Jayson stood at the threshold of his surreal new reality, his mouth gaping in astonishment at the nightmarish landscape that stretched out before him.
It was a scene straight out of a post-apocalyptic horror film.
The sky that should have been teetering between orange and yellow carrying the warm and vibrant sense of sunset, now seemed to have been scorched by flames, giving the sky a crimson red hue. emitting an ominous feeling.
The city he once knew had transformed into a grim spectacle.
Buildings crumbling ruins, some still smoldering, and others demolished completely, depict proof of the chaos that had erupted.
The streets were littered with debris, abandoned cars, and the eerie silence of a world devoid of human activity. Whoa, what the 'fuck happened here', Jayson said as he surveyed the destruction around him. The city that was once thriving was now a desolate landscape.
Calming himself down, Jayson took a few moments to assess his physical situation. He noticed after the transformation wore off that his broken ankle seemed to stop hurting. He noticed this when he was fighting the last few creatures before exiting the bar. He pulled his pant leg up to inspect the wound, and moved his foot around, he discovered the bones were no longer broken. He then checked his face, his nose was "also", no longer broken. Wow, this was so unexpected, Jayson thought. The information detailing the transformation, forgot to mention a 'healing factor' as a side effect. 'Shoot, I'm not gonna complain, I really needed this in the worst way!'
Just then, as if right on cue, the status window popped open.
[System Update]
You have gained in power, and unlocked: "Passive Skills."
Level: 3
Strength: 24, Agility: 22, Health: 25, Stamina: 29, Speed: 30, Magic: 23
Class: None
Passive skills: Stoic Presence, Quick thinker, Luck of the Draw
Active skills: None
As Jayson reviewed his status window, his face wore different expressions.
A mosaic of disappointment, and confusion were pasted on his face.
"It feels good seeing my stats increasing". However, still after killing what I would imagine was a high level Ghoul and 'Multiple' lower ones, why am I still only at level 3", he shook his head in disappointment. Also, what the hell is up with this system? it pops up when it wants to. I wonder if I can bring it up on command, he thought…
["You seem to be lost and confused, I think I can explain things."]
A voice suddenly said.
"Who, who the hell is that!"
Jayson scanned the area as he couldn't figure out where this "new" voice was coming from
[Can you not hear my voice in your head, silly?
I am the system that's been linked to your being, I've been showing you information this whole time, anyway you may call me 'Mira']
Wait, hold on... Since when does a system have a consciousness?
I have never heard of a system being able to do this before, Jayson said in confusion.
['Oh', I think I see why you are confused, you are comparing my system with those detailed in those books you humans call 'Web Novels' or "Manga's".
I sometimes wonder how the writers of such things get their inspiration, because most of it seems incorrect.
So I would like to explain, I am 'no' ordinary system that most hosts find themselves linked up with.
I am a sentient being, one who can communicate details, I not only speak, I also give guidance to improve his or hers senses to make them stronger than their peers.
I am the Ultimate system, with boundless potential, I am unique in the entire multi-verse, you can summon me anytime, just say, 'System']
Mira said proudly, every word exuded a godly confidence.
[Although I don't know how I was linked with you, I do need to relay important information to you. The system said.]
Jayson sat down with his legs crossed, focused on the consciousness in his head and had a serious expression on his face, not wanting to miss any of the details.
Seeing the serious look on the face of the young man, the system continued.
[Your world doesn't seem quite right, the events that have recently occurred are the strangest that have ever happened in the universe.
Firstly, there were no warnings or signs that any of this would occur, nothing unnatural has presented itself up until this point. It seems very strange to me.
The magical energies of this world didn't awaken gradually, it seemed to have awakened all at once, as if a powerful being at a higher god tier level, tampered with your world. The system said.]
Whoa, Jayson said exasperatedly!
Hold on, 'Mira', I have a personal question for you, what happened to your voice.
You sound different. You don't sound as 'cold' as you did up until now. What gives.
