Chapter 4: The Rebirth

The clash of metal, the sweat, the blood—Zero was in his element. As he fought the guard, a realization washed over him. It wasn't the fighting itself that thrilled him, not the physical exertion or the sport of it. No, what truly exhilarated him was something darker, something more primal.

"HAHA! HA HA! THIS IS FUN!" Zero laughed, his face twisted into a manic smile.

"You bastard!" the guard screamed, pain and humiliation in his voice. "I'll kill you!"

But Zero only laughed harder, his eyes wild with excitement. He noticed it when he stabbed the guard in the eye, the look on the man's face when he realized that an ordinary company worker had just ruined his life. A trained, muscular guard defeated by someone like Zero. The sheer desperation in the guard's eyes, the realization of failure—that was what Zero craved. He LOVED it. He fed off the despair, the humiliation of someone trying their absolute best and still falling short. It was intoxicating.

Then, suddenly, it was over. The pain, the excitement, all gone. Zero's world went black.

But death was not the end.

He found himself in darkness, an endless abyss, and something was happening. A game system interface was in front of him, words and numbers scrolling across a screen. It was familiar to him; after all, he had been a game developer in his past life.

"Failure..." "Error..." The words repeated, echoing in the void.

Confusion and curiosity replaced his initial shock. He was still conscious, still aware, but what did all of this mean?

Suddenly, the system's interface solidified, forming into a panel that looked eerily similar to a character creation screen from a fantasy game. A tinge of excitement welled within Zero as he examined the details.

=============================================

Name: Zero ------(#^(!@)_*!#++$+ $*!@_+ @!_!@!@&%(!@

Age: Undetermined ?? Error! Error!(#^(!@)_*!#++$+ $*!@_+ @!_!@

Power: ???(#^(!@)_*!#++$+ $*!@_+ @!_!@!@&%(!@&%!@+@ !@ !@

Intelligence: ???(#^(!@)_*!#++$+ $*!@_+ @!_!@!@&%(!@

Stamina: ???(#^(!@)_*!#++$+ $*!@_+ @!_!@!@&%(!@&%!@

Balance: 200 Zen (#^(!@)_*!#++$+ $*!@_+ @!_!@!@&%

(#^(!@)_*!#++$+ $*!@_+ @!_!@!@&%(!@&%!@+@ !@ !@

============================================

It was fascinating, to say the least. Each attribute seemed to hint at abilities, or skills, like a character in an MMORPG. There were skills, affinities, and other things that made it look like a complex game.

"What is this? Some kind of joke?" Zero muttered, his confusion giving way to amusement.

The system continued to glitch and waver, its incomplete data flickering on and off. It was as if the system itself was struggling to define him, to understand who or what he was.

A cold, mechanical voice then spoke, its tone devoid of emotion. "Reverting to previous save point. Age: Eight years."

He was going back in time? A child again?

A shock of realization ran through him. Was this a second chance? A way to relive his life, but with the added complexity of a game-like system?

The possibilities were endless. The thrill of challenge and the unknown began to fill him once more. He could use this, exploit it to quench his thirst for excitement, for the desperation and despair he loved to see.

Questions swirled in his mind as the void around him began to change, time rewinding, years peeling away.

He felt his body shrinking, his mind shifting, memories of his old life fading as new ones took their place.

He was a child again, eight years old, but with the knowledge and desires of a man who had tasted the thrill of desperation, of triumph and failure.

As the darkness receded, replaced by the soft light of his childhood bedroom, Zero opened his eyes, a determined glint in them, a twisted smile on his lips.

His new life had begun, and he was ready to play the game.

Zero's eyes flicked around his childhood room, taking in the familiar yet long-forgotten surroundings. The pale blue walls, the worn-out toys, the old wooden desk where he used to draw and write. It was all so nostalgic, but also so strange. It was his past, yet here he was, living it once more.

His new life had begun, and with it came endless possibilities. The twisted smile that had been on his face slowly turned into a thoughtful expression. What should he do first? He had the knowledge of his previous life, and now, this mysterious game-like system.

But the system was a riddle in itself. Its glitches, errors, and undefined attributes intrigued him. He needed to explore it further, to learn its rules and how it could be manipulated.

With a newfound determination, Zero sat up on his small bed, his mind already racing with plans and strategies. This was not just a second chance; it was an opportunity, an exciting game filled with uncertainty and challenge.

His parents would still be alive, his old friends would be there, and all the things he knew about the future could be used to his advantage.

But most of all, he was eager to see how he could feed his dark cravings in this new life. How could he invoke the delicious desperation he so loved to see? How could he play the game in a way that thrilled and satisfied him?

He knew that he would have to be careful, to play his cards right. The world was the same, but he was different. His desires, his understanding, even his very soul was altered.

As he stood up, stretching his young muscles and feeling the excitement bubbling within him, he glanced at the mirror. The reflection showed an eight-year-old boy, but the eyes were older, wiser, filled with a dark and unquenchable thirst.

Suddenly, his mother's voice called him for breakfast.

"Zeroooo, Wake up!!"

Smirking, Zero stepped out of his room, ready to embrace this new path. The game was on, and he was all in.