Second Chance

Xavier found himself breathing in ease for the first time in his life. He found his body no longer ached. His Mind no longer groaned. And he felt at peace. That was until he heard a quick wrapping coming from the edge of his bed.

Xavier opened his eyes and peered around the room as he always did when he awoke. He found the same white and blue medical room filled with beeping machines but something seemed off. Then it hit him. It was quite. Not a single beep of a heart monitor or ventilator was heard. It was finally... quite.

But then there was the Wrapping of a knuckle upon hard plastic once more. Xavier then noticed the man that seemed to be the only person in the room other than him knocking on the door with a bright, almost divine, smile upon his face. He wore simple black jeans and a black leather jacket. His face seemed to be perfect. Each angle aligned in a way that made it alluring to look at.

Then there were his eyes which almost seemed to burn. They were an embering brown that warmed the body and soul. His hair was simple and neat but it too brought warmth to him. To a body that never knew warmth.

'Am I dead? The pain has finally ended so that means I must be dead.' Xavier thought to himself as the man invited himself into Xaviers Room. He seemed to glide confidently across the concrete floors.

"Wakey Wakey Xavier. Destiney is knocking on your door and you're laying there on your bum. What makes you feel so entitled to ignore your future? Your Fate?" He said in a melodic deep voice.

It felt strange. Almost like the man in front of him was talking down to him but at the same time he wasn't.

'No he isn't talking down to me. I would know if he was... So many people had done it before so there is no way I wouldn't know if he would be.' Xavier thought as the man came forward to the side of his bed.

"Hmm... Silent as a lamb in there sleep. I suppose you don't have much to say do you? But I expected more. Questions Xavier that's what I expected! Such as 'Am I dying?' or perhaps 'Who Are you?' but you remain silent." He said in a joy filled tone.

Xavier wanted to laugh at the mans strange antics. Death. This is what is happening to him and he couldn't be more happier. Get away from these broken bones. Get away from this battered body and go to the endless darkness that would be his death.

The man looked at him with the smile on his face continuing to persist despite his silence. "I suppose you know what's coming. I doubt you would care seeing you past." He said while mimicking reading through a book.

"Born a Cripple. Lived a Cripple. Died a Cripple." He said and when he reached the end he mimicked closing the book that was his life that was only 9 words long. "In short, a cripple." He finished.

Xavier felt himself subconsciously nodding to the mans words. It was true after all.

"Hmm... you seek death. And that I can give you unlike the other phonies in this place." He said while motioning around him.

He then sat down on the edge of the bed with a thud. He let out a slight groan as he commented "Dang kid I guess they really don't care about cripples. This death dead of yours is really one for a dead man. As stiff as a coffin."

"Anyways... down to business. My names Nik by the way." He said while reaching his hand out for a shake before choking slightly at the sight of Xavier not moving. "My bad." He said in a laughing tone.

"So I'm here to end your pain. One way or another. I could pull the cord for you. End it all right here and now and end the existence of 'Xavier Styles'. Or... you could join a little game me and my friends came with." He said, excitement slowly creeping in his voice.

"Now that wouldn't mean you wouldn't feel pain. You would probably feel a lot of it but you wouldn't feel the pain your feeling right now. That being the pain of being useless. Not being able to do anything. I'm sure you can catch my meaning." He said while gesturing towards me.

"But I would give you a little thing you would probably call a system and drop you off in a universe where people could break mountains with their bare hands and create tornadoes with their minds. But most importantly you would be there with your legs and body fully intact. With a system no less! What a steal." He said in almost a business like tone.

"So what do you say Xavier? Want to go on a little adventure?" Nik said.

While Nik was speaking Xaviers mind was in a state of confusion. 'Systems? What they hell where those. A Create Tornadoes with his mind? Who could have the balls to say such a lie. But.... the promise was there. To stop being a cripple.'

Xavier slowly started to nod. He then said in a rough and water deprived voice "Yes. I'm ready."

