Chapter 1
Soul System
Yeman Talisman was an ordinary person. In his high school-days, he got a beautiful girlfriend known as Marie Belle. The girl was beautiful and famous in school. She was a top student and genius in the world of physics.
On the other hand, his grade was only above average. Because of this, jealousy could not be prevented.
His best friend had a secret feeling for his girlfriend. After the news about his relationship with the most popular girl in school was known to others. The news proliferate like a wildfire in the farm.
Yeman’s quiet high school life started to turn upside-down.
His classmates started to throw taunts and bullied him. One day, he was framed by his best friend. This led to his reputation in school worsened.
When the news of Marie Belle having a relationship with the infamous students reached the ear of her parents, they told her to break up with the guy, but Marie Belle refused her parents’ command. So, they forced her to stop school and take her outside the country.
After Marie Belle left, Yeman’s life started to become pale and lifeless. He was bullied and taunted until he graduated from high school.
When he enrolled in the university, he thought everything would get back to normal. But in 3 months of university life, he was framed again by the same person, his old best friend. This led to him being falsely accused and suspended in university.
.....
Three years had passed since he dropped out of university. Yeman had become a shut-in. He started to play games, read manga, novels and watched anime for a whole day and night— everyday.
Sometimes, his sleep was only 2-3 hours. The rest was him wasting time with his new hobbies.
One night, he went outside to buy groceries in the grocery store. He wore a black jacket and jeans.
The store was not too far from his apartment. He could reach there in 15 minutes of walking.
After paying his bill at the counter, he walked and opened the glass door of the store. Yeman stood outside in front of the glass door and took a deep breath before leaving. He was about to make the first step when he noticed a familiar figure. He saw someone that looked like his ex-girlfriend Marie Belle on the opposite street.
He also noticed another woman beside her. The two women looked like they were being chased while out of breath. He was about to call Marie, but suddenly a black car stopped in front of the two girls.
Three men in a black suit came out from the black car and forcibly took the two girls. He wanted to call the police, but everything happened so fast that he forgot to notice the car plate number. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, because first her parents forcibly took her, and now the men in a black suit forcibly took her.
In his mind, what kind of joke was this, since there was nothing he could do; before he started walking home. Whether it was Marie or not, he just prayed inside for their safety.
Maybe if it was him from a couple of years ago, he would have already run to the police station and tried his best to do a recap of what happened. But now, after becoming a shut-in, he lost interest in almost all the things happening around him.
Yeman reached the corner of the street and saw the black car. He remembered the car, it was the car used by the three men in black who took the person that looked like Marie and the other woman.
Later on,
Bang!
A loud bang rang out. He looked left and right. Yeman felt nervous about what might have happened to them. He saw a one-meter length and as thick as an arm wooden stick at the roadside. He took it and tried to locate where the noise came from.
Although he was disinterested in becoming a hero, that feeling from before was still lingering inside him.
Noooo!
A loud cry followed after a loud bang. He followed where the voice came from. He arrived at the bridge which he used to pass. It was where the noise came from.
He noticed some silhouettes under the bridge where it was most dark. The dying light of the street lamp couldn’t reach the area. Yeman slowly moved closer. He hid behind a big chunk of rock that was about 15 meters away from where the silhouettes were.
“Give us the Soul System drug bit**!” Shouted by one of the guys who looked like the leader of the gang. In his hand was a pistol pointed at the head of Marie’s identical at point blank range. Beside her was the unmoving bloody body of a woman. That woman was probably her companion.
“I don’t know what you are talking about!” Marie’s look-alike cried out.
Wait! That voice! It’s really her! Yeman exclaimed inwardly after hearing her voice. Even though it had already been many years that had passed, he still could not forget that voice of hers.
“Marie Belle, the youngest physician genius who invented many drugs, and now, invented the drug called Soul System.” Explained by the leader in a cold voice.
At the mention of that name, Yeman’s eyes grew wider. There was no denying it. It was really her! He was now more eager to rescue her even if it killed him.
“That drug is imperfect!” Marie shouted.
“Just give up and give us that f****** drug!” The leader shouted in a hard tone.
Yeman heard what they were talking about. But he could not find the right timing to rescue her. Marie looked frightened and dejected. Her body was trembling.
“J-just kill me,” Marie said in a trembling voice. Yeman felt so much pain hearing her pained voice.
“Okay! If that is what you wish for.” The leader coldly said while preparing to pull the trigger.
Click!
He turned off the safety mechanism of his pistol. He was about to pull the trigger when…
Ring! Ring! Ring!
His smartphone rang.
The leader lowered his gun and walked away from Marie. Yeman secretly sighed in relief. The leader walked toward a big chunk of rock where Yeman was hiding. He passed it and didn’t even notice that someone was hiding on it.
It seemed like he was going to talk to an important person because he had to walk away from Marie to answer the call.
