Chapter 3: The Ranked System

"...."

It's dark, and quiet

I open my eyes, expecting to see all white, thinking I've finally passed on to the above

However, disappointingly, I can't see anything.

I turn my head, trying to look around, confused, realizing that there was no point because everything is dark, all I feel is a thin blanket on me.

"How did I get here? Wasn't I in a high-ranked gate? And why in the world am I naked?"

Before I started yelling to get people's attention, I heard someone coming into the room, hearing small muffles.

When the person came in, her eyes opened wide.

"Excuse me-"

"AHHHHHHHHHH"

"Shit!" I yell as the ear bursting scream follows me from the woman.

I hear other people coming from the hall in front of the room I was in alerted from the scream

3 others come into the room. Their eyes open wide, as if they wanted their eyes to pop out.

After an awkward 30 seconds of silence, someone spoke up

A male doctor stutters, "He-hello, are you, uhmmm… Alive?"

"...." I don't know doctor, maybe the fact that I'm looking at you, breathing and talking to you means i'm dead.. T..T

"Yes. Where am i?"

"You are in a morgue."

"...?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After getting clothes on, a female doctor from the group of 3 explains what was happening.

" A group of Mid-Rankers came from inside a high-ranking gate, they said a group of high-level monsters attacked them. Although, they never said anything about another teammate being left."

'Tch' 'Those asses'

"Anyways, a group of adventurers came to finish the gate off, and found you on the ground in the dark. They ran to check on you, but your body was already cold, there was no heartbeat or signs of breathing. So we labeled you dead."

"Wait, so, let me get this straight, I was found on the ground of the gates floor, dead, as my teammates pretended i was dead, so I was brought to this,...-"

"Morgue?-" The female doctor asked.

"Yes! Morgue!! Hey, if I didn't wake up, would you be cleaning my insides right now?"

The female doctor stayed silent…

"If you want the honest answer, then yes…"

"...."

"...."

Awkward….

Before I was about to break the silence, another worker came in.

"Uhm, Hiroto Saito? We called a driver to drop you off somewhere. You are welcome to leave now."

"Ah! Yes, that's me, thank you."

The 2 doctors look at me, with guilty expressions on their face

Before I left the room, they said, "We deeply apologize for the inconvenience, we will make sure this won't happen again"

I walk out of the room, pretending to ignore them, but deep inside, I'm grateful for what they've done for me.

Not like they did anything, but the girl doctor told all of the information I needed to be satisfied.

Now I have a new goal in mind.

Getting revenge.

As I walk out of the building, I see a car and the driver waiting inside.

He opens the window,

"Are you, 'Hiroto Saito'?"

"Yes."

"Please get in, I was told to pick you up and drop you off at your residence."

Why does this feel like a school bus driver picking me up from school?

I get in anyways, I tell home where I live, I get into the back seat and we start driving off.

Phew. 'Man, that was a lot. Getting mistaken as dead, ending up inside a Morgue, almost getting my inside cleaned out, then taking a ride home like nothing ever happened-'

Wait a minute. My eyes shot up

'My heart stopped beating and I wasn't even breathing, for the whole time…'

'How in the world am I alive!?'

Is this my 2nd death? Or were the doctors there 3-rated?.

'Let's see, from my memories, I remember as the pack of Horned-green wolves were chasing us, my useless asses of teammates left me for dead, as when they pushed me, they banged me into a wolf, puncturing my lungs and liver...'

"...."

'I can't remember anything else-...'

'Wait a minute…'

"Before I supposedly 'died', there was that screen…" I mutter to myself

What was the screen called again?

'They said "System". But there was a specific name for it though…'

"Death? No… Death Past?"

!

"||Past Death||?"

<<Click!>>

<<Welcome challenger!: For System: ||Past Death||

"AHH!"

The driver looks behind, "Mister?! Are you alright?"

I look up. "Huh?"

"Y-you can't see that"

I point to the transparent-blue screen floating in the air

"...?"

"You know! That blueish cyan screen! Floating right there!!"

The driver looks bewildered

"What are you talking about, Sir?" "Maybe before you go home, I should take you to a doctor…"

"Huh?"

He can't see it?

I get up from inside the car and get back on my seat.

'So, let me get this straight, I survived getting a puncture to my lungs and liver, died for almost 2 days, from this.. This System called, ||Past Death||?'

<<Cling!>>

<<Yes. Correct. This System is called, ||Past Death||. You survived miraculously from death by accepting the conditions and joined this System.>>

"Hmmm"

'Ah, yes. I remember now. Wait, so, like, nobody can see this screen just floating around in the air except me?'

<<Correct. No normal human can see this "Screen". The only people who can see this are other chosen challengers from the other 6 systems.>>

'Meaning I can also see other peoples- challengers screens too.'

<<Yes.>>

<<The Administrator is impressed by -Hiroto Saito- for his intuition.>>

"Huh?"

'Hmm, so the System can read my mind, allowing me to communicate with it. There are 5 other systems with people in the same situation as me…?'

'So now, this begs the question. What is the purpose of the Systems in the first place then System?'

<<Cling>>

<<Administrator of System: ||Past Death|| restricts the System of revealing specific information.>>

"Huh?"

'Fine, if this is how this "Administrator". Ahem, Ahem. What is the purpose of the Systems collecting Challengers?'

<<The purpose of the Systems is for God's entertainment. 6 major gods have their own System. Every 10 years, there is another round of the 'System' on different worlds and dimensions. 6 different gods every 10 years choose their bet on who will become the hero of the world. This is called, "System of the Gods">>

'Wait. So, let me confirm everything straight up. Every 10 years, there is a game called the, "Systems of the Gods'' for 6 different gods each time choose a contender, betting who will save that world?"

<<Correct>>

"So, other gods who aren't the 6 chosen can, like, watch and bet too? Giving money in the name of betting, seeing which challenger will win..?"

The driver looks back as I keep talking to myself.

I bet he thinks I'm crazy.

"Ahem, Mister. We are less than 10 minutes away from your house for the update."

"Yes. Thank you."

Thinking again, I realize something…

'Hey System. I realized that, is there some kind of requirement, some what?'

<<...?>>

<<The System and Administrator of: ||Past Death|| does not understand your question…>>

So there are things even the System can't understand, huh.

'Like, depending on the world, only a selection of certain gods can join. Maybe, if a world was in a terrible state of destruction, more highly ranked privileged gods would be allowed to bet.'

<<Yes. That is correct.>>

'Really. So, uhmm, how dangerous is this world?'

<<....>>

<<Administrator Answers.>>

<<Administrator of:||Past Death|| Says - This world was Ranked "Special Class"

"..?"

'Meaning?'

<<This world's future has the potential of being completely destroyed, becoming a state of chaos. Potentially, all living life will be Eradicated.>>

"..."

'WHAT.?'

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AN: The story might be confusing if you never read Adventure-type novels or Manhwa's like "Leveling Solo". (Search it up on google and the first result is the right one)