"Another boring day is starting," Adam muttered as he opened his sleepy eyes and tried to stretch his limbs. However, he quickly discovered that something was wrong.
"What the heck is happening? Why can't I sense my body?" He exclaimed in shock, his eyes radiating fear.
After exerting all his mental strength, he finally felt sensation returning to his limbs.
Focusing even harder, he moved his head through the weak link he felt. Well… What he thought was his head...
After gazing down, he noticed in bafflement that his body was transparent as if it had no consistency and was floating.
"I hope I'm still dreaming. It's not fun at all. Oho, wake up..."
"..." "..." "..."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Did I become a ghost? Is this for real? Why, just why?" He screamed, his features distorted in a panicked grimace, unaware of the nearby sleeping baby.
"Waaaaah, Waaaaaah."
The sudden cries distracted him from his dread as he gazed at the toddler pensively, recalling folklore about ghosts. They were typically invisible and intangible. People weren't supposed to hear them, except for evil ones.
"Huh? Did he hear me? I'm maybe not a ghost!" He said, hope gleaming in his eyes as he extended his hand, praying he could touch it.
"Yes! I can feel his hot skin! Sorry for scaring you!" He exclaimed happily before questioning the situation. "Where am I? Why am I here instead of in my apartment? And what is that red blinking light in the corner of my field of view?"
He scanned his surroundings, ignoring the baby's wail and noticing the small living room he was in.
The walls were old, covered in green patches of rot. Dust filled the dirty room as if abandoned. A lonely table, two chairs, and a cradle decorated it, showcasing the poverty of the habitat. With the dim lighting, the place met all the criteria to be deemed ominous and eerie.
Not feeling well in that unsanitary environment, he resolved to swiftly leave before the pungent smell could affect him further.
Floating towards the door with difficulty, he extended his hand to open it. Sadly, his fingers went right through the handle, causing him to frown in displeasure.
"... Nothing makes sense." He said, exasperated by the emotional rollercoaster before adding, "I can try to phase through it."
Faced with the truth, his mind subconsciously tried to adapt and accept this new reality, even if he consciously tried to deny it with all his strength.
Acting on his idea, he propelled himself forward.
BAM!
He crashed onto it, nose-first, before being jerked back.
"ARGHH. How the heck can I feel pain as a ghost? How can my hand go through the handle, but my body can't pass through the door? What kind of flawed logic is that? Stop messing with me!" He screamed, his voice a mix of anger and pain as he gritted his ethereal teeth, imagining his blood boiling. He hated this logicless situation to no end.
After a deep exhale, he recovered his calm, understanding he needed to stay rational to figure things out. Or, at least, as rational as possible after discovering he inexplicably turned into a ghost after waking up.
"So, I can't leave this room and can't interact with anything except the baby. I don't know... let's check the blinking thing, I guess." He muttered, summarising his discoveries before focusing on the blinking light.
He quickly understood it wasn't an item in the room since he could still see it no matter where he turned his eyes.
"How do I remove it? It's exasperating! Is it controlled verbally?" He theorised, remembering stories he used to read to pass the time. "Stop blinking. Turn off. Eteins. Ugh, even foreign languages aren't working. Let's try some more random words."
After a few minutes of unsuccessful attempts and some curses to vent, he finally triggered a reaction. An ethereal window, looking like a holographic screen, popped in front of his astonished eyes as soon as he said interface.
After a brief loading, rows of text appeared in the middle, startling him.
[Welcome summoned! This is your personal system interface. An informational tool at your disposal. Here, you can check the different paths you can tread to reach your full potential and become the strongest in the shortest time possible.]
[Loading available paths...]
He gazed at the screen intently, anticipating the result with excitement. The strongest according to his potential? Could he grow to be as strong as a professional fighter? Could he even surpass them?
"What's the part about summoned, though?" He asked, scratching his head in confusion. Another question he had no answer to.
[Error detected...]
[Individual is not thirteen yet.]
[Protocol to forcefully seal memories initiated.]
[Error. No body detected. Sealing process interrupted.]
[Searching for fix...]
[Fix found. Wait thirteen years to erase and take the intended body's consciousness space instead of merging memories as planned, or become an acolyte.]
[Good luck in your new life.]
"What the hell was that? Oi, what do you mean, good luck? Explain this whole mess in more detail." He lashed out at the system, angry at the incomprehensible sentences it spewed. What sealing? What body? "I knew someone was messing with me. Whoever wrote those messages: wait for me, I will find you."
Sadly, no one answered him as the system fell silent. After all, it was an informative tool, not a conversation buddy.
Still, cursing imaginary beings helped vent his irritation and recover his bearings.
After briefly pondering, he summarised his understanding of the situation. "If I got everything right, I was supposed to reincarnate in that baby, which is the intended body mentioned by the system. After something went inexplicably wrong, I'll have to wait for it to turn thirteen… Thirteen years. I want to cry..." He said, his voice laced with despair
"I should at least check the information provided by this system..." He said, his hands trembling in sadness as he looked at the interface with confusion. Numerous digits replaced the previous text, culminating in a cryptic note at the bottom.
Name: Adam
Talent: Unlocked at thirteen
Class: N/A
LVL (Level): 0
Exp: 0/10
HP (health point): 0/0
Vitality: 0
Strength: 0
Agility: 0
Intelligence: 0
Skills: None
Note: Soul is heavily damaged. How are you even alive?
