Pain. And the smell of damp earth. That was the first thing Gray registered.
"Ugh... Great. Not even five minutes in this new life and I'm already about to get a game over," he grumbled, his voice a weak, bloody gurgle.
He tried to sit up but a searing agony shot through his torso.
He glanced down. Yep, those were definitely his guts trying to make a break for it.
"Fuck, that hurts."
Just then, leaves crunched nearby. A group of three figures in worn leather armor appeared through the trees.
The one in the lead, a big, bearded man with a gut that strained his breastplate, nudged Gray's side with a steel-toed boot.
"He's still breathing. Barely. Looks like he got mauled by a Fierce Beast. Should we help him?"
A skinny, weasel-faced man with a dagger sniffed. "Just leave him be, Grog. Healing potions are too expensive. Not to mention that there's a Crimson-Eyed Gorilla near this area."
The third, a woman with a bow slung over her shoulder, scanned Gray's tattered clothes. "Finn's right. No spatial pouch or ring, either. Nothing to loot."
The big man, Grog, grunted in agreement. "Alright then, Lira, let's move on. The forest can have him."
They turned to leave.
'Crimson-Eyed Gorilla? Healing potions? Am I in some sort of fantasy world?' Gray thought to himself as he listened to these people's conversation.
Gray, using every ounce of his strength, muttered in a weak voice.
"Hey," he rasped, the sound barely a whisper. "You idiots. Get back here."
The trio froze. They turned around slowly, staring at the half-dead kid on the ground.
"What did you just call us, you tattered corpse?" Grog growled, his hand resting on the hilt of his axe.
Gray put on the most arrogant expression a dying person could manage.
"Do you... have any idea... who I am?" he coughed, a bit of blood spattering his lips. "I am the young master of the… nearest family… My father... is the richest person there..."
Finn, the weasel-faced man, scoffed. "The Nearest Family? Never heard of 'em. And you don't look like a young master at all."
"…" Gray was speechless at this idiot.
"I think he meant to say the nearest clan from here… are you from the Anarkin Clan?" Lira hesitated before asking.
"That's… right I'm the most precious young master of the Anarkin Clan." Gray improvised, pulling from the hundreds of stories he'd read. "My robes? Torn... in the epic battle... where I single-handedly slew the Crimson-Eyed Gorilla that ambushed my convoy..."
Lira's eyes widened, a flicker of greed in them. "You're really from the Anarkin Clan! You're from a Famed Clan! And a Crimson-Eyed Gorilla? Although I don't know what that is, it sounds fierce! You must be a genius to slay one at such a young age!"
"You understand… help me and I'll reward you all." Gray was practically about to spit out blood.
Grog was still skeptical but clearly tempted. "Are you serious? What kind of reward are we talking about?"
"So much gold..." Gray wheezed dramatically, "they'll write... songs about you... The legendary adventurers who saved the peerless genius heir of the Anarkin Clan… You'll have mansions... and... and really shiny boots..." He was running out of steam and just saying whatever popped into his head.
"Shiny boots!" Lira gasped, completely sold. "Grog, Finn, we can't pass this up!"
Finn grumbled, torn between his cynicism and his love of coin.
"Fine," he finally decided.
"Give him the cheap healing potion. The green one." He glared down at Gray.
"But if you're lying, kid, I'm coming back for your kidney. I know a guy who'll pay top coin for it."
"No… I don't want the cheap one, give me the expensive one. If you give me the cheap one, your rewards will be less…" Gray struggled, he was already at this stage. He didn't want to settle for less.
"Tch, you're really picky." Grog grumbled, but still picked out a decent healing potion.
He uncorked a vial that smelled like moldy cheese and gym socks and poured the contents down Gray's throat.
The last thing Gray felt before passing out was a disgusting, fizzing sensation and the thought,
'This is a really stupid way to start a second life.'
…
After what felt like an eternity, Gray felt like he lost consciousness for a brief moment, and as he woke up, the feeling of falling disappeared as if it never existed.
He opened his eyes, surprised to find himself in an unfamiliar bed. The strange room was thick with the scent of herbal medicine.
For a split second, the scent of herbs warred with the phantom smell of blood and concrete from his death.
"You're awake! Thank god, thank god! The clan doctors said you wouldn't make it, but I knew that you wouldn't die. My dear grandson, your destiny doesn't lie in this small place, there's no way you'd die here." An old man wearing some weird, ancient Chinese clothing sighed in relief.
