Awakening
Ding! Ding! Ding!
In the middle of a messy room, a young man lay sprawled on the floor, the faint scent of alcohol lingering in the air. His clothes were in disarray, and the pounding in his head suggested he had either partied too hard or, more likely, drowned himself in booze.
Suddenly, a pentagram-shaped rune ignited on his chest, glowing with an eerie brilliance. His body twitched as if struck by lightning.
"Gasp!"
With a sharp intake of breath, his eyes snapped open. His vision was blurry, his mind groggy. The migraine pulsing in his skull made it hard to think straight.
"Where... the fuck am I? Wasn't I at the company, working overtime like always?"
He groaned, rubbing his temples as he forced himself to sit up. The room was oddly familiar—too familiar. His heart pounded as he looked around, scanning the posters on the walls, the outdated furniture, and the cheap laptop sitting on the cluttered desk.
Then, his gaze fell upon the full-length mirror beside him. He staggered toward it, still struggling to stay balanced.
"No... no fucking way..."
His reflection stared back at him.
A much younger version of himself.
"Holy shit! This isn't real. This can't be real!"
Panic surged through his veins as he took in his youthful face, the lack of the tired wrinkles he had gained from years of overwork. His fingers trembled as they brushed against his smooth skin.
This was him.
Fresh out of university.
His thoughts spiraled into chaos until—
"Will you keep it down, creep?"
That voice—
John froze.
His breath hitched, his eyes widening in pure disbelief.
No. No. No. This had to be a dream.
He turned toward the door, his pulse hammering. The voice belonged to someone he remembered all too well. Someone he had lost.
"Amelia...?"
His feet moved before he could think. He rushed to the door, yanked it open, and there she was.
Standing at an impressive 6'2, Amelia towered over most girls her age. Her curly red hair cascaded over her shoulders, and despite her annoyed expression, she was as beautiful and fierce as ever.
Alive.
She was alive.
John's throat tightened, and he fought back the burning in his eyes.
"Mom, I told you not to let John go to that grad party. Now he's acting weird. I think he hit his head or something." Amelia frowned, arms crossed.
John barely heard her words. His vision blurred as emotions surged through him—grief, shock, disbelief, and overwhelming relief.
He lunged forward, pulling her into a tight hug.
"I missed you, sis."
Amelia stiffened in his arms. She stood frozen for a second before she forcefully pushed him away, looking at him like he had grown two heads.
"The hell's gotten into you?" she muttered before shaking her head and walking toward the kitchen.
John stood there, fists clenched, chest rising and falling unevenly.
This wasn't a dream. It wasn't a hallucination.
He had really, truly regressed.
A Second Chance
John stumbled back into his room, slamming the door shut. His thoughts raced.
He was back in his younger body. His sister was alive. His family was here.
Everything he had lost—he had it again.
A second chance.
His breathing was shaky as he sat down on his bed, mind spinning with endless possibilities.
"I can change everything."
No more slaving away at a dead-end job. No more missed opportunities. No more helplessly watching his loved ones suffer.
He clenched his fists.
This time, he would win.
And then—
Ding!
A robotic voice echoed in his head.
[ System Loading... ]
10%...
"Huh?" John blinked, looking around.
50%...
"The fuck? Am I hearing things now?"
99%...
[ Ding! System Loaded Successfully. ]
John's body tensed. His breath caught in his throat.
No. Fucking. Way.
A blue screen materialized before his eyes, hovering in the air like something straight out of a web novel.
[ System Undefined (Host Defines) ]
Name: John Smith
Age: 22
[ Define System to Unlock. ]
His heart pounded like a war drum.
"Holy shit… I can choose the kind of system I want? This is gonna be OP as fuck!"
He swallowed hard, excitement coursing through his veins.
"System, how do I choose?"
[ Ding! Host must say: 'Initiate System Definition' ]
"Alright… Initiate System Definition!"
[ Ding! System Initiation Acknowledged. ]
[ Please select a system type from the list. ]
A vast menu of choices unfolded before him.
Martial System
Cultivation System
Political System
Football System
Business Tycoon System
Entertainment System
Assassin System
Magic System
Godhood System
And many more…
John's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Holy shit, there's everything imaginable!"
His mind buzzed with possibilities. He could become an unbeatable fighter, a genius businessman, a legendary politician… or even a God.
Then, an idea struck him.
"System, can I customize my own definition?"
[ Ding! Definition Customization Acknowledged. ]
John's breath hitched. His thoughts ran wild.
He could combine systems.
Make something entirely unique.
Something that would make him unstoppable.
A grin slowly crept onto his face.
This second chance was going to be legendary