It is night time, and I’ am working with one of my part time job which is a clerk in a convenience store. Nowadays, I’m working diligently to save up some money to buy this new game console that I want. It’s a virtual reality game that is first of its kind, the game was called something about road, which some mythical beast company released a few months ago. I’m actually a game addict, but with my financial status, I can’t just afford to buy it. I don’t have my parents anymore since I was 13 and I grew up in the streets and the arcade shop, fighting here and there to survive. I’m good at it, fighting that is, it happens almost every night.

Since I don’t have any parents to support me for 6 long years (I’m 19 by the way) and since I grew up in the streets, I don’t have the cash to buy the game console, that’s why I’m working with so many different part time jobs so I can save up. This is the first time I did this, for even if I call myself a game addict all I played was the games in the arcade and an online game titled about continent of something, forgot about that something, and I was good at it but I was always got killed by this player whose name is about grass, how I wish I killed him just one time, or we can just have a fist fight, since I’m good at it. I’m the king of the streets, zero lose on street fights, didn’t mean to brag. Anywaw, I played different games in the arcades which my initial RMT is on the top of the list, so I guess I’m quite good at games, but this virtual reality is different than any other game, so I must have it.

With the money that was left by my parents before they died, which most of it was stolen by my greedy nephews which they called themselves as guardian before they throw me away in to the streets, and the money that I will earn in my part time jobs I can buy it in a year. All I need is patience and hard work which I have an unlimited source.

It’s almost time to end my shift when I received a message on my phone, “Come at the abandoned warehouse now, or your girlfriend will be killed”. It’s one of my rival in the streets seeking some revenge, so I told my manager that I’m ending my shift a bit earlier. Since my manager and I was close, he give me his permission to be out early. I headed immediately to the abandoned warehouse which is not quite far in the place I work at. It’s just a 20 minute run. I arrived at the warehouse and shouted.

“RELEASE HER OR I’LL KILL YOU ALL!” That was a cool line when you’re barging in to save your girl, but what I heard is my rival, his goons and my girlfriend laughing. I didn’t understand the situation, what I expected was my girlfriend being tied and some of his goon is surrounding her to threaten me. But my girlfriend instead of being tied was beside my rival laughing her heart out. I was confused.

“You call this gorilla of a man your boyfriend” My rival ask my girlfriend after he stop laughing.

“No he’s not my boyfriend, he only thinks that way.” My girlfriend replied.

“WHO’S YOUR CALLING A GORILLA?! DO YOU WANNA DIE! Wait what did you say Lisa?” I was aghast when my rival call the handsome me a gorilla but I was shocked when my girlfriend says that I am not her boyfriend.

“I said that you are not my boyfriend, Jack here ask me to get close to you so he can have his revenge, and he paid me some money. Who wants to be your girlfriend? You walking mass of a muscle with a face of a buffoon?” Lisa explain like it was nothing.

“Me? A walking muscles, does my face really looks like a buffoon? Although I really have some large muscles which I train regularly, because girls love muscles right? And my face, even though it doesn’t look like some idol, it still can be considered handsome.” I replied. But they just stare at me for a moment and started laughing again, much harder than the last one.

“Hahaha… Oh I’m dying from laughing so hard, is this how you’re going to kill us? By making us laugh so hard.” Jack replied out of breathe after laughing. “Let’s stop this nonsense show and get on with it. Guys beat him senseless while his in shock.”

Ten of Jack’s goon started walking towards me, making a show that they will me beat me up senseless, making their knuckles and their neck crack. I, just standing there, thinking and digesting the conversation just now, realized that I was betrayed by that sweet little girl called Lisa. My tears started to flow making my eyes blurry. The first goon wind up his arm to punch me in the face, as he was about to punch me, I punched him first in the face, giving him a left straight, knocking him senseless on to the ground. The other goon stop on their track, while Jack and Lisa was making a dumbfounded face.

“Lisa, did you just betray me?” I ask while crying. Making some small hiccupping sound. Lisa who was snap back from being dumbfounded, started laughing again.

