Chapter 9 – Stats

Madelyn woke up to the sunlight streaming through her window, already high in the sky. She blinked a few times, surprised by how late it was. Why didn’t my parents wake me up? she wondered, feeling disoriented. She glanced at the clock—nearly ten hours of sleep. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept that long, but her body felt rested, like it had needed the extra time.

As she lay there, her mind drifted back to last night. The moment replayed in her head: she had told her mom to call her Madelyn. It felt surreal, but it had happened. She had said it out loud, and even though the thought made her feel a little nervous, there was a part of her that felt strangely... at peace with it.

Madelyn swung her legs out of bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she stood. Her gaze fell on the neatly folded pile of clothes at the foot of the bed. What? She blinked in confusion. She didn’t recognize any of the clothes, and they certainly weren’t hers. The moment left her dumbfounded—how had these clothes ended up here? She hadn’t asked for them, and there was no way they belonged to her before everything changed.

As she unfolded the garments, it became clear they were girl’s clothes. She hesitated, staring at the items in her hands. There was a skirt, a dress, and some simpler options like pants and a shirt. She wasn’t ready for the skirt or the dress, the thought of wearing them sent a strange, uncomfortable feeling through her. Not today, she told herself, her fingers settling on the plain pants and shirt instead. They felt safer, less overwhelming.

Then her eyes fell on something else—a pair of panties and a bra. Her face heated up, and she froze for a moment. The dress she had worn in the game had come with its own set of underwear, something she hadn’t been prepared for at all. Back when she was still Benjamin, it had always been boxers, never something like this. This new reality was still jarring, and the idea of wearing girl’s underwear from now on was... well, she wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

She sighed, her mind spinning. This was yet another reminder of how different things were now. Reluctantly, she reached for the underwear, her thoughts swirling with a mix of curiosity, confusion, and a bit of nervousness. It was just one more step into this strange new life she was still trying to navigate.

After finally managing to get dressed—an effort that took embarrassingly longer than she’d hoped—Madelyn made her way downstairs. The simple task of putting on clothes in this new body felt far more complicated than it should have been, and the unfamiliarity still left her flustered. But she was dressed, and that was what mattered.

As she entered the kitchen, her parents were already there, seated at the table. Their eyes scanned her as soon as she stepped in, the unspoken acknowledgment of her new appearance hanging in the air.

"Hey there, sleepy," her mom greeted with a warm smile. "I see the new clothes fit you."

Madelyn blinked in surprise, her hand instinctively brushing the hem of her shirt and her tail twitched. "What? How? Did you... buy them? How did you even know what to get?"

Her mom gave a playful wink, clearly pleased with herself. "That’s a mom’s secret," she said with a teasing smile. "I wanted to surprise you."

Madelyn stared at her for a moment, processing what she had just heard. "So... that’s where you went yesterday?"

Her mom nodded, still smiling. "I figured you might need something that actually fits besides the dress you transformed with" she explained, glancing at the clothes Madelyn was wearing. "Thought it might help make things feel a bit more comfortable for you."

Madelyn’s face warmed at the thought of her mom going out and picking out clothes for her. It was strange, and a bit overwhelming, but she couldn’t help but feel grateful for the gesture. Even if the situation was still beyond her, her parents were trying to support her in their own way.

Madelyn stepped forward and hugged her mom, a small but heartfelt "thank you" escaping her lips. Her mom gently patted her head, smiling warmly. "No problem, Madelyn," she replied softly.

Hearing the name again made Madelyn flush, her face heating up. It was still strange, but hearing it didn’t feel as uncomfortable as she expected. In fact, it felt... kind of right. She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around why she was adapting so fast, why her brain was already starting to accept this new version of herself. Even the way she thought about herself was shifting, and it left her feeling confused, yet oddly calm. But there wasn’t much she could do about it now, so she simply let it be.

Her stomach growled loudly, breaking the moment. Her dad laughed, shaking his head. "Sounds like someone’s hungry."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

After breakfast, Madelyn felt a nervous energy building inside her as she prepared to follow through with her decision—today, she would go back into the game. The idea had settled further overnight, and despite her lingering anxiety, she felt a pull to dive back in and search for answers.

"Are you sure you're ready?" her mom asked, concern evident in her voice.

Madelyn nodded, though her heart was already pounding. "Yeah, I need to figure this out," she replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

Her parents exchanged a quick glance, then smiled softly. "Alright," her dad said, "good luck. We’ll be here when you get out."

With that, Madelyn made her way upstairs to her room, the familiar tension growing as she stepped toward the Full-Dive Pod. Her hands shook slightly as she opened the pod and climbed inside, her mind spinning with questions. What would she encounter in the game this time? Would something as bizarre as her transformation happen again? And, maybe the scariest thought of all—would she change again?

