The analog clock mounted on the wall was ticking. The room was in disarray, it was so repulsive that it would give CPS a heart attack if they saw it. That was the room Jason was currently in, lying on the ground, which looked disgusting, full of mold and breadcrumbs.
Jason slowly opened his eyes and groaned in pain as a headache registered in his skull. He forced himself to get up slowly, the pain nearly making him faint, and that was when he froze.
"Th...this place." He whispered in horror. "This was my room when I was a child. Why am I here?"
He couldn't believe it. He was certain he was shot by Terry. He was certain he had died. So why was he here? Was he in a bad dream?
He walked up to the calendar on the bedside and looked at it. His face widened in horror and amazement. It was in the year 2026.
"I...I've gone back in time." He whispered, realisation sinking in. "Ten years, in fact. Back when I was seventeen."
He never thought such a phenomenon could have happened. He had always thought it to be something out of fiction but now it was possible.
"I could get out of here. I could escape and be free." He realized, the thought sinking in. "I've not gone deep with Terry and Amelia. I could end it all and escape from them."
Jason had already formulated a plan. It was the only thing he could think of, but then he remembered he would need to find a place to survive or he would die. What was he going to do?
Suddenly, he began to feel a sensation tingling at the back of his eyes, it was like the beginning of a headache.....but somehow more digital. Text began to scroll across his field of vision, crisp and clear as if projected directly onto his retinas.
[System Initialising.....]
[Scanning Host Vitals...]
[Warning! Detecting both internal and external injuries!]
[Healing....]
[Ding! Host has been healed and vitals are stable!]
[Accessing Neural Pathways.....success!]
[Cross-Referencing Memory Data....]
[Ding! Anomaly Detected: Temporal Displacement.]
[Recalibrating....Integrating Future Knowledge Database....]
[The Gangster System- Version 1.0- Initialisation Complete!]
[Welcome, Jason Storm!]
The text faded, replaced with something that made Jason's heart skip a beat. Floating in his peripheral vision, translucent but unmistakably real, was an interface he had played in a multilayer game whenever he had free time. He was now seeing it as clear as day.
"What on earth!" Jason whispered shouted in shock.
But as he focused on the interface, it responded to his attention like a living thing. It was real. He was not dreaming. But then something caught his eye. What was the system called?
The Gangster System.
Those words shattered the excited smile on Jason's face. The smile faded to nothing. Gangster? That word had killed him, brought him pain and suffering and now he was meant to go do it all over again.
"No way!" Jason snapped in anger. "I'm not going to be a fool by going through that stuff again. You can take this system and shove it up your digital ass! I don't want it!"
The translucent screen changed from blue to red, making Jason flinch.
[Warning!]
[Terminating System Results In Death!]
[System Termination in 10....9.....8]
Jason scowled at the system in anger. He didn't want to die again and this system knew exactly that.
"Fine!" He snapped immediately when the timer struck one. "Cancel termination."
[Termination cancelled!]
Jason then glanced at the blue translucent screen:
[Quests.]
[Skills.]
[Summons.]
[Inventory.]
[Store.]
[Net Worth.]
Jason looked at the options with interest. He hated what he was doing, it was like he was okay with being a Gangster. But he knew he had no choice, or else he would die again.
"It really looks like I'm in a V.R game right now," Jason muttered.
The translucent screen popped up again, displaying text that he read:
[Would the host like to see his profile?]
[Y/N]
Jason imagined himself picking the yes button and the screen disappeared and reappeared showing another screen:
[Name]: Jason Storm
[Age]: 17
[Level]: 1
[Experience]: 0/100
[Status: High School Kid.
Jason stared at his profile noting that nothing seemed out of place. It seemed okay. He wanted his stats to open as he knew stats were supposed to be around in a game.
[Strength]: D-
[Speed]: D
[Stamina]: C+
[Dexterity]: D-
Jason had expected his stats to be below average. He hadn't really started working out at all until he had turned twenty- three. But he didn't expect his stamina to be C+.
"I guess it's because I was running from my oppressors all the time."
He then clicked on the [Quests] tab and watched the first quest pop up on the screen:
[Quest: Drink two cups of water.
Reward: 10 exp]
Jason looked at the quest in confusion. "Drinking two cups of water will give me exp. Is it that easy or what?" He wasn't sure, but wasn't a system quest supposed to be at least medium range, and would exactly make you think or work hard?
He wasn't sure, but he got up, went to the bathroom, and then proceeded to drink two cups of water. As soon as he finished it, a system text popped up on his face.
[Quest: Complete.
Reward: EXP+10]
"So I actually got the experience," Jason muttered. "I guess I should see what else I can do."
Just as he was about to click a tab, a notification popped up in his face. He stared at the New screen with interest.
[Bronze gift package has become available?]
[Would you like to open it now?]
[Y/N]
Jason looked at the notification then he got up and quickly locked his door. He didn't know when his mother would barge in like she used to, ready to start her nonsense. His father never came into his room, only she, and she always did it abruptly. The system was going to give him something and he needed nobody to see it.
He mentally clicked yes, and then the screen disappeared, and then a new one reappeared.
[Bronze gift package opening.....]
[Congratulations, Host has been rewarded with:]
[Eye Of Identification]
[Muscle Pill×2]
[$30,000]
[Fang Biker Gloves]
Jason dropped to the floor in shock, hardly believing what he was seeing. It wasn't the pills or the gloves or the skill that had amazed him. He had gotten something else. He had money. The system had awarded his money. He gad $30,000 right now in his account.
"Oh, system. Thank you." Jason whispered to himself as he got up.
He brought out his cracked phone, a phone that he found in a dustbin, which looked like it had been smashed by an angry kid with a hammer, and opened his account app. The money was really there. It was unmistakable.
[Would you like to put money in the net worth tab?]
[Y/N]
Jason stared at the notification.'Why does the system want me to do that? Is it saving or what?' He mentally clicked no and then the screen disappeared.
Jason then checked his other rewards and saw the eye of identification and then he clicked on it.
[Eye of identification]
[Effect: This skill allows the host to inspect any person the host meets at will. It can detect their age, emotion, and if they have hostile intentions against the host.]
'This is a godsend.' Jason murmured in delight. 'That means that I can't be lied to again. It's perfect. '
He checked the next reward and then clicked on it. Suddenly, a smooth red pill materialized and fell into his hands. He stared at it with interest. Then another notification appeared.
[Muscle Pill×2]
[Effect: This Pill allows the host's bodily functions and physique to evolve making him stronger, faster, and smarter. Please be warned that the host will undergo excruciating pain during the process.]
Jason looked at the pill, his heart pounding in excitement. 'This will make me stronger. It feels like if I take it, I'm basically doing steroids.'
He stared at the pill again and concluded. It was worth the risk. He needed to be better than he was. He had been given a chance to do what he wanted to do with his life and he wasn't going to waste it.
He took a deep breath, popped the pill in his mouth, and swallowed it instantly. For a moment, nothing happened, he sank to his knees, groaning in pain as he felt his ribs crack, his bones crack, and then he dropped down on the ground. The pain was so excruciating that veins sprouted from his forehead down to his neck. His heart was beating fast, and then he closed his eyes and lost consciousness.