Dying & Briefing

[Word Count: 2590]

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"Mans got transformed into an abstract masterpiece."

Gazing down at a lifeless body sprawled on the pavement, blood flowed relentlessly from every possible opening.

The victim in question was Leo, who had recently fallen victim to a tragic encounter with a passing semi-truck.

Upon impact, his head collided with the unforgiving ground, creating a macabre display of bloodied shapes in various sizes.

The outcome?

An eerie abstract portrait, drenched in crimson, a creation that would cost the artist not only his career but also years of his life, imprisoned for reckless driving and the grave charge of vehicular manslaughter—unless a skilled lawyer intervened.

As panic consumed the surrounding onlookers, some captured the scene through their lenses, captivated by an unsettling fascination.

Among the spectators stood Leo, now a phantom observing his own lifeless body turned spectacle.

A new voice pierced the air, originating from one of the spectators, a middle-aged man of average height. With dark hair and a full black beard, he appeared to be in his late 40s or early 50s. His unkempt attire suggested a life on the fringes, and his most notable accessory was a reddish-brown cap, concealing most of his hair.

Redirecting his attention from his lifeless form, Leo raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the stranger's proposition.

Leave?

But where to?

Sensing Leo's uncertainty, the scruffy man rose from his seated position near the alley, lifting his hat to establish better eye contact with Leo's phantom.

"It's time to move on," he declared with a weary sigh. "There's no returning to that vessel."

Turning away, the man gestured for Leo to follow him, disappearing into the dimly lit alleyway.

Leo glanced back at his body, now frozen in time, the panicked screams of the witnesses silenced by an overwhelming stillness.

Exhaling, a gesture rendered unnecessary without functioning lungs, Leo acknowledged the inevitable. He made his way towards the scruffy man, stepping into the alley.

As darkness enveloped him, a blinding light forced him to shield his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in a small office space. Positioned behind a desk sat the scruffy man, whom Leo had followed into the abyss.

"Welcome," the scruffy man greeted. "You've departed from the mortal realm, and now it's time to embark on the next phase. Please, take a seat."

Pointing to the chair in front of him, the scruffy man invited Leo to settle down.

With no other viable options, Leo complied, finding solace in the scruffy man's polite demeanor.

"Alright, let's get things in motion," the scruffy man chirped. "My name is Gin, a demi-god of sorts, and during your time here, I will guide you through the process of reincarnation."

"A demi-god?" Leo inquired, curiosity piqued.

"That's right. To begin, let me enlighten you about ascension. There are three stages on the path to ascension: the first is Saint, followed by Demi-God, and ultimately God," Gin explained.

"To ascend, you'll need to accumulate ascension points and to earn those points, you must accomplish great feats," he continued, flashing a knowing smile. "It's quite straightforward, really—your ascension hinges on your achievements. There's not much more to it, my friend."

Absorbing the weight of the revelation, Gin leaned back in his chair, observing Leo as the information settled in.

After allowing what he deemed to be an adequate amount of time, Gin resumed speaking.

"Now, I'll be frank with you. You're the first person I've had the privilege of reincarnating. You see, I recently ascended myself," he confessed, gesturing to the surroundings. "And I must admit, it's an exhilarating experience. I once sat in the very chair you're in now, listening to someone explain my own reincarnation. It all feels so surreal, don't you think?"

A wistful smile spread across Gin's face, his excitement palpable. He seemed momentarily lost in a nostalgic reverie as his memories resurfaced.

It took Gin a moment to shake off the reminiscence, snapping back to the present with a self-induced jolt.

"Now, let's proceed so I can return to my musings," Gin collected himself, sitting up straight and intertwining his fingers. "To keep things straightforward, you'll be granted a system upon your reincarnation. It's a no-frills system, aptly named the Barebones System. Don't let the name fool you—it contains all the essential features neatly organized into separate tabs, providing everything you'll ever need."

At the mere thought of the system, it materialized before Leo, ready to be explored.

=====

-[Stats]

-[Titles]

-[Shop]

-[Menu]

=====

The tabs materialized one by one, arranged in a vertical column from top to bottom, filling Leo's field of vision with their distinct labels.

Gin observed with a hint of amusement as Leo took in the sight of the floating screen before him.

"Seems like you're already getting the hang of it," Gin remarked, a small smirk forming on his weathered lips. "As I mentioned, it may be barebones, but don't hesitate to ask if anything seems unclear."

