Arthur’s last memory of Earth was the blinding flash of two giant headlights and the deafening shriek of burning tires.
One second, the nineteen-year-old was walking back from the gym, his lean, muscular frame aching from a long workout under the night sky. The next second, an out-of-control transport truck swerved straight over the curb. Impact. Darkness. Then... nothing.
When Arthur opened his black eyes, there was no pain. No hospital room. No sound of heart monitors.
He was standing on a floor of shimmering white clouds under a endless golden sky. Right in front of him floated a beautiful woman with glowing silver wings, wearing a long silk robe. She was frantically tapping on a glowing glass tablet, her face pale with panic.
"Oh dear... oh nonono!" the winged woman stammered, looking up at Arthur. Her eyes widened as she took in his black hair and lean build. "Arthur... age nineteen... You weren't supposed to die today! Your name was accidentally crossed out on the soul register by a junior clerk!"
Arthur blinked, trying to process the surreal sight. "I'm... dead? Because of a clerical error?"
"I am so, so sorry!" The angel bowed repeatedly, her hands clasped together in desperate apology. "We cannot send you back to your old body—it's already been cremated! But to make up for this terrible tragedy, I can send you to a brand new world! A world of magic, swords, dragons, and endless adventure!"
Arthur crossed his arms, staring at her calmly. "A new world? Will I get any special abilities to survive?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" The angel raised her glowing wand, her expression bright with relief. "I am granting you a special, hidden progression system called [Ancestral Synergy]. It will allow you to absorb magic and grow far stronger than any normal mortal through specific bonds of intimacy with experienced, powerful figures of the realm!"
Before Arthur could ask what she meant by experienced figures, the angel flicked her wrist.
"Good luck, Arthur! May your new life be long and prosperous!"
A blinding circle of golden light opened beneath his feet. Arthur dropped straight down, plunging through clouds of blinding white until the rushing wind roared in his ears.
THUD!
Arthur landed hard on his boots, skidding across damp soil and crushing thick vines. The air was heavy, hot, and smelled of wet leaf mold and unfamiliar floral scent.
He looked around in shock.
Giant trees with trunk diameters thicker than houses stretched hundreds of feet into the air, their thick foliage blocking out most of the sunlight. Massive, glowing blue mushrooms grew along the base of ancient roots, and strange screeching sounds echoed from deep within the dense brush.
"Where... am I?" Arthur muttered, running a hand through his black hair. He looked down at his clothes—his gym shirt and sweatpants were intact, but he possessed no weapons, no map, and no food.
A low, guttural growl vibrated through the bushes thirty paces to his left. Two glowing crimson eyes glared at him through the thick leaves. A beast resembling a massive wolf, but covered in jagged stone scales, stepped slowly into the small clearing.
Arthur’s heart pounded against his ribs. He instinctively stepped back, his lean muscles tensing for a fight he knew he couldn't win unarmed.
SHOOSH!
A sharp wooden spear flew through the air, striking the dirt right in front of the scaled beast. The creature snapped its jaws, startled by the sudden flash of motion, before turning and retreating into the shadow of the jungle.
"Hey! Over here! Move, quick!" a young voice shouted from behind a high tree root.
Arthur turned to see a young boy, around twelve years old, wearing a simple leather tunic and holding a small hunting bow. The boy frantically waved his arm, gesturing for Arthur to come over.
Arthur quickly ran over, crouching beside the boy behind the massive root.
"Are you crazy?" the boy whispered urgently, his eyes wide with fear and wonder as he looked at Arthur’s strange clothes. "This is the deep boundary of the wild jungle! High-grade beasts hunt here past noon! You should be heading back home right now!"
Arthur took a quiet breath, composing his thoughts before speaking. "I... don't have a home nearby. I'm a wanderer, and I got completely lost."
The boy looked at Arthur’s black hair, his tone, and his lack of hunting gear, his expression softening with sympathy.
"A lost wanderer? If you stay out here until sunset, the forest beasts will eat you alive," the boy said, lowering his bow. He smiled warmly. "Come on. My house is just a little ways past the tree line. It's safe there."
"Are you sure?" Arthur asked. "I don't want to intrude."
"It's fine! It's just me and my grandmother," the boy replied, turning to lead the way through a hidden dirt path in the brush. "My name is Robin. Come on, follow me before the beasts smell us!"
Arthur nodded, keeping close behind the young boy as they left the dark depths of the jungle behind.