At this point, Jacob didn't even know if he was still rooted in reality or if this was all some bizarre, hyper-realistic dream. He clung to the hope that it was just a dream, a figment of his subconscious. But the sensations—the cold hospital bed beneath him, the sharp sting as he pinched his cheek—felt all too real. The pain left a red mark on his skin, and as he rubbed at it, a creeping unease took hold.
"No way. Where the hell am I?" Jacob muttered under his breath, his voice trembling slightly.
He stepped out of the hospital bed, his bare feet brushing against the cold tiled floor, and shuffled toward the nearby window. What he saw on the other side made his breath hitch and his eyes widen in shock.
The city outside was shrouded in the twilight of evening, but the skyline looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Towering skyscrapers loomed impossibly high, their sleek, futuristic designs piercing the heavens as if defying gravity itself. Neon lights cascaded down their facades, glowing in vibrant hues of blue, pink, and green, giving the city an ethereal glow.
But it wasn't just the buildings that left him stunned. Swarms of metallic objects darted through the air like oversized mechanical bees. The objects—drones, Jacob realized—moved in perfect coordination, their undersides glowing with blue light that illuminated the streets below. Their movements were methodical, almost as if they were searching for something—or someone.
Jacob leaned closer to the window, his breath fogging up the glass as he strained to count them. Hundreds. No, more than hundreds. He estimated at least 200 drones patrolling the night sky. Their smooth, polished exteriors reflected the neon lights of the city, while small, ominous red lights blinked atop each one.
"Are those… their eyes?" Jacob murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
His mind raced, struggling to process what he was seeing. This wasn't the New York he knew. It wasn't even close. The city he remembered was chaotic, dirty, loud—but also familiar. This? This was like stepping into an entirely different world.
"What the heck is happening right now?" Jacob muttered, his tone equal parts confusion and disbelief. Did the world just decide to change while I was asleep? He glanced around the room, searching for answers but finding none.
"Did the government launch these drones?" he wondered aloud, trying to rationalize the scene. It had to be some kind of secret program, maybe a new initiative to improve security. It was the only explanation that made any sense… wasn't it?
But the longer Jacob stared at the drones and the unrecognizable skyline, the harder it became to convince himself that this was his world. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply, fundamentally wrong.
"An alternate reality?" he muttered before shaking his head violently. "No. No way."
The thought was ridiculous. Stuff like that only happened in webnovels or movies. He wasn't some random protagonist who'd wake up in a strange new world with special powers. He was Jacob Fox—just an average guy who'd had the worst, most humiliating day of his life.
And yet…
"How do I explain those skyscrapers?" he muttered. They weren't just tall—they were otherworldly, their designs sleek and alien, nothing like the architecture he'd seen in all his years living in New York.
Jacob sighed and slumped back onto the hospital bed, rubbing his temples. The confusion was starting to give him a headache. Desperate for some semblance of normalcy, he reached for his phone.
The banana logo greeted him again, mocking him with its absurdity. Jacob ran his fingers over the back of the device, hoping—praying—that Mason had just stuck some kind of cheap prank decal over the Apple logo. But the surface was smooth. Too smooth. There was no sticker, no hidden Apple logo underneath.
"What the heck, Mason?" Jacob muttered, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Did you seriously swap my phone for some knockoff? I can't believe you'd do me dirty like this."
His irritation was cut short by a sudden, piercing sound.
[Ding!]
Jacob froze. The noise, sharp and metallic like an alarm, seemed to echo through the room. He whipped his head around, scanning for the source, but there was nothing—no device, no speaker, nothing at all.
"Weird," he murmured.
[Ding!]
The sound came again, and this time Jacob realized it wasn't coming from the room. It was coming from inside his head.
His heart began to race. He didn't know why, but the sound unsettled him in a way he couldn't explain. It wasn't just strange—it was terrifying. The fear of the unknown clawed at his mind, sending a shiver down his spine.
Before he could process the noise further, a sudden flash of light erupted in front of him. It was so blinding that Jacob had to shield his eyes. When he cautiously opened them again, he found himself staring at something… impossible.
A translucent, glowing screen hovered in the air before him, its edges shimmering faintly. It looked like a computer interface, but it wasn't connected to anything.
Jacob stared at it, his mind teetering on the edge of disbelief. "No way… don't tell me…"
The screen flickered, and text began to appear, as if someone—or something—was typing.
[Due to the gods pitying your "miserable" death, you have been transmigrated to an alternate Earth and granted the Infinite Aura System.]
Jacob's jaw dropped. "Infinite Aura System? What the hell is that?"
The screen shifted, transitioning to a new panel with more text.
[Infinite Aura System
Due to the user dying in such an embarrassing way, you have been given a second chance to regain your dignity. However, as a penalty for your humiliating death, both your Aura Points (AP) and Charisma (CHA) have been deducted by 100.]
Before Jacob could respond, the screen flickered again, and multiple new panels popped up in rapid succession.
[Name: Jacob Fox
Title(s): Shitstormer (effects apply)
Achievement(s): N/A
LVL: 1 (0/100)
AP: -200 (-100 + -100)]
---
[STATS
Strength (STR): 16
Physical power; affects melee damage and lifting capacity.
Dexterity (DEX): 8
Speed, agility, and reflexes; critical for evasion and precision.
Intelligence (INT): 25
Knowledge and analytical ability; boosts tech skills and problem-solving.
Endurance (END): 14
Stamina and physical resistance; extends combat survivability.]
---
[Aura Stats
Aura Resilience (AR): Locked
Reduces damage from aura-based attacks; improves resistance to emotional manipulation.
Aura Flow (AF): Locked
Determines aura regeneration rate and energy capacity for skills.
Charisma (CHA): -100
Influences social interactions, persuasion, and leadership.
Mystique (MYS): Locked
Adds an air of mystery; improves stealth and unpredictability.
Spirit (SPT): Locked
Affects aura skill potency and connection to the supernatural.]
---
Jacob's eyes scanned the text, his expression frozen in disbelief.
"What in the world…?"