Opening eyes. The room was unfamiliar, quiet, and still. His eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the surroundings, but everything felt hazy, as if the world itself was slightly blurred. A sudden, sharp pain struck his head, and he instinctively pressed his hands against his temples.
"What… what's happening?" he whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
Then it hit him—a flood of memories, crashing into his mind like waves. There were two distinct sets. One was his own, faint but familiar, and the other belonged to this body he now inhabited.
Victor D. Armstrong. Sixteen years old. Born on June 22nd, 1970.
The memories came with perfect clarity now. He remembered the day his parents died in a car accident—the chaos, the sirens, the unbearable grief. He remembered the nights when he had cried himself to sleep, feeling completely alone in the world. And then… the pills. Too many sleeping pills. He had tried to escape, to erase himself from a world that had become too cruel to bear.
And now, he was awake again. In a body that was not entirely foreign, but not entirely his either.
A sudden flash of light made him squint. Before him appeared a glowing blue screen. Words formed in midair, glowing softly like neon lights.
"Congratulations, Host. Your soul has successfully merged with the body of Victor D. Armstrong—body and soul."
"Congratulations. You have successfully awakened your previous life memories."
"I am a One-Time Rewards System."
"Do you want to receive rewards? Yes / No"
Victor blinked several times, trying to convince himself he wasn't dreaming. "Rewards?" he whispered. "This… can't be real."
But something deep inside him nudged him forward. Without overthinking, he answered, "Yes."
"Congratulations. You received Rare Gift Pack."
"Contents: Batman Template Card, Mysterious Serum, 2 Land Ownership Cards, 100x Reward."
Victor's hands trembled slightly as he looked at the cards and the vial. He didn't know what to expect, but curiosity and instinct pushed him to act.
He picked up the Batman Template Card first and tore it open. Immediately, his mind surged with knowledge. Skills, techniques, tactics, and abilities—everything Batman had learned in his life was now inside Victor. He could feel it in his muscles, his reflexes, his mind. His body moved with instinctive precision, almost automatically. He could calculate trajectories, sense weaknesses, and react in a way that was almost superhuman.
Yet something was different. He had Batman's powers and abilities, but they were instinctive, raw—not learned. He had Batman's mind, his intelligence, his intuition, but he would need to train to truly master them, to make them his own. It was as if the foundation was there, but the structure was yet incomplete.
Next came the Mysterious Serum. The liquid shimmered with a strange energy, almost alive. Victor didn't hesitate. He injected it into his arm. A burning heat immediately spread through his body. Every nerve seemed to light up with electricity. His muscles throbbed with a strange, powerful energy, and for a moment, he felt almost overwhelmed.
He gasped, staggering to the bathroom. Without thinking, he submerged himself in a bathtub filled with icy water. The cold shocked his overheated body, sharp and invigorating. His skin tingled, and slowly, the fire of the serum settled into a steady warmth. Victor could feel his body changing, strengthening, becoming something more than human.
Stepping out of the tub, he shivered slightly, but a sense of clarity settled over him. He could already feel the power coursing through his veins, the instincts guiding him, and the raw potential of the serum enhancing every movement. He flexed his fingers, lifted his arms, and tested his muscles. Everything responded perfectly—fast, precise, efficient.
Victor got dressed. He chose simple clothes—tight-fitting, black, and unobtrusive. They allowed freedom of movement, which was necessary for testing his new abilities. Once fully dressed, he approached the mirror.
The reflection startled him. He was five-foot-eleven, lean but muscular. His black hair was slightly tousled, his cyan-colored eyes striking against pale skin. There was a presence about him now, subtle but undeniable—a quiet strength that hadn't been there before.
He tilted his head, observing his reflection carefully. He moved his hands, twisted his torso, tested his limbs. Every movement was smooth, controlled, and powerful. It was like the instincts of a predator combined with the intellect of a master strategist. And yet, it was new—his own. Victor knew he would have to train to fully master it, to make it his own, not just rely on the instincts.
Victor's mind began to race. He could feel his reflexes sharpening. His senses—hearing, sight, even smell—were heightened beyond normal human limits. He could feel the air moving, notice tiny vibrations, and even the faintest changes in light caught his attention. His mind worked faster, calculating multiple possibilities in a fraction of a second.
"This is… incredible," he whispered. He felt a surge of energy, a sense of confidence he hadn't known in years. The pain, the grief, the despair from his previous life—all of it felt distant now, like a fog being lifted.
He clenched his fists. Power surged through him, not just from the serum, but from the Batman Template instincts now fused with his own mind. He could fight, strategize, and adapt. He could plan for almost anything. But he also knew that raw instinct alone was not enough. He needed control. Mastery. Discipline.
Victor walked to the window and looked outside. The city sprawled before him, normal and unremarkable. People hurried about, cars honked in the streets, and the sun cast its soft light over everything. To them, life went on as usual. But Victor felt different. He was no longer the boy who had once been crushed by grief and despair. He had been given a second chance—a body, abilities, and potential beyond imagination.
He touched his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart, strong and full of life. "I won't waste this," he said firmly. "I won't let this second chance slip away. Whatever this is… whatever I can become… I will master it."
Victor paused, letting the reality sink in. This was only the beginning. The powers, the skills, the intelligence—they were tools. Tools to shape his new life. But he knew challenges would come. Obstacles, dangers, perhaps enemies—everything he faced would test him. Yet, for the first time in years, fear did not dominate him. Instead, there was purpose.
He turned back to the room, now calm and silent. A part of him still wondered about the blue screen, the rewards, and the mysterious system that had given him this chance. But curiosity was secondary now. The time for thinking was over. The time for action had begun.
Victor took a deep breath and flexed his muscles one more time, feeling the combination of instincts, power, and potential in his body. He was ready to explore what he could do, to understand what these powers meant, and to prepare for whatever awaited him in this new life.
He glanced at the ceiling, then back at his reflection. Cyan eyes glowing with determination, lean muscles tense with energy, and a mind buzzing with strategies—the new Victor D. Armstrong was awake. Not just awake, but alive in a way he had never been before.
"This is my life now," he whispered, voice steady and firm. "And I will make it mine. Every part of it."
The world outside was vast, uncertain, and waiting. But Victor smiled slightly. He was ready. And this time… he would not fail.