Focusing his attention ahead, Leo decided to begin exploring the tabs, starting with the Stats page, the first on the list.

=====

[Stats]

[Name: Leo]

[Age: 23]

[Skills: N/A]

=====

The Stats page appeared before Leo, lacking direct numerical values for health or stamina. Instead, it displayed his name, age, and skills.

Leo found it peculiar that titles were not included on the Stats page as one might expect. Instead, they had their own dedicated tab. This raised a question in his mind, which he promptly posed to Gin, who seemed to derive amusement from Leo's reactions to the barebones system.

Gin chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mirth. "Ah, it's like looking into a mirror, isn't it?" he remarked. "To answer your question, it's quite simple. Titles have their own tab because they hold greater significance compared to anything else. Take skills, for instance—they are temporary and vanish when you die."

"Titles, on the other hand, endure. Once you earn a title, unless you do something that causes it to be revoked, it remains with you across your various reincarnations. Quite handy, wouldn't you say?"

"Now, everything else on the Stats page is rather straightforward. Your name and age are displayed, including any aliases you create along the way. It's important to keep track of those."

Leo nodded in understanding, opting to remain silent as he moved on to the next tab—Titles.

=====

[Titles]

-[First Time Dying?]

=====

"As I mentioned, titles will stay with you unless you violate the conditions that granted you that title," Gin elaborated. "For instance, consider the title [He Who Is Chivalrous]. If an individual with such a title were to behave like a coward, their title would be revoked."

"Given the fickleness of titles, it's advisable not to role-play or try to force their acquisition. It's best to be true to yourself and live life on your own terms. Whatever title you earn will be a reflection of who you are, you know," Gin explained, his smile warm and genuine.

"And just so you're aware, yes, you can receive titles based on specific skills. If you excel at playing music, for example, you may receive a title related to that talent."

"Titles themselves come with bonuses. For instance, someone with the title [Lady Luck Smiles Upon You] would receive a luck bonus, as well as any random skill that relates to that title."

"Another interesting aspect of titles is that the longer you hold onto one, the greater the bonus becomes. In fact, if you maintain a title for a sufficient period, it may evolve. Typically, title evolutions involve the title becoming shorter. For example, the [Lady Luck Smiles Upon You] title would eventually evolve into just [Luck]."

"Seems straightforward enough," Leo interjected, breaking his silence for the first time since arriving in this realm.

"Indeed it is!" Gin exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Now, let's move on to the [Shop] tab."

As Leo shifted his gaze to the designated tab, it promptly opened, revealing its contents.

=====

[Shop]

[AP Available: 0]

-Temporary Titles

-Templates

-Skills

=====

"AP points refer to Ascension Points. You can use them to purchase temporary titles and templates," Gin clarified. "However, skills can only be acquired with SP or Skill Points, which you can earn by gaining random skills. You can also trade Ascension Points for Skill Points, but the exchange rate is something you'll discover on your own."

Curiosity piqued, Leo inquired, "What's the deal with temporary titles? I thought titles had to be earned."

"Hmm, you see, while it's generally recommended to earn titles through your actions, sometimes the process can be tedious. Temporary titles offer a convenient alternative," Gin explained.

"The duration of a temporary title depends on how many Ascension Points you're willing to spend. You can purchase titles that last for a few lifetimes, and you can even artificially evolve them using AP. However, it's important to note that bought titles provide lesser bonuses compared to earned titles."

With Gin's explanation, the pieces began to fall into place, making sense of the previously ambiguous features.

As the name suggests, templates serve as guides, granting bonuses based on the chosen template. For example, selecting the Naruto Uzumaki template would grant chakra and missions to learn his jutsu. And to keep track of your progress, there's a handy progress bar.

With three tabs now explored, it was time to delve into the final tab—the menu.

=====

[Menu]

-Settings

-Inbox

=====

"And finally, we have the menu," Gin stated. "Within the menu, you'll find the settings and the inbox," he explained. "In the settings, you can choose between auto or manual reincarnation. With manual, you can decide where you want to be reincarnated in exchange for AP points, or you can opt for auto and get a random reincarnation for free. And as for the inbox... well, it's self-explanatory," Gin concluded. "Congratulations, you now know how to navigate your system."

Leo's expression turned melancholic as he gazed up at the ceiling. The realization of his true death seemed to settle in at that moment, even after witnessing his lifeless body.