“Hahahaha… hey Jack, hahaha… this is hahaha… the first time hahaha… I saw a gorilla cry. hahaha” Lisa said to jack between laughing a fit, holding her stomach and with tear in her eyes. After she said that, the other guys started laughing again while the others was on their back rolling on the ground and holding their stomach laughing hard.

“Hahaha”

“Hahaha. I can’t take this anymore”

“Hahaha. Please make him stop”

The goons was saying while trying to hold their laugh. I was shocked at first, I thought that they were dumbfounded because I knocked senseless one of their ally, but they were all dumbfounded because they saw me cry. I snapped. In that moment, i was overcmed by rage, I charged at them and started punching while they were laughing hard. I won’t tolerate this anymore, I started knocking the daylight out of them.

The goons that were laughing so hard a few seconds ago, was now speechless and shocked when they saw me knocked out the one nearest to me and the next one after that. Then the reamaining goons started to realize what was happening and started to take some action. The brawl began, it’s 10 to 1 when it started, but then it became 9 to 1 when they thought I was in dazed, and then became 7 to 1 when they were laughing hard. 7 to 1 is not much for me, I gave another one a hard punch and a kick, then it became 6 to 1 before they started ganging up on me, but still it was not enough.

When they realize that they are not making a dent on me but only a scratch, they started picking up things to hit me. They didn’t lose their courage because of their numbers, I began to accumulate some nasty hits from the things they picked up, one goon who picked up at pipe, got some lucky hit on my head which makes me a bit dizzy and open a wound that kept bleeding, the blood started to flow over my eye which keeps me a bit distracted. The other wound was in my arms because I kept blocking the hits. Still they were not a match for me. After 10 minutes of brawl, I knocked them all senseless, all that was left to deal with is Jack and then with Lisa.

“Huff, huff, huff, so Jack you’re up next.” I told jack while breathing hard.

Jack and Lisa who was watching, was now dumbfounded again, but this time really dumfounded by what happened, not by me crying. Jack who was now scared shitless started running after I told him that he was next. Lisa who was also scared run after him. I followed after them, I need to teach them a lesson.

They run outside the warehouse heading out of the street. Having a head start and me who was fatigue and wounded from the fight lag a dozen meter behind Lisa. But after a hundred meters I was just two arm’s length behind Lisa. I can catch her for a few more steps. Jack who run faster reach the street first and crossed it already, Lisa and I who was a few meters behind Jack crossed the street half minute later after Jack crossed, we reach the middle of the street, when all of a sudden a truck appeared on the road approaching us fast. Lisa who saw the truck stopped on the middle of the road being shocked, then she looked my way then forced a smile, a smile that told “is this how I’m going to die”. This stupid me who saw that face, pulled her back the way we came from. Pushing her on the other side won’t do, because the truck, even if it’s late, already took an evasive maneuver toward to the opposite street to evade us, pushing her wont do a thing. Standing still will hit her, pushing her will still hit her.

I didn’t know what came at me, saving the girl who betrayed me, pulling her back made me to gather much more momentum. My running speed plus the pulling force added up making me unavailable to take a break and stop, I put myself directly where the truck swerve, directly in front of the truck and to take the grunt of a full impact. All I can do now is wait, and so I wait…

I was awoken abruptly, feeling a cold sweat.

“So it was just a dream” that was what I thought. I thought that it was real, and I thought that I really died, it was just a dream. I put my hand on my face, trying to wipe up the sweat, only to notice that it’s not my hand.

“WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” I shouted, I don’t understand what is happening, I’m in a panic mode right now. I started to feel myself out, but this endevour is quite hard to achieve, my body or this body dont respond or slow to respond in every command my brain sent.

After some desperate struggle feeling up my body, I notice that somethings are missing in my body or in this body, I tried to sit up, barely managing it, then I started inspecting this body with my eyes (is it even my eyes?), seeing each and every part of this body that can be seen.

