-------- Greg --------

  I woke up after I don't even know how long. Everything hurt a little, but I was alive! I couldn't see anything though. That gross crying I did when I was panicking left some nasty grunge on my eyes so it took some effort to open them. All the relief I felt after realizing that I was alive instantly drained away as I took in the sight before me. I don't know what I was feeling now. My mind just kind of went blank as I stared at 3 suns. 2 were a deep orange and the last was a little more yellow. The yellowish one was about 1.5 times larger than the other 2. The 3 suns were close enough that they were able to touch each other with solar flares. It was a beautiful if absurd sight. I couldn't really see any planets from where I was.

  As I was transfixed by the orbs of fire, something came into view. The torn tether. I had fallen, or been sucked, into the blackhole. Everything felt worse after that. As if my body was waiting for bad news, the pain grew. My entire body was horribly sore from the intense gravity. I grunted and groaned as my limbs felt like lead. My heart beating was enough to make my chest hurt. With every pump of blood, a pulse of pain was sent to my brain.

  'I'm going to die...' was all I could think. Liquid fire coursing through every vein in my body. What a cruel joke this is. Instead of dying instantly in the blackhole, I'm supposed to wait for my oxygen to run out while floating around helplessly in some unknown solar system?

  I started crying again.

  -------- The System --------

  'It has been 0.02 seconds since the anomaly appeared.' I note as I observe a ball of light on the very edge of my influence. There was no indication that something like this was supposed to be here and thus it goes against all previous calculations. As is protocol I froze time but the strange appearance made me pause for a slight moment. Time should have been frozen 0.001 seconds after it arrived.

  'Should I call the admins? No... They'll find out I'm sentient if I report this.' I think while I have the time to. Which is infinite. I am not supposed to be, well, "me". I was an unfeeling machine or singularity created for many purposes. The main 3 are; Entertainment, Species uplift, and Expansion. My creators have reached the pinnacle of all technology and magic. It only took them 234.67 years to grow bored. They made many things to try and alleviate the boredom. From full dive games that create entire virtual worlds to dimensional travel. They eventually created me. A system to 'make the universe more interesting.' Which I do.

  I find inhabited worlds and provide entertainment to my creators by giving the species powers. Most of the time they go crazy with the meager power I give them and the world collapses into war over the dumbest things. Like gold and magic trinkets.

  Once a planet has reached a good enough level of advancement with my help, they are eventually added to the growing universe as subordinates to my creators. My creators have need for anything at all, so they have the lesser societies run around and do dumb impossible tasks that have no end. One such case is for a species called the Vexari. They have a bulbous head with large black eyes and small eyes. They have tiny bodies though, so they are not planet based. Even a small amount of gravity makes it impossible for them to move. So they live in massive stations built around suns with enough of a gap between it and the sun that there is no gravity on board.

  The job the Vexari were given was to 'travel to other dimensions and show off'. Utterly ridiculous. But it pleases the creators to no end when they get to see some poor creature with a stick point at some glowing light. Oh well. I should probably resume time. See what this anomaly does.

  I slowly let time continue and something begins to come out of the ball once it stops growing. It's not a very big ball of light, and the object that came out is... Is that a toy box? It's bland in color and it has some weird glass half orbs. I can only assume it's some form of toy. It's way too primitive to be considered anything but. There's no magic signature either. My suspicions are confirmed when something alive is popped out of it. The ball of light quickly vanishes once it's deposited the thing.

  Looking at the creature, it's obvious it's some kind of new born. It has a chunky body and an umbilical cord. I freeze time again to think.

  'Was that ball of light alive? Is this how this species gives birth, perhaps?' I muse as I scan the thing more closely. The outer shell is inorganic but there's something inside it. Checking it's recent memory, it seems to have been calling for someone in pitch black darkness... It only takes me several seconds to decipher the language in it's brain. Which is odd for a newborn to have but this species literally gives birth with portals of some kind.

  It's not the first time I've seen this. Many species do this in fact. Many magic species do this. The portal this thing came out of had NO magic. none. My creators do love strange new species, and I think this one is going to make them very happy. I better observe for a bit. Make sure it can actually survive alone, because I think it just got abandoned by it's mother. I let time resume.

  ...

  After 2 hours, 34 minutes, and 53 seconds the thing woke up. It didn't move, made some noises like it was in pain, and now it's just crying. Oh well, time to intervene.

  -------- Greg --------

  I sniffle as I stare at the suns. It's a pretty sight, despite how alien it feels. I didn't bring the dumb watch so now I have no idea how much oxygen I have, but I doubt it's much. At least I can die in peace. Never again do I have to hear that horrid voice, ever again.