Gin stood up from his chair, walking around the desk to place a comforting hand on Leo's shoulder. "Listen, my friend," he began, his voice filled with empathy. "I was so excited to share everything with you that I didn't delve into all your memories. But trust me, they'll be alright. Keep moving forward," Gin reassured, offering a gentle smile.

Leo wiped away the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes, returning the smile with a nod of gratitude.

As they both settled into a comfortable silence, Leo allowed his thoughts to settle. However, before long, Gin broke the silence and resumed speaking.

"Now that we've got the cool stuff out of the way, let's get the reincarnation train shmovin'!" Gin exclaimed, breaking the silence. Leo responded with a nod.

"Since it's your first time reincarnating and my first time granting someone a system, I want to make it as memorable as possible for you. I'll do you a favor and spend some of my hard-earned AP points on you," Gin explained.

Leo couldn't help but ask, "Are all gods this nice?" This earned a chuckle from Gin.

"Haha, nope," Gin replied. "You got lucky that I happened to be in a role-playing when you died."

"You were role-playing?" Leo asked, curiosity piqued.

"Yup! I had just won my rights to become a demi-god, so I decided to take a breather and hit the random button in my reincarnation settings," Gin answered with a proud smirk. "Luck was on my side, and I ended up in the body of a homeless man who died under a bridge from liver failure."

"So not all gods are as generous as you," Leo commented.

"Nope, some gods just throw people into random worlds without even giving them a choice of a template," replied Gin.

Leo was intrigued and asked, "Why is that?"

"Well, you see, there's no real benefit for gods in meeting with those who have died," Gin explained. "So some gods simply reincarnate people and let them figure everything out on their own."

Leaning closer to the table, Gin rested his elbows on it and straightened his posture.

"You see, there are contracts that gods can make with saints. By making these contracts, gods can gain passive income from the saints, which they can then invest in their own projects."

This caught Leo's interest. "So, does that mean I'll be earning you passive income with my reincarnation?"

"Yes and no," Gin replied. "Since we haven't made a proper contract, I won't be earning passive income from your next life if you were to die again. I'm only referring you once."

"So if I die again, I won't be meeting you again?" Leo muttered.

"Hehe, don't be so down. We might meet again. In fact, the next time we meet, I might be a full-fledged god rather than a demi-god. Time flows differently for reincarnations, so one life for them could be several for others," Gin informed, trying to uplift Leo's spirits.

"So, back on topic, what are my chances of a god wanting to make a contract with me?" Leo inquired. After all, free benefits were always welcome.

"Immediately, none," Gin stated plainly. "Unless you do something really impressive and catch the attention of a god who happens to be observing the world you're in at the moment."

"So, there's still a chance?" Leo asked.

"Heh, I mean, sure, the chances are low, but never zero. Don't let me hold you back," Gin replied, his amusement evident in his smile.

"So, where do you want to go!?" asked Gin, bringing the focus back to the topic, his broad smile revealing some missing teeth.

After giving it some thought, Leo decided to go to the world of Chainsaw Man. There were a couple of reasons for this choice. Firstly, Chainsaw Man lore had become a major interest for Leo, so at least he would have some familiarity with the world. Secondly, he had been keeping up with the Chainsaw Man manga, at least up to chapter 112.

"Chainsaw Man," Leo replied confidently.

"Chainsaw Man?" Gin repeated, raising an eyebrow. Leo nodded in confirmation.

In response, Gin immediately opened a drawer in front of him and pulled out a book with a black cover.

"Damn..." he muttered, glancing back at Leo. "Are you serious?"

Leo nodded again, resolute in his decision.

"Well, if that's what you want," Gin said, accepting his choice.

"Alright, you've chosen a world. Now, let's talk about skills," Gin said, standing up. "Do you have any specific skills in mind?"

Meeting Gin's gaze, Leo shook his head and replied, "I'll leave that up to you."

"Hmm," Gin pondered, placing his hand on his chin. "Given the context of the world you're going to, I might just have the perfect skill in mind."

With everything explained and cleared(for the most part) Gin had a small talk with Leo before sending him on his way.

With another blinding light that forced Leo to close his eyes.

As Leo slowly opened his eyes, he found himself greeted by a captivating sight of lush green foliage that surrounded him in every direction. The vibrant hues of the leaves, dancing with sunlight filtering through the canopy above, created a serene and enchanting atmosphere.

He took a moment to let the beauty of his new surroundings sink in, relishing in the symphony of nature's whispers that filled the air. The scent of earth and vegetation tickled his senses, immersing him in the untamed wilderness.