For a brief moment, she let the question linger in her mind: Did she want to change? The uncertainty hung there, unsettling and unanswered. As the lid of the pod closed and she got comfortable, careful with her tail, the world around her faded to black, and her heart raced, bracing for whatever came next.

Before Madelyn even had the chance to open her eyes, the familiar hum of the game world surrounded her. It was the same soundscape she remembered from her last time in Astralyth Online—the low murmur of voices, the clinking of plates, the bustle of an inn full of life.

When she finally opened her eyes, she was back in the game, standing inside the inn where she had logged out. Her heart raced as she scanned the room, feeling an immediate sense of unease. The place was crowded, filled with both players and NPCs, all of them engaged in conversations, drinking, or moving about the room. The sheer number of people made her feel exposed, like she was standing in the middle of a spotlight.

Her fox ears unconsciously twitched at the noise and dropped a bit, and her tail swished nervously behind her. The constant buzz of the crowd hit her all at once, overwhelming her senses. This is a lot, she thought, taking a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. But the reality of being back in this world, after everything that had happened, was already pressing on her.

Madelyn stood in the bustling inn, feeling that strange sense of displacement settling in. She couldn’t tell if it was the game world itself or just the sheer crowdedness of the inn that made her feel so out of place. Probably the inn, she figured. Even before changing into Madelyn she never liked crowds. She looked down at herself.

And then something unexpected hit her—relief. She blinked, confused by her own reaction. Why did she feel a wave of relief when she saw that she was still Madelyn? Her dress, the same one she wore when she first left the game, clung to her small frame, familiar now. Her fox ears twitched slightly at the noise, but it didn’t bother her as much as it had at first.

She had expected to feel anxious or out of control again, but instead, a small part of her felt grounded by the fact that she hadn’t changed further. Why am I relieved? she thought, feeling the conflict rise within her. This new body, this identity—Madelyn—still felt foreign, but somehow, it also felt more like her own every time she looked at herself.

Madelyn quickly made her way out of the inn, the cool air of the village greeting her as she took in the familiar sight. The village was just as vibrant and lively as the last time she had been here. The rustic charm of the medieval buildings, the cobblestone streets, and the hum of activity from both players and NPCs made the place feel like it was alive.

She took a deep breath, feeling the crispness of the air fill her lungs. The village still had that fantastical allure, and it struck her just how immersive and well-crafted the world was. It was like stepping into a different reality, one where every detail had been meticulously designed to feel real.

Despite her nerves, a part of her was captivated by the atmosphere—the distant clanging of the blacksmith, the laughter of players interacting, and the general bustle of village life. It's just as cool as last time, she thought, letting herself get lost in the moment for a bit. For now, the overwhelming thoughts about her own transformation could wait. Right now, she was just taking in the world of Astralyth.

Now that Madelyn was standing in the middle of the bustling village, she realized she hadn’t exactly thought ahead. I’m back... but what now? she asked herself, feeling a little lost. She glanced around, watching the other players go about their business—some heading off, probably on quests, others trading, and many just chatting in groups.

Okay, think, Madelyn... what to do first? She needed a plan, but nothing came to her immediately. The idea of wandering aimlessly didn’t appeal to her, especially not when she felt so unsure of everything.

Maybe I should check my status? she thought. That seemed like a reasonable place to start. At least it would give her some idea of where she stood in the game. She focused her thoughts and, just like before, a translucent menu appeared before her.

Madelyn stared at her status screen, confusion creeping in as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Her name was listed as Madelyn Fae, and her sex as female, just as she expected. The stats themselves looked normal enough—her dexterity was unusually high, likely a result of her being a foxkin. The rest of her stats were average, nothing too remarkable.

But what caught her eyes was the class section. It was a glitchy, buggy mess—characters flickering, random symbols, and unreadable text filled the space where her class should have been. It was impossible to decipher. A chill ran down her spine as she remembered what the support team had told her. They said nothing was wrong with my account, she thought, staring at the distorted mess on the screen.

Then what is this?

She felt her heart rate pick up. Something was clearly off, but if the support team hadn’t noticed anything, then what was happening with her class? She looked at her stats again.

Profile:

Name: Madelyn Fae

Level: 1

Race: Foxkin

Class: [GL!TC#D_ER!@R] (Unreadable, glitching text)

Age: 16

Sex: Female

Vitality:

Health: 100/100

Mana: 50/50

Stats:

Strength: 10

Constitution: 11

Dexterity: 18

Intelligence: 12

Wisdom: 13

Charisma: 14