Chapter 2

this is a fictional story by realTensai

 

[YOU DIED!]

[SYSTEM UNLOCKED!]

[GAME START!]

This was the last thing Alvis saw before he died.

Or was it after?

Alvis did not know. Yet he couldn’t quite grasp his head around seeing a ‘You died’ and a ’Game start’ animation after death. As if dying was not even a real thing.

But,… I am dead.

The man in red had killed him. It was an undeniable fact. However, in the next moment, Alvis found himself in an all too familiar scene.

“You have two months left to live.“

Huh?

Just after that, his mom beside him broke out into tears and his dad had to embrace her. Alvis blinked several times, rubbing his eyes to check if he was just imagining things, yet the view stayed the same. The same white walls, with the monitor just next to the doctor’s desk. The intense smell of disinfection Alvis had gotten way too used to. And also the unmistakable comfy of the hospital bed they were sitting on. Without a doubt, this was the hospital.

What the hell?

It was the same scene that had happened an hour ago or so.

Alvis’ heart still raced while he clenched his fist so hard it could start bleeding. He just had been killed a few seconds ago. Yet this situation made it seem like he had just been dreaming.

Have I gone mad?

It made no sense. He clawed at his head, trying to stop the itching of his brain. With no rhythm at all, his foot caused the floor to quake. The taste of iron spread within his mouth and a bit of blood even dripped on his shirt.

I have to calm down. Let’s go over the facts.

Just a moment ago, Alvis and his parents had died. He was sure about that.

So why the hell are we back in the hospital?

Is this what happened after death? You get back into the past and get a chance to redo life? This isn’t what the Arifuner preached? What the fuck?

Alvis’ face tensed up, as his brain could not provide him with a satisfying answer. He just could not rationally explain it. Was this a part of his curse? Even if he died, he would get back so he would forever experience hell?

But one thing bothered him the most.

Why is there a blue box floating before me?

In the air was a hologram-like blue box. Holograms were a part of Alvis’ everyday life, yet this one was different. Alvis did not see what projector created the hologram, nor did it seem like his parents or the doctor saw it. They would certainly say something if they would. The things written on it just were odd.

LEVEL 1: A mysterious attacker

Mission: Survive

General:

Name: Alvis Silva

Race: Human

Class: None

Level: 1

Skills: None

Stats:

Mana: 61

Strength: 19

Intelligence: 50

Endurance: 16

Reflex: 20

Health: 20/20

“What the hell is going on?”

Surprised by Alvis’ sudden words, his parents and the doctor watched him with remorse in their eyes.

“I know it is hard, but I had to tell the truth. I understand if you have to show your frustration right now. Feel free to let it all out.”

“Son, we are here with you,” his dad said, putting a hand on Alvis’ shoulder.

“N-No, you got it all wrong! Have you already forgotten what has happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“Alvis?”

Shit!

Alvis’ mouth refused to open as his bad habit took over. Every time the gears in his head started steaming, he just went silent. Taking a mental step back, Alvis tried to manage all the information.

So I died, but now I am here again. Also, a blue box straight out of a video game is floating in the air. This all makes no sense at all, yet it’s happening. How can I explain everything? I will start with my death.

I am certain I died. There is no way it was a dream. I can distinguish between a dream and reality. It felt way too real to be just a dream. So if it was not a dream and thus reality, I died but got back to the past.

How is that possible? I don’t know. Yet it happened. And now I am in some kind of game. How do I know that? Obviously because of the blue box. It says that I am at level one and that my mission is to survive. Also, there are a bunch of statistics that belong to me. I don’t know how they were measured, but I think they are accurate. I myself would not rate my endurance or health high, thinking about how I would die in a few months because of an illness. So I can conclude that the blue box is telling the truth.

Now, if I had to summarize my situation, I died and got back to the past with a video game-like system telling me to survive. This is the only way I can explain everything.

Of course, I don’t know the hows or whys, but they are not important right now. I got a second chance. I and my whole family died, but now we are alive again. Normally, I would accept death with open arms, however, this situation is different. Not only was I killed, but my parents also died. How could I ever accept that?! I won’t let that happen again! No, this time my parents and I will survive!

A deep sigh resounded from Alvis and he finally felt like he understood the situation. However, with his goal now crystal clear, one important question arose.

How are we going to survive?

