Chapter 2: I live again!

In a graveyard at night.

Crows were all over the place. Congregating into one specific part of the graveyard.

"Fucking crows. Making me work more than I need to." Said an old white man.

He was 5 feet with 6 inches tall. His black hair was hidden by a blue hat with the initials NY on it. He had cleaning suit on. A one-piece suit with a zip on the front that begins at the waist and ends by the neck. He was wearing a pair of black working boots and gloves made out of rubber.

He was cleaning the waste the crows dropped all over the place. Then suddenly, the ground trembled and the crows began to cry while flying in circles on top of a specific tomb and dispersing.

"What the fuck!?" The old man cried as he fell on the ground.

Then it happened.

The man slowly opened his eyes as wide as two light bulbs. His gaze was focused on one thing only. A skeleton wearing a suit, rising from its grave. The lifeless skeleton was rising in the same way as puppets are moved with strings.

"HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!" The old man screamed. "THE DEAD ARE COMING BACK FROM THEIR GRAVES! IT IS THE END OF DAYS! THE END OF DAYS!" The old man screamed and fell repeatedly on the ground while running as fast as his legs would let him.

The skeleton stood in place, unmoving. It was clear that life couldn't be found in the levitating skeleton's eyes. Then a blue light bulb, surrounded by a ghostly body, came crashing against its chest. The skeleton glowed with a blue aura. Its eyes sockets blazed to life with bright blue flames. Soon, Mana started to accumulate around the skeleton, envolving it. Its muscle grew back, organs appeared once again, and dark skin covered its exposed muscles. Then hair started to grow from its head, reaching down to its waist. The skeleton, now raised from its grave, is once again part of the living.

He is once again, a man.

Then he opened his eyes.

***

It was strange once I opened my eyes. I could see in two different ways. I could see through my eyes once again, that is obvious. But I could also see as a spirit, no need for eyes. It was strange. Being able to see in two different ways, with one of them allowing you to see at an angle of 360 degrees around you, including yourself. Yeah, I could see my own face without needing a mirror. Scratch that. I could see my WHOLE body, back and front, without needing a mirror. Heck, I could even look what was happening inside my body at any level I want.

'I really like the long hair and that I looked to be back in my twenties.' I smiled.

You live again

"This looks like something I would write," I said, eyeing the notification. Thanks to my other way of seeing, I noticed that the notification was made out of Mana and that it wasn't really in front of me. It was more like inside of me, in a way.

"So it is Mana. Moreover, it looks like The Gamer's ability. So maybe." I willed for a status screen to show up.

Name: Nero Casanova

Power: The Gamer

Title: The Lawyer, The Engineer, The Gamer

HP: 400/400

Mana: ??? (Unable to calculate at this time)

Body: 40

Mind: 200

HP Regeneration: 1/sec

Mana Regeneration: ???

Stat Points: 0

Traits: Gamer's Mind, Gamer's Body, Turn Undead, Inner World.

Abilities: Mana Control, Soul Control, Unnamed, Materialization, ID: Create/Escape level 1.

"Sweet." I happily said. "It is good to know that I don't have to say "status" out loud or anything of the sort." I smiled. "Now, Let's check these traits." I focused on Gamer's Mind and Gamer's Body.

Gamer's Mind: A gamer is like any other being, feeling fear, anger, anguish, depression, etc. But a gamer keeps its mind focused even when feeling uncontrollable rage and anguish in order to do one thing. TO BEAT THE GOD DAMN BOSSES IN DARKSOULS!

"Well, it looks like another poor fool is angry with Darksouls." I sighed. "The disturbing thing is that it sounds a lot like me. Why would that be?"

Gamer's Body: Allows you to be like a game character.

"Well, that was short and simple." I shrugged.

Turn Undead: You have come to realize that death is just the beginning. Thanks to your time being dead, you are now able to turn undead. Your appearance and state are decided by you. (Example: Ghost, Ghoul, skeleton or looking alive while being dead). Once you turn undead, all the drawbacks of the flesh won't hold you back. No, feelings are no part of it. That's a matter of the Soul/Spirit you moron.

"I don't know if I should feel insulted at the last part." I shook my head.

Inner world: Due to using the Mana that found within the soul to create a world of your own, an inner world has manifested in your soul. This world gives you an unlimited supply of Mana besides the one in your body that you can use. It also possible to enter this inner world or to bring someone in. This world is completely under your control. The passage of time can be manipulated by you. Even if someone stays for thousands of years, they will no age. Note: inventory space is just placed in a specific part found in this world.

