3 The Mysterious Voice and My Power

[Status. User -- Survive. Reinforcement Complete]

[Auto-Mode. Switched Off. Manual-Mode. Standby]

Huh? Who's that?

I raised my upper body slowly. I just heard a cryptic female voice in my head. I looked around and questioned but still, there was no answer. As I wiped my tears clean, a blue screen appeared in front of me.

[Edward Kavka]

[Level 1 - Mercenary]

[Strength - 4]

[Dexterity - 3]

[Constitution- 3]

[Intelligence - 4]

[Main Power: Reinforcement]

[Special Ability: Reinforced Body, Permanent Reinforcement]

What is this? Am I playing a VR game? No. This is 1998 it's not supposed to exist yet. Besides, I'm still at the hospital.

I kept staring at the screen in front of me. I could understand what this means. I think it was my privilege for reincarnating to this world.

What is reinforcement? If that is my power then why can't I feel anything? System? Can you hear me?

I tried to ask the system, but there was no response whatsoever. Feeling fed up with no answer, I tried to touch the screen with my finger. And then the screen expanded and add new information below the word that I touched.

Constitution = Provides statistics of how much damage your body and mind can bear and the speed of your healing factor.

Wow. This stat allows me to have a healing factor too? That's a regeneration, right? Well, it makes sense STR stats allow me to reach superhuman strength so why not a self-healing ability worked as well. Let's read the rest as well.

STR = Provides statistics of how much power and speed your body can transmit and withstand.

DEX = Provides statistics of how nimble your movement could be and the accuracy of your weapon.

INT = Provides statistics of how fast and much your brain can process information. It also affects the effectiveness of certain abilities.

The stats are basically the epitome of an RPG game. Even with only this, I will have a chance to survive in this world. If only I had this ability earlier, I might... Damn it!! Stop Edward. Thinking about them would only torture you. Just think positively, they might survive, I can find them later. For now, let's just try to digest the system's information properly. Next is my main power and special ability.

Reinforcement = The ability to increase the durability and function, ability, or purpose of the target. (Cannot be used on a living creature.) Grants special ability, Reinforced Body, and Permanent Reinforcement to the user.

Reinforced Body = Grants the user's ability to gain stats on every level up. It also shows the information of the users.

Permanent Reinforcement =, Unlike the regular strengthening that has an active duration, this ability provides the user to permanently strengthen the target. If the number of reinforced target exceeds the maximum allowed limit, reset the first target. (Currently reinforced target - 0/1)

Hmm... This is kinda weird. Is the level up system the perk of being reincarnated or a mutant power? Well, it doesn't matter which one it is. And it seems there are two types of reinforcement, permanent and temporary. Let's test the latter first.

I planned to use the bed as the target, but I was unsure of how to activate the ability. Do I have to use a keyword? Just as I was going to shout "reinforce" on the bed, it was suddenly covered with a dim white glow. After the glow vanished in a second, there was a small blue rectangle with numbers counting down.

[4:00]

[3:59]

[3:58]

...

...

As the countdown started, I could feel the bed getting softer and eased my mind. This was the first time I felt this way. I bet even the Queen of England's bed isn't as comfortable as this one. The duration of the buff was four minutes. It was kinda short. I hoped it could increase whenever I leveled up.

I was raising my hand to touch the timer it suddenly got closer within my arms reach. Well, that was convenient. I could control this ability with my mind.

[Bed]

[Durability = 30/15]

[Weakly increase the softness of the bed and mobility of the bed's wheel. Add relaxing effect when user rest or sleep on the bed.]

From this information, I could guess my ability doubled the effectiveness of the bed. And it is also granted an ability. And it was "written weakly increase". I was amazed and thought how can a double still count as a weak improvement? The corner of my mouth raised a bit. With this, I might have the power to save my parents.

Mom, Dad. Please stay alive!

I laid down my head on the pillow again. When I was about to close all the screen, I noticed that there was one more thing that I had not checked yet.

Mercenary = The job the user was granted randomly upon awakening the system. The system will activate Mercenary-Life Mode. Grant power to manifest Contract, Quest, and Client Listing.

I would gain experience points from Contract or Quest upon completion. The Contract Reward could only be granted by the Client based on the agreement when making the Contract. A quest reward will be random, but it will instantly be given to you upon completion.

