Chapter 1
Death and Rebirth
The fluorescent lights of the office hummed a monotonous tune, a soundtrack to Ethan's misery.
He stared at his computer screen, the glow reflecting in his tired eyes.
Lines of code blurred together, forming an incomprehensible jumble.
His boss, Mr. Thompson, a man whose face perpetually looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon, had given him an impossible deadline.
"This project needs to be finished by tomorrow morning, Ethan," he'd barked, his voice echoing through the otherwise silent office.
"No excuses. Your performance has been… lacking lately." The word "lacking" hung in the air, a heavy, accusatory weight. Ethan knew what it meant. It meant more late nights, more missed meals, more stress.
Ethan sighed, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. Lacking? He'd been working overtime for the past three weeks, surviving on instant noodles and lukewarm coffee.
His apartment was a mess, a monument to his exhaustion. Dirty dishes piled in the sink, laundry overflowed from the hamper, and dust bunnies danced in the corners.
His social life was non-existent. He hadn't seen his friends in months, too busy coding and debugging to even send a text.
His family… well, they were just a distant memory now. He barely had time to call them. He remembered his mother's voice, always so warm and concerned, asking him when he was going to come visit.
He'd promised he would, soon, but "soon" never seemed to arrive.
He glanced at the clock in the corner of his screen. 11:47 PM. Another all-nighter.
He knew he should go home, get some rest, maybe even try to eat a proper meal, but the fear of Mr. Thompson's wrath was a powerful motivator.
He imagined the man's red face, the veins bulging in his forehead, the condescending words that would inevitably follow. "Lacking," "unprofessional," "incompetent" – the words echoed in his mind, fueling his anxiety.
The thought alone made his stomach churn. He needed this job. He had bills to pay, a small student loan still hanging over his head, and he wanted, someday, to have a little bit of security.
He forced himself to focus on the code, trying to decipher the cryptic language.
His fingers flew across the keyboard, a blur of motion. He was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, but he pushed himself harder, fueled by caffeine and anxiety.
He muttered lines of code under his breath, trying to trace the logic, trying to find the bug that was eluding him.
He felt a headache building behind his eyes, a throbbing pain that pulsed with each keystroke.
Finally, at 2:30 AM, he managed to fix the last bug. He slumped back in his chair, exhausted but relieved.
He saved his work, sent a quick email to Mr. Thompson – a brief, apologetic message explaining the delay – and then shut down his computer. He gathered his things, a worn-out messenger bag and a crumpled umbrella, and headed out of the office.
The streets were deserted, the city shrouded in a quiet darkness. Streetlights cast long, eerie shadows, and the only sound was the hum of distant traffic.
Ethan walked quickly, eager to get home, to crawl into his bed and finally get some sleep. He was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He stumbled a few times, catching himself before he fell.
As he crossed a busy intersection, he glanced at his phone. A notification popped up: "Mom: Call me when you get a chance." He sighed. He'd call her tomorrow, he promised himself. He just needed to sleep first.
He stepped off the curb, his mind still on the code, on Mr. Thompson, on the never-ending pressure of his job.
He didn't see the truck speeding towards him, its headlights blindingly bright. He didn't hear the screech of the tires, the blare of the horn.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his chest. He gasped, clutching at his heart. He felt dizzy, his vision blurring. He tried to call out for help, but his voice was just a whisper.
The streetlights seemed to grow brighter, then dimmer, then brighter again. The hum of the city traffic faded into a distant drone. He felt a strange sensation, like he was floating, drifting away.
The last thing he saw was the glow of the truck's headlights, bearing down on him.
Then, darkness.
Ethan drifted in an endless void. There was no sound, no light, no sensation of touch.
He felt like he was nothing, just a consciousness floating in an empty space. He tried to think, to make sense of what had happened, but his thoughts were sluggish, like they were moving through thick molasses.
Suddenly, a light flickered into existence. It was a pale blue glow, emanating from a rectangular panel that appeared in front of him. He stared at it, confused.
The panel seemed to grow larger, filling his field of vision.
Then, words appeared on the screen, written in a clear, concise font:
[Welcome, System Lord.]
Ethan blinked, or at least he thought he did. He wasn't even sure if he had eyes anymore.
System Lord? What did that even mean? He tried to speak, but no sound came out.
He tried to move, but he felt no limbs, no body.
More text appeared on the screen:
[Initializing System…]
[Connecting to Aethelgard…]
[Reincarnation Sequence Commencing…]
Ethan felt a surge of energy, a tingling sensation that spread through his non-existent body.
The void around him began to swirl, colors flashing before his eyes.
He felt like he was being pulled through a tunnel, faster and faster, until everything became a blur.
Then, another flash of light, brighter than anything he had ever seen before. And then, silence.
Ethan opened his eyes. He was lying on something soft and warm. He could feel the gentle breeze on his skin, the smell of fresh earth in the air.
He sat up, his head swimming. He looked around, taking in his surroundings.
He was in a forest, surrounded by tall trees with vibrant green leaves.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappling the forest floor. Everything looked… different. Brighter, more vivid. The colors seemed more intense, the sounds of nature sharper.
As he tried to stand, he noticed something else.
A translucent blue panel hovered in front of him, similar to the one he had seen in the void.
It displayed a series of words and numbers:
[Ethan]
[Level: 1]
[Experience: 0/100]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 7]
[Stamina: 6]
[Intelligence: 8]
[Wisdom: 7]
[HP: 100/100]
[MP: 50/50]
[Skills: None]
[System Lord Interface: Available]
Ethan stared at the panel, his mind reeling. What was all this? Where was he? The last thing he remembered was the pain in his chest, the darkness… and then the words: "System Lord."
He looked around again, trying to make sense of his situation. He was in a strange world, with a strange interface floating in front of him. He had no idea what had happened, or why. But one thing was clear: his life had changed forever.