The pain from the Enhanced Reflexes unlock had been brutal. Ryan remembered it clearly. He remembered his body tearing itself apart from the inside, muscles twisting, bones shifting, every joint screaming as if it was being rebuilt. But through all of it, a quiet progress bar had floated in his vision, counting up slowly.
[Integration: 42% → 50% → 58% → 67%...]
Along with the numbers came flashes of memory. Not his memories. Not from this life. From one of the 99 before.
He saw himself... no, a version of himself, standing on a dusty rooftop in a city that looked like something from an old action movie. Neon lights everywhere. Rain, pouring down. He was wearing dark clothes, moving like a shadow. Someone fired a gun. The bullets came fast, but his body reacted faster. He twisted, ducked, caught a thrown knife by the blade without looking, flipped it back, and sent it flying into the shooter's shoulder. The man dropped.
The memory faded as the bar hit 100%.
[Integration Complete.]
[Enhanced Reflexes – Unlocked and Active.]
The convulsions stopped. Ryan lay on the cafeteria floor, breathing hard, yoghurt still dripping from his hair. His hand was wrapped tight around Dave's baseball bat. The metal felt cold and solid.
He stared at his fingers in disbelief.
"What... what did I just do?"
Dave yanked the bat back, but Ryan's grip held for a second longer before he let go. Dave stumbled a step, face red with anger.
"You think you're funny now, Hayes?" Dave growled. "Catching my swing like some wannabe hero?"
Ryan pushed himself up slowly. His voice came out small and shaky... the timid one everyone was used to. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It just... happened."
The cafeteria was dead quiet. Phones were still out, recording. Lila stood a few feet away, arms crossed, frowning. She'd never thought Ryan was capable of doing that.
Dave's eyes narrowed. "Sorry? You embarrassed me in front of everyone. You think you can just apologise?"
He swung the bat again... harder this time, straight at Ryan's head.
Ryan flinched, eyes squeezing shut.
The crack echoed through the room.
Pain exploded across the side of his skull. The world tilted. Darkness rushed in.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the infirmary.
The physician, the same one from yesterday, wrapped a fresh bandage around Ryan's head. The man sighed as he taped the gauze.
"Twice in two days. I told you not to come back here."
Ryan winced as the doctor pressed the bandage. "Sorry."
The physician handed him a small tube of cream. "Apply this twice a day. It'll help with the scarring. And stay out of trouble, kid. Or at least learn to dodge."
Ryan took the cream. "I'm trying my best."
He slid off the chair and walked out slowly. The hallway was empty... lunch period long over.
As soon as the infirmary door closed behind him, he pulled up the status window.
DING!
[Reincarnation System – 100th Life]
Host: Ryan Hayes
Rank: F
Humiliation Coins: 412
Sealed Skills: 98
Unlocked Skills: Enhanced Reflexes
Stats:
Strength: F
Agility: F → E-
Intelligence: C
Charisma: F
Endurance: D
Perception: C
Appearance: E+ (New)
Appearance? That was new.
He touched the bandage on his head. The coins had come from the cafeteria scene, multiple dings while he was convulsing and Dave swung. 412 now. Not bad.
He sighed. "Still F rank. This is going to take forever."
But he wasn't discouraged. Not anymore.
He winced as he took a step as his head wound throbbed. "System," he muttered quietly, "anything for pain? Like... healing or something?"
A new panel popped up.
[Ultra Healing – 500,000 H Coins]
[Requirement: C Rank minimum]
Ryan stared at the number. "Yeah... never mind."
He gave up and headed toward the restrooms instead of class. He didn't feel like facing anyone right now.
In the empty boys' bathroom, he turned on the sink faucet and bent over to splash water on his face. Blood had dried around his nose and on his collar. He used the edge of his uniform sleeve to wipe it off since there were no paper towels.
When he straightened up and looked in the mirror, he froze.
Something was different.
He took off his glasses.
The reflection stared back. His eyes looked brighter. His skin is less pale. His jawline is a little sharper. He lifted his shirt just enough to see his stomach. It wasn't flat before. It was soft, a little bulging even though he wasn't overweight. Now it looked tighter. Toned and noticeably better.
"Appearance: E+," he whispered. "Is this what it meant?"
He rubbed his hand over his abdomen. The muscle felt firmer under his fingers.
"What would I look like at S rank?" he asked the empty room. "Like... a god or something?"
No answer from the system. Just silence.
The final bell rang through the speakers.
Ryan exhaled. "Finally."
He put his glasses back on, hunched his shoulders, and slipped back to the classroom. Most students had already left. He grabbed his torn bag from under the desk and headed out.
Normally, he would stop at the arcade downtown, play a few rounds of fighting games or racing to kill time before going home. Not today.
Tonight was the big event at the mansion. Elena had been planning it for weeks. It was a fancy dinner for Victor's business partners and their families.
To keep it short and simple, it was a gathering of important people, so there would be lots of demands. And his mother would be the one running around in that black-and-white maid uniform Elena forced on her, serving drinks, clearing plates, taking insults with a smile.
Ryan's hands clenched around the bag strap.
'No. Not tonight.'
He would take her place if he had to.
He walked faster.
When he reached the mansion, he went straight to the staff wing. His mother's small room was at the end of the hall.
Clara was standing in front of the narrow bed, staring down at the black-and-white uniform laid out on it. The fabric looked stiff and cheap. She didn't hear him come in at first.
When she turned and saw him, her face lit up with a quick smile.
"Ryan! You're home early."
The smile didn't reach her eyes. He knew it was just for him.
He stepped inside and closed the door. "Mom... I'll wear it."
Clara's smile dropped. "No. Absolutely not. Elena gave this to me herself. She wants me serving tonight, not you. "
Ryan shook his head. "You need to rest. I'll tell her you're sick. Fell down the stairs or something."
Clara laughed softly, but it sounded tired.
"You know very well that she won't believe that, baby. There are too many guests. They'll want refills, appetisers, and coffee. If anything goes wrong, your father will be furious. And Elena will make sure he knows."
Ryan stared at the uniform. Then at his mother who was looking so thin, worn out and her hands rough from years of cleaning.
He looked at the system panel floating in his vision.
Humiliation Coins: 412
Not enough for much. But Perfect Recall was only 150.
He met his mother's eyes.
"That's not a problem," he said quietly. "If they make lots of requests, I'll just have to recall everything... Perfectly."
Clara tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
Ryan gave her a small smile.
In his head, he spoke clearly.
"System. Purchase Perfect Recall."
[Purchase Confirmed.]
[Humiliation Coins: 412 → 262]
[Perfect Recall – Unlocked and Active.]
A soft warmth spread through his head, like cool water pouring over his brain. He felt his memories sharpen as he remembered every insult, every hit, every laugh from the past years. It was clear as if they happened seconds ago.
And with them, pieces of other lives of the person he was.
He blinked once.
Then he looked at his mother again.
"Don't worry," he said. "I'll remember everything. Just leave it to me. I'll handle it."
Clara frowned, confused. "Ryan...?"
He just smiled wider.
"Tonight," he said, "I'll make sure no one touches you."