In a dark and gloomy alley filled with trash and dirt. A pungent smell permeated the air as a few stray cats and dogs roamed the murky area. Honking could be heard from time to time outside the alley. However, in this place where no one human should be living, a figure could be seen laying next to a wall.

The figure had the common apparence of a homeless man ; Ragged clothing from head to toes, a dirty face that would put to shame the darkest of coal, and the smelly flagrance of a squished racoon in the middle of summer.

Rats could be seen around his body, some of them chewing on his collapsed being, while others were using his head as a lever to jump into a dumpster where he was leaning on, so as to taste the delicacy inside of it.

Such a peaceful scenery was suddenly broken by a low grunt coming from the homeless man. Then he started convulsing, faster and faster as seconds passed by. Startled by the sudden cacophony, the rats quickly left their manmade boat and scattered across the dark alley.

As the grunts kept getting stronger, so were the convulsions, and after what felt like minutes, the figure opened his eyes.

"Not the dic-!!" Before he could finish his sentence, the man bent over and fell down.

"What the hell!! Where am I?" Before the man could keep on his ramblings, a sharp pain suddenly assaulted his mind, making him clutch his head.

After what felt like minutes, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze reflecting myriads of emotions ; fear, anger, and a shade of.. excitement.

"hehehe... I can't believe it's real, getting myself killed was worth it!", rambled the man as he got up, sweeping off the drirt from his raggedly clothes. "Alright, now let's see what I got from completing my quests. I should get some decent stuff". While muttering to himself, the man examined his surroundings.

After confirming that he was alone, he gently asked, "System, could you send me my hard-earned rewards please. I would also gladly accept any other forms of compensations from my horrible and traumatizing experience.

Silence ensued for a few seconds before a mechanical yet androgynous voice was heard, followed by the sudden apparition of a virtual, multicolored panel in front of the new owner's body.

[System initialized...transmigration successful...host is now in sync with the new world]

Examining host's body...Found various anomalies:

Alcohol poisoning

liver failure

2nd stage cancer

Diabetes

...

[System advices the host to consume the gift pack potion in order to get rid of the negative effects]

"Well, that's unfortunate, at least transmigrating into a human is better than nothing," grunted the figure as he stretched his body in the dark alley. "Now, give me my rewards and compensations for the trauma I had to face."

[Host cannot have any form of physical trauma as he is now in a completely different body... As for psychological trauma, host's passive skills protect his mind and nullify mental injuries]

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

As the system justified its reason of not giving away any additional rewards, a small icon with a rotating gear appeared on the left side of the multicolored panel, and a few seconds later, the gear stopped rotating and started blinking. Like the twinkling star of an obese Italian plumber, switching from one color to another

[Reward received, does the host wish to receive the rewards]

"Go ahead."

As he spoke, the man huffed heavily for a while before sitting against a wall.

"Gosh, what a weak body, I feel even worse than a 100 years ago, come on man, rewards please"

He said, still breathing with difficulty.

The mechanical voice of the system rang out and announced what the man yearned to hear for so many years.

[Congratulations to the host for completing the majority of the quests given by the system, as a reward for those remarkable feats, the host received…]

..............…

(A hundred years earlier)

In a dark, gloomy room, a figure wearing headphones was dancing half naked while ravenously drinking a carton of milk. With only an underwear to hide his private parts, the figure with his eyes closed was swinging his body left and right; sometimes in a frenzied way, and other times, in a calm and relaxed manner. An unboutoned grayish shirt moved along his erratic movements.

As he traveled the room, the figure didn't hit anything, seemingly not bothered by the lack of sight and piece of furniture in the compact environment.

Time went on, and with a final movement, he collapsed on his bed. Taking deep breath, the man slowly opened his eyes revealing abysmal black pupils. Passing his hands through his jet black hair, he stood up and headed towards the bathroom. As he looked towards the mirror, the sweaty man wondered with a smile, "Today's a good day" his reflection showing a man in his 20s with a trivial yet healthy body and a decontracted posture. His mundane face coupled with his appearance would allow him to pass unnoticed in a crowd, If it wasn't for the stare he was giving, of course.

The once small smile became a huge grin. His gaze becoming more and more dangerous as he talked before his reflection. "Screw the doc, Blake! Today is special, it is yours! You'll drink and eat as much as you want, even if it means spending the rest of the day in the toilets!"

Ending his conversation, Blake's attitude reverted to his calm and somewhat usual atmosphere. He removed his humble clothing and took a quick shower.

A few minutes later, he entered the living room with but a modest towel wrapped around his waist, passed by the kitchen, took a package of cereal and milk, and casually walked towards a sofa next to a small table. Sitting comfortably on the couch, he then started enjoying his breakfast while looking at the screen in front of him.

"On today's news, A four-wheeled vehicle ran over a 15 year-old child while the later was crossing the street. The driver trying to avoid the impact drifted at the last moment and ended its course into a building, but a part of the vehicle still managed to hit the child. Both are currently in critical condition in the ***** hospital.

Looking at the screen with disinterested eyes, Blake stayed silent for a while, "I wonder if that was me, would I be able to survive, or would I even want to?" He muttered with a pondering expression.

With a last sip of milk, he stood up and went to clean the dishes.

He then took some clothes from a nearby chair; a black greyish shirt and blue pants, and left his home with a backpack.

...

In a large city, people could be seen going around their daily life, most were enjoying the weekend with their families while a few were still helplessly working. Then there was Blake, sitting on a bench in a park and enjoying the warm, cozy sun, while occasionally feeding some passing doves. "Charge your bellies to the brim, soldiers, and rain down terror and devastation upon your bipedal foes ... hehehe." As the thought of his "army" assaulting people, the deranged Blake couldn't help but let out a light chuckle.

Throwing the last "munitions" towards the birds, Blake finally stood up and checked out the contents of his backpack, "1,2,3 perfect, These should be enough for today". He then started walking towards his apartment with an expectant look in his void like eyes, as rows of trees lined up the path he was taking.

But as he was about to reach the exit of the park, Blake suddenly heard a strange, unfamiliar voice, distant yet near him, as if it was directly conversing with his soul.

[System initialized]

[Analysing the host's current state]

[physical health... no major anomalies found, no intervention needed]

[mental health... slightly unstable, no intervention needed]

[Finishing analysing... System operational]

"Whaa?"