"Hmm, it seems like the whisper of death is not working on me. I am aware I already died yet, here I am once again. Do I have to live through the misfortune once again, or do I get to a do-over? Weird, does death work this way? I guess all those religions lied after all. Hmm, what year is it even?" Reiss got up and checked the date on his phone.

"August 3, 2175 — if I remember correctly, that's 27 years before I died. Current time: 00:01 the start of the new day. It seems like I truly managed to come back to the past."

As Reiss rubbed his glabella, he sat on the cold hard floor of his one-room apartment and began to think.

"I can't remember much though, living two lives is a headache, especially when your memory gets jumbled. Let us see; if today is August 3, 2175, then the union will happen tomorrow. Then [Mutation] will start, oh, I remembered the end, finally, then I got awakened, became a wanderer, joined a mercenary troupe and then died after getting betrayed.”

He spoke excitedly. A giant smile was on his face as though what he was talking about was something to be happy about. 

"They said getting betrayed by friends will only make you depressed or angry. But it seems like they were wrong, I don't particularly feel anything other than — elation? The sweet release of death is somewhat good. If not that, then it just means I never treated them as friends or allies; then what are they? Meat shields? Probably."

He sighed at his thoughts. He had always thought that he had friends, but it seems like they were more like assets to him. A tool if you will. A tool to achieve his goals.

While his eyes were closed, he examined his body. Other than it being frail and quite frankly, useless in fights, there seems to be a sliver of mysterious red energy coursing in his veins.

Across him was a mirror as tall as he. He saw what he looked like. The body of a starving poor student. 

Thin and tall, nourished mostly by noodles and makeshift soup. But he had fairly good features with his black hair and black eyes that was already slowly showing signs of mutation. Gradually becoming redder.

Seeing the change, however, his brows created a knot, ‘My mutation is starting… then—Status.’

A black board appeared before him. 

[Name: Reiss Reid

Race: Pseudo-Human (Evolution Criteria not met!)

Level: 1

Class: Hemomancer

HP: 300/300

MP: 300/300

STR: 10

VIT: 10

INT: 20

AGI: 15

DEX: 30

DEF: 20

Free Points: 5]

"My status went down? Wait, how do I already have access to the [System]?"

When the [Dashboard] opened, he didn't think that having it was weird. After all, he had the [System] for 27 long years, having it with him is like having an arm, or a leg — it was natural.

But its appearance was making him worry, ‘I can feel the change. So the theory about it being connected to the soul was correct. Heh, that Cottontail would go nuts for this information.’

It was bizarre but chose to stop questioning it. The System was an enigma. Even to researchers who dedicated their lives to researching it, there was nothing they could find.

In the end, they just had to accept it as was. To know more about it was to peek into the abyss. 

Moving forward, Reiss examined his status.

"I am as weak as expected. Having lost my previous status, it is upsetting but I need to accept it. Now, let's see, I'll add the free points to VIT, I need health to cast spells."

As a Hemomancer (Blood Mage), blood was the medium to conjure magic. External and internal sources provided different effects. Currently, Reiss only has his own blood.

VIT was essential for a Blood Mage.

[Name: Reiss Reid

Race: Pseudo-Human (Evolution Criteria not met!)

Level: 1

Class: Hemomancer

HP: 400/400

MP: 300/300

STR: 10

VIT: 15

INT: 20

AGI: 15

DEX: 30

DEF: 20

Free Points: 0]

Vexing as it was, Reiss decided to accept reality. He stood up and stretched his body. His eyes gleamed and then showed a strange crimson light.

"Well that does it, from my memories the [Outbreak] should happen at Street 17, my family lives there, I need to get them out first. I don't want the past to repeat itself."

Reiss stood up and got out of his house. He lived on the outskirts of Street 32, far away from where the [Outbreak]'s eye. Street 17 is a few kilometers away, but it is not that much of a problem.

He left his apartment after getting dressed but came back shortly after and rummaged around his fridge to eat.

When he finally got out of his apartment, he began sensing his mana. Distributing it to his feet and arms, he then got up on the ledge.

"Cool wind." He commented, "The mana is already spreading."

"Hey! What are you doing? Get down from there! There are still things to do in life, do not throw it away!"

Reiss turned to the side, and saw the aunty who lived next door shouting at him.

'Does she think I am going to commit suicide?' Reiss shrugged his shoulders and then said, "You should get out of here. Evacuate to Street 56. The Assimilation is about to begin. If you have pets… well, pray they are one of the normal ones. Try spreading that to the other tenant."

With his words done, Reiss decided to take the advice of the aunty as nothing and then jumped.

"Wait! No, don't!" The aunty let out a shrill cry of alarm and then ran to the ledge to see if Reiss had reached the ground floor.

They were on the third floor so, the aunty expected for a loud and disgusting sound of flesh turning to paste. But nothing was heard.

It was at this time that the other tenant was alarmed from the shrill of the aunty. People started coming out of their apartment rooms.

It was midnight, so many were still wearing their nightgowns.

They saw the aunty on her back with a frightened look, weakened from the shock of witnessing someone committing suicide.

"I heard a scream! Is it a robbery?"

"What happened!?"

The aunty who was still shaking and trembling raised her finger to point at where Reiss originally stood.

"My neighbor jumped over the ledge!"

"What!? Someone took his life?" Everyone was alarmed, and the peeked over the ledge to see if there was a body.

But when they peeked to the ground, no one was there.