Chapter I

WARNING FOR READERS!!!!!! THIS BOOK HAS CONTENT WHICH MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL READERS. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING CLEAR. THIS NOVEL WILL HAVE LGBTQ CHARACTERS. THE NOVEL IS NOT AN LGBTQ STORY OF ROMANCE. I WILL NOT BE FOCUSING ON ROMANCE AT ALL FOR THE MOMENT. I WILL TRY LISTENING TO MY READERS AND TRY TO TAKE YOUR OPINION INTO CONSIDERATION. HOWEVER I WILL NOT DUE AS YOU PLEASE. THIS IS MY NOVEL THEREFOR I WILL CHOOSE IN WHAT DIRECTION TO GO.

CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING

GRAPHIC SEXUAL CONTENT

VIOLENCE, ABUSE, ASSULT, AND RAPE

ADDICTION

WAR, GORE, AND MURDER

HOMOPHOBIA

RACISM

ONE LAST THING I HAVE ANOTHER ACCOUNT IN WHICH I HAVE 2 OTHER NOVELS. IM WRITING THIS NOVEL JUST FOR FUN IN MY FREE TIME. I WISH TO TRY A NEW GENRE AND EXPLORE WITH A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE. HOPE YOU LIKE IT AND IF YOU DONT ITS COOL. 😎😈😏💀

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The early morning wind traveled in search of something yet found nothing in its wake. The world could be a merciless place, and more so in the life of young Liam. This boy considered a man by the standards of the empire. Only two days until his 17th birthday, and death couldn't even spare him that. The young man on the ground in a big puddle of blood.

"Why… why me? Why now? … if only I would have been stronger. If only I hadn't been alone. I would have lived a longer life. Cursed it life of mine. No, cursed it gods, which probably enjoyed my suffering."

"Congratulations! A god of this world has decided to give you a second chance in life. Due to your miserable and pitiful existence."

"wha… is that voice."

"One of the gods of this world has heard and seen your life. In addition, it granted you a new way to rise to power and have a better life. You have been given a system to level up and a new skill."

"sys… system… skill?"

"Initiating body reconstruction… completed… transferring and installing a system to the host... completed… skill transferring… completed. The host will wake up in 10 seconds… 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0."

A rush of air tried to escape from Liam's lungs. Making him cough aggressively while blood rushed out of his throat. Painting the alley ground a crude crimson red. After finally being able to breathe and sitting down, he remembered. What had transpired just a few minutes ago.

Looking back and forward and trying to get up from the ground frantically. Falling a few times back to the ground. He ran as fast as he could, not far from where he was. Rushing into what seemed like an abandoned little shack. That seemed like it would crumble apart with the slightest gust of wind. Once inside still frantic, he ran his hands all over his body. Feeling how all the wounds and broken bones. Had been cured by someone—no, by something.

Searching his body nonstop for all the knife-stab wounds, along with examining his legs. Remembering how they had been brutally smashed with a large old rusty smithing hammer. Remembering the excruciating pain of getting his legs broken, the relentless stabbing and all for what? For helping the inn lady with a few chores as a way to thank her. For giving him some old metal scraps along with some old apples.

The extremely jealous husband of Mrs. Greenbriar had seen her saying goodbye to a young man. Not thinking rationally, automatically letting his jealousy get the better of him like always. He called his drunken friends and cornered young Liam in an alley. Brutally attacking him without even giving him an explanation, he knew the man with the smithing hammer was the husband of the innkeeper. In the past, he had gotten into trouble for his jealous tantrums. Nevertheless, he had never taken things so far.

Liam had lived in this village all of his life; he was an orphan. The nuns from the orphanage always told him never to leave the grounds. However, young Liam would never listen. Not because he was a rebel or disliked the nuns at the orphanage or the other kids. He would leave to try and find some type of work or materials he could sell. He knew the economic state of the orphanage, knowing they would have to either close it or find a way to gather the funds to keep it open. The village chief was a greedy man. Who would cut and embezzle the funds the Lord would send for the orphanage or other public facilities. The village chief had even started charging monthly taxes to everyone including the orphanage.

Liam, still in the old shack scared sh*tless, unable to move or do anything. Only stood in the corner of the room. He was only able to think of how weak and pathetic he was, and there was nothing he could do. When a voice startled him, almost making his spirit jump out of his body. A blue transparent screen appeared before him.

⦓ New mission available! "MIND STRENGTHENING" The host must calm and reach a suitable state of mind.

Rewards: 150 exp, low class item, and mind proficiency level will rise by 1 stat point. Failure to complete the first mission carries the following consequences: a 75% decrease in exp gain for 12 hours, a 78-hour period during which all mental attacks will have a significant impact, and a loss of 3 stat points. If the host doesn't have any stat points to lose, you will enter a coma-like state. Each point is equal to 24 hours. The time for completion is 5 minutes. Time starts 5 seconds after fully reading the mission.⦔

Liam was unable to think properly; however one word grabbed his attention. Strengthening—what did it mean? Just a few seconds ago, he had been thinking of how weak he was and now, before him, there was something like promising to give him the strength he so much yearned for. Still in a panic state, he read the screen from top to bottom. Struggling a little since he wasn't able to read that fast since most commoners didn't have the need to read or write.

