Chapter 2 (Patreon)

I came to with a gasp, sitting up in a bed I didn’t recognize. Then, the memories hit me. 

In this universe, My dad, Henry Hale, was an electrician, and my mom, Sally Hale, owned a bakery. They died during a villain attack when Kill Cannon chucked a cop car at Mom’s place. Their bodies were barely recognizable when the fires stopped.

The GDA had stepped in to “manage” the fallout of the attack, offering to pay for their funeral and $50,000 in cash in exchange for not commenting on their deaths publicly.

I’d been outraged at first but eventually agreed, but only after making them emancipate me. I’d been almost seventeen when they passed. My parents had no family that could take me in, and I didn’t want to spend the next year of my life bouncing from foster home to home, not when my parents’ house was already paid off.

I still painted a lot in this universe, attended Reginald Vel Johnson High School, and still had two best friends—Mark and William.

It stung being an Orphan. My parents were alive and healthy in my old life. My heart twinged a touch at the memory of the loss, for both sets of parents, somehow. The emotions felt very real, yet somehow distant. Purgatory therapist had been very thorough.

I sighed, then blanched as I made several realizations.

I was in high school again and essentially one awkward conversation away from meeting Omni-Man himself and one short year away from the world going to absolute shit.

No pressure.

Climbing out of bed, I slipped into my bathroom and got a first look at my new body. I was about an inch taller, with a leaner frame and a more angular face, but my dark eyes, chocolate skin, and curly hair stayed the same. I ran my hand through it. I wondered if it could grow now that I was no longer strictly human.

“Status,” I called out, my body in knots with nerves.

I’d sacrificed most of my karma points for this. I hoped it was worth the trouble.

​

Name: Danny Hale

Level: 1

Class: Gamer

Occupation: Nil

—

HP: 150/150

MP: 100/100

SP: 120/120

—

Strength (STR): 12

Dexterity (DEX): 11

Endurance (END): 12

Vitality (VIT): 15

Intelligence (INT): 10

Wisdom (WIS): 10

Perception (PER): 10

Luck (LCK): 25

—

HP Regen: 5.25 HP/min

MP Regen: 5 MP/min

SP Regen: 6.37 SP/min

—

Points:

Money: $50,000

​

Skills:

Gamer Mind (Passive) Max

Grants the Gamer immunity to trauma, fear resistance, and emotional stability under extreme stress

Gamer Body (Passive) Max

All damage received is converted to HP loss. All physical status effects and requirements are muted, including hunger and sleep. Regeneration speed, however, is boosted by 500 percent during sleep. Well-prepared foods can give the same benefit.

Martial Talent (Passive) Max

+ 50% Combat skill growth rate

Inventory (Passive) Max

You have access to a dimensional space approximately 20 x 20 inches. Each level up increases the dimensions by an inch, and every five levels grants you a new dimensional box.

Quick Study (Passive)

+50% to Skill Acquisition Speed

+25% to skill leveling speed

Reduced difficulty for multi-skill training

Retain Memories

Retain the memories of your past life.

—

“Holy RPG,” I muttered.

It was all real. I mean, of course I knew it was, but understanding it was one thing…seeing it, well, that’s another.

The screen called to me. So much to investigate and understand, I didn’t think I’d be able to concentrate in class even if I wanted to, so I called the principal’s line.

“Mr. Hale? As much as I enjoy hearing from my students, isn’t it a bit too early in the day?”

I blew my nose into a tissue I snagged from behind my bed. “Just calling to inform you that I’ve come down with something. I think I’ll be out of class for a couple of days.”

“Is everything fine at home?” The principal asked, voice tinged with concern.

“More or less,” I said with my best nasal, sick voice, “if you don’t count my insides melting from the flu.”

“Hmmm. I just worry that you’re isolating yourself. Ever since the accident, you’ve been withdrawn, and—"

I broke into an entirely unnecessary coughing fit, cutting the principal off. Thankfully, the man didn’t press the issue.

“Take care of yourself, Danny,” he said. “I’ll have Amber send over your homework.”

Amber was the class president, and she and I were supposed to be tight in alternate life.

I wanted to tell him not to bother Amber, but I was afraid that’d only raise more questions.”

“Thanks a lot, principal…”

"Anytime. Get well soon.”

​

You’ve convinced Principal Winslow that you’re indeed sick. You’ve learned: Lying Lv 1

Deception Lv 1

Rarity: Common

Type: (Passive/Active)

Lie and manipulate people with greater skill and conviction.

+5% inevitability every level

​

My eyes widened. I’d wondered what my first skill would be.

Lying certainly wasn’t heroic, but it was essential. It was better that I learned the skill earlier on.

I’d have to lie to basically every hero and government agent I meet, and not to mention Omni-Man. I shuddered.

The show had vastly undersold just how big a deal Omni-Man was to Earth.

He was our Superman. The unimpeachable bastion of hope and strength that the planet needed. The news was constantly blowing up with images and videos of him. Some stations even had dedicated feel-good segments devoted to his exploits. And it was easy to understand why. Who was more reliable than Omni-Man?

Just yesterday, he’d stopped a plane crash, foiled a terrorist plot, and emptied out a remote village of all of its inhabitants before an avalanche hit.

How was I ever going to convince anyone aside from Cecil that he was a two-faced fuck?

I sighed. 

Well, that’s a problem for future Danny.

Current Danny was eager to test drive his new powers.

Changing out of my PJs, I slipped into a pair of shorts and a tank top, hoofed it down the stairs, and entered the garage. It was where Dad had set up his home gym.

A heavy bag hung from the ceiling, and a multi-gym rack sat by the wall. Opposite was the treadmill, a rack of dumbbells, a few hooks holding resistance bands and boxing gloves, and a few folded mats. A pull-up bar was nailed to the wall leading out to the small backyard garden.

This place held several core memories for the old Danny. It was where Henry had first shown me how to throw a proper punch. Mark and I had been getting railed by this guy, Todd, and the school was dragging its feet on suspension because of who his father was.

Todd did eventually get what was coming to him, but in the meantime, Henry had taught me how to throw a punch.

Walking up to the heavy bag, I squared up, recalling the stance from clear memory, and punched, snapping my fist forward. It made contact with a dull thwack, the heavy bag swaying back slightly. I caught it on the rebound.

No notification championed my efforts this time around, and I scratched the back of my head in slight embarrassment.

Right. Couldn’t always be that easy.

I settled back into the stance and continued, tossing out a string of jabs, crosses, and hooks.

-1 HP

-1 HP

My health dipped infrequently after landing a few bad punches, but I corrected myself and continued for about a minute before I remembered to mix in footwork and head movement. I stepped in and stepped out, circling the bag as I fired shot after shot.

+1 STR

+1 DEX

+1 END

My stamina drained quickly, and sweat beaded from my brows, but I didn’t stop until the notification came.

Through repeated demonstrations of the basics of melee, you’ve learned the skill: Boxing.

Boxing lv 2

Rarity: Common

Type: Passive

A straightforward close-quarters combat discipline focused on punching technique, guard control, and footwork.

Effects:

+3% fist damage per level (6%)

+2% reaction speed in close combat per level (4%)

+2% balance and footwork stability per level (4%)

I grinned. This is what I’m talking about. I dug into the heavy bag with greater gusto, eager to see how high I could push Boxing.

–