['Oh That', Hah-aha, well this is a normal occurrence. I sounded 'cold' as you say, due to the fact I wasn't fully assimilated into your consciousness until now.
So now all of my options have been unlocked, now you get to enjoy my 'empathy' filter, which makes my speech pattern sound more 'Human Like'.
Any way, it looks like I have distracted you from your urgent plan. Weren't you going to check on your mother? You should go now while the current area seems to be somewhat calm.
I have taken the liberty of creating a map, using your memories. I created a route in which you can very quickly make your way to the hospital your mother is currently in. To access the map, simply say, 'Map'.]
At that moment the system went away.
Jayson got up from the floor, dusted off his pants, and got ready to start his journey to the hospital. Jayson then said confidently, 'Map!'
A transparent map overlay appeared, showing a red X marker point for the destination, and a blue arrow that indicated his current position on the map. Even cooler than just the ability to have a map overlay, was the fact that there were what appeared to be tiny yellow dots reminiscent of a bread-crumb trail connecting the two markers.
Jayson then took off, following the illuminated trail at a very high rate of speed. Jayson was ecstatic with the level of speed he was now running. It seems the boost in his stats due to leveling up turned Jayson into a Marathon runner! He made it to the hospital in just under 25 minutes. Before his level up, this run would've taken him closer to an hour. After taking a few minutes to catch his breath, Jayson walked up to the main entrance doors.
Unfortunately, due to the mayhem that ensued today, it was no surprise to Jayson that the doors wouldn't open, since there was clearly no electrical power going to the door mechanism. However, Jayson could see that inside the hospital, the lights were still on. This gave him hope. Taking a moment to inspect the doors closely, he could see he wasn't going to be able to pry them open. So Jayson looked around for something heavy to try and smash the safety glass, since the doors were mostly made of glass with a metal frame surround.
He spotted a near bye car that had been abandoned, he did a quick search and found a tire iron that was wedged behind the driver-side front seat. Yes! Jayson said out-loud, this will do nicely. He then walked up to the doors once again, and using ALL of his strength swung the tire iron at the doors, shattering the glass pane. He quickly ran to the stairwell, skipping the use of the elevator, his mother's room was only on the 3rd floor, Jayson didn't want to risk getting trapped if the elevator lost power. After a few minutes, Jayson reached his mother's hospital room, he paused at the door.
Jayson pushed open the door to the hospital room, the sterile smell of disinfectant hitting him like a wall. His footsteps faltered as his gaze fell on the bed. She lay there, motionless, the crisp white sheet pulled up to her chest, her face pale and unnaturally still. The room was painfully quiet, save for the faint hum of the fluorescent lights above.
His mother…
For a moment, it didn't feel real. He half-expected her to stir, to open her eyes and offer that tired reassuring smile she always managed, even on her worst days. But she didn't. The heart monitor at her bedside was dark, its screen lifeless.
Jayson's chest 'tightened, his breath shallow as he took a shaky step closer. Her hands, folded neatly over her stomach, were cold when he reached out to touch them. The weight of the truth hit him all at once, like a crushing tide pulling him under.
She's gone, he whispered. his voice barely audible in the stillness. The words tasted bitter, and wrong, as if saying them aloud made them more permanent.
His knees seemed weak, ready to give way, but he forced himself to stay standing, to take it all' in. The small bouquet of wilting flowers on the bedside table. The faint impression of her head on the pillow. The silence that felt like it would swallow him whole.
A single tear trickled down his cheek, wet and hot against his clammy skin. He didn't bother wiping it away, there was no one here to see him break.
For a long time he stood there, unable to move, unable to leave her side, Because once he walked out that door, it was real. Once he left, there was no coming back to this moment, no undoing this loss. The world outside continued on, oblivious, but for Jayson, it was as if time had stopped. And he wasn't sure it would ever start again.
Jayson felt weak, as if he were ready to crumple to the ground, the pain after the realization, that his mother was now gone. As he fell to the ground, the sound of thunder cracked in the distance, accompanied by the sounds of explosions thumping like huge bass drums reverberating getting ever closer, until...