"Is the note supposed to guide me by pointing out where I'm lacking?" He pondered before adding. "What a sad sight... Zero everywhere. Well, at least my stats are well-balanced." He tried to find humour in his terrible situation, even though he didn't grasp the notion of his soul being damaged. How and when did it happen? Another mystery he would need to uncover.
After refocusing on the interface, his eyes filled with intrigue, he said, "It reminds me of a character sheet in role-playing games."
He remembered that "Exp" stood for experience points, crucial for leveling up. "Health points" represented his life, with reaching zero equating to death. "Vitality" related to endurance and maximum HP, while "Strength" impacted his muscle prowess and body strength. Finally, "Agility" had to do with reaction speed and coordination.
Then, he pondered about intelligence. It made sense for his other stats to be at zero, but not for this one. Or was he the most stupid human being alive? Or ghost?
"Don't tell me it has nothing to do with cognitive ability but is something related to..." The echo of his words hung in the air, momentarily interrupted by the metallic click of the door unlocking.
Soon, the figure of a young woman wearing shabby clothes greeted his eyes. He gazed at her as she ran to the crying baby and nursed him tenderly, unaware of his presence.
He estimated she was younger than twenty as he gazed at her long brown hair tied in a ponytail, hazel eyes and beautiful face hidden behind patches of dirt.
*"Don't cry, baby. Mama is here. Are you hungry? Are you cold? You need to sleep so Mama can work."* She said, gazing tenderly at her son under the ghost's confused expression.
"Shit… I can't understand a single word," he muttered, his eyes glowing with irritation at the thought of learning a new language from scratch. The bad news kept stacking up, annoying him to no end.
As he glanced at the duo, seeking to collect more information, he noticed the woman delicately undressed to feed her baby with a tender smile. Hurriedly, he turned his head to the side, a flicker of embarrassment coloring his cheeks.
After five minutes of nursing and a full belly, the baby fell asleep again, eliciting a sigh of relief from his mother.
After putting a few items on the table, she silently left the house, locking the door behind her. Not a single time did she gaze in Adam's direction, oblivious to his presence.
The realisation struck him like a hammer, forcing him to accept this new reality. No doubts were permitted despite his resistance. He truly was a ghost, yet he found solace in the prospect of recovering a body in the future.
After a moment of stupefaction, he distracted himself from the depressing thought, floating towards the table to check the items left behind by the woman.
His eyes sparkled as he saw a pouch and a hand mirror facing the ceiling.
"I wonder if I still look the same or if I became an ugly ghost." He said as hope reignited in his chest. After all, if he retained his appearance, he could accept his condition with less difficulty.
He floated above the mirror, eager to see his reflection, before cursing. On the bright side, he didn't see the ugly ghost he dreaded. However, that was only the case because he lacked any reflection whatsoever!
He lowered his head in defeat. Nothing went his way since his awakening, and he didn't want to get upset anymore.
Moreover, he had to avoid awakening the baby. Sleep was a crucially important part of growth, and he wanted his body to be strong.
Upon reaching this thought, he pondered about the possession process. Who or what was inside it in his stead? Would he be murdering someone if he reclaimed it later?
Stumped by the moral questions, and his mind weary by the revelation and negative emotions, he floated to a clean corner and closed his eyes. He had to refresh his mind after everything he went through, or his thought process would be impaired.
***************
He reopened his eyes in confusion right after closing them in a familiar place. They lit up as he recognised his apartment in the capital city of a developed country.
With a sigh of relief, yet remembering his recent traumatic experience, he tentatively stretched his limbs, afraid of the result.
A wide grin stretched across his face as he effortlessly moved them. Then, he lowered his head, glancing at his arms and burst into laughter as he saw his healthy skin. "Hahaha, I knew it was a dream! As if someone as healthy as me could suddenly become a ghost! They don't even exist in the first place!"
He took a triumphant pose, his arms raised in the air, his fists clenched tightly, as he remembered the silly dream and how engrossed he had been.
With an amused shake of his head, he walked to the mirror. This time, instead of nothing, he saw a thirty-year-old man with short, dark brown hair and eyes.
He gazed at his well-maintained body, noticing his defined muscles. He exercised a bit daily. So, his physique was fit despite weighing 82 kg for 1.8 meters.
Then, at his grinning face, short black hair and sparkling brown eyes. He was not the most attractive man according to standards, but he was still handsome and manly.
After his quick inspection, he gazed proudly at his well-organized apartment. He hated nothing more than to live in a messy place. Whether it was his clothes, desk, or floor, everything sparkled.
Subsequently, he glanced at his library in approbation. Born in an age of technology and virtual entertainment, he enjoyed reading mangas and novels, and watching anime in his free time, especially the ones about cultivation.
He liked to follow the journey of weak protagonists, surmounting difficulties and challenges until they finally become strong and achieve their goals.
Upon reaching this thought, he remembered the system's message and said playfully, "Even if it was a dream, what if that system thing was real? How cool would it be to become stronger with the help of an interf..."
His eyes widened in shock as before him, the transparent status window suddenly appeared, as if summoned by his words.
"So this is the dream." As he muttered, the cries of the baby resounded in his ears, forcing him awake.
"Oh shit, here we go again."