System Launch

"W-What the hell is all this?" David looked at the system panel in utter shock. Half the things displayed on it were beyond his understanding. Feeling lost, he buried his face in his palms and mumbled, "What the fuck is happening?"

He tried to calm himself down by taking a few deep breaths and decided to understand everything one step at a time. Looking back at the system panel, he couldn't help but feel outraged. He roared, "SYSTEM! That timer was for my fucking death!? Why didn't you say so?"

[The timer was for the host's rebirth, not death. Had the host known beforehand, it would have caused severe psychological trauma.]

David found what the system said to be very reasonable. He realized that, over the past two years, the system had been strengthening his body and it was all for this moment. He looked at the panel once again and muttered in puzzlement, "Nightshade Wyvern… Bloodline Wizard…. What the fuck is all this?"

However, the system didn't reply. For some reason, David felt very agitated and finally screamed, "Fucking reply!"

But the system remained silent.

After shouting a few times more, David finally realized that the system wouldn't reply. Thus, he focused on other things and began pacing around the room as he recalled the last thing he remembered. He had been heavily injured fighting the Buccantis and should have died, by all reason, but here he was, alive and kicking.

When he recalled how Nico had betrayed him, he gnashed his teeth in rage and a burning fury welled up in his heart as he spat through gritted teeth, "I thought of you as my brother… and you betrayed me." He balled his fists and continued, "After all I did…."

He couldn't take it anymore and raised his hands, then pummeled the nearby table into pieces. Then he walked to his bed and broke it as well as he roared in hatred, "FUCK YOU! FUCK ALL OF YOU!"

A few minutes later, after having calmed down a little, he looked at the broken chairs, table, and bed around him and mumbled, "What's wrong with me?" He had finally realized that something was going on; it wasn't like him to lash out like that.

DING!

[Launch System?]

[Yes/No]

David's attention was drawn by the system's notification and he couldn't help but scoff, "Is this your way of drawing my attention?" He then sat down on the floor with his back against the wall. A hint of anticipation shone in his eyes as he nodded. "Yes, do it."

[Permission granted]

[5]

[4]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[…]

[Launch successful!]

[Begin assimilation with Host]

[1%... 50%... 69%... 77%... 80%... 99%…]

[Assimilation successful!]

[Setup connection to Oneiros Castle]

[10%... 41%... 69%... 83%... 98%…]

[Connection established!]

[Setup connection to Castle Treasury]

[6%... 24%... 51%... 69%... 94%…]

[Connection established!]

[Dream Walker System now online!]

A warm, tingling sensation spread throughout David's body, followed by a cold sensation that caused him to softly groan. The feeling receded just as quickly as it appeared and he rubbed his temples as he viewed the system's notifications.

"Oneiros Castle… treasury… what the hell is all this?" He was even more confused. And it sure didn't help that the system only replied when it felt like it. He figured he had to find out the answers by himself.

He got to his feet and began pacing around the room once again. He had thought that he would be delighted when the system timer ended, but on the contrary, he'd never been more anxious.

Things that he had only seen happen in fantasy novels had actually happened to him. He was reborn, and now he needed to unveil the mystery behind it. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a yellow note kept on his bedside table.

His eyes narrowed as he walked toward it. Opening the note, he read it aloud, "Suite 4609… Cosmopolitan Club."

David's pupils dilated when he read the name of the place that he had been investigating months before. "It's that fucking place again…." The newly reborn teenager couldn't help but wonder if the person who left the note knew something about what happened to him, but he felt that it was very likely.

Eager to find answers, he decided to immediately head to the Cosmopolitan. He walked toward his wardrobe to put on some clothes; he was still naked as the day he was born, after all. However, when he saw his reflection in the mirror, he froze.

He walked toward the mirror in a daze as he stared at the stranger reflected within. His hair had turned black, and so had his eyes. He felt like his eyes were the home of shadows, they were that black. Other than that, he had grown considerably taller and leaner.

After the system's boost over the past two years, he had been a little bulky. But now he was completely lean and muscular with compact and defined muscles that were pleasing to the eye.

Running his hand over his abs and chest, he said in shock, "W-Where are my bullet wounds?" All the wounds and injuries that he had sustained over the years—including the ones from last night's shootout by the docks—had magically healed. His skin now looked as unblemished as a porcelain doll's, with not a single visible pore.

He caressed his chin and was charmed by how handsome he looked. His facial structure had slightly changed and his jawline was now even more defined. Combined with his black hair and eyes, he looked like a supermodel that was prettier than most women.

David stood there in shock for a long time, until finally, he snapped back to his senses when he remembered that he had to visit the Cosmopolitan. He hurriedly put on a pair of jeans, a black hoodie, and white sneakers.

"Perhaps everything will be answered at the Cosmopolitan…" he mumbled as he tied his shoelaces. He immediately left his apartment, but instead of going down, he went up to the roof.

He'd seen in the system panel that his stats had drastically increased. Thus, he decided to check out his strength. As soon as he reached the roof, he sprinted toward the edge and jumped!

The roof cracked and formed spider webs at the place he had launched himself from. He flew up in the air as he rapidly approached the roof of the neighboring building. Normally, he was a very cautious person and would never have done something so reckless.

However, something in him had changed after his rebirth, something he hadn't yet fully understood.

Within a few moments, much to his surprise, he had actually managed to jump the distance of an entire street and reached the other building! He landed on his feet, his heart beating like crazy. He turned around and looked at the street below and couldn't help but involuntarily gulp. "That was… fuckin' crazy!"

Filled with an adrenaline rush, he dashed and jumped from rooftop to rooftop as he approached the Cosmopolitan. He was like a specter that was running around freely in the dark of the night.

...

A few minutes later, David jumped down from a fire escape ladder and landed in an alley right across from the Cosmopolitan. He pulled the hood of his hoodie over his head and crossed the street. As he looked at the security guard outside, he couldn't help but wonder if it was going to be like the last time.

However, when he approached them, much to his surprise, they let him pass without comment. David glanced at them for a moment, then calmly entered the building.

The moment he passed the guards, they began gasping for air. One of them turned to watch David enter the building and couldn't help but mutter, "His aura… is just like a ferocious beast!"

All four of the guards' backs were drenched in cold sweat. They felt like they had just come across a vicious and dangerous predator and had been too afraid to even move, much less interrogate him.

Meanwhile, David had already entered the elevator and headed toward the 46th floor. He didn't look around at the place even one bit. Right now, all he wanted was to find out what had happened to him; the mysteries of the Cosmopolitan could wait.

Soon, he exited the elevator and made his way to suite 4609. After finding the room. He stood in front of the door for a long time. Finally, he gathered the courage and knocked.

A moment later, the door was opened by a black-haired, black-eyed woman. When David laid his eyes on her, he felt a kind of kinship between them. The woman was none other than Natasha.

She looked at David and gestured for him to come inside. "My young lady is waiting for you."

David entered in a daze as he wondered just who this 'young lady' might be. Then his gaze fell upon a familiar, yet unfamiliar girl dressed in black who was looking at the city skyline through the window with her back facing him.

His heart began wildly pounding for some reason when he laid eyes on her. The next moment, he heard her voice drifting into his ears. "David… you're finally here."

'This voice!' His heart began thumping louder and louder. The girl slowly turned around and looked at him with a faint smile, her eyes shining with a hint of nervousness and longing.

David's eyes widened as he finally laid eyes on her face. He trembled ever so slightly as he muttered in disbelief, "Elena!"