My head hurts a lot.
I can't seem to guess what happened to me after I get up myself. The only thing I knew is I am in a white-painted room, alone.
I tried to call someone especially Charles but no one answered back. The intensity on my chest began to grow louder, it roared and soured my face, I'm sure.
Am I being kidnapped?
But could it be possible? The last thing I remembered is I am with Charles and we were being tailed by something or someone strange, then later on all I can recall is crashing our car into a big tree. Nothing more.
I rolled my fingertips on the side of my head, trying to cover up the digging pain in my head.
What happened? What happened? I repeated to myself.
But as I am struggling to reminisce things, a sweet lady's voice popped into my head.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING . . .]
"Who was that?" my voice cracked.
[SYSTEM COLLECTING FILES FROM THE HOST MEMORY.]
"A what?"
[COLLECTION COMPLETE. FILES TRANSFERRING TO THE VESSEL. WAIT FOR A FEW MORE SECONDS.]
I don't understand what was happening, the voice appears to be coming from inside my head.
Oh, wait! It must be a dream.
A lucid dream, maybe.
[TRANSFER COMPLETE.]
PING!
I jump to my feet after the tickling sound in my ears. It sounds familiar, it was like the sound of our oven-toasted after finishing making my break Then, an elevator stopped on every floor. I dunno if that was right, it's just that familiar.
[HELLO, HOST. I AM YOUR SYSTEM. WELCOME TO THE WORLD PARALLEL TO YOUR REAL WORLD.]
Huh?
[WELCOME TO THE GRIM REAPER SYSTEM.]
"A system? What does that mean? Is this a joke?" I chuckled. Maybe they were playing pranks on me. I could they do it to a Frey Statterfield, are they out of their minds?
Bullying or playing jokes with me is a mortal sin. I am the villain doing things. Shame on them, if I escape from this I will going to teach them all a lesson.
[AFTER SIGNING A CONTRACT TO THE SYSTEM. THE HOST DYING SOUL HAS BEEN TRANSMIGRATED TO THE GRIM'S BODY, NAMED CELESTINE.]
I got so much curious about it, but eventually, a peal of loud joyous laughter came to my lips. This system is crazy, I just wanted to crush her until she begged me to stop. But in the process of thinking of ideas, the two-second tickle again appeared in my ears.
PING!
[HOST STATUS, DISPLAYING.]
[NAME: FREY STATTERFIELD
AGE: THIRTY-THREE
LEVEL: 1
COINS: 300/10000
HP: 35/100%
EXP: 0/500
STRENGTH: 20/100%
INTELLIGENCE: 40/100%
SKILLS:
PLUNDERING- FREE
TELEPORTATION- UNLOCKS AT LEVEL 2
(SOON TO OPEN)
QUESTS: Updates daily
SHOP: Open
SPIN THE WHEEL: UNLOCKS AT LEVEL 5]
My brows crinkled not to their original place, the left one rise accordance with my other eye narrowing. "Is this a game? Those stats only defines an adventure game, etcetera."
[THE GRIM REAPER SYSTEMt IS NOT AN ADVENTURE GAME, IT IS A SURVIVAL. IF THE HOST WANTED TO GO BACK TO HER ORIGINAL BODY SHE MUST OBEY THE SYSTEM'S RULES. THE SYSTEM WON'T HURT THE HOST.]
"You are talking nonsense, I am leaving."
I moved onto my feet ready to leave the room, yet my eyes got widened and my hands quiver. "W-what is this?"
The room has no door.
Later on, I gasp the palm of my hand on my mouth, a certain point of disappointment trained on my face. I was trapped in here, but how did they put me inside this room? What should I do? I doubt that this is a dream, but how can I explain to myself this scenario?
"Okay, fine, let's have a deal." I began after taking my eyes back to where I first stand up. The magnetic feeling of being dragged into the same spot as I was a while ago is loud. I stood there with both my heads in the air.
"So, what about this Grim System you are talking about? Would it get me out of here? Or does it grant some wish?" I think I don't have any choice other than to believe her. I must go home. I am missing the sweet strawberry pancake that was being served to me by my nanny every morning.
And most importantly, my wedding.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO THE HOST: THE HOST IS NOW DOING A CONVERSATION WITH THE SYSTEM. GREAT! OUT TEAMWORK WILL BE AT A HIGH CHANCE OF SUCCESS.]
I rolled my eyes, and crossed my arms to each other, with my foot doing uncessearry movement to my front. "Go on, I'm listening."