The old man's hair was white, his face full of lines and wrinkles. His hands were rough, like someone who worked all his life.
He held Gray's hand for a moment, squeezing it as if afraid to let go.
'Grandson?' Gray felt weird.
However, as he gazed at the older man's face, he couldn't help but feel... warm.
He could see that this person truly cared about him from the bottom of his heart.
'I can't move a single part of my body apart from my eyes. It sucks being a cripple.'
"Rest here for a while, now that you're awake, your grandma Cena is requesting for a Foundation Recovery Pill from the Pill Pavilion. We're all worried sick about you these past days." the old man said with a reassuring smile
Listening to the old man, Gray couldn't help but feel confused.
'Foundation Recovery Pill? What the hell is that?'
"Anyways, first things first, am I handsome? If I'm waking up in a new body, I better not look like some side character."
Gray absentmindedly muttered to himself, but as he couldn't stand up to look in a mirror, he could only wonder.
A few minutes later, a sudden, piercing headache struck Gray.
His brain was suddenly assaulted by a huge amount of memories, information about his life here in this new world, his identity, and his so called 'past.'
The pain was nothing to him, however, his eyes spun rapidly in different directions which looked horrifying.
"My dear grandson! What's happening?" as the old man saw Gray's eyes spin rapidly, he didn't know what to do.
"Breathe, child, breathe," the old man said, voice shaking. "It will pass. It will pass."
"Get out of the way, old fart!" A piercing voice sounded in the distance as Gray's grandfather was pushed away by a fierce-looking old woman.
However, the old man didn't utter a word of complaint and just worriedly looked at his grandson.
"Quick, swallow this, child." the old woman became exceptionally gentle once she came near Gray as she carefully fed him a pill.
Gray subconsciously swallowed the pill and he could immediately feel its effects, it relieved him of some of his pain and helped him absorb most of the memories.
'The Immortal Delinquent System Activation'
As the memories rushed in, confirming his new identity, the cruel world of cultivation, and his adoptive family, a new, strange sensation accompanied them.
A block of glowing text, visible only to him, slammed into the forefront of his mind.
[THE IMMORTAL DELINQUENT SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[HOST: GRAY CRESTREIGN DETECTED. SYSTEM BINDING COMPLETE.]
Gray's mind, already reeling from the memories of the previous owner's torture, was now completely stunned.
'A System? Just like in the novels? To think that I actually got one!'
He quickly called up the Status Page in his mind. The information confirmed the memories he had just absorbed, but added one terrifying detail:
Status Page
Name : Gray Crestreign
Age : 12
Elemental Affinity : Force of The Universe
Cultivation : None
Spirit Roots : 0 (CRIPPLED)
Martial Skills : None
Special Abilities : None
[Street Cred Points : 0]
'So I'm crippled?' Gray thought with a spike of panic, immediately followed by relief.
'But if the System is here, maybe it can fix it. The System must be the answer!'
'And… Crestreign? Is that my true family's surname?'
[The Immortal Delinquent System]
The system operates on one currency: Street Cred Points (SC Points) .
Street Cred Points (SC Points) are earned by: Completing System Missions, Winning Fights, Taunting/Intimidating stronger opponents, Publicly Humiliating rivals, Taking Over Turfs, and Defying Authority.
The sole way to gain power, treasures, and unique skills is through:
'The Black Market Lottery'
[Common Thug Draw] - 1,000 Street Cred Points
Description:
One price, one pull from the System's entire chaotic inventory of junk and treasures.
You might get a Divine Skill that can shake the heavens. You might get a Legendary Weapon lost to time. You might get an Elixir that extends your lifespan by a thousand years.
...Or you might get a half-eaten piece of fried chicken, a bottle of lukewarm water, or a rock that looks vaguely like a monkey's butt.
The rewards can be anything. Absolutely anything. From trash to divine.
No refunds. No guarantees.
So, you feeling lucky, punk?
A new notification flashed:
[FIRST TIME ACTIVATION BONUS GRANTED]
[You receive one FREE Common Thug Draw - 1,000 Street Cred Points]
[Would you like to draw?]
[Draw/Cancel]
Gray didn't hesitate. 'A cripple needs every cheat he can get. Let's start the gamble.'
'Draw.'
A brilliant flash of red light exploded across his vision.
-1,000 Street Cred Points
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE RECEIVED A UNIQUE SYSTEM ABILITY!]