Alvis pondered about what to do. He knew what he had to do, but not how to achieve it. Alvis’ goal was to survive. Considering how he always wanted to die, he could only chuckle about his newfound resolve. However, the reason he had to survive this time was because of his parents. Being the only one who remembered what happened, he had to protect them.

For some unknown reason, an assassin or something like that was waiting in their home to kill them. Based on his appearance, he either was an elf or a vampire. Both species were significantly stronger than the average human. To top it off, he also had a beam gun with him.

Yeah, there is no way for me to survive.

The odds were against him. A half-dead human teenager had no chance against an elf or vampire assassin. No matter how much he racked his brain, no way to survive came to his mind.

What about not going home?

However, he just shook his head. His parents wouldn’t understand why he didn’t want to go home, and Alvis couldn’t explain it.

Ha, I can’t just say that I was in the future and an assassin killed us all.

They wouldn’t believe him. He himself wouldn’t even believe it.

Yet he had to convince them.

Alvis ordered every brain cell of his to come up with a proper plan. One thing was sure, if they would head home, they would die. So this was the thing he had to avoid at all costs.

The best he could do was to delay when they got home. It wouldn’t be too hard to convince his parents not to go home directly. If he did it right, he could get some extra time to think.

I have to come up with a plan.

They had to go home eventually, so he had to be prepared. He couldn’t let his parents die twice.

“Alvis, is everything okay?”

His dad’s voice forced Alvis back into the present. He had been so indulged in his thoughts that he didn’t notice his parents’ worried eyes staring at him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just a bit shocked.”

Once again, his dad put his hand on his shoulder and his mother held his hand with tears dripping down her cheek. Alvis bit his tongue, suppressing the heat that was building up in his eyes.

The doctor continued to talk and said the same things as last time. Alvis just acted like he listened, but his mind was somewhere else. His mom cried, and even his dad shed some tears.

Just like last time.

Alvis clenched his fist while his heart felt as if someone played with it with a knife. It was a feeling of guilt that Alvis just couldn’t shake off. However, watching them cry also strengthened his resolve.

Just remembering how they died was enough to get his body into turmoil. The feeling of their blood covering his hands still hadn’t vanished. The assassin’s insane yellow eyes still haunted Alvis’ mind, hindering him from breathing fully. Even now, his hair stood up, afraid of a future with a similar outcome. No matter how hard he clenched his fist, he couldn’t stop his hand from shaking. What Alvis had felt at that moment was far beyond hell. He never wanted to experience that again.

——

The time flew by and it was time for them to leave the hospital. Just like last time, Alvis’ mom was still sobbing, so Alvis lent her his hand to calm her down. They went the same way home, and Alvis knew what would happen if they arrived there. That was why he intervened.

“Mom, Dad, can we go to the shop? There is something I want to get.“

His parents just looked at him, pondering. Then his mom spoke up.

“Fine. I wanted to do groceries anyway.“

Perfect!

Getting his parents to agree was the first step in his plan. Even if it did not work out as he planned, the extra time he would get by going to the shop would serve him well to come up with an even better plan.

Just before they got going, Alvis took out his phone and messaged someone, without letting his parents see it. The person he messaged was crucial to how things would turn out.

Now all he could do was raise his hands and pray that he would come.

The next shop was not too far away. That was why Alvis made sure that they didn’t arrive too fast by ambling. His parents matched his pace, being considerate of his health.

Then Alvis felt something. Just like last time, the mana inside him acted up. His whole body burned from the inside, itching in places that couldn’t be scratched and the all too familiar pain struck him. Unable to bear it any longer, Alvis fell to the ground.

“Alvis!” His mom rushed to him, picking him up with horror in her gaze. Her eyes widened as she touched Alvis’ burning body. “We need to go back home!”

“I-It is fine. I am good,” Alvis said, standing up again.

His legs were still shaking, though he just gritted his teeth. Smiling, he tried to move on.

“Don’t worry about me. Let’s get to the shop. Please.”

His dad nodded, accepting Alvis’ resolve. By taking his wife’s hand, he convinced her too. Together, they went on. It took them a few minutes after this minor incident to arrive at the shop. Alvis used this time to refine his plan.

As soon as they went in, Alvis saw the person he had messaged. His overly muscular physique made him stand out among the crowd. His stern look, paired with his spiky black hair, made him look like a delinquent. Well, he kind of was one. But he has a pure heart!

A smile formed on Alvis’ face.

The first phase of his plan could start!