"Hmm, it seems like the whisper of death is not working on me. I am aware I already died yet, here I am once again.
"Do I have to live through the misfortune once again, or do I get to a do-over? Weird, does death work this way?
"I guess all those religions lied after all.
"Hmm, what year is it even?" Reiss got up and checked the date on his phone.
"August 3, 2175 β if I remember correctly, that's 27 years before I died. Current time, 00:01 the start of the new day. It seems like I truly managed to come back to the past."
As Reiss rubbed his glabella, he sat on the cold hard floor of his one-room apartment and began to think.
"I can't remember much though, living two lives is a headache, especially when your memory gets jumbled.
"Let us see; if today is August 3, 2175, then the union will happen tomorrow.
"Then [Mutation] will start, oh, I remembered the end, finally, then I got awakened became a wanderer joined a mercenary troupe and then died after getting betrayed.
"They said getting betrayed by friends will only make you depress or angry. But it seems like they were wrong, I don't particularly feel anything other than β elation?
"The sweet release of death is somewhat good. If not that, then it just means I never treated them as friends or allies; then what are they? Meat shields? Probably."
He sighed at his thoughts. He had always thought that he had friends, but it seems like they were more like assets to him. A tool if you will. A tool to achieve his goals.
While his eyes were closed, he examined his body. Other than it being frail and quite frankly, useless in fights, there seems to be a sliver of mysterious red energy cursing in his veins.
He was thin and tall. But he had fairly good features with his black hair and auburn eyes.
[Name: Reiss Reid
Race: Pseudo-Human (Evolution Criteria not met!)
Level: 1
Class: Hemomancer
HP: 300/300
MP: 300/300
STR: 10
VIT: 10
INT: 20
AGI: 15
DEX: 30
DEF: 20
Free Points: 5]
"My statuses went down? Wait, how do I still have access to the [System] even?"
When the [Dashboard] opened, he didn't think that having it was weird. After all, he had the [System] for 27 long years, having it with him is like having an arm, or a leg β it was natural.
But Reiss didn't question it. The System is an enigma. Even to researchers who dedicated their lives to researching it, there was nothing they could find.
In the end, they just had to accept it as is.
Moving forward, Reiss examined his status.
"I am as weak as expected. Having lost my previous status, it is upsetting but, I need to accept it. Now, let's see, I'll add the free points to VIT, I need health to cast my spells."
As a Blood Mage, Reiss needs blood as the medium to conjure his magic. Reiss needs to use his own blood because other spells are rather useless if used otherwise.
VIT is essential for a Blood Mage.
[Name: Reiss Reid
Race: Pseudo-Human (Evolution Criteria not met!)
Level: 1
Class: Hemomancer
HP: 400/400
MP: 300/300
STR: 10
VIT: 15
INT: 20
AGI: 15
DEX: 30
DEF: 20
Free Points: 0]
Vexing as it is, Reiss decided to accept it as reality. He stood up and stretched his body. His eyes gleamed and then showed a strange crimson light.
"Well that does it, from my memories the [Outbreak] should happen at Street 17, my family lives there, I need to get them out first. I don't want the past to repeat itself."
Reiss stood up and got out of his house. He lives on the outskirts of Street 32, far away from where the [Outbreak]'s eye. Street 17 is a few kilometers away, but it is not that much of a problem.
He left his apartment after getting dress but came back shortly after and rummaged around his fridge to eat.
When he finally got out of his apartment, he began sensing his mana. Distributing it to his feet and arms, he then got up on the ledge.
"Cool wind." He commented, "The mana is already spreading."
"Hey! What are you doing? Get down from there! There are still things to do in life, do not throw it away!"
Reiss turned to the side, and saw the aunty who lived next door shouting at him.
'Does she think I am going to commit suicide?' Reiss shrugged his shoulders and then said, "You should get out of here. Evacuate to Street 56.
"Try spreading that to the other tenant."
With his words done, Reiss decided to take the advice of the aunty as nothing and then jumped.
"Wait! No, don't!" The aunty let out a shrill cry of alarm and then run to the ledge to see if Reiss had reached the ground floor.
They were on the third floor so, the aunty expected for a loud and disgusting sound of flesh turning to paste. But nothing was heard.
It was at this time that the other tenant was alarmed from the shrill of the aunty. People started coming out of their apartment rooms.
It was midnight, so many were still wearing their nightgowns.
They saw the aunty on her back with a frightened look, weakened from the shock of witnessing someone committing suicide.
"I heard a scream! Is it a robbery?"
"What happened!?"
The aunty who was still shaking and trembling raised her finger to point at where Reiss originally stood.
"My neighbor jumped over the ledge!"
"What!? Someone took his life?" Everyone was alarmed, and the peeked over the ledge to see if there was a body.
But when they peeked to the ground, no one was there.
Reiss jumped from one room to the other. He was a mage, his strength and agility should be weak, but he has Blood Magic, so burning his blood to augment his body and mana to strengthen his body, he was capable of moving at a fast speed.
[Hemomancy (????)
