It was surprising when it happened. I mean, being sent to a world you spent your whole life knowing as fiction. Waking up in that bed was a surreal feeling. Not having tubes and needles in my arm, not having the constant smell of alcohol and bleach filling the room. Especially not having the whisper of people's pity.
I guess I should start from the moment I woke up. I found myself in a dirty apartment that seemed to have been neglected for months. The room was damp and chilly; the bed was old and dirty, covered in stains like the walls, with peeling wallpaper.
When I finally adjusted to my surroundings and the sleep was gone from my eyes, I was confused and worried, to say the least. I had just been asleep in my hospital bed a few moments ago, and now this.
Slowly standing up, I began taking in more of my surroundings. Walking around the small room, I did not find anything that seemed important or any indication of where I was or what had happened to me.
Walking up to the only door, I carefully opened it and peered around the corner, looking to see if I could find anyone without startling them.
"No one...I don't know if that's a good thing or bad," I sighed as I fully opened the door and walked into a larger living room area.
Taking the next twenty minutes to look around, I still didn't find much: some spoiled food, clothing left on the floor, and take-out food containers on a table in front of the TV.
Walking up to another door, I found it to be a bathroom. As I entered, I received the second biggest shock of the day. I was not myself. Well, I was myself, but it was not my body. Yes, they looked similar, with pale white skin and my thin body that struggled to maintain weight, but my once-brown hair was now black, and my brown eyes were now a deep purple.
"W...what happened to me? H-how is this possible?" I asked myself more questions about my situation, rising
Taking a moment to calm down and accept what happened, I stood up from the bathroom floor and walked back into the living room. Grabbing the TV remote, I turned on the TV and flipped through the channels until I found the news.
"Masked Vigilante Batman has been missing for the past few days. With Gotham's criminally insane running rampant and the GCPD seeming unable to stop them, the question on all Gotham residents' minds is Where is the Batman?" a female news reporter spoke.
"Yes, but for now all residents are cautioned to stay in their homes and only leave if absolutely necessary for their own safety," a male reporter added.
"Gotham... Batman...it can't be no no no. No, this had to be some lucid dream, yeah," I said, panicking at the time.
Rushing to the bathroom, I opened the tap and began splashing cold water on my face, hoping that it would somehow wake me up.
Realizing that this was not simply a dream, I could wake up from it. I went back to the living room and sat down on the couch.
"Alright, Oliver, think... There has to be a way out of Gotham...somehow,"
"..."
"..."
"Damn it...there are too many variables, too many criminals to account for. I know nothing about their plans, locations, or habits. If I just leave my apartment with everything in chaos, I'm just asking to die," I sighed in defeat, leaning back on the couch.
"What am I going to do? The knowledge I have now won't help me get out of Gotham."
[Shaman System Activated]
[Hello, host system has completed full soul integration. Would you like to view system functions?]
"...A system...ha, alright, maybe I will have a chance," I said in a shocked sigh of relief, as a black and white screen appeared before me.
"Yes, show me the system functions."
[Main System Functions]
-[Status: Monitors and tracks the host's physical and mental condition while tracking the mystical and bodily capabilities of the host.]
-[Inventory: A limited sub-space that the host can access at any time to store any item. All items stored will be frozen in their current state.]
-[Contract: Make contracts with night creatures to have them serve you until the contract is fulfilled.]
-[Store: The store can be used to purchase materials to make potions, curses, hex, poisons, and much more. The host must exchange soul coins for the listed items.]
"...Soul coins...don't tell me I have to kill people for these soul coins?" I asked as I read over the function descriptions
[The host will have to figure that out on his own. How you obtain the soul if your choice]
"...Okay, I don't know how much I like that answer, but fine, I will push that aside for now. Could you show me my Status?" I said, forcing the subject away for now.
[Very well, Host]
[Status]
Name: Oliver Langston
Age: 17
Shaman Rank: 10th Grade
HP: Health Points: 67/70 [Health: Malnourished/Tired/ Stage II Brain Cancer]
AP: Aether Points: 200/200 [Soul: Perfect]
Shaman Archetype: None
Strength: 7
Agility: 8
Vitality: 7
Dexterity: 12
Soul: 20
Magic Affinities: None
Curses: None
Hexs: None
"So this body also had brain cancer...tell me, system, what's the point if I'm going to die from this cancer...I don't have any money in this world. How am I supposed to get treatment?"
[Do not worry, host, you shall overcome. Cancer of this level is something you can deal with in the future] the system replied
"W-wait...you're telling me I can be healed...don't give me that false hope, can I really be rid of this?" I asked, the desperation evident in my voice.
[Yes Host]