“Yes, Sir! No Sir! Yes! Yeah, I can handle it.” Said the leader.
The way the gang leader talked to the caller, it looked like the caller was the big boss and the brain of this whole kidnapping thing.
Carrying a one-meter length and as thick as an arm wooden stick, Yeman was slowly approaching the leader. His heart races so fast. His hands were trembling. This was the first time he would do it and he had to do it in order to save Marie.
The guy didn’t even notice the bad news that was slowly approaching him from behind, but it seemed like the goon had sixth-sense. He suddenly looked behind. But, it’s too late for him. What greeted him was a one meter in length wooden stick.
“F*** off!” Yeman cursed in a low tone. Then pulled down the stick with enough strength.
Pok!
It hit the leader’s forehead squarely. He couldn’t even scream and directly lost consciousness.
Yeman pulled the leader’s body and hid it behind the rock where he hid before. The two men in black were looking in different directions while on guard for Marie, so they didn’t notice what had happened behind them.
He sighed in relief that they didn’t figure out what had happened.
He took the leader’s pistol. His uncle was an ex-soldier. When he was a kid, his uncle taught him how to aim and handle guns, of course without a bullet. He reloaded the pistol and switched off the safety mechanism. The pistol Yeman took was a Colt M1911A1.
He slowly approached the other two goons. The area was so dark. They didn’t notice when he approached and arrived 5 meters away from them. He took aim at the goon on his right. His uncle once told him that if you’re not a professional, aiming the body was the right decision for a high chance of hitting the target. Following his uncle’s advice, he pulled the trigger after aiming at the goon’s body.
Bang!
Right after a canister fell, *Blag!* A body also fell. The first shot hit the heart of the first target. He swiftly aimed at the second target and pulled the trigger at the same time.
Bang!
It didn’t hit the second target because his eyes closed instinctively when he fired the pistol. After all, he wasn’t a seasoned gunner.
Bang!
The last goon was able to return the fire and hit Yeman in the chest.
*Ugh!” He groaned as blood trailed down from his mouth. But before Yeman fell down, he was able to pull the trigger again. Luckily, it hit the goon’s head.
Bang!
Blag!
Blag!
Two bodies fell at almost the same time.
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Yeman coughed so much blood.
“Ma-Marie...” He called Marie in a weak voice.
Even though she was in a semi shock state, Marie came back to reality because of this very familiar voice. The voice she longs for this whole time. The voice of a man she could not forget even once in her life.
“Ye...man?!” With her eyes that looked like all hopes had disappeared, she called out in a mutter the name of the man she loves dearly.
Marie couldn’t believe what she saw in her eyes when her eyes laid on him. She saw him. The only boyfriend she ever had. But, Yeman was on the ground while bathed with his own blood.
She didn’t know how she untied herself, but she ran to his side like lightning strike. All their memories together came back to Marie’s mind. She still loves him! And always waited for the moment of their reunion.
How come?
Tears fell down from her eyes like waterfalls as she looked at his ghastly appearance, bloodied all over.
She looked everywhere and found the bodies of the men in black suits laid on the ground while bathing with their own blood as well. As she was not stupid, she was able to connect the dots of what truly happened around her.
He rescued her!
“Yeman! Yeman! Yeman...!”
“I won’t let you die! I won’t let you die!”
“Open your eyes! Please open your eyes!” She shouted.
In Yeman’s mind, he was thinking while looking at Marie.
I never thought I would die like this. But at least, I’m not sad, because I was able to save her in my last moments. She shouted while looking for something within her clothes. But, I couldn’t hear what she was shouting. It seemed the world around me was fading. The last thing I saw, Marie injected a syringe in me. And then, I lost consciousness.
After Yeman lost his consciousness.
.....
[SOUL SYSTEM ACTIVATE!]
[YOUR EXISTING BODY WAS HEAVILY DAMAGE!]
[SEARCHING FOR NEW BODY...]
[PLEASE STAND BY...]
After a while...
[BODY FOUND!]
[CALIBRATING NEW BODY]...
[SOUL FUSION IS POSSIBLE!]
[ANALYZING FUSION...]
[10%..20%..30%.....40%]
[PROBLEM FOUND!]
[BROKEN RIB CAGE DETECTED!]
[BEGIN REPAIR!]
[COMPLETE!]
[ANALYZING CONTINUE...]
[50%...60%....70%....90%]
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[SERIOUS INJURY FOUND!]
[FRACTURED SKULL DETECTED!]
[BEGIN REPAIR!]
[99% REPAIRED!]
[ANALYZING CONTINUE...]
[91%..94%..97%...99%]
[MINOR INJURY FOUND!]
[BEGIN REPAIR!]
[COMPLETE!]
[ANALYZING CONTINUE...]
[....100%]
[SOUL FUSION COMPLETE!]
[NEW BODY ACQUIRED!]
A strange computerized voice rang out which was followed by a notification.
[Soul System Activated!]