The sterile white ceiling above me was the first thing I saw as I slowly regained consciousness. My head throbbed like a bass drum, and my body felt like it had been run over by a freight train. Wrapped in plaster like a human burrito, I could barely move.
"Great," I muttered, blinking. "Hospital. Fantastic."
I tried to lift my hand, but it felt like it was made of cement. My limbs were heavy and stiff, like they belonged to someone else. Before I could curse whoever decided I should wake up in this mess, a strange blue glow flickered in my peripheral vision.
I froze.
Out of nowhere, a digital screen materialized above me. It floated in mid-air like something out of a sci-fi movie.
---
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...]
[WELCOME TO THE IMAGINATION SYSTEM]
[INSTALLATION IN PROGRESS...]
[10% - SYNCHRONIZING WITH HOST...]
[30% - LINKING TO CONSCIOUSNESS...]
[50% - ACTIVATING IMAGINATION ABILITY...]
[100% - INSTALLATION COMPLETE]
---
I blinked, my mind struggling to catch up with the absurdity. Imagination system? I was hallucinating. There was no way this was real.
[INTRODUCTION: THIS SYSTEM WILL HELP YOU HARNESS POWER THROUGH YOUR IMAGINATION.]
Imagination? What the hell...?
I rubbed my eyes, but the screen stayed. It didn't fade. It was real.
A strange sense of curiosity began to stir in me. Power through imagination? What could that even mean?
"Open status," I said aloud, my voice hoarse.
---
[Opening Host Window...]
Host - Ryex Malevolent
(Nickname: Jerker)
Age: 19
Ability: IMAGINATION (Level 0)
Current State:
Health: {2/4}
Strength: {0/2} (due to fractures in leg and hand)
Agility: {0/3}
Endurance: {0/2}
Mind Power: {3/5} (Upgraded due to binding with the system)
---
Jerker?
I blinked at the screen, my eye twitching. What kind of messed-up system chose that as my nickname? And Malevolent? What was that about? Was it some kind of sick joke?
"Jerker?" I muttered. "Seriously?"
---
[Derived from host's personal life.]
---
Personal life? What kind of messed-up life did I have for a system to think "Jerker" was appropriate? I gritted my teeth and muttered, "F*** you."
---
[Registering Imagination...]
[Imagination: Want to F System.]*
[ERROR! You lack the power to register this imagination.]
[Save the registration for future use? YES/NO]
---
I stared at the screen, appalled.
"NO!" I yelled, praying the system couldn't register my chaotic thoughts.
---
I took a deep breath, trying to regain some control. "Alright, let's try something more useful," I muttered. "I need to get out of here."
I closed my eyes and pictured myself completely healed—strong, agile, standing tall.
---
[Registering Imagination...]
[Imagination: Fully Healed in Seconds.]
[Successfully Registered.]
[To activate, reach IMAGINATION LEVEL 2.]
[Save this registration for future use? YES/NO]
---
"Level 2? Fine. How the hell do I level up?" I asked the system, frustrated but intrigued.
---
[By completing quests and using your imagination.]
[Registration Saved.]
---
As if to answer my question, the door creaked open. A nurse stepped inside, her presence a sudden shift in the sterile atmosphere. She was gorgeous—shoulder-length hair, almond-shaped eyes, a smile that could melt glaciers. She looked like a goddess sent to pull me from the edge of the abyss.
"Are you feeling okay?" she asked, her voice soft and comforting.
I blinked, my mind racing. Okay? I'm in a hospital, can barely move, and I've got a system talking to me in my head... but sure, I'm great.
"Yeah," I stammered, my gaze inadvertently drifting lower.
My imagination kicked into overdrive.
---
[Registering Imagination...]
[Imagination: Want to F Nurse Alia.]*
[Successfully Registered.]
[To activate, reach IMAGINATION LEVEL 3.]
[Save this registration for future use? YES/NO]
---
YES!
The heat in my cheeks flared, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. I quickly hit "YES," hoping she wouldn't notice the spike in my heart rate.
"Okay," she said, oblivious to my internal battle. "You need to rest. Oh, and be careful when you… uh… poop. Complications could be fatal."
"Wait… what?" I blinked, the words not quite processing. "Fatal complications from pooping?"
A twisted mix of curiosity and disbelief gnawed at me. I couldn't resist. I envisioned myself dying from pooping, half-joking.
---
[Registering Imagination...]
[Imagination: Want to Die by Poop.]
[Successfully Registered.]
[Level: 0 Matched.]
[Do you want to go with this imagination? YES/NO]
---
I snorted. "Sure, why not?" I clicked "YES," laughing nervously. There was no way this would actually happen, right?
---
Pain.
Suddenly, it felt like someone had detonated a grenade in my stomach. The pain was blinding, gut-wrenching, and instantaneous.
"No! CANCEL IT!" I screamed, trying to force myself to focus on the system, but the pain was all-consuming.
---
[Registration Cancellation Process: 1%...]
[ERROR! You lack the authority to cancel running imagination.]
---
This was it. My life flashed before my eyes—not in some heroic, cinematic montage—but in a ridiculous spiral of poop. The humiliation was unbearable.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, the pain stopped. A wave of warmth spread through me, and my breath caught.
---
[Hidden Quest Completed: Die by Imagination.]
[Reward: 70% Healing, Imagination Level Up to 0 (50%).]
[Bonus Reward: Due to ridiculous circumstances, Imagination Level Up to 1.]
---
I lay there, stunned. The system wasn't kidding—I'd leveled up. And somehow, dying from poop had been a quest. I was definitely not telling anyone about this.
"Status window," I muttered weakly, afraid to look.
---
Host - Ryex Malevolent
(Nickname: Jerker)
Ability: IMAGINATION (Level 1)
Current State:
Health: {3/4}
Strength: {1/2} (due to fractures)
Agility: {1/3}
Endurance: {1/2}
Mind Power: {7/10} (Upgraded by level up!)
---
I was stronger. Better. But the memory of almost dying from something as ridiculous as pooping would haunt me forever.
"I need food," I muttered. My stomach growled.
I imagined a feast—everything I could dream of. Roasted meats, fragrant curries, fresh bread, sparkling drinks.
---
[Registering Imagination...]
[Imagination: Want to Eat.]
[Level 1 Matched.]
[Do you want to go with this imagination? YES/NO]
---
"Yes," I whispered.
Minutes later, the door opened, and Nurse Alia walked in, pushing a trolley.
"It's not mealtime yet," she said, "but the doctor insisted you get some food."
She set a tray on the table. I lifted the lid, my mouth watering—
And inside, I found... bread and curry.
"This is food?" I muttered, my hunger making me irritable.
"It's good for recovery," she replied, smiling brightly.
"Yeah, if I wanted to recover from a famine," I grumbled.
Determined, I visualized the meal transforming into a feast, something worthy of a king.
---
[Registering Imagination...]
[Imagination: Transform Meal into Feast.]
[Requires Level 2.]
[Save this imagination for future use? YES/NO]
---
"Someday," I muttered, hitting "YES."
For now, I'd focus on surviving this bizarre new life—and, maybe, not dying from anything as stupid as pooping.