By the time Liam had read the mission for the 3rd time, 2 minutes and 30 seconds had gone by and he was nowhere close to calming down. Actually, thanks to the part that said he was going to be in a coma-like state. He panicked even more to the point where he started seeing blurry. Suddenly everything went black, and just felt how his body collapsed.

Two nuns could be seen walking all over the village in a panic state. Knocking on every door they could find. Rushing from door to door, only receiving pity and empathy. Knowing that if Liam hadn't returned to the orphanage like he always did. It could only mean one thing. They all knew how the young boy would sometimes venture out of the village into the woods. In search of medicinal herbs or to find wood to sell. Even though he knew of the dangers that lurked in the forest, he would still go out in search of anything he could find to sell. As long as no one went inside the forest, there was no real danger since the creatures that lived there would rarely come out.

The nuns had been in search of him for 2 hours and had no luck. On their way back, they saw the old shack in the distance and looked at each other. Both prayed with all their might to every god. As one of the nuns stuck her head into what seemed to be a window. Her face turned pale from what she had encountered. The other nun rushed to the window and as she saw Liam on the ground. She fell to her knees and cried like she had never cried before.

After calming down a little, they both walked inside the shack seeing Liam on the ground, his clothes full of holes and blood. His clothes had never been clean yet, and now with the blood they were stained to a maroon color. The older nun got close to Liam and caressed his check. Noticing that the boy still had some warmth to him. She instantly put her hand on his chest. Calming down feeling the pulse of his heart beating. Telling the other nun to help her carry him since he was taller than them.

The noise of children murmuring and crying woke the boy, who had the whole orphanage in a panic state.

"Mother Sophia, Mother Sophia! Liam has woken up." a little girl yelled, almost next to Liam's ear.

Liam jumped from the girl's shouts, startling all the children when a nun rushed into the dormitory. Shooing all the children away telling them to leave the dormitory. The nun looked at him first with a loving face, then it turned into a scorning one. She started getting after him. While crying at the same time, all six nuns entered the dormitories with worried faces. As they saw that Liam was awake, they all started getting after him as well. That scene lasted for a few minutes once they had all vented their feelings. Each one hugged Liam and gave him a kiss and left to let him rest. All except one the reverend mother, who just got a chair and sat next to him. Liam had never seen her that serious before. Looking down, he was about to apologize.

"There's no need for that, my child; what matters is that you're back home."

"But moth… reverend mother, its..."

"I know you only mean to help, but you should try to be more obedient. Do you know how worried we all were for you? We might not be family by blood, but we love you nonetheless."

"As do I? I won't lie, I do wish I had my parents, but I'm thankful that I have you all. Still, I have also cursed the gods for the way things are. Why? Why? Why? Does it have to be like this? Why don't the gods care about us? Why don't they help? Why have they forgotten about us!" Liam started crying and tightening his fist.

"O my child, don't cry; you know life is like a riddle. Hard to understand and hard to answer. Yet simple and refreshing—what's life without its problems? Life can be many things. It can be troublesome, challenging, cruel, and overwhelming, but it is also joyous, wonderful, exciting, enchanting, and beautiful. Yes, we've suffered but I'm grateful for everything that has happened."

"why? Don't you wish you had wealth and power instead of this? A family, a place to belong? For things to be different?"

"Something different, you say... hehehe… Let's say I would of married and would have had a family. My life would've certainly been different and I would've been happy. Right?"

"yes exactly!" Liam exclaimed. The reverend mother stood up and walked towards the window, looking at the faraway trees and sunset.

"Yes, true enough, I could have lived a different life, even though that would've also meant. That I would've never met you and the others, I wouldn't have been able to help each and every single one of you. Just like you helped me as well. You may not know why I became a nun, but let me tell you. Long ago, I was traveling with a group of adventurers. Completing jobs trying to buy ends meat. However, that was like a never-ending story waking up to complete menial tasks. Getting undered paid barely surviving. You can say I was content with that life."

"What made you leave that type of life?"

"Hehehehe, a small child that I found wandering in the forest looking for his parents. He was lost and scared, when I decided to take him to the church the following morning, that child didn't want to leave my side."

"Wait, was that me? Its my fault you live like this? I'm at fault... i… iii… I'm sssoo sooo sorry.

"There's no need for you to apologize for helping you and staying by your side has profoundly made me much happier. If I could go back in time, I would have done the same thing again. Well, I would have looked for you and your family sooner. But that's it. All of you are like my children and I know the others feel the same. We all love you as if you were our own. Now stop crying child, everything will be fine. This isn't what I wanted to talk to you about, but I'm glad we did. For now, rest we'll talk about what happened to you tomorrow. Rest for now." After comforting Liam, she got up and left.

Somehow Liam felt more at peace, yet he wanted to become stronger so that he could help and protect everyone. Remembering the weird blue screen and the voice asking himself if he had imagined it.

⦓The host has 1 unread message and a notification. Message from god of the underworld. Would you like to open the message? Yes - No⦔

"Yes"