Elliot couldn't process all this information at the same time. And as a person with too many things on his mind usually does, he simply stopped thinking and stared at the wall for several minutes. But no matter how long Elliot stayed like this, this screen didn't go away. He pinched himself twice and even slapped his cheek, but the pain was too real for this to be a dream or some kind of augmented virtual reality.
"I'm... really back? Am I alive and well?" Elliot asked himself in a whisper.
Lifting his shirt and realizing that all the torture scars were no longer there, realizing that he didn't go through this at this stage of his life, Elliot cried. He cried until he sobbed. He was free! He was no longer a prisoner. Elliot would no longer be tortured. No longer would he have to live at anyone's mercy. Elliot cried for several minutes, he was already getting hoarse, and his neighbors started banging on the walls, complaining about the noise, but Elliot didn't care. Fuck the neighbors, he's a free man again!
After venting all the hurt he had suffered for 6 years, Elliot felt lighter. He finally looked at the screen one more time, to understand what that was all about.
┌ ┐
Welcome to the system, host!
Please complete the tutorial missions
to receive new system functions!
└ ┘
How would he go about seeing those missions? What were these missions? System? System of what? Were they lazy to even give a name to this system? What a lazy screenwriter!
Elliot began to ponder over the quests, thinking that this was how he unlocked these quests. The world already had screens similar to this, but they were holographic screens from a chip, which was implanted in the wrist. Elliot was sure that he had never done such a procedure. After all, although he had earned quite a bit of money in his underground fights, which allowed him to live without having to work, it would never be enough for these cutting-edge technologies.
"Show tutorial missions" Elliot spoke aloud.
┌ ┐
Daily Missions:
Exercise for 2 hours.
Hours done: 0 hours
Time left until the end
of the mission: 23:26:48
Reward: New system functions.
+1 Stats Point
*The body is the temple of the soul.
Don't let the temple rot, move
your ass out of bed!*
└ ┘
"Who are you telling to move, you fucking system?! Is anyone listening to me now?!" Elliot rose from the bed with righteous indignation but soon forced himself to calm down.
He should first find out what these new system functions were all about, and what profit they would bring. If he had really done some procedure to get this system, he might end up getting some contacts with powerful people, and this would be necessary for Elliot's future plans. Elliot was not going to lose anything now that he had gotten a second chance.
"Neither Paola will have to get involved in crime, nor will Benjamin have to suffer by losing the father figure he had. Also-" While muttering to himself, only then did Elliot notice something important.
Now that he was back in time, if the date on the news was correct, then his brother is still alive! Elliot turned on the television once more to see the date and found that today was the day his brother died. Looking at the time, he saw that it was still a few hours before his brother was admitted to the hospital in serious condition.
Elliot had no way to go to his brother, they both lived in different countries and 4,543 miles (7,311.25 km) separated the two. Soon Elliot made a decision. Picking up his cane, he quickly left the small apartment he lived in and went to the nearest phone booth to his home. Because he had not changed his clothes or at least combed his hair, Elliot looked like a beggar at the moment.
Elliot was currently 19 years old, 5.9 feet (1.80 m) tall, with completely disheveled shoulder-length black hair, deep dark circles under his eyes, and a bit of unshaven drool. He wore a white shirt with a print that read: Tomboys are life! Change my mind if you can! He was also wearing shorts and flip-flops. At this point, it was almost a year since Elliot had suffered his injury after being beaten, so his leg still hurt a lot, but he didn't care at this point. He went down the stairs as fast as he could, gritting his teeth with every twinge of pain he felt in his leg, but never slowing his steps.
Perhaps because of the way he was raised, Elliot had always measured his own worth based on how much people needed him. His father needed him to make money, so Elliot thought his father would love him for that. His mother needed him to protect her from his aggressive father when he was drinking, she would then love him because Elliot protected her. This twisted mindset of Elliot was slowly being broken by his brother. His brother never needed anything from him, but still made a point of showing that Elliot was important to him, regardless of what Elliot had to offer. Because his brother acted this way with him, Elliot always considered him his most precious possession.
If someone asked Elliot if he would give his life for his brother, he would beat this person up and then say, of course, you son of a bitch! After living as a prisoner for six years, Elliot's mind had changed in ways that even he didn't understand, but one thing he knew hadn't changed, and that was his desire for violence. At this very moment, he was holding back from going after the bastards who made him a cripple, the owner of the damned prison, and whoever had thrown him into that hole.
But if there is one thing he learned in that hell, it is that impatience is never rewarded. Elliot doesn't suffer from any disease that would affect his memory, so it doesn't matter if he would get revenge today or 10 years from now, what matters is that he would get revenge.
Elliot saw that the cabin was already in use, and he used this waiting time to organize his thoughts. Many things happened at the same time, and he still had to process all this information. After a few minutes, Elliot finally managed to calm his thoughts. He already knew what he should do, and a plan was already taking shape in his mind. The downside of this plan was that he would need the help of some people, something Elliot hated.
