"Come on, wake up! We have to be on the project soon!" Tayo called while shaking the body of a young man, who was none other than his own friend to wake up from his sleep.
While opening his eyes and lifting his body to a sitting position, the young man stretched his arms, turned his head and said. "Even though I've only been a construction worker for a day, my body feels crushed."
"That's because you're not used to working physically. Usually you work using your brain while sitting behind a desk." Tayo replied hearing the young man's complaint.
"Come on, take a shower quickly, or we'll be late, and that damn foreman might cut our salary." Tayo continued, responding and reminding his friend.
The young man nodded, then got up from his bed and immediately rushed to the bathroom to clean himself.
***
The work activities in a supermarket construction project continued until the afternoon. All the workers immediately returned home, including Tayo and a young man who was his friend.
On the way home. Tayo and his friend stopped at a food stall. The stall was not too far from where they lived, only about five hundred meters from where they were.
When they had just sat down at the stall, there was a line of soldiers walking neatly complete with backpacks on their backs and weapons in both hands. Tayo glanced, watching his friend who was also looking at the line of soldiers with a sad look.
"Come on, Yo... your parents are already in heaven. It's better for us to work so that we can continue to live, even live better." said Tayo while patting Aryo's shoulder, a young man who was a friend with the same fate as him.
Aryo just nodded in response, thinking in his heart. 'Father, Mother... pray for me so that I can be useful to others and life.'
Aryo's father was an army officer with the last rank of lieutenant colonel. His father died when he was twelve years old, not long after. His mother also died in a traffic accident.
Since then, Aryo has lived with his uncle who lives on the outskirts of the city. Although Aryo lives with his uncle alone, he often gets unfair treatment from the family.
He is considered a burden to the family, a stepchild, and is often used as a vent for anger for unclear reasons. In fact, his father's pension is managed entirely by his uncle.
When he graduated from high school. Aryo left his uncle's house without saying goodbye, he worked as a Cleaning Service at a game company. No matter what people judge him, Aryo did it with all his heart and sincerity.
In addition to his intelligence, luck often sided with him. Not even a month of working, Aryo was transferred to the Administration section and he was often asked to help experts perfect a game creation.
For five years Aryo worked at the game development company. Aryo always set aside his salary for less fortunate children, children from an orphanage not far from his rented house. In fact, they were so close that Aryo was considered part of their own family.
But it was really unfortunate for Aryo. He was accused of falsifying company data, even though he defended himself, all the evidence pointed to him. He knew for sure that everything that happened to him was the work of his own co-workers, people who had always been jealous of his work reputation all this time.
Unfortunately. Aryo could not show convincing evidence, until finally, he was fired from the game development company where he made a living.
Aryo tried to apply for work at other companies, but was always rejected with classic reasons. And Aryo also knew that it was because his fired status had spread widely. Spread by people who slandered him to other companies.
In order to make ends meet, Aryo did any job. As long as it does not harm or take away other people's property, being a construction worker is not a problem at all, even though it is too hard for someone who is not used to it.
***
Here's the mixed rice, son." said a middle-aged woman, who was the seller of the rice stall.
"Thank you, ma'am." Aryo replied smiling as he took the tray from the middle-aged woman.
When he was about to put the rice in his mouth. Tayo and Aryo were surprised by the arrival of five men, all five of whom were muscular with many tattoos along their arms.
"Brak!" the sound of the door crashing was heard, one of the tattooed men slapped him hard and suddenly.
"Security money!" Shouted one of the other tattooed men, who seemed to be the leader of the five people.
Shocked and shaking, the middle-aged woman replied. "Sorry, I haven't got enough money today, sales are very quiet and—-"
"Whether it's quiet or busy, it's none of my business! Hurry up and pay the security money! Or I'll trash your stall!" While extending his hand, the tattooed man moved his index finger, as a sign of asking for money from the middle-aged woman.
"But the money..!" Before the middle-aged woman could finish speaking, the tattooed man who had asked for money earlier had already fallen to the ground.
Yes! Aryo took action, he immediately stood up and hit the tattooed man right on the left temple with his right fist.
Aryo's blow was so hard that the tattooed man almost lost consciousness. His eyeballs were spinning, almost crossed because he was dizzy, as if there were many stars scattered around his head.
"Bastard!" Shouted one of the other tattooed men, who then moved, attacking Aryo with a strong punch, followed by the remaining three men.
However, Aryo's movements were quite agile. He was able to avoid it easily, even beating the four tattooed men until they were battered with bruises on their faces.
On the other hand. Tayo also did not remain silent, even though Aryo looked superior against the four thugs, he was still worried, he immediately called the police with his cellphone.
Just when Tayo finished calling and put his cellphone in his pants pocket. He screamed loudly. "Aryooo, Watch out!"
