[Congratulations - You died!]
The holographic screen in front of my eyes flashed a bright blue. And honestly? It felt like it was mocking me.
"What the fuck?!" I yelled, throwing my arms up in disbelief.
"What do you mean I died?!"
I was totally disoriented. One second, I was rooting around in a dumpster, finally finding some grub, and the next, I'm standing in this weird-ass place. The dumpster was gone, and my half-eaten food was gone. Now, this swirling black mist, shot through with crazy colors like a demonic aurora borealis, surrounded me.
Then, the screen flickered again, and this virtual Price is Right wheel popped up, names plastered all over it.
[Before you start your new life, please spin the wheel to decide the system that will be bound to you.]
"The hell is a 'System'?" I muttered, more to myself than anything.
"And why's it being bound to me?!" It sounded way too much like some mind-control crap out of a comic book.
[A System is essentially a cheat for your new life. Just as some humans are born with perfect genetics, lavish lifestyles because of generational wealth, or superpowers in certain universes, you will gain a random System that will be bound to your soul, forever being part of your existence.]
Okay, this was seriously messed up. I mean, who would've thought I'd get something like this? A kid who's been scraping by his whole life?
And yeah, my life… it hasn't exactly been a cakewalk.
I was born to drug-addicted parents who OD'd in some alley somewhere. The foster system was my home from day one. When I was five, I bolted from this seriously abusive family. The streets had to be better, right? And they were, in a way. The only problem was food, and, you know, having a place to sleep.
I spent the next twelve years living by any means necessary. Pick-pocketing, dumpster diving, running errands for a local 'mob boss'. I got roughed up now and then, but mostly, the street folks, they had a weird kind of respect for a kid just trying to make it.
That all changed this morning. I was digging through a dumpster, looking for breakfast. The bakery down the street usually tossed out their less-than-perfect stuff, which meant I could eat like a king for the day. I was actually celebrating finding some slightly burnt croissants when this soft voice floated out of nowhere.
[Do you wish to have a better life, one that will grant you infinite possibilities? A life that will allow you to grow beyond your limits?]
I whipped around, scanning the shadows. You know, survival instincts kicking in. But there was no one there. Not a soul.
"That was… really weird," I muttered. "Maybe I'm just starving. Hallucinations can't be good."
I took a bite of one of my… victory croissants, trying to ignore the burnt taste. My eyes never stopped moving, though. Just in case.
[You're not crazy.]
Fuck, the voice again.
[Do you wish to proceed with this new opportunity?]
The soft, almost robotic voice seemed to come from inside my head.
"Okay… why are you offering me a better life? Oh, great voice in my head?" I couldn't help the sarcasm. This was way too strange.
[You have been chosen through a lottery throughout the Omniverse. Through certain criteria, you were selected as a candidate.]
So, the voice knows my life. That's not creepy at all. Still, the idea of a better life… it was tempting. I had nothing to lose, right? My life was a dead end. No money, no home, no future. I had nothing to lose but, well, my life, which didn't exactly add up too much.
"Fuck it, fine!" I yelled, more out of frustration than anything. Sometimes, the despair just hits you, you know? Makes you do stupid things.
"But I swear to God, if this is some intergalactic con job and I end up as space-slave, I'm coming back to haunt you." I knew it was just bravado, but hey, a guy's gotta have some pride.
[You are safe. Please wait a moment for your untimely death.]
"Wait, what the fu-"
That's the last thing I said before an air conditioning unit above the dumpster decided to take a nosedive, and, well, that was that for me.
Now, I'm back in the swirling abyss, staring at this roulette wheel that's blinking and flashing like crazy. To the right of the wheel, there's a button that says 'Spin!' on it. I shakily raised my hand, even though it's transparent now, on account of being dead and all. As my finger moved forward, it seemed to somehow make contact with the screen.
The wheel started spinning, like, blindingly fast. Since I couldn't even follow the movement, I clenched my eyes shut and waited for it to make a sound, you know, to let me know what my prize was. I waited for what felt like forever–which, I guess, makes sense, considering how many options were on the wheel–until I heard this jackpot sound, the kind you'd normally hear from a slot machine.
