High above the clouds, the plane towers over migrating birds.

Its engine roars across the violent wind, its reactors colliding with the frozen atmosphere. To the passengers however, the ride is smooth.

My knee jerks around, as I look outside the small window. The sky. It's something I've only been reunited with recently.

The administrator...

With such a long time left stuck in the air, I find myself revisiting the recent events, except the last one. I don't want to think about that one.

So, I go ahead and summon both statuses, play with them, and poke around. There doesn't seem to be a rollback feature, as I have yet to find a way to read the previous prompts again.

But they did mention an administrator. Now, it's been years since I've laid my hands on a game, especially a multiplayer one, but I'm not that ignorant. There also is the matter of the so called 'Titans', as well as my own name.

There are many things to do, but I don't really feel a need to search for anything. Most of it doesn't have shit to do with me to begin with.

Pacing around stuck on my seat, I evaluate my statuses over and over again. My health and mana are a hundred times higher on the first status than the second. Therefore, I could expect each letter to hold a hundred times the difference from one to the other.

Bored still, I peek at the status of everyone I see. Most people aren't even awakened, though some have a lot of question marks. Judging from the probabilities, a question mark should mean C-Rank or higher. As D-Rank was the highest I ever saw across dozens of people.

Resuming my thinking, lost in my own bubble, I then evaluate the titles and classes. More precisely, what replaced them.

Immortal... That's a novel type of shit. Indeed it is. I've read quite a bit when I was younger, and I loved action packed fantasies. I wasn't much of a Sherlock Holmes guy. If there wasn't something blowing away my mind on the power scale, I would be bored. When I first got my awakening, I was ecstatic, to say the least.

But these mentions of Immortal cultivation and Immortal titles do strike me deep down. Could this system upgrade let me practice such mysteries?

Would cultivation surpass magic? In theory, I can see it. But I don't know about practice...

Jolting on my seat, my brain doesn't let me breathe in peace, flashing memories of that event. Thankfully, I don't piss myself, though I feel very uncomfortable. The sensation of an accelerating fall... urgh...

So many times worse than tripping in a dream. You know you're powerless to change anything. The landing is... impossible?

At that time, I did read the prompts. I also did verify the status. There was no Immortal title, but there was an actual Immortal cultivation level listed!

A few fingers on my lips, I stand there dazed before a smile creeps up. Qi... Qi Refining Realm... you can't be more cliché xianxia than that... The mission was to survive the fall... if I had managed to use this cultivation stuff... would the outcome have differed?

Possible.

But still. Who the fuck gives a challenge like that?! What was I even supposed to do? I didn't have time to understand jack shit before being tossed down the ravine.

Who would manage that? At least give me time to prepare... Seriously...

What a mess.

Be it me or my predicament, I don't know what's worse. Confusion seeps into me yet doesn't let go. I went from the same boring and tedious routine of mining ore and eating garbage from the bin on the same cycle for three years, to whatever happened afterward.

It's so deeply engraved that I might just lose to my urges and rising stress, taking hold of a stick, and try to mine the seats.

It almost feels foreign. Like I'm fleeing my home. When, in fact, it's the exact opposite.

Hoping to comprehend more about it all, I mutter and push my thoughts further each hour.

Twelve of those hours later, the plane lands. I didn't even pay attention to the exotic, everchanging scenery from the high sky. A shame I can only regret. Yet I can't blame myself for it. No point to it even if I did.

"So, how are you feeling? You said it's been years, right?" Melina pats my shoulder from behind, not bothered from the lack of discussion up there.

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And, yeah. She's right. It's been years. Three whole years.

Now, I'm finally back home. I raise my arms and stretch with a smile. Holy... the air sure is different from the one over there. The United Empire is all around me!

But.

What about my life?

As if a seer, she asks something similar. "By the way, with it having been years and all that. Aren't you considered dead?" What am I expected to say? I don't even know myself.

"Good question. A question I would like answered as well... I don't know the policy about that type of stuff honestly. And, let's not forget, this is also something that is often messed with. I heard some rich spouses try and lawfully make their significant other dead in remote regions. At least, it was like that four to five years ago."

She doesn't deny my claim, and doesn't seem to care either. She takes out her phone and make some calls. Judging by the conversations, she isn't your average run of the mill young woman. Wait.

Hartz?

"I made a couple calls, someone's going to pick you up in a few minutes, stay there." She waves at me and leaves. That was a clear cut way to end our incredible duo.

Still, now I'm a dirty random dude right in the middle of the airport, surrounded by a sea of people.

Hartz... Hartz... it feels like I should know this name... If I can remember such a name this way, then it must be valued greatly. For all I know, she could be part of a conglomerate or something like that. Once I get internet access, I could look it up. That is, if I don't forget.

Ten minutes or so elapsing, a man in uniform waves at me. "Hey there buddy, are you Jack Gasoline?" I awkwardly smile at the man and wave back. In the midst of this human sea, I internally panic. Because the uniform seems to hold some authority. As in, police.

