[Player has reached 0% HP]
[Player has died]
[System Notification: Nah bro is stupid as shit]
[Message Sent from N*"£]
[System Error Found…. Error Resolved]
[Message Sent from System Administrator]
[Invite from System Administrator]
[Do you wish to enter the Void Realm?]
[Do you accept?]
[YES] [NO]
"Yes."
As soon as I said that, I was able to think thoughts. In all honesty, I'm not sure how I even said 'yes'.
Moments after regaining self-control, I appeared in a dark, endless void, similar to the one I had been in before reincarnation.
The void felt even darker and more eerie than that white void.
There I saw it, a black humanoid figure, no face, no nothing, but not a mannequin-looking thing like Ester, it was like it was blurred and made of pure aura.
First of all, why tf am I always in some endless void after death, and why, every time I'm in one of those voids, is there a faceless humanoid figure?
"Hello, Kyle, or should I say Zack," the figure spoke.
How does that figure know my name from Earth?
"Hello? Who are you?" I said.
"You do not need to know that, but I'm your best bud," it said.
"Yeah, I got no clue who you are," I replied.
"I'm obviously the System Administrator," it said.
...
The guy who said this:
[System Notification: Don't enter if you're a weak shit]
[Message Sent from System Administrator]
I only entered that boss's room cause of the System Administrator.
"Bro my ass died cause of you," I replied, now pissed.
"Hey, think about it, how are you talking if you're not alive?" it said.
"So I'm not dead?" I said.
"No, you are dead, but your soul is conscious. So, depending on perspectives and stuff you're alive," it said.
As it said that, it felt like it snapped its fingers, but it doesn't have fingers, I know, super weird.
As soon as I got that thought, I found myself in the boss's room, but it looked like a manga panel. It showed my dead body, sword stabbed through my heart, in full detail, a full shot. It was as if they put a manga panel into a VR headset.
"Why the hell are you showing me my corpse?" I said, purely confused.
"Hey, doesn't it look sick? It's a perfect panel. Like that'll get readers going," it said nonchalantly.
As soon as it said that, the system opened up for a split second, too quickly for me to see what it said. As soon as the system came off, I felt myself transported somewhere else. It felt like I was in some manga or webnovel when someone was scrolling down the page.
"What the hell are you?" I asked.
"It doesn't matter. System Administrator, camera man, god, narrator, I go by many names."
"You see, I'm not done with this story yet. There is an ending I want to see, and this is not it."
"I will give you one chance," it said.
[System Notification]
[System Administrator proposes a trade]
[System Administrator will give you the skill: One Time Revival, in return for 49% of your soul]
[Do you accept?]
[YES] [NO]
"Why 49%, and not more?" I asked.
"I want you to still make your own decisions, whoever owns the largest portion of a soul is the primary owner. In short, this means you keep your consciousness," it is said.
[Warning: 10 seconds remaining to Accept or Reject]
[Guide: Trades are optional; you do not have to accept]
Yeah, 'do not have to accept' my ass. I'm forced to accept, I die if I don't. I guess I'm already dead, but like I'm permanently dead then.
"Fine, I'll accept," I said grudgingly.
"Yes."
[Trade Accepted]
[Received Skill: One Time Revival]
"Good choice, Kyle. I bid you well, bring me my perfect ending," it said.
[Do you want to activate skill: One Time Revival?]
[YES] [NO]
[Warning: Once the skill 'One Time Revival' is used, it will automatically be deleted.]
"Yes."
As soon as I said 'yes', I felt myself drifting towards my body. As soon as I re-entered the boss's room, time was frozen?
[System Notification: System has given player a one-minute grace after the use of the skill 'One Time Revival']
Ooh, sweet, one minute grace. I still get to move around, so this is great. Ha, ha, this idiot is frozen.
So what should I do in a minute? Objects can't be moved, so I can't try to stab this cambion. Even after that revival, I still am screwed. I'd probably be better off dead.
No. I still have to fight for myself and Vextor. It was my fault we entered, he was against it. Greediness, accepting the offer of a couple of spells if we defeat the boss, was stupid. So I have to own up. I have to fix my mistake.
I don't think I got this grace period to sulk, I got it to think and then win.
[System Notification: 34 seconds of the grace period left]
Also, what did the System Administrator mean by 'bring me my perfect ending'? The guy sounds crazy. But what happens if I don't? What if I die again in a 'non-perfect way'? I don't have time to consider that.
As I drifted towards my body. I saw the sword still stuck through me. Just what will I do after the grace period is over? I still have a sword stuck through my body?
Is it truly my body? I feel different; my emotions have been dulled down, and the System Administrator truly did take 49% of my soul. Am I still myself? I guess I'm only 51% of myself now, but that's besides the point.
[System Notification: 13 seconds of the grace period left]
As I turned towards the Cambion, even in frozen time, it executed a powerful aura, shaking me to my core. Only now I remembered what monster that was. For a human exterior it sure was an evil bitch.
[System Notification: 4 seconds of the grace period left]
Oh well, I have to win, for myself, Vextor, and for that 'perfect-ending'.
It's life or death… (but haven't I already died…)