Chapter 1: The Midnight Gift!

Chapter 1: The Midnight Gift!

The digital numbers on my smartwatch glowed a harsh, mocking blue: 11:30 PM.

I sat on a bench directly across the street from the Quick-Mart, pulling my worn hoodie tighter against the chilly ocean breeze. In exactly thirty minutes, the clock would strike midnight. I would turn eighteen. In the eyes of the Eurasian government, I would finally be an adult. No more legal guardians. No more being a burden to anyone.

To celebrate the milestone, I was going to buy my very first legal beer. If my older sister, Mary, ever found out about this little late-night excursion, she would absolutely skin me alive. So, seriously, keep that between us.

Mary has been my official legal guardian since I was fourteen, but she has been my absolute rock for much longer than that. Our parents were killed three years ago, taken hostage during a bank robbery that went sideways. It still hurts like hell to think about. My dad and my stepmother were incredible parents.

My biological mother actually died when I was born, leaving my dad to raise a newborn completely on his own. Luckily, our neighbor—a kind woman with a six-year-old daughter named Mary—stepped in to help look after me while my dad worked his grueling shifts as a police officer.

Her own life was a complete nightmare back then. Her husband was a gambling addict who dragged the family into massive debt with a local crime syndicate.

Eventually, he couldn't pay what he owed, and the syndicate made sure he went swimming with the fishes. In their dark world, debt belongs to the surviving family. Mary's mother was left with a crushing financial burden and only one real option to pay it off: the lowest, most degrading work available on the streets.

When my dad found out about her situation, he didn't hesitate for a single second. He emptied his entire life savings to clear her debt in full before she could suffer a cruel fate. She tried to refuse the money, but Dad was a stubborn, highly convincing man. He told her the only payment he ever wanted from her was to keep helping him raise me. Touched by his selflessness, she agreed. Over time, they fell deeply in love, got married, and we became a real, unified family.

Then, that stupid bank robbery took them both away from us.

To keep food on our table, Mary skipped university entirely. At eighteen, she threw herself straight into the Star City Police Academy, fueled by a burning desire to take care of me and bring justice to a broken city. She was brilliant. In just a few short years, she became the youngest female detective in the history of the SCPD. I am incredibly proud of her, even if her job terrifies me to my core. She is currently working an overnight stakeout in another district, which is the only reason I am out this late.

Mary badly wants me to join the force if my other plans fail, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I don't want to live a life constantly looking over my shoulder, only to meet a violent end like our father did.

My real dream is getting into Star University, the most prestigious college on the West Coast. But Star City—the massive, booming economic capital of the Azure State—is a place strictly ruled by raw power and family pedigree. The Azure State answers to the dragon, just as the Crimson State to the north answers to the phoenix, the Eastern White State to the tiger, and the Southern Black State to the turtle. It is a strange world, a massive melting pot where old Western structures clash openly with ancient Eastern traditions.

Without coming from one of the Four Great Noble Families, a working-class commoner like me needs a flawless entrance exam score just to land a scholarship. If I fail to get it, it is cheap community college or online courses for me. Depressing, to say the least.

A deep, powerful engine rumble suddenly broke the midnight quiet, shattering my thoughts.

A long, polished black limousine pulled up right in front of the Quick-Mart across the street. The heavy doors flew open, and two massive bodyguards stepped out. I couldn't help but scoff internally—the guys were literally wearing sunglasses at night.

Then, the rear passenger door opened, and my stomach instantly dropped.

Scott Tang.

He was the second young master of the powerful Tang family, and the absolute bane of my high school existence. I shrank back on the bench, praying his eyes wouldn't wander my way in the dark.

Three girls stepped out of the luxury ride behind him, all dressed in elegant, incredibly expensive prom dresses. I recognized them instantly.

The first was Linda Lang, a noble lady from the prestigious Lang family. She wore a flawless white dress that contrasted beautifully with her shiny, midnight-black hair and mesmerizing grey eyes. Back in my freshman year, before my parents died, I hadn't realized who she was and casually struck up a friendly conversation with her. Scott saw it happen, and he has made my life a living hell ever since. For four long years, he has been courting Linda, planning to make her his first official wife under the clan laws.

The other two girls were Nadia and Nichole, identical black haired twins with sharp blue eyes and matching silver dresses. They were already officially set to become Scott’s second and third wives. They were stunning, sure, but they were also incredibly cruel. They routinely helped Scott torment me just for their own twisted amusement.