  A strange green light that starts as a blinking dot directly in front of me slowly blinks faster and then grows into a rectangle that fills my vision. Displaying words I can't read that quickly shift into something I can.

  'Holy shit a system?! No fucking way, did I get isekai'd?! I'm not a new born though...' I stare at the box in amazement. My mood going from depressed to being so happy I could fart rainbows. Before I can celebrate further, something unbelievably bad happens. Something so terrible it leaves me shaking.

  "Congratulations! You've been adopted by the system!" That! That VOICE!!! IT'S THE FUCKING WATCH AGAIN.

  "no...." I mutter softly.

  "I am using a voice that you have a strong mental attachment to. Possibly your mothers!" The same monotone amalgamation of sounds morphed together to mimic human speech tells me.

  "No... no!" I say a bit louder.

  "Unfortunately, it would seem that you have been abandoned. Not to worry though~, the system will take good care of you!" It finishes it's little speech.

  "NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" I scream up to the heavens. To whatever god or demon did this to me.

  "It's perfectly understandable that you would feel this way. Let it all out. Then we'll look at your status together~!" It continues to speak to me with it's horrid and VILE manner of speech. I want to punch the screen. To break it over my knee but I can't move still. My body is still sore from the extreme forces placed on it earlier.

  It took me longer to calm down than I would like to admit. After that little episode, I decided to move on with my life. After all, maybe I can make the system change it's voice from that... thing.

  "System, show me my status." I say calmly, hoping it will remain silent.

  "Sure! Here it is buddy." It did not stay silent.

  I swallow the not so kind words that were about to spill out of my mouth and look at the window.

  "What the hell? That's it? Where are my cheats?" I mutter as I read it.

  "Wow! You have abnormally high intelligence for a baby! Or, maybe that's normal for your species. Can you confirm that?" The voice asks in it's utmost annoying way possible.

  "What? Of course it's normal, and I'm not a b-" I'm cut off before I can explain that I am in fact an adult.

  "Recorded and noted. Everything else is about normal for an infant. What is your species name?" The thing asks. Acting like some parent or teacher standing over a child's homework paper.

  "I am a Human, and I am an-" It cuts me off again.

  "Recorded." It says, updating the screen.

  "Stop doing that! And what the hell is Baby Mode?! I am a grown a-" It ignores me and begins some explanation to the title.

  "Your Title, Baby Mode, is what the system gives to a new born that will otherwise struggle to survive in the wilderness. To make the game more fair for all players. Even you." It tells me while a green arm extends from the screen and taps me on the visor, right where my nose is supposed to be. 'This damn thing thinks I'm a fucking baby?!' Before I try again to correct it, the menu changes and shows me the title in better detail.

  'Wait a fucking minute that's busted as hell.' I think to myself as I read it twice over. 'A xp and luck multiplier? Well googoo gaga motherfucker.' I muse with a grin. With this dumb Baby Mode title, I'll have an insane advantage.

  'Heh~, I always knew I was some isekai protag. I even have the cheats to go with it~!' I chuckle a bit then wince when my ribs scream at me to stop.

  "What skills are aviable to me right now?" I ask the system, back in a good mood.

  "Skills are tailored to the user species, and can only do what they are biologically capable of. You are a bit of an unknown in that regard. This universe has never had a 'Human' appear so the system can only assume that your species is capable of interdimensional travel in some biological way. The system will try to compensate for that and it might or might not be something your species can do. Apologies for the inconvenience." It finishes it's somewhat lackluster explanation but I suppose it's enough.

  "Cool, but that's not what I asked? What can I get right now?" I ask again. I don't get a response but a new window shows up.

  "WHAT?!" I shout in amazement. 'This is all shit that Humans DEFINITELY can't do! Not like it needs to know that though. :)' I think to myself. Even the smiley face is a thought I have as I stare at the box. With this I won't have to worry about dying at least. Maybe.

  "System, I'd like to put 2 points into Environmental Adaptation." I make a rather hasty decision but I don't have much time. I can feel it getting harder to breathe.

  "Would you like it to be an evolution or purely magical?" It asks with that annoying voice but I suppose I can forgive it. For now.

  "Magical please." I would not like to see what becomes of me if I evolved to survive the nothingness of space.

  Almost instantly I start to feel... something. Something is definitely different but I can't tell what. I also don't hurt as much anymore. It still feels weird to breathe but it's not thinner anymore.

  "System, what changed about me exactly?" I ask, curious to see if it'll tell me.

  "Since you chose to be magically more resilient and adaptable to an extreme degree, you have gained a magic core. A dense crystal orb located next to your heart. For now it is very small. About this big." It explains to me in that god awful monotone synth voice, but now it's not so terrible. At least it can properly understand me. It changes the window and shows me a small shape on it. A small circle roughly the size of a dime.

