Gasp!
Jack's eyes snapped open, his chest heaving as he coughed violently, water spurting from his throat like a dam bursting. His body shivered violently, slick with sweat, as fragmented memories clawed their way to the surface, each one more jarring than the last.
Where am I? Who am I?
Memories of two paths surfaced in his mind. One was of a global shutdown filled with video games and anime; the other was a nightmare of zombies, monsters, and mutating viruses and diseases tearing through cities. The two timelines clashed as if competing for dominance in his mind.
Am I Hester or Jack?
Confusion filled Jack's green eyes as they flicked with uncertainty. He felt his body was not his own, yet it also felt like it was his.
A particular memory flashed through his mind. A handsome, skinny young man was standing in front of a mirror. His green eyes were slightly red as he excitedly read a thick textbook on the history of gaming while taking his sweet time brushing his teeth.
Just as the memory began to settle, it fractured, reforming into a near-identical image. Subtle differences stood out: black eyes instead of green, a textbook on ancient civilizations rather than gaming history.
The memory rapidly began to crack but stayed barely intact and faded away.
Before Jack could catch his breath, another memory popped up. The green-eyed young man smiled as he chatted with his friends as they walked past a burning corpse.
The memory shattered and was replaced. The chaos in his mind swirled like a storm, fragments colliding until one truth emerged, sharp and undeniable.
No, I'm Jack. I haven't died yet.
The realization grounded him, the memories settling like dust after a hurricane.
A determined light appeared in Jack's eyes as they stabilized alongside his mind.
He remembered everything that had happened. He was still in this shithole alternate timeline.
"How long has it been?" Jack wondered and looked at the digital clock on the wall.
"September 5th, 3 pm. It's been twenty-four hours since the system left." Jack muttered as he felt reality setting in.
"It's been two years since I dropped into this alternate timeline, but now I'm completely left alone. No longer having a magical system to help me out." Jack swallowed the lump in his throat.
Laying silently for a few seconds, Jack let his mind wander to when he first arrived. He was so excited back then.
The life of Hester is that of a young man with features similar to his own but a vastly different existence. Jack clenched his fists. Had his arrival killed Hester, or was he already dead before he arrived?
The thought weighed heavy, but Jack shoved it aside. Survival first, answers later.
"Ring…ring…"
Just as Jack was thinking about getting up, he heard his phone ringing and had a bad feeling. Jack groaned as he stood up, feeling woozy, and grabbed his phone on the counter.
When he looked at the caller ID, Jack's stomach sank.
Timber Wood Selective Services.
"Shit! I knew it."
Jack's eyes flew open as he stared at the phone in his hand. His heart skipped a beat.
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he answered the phone.
"Hello,"
"Hello, this is Sarah from Timber Wood Selective Services. Am I speaking with Hester Bunny?"
"Yes, that's me," he replies, already knowing where this is going.
"Great. I'm calling to remind you that your military service deferral is about to expire. You'll need to renew by the end of the month, either online or by mail."
"And if I don't?"
"If not, you'll be enrolled for active duty automatically. Failure to report within three months will result in criminal charges."
Jack feels his stomach tighten but forces himself to sound calm.
"Right. Can you remind me of the deferral options?"
"Certainly. Currently, you're using the financial contribution option—$60,000 every six months."
"You can also develop a military-grade VR game for 50,000 users. Secure an internship or endorsement from a recognized institution. Or design a simulation game that meets realism standards."
"Would you like to change your application method?"
Jack pinches the bridge of his nose. "No, I'll stick with the financial contribution."
"Understood. Just make sure to submit payment before the deadline to avoid complications. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"
"No, no, that's it."
"Well then, have a good day, Hester."
The call ended with a click, but Sarah's words lingered, each syllable a reminder of the noose tightening around his neck. Jack leaned on the counter, his mind racing. Options. He needed to consider his options, even if they were as bleak as ever.
"First, I can ignore financial contributions. I should consider the other three options."
"Military Grade…should I risk it?" Jack pondered as he licked his lips before shaking his head.
Designing a military-grade game surpassed his skill set. He had thought about this before and realized that all his game development skills needed to reach B-grade to qualify to make a military-grade game. There were too many requirements, and the standards were too high.
There was also the need to get a military-grade game developer license, which would cost him a few thousand dollars just to take the test.
If he still had the system, not being able to make it now didn't mean he couldn't do it after investing a shit load of points into his skill. He wouldn't have to worry about acquiring the license since the system could handle that.
"If I still had the system, taking this option would still be impossible."
"As for securing an internship, receiving an endorsement, or creating a simulation game, they aren't good options either."
Jack sighed as he knew that he was screwed. The third option was possible, and he had some confidence in getting into a university, but the timing wasn't right. College applications had ended a month ago, so he would need to wait at least three months before he could apply to a university or college.
As for creating a simulation game, it had the exact same problems as trying to make a military-grade game.
"God dammit… That system is trying to throw me into the pits of hell." Jack gritted his teeth before slamming his fist on the counter. Unfamiliar with his new strength, he punched a hole through the top.
Jack stared in disbelief at the hole in the counter, his pulse quickening. He flexed his fingers, examining his skin. It shimmered faintly, flawless and unscathed. The power surge in his veins felt exhilarating, addictive—and terrifying.
His skinny fist that he was used to was gone, replaced by a fist that had powerful muscles underneath the strengthened flesh. Clenching his fist made Jack feel a surge of strength and a feeling that nothing could break his skin.
"This must be the benefit of upgrading my attributes. At least I got something useful from that scheming system. Grade B defense and grade C+ strength are already showing their use." Jack felt his mood improve and returned his focus to solving his circumstance.
His mind turned to his bank account. Recalling that, he had left around 120,000 dollars in his bank account, enough for him to put off his military service for another year.
He could only hope that the money he saved wasn't extracted by the system when it left. Even if it did, he still had the three games he had created that were still generating money.
Taking into account the profits from his three active games, he estimated he could last a year and a half—assuming the money was still there.
If not…
"I might be able to squeeze in this financial contribution application if I take a couple of small loans. It shouldn't be too hard with the three games as my assets." Jack muttered with a frown. He would prefer not to have to take on debt.
It would be best if he could get an internship or recommendation from one of the universities in the city so that he wouldn't have to bleed out money.
"Twenty-five days. I have twenty-five days to figure out how to avoid going to the front lines." Jack clenched his fists, accidentally causing the volume on his phone to shoot up and play the last song he was listening to.
Not paying much mind to having some background music, he looked at the dozens of notifications he had gotten while unconscious and saw that one of them was from his bank.
Opening the email, his heart dropped.
His stomach churned. A lump formed in his throat as he stared at the words: "-2,000,000".
Jack's fingers hovered over his phone, his brain struggling to process the magnitude of his loss—two million dollars in debt. The system not only took his lifeline, but it even dug him a ten-foot-deep grave.