There really is a huge part that are missing in this body. A very huge difference in how I know my body compare to this body. This body is smooth and skinny, it has white complexion and skinny, this is so small and skinny, and the worst of all, this body is so freaking skinny.

Where did all my muscles go?! Where did my lovely biceps and triceps go? My sweet and gentle pecs and abs did they elope together? My shoulders, my legs and even my back muscles, gone, gone, gone. All this body have is a skin. Oh muscles, why did you leave me, after all our sweet moments training together all you did is leave me alone. Oh muscles, why did you betrayed me, who lovingly put all the effort to nurture you and care for you all those years. I cried and cried and cried like never before in my life. I cried much harder than when the time I lose both of my parents, I even cried much harder when I confessed to my first love and she just dumped me with a face that looked so scared, i didnt even cried this hard when Lisa betrayed me, and I cried much harder than when that grass of a character in continent of something one-shot me after numerous times facing him. I cried till snot drip to my nose, I cried till there’s no more tears that are flowing in my eyes and I cried till...

“SLAP” somebody hit me in the head so hard that I almost thought that this head will fly off this body.

“STOP CRYING YOU PIECE OF A WEAKLING MAGGOT!” someone shouted at my ear that so loud that it makes my head tingled. I looked to see where the source of the stupid voice who destroyed my moment feeling betrayed by my muscles. Then I noticed for the first time that the voice came from some old man, I stared at him with killing intent, I’m thinking of killing him for destroying the moment. But then...

“SLAP” he hit me again to the head.

“Don’t you ever look at me like that, you weakling Garret, is this how you treat your savior? You piece of weakling!” the old man said.

“Hey, old man who are you? Who are you to destroy a man’s melancholy for being betrayed?” I told the old guy.

“SLAP” The old man hit me again in the head, I can’t even react, and I can’t even try to dodge or block the hit.

“You’re asking me who I’ am? You ungrateful weakling. Did you lose your mind, huh Garret, answer me.” The old man said.

“Look old man, I don’t know you and stop calling me Garret, and don’t you dare call me a weakling again or I’ll kill you old man.”

“SLAP” The old man hit me again.

“Argggghhhhhhhhh! I said stop hitting me” I answered annoyed.

“SLAP” But the old man hit me again, the old man had a looked of being dumbfounded and hit me casually in the head like it seems normal to hit me.

“Arggghhhh! I sai….” I didn’t even finish what I’m saying.

“SLAP” The old man hit me again. I looked at him.

“SLAP” I looked at him again.

“SLAP”. I started to feel numb in the head.

So I looked at the old man but this time slowly turning my head in his direction..

“SLAP”. What the????? Now I feel scared, first time in my life to feeling scared in some old man. I started to slowly sink my body lower and curled up like a ball, making my body small. After I successfully sink and curled my body, the old man started to speak again.

“Good, you’re calm now. I know that this would be effective.” The old man nonchalantly said.

“WHO WOULD BE CALM WITH THA….”

“SLAP” I was so shocked by what method he make others calm, that’s why I started shouting again, I didn’t even finish of what I’m about to say, again. Arrggggggghhhh! I give up, I thought in my head. I just lie there meekly and bowed my head, showing submission.

“Now are you calm?” The old man ask.

“NOD” I just nodded slowly.

“Good, now we can start again. Can we start again?”

“NOD” I just nodded again.

“Good, good, are you okay?”

“SHAKES” Now I shakes my head eagerly. Who can be okay when some old man keep hitting you?

“Oh I understand, you’re not okay, being buried in the snow just like that.” The old man said.

“SHAKE” I just shake my head again much eagerly than the last. No, no, no, being hit on the head repeatedly made me NOT okay. You stupid old man. I just thought that, don’t want to say it out loud.

“Good, now were having a nice conversation.” I was about to react for what he said, when he raised his hand in a hitting position. I stopped and kept it to myself what I’m about to say.

“We are having a nice conversation haven’t we?” the old man ask, forcing me to answer yes with his tone, so I just nodded eagerly back and forth.