"Haha... yup... that's me. That's definitely my name..."*

"Great! Then, let's not waste any more time, hop into the cruiser with me, I'll get you to the station where we can discuss about your identity and all that."

Shit.

During the ride, I look out the window, appreciating the skyscrapers and rampant superhumans. Some are even flying, though drones are chasing them. It's nighttime, so the vibrant lights are only the more mesmerizing. It's a great contrast to the solemn, dark stone walls of a prison cell.

The cruiser sure is luxurious though, leather on the seats and everything. Times have changed maybe. Could be due to politics, a scientific breakthrough, or something completely different. Because I sure as hell can tell, even from here, that everyone is better off. I remember there being dozens of homeless people all over the streets each day, but I have yet to see one. To be fair, the reason could be quite sinister.

However, the fact is, most people passing by, or the cars nearby, are all of a higher quality. Would I have belongings left? My phone must be a little outdated. Just a bit.

Everything's hella bright... my eyes for fuck's sake... It's beautiful, granted, but the pain doesn't let me enjoy any of it. I doubt the desert's sun to be brighter. Society man...

The ride is pretty silent, only lasting ten or so minutes. Which did surprise me a little. "We're here." The man jumps out the car and comes to my side, opening the door. "Follow me young man." I do as instructed.

Now inside, it's pretty old looking. That'll never change I guess. I don't even want to imagine the schools. Probably running on a low budget as always. A homeless shelter probably has newer stuff.

"...the kid?" I blink and get back on track. They're talking about me it seems. Some fingers are pointed at me from afar as I'm led somewhere else again.

Now I've been put into a green room with a really obvious mirror. Kind of too obvious. Bet it's another room on the other side. No matter anyway, I've got nothing to hide. They are with the government, so telling them my actual name shouldn't be an issue. Compared to Melina, the government really gives no shit to random guys like me. Even if I was a terrorist they wouldn't care. What am I gonna do? Kill a dozen people? That's a minor statistic. When you're at the top, everything below is only a cog in the wheel. It can always be replaced, granted it's small enough. The scope just isn't the same anymore.

But that's besides the point, a buff dude coming in with a stack of paper, probably blank. Because I honestly don't know what they would get on a Jack Gasoline in the first place. I doubt the president to have so many pages on them.

"So... you're Jack Gasoline, correct?" He sits in front of me, opposite of the table, making himself comfortable before his lush beard sways. "No."

He looks at me with a sigh and close his eyes. "Alright, so... so... wait. What? Did you say no?" I look both ways with a cheeky smile and nod. "Yep, I did say that." Now his brows jump angrily while he looks behind him, at the half-opened door. "Hey! Jimmy! The fuck are you doing?! Is this a prank!? Get me Jack Gasoline! I swear... can't trust these rookies nowadays..." "Sorry sir, we'll- Huh? Sir! I gave you Jack Gasoline, what do you mean?"

A flurry of confusion later, I raise my hand, which is promptly ignored, before coughing a little. It's also ignored. Guess I'm not the charismatic type. "Hum... guys, I'm... well I said... guys... hello?" I wave my hand, but to no avail. These people really are stubborn.

A little bickering later, I'm finally acknowledged. "Who the fuck are you?" "Sir! How many times do I have to tell you about your language?"

I give a wry smile as the man turns back around. "Shut up! I'm your boss, why do you care? I can talk however I want. This isn't some prestigious restaurant. And it's not like I'm insulting him, I'm just talking you know? That's how I am. Anyway, mister Gasoline, is that actually your name or not?"

Took long enough...

With a breath of relief I shake my head. "I'm not the one who introduced me on the phone, I'm Jack Heltros. I... well that's private so yeah. But I'm definitely not a Jack Gasoline. That's a little mistake."

After being asked to write it down, the rookie was sent back to make a background check on me.

When the results came back, the burly man looked at me strangely. "Well... mister Heltros, you probably aren't going to like what I'm about to say but..."

.

.

.

Out of the police station, I walk down the few steps and it starts to rain. I'm drenched already, what a downpour. Wouldn't feel as shitty though, if it wasn't for this situation!

Taking out a smartphone, I gaze at its cracked screen. "Fuck." Basically, while my status will be turned back to alive, during the administrative mess, I could only get back my phone. And because it's so far away, they kindly gave me a random one they had lying in a box.

Just my phone. Not my apartment, not my old beat up car, not my clothes, no nothing. Except for my phone. Which is kind of broken as I was told. Hopefully not as bad as this one.

Great. That's just great. Isn't it amazing? No, really? Fucking great am I right?

"Calm down... it's just how it is... he even told you he'll get an appeal for remuneration... yeah..." I walk a few dozen meters away before entering an alley. "FUCKING GREAT!" Ahh... I'm so pissed. I didn't even believe it to be possible. I got hope and they shattered it on the spot. That's the worst.

And while I'm being drowned into the rain, I look even dumber because I have nowhere to go.

"..."

"FUCK!"