Hans looked around the room and grabbed his phone to check the date. It was the 3rd of May 15 years into the past, his first day in the agency a little over 3 years before he awakened. He knew what he had to do. Regressors were too dangerous to keep alive and he was one of them. But, before doing his duty by eliminating himself he would do one egotistical thing.
Hans navigated around his phone, having to get used to the old technology. He opened his messages and punched in the number of the agency's headquarters. He wrote a quick description of the events of the day of his death along with crucial information that would help them solve the case of the regressor he met before his death immediately after it emerges. A measure to keep Olivia safe.
Yet, as he was about to send the message, he got a call. The caller's ID was one word but that by itself was enough to make him tremble. That word was mom. Hans had lost both of his parents two years into his job at the agency. They were coming to visit him for Christmas when they got caught in the middle of a monster related incident.
Hans picked up the phone. "Mom?"
"Good morning honey! Did I wake you up?" Hans heard his mother's voice on the other side.
"I just woke up, you don't need to worry." He replied, the only thing keeping him from breaking down was the shock of speaking to his dead mother again.
"Just woke up? It's your first day at work. You have to be there at least 30 minutes early. You need to show them you are a hard worker." Sasha said, taking on a nagging tone.
"Yes mom. I still have time." Hans replied instinctively.
"That's what your father used to say. He was always late. Don't make it a habit. Also, don't wear that ugly blue suit he gave you. You need to look presentable." She said with a sigh before being cut off by the blaring sound of car horns. "Yes, coming! I have to go honey, Jennifer messed up again. Love you!"
"I won't. Love you too."
click
Hans stared blankly at his phone. Tears started pooling under his eyes and steaming down his face like a river. He was crying. He hadn't cried in years. After his parent's death he had only cried once more. But at that moment, the flood of emotions that had overcome him from hearing his mother's voice broke the barriers he worked to put up for the better part of a decade.
And then his phone rang with the slightly annoying tune his body had associated with having to wake up. Hans regained his composure. He turned off the alarm and was met with the message he had almost sent moments before. But that time, his resolve to stay true to his life's work had melted away.
He didn't want to die. He wanted to start a proper family. He wanted to see his parents play with their grandchildren. He wanted to grow old with the love of his life. He wanted to live.
"Damn It." Hans muttered, deleting the message of his phone and falling back into his bed.
-
In due time, Hans was met face to face with the large building that has become like a second home to him for three years of his life. A large skyscraper, with multiple floors filled with cubicles and offices. He breathed in deeply, trying not to let the nostalgia get to him but the moment he entered the building he was approached by a vaguely familiar face.
It was a short and thin middle aged woman with fiery red hair worn in an afro wearing a black business suit and blazer. She had brown skin, large amber eyes and carried herself with confidence. Upon taking a closer look, he recognised her as his superior when he worked at the tracking department, Margaret Rivers.
"Mister Baker, you are 10 minutes late. Is that what we should come to expect from you? It is barely your first day. And you seemed to have quite the potential during the interview. What a shame." She said with a sigh.
"I am sorry Miss Rivers. I was too excited about starting work here. So much so that I have only slept two hours. I'll stay until later to make up for it." Hans replied, faking the energy of an overexcited 20 year old.
Margaret looked flustered at Hans' reply not expecting such a sincere answer, be it a naive one.
"You don't have to stay late. Just never let this happen again. Now go, you've already lost enough time." She replied sternly yet she had a thin smile on her lips.
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"Thank you. I'll come in early tomorrow. I promise." He smiled and entered the elevator, pushing the button for floor 4.
The moment the doors closed, Hans' smile was wiped off. Trying to act as his former self was difficult. He only remembered a vague caricature of how he remembered himself but that wouldn't be enough. Eventually, cracks would form. He had to do something before the excuse of excitement and anxiety wore off.
ding
Hans exited the elevator and his demeanor changed back to how it was before, he had a wide smile plastered across his face and he looked at everything in absolute awe. He attracted some judging looks but most workers did not care about him. Hans pretended to look around for his cubicle when he felt a large hand on his shoulder.
"You must be the new one right? Hands or whatever." A tall man said. He had broad shoulders, clearly painted black hair and two differently coloured eyes, one of which was brown and one of which was silver.
"Yes sir. The name is Hans Baker." Hans replied
"So, Hands. I am Jonathan Franks and I will be your boss. Your cubicle is number 19. Make yourself at home and make sure to watch the training video. That's all you have to do today, watch the video and complete some rudimentary tasks the program will give you." The man said, taking his hand off Hans' shoulder and promptly leaving for his office.
Hans had encountered Jonathan in his previous life. He was a bit light in the head but extremely efficient. He hadn't gotten a promotion in 20 years the day Hans died but he was great at what he did.
"Yes sir" Hans said and moved to his small cubicle and sat down. It would have almost felt nostalgic were it not for the message that appeared the moment he opened the computer.