Tayo saw the tattooed man who was previously beaten by Aryo until his eyes were crossed, suddenly behind Aryo, immediately stabbing the dagger towards his back.
Aryo who realized Tayo's scream immediately avoided, but he was a few seconds too late from the stab done by the tattooed man.
"Jleb! Jleb! Jleb!"
Three times the dagger stabbed Aryo's body, the young man immediately fell to the ground, covered in blood with a torn back.
"Aryo." Tayo screamed, he immediately ran to Gusti who was now helpless, in line with the arrival of the police at the scene.
The police officers quickly acted, immediately arresting the tattooed men. Four of whom were already lying down due to being beaten by Aryo. While another person, was shot in the leg at that time because he tried to escape.
But unfortunately, Aryo's life could not be saved. The young man died in a very unexpected incident.
***
In the depths of a very dense forest, there is a very deep ravine. The forest is known as the Forest of Death. The name of the forest of death is because the forest is inhabited by various very dangerous monsters.
No human dares to enter the forest. Even if someone forces themselves to enter it, either to take resources or hunt wild animals, then most likely they will never return.
"Ah! Where am I? Am I dead?" said Aryo looking around, all that was visible were cliff rocks and thick bushes. There was also a small river nearby with very clear water.
"Uh! So thirsty." Aryo muttered while swallowing, trying to stand towards the river.
"Aaargh .... my legs .... why are my legs getting smaller?" Aryo winced while holding his broken leg, and was confused by the size of his legs which were the size of a fifteen year old teenager's legs.
Not wanting to think too much first, Aryo dragged his body towards the river. But suddenly, a voice was heard.
System "Ding! Congratulations, sir. The process of transferring your soul has been successful!"
"Eh?" Aryo looked left and right, even looking up, looking for the source of the voice that was heard in his head.
System "Ding! Congratulations, sir. The unification of the System with your soul has been successful."
"Who's there? Come out quickly!" Aryo shouted with an alert attitude, his eyes wide with alertness.
System "Ding! I am the System. The existence that unites your soul. And the System is prepared to help you become the strongest."
"System? Soul? Become the strongest? What do you mean? Show yourself!" Aryo was still confused and scared, with the system's voice that suddenly appeared in his head, making him unable to simply accept what was heard.
There was no answer like before. But instead, a dark blue hologram screen appeared, right at arm's length in front of Aryo.
Aryo immediately stepped back in surprise. This was the first time for him, especially since it appeared unexpectedly.
Frowning, observing the dark blue hologram screen carefully, Aryo stretched out his right hand, trying to touch it.
"Eh! It's transparent." Aryo muttered. Curious, he waved his hand at the hologram screen, but the result was still the same, the screen could not be touched like an object.
System "Ding! What you see is the System panel screen. Only you can see it."
"I think I've seen this type of screen… but where, huh!" Arya muttered while closing his eyes occasionally, trying to dig into his own memory.
System "Ding! You've seen the System panel screen before. Namely when you helped a game maker on earth, where you used to work.
Arya brow furrowed even more, remembering when he worked at a game company. But at that time, the hologram screen in front of him was on a computer monitor, not the hologram screen that appeared in front of his eyes, even without any tools and electricity.
Are you in my body?" Aryo asked, still curious.
System "Ding! No, sir. The system has merged with your soul. If you die, the system will also disappear."
"System, where am I now? Am I dead? Why did you merge with my soul?" Aryo uttered a series of questions, who of course was still curious and confused about the situation he was experiencing.
System "Ding! You can find out where you are from the owner's memories."
"Aaaarggh… it hurts so much… aaaarggh…!" suddenly, Aryo screamed in pain while holding his head. At that moment, the owner's memories began to flood his head.
In those memories, the owner of the body was known as Arya. He came from a second-class family in the city of Ragane, a small town in the Nabrajem District in the Lebak Mainland.
Nabrajem District controls five regions, namely Ragane, Yalam, Yodomi, Tantake, and finally the city of Nabrajem, as the area that is the largest city in Nabrajem District.
In the memories that flowed in his head. Aryo also knew that the owner of the body was originally a genius in his family. When he was ten years old, his cultivation was at the fifth birth stage. And at the age of thirteen, Arya was already at the Second Level Body Formation stage.
Due to Arya's speed in reaching the level of cultivation, it caused jealousy from several cousins. Arya received special treatment from the Family Patriarch.
Some family resources were given to Arya, in the hope of accelerating his cultivation rate. So that it can improve the family's image and boost the family business to be better.
It should be noted that in this unknown world, a person can start cultivating at least at the age of seven. Under normal circumstances, on average a person can break through one level at the Birth Stage every year.
However, Arya is different, in the three years since he started cultivating, he has broken through five levels of the birth stage. Of course this is beyond the realm of normal for everyone.