I opened my eyes and instantly regretted it. Blinding light hit me immediately, and it took several seconds for my vision to adjust.
To my right, I could hear the faint sound of beeping. It took me a moment or two to realize it was a heart monitor.
'So. I made it. But how?'
My last memory was being hit by a truck while rescuing a girl, because apparently, my life is all about noble sacrifice.
Who am I kidding? We were just standing at a crosswalk when a truck decided we were perfect candidates for the morgue.
In those final seconds, I knew I could not avoid it in time.
So, I shoved her out of the way, thinking maybe I would rack up some good karma… and, fingers crossed, get reincarnated with godlike abilities.
Yeah, it was a ridiculous idea. Nevertheless, an otaku mind was essentially programmed to anticipate reincarnation the instant a truck becomes involved.
'Wait... something is wrong.'
I couldn't feel anything below my neck.
"Nggh… brlghh…" I opened my mouth to speak, but all that came out was a mess of broken sounds and nonsense.
Beep. Beep. Beepbeepbeep!
The monitor pulsed faster and faster, keeping pace with my rising heart rate.
"Doctor! Please, something's wrong with my son!"
A stunning woman with silver hair burst into the room. Her voice trembled after seeing my condition.
It was like a model had stepped out of a fashion magazine. Perfect skin, a small waist, and, well… let's just say God didn't hold back when handing out blessings.
"Son, are you okay?" she leaned over, and damn, my vision went dark, blocked by the sheer size of her… assets.
'WOW!'
My heart rate spiked—definitely not from anxiety. I forced myself to breathe and figure out what the hell was going on.
Who was this pretty lady, and why was she calling me her son?
Last I checked, my mother wasn't this hot. Trust me, I would've remembered, mainly because I would have tons of male friends suddenly treating me nicely just to hang out at my house.
"The doctor will come soon. Don't worry," She bent closer, and her chest accidentally bumped my nose.
'Holy crap!' My mind screamed. They were very soft and gave off a lavender scent.
Just as I gathered every ounce of strength to speak, a sudden flash blinded my vision.
Memories flooded in, one after another, like flashes I wasn't sure were mine.
This… wasn't my old body. It belonged to Ace Mercer—the only child of an outrageously wealthy businessman. And the stunning woman leaning over me? That was his stepmother, Ellie.
Three years ago, a monster horde appeared out of nowhere, and Ace was eaten alive by an A+ rank giant frog beast. They managed to save him, but the damage was done, leaving his body… like this.
Things eventually settled, but I could feel something different inside me. I was still myself, yet somehow there was a bond between us now.
'Don't worry. I'll make sure your mother gets the justice she deserves.'
I might've been a nobody in my past life, but the least I could do for Ace was fulfill his dying wish—and settle all the resentment in his heart.
Maybe this was the reason I ended up in this body in the first place.
As if reacting to my promise, my heart started pounding, and my head jerked uncontrollably until I slowly lost consciousness.
[Booting System...]
'What's going on? Why can't I see anything?'
Being stuck in complete darkness was even worse than not being able to move.
And the scariest part? I might be stuck here forever.
DING!
A glowing red screen popped up in front of me: semi-transparent, kind of futuristic, and way too bright for the pitch-black void I was floating in.
[System loading]
'Jackpot!' If I had a body right now, I would be breakdancing like a maniac.
These were basically my two biggest dreams. Being reborn and getting a super overpowered system.
'I'm ready! Give me the Dragon System so I can dominate this world with overwhelming power,'
'No wait... give me the Monarch System! I want to control shadows and summon an endless army!'
Thinking about which system I might get was making me restless.
[Analyzing Host: Aptitude, Personality, Skills, Preferences, Mental State...]
Oh great. Now it was evaluating me.
Just perfect. My chances of getting an overpowered system probably just dropped to zero.
I could practically hear it sighing.
Trash stats. Questionable morals. Horny 99% of the time. Mentally unstable. Proceeding anyway.
Bracing for disappointment. I waited for it to finish loading my fate.