"This is the new employee training video for the department of Discovery and Tracking. Please enter your full name and your employee code." Those were the words on the screen. Words that were etched into his mind over a long monotonous week of training on the job.
The training course was a hell-like experience for newbies. Not because of extreme difficulty but because of the sheer unadulterated monotony of it. With the assistance of a magic tool that slowed down the trainee's perception of time 9 times their 8 hour shift would feel like 3 continuous days and over the 5 day long course they would be force fed 5 books worth of information and be tested on their knowledge of them in multiple ways. If a trainee failed to get at least 75% accuracy in their answers they would have to go through the course a second time.
Hans felt like screaming because he had already gone through the hellish course twice in his previous life. He had failed the first time by 0.3% accuracy and even though he could make up for it and pass first try he would have to intentionally make mistakes to bring his score to exactly 75% while making logical mistakes.
"Let's see what the training video is all about." Hans said energetically and put in the information that was asked of him.
-
74.9%
That was the accuracy score of Hans' examination. Barely not enough to pass but precisely enough to make Hans want to slam his head into a wall. He was perfectly still, looking at his score on the computer's screen when he felt a familiar arm on his shoulder.
"You did well, Hands. Only 2 people have passed this first try. Most take 3 but I think you need just one more shot. You don't work weekends so you can rest. Here, have this, it should help with the fatigue." Jonathan said and put a cup of orange juice on Hans' desk. "It's freshly squeezed so drink up before the vitamins go away."
"Thank you sir." Hans replied in a daze, sipping on the especially sour orange juice for another 10 minutes, cleaning the cup and taking his leave.
The weekend flew by in a flash. Hans lived as a recluse in his room sleeping for most of it due to overwhelming mental exhaustion and before he could enjoy his weekend it was already Monday. Hans woke up to his alarm but the moment he opened his eyes he was met with an aetherial orange screen.
***
Achievement [Live in the past for a week] Complete
Reward(s): Caliber 0 >> 1
***
Fresh off being asleep Hans' mind took a while to connect the dots. It was something the regressors he chased talked about a lot.
"So that's what a system is huh?" He mumbled to himself.
The first screen disappeared and a different one appeared in its stead.
***
Name: Hans Baker
Physical Age: 20
Caliber: 1
Skill(s): -
***
When the second screen popped up Hans felt a familiar feeling. His body was overcome by a feeling of extreme vigor. His body understood that it had grown stronger, much like when he awakened. But this had a distinct difference to his awakening.
"This is better than when I awakened." Hans said to himself "But, where is my lightning-"
Before he was able to finish his complaint another screen appeared. It looked like a slot machine.
[Generating Possible Rewards]
The slots spun with incredible force and one by one came to a stop.
The leftmost slot had the picture of a person with someone emerging from the shadow. [Shadow Leap(B)] was written under it in black lettering.
The middle slot had the picture of a cat morphing into a person. [Shapeshift(C)] was written under it in black lettering.
The rightmost slot had the picture of a golden playing card on it with a diamond shape in the middle. [Wildcard(S)] was written under it in gold lettering.
Hans looked at the slots in confusion but after a few moments passed the knowledge of what he had to do simply appeared in his mind. He knew that by tapping on each of the slots on that screen would reveal information.
***
[Shadow Leap(B)]
The user can teleport through shadows and see in the dark. The range of the skill is dependent on the level of darkness in the area.
[Select] [Cancel]
[Shapeshift(C)]
The user can assume the form of any animal, human or monster they have seen along with changing their appearance. Their physical capabilities of the user remain the same despite their form.
[Select] [Cancel]
[Wildcard(S)]
The user is allowed to choose any one skill of rank S or below. The user must know of the skill's existence to be able to pick it. This skill is replaced by the chosen skill.
[Select] [Cancel]
***
Hans didn't even need to think about it. With an S rank skill he could turn his life around, the skill he had in his previous life was A rank so the chance to get an S rank skill was incredible. But, just getting such a powerful skill would put him in a situation where he'd have to pretend to be awakened without having a mark. He could falsify one but he would get caught. All of them were. Yet Hans had a different plan for the wildcard so he selected it.
[Would you like to choose a skill now?]
"No" Hans said.
-
Hans had left his home and had made the way into the office building. He checked in at the front desk and went up to his floor using the elevator. After getting out of the elevator he made himself a coffee and started making his way to his desk when Jonathan called out to him.
"HQ said to let you pass. You're a lucky one, kid." He said
Hans pretended to be startled and flinched, causing the hot coffee to spill on his hand, thus making him drop the coffee mug which shattered loudly and caused all eyes on the office to be on him.
"I'm sorry. I'll clean it up." Hans said and squatted down to gather the pieces of the mug.
"Use Wildcard" Hans said so softly it was inaudible.
[Which skill would you like to choose?]
Hans said the name of a skill he had overlooked for many years even though it had shaped his life.
"Awakened"
***
Skill [Awakened(C)] is an available choice. Would you like to proceed?
***
"Yes"