“NOD” “NOD”. What a damn self-centered selfish old man. This kind of conversation makes me want to cry. I’ve never been bullied before, so this is how it felt.

“Now Garret, did you lose your mind because of what happened to you?” the old man asked me.

“SHAKES” “SHAKES” I just shakes my head faster.

“How can you not lose your mind Garret. You’ve been missing for 2 months now, and then I found you with half your body deep in to the snow, and been in state of coma for 3 days, how can you not lose your mind in that situation.”

“SHAKES” “SHAKES” “SHAKES” I tried to open my mouth to talk but he raised his hand again, I winced at that gestures, it seems I’ve been traumatized by that action, my body is immediately reacting by that single action of raising his hand. I waited to be hit while my mouth was still open. He seems to conceive that I also need to talk so we can have some decent conversation, not this one-sided hitting thing conversation. He sighed and lowers his hand, he gestures that I can speak now so I tried speaking.

“Uhm, who’s Garret old man?” I asked him in a hushed tone.

“Sighh~, Garret, you are Garret, don’t you remember, and I’m not old man, I’m Silan, Silan the Hunter if you don’t remember.” The Old man replied. So, Silan is the Old man’s name, and he’s a hunter, first good information I got from this old man.

“Mr. Silan, I’m not really Garret and I didn’t lose my mind. I’m Reiven, Reiven Marquiz Therin” I told the old man that I’m not really Garret, but the old man didn’t quite believe what I’am saying so he just shakes his head in disbelief.

“Show me you’re Status Window” He ordered.

“Huh?” I just reacted like he was not speaking in the same language. Then the old man immediately raised is hands up and I instinctively shield my head with both hands, but the hit didn’t came.

“Sigh~, so you want to play like you don’t know anything, okay, I’ll play with you. Say Show Status Window to Silan.” He said, I just looked at him puzzled.

“Just say it, Hurry up” He said while gesturing that he will hit me with the hand that is still raised.

“Show Status Window to Silan” I just complied with my both of my hands still in my head.

Then, something unbelievable happen, some strange opaque blue light that looks like an error or notice window on a computer screen floats up in front of the old man. I just stared wide eyed and mouth hanging on the floating windows.

After some moment of being bewildered, I noticed that there are some more window that are floating in the periphery of my vision. I turned my head in the direction of the window to look at it, but the window followed in the same direction i turned, I slowly turn my head in the opposite direction and the window followed again, I turned and turned and turned and still turned my head from left and right or up and down, and still the window continues to follow or rather, the window stayed on same place at periphery of my vision. I stopped moving my head, instead I move my eyes to look at the floating window, the floating window dodge my eyes, it floated a bit higher from where it was, giving me unobstructed view at where im looking. I followed the window with my eyes, but the window still kept evading as i tried to look at it. This stupid window is making me dizzy! I thought that if i caught this window, im gonna smash it to pieces. Then a strange thing happened, the window that I was chasing with my sight earlier, flew on his own at the center of my vision. Now I can see clearly what the floating window has, it has something written on it. At first I dont understand what was written, but then it started to make sense.

I didn’t noticed it before, being busy crying about my muscles, and then this stupid conversation with this old man. How would I notice some floating window in the edge of my vision. I focus on it, and tried to read what was written.

You got a permanent status “Soulbound” You got a status “Weakness” You got a status “Atrophy” Soulbound A permanent status receive by a person who died and its soul not from this world inhibit a body from this world who died and its soul has passed on from this world. You chose second chance when you died in your previously world.

+50% to all Stat

+20% to all Resistance

Passive skills is 3 times more effective

Active support skills is 2 times more effective

Active attack and magic skills is 1.5 times more effective

Cannot be removed unless you die. Weakness A status receive thru external source or when your body went thru extreme condition.

-50% to all resistance

You are likely to get sickness much more easily.

Can be remove by external source or waiting till your body is naturally healed overtime Atrophy A status receive when you don’t use your bodily function in a long duration.

-90% to all stat

You feel sluggish

Can be removed by utilizing and exercising the body.

