"Damn... my head feels like it's being split open with a rusty axe."
Kai Ashford—or the man now living in his body—grabbed his head tightly. It felt like his brain was trying to leak out. A flood of painful memories crashed through his mind. These weren't just facts; he could actually feel them.
He saw a kitchen table where two older girls mocked him during breakfast. He felt the sting of a magical "prank" that had left him shaking on the floor while his step-sisters laughed. He saw eighteen years of a wasted life, spent hiding in corners and being too afraid to look anyone in the eye.
My name is Kai Ashford, he realized, and the thought felt like a heavy weight in his stomach.
He was eighteen years old. A "Dud." A nobody. A total waste of space.
Kai forced his eyes open, but his vision was blurry. He wasn't in his expensive penthouse anymore. He was no longer surrounded by the smell of leather and costly drinks.
Instead, he was in a giant, cold bedroom inside a massive mansion. The ceilings were high, and the furniture was dark and heavy.
It looked like a palace, but it felt like a grave—the air was stale, the curtains were heavy, and the fireplace was cold. He lived in wealth, but he was hidden away like a shameful family secret.
"What is going on?" he whispered. His voice sounded thin and weak. It didn't have the deep, strong power he was used to.
He looked down at his hands. They were pale and shaking. He didn't have the tough skin he had earned from years of hitting heavy bags.
His arms were thin like sticks—no muscle, no power. For Alexis Chase, a man who had built a billion-dollar empire with his brain and knocked out pro fighters with his fists, this was a living nightmare.
"I'm a twig," he hissed. He felt pure humilation. "I went from the top of the food chain to… this?"
In his old world, the name Alexis Chase made people go silent. He had been a kickboxing star who became a powerful businessman. He had the world by the throat. But the last thing he remembered was being betrayed—the faces of the partners he trusted as the light faded from his eyes.
[Welcome to your new world, Host.]
The voice wasn't human. It was a cold, ringing sound that vibrated inside his head, making his teeth ache.
[I am the System. I have joined with your soul to make sure you have a successful life in this reality.]
"Success? Is this some kind of video game?" Kai growled. His eyes showed a dangerous hunger that didn't match his weak, timid face.
"You want me to be happy? Then take me out of this pathetic body and send me back! I have people who owe me money and enemies to get rid of!"
[Request denied. Your old body is 100% dead. You cannot go back.]
Kai's hand slammed into the bed. It was a weak hit, but his anger was very real. "Those bastards… they actually did it. They killed me."
He took a shaky breath and forced himself to calm down. He used the same control that had made him a legend in the business world.
If he couldn't go back, he would move forward. He was a predator; it didn't matter what world he was in, he would find a way to get to the top.
"Fine," he muttered. He stared at the see-through blue screen glowing in the air in front of him. "You said you're here to make me 'happy.' In my world, you buy happiness with power. So tell me, System—how does a 'useless loser' like Kai Ashford get some power?"
[Analyzing Host's current status...]
[Data synchronized.]
A sharp Ding! echoed, and a status window expanded, illuminating the dark room in a ghostly glow.
[Name: Kai Ashford]
[Rank: F-]
[Strength: 10]
[Dexterity: 10]
[Agility: 10]
[Magic: 0]
[Active Skills: 0]
[Passive Skills: 0]
[Bloodline: None]
"F-minus?" Kai's lip curled in disgust. "You've got to be joking. I've seen toddlers with more threat potential than this. And zero magic? In a world where people are throwing fireballs by the age of ten?"
[The Host is correct. Your current vessel is considered 'Bottom-Tier' by global standards. However, the System provides a path to transcendence.]
The screen flickered, displaying new text:
[Complete Quests to earn Skill Points. Points can be used to manually override biological limits, increasing your Strength, Dexterity, Agility, or Magic. Points may also be used to spin the 'Wheel of Fortune' for legendary items, forbidden skills, or ancient bloodlines.]
Kai leaned back against the headboard, his mind already spinning like a high-speed processor. He was used to high-stakes gambling, but he never liked playing with a rigged deck unless he was the one who rigged it.
"Alright so the system basically has a gacha game embedded in it" Kai said, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous tone. "But even gambling addicts need some sort of motivation right? Especially for someone like me who had to fight for everything he owned. Don't you guys have at least some sort of starter pack? Like a gift or something?
[....]
The System's interface went static. For a long moment, the room was silent. Kai didn't blink; he stared at the screen with the same icy gaze he used to intimidate his corporate rivals. He was bluffing a machine, and he knew it.
[...Calculations complete.]
[Adjusting for Host's 'Exceptional Ego' and 'Previous Life Standing'...]
[Incentive Package Granted.]
The words turned from cold blue to a shimmering, honey-gold.
[New World Starter Pack Activated!]
[Reward: 3x Free 'Wheel of Fortune' Spins]
[Reward: One Guaranteed 'Legendary Rank' Skill Box]
A cruel, satisfied smirk finally touched Kai's lips. He cracked his knuckles—the sound was thin, but it was a start.
"That's more like it," he whispered. "Alright, System. Let's see if my luck is as good as my business sense. Spin the damn wheel let's see what you got."