The System

Prologue Ō - Part XI --> Mundane life

Lost.

Kal wouldn't like to admit the fact that even after specific instruction he got lost, nor count this as the first step of his journey into his mundane life. But the only word that could describe Kal's current predicament is this word.

Lost.

Many planets blink into existence, then get snuffed out. Kal didn't understand if it was the compass malfunctioning or something to do with space travel. Between Crook's lengthy monologue, info dumping about space travel, his personal experiences, tricks & tips to sailing, Kal must confess he tuned out most of the important bit. Or "being adrift", if you want to get technical. Yes, he did learn a few useless terms, which did jack shit to help him out now.

As Kal sails forward, the marking around the compass fades, then the blinking dots that locate the planets fade, followed by a sudden increase in mana consumption to fly the boat. Sorry, sail the boat.

In outer space, if you are stuck in a multidimensional loop, it's hard to distinguish up from down. With the artificial gravity active, one had to rely on their sense of nausea to steer the vessel right side up. Kal, being a 'Void-Folk,' Nausea was a foreign concept to him, one which he could never experience. In a battle, this meant any spells, skills, or other means used to disorient him will be in vain. Maybe you can throw him around or make him feel like the world's upside down. But whatever you try, the void did it a thousand times better.

This might help him in battle, but at the same time, it hindered his ability to be a proper sailor. He countered this by simply relying on his system engineering class or using a higher teleportation means of travel. Which worked until now. With his system and other skills taken away from him, Kal circled around the planet of his awkward goodbye. This maneuver forced Kal to confront Crook several times but also helped him evade the officials following him. Between the condescending looks from Crook and the aspect of being skinned alive. Kal preferred the latter with all his heart.

Every encounter, Crook threw a perfect mix of taunts, insults, disappointment, and instructions. The mixture contained a perfect blend of eighty percent taunts, followed by his disappointment, insults, and a smidge of useful instructions. To avoid another awkward goodbye, Kal focused on getting the ᚨːəᚨ out. He already had one of those, and it was enough for this lifetime.

Not counting these unfortunate encounters with Crook, the only other sailing experience, the only other noticeable events Kal deemed worthy of remembering before he gained access to his system, were the two quick, oh-so-godly naps his body forced upon him. He called them quick five minutes naps, but in reality, he has no clue how long he had been passed out for.

As for the repercussions of those two naps, he came perilously close to obliterating his sole mode of transportation while maneuvering the boat between a pair of colossal celestial bodies. Were it not for the impeccable craftsmanship of the boat and the protective aura emanating from Kal, the vessel would have succumbed to the conflicting gravitational forces, reducing both the boat and Kal to a mere two-dimensional spectacle. And if that scenario hadn't played out as planned, Crook would have personally ensured that Kal was reduced to a less-than-appetizing shapeless pulp. Despite the turbulent turn of events, the boat remained an invaluable gift to Kal, which Crook planned on claiming back in due time.

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Next, Kal met an itsy-bitsy spider that crawled up at him in the wrong way and at the wrong time. Recalling the screen he possessed from the big guy, Kal de-evolved the crap out of the 'Ze'nex' existence in a simpler form. Justifying his action, he muttered, "You shouldn't disturb a guy's beauty sleep." This time, his brief nap had concealed any evidence, wiping the spider's memory clean. Kal believed, with reasonable seventy percent certainty, that his task had been accomplished, although his drowsiness clouded the finer details of the event. Without the watchful gaze of his superiors or anyone else monitoring his actions, he assumed his deeds would remain hidden from prying eyes. Or so he thought...