"Wow, just wow. It is good to know that all that time I used to make that world was even more worth it than just relieving my boredom." I nodded. "Ok, Let's jump to the abilities."

Mana Control: Allows one to control Mana. Duh.

"I'll admit that I walked myself right into it." I sighed.

Soul Control: Allows the user to control souls and soul energy. The spirit is not part of this. You should know why.

"What was I expecting?" I massage my eyes.

Unnamed: Call forth a part of the inner world to the material world. Think Unlimited Blade Works. But without the blades. You know what, scratch that.

You have learned Unlimited Blade Works.

You have unlocked the trait, Fast Learner.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" I screamed.

Unlimited Blade Works: Call forth a part of your inner world that represents the workings of your mind. There will be a field full of weapons that you know like the back of your hand or have created.

Fast Learner: Due to your above average amount in your mind stat, you have obtained the ability to learn quickly and create your own version of techniques you know or have seen.

"I don't know what to think about this," I said, feeling like giving up. "I can come up with a guess to explain what happened, but I don't have enough information. Damn."

I decided to keep on checking my abilities.

Materialization: Allows one to create anything, as long as they know what it is made of. Note: It is a part of Unlimited Blade Works.

"Well, that one was kind of obvious. Except for the note of being part of Unlimited Blade Works." I said.

ID: Create/Escape level 1: ID stands for Instant Dungeon. This ability came to be thanks to the Inner World trait. This allows one to create a separate dimensión where monsters appear A.K.A a dungeon. As the level of the increases, the stronger the dungeon will be. The time difference can be set to a max of 1 day = 1 year (can change as the level increases).

"This is a signature ability of The Gamer," I said while rubbing my chin.

Then I noticed something that I should've realized since the beginning.

"Why don't I feel the ground on my feet?" I looked down, only to realize I was hovering on the air. I could feel the Mana lifting me in the same way it did when I was inside my soul.

I wasn't surprised. Flying became second nature to me after the amount of time I spend as a spirit. The only thing I found weird is that it didn't pop up as an ability or trait.

The Trait: Spirit Flight has been unlocked.

"Oh." Escaped my mouth. I quickly checked the trait.

Spirit Flight: Due to your time as a spirit, using Mana to fly has become as natural as breathing for you.

I shrugged. I didn't really have anything to say. I willed my status to showed up again.

Name: Nero Casanova

Power: The Gamer

Title: The Lawyer, The Engineer, The Gamer

HP: 400/400

Mana: ??? (Unable to calculate at this time)

Body: 40

Mind: 200

HP Regeneration: 1/sec

Mana Regeneration: ???

Stat Points: 0

Traits: Gamer's Mind, Gamer's Body, Turn Undead, Inner World, Fast Learner, Spirit Flight.

Abilities: Mana Control, Soul Control, Unlimited Blade Works, Materialization, ID: Create/Escape level 1.

"Why is ID the only one with a level.?" I said, confused.

Tip: Every trait and ability can evolve.

"I shouldn't be surprised about this." I shook my head.

I finally decided to move. I needed to know how long I've been dead and what happened after my death. I knew the perfect place to get that kind of information.

I flew towards the front gate of the graveyard. I landed and started to walk. I don't want to make people think Super-Man exist and I don't really want to deal with the people that would try make me their weapon or something along those lines.

'I cannot fall into thinking that I'm the only powered individual. I'm a little scared when I think that way, though. Those guys have been able to hide from me of all people.' I deeply thought.

***

Los Angeles hasn't changed a lot. Just a few new buildings here and a few renovations over there. I was having a trip down memory lane. But I focused on what was important at the moment. Information.

And I was in the best place that purpose. Jack's Diner.

A place where the underworld met thanks to my efforts. But something happened. My friend Jack, the owner, was hiding something very important from me. That was one of the reasons I was trying to get into a plane the day I died. I was following Jack.

I entered the diner. It looked the same with its blue walls and chest styled floor, black and white tiles. At the counter was an older looking Jack taking orders from people that sat down on the chairs right in front.

He has white hair and wrinkles on his chocolate skin. But don't let that fool you. He has the body of a twenty-year-old body builder hidden under his baggy clothes.

I walked up to the counter and sat down on one of the empty chairs.

Three minutes later a young blonde haired woman wearing waiter's clothes came to me. She had blue eyes.

She had her name written on her shirt. Sandra.

"Hello, Sir. What are you going to order?" Sandra asked with a smile.

