"You could have been the most powerful and wealthiest man to walk this earth. For a century and beyond, our family would have reigned supreme. But no, you had to be the most honest, the most honorable, the most selfless, and the most stubborn," she said, her voice dripping with disdain.
Her eyes glinted with barely concealed hatred, the half-light casting shadows on her face. The room, with its incessant beeping machines, felt more like a death trap than a sanctuary.
"Life, war, and entertainment—industries we've poured decades of investment into. Do you even realize what healthcare costs the average household over a lifetime? Of course, you do. It's a quarter of their expenses, multiplied by billions of people.
So tell me, Frank, did you really think the pharmaceutical companies would leave you alone? Or that insurance companies and factions within the government would stand by in solidarity? You're insane. You threatened their stranglehold, their billions in profit.
Imagine the medical tourism sector collapsing because of you. You were delusional, Frank. Between your pride and the survival of this family, I made a choice."
Her words hit me like a tidal wave, each syllable burning through my veins. Only a shred of dignity and a cruel lack of energy stopped me from breaking down entirely.
"Why?" I managed to whisper, my voice fractured. "After everything we've endured, after everything we built together..."
Her expression didn't soften. If anything, her coldness deepened. I realized then that this betrayal had been long in the making. I had been blind—too consumed by my ideals to see it coming.
"Because I am not you," she said, each word measured and precise. "I don't sit on a throne of virtue, pretending I can save a dying world. You wanted to give away a treatment we spent 20 years developing—for nothing but accolades.
We were mocked, humiliated, even persecuted for our research, and now you want to give it all up for some meaningless 'greater good'? No, Frank. I want the power that comes with it. I want to crush those who once taunted me. I want to be welcomed like a queen, revered for my accomplishments.
Your humanism has killed your humanity—not me!"
Her final declaration rang with so much venom that I flinched. For a brief moment, her mask of composure cracked, but she quickly smoothed it over, retreating into her icy demeanor.
"I see," I replied, my voice hollow. Arguing was pointless. Everything I believed in had been shattered, and the person who had shared my life for 15 years had orchestrated it.
Betrayed by the one who had loved, advised, and supported me—her demands now seemed like death sentences.
"One last thing," I said weakly. "What did you poison me with? No toxicology test ever found anything. We both know I wasn't sick."
Her lips curled into a sad smile. "We created something revolutionary, Frank. It could save millions. But with a slight modification, it can target the DNA of a specific individual. Elegant, isn't it?"
The truth hit me like a freight train.
"Don't worry, my dear Frank," she said, leaning in to kiss my forehead. A few tears escaped her eyes—filled with love, regret, hatred, and sorrow. "A millennium from now, you'll still be remembered as a hero. I'll make sure of it."
Without another word, she stormed out, leaving me to stew in my despair.
Rage surged through me, silent tears streaking my hollow cheeks as I pounded the bed in frustration.
Around 11 PM, exhausted from crying and ruminating, I fell into a fitful sleep to the cacophony of malfunctioning machines and hurried footsteps echoing down the corridors.
---
I awoke with a start. My mind was foggy, my body numb. The sensations were alien, as though I was inhabiting something that wasn't mine.
At first, I thought I had been drugged, but the haze soon lifted.
"I feel... better," I murmured. The statement was premature. As my awareness sharpened, it became clear something was horribly wrong.
"Why do I have... infrared vision?" I shouted, panic rising.
I tried to raise my hands to my face, desperate to claw away what I thought was some sort of thermal device, but I felt... nothing. My body moved, slithering unnaturally.
"What the hell is going on?"
Instead of my voice, strange vibrations resonated in my head. My surroundings came into focus—trees, undergrowth, and small creatures scurrying nearby.
"I'm... in a forest?" I muttered—or thought I did. The realization sent a chill down my spine.
Suddenly, a sharp, crackling noise echoed in my mind, like static from an old television.
Activating the system...
Checking body parameters...
Searching for a class corresponding to the skills of the summoned...
Installing updates and patches...
A searing pain shot through my skull, as though information was being forcibly burned into my brain. When the agony subsided, a ping echoed, followed by a screen appearing in my vision:
---
Character Sheet
Name: [To Choose]
Race: Intelligent Mutated Snake
Size: 5 meters
Weight: 70 kg
Level: 1
Class: Adaptive Healer (evolution to fighter possible)
Basic Statistics:
Strength (STR): 15 – Physical power for coiling, biting, or crushing enemies.
Endurance (END): 18 – Resilience and damage resistance.
Agility (AGI): 20 – Speed and flexibility for striking and dodging.
Intelligence (INT): 12 – Cognitive ability to think, learn, and adapt.
Perception (PER): 14 – Ability to detect threats or opportunities.
Vitality (VIT): 17 – Overall health and hit points.
Charisma (CHA): 6 – Low due to reptilian form but can be compensated by Intelligence.
Passive Skills:
Minor Regeneration: Heals 0.5% of max HP/min.
Natural Poison: Injects paralyzing venom on a bite.
Player Spirit: Prevents madness caused by newfound consciousness.
Enhanced Senses:
Thermoreception: Detect heat changes.
Vibration Detection: Sense ground or air movements.
Olfaction: Detect pheromones and scents.
Night Vision: Move efficiently in low light.
Combat Stats:
HP: 200/200
MP: 0
Residual Poison: 10/10
Movement Speed: Average for size and weight.
---
My head spun as I processed the information. Dying, waking up as a snake, and being thrust into what felt like a video game. It was absurd.
Before I could dwell on my misfortune, the ground vibrated beneath me. Something large—and fast—was approaching. Instinct took over, and I slithered away as quickly as I could.
I had barely moved ten meters when searing pain shot through my body.
-Critical Hit: HP (170/200) -30
Razor-sharp claws pierced my scales, hoisting me into the air.