Unique Attribute: Low-Regeneration (10 HP every five seconds) (Evolution Available)
Skill 1: Blood Manipulation]
"Good thing my blood manipulation remained. But because of its high level, I can only use it one time before I die of severe blood loss. Ten minutes, that's my limit right now."
Hemomancy was the class he awakened when he became a [Player]. It was a unique Class that only he has.
It's a good power.
But in return, it made him seem inhuman to others.
Well [Mutation] already caused everyone to become more than human, so it mattered not for Reiss. He used Hemomancy to its fullest.
With it, he became powerful enough to protect himself in those chaotic times.
But having your body disintegrate from lava is sure to kill even if you have high-level regeneration.
Classes were ranked, and Reiss' Hemomancy had already reached S rank.
"It's a shame I didn't get to keep my inventory, but this is good enough. Also, most of my skills are unusable because of the Race restriction. Well, it is going to be hard using them anyway. I don't have enough HP and MP to cast them."
S Rank skills are formidable but have high requirements of HP and MP.
Reiss ran for ten minutes before losing the effect of the simple combination spell.
Out of breath, Reiss went to one side of the road to rest.
[Name: Reiss Reid
Race: Pseudo-Human (Evolution Criteria not met!)
Level: 1
Class: Hemomancer
HP: 50/400
MP: 300/300
STR: 10
VIT: 15
INT: 20
AGI: 15
DEX: 30
DEF: 20
Free Points: 0
Low-Regeneration in effect]
"35 minutes to rest, that's quite the buffer. I am Street 27, a few more, and I'll reach Street 17. Two more runs."
Thirty-five minutes passed; Reiess activated his spell and then went on a full sprint. He stopped once again at Street 20 to regain his HP.
It was at this time that he decided to make a call to his parents.
"Hello, Reiss? What's the problem? It's one in the morning, why are you calling so early? Is something the matter?" Anna Reid, Reiss' mother answered the phone after seven rings.
It was rare for her son to call, so it came as a surprise that he took the initiate at such an early hour at that.
Reiss heard his Mother's voice after such a long time, and it made him smile unconsciously.
"Hey, Mom? You said you wanted to go to District 3, right? "
"Yes, what about it?"
"I won a vacation trip promo for two, and I just noticed it's going to expire at 4:00, can you guys prepare quickly? I don't want this to go to waste."
"What!? You should have said that sooner. Dear, get up, get ready, we are going to District 3! Our son scored some tickets."
"It's too early β wait, no need to get physical, I'm up, I'm up!"
Ayden Reid let out a pained scream right before the call was ended.
Reiss laughed as he heard the banter of his parents.
After 35 minutes were up, he returned to his sprint.
Reiss ran for five minutes before reaching the house of his parents. Unlike him, his parents a house of their own.
The lights were open, unlike the other houses in the area. So it was easy to find it despite him not having come here for a long time.
Standing before his parents' house, Reiss was hesitant as it looked foreign to him now. But he resolved himself and knocked on the door!
*Tak* *Tak*
"Reiss, is that you?" Sounds of footsteps coming from inside was heard. Reiss felt his heart beat faster for some odd reason.
The door opened, and a middle-aged lady with auburn hair and eyes came out.
"So, you're here? Why are you sweating so much? Didn't you use your Motorbike?"
Reiss could not stop his body's movements and without him noticing he was already hugging his mother.
"Something is wrong, tell me, what is it?"
Reiss separated from his mother and then laughed it off, "It's nothing, I just missed my wonderful mother what kind of problem is there?"
"Hoo, you already learned how to speak so smoothly? It seems like sending you off to college was a good influence on you."
Reiss just laughed it off and didn't say anything about that.
"Are you done preparing?"
"Of course, I have been wanting to go to District 3. It is already nearing 2:00 AM. We need to hurry over to the airport. Your Dad is already taking care of things. He will bring out the car in a jiffy."
Anna Red was a free-spirited person and she would act out what she wants unless it will harm someone in the process.
When her son said that he has a ticket for an Airship headed for District 3, Anna did not even hesitate to accept.
In a few minutes, the car came out of the garage and inside was Ayden Reid yawning as he found this whole thing tiresome.
"Reiss, you are here. Why didn't you say this earlier? Good thing it's a Sunday tomorrow, I'll be able to arrange a leave for the coming days."
Reiss just laughed it off and apologized about it. He had his Mother enter the car and just as he was about to enter the car, the Mana around them began congregating in one place, and soon enough, an oval shape rift appeared above the sky.
The rift was dark blue in color making it rather hard to spot for normal people.
"What's the matter, Reiss?"
"Nothing, let's go to Street 50's airport, it was detailed to go there specifically."
".....Alright."
Reiss looked at the situation of Street 17 and did nothing. If everything happens like before, the people of Street 17 to 29 will be annihilated first. Then those with quick feet of Street 30 and onwards will be able to escape.
Then the other Streets will be evacuated to Street 50 where they will be evacuated to District 3.
[I can help them, but I have seen people act before. They will not listen to me and will only laugh at my words. Many will die, but this will serve as a warning to the world.]
Reiss chose to save his parents rather than trying to save those who are hard to save.