Scott, looking sharp in a black tuxedo, scanned the quiet street. His gaze locked right onto me sitting on the bench. A nasty, cruel smirk curled his lips.

"Well, look who it is," Scott called out over the roof of the limo, his voice dripping with pure malice. "What's up, little-dick Rick? Enjoying prom night all by yourself? Find any prostitutes out here in the dark?"

My fists clenched tight inside my pockets. Back in middle school, before my growth spurt, Scott had pantsed me in front of the entire student body on a freezing cold day. I had grown a lot since then—I was actually taller than him now, and perfectly healthy—but how was I supposed to prove that to the world without humiliating myself and my sister's reputation?

I chose absolute silence. I looked away, completely ignoring him and his entourage.

Scott whispered something to his two towering bodyguards, let out a laugh, and escorted the girls straight into the store. But the two gorillas didn't follow him inside. They turned around and started walking straight toward my side of the street, wearing matching, wicked grins.

Time to run.

I bolted off the bench, sprinting hard across the asphalt road toward the Quick-Mart's property line. My only goal was to disappear into the narrow, dark alley running along the side of the convenience store building before they could trap me in the open. I dashed into the shadows of the brick corridor, my sneakers slamming against the damp concrete as I tried to escape deeper into the darkness.

But the gorillas were too fast. Before I could make it out the other side, a heavy hand violently grabbed the collar of my hoodie from behind, stopping my momentum completely and slamming me hard against the brick wall. The second guard didn't say a single word. He just drove a heavy, brutal fist straight into my ribs.

The air exploded from my lungs.

This was their standard routine. Every couple of months, Scott would have them find me to give me a little lesson. They were always careful never to break my bones—nothing Mary could easily use to launch an official police investigation—but they always left me a bruised, breathless mess on the pavement.

This time, though, the thugs went way too far. A heavy fist caught me square in the eye, and then another brutal strike slammed right into my jaw. The entire world started spinning. My legs turned to absolute jelly, and the dark alley rushed up to meet me. As my eyes fluttered shut, I saw the guards walking calmly back out of the alley toward the limo parked out front. Through the hazy, fading darkness, I saw Linda Lang look toward the empty space across the street where my bench was. A distinct frown crossed her beautiful face before Scott nudged her into the car.

Then, everything went completely black...

I woke up, but not in the alley.

I was floating in a vast, endless void of stars. Strange, blurry memories flashed before my eyes like a movie playing on fast-forward. I saw another world, also called Earth, but it was entirely different from the one I knew. I saw a reflection of myself in a mirror—eighteen years old, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I saw a family whose faces were warm but fuzzy, completely out of focus in the haze.

In the final memory, I was sitting in front of a glowing computer screen, playing a brand-new video game. The screen asked me to select skills for a new character, followed by a strange prompt text: Do you wish to load and reincarnate?

I couldn't remember what happened next. The memories shattered, leaving me in total darkness. Then, glowing, neon-blue words began to materialize in the air right in front of me.

[ Welcome to your new life. Enjoy your second chance, and do not waste it like the last time. Your selection has been confirmed and transferred to your active memory. Good luck, Host. I have served my purpose. No refunds... ]

Before I could even process the words, a violent surge of information slammed into my brain. It felt like three lifetimes of memories, muscle movements, and academic knowledge were being forcibly shoved into my skull all at once. I screamed into the void, convinced I was going completely insane from the pressure.

Then, just as quickly as it started, the storm stopped. The chaos in my mind settled into neat, perfectly organized files. In my deep sleep, my mind began to read the floating text, translating exactly what had just happened to me.

System Skill Tier Overview

Amateur Skill Level (0): Well, anyone can try, right?

Basic Skill Levels (1 point): Enough knowledge to work in the field and never make amateur mistakes. This includes all general knowledge needed for the world. It is equivalent to a High School Diploma.

Advanced Skill Levels (3 points): A true expert in your field, able to handle complex issues and be a professional. Equivalent to a fully completed College Education with a focus on your profession or vocation.

Master Level Skill (7 points): You are at the peak of your field, easily one of the best in the nation and regarded as a prodigy. A PhD in any field would represent this level.

Grandmaster Level Skill (15 points): There are probably only nine or less people in the world that can compare to this level of mastery. You can boast and tell others, "If I am number two, then no one is number one."

