In a ruined laboratory a girl and boy were searching through the debris.

“Zoe, look!” A boy of 16 said pointing to the metal debris nearby.

A girl with brown skin and black hair which reached her hip, stared at the location her brother was pointing at. She grasped. ‘A leg? There was someone under there!’

Zoe quickly approached it. The naked leg was covered with purple bruises and red gashes. It was small in size and had a tender look to it. It couldn’t belong to a person older than 15.

“Should we dig the kid out?” The boy with short brown hair and green eyes asked. “I doubt the kid is alive. It had been days since the explosion.”

“We should at least give the kid a proper burial.”

They began to remove the metal debris. Upon completion, they noticed the leg belonged to a boy who looked about 14 to 15-year-old. He was wearing a black garb with a black mask that covered his entire face with the exception of his eyes and mouth.

They gave each other a sad look and shook their head. ‘Dying at such a young age…’ they thought. ‘What a pity.’

“Who the hell stole my blanket?” a voice awakened them from their musing.

They stared surprisingly at the owner of the voice.

“You’re alive?” the boy with brown hair and green eyes asked with eyes wide opened.

“Of course. I’m alive,” The mysterious boy in black responded. “And don’t change the subject. There are more rubbish laying around here. Why take mine?”

The brother and sister exchanged a glance with each other. Finally understanding what the boy meant by blanket.

“We thought the metal pieces were suffocating you.” Zoe said with a smile. “It’s good that you’re alive.”

The mysterious boy gave the boy and girl a long scrutinizing look before finally saying.

“Whatever. Let me sleep in peace.”

He was about to lie down again when the boy with brown hair said.

“Wait, don’t sleep here. At least go home and sleep. It’s not good to sleep here. Who knows what kind of monster is lurking around here.”

“This is my home,” the mysterious boy replied.

“What?!” the brother and sister said in surprise.

“This is your home?” Zoe asked making sure she wasn’t hearing incorrectly.

“Yes. But I usually sleep in a tube. But as you can see,” the boy said as he pointed to the broken pieces of glasses nearby. “It’s broken.”

The boy and girl exchanged a glance. So he was experimented on. They gave the boy an empathized look.

“Come with us then,” the boy with brown hair said as he grasped the mysterious boy hand. “Our home is a lot better than here.”

“First you stole my blanket now you want to take away my napping hours?” The mysterious boy said a bit annoyed.

“Our house has a nice comfy bed,” Zoe said with a smile. “You can sleep there as long as you want. There is even toys and good food.”

“Yes. It’s really fun there,” the boy with brown hair said.

‘Fun?’ The mysterious boy thought. He understood what the word meant but he had never experienced it before. After musing about it for a while, the boy replied, “Well fine. But if you lie to me. Don’t blame me for being cruel.”

The girl and boy didn’t know whether they should laugh or cry. They were doing this out of good will and this boy was acting like he was doing them a favor. They agreed he must have suffered a lot here and didn’t know better.

“I’m Alan and this is my sister Zoe,” Alan said. “What is your name?”

“They called me Regis.”

---

Walking on the hot desert sand with the sun burning down on him, Regis asked, “What is that thing?” Pointing to the rifle hanging on Alan back.

“This?” Alan said as pulled the rifle over his shoulder. “It’s an AK-47 or that was what my father called it.”

“It is a toy?”

“No, it’s used to kill” Alan said his face contorted a bit.

“I se-Achoo!”

“Are you okay?” Zoe asked. “You have been sneezing ever since we came out of the laboratory.”

“Yes. It’s natural,” Regis replied. “I have been sick my entire life.”

“Entire life… that long?” Zoe mumbled to herself then looked at how Regis was dragging his left leg. ‘Even his leg…’ she thought. She moved her sight away and focus on his mask. She didn’t want to think what lied underneath the mask Regis was wearing. ‘Did those scientists do this to him?’

“Do you know what sickness you have?” Alan asked.

“Don’t know,” Regis said.

“Why don’t you check?” Alan replied.

“Check? How do I check?”

“Why just bring up your screen, dummy,” Zoe said with a tender expression. She thought that this boy really didn’t know anything.

“Screen?” Regis said tilting his head to the side.

