream of water flowing in the direction of the rising sun. She also discovered a satchel bag next to the place she woke up. Lily had hoped Dalia would not send her empty handed into an unfamiliar world, and she was glad to be proven right. She picked the bag up and inspected it. At first glance it seemed ordinary to her, but when she opened it and looked inside she realized she couldn't see anything, not even the bottom. She tried reaching inside but she could not reach the bottom, despite the bag being much shorter than her arm. Lily knew magic was real on Teras, but coming face to face with it still felt weird. The bag she held violated every principle of reality Earth had, yet she suspected it was only the first of many wonders she would experience here. Provided I survive of course. I have to figure out how the damn thing works, Lily mussed. I wonder how I access the things inside. She started rummaging just around while trying to think about items that might be inside. She thought about food, and to her surprise she felt her hand grabbing something inside. She pulled out, and in her hand was a sandwich with some sort of meat inside. Eureka, though this would be easier if I knew what was inside. Maybe there is a way to access that information that I don't know about, she thought as she regretted not getting more practical information from Dalia, instead of staring into her eyes the whole time. Can't be helped, you don't get to meet actual divinity every day. Well it's time for the good old trial and error approach, although I should eat first. Lily sat down and tentatively took a small bite of the sandwich. The meat tasted vaguely chicken-like, although it was salted, and there were some unknown vegetables mixed in. It was tasty enough, and she continued eating as she tried to think about things that could be inside her bag.

Few hours later, Lily sat in the same place, surrounded by various items. She managed to dig up around two dozen sandwiches like the one she ate, so she wasn't going to starve any time soon. She also found a metal canteen with water, although she wasn't as worried about that since she intended to follow the stream to try and find civilization. She managed to fish out a decent amount of clothing. Several shirts and pants like the ones she wore sat in a neatly folded pile beside her, along with some towels, but the more interesting items were laid out in front of her. There was a set of reinforced leather armor along with a white triangle shield, but the crowning piece of her little collection was a short sword whose hilt was adorned by six beautiful gemstones. Two diamonds flanked a central, larger, ruby on both sides. She also had a smaller knife that wasn't as intricately decorated, but still had a nicely carved wooden handle. Beyond the weapons and armor, Lily also found some bandages and several vials filled with a red liquor that popped into her hand when she thought about healing. She also managed to figure out how to store the items back, by putting them inside and then closing the bag, the item would disappear inside. Satisfied with her findings, and with the sun higher in the sky, Lily decided to set out. She stored all of the items back, with the exception of the knife and the sword which came with a belt and a scabbard. She briefly considered putting the armor on, but she felt it would slow her down, especially since it was getting quite hot, despite a breeze. She had no idea how far she would have to walk to find civilization, so conserving energy was key. With preparations made, she made her way across the clearing towards the small stream, trampling the damp morning grass underfoot. She listened to the sounds around her; the cacophony of the chirping birds, different than any she knew from Earth, the rustling of leaves in the slow breeze, and the sharp smell of grass were foreign to a city girl like her. Take it all in, Lily, but remember that all of this beauty could be in danger, and you are tasked with protecting it. She pushed back the doubts about her role as she reached the stream at forest edge. It was a slow moving thing, with crystal clear water, and she took a quick look at her own reflection. Her familiar face looked back at her, less pale than usual, but her pupils were different, a shade of purple lighter than Dahlia's. If the goddess gave me bigger boobs, she could have also made my forehead a little smaller, she sighed as she saw her reflection.It is what it is though, I can't really complain about being reborn, can I? Determined not to lose more daylight, she took a deep breath and plunged into the forest, and into adventure.