[THE SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE PIECES OF INFORMATION AND COMMANDS FOR THE HOST. SOME QUESTS WILL APPEAR IF YOU THE HOST MAKE IT, AND REWARDS WILL BE GIVEN, IT CAN BE AN EXP, HEALTH, ITEMS, OR ABILITIES. BUT THERE IS A GOAL THE HOST MUST ACHIEVE TO GET THE BIGGEST REWARD SHE MAY HAVE.]
"What goal and rewards?" baffled, I asked what it was. I played my fingertips on the edge of the long black hair.
[BE THE GREAT AND TOP-RANK GRIM REAPER AND GET THE CHANCE TO BE BACK AT YOUR ORIGINAL BODY OR BE REBORN AS A NEW PERSONA. THE HOST CAN CHOOSE FREELY.]
"What?" I shook my head. "You know what, I am trying my very best to convince myself that this was all true. However, it was difficult for me to understand it. For what reason? Well, you are hypothetically insane." I hundred percent told myself that. I rub the back of my hand on my hair, sighing I am feeling a bit stressed. There is this bean-like sweat that runs into my cheeks coming from my forehead.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO THE HOST: THE HOST HAS BEEN ON THE FIRST PACE STAGE OF THE SYSTEM. SHE MAY FEEL IGNORANT ABOUT THE PATTERN. THAT IS WHY THE SYSTEM WILL GUIDE THE HOST UNTIL SHE UNDERSTANDS THE WHOLE PROCESS.]
"Okay, okay if that's so. So what's next?"
[THE HOST IS CONSUMING MUCH OF HER ENERGY, THE TRANSMIGRATION PROCESS LESSENS A BODY'S ENERGY. THE HOST'S BODY ONLY HAS 35% OF THE POWER LEVEL. THE HOST MUST BE CALM AND TAKE A REST FOR A WHILE.]
"I don't want to rest. So then? What will gonna happen if I drain Energy?" furrowed eyes, I asked. My hand is on the side of my waist, left foot half-stamping on the tiles.
[THEN, IT'S OVER. THE HOST WILL BE INCINERATED INTO THE THIN AIR. NO TRACE OF EXISTENCE.]
Shaking her head sideways, the so called-Host by the system is not complying with it. The shake of her hands answered the fright she has on her face.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO THE HOST: THE HOST LEVEL POWER DECREASES TO 31%. A NIGHT OF SLEEP FOR AN HOUR MAY ADD TO HER HEALTH. OR IF THE HOST DOESN'T WANT TO, SHE MAY TAKE THE ADD-UP HEALTH PILL IN THE STORAGE.]
Then, later on, a command from the screen trained on Frey's blue-ish monitor.
POWER TREATS!
• ADD UP HEALTH PILL 3/3 -
Take it for only 10% energy of a soul who was betrayed by her family.
"And what is this Soul-thing?" scrolling on the screen, Frey raised a question again.
[AS THE HOST IS TRANSMIGRATED AS A GRIM REAPER. SHE WAS DARED TO ESCORT, GUIDE AND COLLECT THE SOUL OF THE DEAD TO THE UNDERWORLD.]
The system is clarifying situations more to her Host. The buff sound on her monitor is constantly popping up as Frey checks more on it.
[HOST MUST ESCORT SIX VENGEFUL SPIRITS TO THE AFTERLIFE WORLD. SHE MUST FILL UP THE WILL METER SHOWN ON THE LEFT CORNER OF THE SCREEN. IF YOU SUCCEED YOU CAN RETURN TO YOUR OWN BODY OR CHOOSE TO BE REBORN AS A NEW PERSON AGAIN.]
"What do you mean by that . . . Tell me, where am I to be exact?" Frey added a simple but nervous laugh to her words. Now she had managed to stand up straight, but her eyes kept moving, looking thoroughly at each of the corners of the white room, assuming to find out the secret passage.
[THE HOST IS IN A SLEEP PARALYSIS. THE SYSTEM CONDUCTED A ONE-ON-ONE TALK WITH THE HOST. WELL, I CAN SAY THAT THIS IS AN ORIENTATION.]
[And continuing it, if the Host succeeded she can choose to return to her world, her country, her homeland — the Brikstone. She can freely come back to her father who loves her so much despite being a brat and spoiled. The host can marry the man she loves. And she may find out the reason why her soul has been out of her Vessel —]
I interrupted what the woman is talking about. There came a realization of what she has said about my father. But the other thing she is saying about my soul being out of my vessel? My body, or whatever the voice pertains to — intrigued me so much.