Cracking my eyes open, I stared at the words displayed on the screen.
[Congratulations on acquiring the EX Grade Apex System!]
"Uh, mystical robot, could you possibly explain what this System is to me?" I asked, my voice cracked slightly. I was pretty damn apprehensive about the whole situation.
[EX Grade Apex System: The highest tiered system available in the Omniverse. It allows the bound user unlimited growth, be it mind, body and soul.]
My breath hitched. Okay, that was… a lot to take in. I wasn't exactly stupid, and even I could tell that meant I could become crazy powerful. Like, nothing's gonna stop me powerful.
"Okay then, what do I need to do now?"
[Would you like to bind the Apex System?]
[Yes/Yes]
"Doesn't seem like I have a choice, huh?" I murmured to myself before chuckling at the absurdity of my situation.
Moving my finger again, I pressed 'Yes'. As soon as I did, searing pain shot through my body–or soul, whatever this was. It felt like being electrocuted, sliced to ribbons, dipped in acid, and then thrown into a volcano. I couldn't even scream; my brain just kind of shut down as the System bound itself to me, tearing me apart in the process.
I do not know how long it lasted; it felt like years of being liquefied. Slowly, the pain faded, like a mountain was being lifted off my soul. Moments passed as my mind rebooted, until finally, the pain vanished completely, like it had never been there.
My body, or soul, felt like it was brimming with life. Like I'd been reborn, which, I guess, made a weird kind of sense. Whatever this System was, it changed me, completely. I was a new existence; the only thing that remained was my thoughts.
Blinking, I adjusted to the swirling vortex around me and stared at the screen. This time, it changed from neon blue to a beautiful violet color.
[Welcome to the Apex System! Please think 'Status' to see the full effects of the system!]
"Huh, there's no more voice. I guess the entity that started all of this has left now that its job is done?" I mused out loud. Pausing, I stared blankly at the screen before snapping back to reality.
'Status'
The screen flickered for a moment before a larger screen appeared.
[Host: Cyrus (Please select a last name)
Age: 17 System:
Apex System (EX)
Functions: Inventory: The host can place anything gained through the System or travels inside their inventory.
Skills: Skills obtained via training, bloodline assimilation, or rewards.
Bloodline: Assimilated bloodlines can be viewed here, along with their history.
Store: Within the store, the host can buy Quality of Life items.
Quests: Randomly generated quests that can be ignored completely with no repercussions towards the host.]
"Holy shit, this is insane. I honestly feel like my whole life has become a game."
I couldn't believe the opportunity they gave me. I did not know about most things when it came to gaming, or entertainment, probably because of the life I lived, but I would grab this reward by the balls and never let go.
'System, can you respond to questions? Are you sentient, or are you only able to respond to certain questions?' This would really dictate how blind I would be throughout the start of my journey.
[The System can respond to questions regarding its own functions. As this is the Apex System, becoming reliant on System advice would be ill-advised.]
'Okay, so the System can help me to a certain degree. That's not bad. At least I won't make a mistake with its functions. Maybe I should check its functions, though.'
Thinking that, I mentally willed the 'Inventory' option, as the screen flickered, showing me a grid that seemed to continue down endlessly.
Peering at the first row, it looked as though the System had granted me an item of its own, as it couldn't have been anything from my previous life; I was a homeless street kid, after all.
'System, please explain the items in the inventory.'
[The Host has been granted a Beginner Gift Pack to make their journey smoother. Would you like to open it?]
'Well, ain't this nice?' I honestly wasn't expecting anything, but seeing as the System was gifting out items, how could I say no? 'Sure, open the Gift Pack!' I thought gleefully.
[Beginner Gift Pack has been opened:
1 x Character Customisation Card
1 x Beginner World Travel Ticket
1000 Store Credits
1 x Skill: Adaptive / Reactive Evolution (EX)
1 x QOL Item: Omniverse Identity Card]
"Well damn! This is absolutely insane," I yelled out in happiness. This was honestly everything I would need to feel comfortable and safe in my new life. Now it was time to turn myself into some Greek god looking fucker and begin my new life.