Ruler Of The Underworld

"Seriously? I'm an hour away from dying, and you're making jokes?"

[System reminds the host of his prior request]

It was then that James' voice was played back to him in his head 'Hey System, you know any jokes?'

It seems the system was resentful of James for breaking its requested silence.

It was then that James saw a red arrow on the ground he hadn't noticed before, up until now he had been standing in an alleyway acclimatising to his new body, but before James could even get his thoughts together he needed to find something to eat or he would die; permanently this time.

The arrow directly pointed to the exit of the alley, while following the direction he stepped on the indicator and saw his foot just pass straight through it. After recovering from the shock, he decided to ask the system about the phenomena.

"System, what's up with the arrow? Was this you or am I really going crazy?"

[The system confirms it was the source of the marking. The system is capable of influencing the host's vision making something appear in your view that does not exist for example.]

After James left the alleyway, he saw a street full of people wearing the same sort of tacky clothing with holes and dirt all over it.

"System can you highlight anything edible in my view?"

[Scanning and highlighting all edible materials in hosts vision.]

It was then that every person and animal in the street began glowing red that James felt a chill running down his spine.

"What the hell is this!? You expect me to eat people? And their fucking pets as well?"

[The host asked the System to highlight anything edible in the Hosts view, the system has done that. If you would like to refine the results, please specify other parameters for the scan.]

"Fine. Are there any edible things here that aren't peoples pets or the people themselves? Just ignore anything alive and find something that has already been processed."

[Performing refined scan. Food items identified: Meat - 82% Match]

"82 per cent? What is it then, what else is it?" James asked in exasperation.

[The percentage displays the surety of what has been scanned, cannot identify species so unsure if it is animal meat.]

"Well, there's only one way to find out I guess."

It was now that James began to check his body and realised that he had absolutely nothing on him besides his clothes which seemed to be fashioned out of a sack of some sort and a necklace that was hidden under his clothes.

"Excuse me, Sir, I don't suppose you could spare some of that meat for me by any chance? I haven't eaten in the longest time, and I truly think I will die soon." James looked at the man straight in the eye to convey his respect and put on the face of someone on the edge of death.

The man looked towards James with an inquisitive expression. James hadn't realised that he would certainly be surprising that he was well spoken and wearing clothes fashioned from a sack. The two couldn't be more diametrically opposed in this world.

"Where are you from boy? Where are your parents?" The man asked in a gruff tone that was oddly comforting to James

'System, where are my parents?'

[Current vessel was abandoned as a baby. Parents were unknown to the vessel.]

"I don't know my parent's sir, they abandoned me as a baby I've had to grow up begging on the streets."

"How do you speak so well then boy?" The man was now staring at James with an interested look.

"I was taught by a man I met on the streets; unfortunately, he died a few years ago now, but he was able to teach me quite a lot in that time."

The man let out a long sigh sliced the meat clean in half with a knife he seemingly pulled from nowhere and threw half to James.

'Thanks, System!' The system had fed James a suggestion of a suitable lie to fool the man.

'Man I just can't get any lower can I? What a pitiful starting point for a second life. From all those books I had read I should have been reborn as a useless prince or a lesser rank nobles son at least.'