The young man stared at those words popping up before him in the translucent panel.
'A system? Previous owner of this body? Doesn't that mean I actually transmigrated? What the hell is going on?' The young man fell into deep thought. Before those thoughts could spiral further, someone came rushing through the door and threw herself over the young man's body, hugging him tight.
"Leo." The newcomer sobbed. "You're finally awake. We all thought that you actually....." The person failed to finish those words, her voice trembling. It was as if she didn't even want to imagine that other possibility.
"Yes. I am fine." Finally, the young man spoke. 'I don't know what's going on, but I should go along with what they say, at least for the moment.' He thought.
The person stayed like that for a long time, hugging the young man before finally letting him out of her embrace. "You had all of us worried, Leo. Please don't do something like that again. So what if you have no special attributes. You are still my son. And don't go around and believe whatever nonsense people try to sell you. No potion or weird stuff can awaken a special ability. Either you are born with it, or you can stay normal. But normal doesn't mean you are useless, Leo. So never again belittle yourself. Do you get that?"
The young man could finally see the person who had been hugging him. A woman in her early forties. But there was no wrinkles in her face. Her black hair, with strands of golden, and those blue eyes that sparkled with relief and happiness at the moment, gave the young man a sense of nostalgia. It was as if he felt all his worries and tension fading away.
The young man still couldn't remember who the person before him was. Yet it felt as if something inside him had recognized her. "I get it, mother." He said that without him even realizing. Tears swelled up in his eyes.
"Look at you, crying like a baby. Didn't I say? Boys never cry. Now go wash up first, then come for dinner. Okay?"
"Okay." The young man said.
The woman got up, caressed his head gently before leaving the room.
The young man stayed behind. Still in a daze. "It's almost like she also transmigrated into her body." He whispered. "But I know she hasn't. And I won't be able to see her ever again." Tears rolled down the young man's cheeks as a memory flashed before his eyes.
Suddenly, the panel before him shimmered, bringing him back to reality from his world of memories. Or more like he fell asleep. Because the panel or whatever it was saying didn't feel real the slightest.
[Host, do you accept the system?]
The panel asked again.
"This world. It's totally different from my last one. The young man whispered as he looked around. There were many strange things he was witnessing for the first time in his life.
A stage rectangular black object hung on the wall, a black rope-like thing emerging from its back and then entering a pair of holes in the wall.
In different corners of the wall, torch-like things were illuminating the whole room. But there was no fire doing the trick. Instead, it was as if those strange objects were glowing themselves.
Even the dress he himself was wearing, or the person who had just left, was totally different.
The young man's eyes fell on the panel again.
"Eternal's Grace, wasn't it? So what's next? What happens if I accept the system? Will I become your slave and have to do anything you ask me to?"
[The system is designed to bring out one's true potential. You can accept the system's task and earn rewards for completing the task. You can deny a task, and there will be no punishments for that. But failing a task will initiate punishment.]
"But why me? How did I get selected as the player? Or does everyone get a system in this world?"
[The system is not allowed to disclose how a player is selected. Also, nobody else has a system like this.]
"You can't disclose? And I should just believe you?"
[The host can either accept the system or deny it. But if the host wants to awaken his power, there is no alternative other than accepting the system. The host's body is immune to trait awakening. Host was a peerless cultivator in his past life, but there is no spiritual energy in the present world. So the host can choose to stay as an ordinary being or accept the system.]
"What? There is no spiritual energy? Impossible." The young man's eyes widened. The next moment, he sprang into a sitting position and then bent his knees into a lotus position. He closed his eyes next. A deep inhale. His chest rose slowly. And then a slow exhale. His chest slowly fell again. The young man repeated the cycle.
Then his eyes snapped open in frustration. "Damn it! There really is no spiritual energy. But how can that be?" The young man once again fell into deep thought. "What should I do now? Should I remain as an ordinary human being? My past life was full of struggles and battles. For strength, I worked hard and always faced death without blinking. And where did it get me in the end? I lost my family, I lost my mother. This time, I should lead a normal life. An ordinary one. Yes. That's it." The young man clenched his fist in excitement as if living an ordinary life was very thrilling.
"I don't accept. I want to stay ordinary in this life. So I don't lose anybody."
[Understood. The host will still have three days to confirm his decision.]
The panel shimmered and faded the next moment.
The young man got up quickly and found the washroom. The washroom was also strange. A high commode that he saw for the first time in his life. The water taps, the basin... everything felt otherworldly. Except for the mirror and the toothbrush, he didn't recognize anything.
But touched the tap. Tried to raise it. Nothing happened. But as he moved his hand, the head rotated, and suddenly water began to pour out.
Then the young man took two steps back in surprise. "What the hell. Is this magic?" He whispered.
He started checking everything, and it took him almost 30 minutes to understand what each object in the washroom was for.
After freshening up, he quickly changed into a pair of clothes that looked odd, too. But the young man looked as if he were enjoying this strangeness. It was as if he found happiness in the newness.
Right after that, he came out of the room and was about to march forward. But just then...
Thud!
He bumped into someone.
"Useless prick! Have your eyes stopped working just like your brain?" Someone sneered.
The young man looked up and found a boy of his age, accompanied by another boy and a girl.
"I heard you went to an alchemist looking for pills and lost twenty thousand. What a moron!" The girl giggled.
"Well, what else can you expect from a talentless nobody like him? But to think he is our brother, it disgusts me to my bones." The young man from the side added.
The boy Leo had just bumped into walked forward and grabbed his collar, pulling him up like he was a light sack of goods. "Listen, you dumbass, don't you dare tell anyone that I told you about that alchemist. It's your fault that you didn't check thoroughly before you got scammed. Got it? Or else....." He buried a punch in Leo's stomach without any warning. "You know what will happen."
He released his grip as Leo fell to the ground. The group of three didn't waste another second and quickly left the place.
The young man, Leo, lay there sprawled. "This body is really weak. An ordinary life is worth enjoying, but I just hope I don't turn into a punching bag for bullies like them." Leo spoke to himself and pushed himself up from the ground.