[Reincarnation has been successfully completed]
[The soul of Franc Elixis is now on the body of Andrius Viator]
That is what the pop up system had said.
[Andrius Viator Character profile]
[Current rank: None
Current job class: None
Possible awakening: A rank - S rank]
"Rank? Awakening? What's the meaning of these?"
[Andrius Viator is scheduled to have an Awakening in the next calamity]
***
"This is...me?" Franc Elixis, who now owns the body and name Andrius Viator took a glimpse of his new appearance reflected in a bathroom mirror inside the hospital room.
He was surprised to notice that despite being reincarnated, he has retained the memory of his previous life as Franc Elixis.
'He is a bit messy. Though, not bad at all...'
Commonly speaking, most people would experience shock or simply in agony upon waking up in another world or dimension. Except a certain otherworldly Duke who took pride in his appearance.
'A little plain for my taste. Maybe I'll cut this hair and wore something better' he mulled over his patient robe.
Though, there is a more urgent matter. Franc Elixis needed to adapt to this new identity, world, and system. He gave the pop-up an intense stare.
"Can this thing explain for me too?"
[Unfortunately, the system can only assist the player in measuring their capability.]
"Guess I'll find out the old way, huh?"
grumble
Andrius's hungry stomach began to emit intangible noises. He glanced at the hospital bed. There is no telling how long has Andrius been in slumber with all the life support attached on his frail body. Although he has taken all of them off, no nurses has come to see him stand on two feet yet.
At last, he made the decision to search other living beings and gain something edible.
Andrius opened the door and was greeted by an empty hall. He walked outside and tried to find an exit.
'A castle? No, a castle won't be this plain and narrow.'
His curiosity encouraged him to peek at other hospital rooms. He find other patients who are in the same condition as him previously, lying in the hospital bed with wires to keep them from death.
'Wait, why am I the only one awake here?'
Andrius raced to the end of the hall. He encountered two metal doors with numerical indicators at the top. In short, an elevator.
"A mechanism? What does these doors do?"
Duke Elixis is no stranger to traps and mechanism. After all, he was the one who sent countless traitors to their demise. His vigilant nature and quick wit is what brought him so far. He was unstoppable until...the Crown Prince caught wind of his deed.
'I bet that dense prince still think I'm hurting innocent people...But, that doesn't matter anymore.'
Andrius used all knowledge of his previous life to scavenge for clues. Clue number one is the button attached in the middle with arrows pointing up and down.
"I see. It's a form of transport between floors."
Clue number two is the size of the mechanism. Judging from the height, he concluded that it is used to transport human or perhaps a bigger creature.
"It doesn't seem dangerous or have any hidden traps. I'll have to go beyond this point to investigate further."
In hierarchical standards, upper floors are usually reserved for leaders. Andrius felt he isn't ready to face the owner of this building so he immediately pressed the down arrow button.
ding!
One of the metal doors had opened revealing a tiny metal room. There is someone wearing scrub inside.
"Hello? Are you someone from this place?"
"Yes? Is there anything I can help you with?" The nurse moved to the side as Andrius stepped inside the elevator.
"Uhm, I'm a little hungry...It's been awhile since I woke up."
"Oh?! By any chance, are you a patient from this floor?"
"Well, I came out from that room in the middle-"
The nurse was shaken by the news. She hurriedly picked up her phone and dialed a number.
"Azriel! A patient from the never ending slumber hall has awoken!"
"Impossible! High again, aren't you?!"
"N-no sir! He is right here-"
Andrius pulled the nurse abruptly closer to him. What kind of communication device is this thin square? Nevertheless, he spoke to it hoping to reach the man on the other side.
"Hello there! I was wondering if I can get something to eat?"
Silence filled the room and the phone call ended soon after.
"Eh? Did I do something wrong? Sorry, I'm probably out for years now that I don't know anything about the current state of the world….Do you mind brief me on a few things?"
"Of course! Ask away sir! I'll answer you to the best of my ability. Although I believe-"
Ding!
The elevator stopped at ground floor. As the doors opened, several nurses were there waiting for them.