As a few more minutes passed, Elliot frowned at the delay of the person in the phone booth. He decided to gently remind whoever was using the booth that there were other people waiting, and at this point, time was one thing Elliot lacked. He knocked twice on the booth, and the man using the booth simply looked quickly at Elliot, and when he saw that he was using a cane, he gave a sneering smile and then went back to his business. An old lady, who arrived at some point to use the booth, saw this scene and tried to comfort Elliot.
"Don't worry about it boy. The people in this town don't know what education is anymore. Just today on the bus, even with many bags from the supermarket, an old gentleman had to go the whole way standing up, because nobody gave his seat to him." The old lady said.
If this were an ordinary day, Elliot would certainly have chatted with this kind lady. But today was anything but ordinary. Elliot was already getting impatient, so he knocked once more, and this time the man who used the phone booth came out, but he had a horrible expression. He was wearing a jacket, jeans, and boots, with a fashionable haircut, several earrings, and piercings. Elliot knew this guy. They always think they are thugs from the top of the food chain, above everyone and everything.
"You fucking cripple! Can't you see I'm busy here! Huh?! I dare you to hit me one more time!" The man had barely set foot outside the booth and already started cursing.
As soon as he was in front of Elliot, he started poking at his chest. Even though he was a little shorter than Elliot, he thought Elliot was just a loser because of his clothes and the way he carried himself. Just as Elliot was about to argue, a sound sounded in his head and that floating screen appeared again.
*Ding!
┌ ┐
A secret mission has been unlocked!
Mission: Knock out the opponent in 10 seconds
Reward: Unlock the status function in the system
└ ┘
As soon as he saw the mission, Elliot's eyes flashed dangerously bright, and he stopped holding any reservations he had with this thug. Elliot's fear before was not knowing what group this bandit was part of, but now that he was already at the limit of his patience, and he would still be rewarded for beating this human trash, he didn't need to hold back anymore. He wouldn't be in this country for long anyway.
Just as the man was about to turn around and go back to the cabin, he was hit in the back of the head.
"Kyaa!" The women and ladies who were waiting to use the phone booth screamed and ran as they saw that a fight was going to start, and the men nearby just stared intently at the good show that was going to start.
"You bastard son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!"
Before the man could say anything, he was hit by two quick left punches from Elliot right in the nose. And before he could understand what happened, Elliot raised his wooden cane and hit him three more times in the head. Just as the man started to fall, Elliot hit him once more with the cane.
Bang
The man fell to the ground, unconscious, but that wasn't enough for Elliot. He kept hitting him with the cane a few more times. Everyone watching the scene was stunned. At first, they liked the fact that the bully was beaten by the weakest. After all, who wouldn't like to see David beat Goliath? But Elliot's violence caused them to roll their eyes and continue their business. Someone who had the courage to do this in broad daylight would have no ordinary background.
Another notice appeared with a floating screen, but Elliot didn't have time to look at it now. He knew that this man was armed because his first thought was not to attack Elliot, but to bring his hands to his back in search of something. Elliot was even more irritated now because when he used his cane, his leg had to support the weight of his body for a moment, creating a horrible pain. Elliot rummaged through the man's body as if it were a sack of potatoes, and soon he found what he was looking for, but he was very disappointed. It was only an old revolver, and it had only three bullets in it.
"That'll have to do for now." Elliot muttered to himself.
Ignoring the startled looks from the people around him, Elliot pushed the unconscious man aside and entered the cabin. Using his card, Elliot saw the credits dwindling on the small screen on his card, and immediately dialed the number of his brother's house.
With every second that passed and no one answered, Elliot, felt his chest tighten and the air escape from his lungs. His eyes were glazed over and he was in a cold sweat. The hand that held his cane was so tight that the wooden cane creaked slightly. Then someone answered.
"Hello? Who is it?" A beautiful woman's voice sounded from the other end of the phone.
Elliot was momentarily stunned hearing the voice of his sister-in-law, Paola. He could still remember how she led several armed people to the prison while she was looking for him. And how she cried as she watched him die in her arms.
"Is this the time to be hazing? Don't you have anything to do?" Paola's voice sounded slightly irritated. She had never been a very patient person.
"No, Paola, it's not a prankster, it's me, Elliot. Is Dener home?" Elliot asked with clear anxiety.
Noticing Elliot's tone of voice, Paola became more serious. Dener, Elliot's brother, was someone involved in some wrongdoings, and Elliot always warned him when something big was going to happen. Many big shots came to H-town, the town where Elliot lived. This town was known for its crime and corruption, a paradise for outlaws.
"He left a little while ago. Did something happen? Is it very serious?" Paola asked, growing more anxious with each word.
"If Joe is home, tell him to drag Dener back home at any cost! I don't have time to explain, but you and Dener better move in with Benjamin. Someone is targeting Dener, don't be careless." Elliot said everything he considered necessary and hung up the connection.
He could already see a crowd of ill-faced men outside the cabin. He would probably have to make his way in blood. To the misfortune of Elliot's opponents, however, HE is not having a good day.[
"It's like that familiar phrase. For better or worse, things always change." Elliot muttered as he left the phone booth.