I was shocked from all that I read, is this some kind of a joke, is there a hidden cam somewhere, that’s all my thoughts where running thru. I started to panic. If it’s true, then, I really died back there, the dream was not a dream but a memory of my last moments. Why is this happening to me? My heart doesn’t believe it, but for what I see, this room, Silan, this floating window, my skinny body, all of this, how can I deny what I see, hear, smell and feel.

My mind keeps telling me that this is true, wait, wait, wait, maybe I didn’t die back there, maybe somebody save me and then, and then, and then what?....... wait, ahh that’s right, there’s virtual reality, maybe I’m in some kind of game, yes that’s right, a game, what’s the game called again, something about road. Wait, if I’m in a game, how can I prove it? Ahh, there’s an article that I read about that game, what is it again?

Yes, that’s right, it’s about vital organs, and a game cannot reproduce that one vital part of the human body. That’s right, I need to see my vital organs, wait, if I do that and this is real and not a game, then I will die if I pull out one of my vital parts, argghhhhh, is there a safe way confirm this, come on Reiven, think harder, think, think think…… ahhh that’s right, the heartbeat, games don’t heart beat they don’t have pulse.

I slowly reach for my heart, feeling scared of what I ‘am about to find out. As I put my hand on top of my chest, all hope that this was a game vanish, I have a heartbeat, this confirmed it. This is not a game but a reality, then at that moment, it all came back, I remember about the messenger who talked to me when I saw the light on my last moment, how can I forget that messenger. When I remembered my talk with the messenger, I calm down, all thoughts vanish and all I felt was acceptance, I was thankful for this second chance that they gave me and also for his reward, if what he says that this world is a world that I like is true, then, if what I’m thinking what kind of world this is. Then I’m in a world that has a game concempt as reality. At that time, I heard a soft tune in my head, then a new window appeared in my vision.

You learned a skill “Calm Mind” Calm Mind (Passive) Apprentice Grade 1 (0.00% to the next Grade) The mental state of being free from agitation, excitement, or disturbance. Finding your inner center, you are able to focus more of your attention even in dire circumstances.

Positively affect your other skills by 5% in this state.

As this skill advances, you can achieve being calm much more easily.

Wow! I got some skill, how did I do that? As I was thinking of that, the old man started to talk again.

“Yo.. you’re really not Garret, you’re a Soulbound” the old man said while looking at the floating window in his front. I looked at him, then I showed a small smile.

“See, Mr. Silan, I already told you earlier that I’m not Garret, you don’t believe me.” I told him

“Oh, I believe it now.” The old man said while staring at me. “Here take a look at your own status window” the old man continued. As I was trying to get closer to the old man to look for the status window. “SLAP” I was hit again in the head, but this time, the hit was not hard, but seems like a reminder.

“You stupid little cur, say Show Status Window or just think about it showing, no need to say it out loud everytime” the old man told me while I’m rubbing the part of my head that was hit. “You learned a skill didn’t you?” How did he know that? I thought. “In your status, a buff or some sort showed up when it wasn’t there the first time, Calm Mind isn’t it, then it vanishes after I hit you.” The old man explained, seems my thought shows up in my face. “Don’t worry, I don’t know what that skill do, but maybe I have some vague idea, you’re the only one who really knows what the skill do, unless you showed it to others.” He continued explaining. “Go on now, try to look up your own status window.” Urging me move.

“Show Status Window” I said.

Status Window Name Need to be registered Title Errand Boy Standings Commoner Grade 1 Status Soulbound, Weakness, Atrophy Strength 20 (+10) (-27) Agility 70 (+35) (-95) Dexterity 50 (+25) (-68) Constitution 30 (+15) (-41) Intelligence 16 (+8) (-22) Wisdom 10 (+5) (-14) Luck 10 (+5) (-14) Leadership 0 (+0) (-0) Endurance 60 (+30) (-81) Fighting Spirit 0 (+0) (-0)

“What is this?! ERRAND BOY!” I shouted.