"I believe you should ask you mother about it"
Among those who wore scrubs, one lady in her mid fourties stands out the most.
"Andrius! Is that really you, my son?!" The woman hugged her.
Once he made contact with the woman, stream of memories began to flood his mind. Fondness and warmth that Franc Elixis could never even dreamed of in his previous life.
"...mom?"
Memories of Andrius began to clash with that of Franc Elixis. Their life values and experience differ greatly. The pinnacle of those differences are...whether or not love is present.
Franc Elixis does not believe in the existence of love. Because none has ever love him. He consider people as disposable beings. He won't hesitate to throw what has served their purpose. Because that's how his parents treated him.
Andrius disagree with that notion because his parents loved him. His mother waited beside him even when his consciousness continues to deteriorate. Thus, falling to a forever slumber. Yet, that very mother believed her son will one day wake up and embrace her.
'Which one should I believe?'
No, why bother? He knew the answer was laid out in daylight.
The pitiful life of Franc Elixis who killed his own parents to be a Duke is over. That life full of despair with no hopes of tomorrow. A life empty, without love.
Now, he has something that Franc Elixis could never hope to achieve. The tender feeling of a loving mother who cried her hearts out for their return.
He ponders, what should he say in a situation like this?
"It's okay now, mom. I'm back."
"How? Is waking up from never ending slumber even possible?" A doctor who rushed to the scene is in disbelief.
Andrius smiled at the doctor. He hold his mother's hand in conviction.
"Perhaps you could say...I've reach the unreachable."
***
"Is that all?" Andrius slurped the matcha latte his mother ordered before going back to his room. He could confirm not even the Kingdom of Aven in his past life has something taste so divine.
"Of course I would expect to be extorted for information right when my son woke up..." Estela Viator — Andrius's mother, appeared as if her soul is being sucked away.
"Oh, so you do realize I'm extorting information"
"How could I not? Do you remember what your mother work as?"
Estela Navier is a seasoned psychologist. She is not one to be easily manipulated or cheated on. A strong woman who raised her son on her own. Even stayed beside him in his last moments.
"I do. That's why I prefer asking you, mom. You understand what most people overlook." Andrius replied while finishing his afternoon snack.
His mother let out a sigh. She grabbed strudy medium sized box from a gift bag.
"I figured you will have a lot of questions after being in slumber for 10 years. Why not try seeking the answer yourself?"
Estela unboxed a metal square with glass screen. Similar to what the nurse in the elevator was using earlier.
"Isn't this...a smartphone?"
"It is. You're a quick learner. This one is yours. Feel free to search anything you want to know."
Andrius caressed the screen of smartphone lightly. He didn't try to hide his amazement towards the foreign technology.
'It can give me information and not just communicate? What else can this metal plate do?'
Andrius pressed a button and the phone turned on. There is only one thought in his mind.
'Why is she so kind to me?'
He didn't understand why his mother gave something more than he asked for, even when he hasn't done anything.
In the Kingdom of Aven, to earn love and to be acknowledge you have to prove your worth first. Maybe, there is another condition to be acknowledged in this new world.
'Oh, I get it. I should do something for her after this right?'
Andrius glanced at his mother. Estela smile compassionately. Her happiness is immeasurable seeing her son thinker with his new phone.
She prayed this serene moment will last forevermore, won't it?
Drrr!
The hospital shook violently. Causing Andrius fell from his bed. He protected the smartphone with his might, making sure not a single scratch lands on the metallic body.
"What happened? An earthquake?"
"N-no...Rius, my dear...I think we must run."
"Why mom? What's going on-?"
Words were stolen out of his mouth the moment he glanced over to the window. The scenery outside the window is supposed to be a beautiful sunset just a moment ago. Yet, there are monsters running rampant on the streets and buildings. Those monsters came out of a portal in the sky. There are multiple portals at that.
A pop up screen appeared again before Andrius.
[Andrius Viator is scheduled to have an Awakening in the next calamity -> Condition fulfilled]
"Evacuate all patients! It's a mass dungeon break!"