"I want a cup of coffee," I stopped for a second, "Black. With three sugars."

"Anything else?" She asked.

"No, that's all," I replied.

Sandra wrote it all down and went away. I hope Jack realizes what that means. I would always order this when I wanted to talk.

It took a while, but Jack approached me with my coffee. He placed the coffee in front of me and stood there.

I took the coffee and drank a little.

"You always made a good coffee," I said while looking at the coffee on my hands.

"And you are?" Jack asked.

I laughed. "Good one, old man."

Everything stopped. The chatter and the moving. Everyone was looking at the two of us. I knew why. Jack doesn't like to be called old. I was the only person that would dare do that.

Looking at the reaction of the whole dinner, it seems I'm still the only one.

"That's how you welcome a friend?" I took another sip of my coffee while Jack was fuming with anger.

"Friend?" Jack said. "I don't know who you are. Or what you want. I just wanted to know who would have the balls to come here and ask for the same coffee as the dead king." The atmosphere was getting worse. Some people were leaving the diner already, others wanted to know how it would end.

"King? What king?" I asked, intrigued.

"Oh, so you don't know." A red aura started to come out of Jack. "That only means one thing, you are one of those fuckers from Abismó.

Jack placed his hands on the counter while looking at me.

"I don't know who these fuckers you refer to are, but, I guarantee you, you would've been better off it were one of them instead of me," I said while intrigued about the red aura coming from Jack.

Jack tried to hit me, abruptly. I caught his right hand, which was covered with a concentration of that red aura he emanated.

It hurt. I think he broke my damn arm.

"Fuck, Old man!" I moaned in pain while holding my right arm. "It's me, Nero. You blind, decrepit old man!" I pull my hair back into a ponytail.

"Do you think I'm an idiot!" His red aura was going wild. "Nero has been dead for ten years!"

'Ten years! I've been in the ground for that long!' I thought.

"Plus, he was crowned the Underworld King after his death. All because he hated being called Kingpin." Jack said, "It is even written on his grave!" He jumped at me with a kick covered on his red aura.

'That red aura.' I thought, 'What if I do the same? But with mana?'

I put my idea into practice, covering my left hand in mana.

Fast Learner activated

The skill: Mana Reinforcement has been learned.

Due to the nature of Mana Reinforcement, it has been absorbed by Mana Control.

I intercepted Jack's kick with my left hand that was now covered in a blue aura.

Our attacks clashed creating some kind of shock wave that threw us apart.

I took advantage of this to check my right arm. I could feel pain from it, but there was no damage to my bones. That surprised me because I was sure I felt my bones breaking.

'Does it has anything to do with Gamer's Body?' I contemplated. 'Very likely.'

I looked at Jack while taking a pick at my health bar. It was going up. It just needed 5% more to be full. I noticed how the pain in my right arm lessened.

'Yep, Gamer's Body.' I smirked.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Jack laughed. "You-you should have-" Jack's laughter didn't allow him to finish his sentence.

I was confused. Jack continued to laugh his ass out, falling on the ground as his laughter grew uncontrollably.

He was on the ground by this point.

30 minutes later.

"You are incorrigible." I grumpily said while massaging my temples.

"You've got to admit it, it was a good one!" Jack replied, happily. "But who would've thought that the King himself would rise out of the grave." He kept on laughing.

I sighed in defeat. I have to admit it, this old man had me by the balls with that bull he pulled downstairs. The fucker knew who I was from the moment I passed through his door.

Now we're on the second floor of his dinner, sitting on some couches, with tea on a tea table placed between us.

"So," I began, "Is it true what you said downstairs? That I've been dead for ten years?"

"Do you think I would lie on that," Jack said with a hurt look.

I just gazed at him with my poker face.

"Ok, I get it." He raised his hands in surrender. "You're still sore by the joke I played on you downstairs." A small smirk escaped his lips. "But no, I didn't lie about it. You have been in the grave a whole decade and a half."

"Well, I'll be damned. If I'd had children, they'd be in college by now." I said.

"As if you'd have children," Jack said. "You didn't have a girlfriend. Heck, you didn't even have sex. You make me wonder if your penis even work."

"It works fine. I just don't see the point in that kind of things." I said. 'Plus, with my new found powers, it wouldn't be strange if I could give birth. I have no idea how, but I'll think about that when the need arises.' I thought.

"Now, let's get to the reason you came here." Jack took a more serious look.

"Yeah, let's talk about business," I said, placing my hands in front of me and connecting them by the tips of my fingers.