Nik jumped up from the bed with a start as he raised his fist to the air and proclaimed "Huzzah. Xavier shall be the hero among men. Put down in fables as the greatest entertainer. " in a joking manner.

Then for the first time since Nik arrived a serious look appeared upon his face "Though this Story won't be one without other heroes and villains. It will be one of the greatest sagas ever created with a large cast. You being just one of the 11 System Wielding Lords of the Land."

"You will wield my System. The Immortals System. Enjoy young one. I hope you like my gift." He said with a sly smile as he waved his hand goodbye.

"What do you mean? That's it?" Xavier said once more in the desert like voice that was his.

Nik looked back at him and gave the biggest grin he had since meeting him "No it's just the start." He said while snapping his fingers.

After the snap resounded through the room Nik disappeared and the sound came back. The humming of the machines. The beeping of the heart monitor. It came back steadily and so did the pain.

Xavier felt the godforsaken pain once more. And it was killing him once more. But this time something was different. The beeping was faster than usual. And it was getting quicker.

He felt the pain coarse through his body greater than before. He felt his chest pounding through his chest as he heard the door being pushed open in a rush as 4 doctors and many nurses entered the room in a panic. They almost seemed to be waiting for this to happen.

One of the doctors face became sullen when his gaze reached the monitor. His jaw slowly opening up in disbelief. Xavier struggled to turn his hand but finally laid his eyes upon it. And he too was astounded.

All it read was that his heart rate was over 600 Beats per Minute. Something that seemed to be impossible. Then it was lights out. He finally died.

He felt his body recede into the empty abuse that was the universe devouring the last bits of life in his body.

But something held on to him. After what seemed like a millennia of fighting he finally awoke once more.

This time he was in the same void as he had pictured the afterlife would be but this time a simple white screen appeared before him. And it read as such:

The Immortals System>

User: Xavier Styles

Age: 18

LV: 1 (0/100)

HP: 10/10

SP: 1/1

MP: 1/1

LifeSpan: 50 Years.

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Stats:

Strength: 1

Speed: 1

Constitution: 1

Intelligence: 1

Wisdom: 1

Charm: 1

Immortality: 1

Stat Points: 0

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Abilities: None

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Quests: Tutorial Quest (1/4)

Increase your lifespan by 500 years by any method.

Reward: Unlock Inventory (10 Slots)

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Inventory: LOCKED

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Store: LOCKED

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Welcome to the world of Pharis. You will be resurrected soon but while your waiting feel free to ask any questions you want. You also have a free Legacy skill waiting for you if you would like to check that out.

Xavier felt confused but enthralled by the display. It reminded him slightly of the games he had heard of back before he died but he wasn't sure exactly what any of it meant. He never actually played games so he wouldn't really know.

"What is a System" Xavier found himself asking feeling stupidly while doing so.

<A way to grow stronger and track your progress.>

Xavier began wondering exactly what everything meant.

"The Legacy Skill what is that?"

<A skill that your predecessor Nik Starlight has given you.>

"What is the skill?"

<You have the choice between the next three skills listed below>:

1: Reaper's Scythe: This skill allows you to gain the remaining lifespan of anything you slay.

2: Life Burn: This skill allows you to transfer 10 years of lifespan into one stat point

3: Life Transfer: This skill allows you to transfer your lifespan to those around you at your digression.

Xaviers brows furrowed as he looked at the skills. "Lifespan..... how long I get to live....."

After a few moments of thinking he decided to ask the system "What skill should I pick?"

<.... Pick the first skill if you want to kill others, the second skill if you want to kill yourself, and the third skill if you want to save others.>

"What they hell does that mean? I can gather that much." He said angrily.

<Just pick.>

"Fine... I pick the first one I guess." He said in an unsure voice.

<...murderhobo> The system said in a quick flash notification.

"What was that?" Xavier sain in a confused tone.

<Nothing. User will now be transported to the world of Pharis. Good luck and look out for the other 10 system users.>