"Close your eyes," Zoe said, "and visualize yourself seeing a blue screen. Keep focusing on that image until it becomes clearer. When you are sure you could see it clearly. Open your eyes."

Regis closed his eyes and focused on creating a blue screen. When the image was clear he felt his mind connected to something... In shock, he opened his eyes.

"Ah it works," Regis gasped.

A blue screen appeared in front of him. Except being the empty blue screen he imagined. This screen was filled with words.

A voice spoke in his head. "Personal experiences, developments and information will now be represented through the screen." Regis' head instinctively moved left and right as he searched for the owner of the voice.

Zoe laughed then said, "You heard the voice right?"

Regis nodded.

"That is normal," Zoe replied. "That is what happened when you first create the screen. Everyone goes through it."

"I see..." Regis said. "Do you know whose voice it is?"

"No one knows for sure," Zoe said. "We just accept it."

Regis tilted his head. Shouldn't they try to find out?

"Now don't mind the little details," Zoe said. "What does the status say about your sickness?"

He set aside all the questions about the screen for now. Instead. He focus on reading the content in the screen.

Regis Lvl: 1 Class: None Str: 120 Con: 98 Int: 138 Dex: 110 Agi: 123 Luck: 212 Skills Imperfect Spiritual Eyes: Able to see ghosts, souls and other astral beings.

Imperfect Assimilation: 1. Assimilate a soul leaving it in a loose state...

2. Absorb the soul completely destroying it in the process...

Status Cripple: reduced Agi and Dex by 50% Dimwitted: reduced Int by 50% Poison: reduced Con by 50% Weak: reduced Str by 50% Disfigured: reduced charm by 100% -Growth: decreased attribute point gains per level Sick: applied viral infection and weakened immune system Sealed: Innate traits, abilities, skills, etc., are sealed or weakened Cursed: negative status cannot be cured or removed.

He subconsciously understood the first table used precise numbers to represent his ability. He didnt know how he knew it. He just did. 'Very strange,' He thought.

Moving his eyes to the next table. He gasped. It listed his skills and what it did with complete accuracy!

Upon finishing it, he moved to the last and final table.

His body shook. "What is this...?" he whispered.

“How is it?” Zoe asked.

“Very bad,” Regis said with a frown on his face as he continued to read.

“What do you mean?”

“Zoe, Regis stop!” Alan abruptly yelled out.

He pulled his rifle out and stood in front of them. He was aiming at something a few feet away from them.

“A mutated green snake?” Zoe cried out. "And level 16 at that!"

“Don’t worry,” Zoe whispered to Regis. Her voice was shaking. “Just stand behind me.” She moved to cover Regis.

Bang! Bang!

Alan moved his rifle wildly trying to trace the path the snake was heading to.

“Shoot!” Alan yelled. “It burrowed underground!”

Alan and Zoe’s eyes moved frantically around trying to look for the snake.

‘Dammit,’ Alan thought. ‘If only I aimed a bit more to the left. Now that it’s hidden in the sand. It could strike from anywhere.’

A thought crossed Alan’s mind as he instinctively fired a few shots beneath his feet.

“DAMN!” Alan shouted. “Zoe, Regis look around you. If you see any movement in the sand. Move away quickly!”

Alan and Zoe twisted and turned their body frantically looking for the snake.

“Are you looking for this?” Regis said.

Alan and Zoe both turned to look at Regis. They both fumbled back onto their butt. Regis was holding the mutated green snaked by its neck!

“Regis quickly! Throw it away before it bites you!” Alan and Zoe screamed out.

“Why are you two so afraid?” Regis asked as he twisted the Snake’s head. “See. It’s dead.”

The snake ceased its movement.

To Regis’ surprise a white mist of something congregated above the snake head. It formed a balloon like image. The white balloon suddenly began to float away. Regis quickly grasped it.

Acquires Snake Soul!

Assimilation activating. Absorbing snake soul.

“Yuck,” Regis said as he felt something slimy going into him.

Do you want to change your class to “Mutated Green Snake”?

Skills: Poison fang, Burrow, Constrict

Or

Do you want to complete the absorption and destroy the soul completely?

Will yield 2 points for Agi.

'So this is what the voice meant what it said experiences will be represented by a screen.' Regis thought.