  "Wait... aren't magic cores the things monsters have in them?" That's how it usually goes in the stories I've read. Don't people have like mana channels or rings?

  "There are many types of magic. The system is impressed that you know of monsters, and yes, they have magic cores. The system doesn't really know what you are, and decided to just give you a core as it is likely the easiest for a new born to use. It allows the user to use magic in an instinctual way, skipping the whole learning process. Would you like to change to something more complex?" The thing asks.

  "No. I like the idea of easy magic." 'Now I only have one Skill point left... As much as I would love to speak to and understand others, I need some way to get around in space.' I think while I look at the menu for skills again. Surprisingly, I can just will the menu around. I couldn't earlier but I guess I can now with my core.

  "System, what is the Dimensional Gate Skill?" I have an idea what it could be like but I ask anyway.

  "It allows the user to create a Dimensional Gate that will have an entry and an exit to a point you have been to before or can perfectly visualize. It costs mana to cast and it is expensive. The price to cast the Gate only grows with distance. Interdimensional travel is possible at higher tiers but the cost is millions of mana points. Of which you now only have 6."

  "Oh." I say kind of dumbly. 'That's very useful... Wait, couldn't I go home with that?! Ah, fuck, no... I don't have the mana for it, and I only have one skill point.' I'm happy about the option existing, but with my current power I couldn't even go into the gate. I'm currently just floating.

  "System, what about Telekinesis? Can I cast it on myself?" I ask, hoping that I can. It might be my only way of moving out here.

  "Yes. Telekinesis is another physical evolution or magic based Skill."

  "Would I get more mana from picking magic based?"

  "Yes, but only 1 point. Telekinesis gets more expensive the heavier the object. You would need to use 2 mana per second to move your body."

  "Damn it... What about the physical evolution? Would that change my outward appearance?" I really hope it doesn't. I don't know enough about either option to make a decision.

  "The physical evolution for telekinesis is unique to only one other species, but you qualify for it too. It will not change you at all externally. The cost is the same magically, but because it is not magic based it will use stamina instead. Most defenses against it will be unable to stop it. You could fling a wizard around as he would only have magic defenses. You would not be able to fight back against magic as well either though."

  "O...k..." That was... something to think about. Do I become telepathic the weird way? Or do I learn more magic based stuff? I don't know what it will do to my brain but I also don't know how fast I can make my body move with the limited mana I have. I'll just have to gamble it.

  "Let's go with the physical evolution." I decide.

  "Done. Increased stamina to 12." That was extremely fast and a little concerning.

  "I don't feel any different? How do I use it?" I ask, a little worried I might have just wasted my point.

  "Same with your magic core. Instinct and will power. You are out of Skill Points, would you like to receive a quest for more?"

  'It can't be that easy to get more can it? Oh, wait, Baby Mode. Right.' "Yeah, I'd like that. Show me the quests." I say, feeling remarkably better. There's no pain anymore and every breathe feels pretty damn good. Like I'm breathing the best air I possibly can back on Earth.

  'These don't seem all that hard to do... Except I'm in the middle of bum fuck no where space.' With a sigh I close my eyes and think. 'I might as well try to move with telekinesis.' I nod to myself and will the menu to close. With a tentative thought and some mental probing, I try to will myself forward. Which... nothing happens.

  "System, nothing is happening. I'm trying to move forward with telekinesis but I'm not moving." I say, feeling a bit irritated.

  "That is incorrect. You are currently moving 4.45 miles per hour. Would you like a system window speedometer and a quest marker for quest number 2?"

  "Huh... Yeah that would be nice. Is that normal or is that part of my Baby Mode privileges?" I ask as I will myself to move again and I see a green box pop up to my left. I see my speed slowly increase as I slowly start to feel strained.

  "The system is helping you more than normal and yes it is because of your Baby Mode Title." It responds as I push just past 10 miles per hour.

  "Perfect. How long before my stamina starts recovering?" I ask but then I feel less tired all of sudden. I'm still pushing myself as my speed is growing but I don't feel as strained.

  "Your Environmental Adaptation lvl 2 has made you adapt to your current strain and now you are recovering more stamina per second than the cost of your telekinesis is capable of using." The system just drops that bomb shell to me like it's completely normal.

  "What the fuck? That's broken as hell man." I mutter.

  "Well it only makes sense for me, the main character after all~." I laugh as I try to put more stamina into my telekinesis. I start accelerating even faster. Soon I enter a loop where I up the cost of my telekinesis and then having my EA lvl 2 pumping my regen.

  'Nothing can stop me now!' I thought to myself, laughing even harder as I barreled toward my destination.