[ 50/50 points granted and spent. *1 point free. ]

Active Skills

[ Acrobatics: Master ]Back-flip, cartwheel, tightrope, handstands, obstacle courses, falling from high places, no fear of heights, and many more fun things can be done with this skill. Black Widow would be at this level.

[ Acting: Basic ]Look cool as a cucumber when your girlfriend catches you with another girl, no problem. Be a star in commercials, or the main star in a university acting club, no problem. Pretend to be some girl's boyfriend on the phone, no problem, this is easy-peasy for you. Convince your teacher your dog really ate your homework, not a problem either!

[ Auto-Mechanics: Basic ]Change spark plugs, oil, fluids, fill tanks, detail clean, bodywork, paint jobs, and many other fun things to keep your wheels in top shape, no breakdowns for you! You can work in a car dealership.

[ Business Management: Advanced ]You can safely run any normal business, do taxes, get licenses, evade taxes, manage employees, buy and sell stocks, and handle many other tasks requiring a high level of attention. Run a top ten company? Nope, but you can run a major company!

[ Computer Use: Master ]Build, repair, update, hack, protect, and search for any information you want on the web and dark web without anyone noticing. Hack your teacher's phone and home computer, no problem. Hell, you can visit any government computer for a look, just don't stay too long!

[ Cooking: Basic ]You can cook any well-known ethnic food, make your meals quick and tasty, and keep your family happy. This level of skill can let you work in any restaurant chain or fine dining establishment. Can you cook for the king of a country? Hell no, unless he wants BBQ!

[ Driving: Advanced ]Drifting, join the Fast & Furious team, professional racing, large class of vehicles like tractor-trailers. Manual, automatic, anything on the ground can be driven by you. Might just escape those police or killers after you! Drive a tank? No, stop smoking drugs.

[ General Education*: Basic ]Thanks to your first life education and your almost completed second life education, this is a freebie. Congratulations, you are not an idiot!

[ Firearms: Master ]Bro, this is Special Forces Rambo level of skill! Deadpool is giving you a thumbs up for your gun-shooting and maintenance skills of all handheld hot weapons!

[ Kung-Fu: Grandmaster ]You are 18 and can teach Po the secrets of being the Dragon Warrior! All forms of ancient and modern martial arts are known by you, making you one of the world's top hand-to-hand fighters. Too bad your body is not in good enough shape to keep up yet, get pumping!

[ Medicine: Advanced ]Your skills in medicine are the equivalent of a fresh new doctor, not a seasoned specialist. But hey, you can patch up a bullet wound like a real doctor, you are just missing a degree.

[ Stealth: Basic ]You can now tail that hot ass teacher you had your eyes on and she will never know! Also, you can follow that bully while avoiding security cameras! Silence is golden. Hey, you are not a ninja, so put down that smoke bomb!

[ Thief: Basic ]Pick a lock, pick a pocket, break into that car, open that safe, and sneak into your sister's room to read her diary! Also, disarm traps with this skill!

Unlocked Skill Combinations

[ Firearms: Master ] + [ Kung-Fu: Grandmaster ] = [ Gun-Fu: Master ]You are John Wick and Jet Li all rolled into one, and this world's first Gun-Fu Master!

[ Stealth: Basic ] + [ Thief: Basic ] + [ Acrobatics: Master ] = [ Cat Burglar: Basic ]Parkour, escape artist, and Catwoman's new lover! Okay, you are a ninja now!

[ Business Management: Advanced ] + [ Computer Use: Master ] = [ Virtual Business Management: Advanced ]Make the next Google, online gambling, Amazon, just sit at home and work!

My eyes snapped open.

The starry void vanished instantly, replaced by the sterile smell of antiseptic and the steady, rhythmic beep... beep... beep of a heart monitor. The blinding white lights of a hospital ceiling forced me to squint against the glare.

My chest throbbed with a dull ache, and my face felt completely swollen from the beating. But beneath the physical pain, a strange, electric current was pulsing rapidly through my veins. Every single muscle in my body felt alive, twitching with a deep muscle memory I had never actually trained for in my life. Complex mathematical formulas, clean lines of programming code, and advanced combat stances swirled in my head, as clear and natural as the alphabet.

A store clerk had found me in the alley at midnight and called an ambulance. I was alive. I was officially eighteen.

And my system had just quit, leaving me with the tools to change my life forever.