"And what about my Soul that has been out of me, you say?"
I know that I was Frey, yes, but earlier I already noticed that my palm, body shape, and foot doesn't match myself. I just keep calmer to lessen the pounding of my heart.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO THE HOST: The owner of the Vessel had a contract with the System. She asked to switch bodies . . . And the Host was chosen to occupy the Grim Reaper's Vessel. And to come back, she needs to fill up the SecondLife Will meter by collecting and escorting six vengeful souls to the Afterlife Hell.]
"Oh wow! So you f*cking decided for me? I don't want this!" I can not control my temper to this moment, my gigantic voice bombarded the four corners of the room. And I don't care.
Then after a scene, a sudden silence occupied the whole room. I began to walk from left to right with my fingertips in between my lips. Panicked, but still, I manage to think of something to say.
"Argh!" I slowly massaged my fingertips to my head. "This is a bad idea talking to you. Whoever you are! Nonsense! If you won't release me, fine, I'll find my way out of it."
[SYSTEM TO HOST: HOST CAN NOT ESCAPE THE SYSTEM UNLESS SHE DOES SO WHAT THE CONTRACT STATES. IT'S BREACHING –]
"Breaching? What would I breach for? I don't even sign any paper or whatsoever for me to breach anything." From my calm self, I transformed into a lioness, growling and biting the prey who was attacking making me insane.
[The transferred files may have a delay. The system again scans Host's files . . . Just wait a few seconds.]
I sighed dropping my shoulders at my side. This stunned feeling is luring into my system, oh not the system that was talking to me right now. There is nothing I can do to express how irritable I was.
I clenched my hand into a fistball and thought of punching the woman, but how can I?
PING!
The tickling sound again boomed on
my head and a new text appeared before my eyes.
Frey blew her breath out.
D@mn!
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: If you choose to View, the Host can take a glimpse of the forbidden memory that was kept by the System. The scene is about the Contract signing between the System, Host, and the Vessel. Do you wish to VIEW or just IGNORE it?]
It was insane believing all this nonsense the so-called System is telling me. I couldn't even imagine I was being trapped in a dimension I do not even believe in. This is very ridiculous!
"Okay. Everything sounds weird but let me see . . . If you were telling the truth." Without any words, I swipe my fingers at the text in my front. It was so easy to figure out about the swiping thingy, it was a like a hologram, and it was built in front of my face so it means I can also control it.
I viewed the data.
There is a sudden jump from one screen to another, then an image suddenly appeared through me — and it was me.
And as the moment I captured myself, bloody and in a dying state. . . I felt this pressure in my heart going deeper and deeper. I grabbed my shirt tightly located at the part of it. I could feel my heart breaking — for an inexplicable reason.
If earlier I was inside a white room, now it's different. It was dark all around, and only the light from the car's headlight gave life to the night. The wet road and teary leaves of the Narra tree touched my head. Near the car, I was also there, lying on the ground, bleeding and gasping for breath.
I frowned upon witnessing that, I tried to call for help but no one came out to grab my lying body. Or did anyone hear me?
But a thought came across my mind. "Where is Charles?"
Then I looked up at the sudden darkening of the sky. And from where I was standing, I could see the blurred vision of myself teardrops running to those eyes. Her fingers twitched, she seems to fight for the heavy feeling she was right now.
Later on, a woman suddenly fell at the end of the foot of my lying body. I couldn't move at that time. The woman in black is wounded and slowly pulls herself up. Then her gloomy eyes turned towards mine.
In this scene, I'm just a viewer. What I see are just the things that registering in my brain. That's why from the position I'm standing in, I can only see the confrontation of my lying body with the strange woman, hearing nothing. But if I think about it in my mind, I don't remember that scene happening. I don't know what the woman looks like even though we have met in the system Clip.
What happened next blew my eyes wide. After the short conversation between myself and the strange woman that appeared like a bubble, a strong and dazzling light in the area we were occupying come out of the darkness.
The wounded woman in the black cape held my hand. And at that moment, it was like a bolt of lightning that struck my confused memory.
Right! That scene happened. But why didn't my memory remembers it and the system did?
[SYSTEM TALKING TO THE HOST: THE MEMORY VIEWING HAD FINISHED. THE HOST HAS NO TIME FOR THE VIEWING.]
The weird woman's voice entered my head again when I was back in the white room. I can not think bearing the fact that I agree with this setup. I choose to submit to the System and accept the Grim Reaper's offer that I faced when I was on the brink of my death.
