Aiden stood in front of the mirror, staring at himself like he was seeing a ghost wearing his skin.
The stats floated in front of him like something out of a fever dream.
[Smile Points: 4,250]
"…What the hell is this bullshit?"
He blinked. Still 4,250.
Again.
No change.
"I had—what, fifty, sixty thousand back in the Wastes? You're telling me I crawled through burning ash, tore through cannibal packs, blew up that freakshow war priest—and this is what's left?"
[System Note: Smile Points were deducted during Translocation, Memory Transfer, and System Core Sync.]
"You took my savings to pay for delivery? What am I, a fucking UPS box?!"
He dragged a hand down his face, muttering.
"Used to get 20K just for sniping a mutant priest in the dick during a divine livestream. Now I'm broke and wearing my college emo phase again."
Then—
[Stat Allocation Engaged.]
Warning: Your current physical vessel is underdeveloped.
Recalculating Muscle Fiber Integrity… Nervous System Rewiring… Skeletal Fortification…
Estimated Pain Index: 97%
Proceeding in 3… 2… 1…
His smile dropped.
"…Ah. Shit."
He didn't even have time to sit.
The moment the system activated, it felt like his entire body caught fire from the inside out.
Not just pain.
This was destruction and creation clashing in every cell.
His knees gave out. He crashed onto the floor, fingers clawing at the wooden panels.
Muscles stretched, snapped, and re-stitched themselves.
Bones popped. Not broke — shifted. Compressed. Reinforced.
His veins bulged, carrying heat like molten iron through his arms and legs.
He opened his mouth to scream.
But instead—he shoved a towel in, biting down so hard his jaw creaked.
"RRRHHHH—FFK—!!"
[Strength +11][Endurance +12][Agility +9][Perception +10][Pain Resistance (Passive) Activated – Lv.3]
He writhed on the floor, back arching as the system kept going.
His heart pounded so hard he could hear it in his skull.
Sweat drenched his shirt. His hair was soaked.
Every nerve — ignited.
His vision blurred. Red. White. Gold. Static.
And then — like a gunshot inside his head — it stopped.
He lay there for a second. Breathing like an animal.
The towel in his mouth was torn to shreds.
[Stat Sync: Complete][Smile System Reboot: Fully Integrated]
You are now operating at 100% Combat Efficiency.
Your body has adapted to its future self. Welcome back, Aiden.
He didn't speak.
Not for a minute.
Just lay on the floor, chest rising and falling like he'd come back from hell barefoot.
Then he groaned.
Sat up slowly.
He looked down at himself.
The veins in his arms had tightened. His body was lean, coiled, like someone who'd been in war for a decade — but young. Natural.
"Christ. I look like a Marvel reboot."
He rolled up his sleeve, testing his arm.
Muscle memory kicked in instantly. His balance. Reflexes. The calm inside the chaos.
All back.
He walked over to the mirror, slowly.
Lifted his shirt.
His abs pressed firm against the cotton — not bulky, but chiselled, like a human weapon had been carved into this body.
He exhaled.
"Alright. Back in the fight. Guess puberty just got patched by the gods."
[New Title Acquired: The Returned]
Effect: Increases synchronization speed with future skills and memories by 15%
Bonus: Smile Point passive gain increased slightly due to high-interest returnee channel.
"Still not giving me back my points, though?"
[No.]
"Of course."
Aiden looked around.
Sunlight streamed in through the curtains. His room smelled like cheap detergent and second chances.
Downstairs, he could hear his mom calling again.
"Aiden! Breakfast's getting cold!"
He sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, Ma. On my way."
He slipped on the school blazer.
It was tight across the chest now. The shirt hugged his frame like it didn't belong to this version of him anymore.
He fixed his tie lazily in the mirror.
Tossed one last look at the system window hovering beside him.
And smiled — for real this time.
Not because he was happy.
But because someone out there thought he was finished.
"You marked the wrong bastard."