I don't know about the other job, but isn't this one cool? There is a Quest tab after all. And what is it about the power to manifest a Contract?

Suddenly, a golden paper appeared floating in front of me. There were columns to write client name and signature, client's request, and reward.

And there was also a warning on the backside. Any kind of attempt or action that would infringe the contract would be dealt with with suitable punishment and compensation. Basically, it was a fail-safe in case of breach of contract.

This seemed neat. Moving on to Client Listing ability, it explained that I can make a list of Clients by giving them a name card. Of course, the name card could also manifest itself like the contract paper.

It was a golden plastic with only my name written on it. There was nothing else. No phone number, no address.

If I work as a mercenary, isn't it too risky to use my real name?

As I was thinking about it, a blue screen popped in front of me, along with a keyboard.

I guess it wants me to enter a username. I can't just type off xXxPussYSlayeR.420.69xXx right?

I chuckled and typed my future mercenary name on it. Just like Steve Rogers as Captain America or Tony Stark as Iron Man. I want a name that will describe myself from now on. A name that explains my sole purpose. That is my Will to stop an error in anything or anyone's nature, a safety mechanism that will shut off anything that couldn't be stopped in the usual manner.

A Killswitch.

...

Outside Edward's room, a doctor was talking with the patient's guardian while sitting on the wooden bench. The guardian's name was Mervin McCorwen, an ex-FBI agent. He was Edward's father's colleague before Victor also quit from the agency.

He met Victor when he was on a vacation in Egypt last month. And since then they were together, but it was not because he wanted to search for the secret civilization along with Victor. He just felt that something dangerous would happen and be of help to this colleague of him.

As a colleague they weren't really that close, there were too many agents to count after all. However, they quit the agency at the same time, for the same reason. Back then, they walked off side by side with several others. He still remembers what Victor's face looked like back then. A face full of disappointment and anger. Well, he too felt the same back then.

"How's his condition?" asked Mervin, his hand clasped together. He couldn't raise his head.

"For now, he's fine. Only a minor concussion and scalp wound. He would be fine in a day. The ankle need's longer time though."

"Thank god. If he doesn't make it, I can't face them in the afterlife. I feel useless. I followed them all the way from Egypt to here, but I don't even know they were in danger."

"It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself too hard on this. Are there other family relatives he could live with?"

"I already called his maternal uncle. He's on his flight here. Maybe he already arrived at the airport."

"Good, this case is too dangerous for a doctor like me. What do you think happened in that forest?"

"Beats me. All I know is his father might be the only one that I know could massacre nine people like that. But he was too far from the forest itself."

Dwelled in confusion he continued, "The graverobber that found him said that, there were only corpses and the kid sleeping while hugging an AK and guns in both hands. There was even a hatchet, no, a machete near him."

The doctor glanced at Edward's room, "Too bad there's no one can check his fingerprint in this run down Town. There's also no forensic pathologist doctor."

Mervin sighed and walked outside to smoke, leaving the doctor on his own lamentation. He takes out a cigarette and lit it while counting the passing car. "Even in the morning, this town is hot as f**k."

He was about to lit another cigarette when he watched a car speeding on the road. He complained "People these days. Even if it's an empty town, you shouldn't drive like that. Back in my days... Huh?" When he started reminiscing, he noticed that the car took a turn toward the parking lot. And it's behind him.

"Motherf..." he couldn't finish his word. Right away he rolled to the left evading the car. "Good roll! My body still as strong as ever."

He laughed proudly, boasting. But he noticed that the car actually stopped two meters away from the spot he was standing earlier.

"Did I just do something useless?" he was embarrassed and started lashing out at the driver.

A young man in a black shirt, jeans, and boots came out of the car. He approached Mervin and asked, "Mervin McCorwen?"

Mervin's face turned serious. "Yes, who might you be, young man?" He already put his hand near the gun slipped at the backside of his pants.

Seeing the wariness of Mervin the young man actually breathes a sigh of relief. "My name's Chris, we talked on the phone yesterday."

Mervin doubted the identity of this man in front of him. The flight from the USA could take around 16 hours and that is if he took a straight flight from the USA to Congo. It's just impossible!