I will be given the chance to return to my original form when I complete the quest that the system has chosen for me, and that is in the person of a grim reaper named Celestine.
Celestine's appearance is not clear in my mind, but surely the moment I see her I will recognize her figure.
"Tell me, what is Celestine's main reason why she switched bodies with me?"
[SYSTEM ANSWERING THE HOST: ERROR. THE INFORMATION WAS ONLY SEALED FOR THE OWNER OF THE VESSEL.]
I threw a little curse answering her speech. It's unfair!
'Whatever!' I again cursed silently. They were keeping a secret from me?
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: DOES THE HOST AGREE WITH THE SYSTEM?]
I thought about what she asked. This time I have nothing to cling to but the System. I need to set a goal for myself. When I chose to reconcile with Celestine, I only thought of one thing.
And that is to be able to return alive to the people I love — to Charles.
But now I have more reason to return to my body.
I need to know the cause of my death, whether it was an accident or foul play.
I do not know.
"All right. Let's do what you want, help me get back into my body and learn the things I need to know." I keep talking to the system.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: THE HOST MADE A VERY GOOD DECISION. THE SYSTEM IS READY TO GUIDE THE HOST TO HER JOURNEY UNTIL THE LAST SOUL SHE WILL CROSS AND TAKE TO THE HELL DOMAIN.]
I stood up and took things more seriously. I have no other option, sticking to the system is the key for me.
"Explain to me more about what I need to do," I said. I don't want to make a mistake in what I do. This is where my return to Brikstone depends.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: SINCE THE HOST IS ASKING ABOUT THE SYSTEM, I WILL EXPLAIN TO HER THE FIRST THING SHE SHOULD KNOW.]
PING!
SYSTEM MANUAL
*Click to Scan
*DELETE
Another command embroidered on an envelope design appeared to me flashing details about the System.
'System Manual?'
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: The system manual contains the agreement and do's and don't for the Host. The Host just needs to study it carefully and remember it for her own sake.]
I didn't answer her anymore but I just pressed the CLICK TO SCAN button that was recorded there. After that, the detail that she wanted me to know popped up in front of me one by one, the process came in speedy motion but the sure thing is, I followed it.
I've read almost all of the details, but there are still some pieces of information that I did not fully understand. And one of them is about the type of soul that I should take to hell.
According to the manual, I have to escort six vengeful spirits to the Underworld.
As in vengeful spirits really? That seems scary. From what I have seen in the movies, such spirits are evil and vicious. How can I do this mission?
'Wait! A vengeful Spirit is what I need. What if it's just random spirits, that's all." I even planned to bargain for what she told me about spirits, but it looks like I won't be able to get through this situation.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: The Host was selected for this quest, there is no way the system change it. The Main Quest is to escort the souls with great hatred after death is only for Host 020. And that cannot be changed.]
I wasn't happy with her answer, she was issuing a lot of commands to my face and then she couldn't change the quest. It's also in her system what's the problem with it?
'Host 020?' I asked her in confusion.
[Host number 020 is none other than Frey Statterfield. She was the twenty-first Host to be rewarded by the Grim Reaper System for another chance. Each host is selected based on the type of their eyes. And the Host is in the Supreme eye color state which is why she is lined up in the front.]
Supreme eye color? OMG! Everything is fascinating.
"What is the supreme eye color?"
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: The human eye serves as the door for the system to see or know about everything about him or her. The System categorizes them into three.]
"Sounds interesting, huh? Does it tell that I am undergoing a hard test or quest? It looks like that Supreme thing is the Hard level of a game. I too will take and receives the difficult task."
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: The Host doesn't need to worry because the system will guide her through crucial situations so she can complete the quest. The Host just needs not to be stubborn and learn to listen to the system's suggestions.]
"Is that policy really necessary? What if you're wrong and I'm right? Your order will still be followed?" I raised my eyebrows when I asked him.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: The system will not harm the Host. Just trust.]
"Okay fine, whatever. But now how can I leave this place?" I've been wondering about that for a while now.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: Don't worry in not less than ten seconds, you will be out in reality.]
Eight.
'Really?'
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: Host Just Need to Focus. Don't let her emotional state run through her Physical and mental status. Go for the target, be the Rank 1 Grim Reaper, and get your Big reward.]
Five.
[System talking to Host: Good luck on your journey, Host. See you at the Grims World]
Three.
Frey got stunned as a white and glittering shadow appeared on the sides of her body. She was like fading, slowly at the state.
Two.
[SYSTEM TALKING TO HOST: One last thing, never trust anyone except the System. Fighting!]
PING!