1 Chapter 1: Death and Awakening.
As I lay on the ground, losing far too much blood to survive, my life began to flash before my eyes.
It started when my parents were killed in a car accident after a police chase. The criminal was driving a pick-up truck and rammed into the front of my parents' car, ending both their lives and that criminal.
Their deaths affected me deeply; I loved them dearly as I watched their coffins fall into the ground, and the feeling solidified that I would never see them again.
Life without them in our home felt empty how I missed my mom's smile when I came back from work or sitting down with my dad to watch our favorite football teams play and act like total goofs. They were my best friends and beloved parents who cared for me until I grew up and started contributing together.
And while I was dealing with the grief of my loss, my girlfriend of 2 years broke up with me over texts for reasons I still do not understand. She was gone before I could even comprehend what had happened; she blocked me on all platforms, and her parents sent me a message that I should never contact her again under any circumstances.
After months of living like a living zombie, I realized that I had to rebuild myself. My parents would never allow me to throw myself into the pit of despair and give up, so I started working on myself by going to the gym, working harder at my day job, and saving money to explore my hobbies and watch things I enjoyed, and play games that I wanted and that was my life for a few years where I built myself up to be better and not give up. Still, suddenly, it all came crashing down on that fateful day when life threw its unfairness at me, and I couldn't avoid it.
It all happened so fast, and all I heard before I was shot was someone yelling, "DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE!" I was shot three times in the chest and spitting blood all over my living room while re-watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
And that's how my life ended. I didn't even know why I was shot, as everything faded into darkness were my last thoughts:
'So this is how I die; at least I'll see my parents again. I hope the next place isn't as horrible.'
----
'or so I thought.'
Coming back to consciousness after a certain death feels ... strange.
I am not upset that I am still alive, but it was strange.
The first thing I realized after waking up was that I couldn't feel anything. I looked around me, and I did not have any wound pains or hear any sounds, just the whistles of the wind. I also realized that this was not a hospital but some destabilized shack and that I was not lying on the floor or in a bed but floating.
"What the hell?!" I choked out. My voice felt distorted
When I looked down, I finally realized that my arms, no, my whole BODY, were transparent, and I was wearing some transparent blue robes, entirely see-through; I...I turned into some kind of ghost!
Then suddenly, all my senses returned, and I could feel the wind pass right THROUGH me, giving me the feeling of being weightless and flying. I also felt a buzzing in the air, as if something was calling to me from all sides. I felt nauseous from these new senses.
"What's happening to me?!"
As I began to panic, a purple panel-like interface suddenly appeared before me.
[Hey you, you're finally awake!]
"What?" I stared at the panel in bewilderment as the panic faded into the background for the moment
[Reincarnation complete, system initialization complete, welcome host to the world of Harry Potter]
"I... what... what do you mean by Reincarnation? I... how did that happen?"
[Congratulations, you died and were picked up from millions of others to live another life. Isn't that GRAND?]
'Nothing about this situation is "grand," as you say. I was expecting to go to the afterlife to see my parents again, and now I am a disembodied ghost in the world of Harry Potter,' bitterness resonating in my voice.
[Hey, no need to be mad at me, the lottery picked you, so deal with it, no point crying about it, do you realize how lucky you are to have been chosen out of millions upon millions of other souls?]
'Thanks for the encouraging words. I feel so much better.' Sarcasm oozes from my tone
[Shh, getting sidetracked, here's how your system works. You are just a simple, lowly magical ghost right now, but this system grants you EVOLUTION abilities; you can evolve from a troublesome spirit to a real powerhouse. Isn't that fantastic? But you can only evolve by absorbing souls, so you're going to have to get your hands dirty. You can evolve your race, improve your skills, or improve your racial traits, but be careful. Some evolutions are either really good for you or really bad, so choose wisely on where you wish to specialize in!]
'Now that I have had a little time to process what the system panels were saying, I started to let go of my panic about being disembodied and my bitterness about not being able to see my parents again because this could be a new opportunity for me to experience something I never did in my previous life, real exciting adventures and adrenaline-filled battles, something I felt was missing in my life other than gaming.
'Tell me, at least, are my parents in a better place?'
[They are indeed in heaven, so you have nothing to worry about!]
That's good. Then, I can finally move on with no regrets and no burdens
[And that's it for your mini-welcome party. You won't be seeing me again, and your system will function normally without me. I was just here to greet you and tell you where you are. Good luck, toodles!]
Wait, hold on don't just leave I have questio-- and he's gone, sigh, do I at least have a status?
[Name: Aurelius][Race: HP ghost]
[Soul Echoes required for Race Advancement – 5 Lesser soul echoes]
[Soul Echoes: 0]
'I do have one, but no stats though, nor are there HP or MP bars, just "soul echoes" for my evolutions and upgrades.'
Looking at the status window again, I noticed the Lesser Soul part. Intrigued, I commented, "So there are Tiers to Soul Echoes... is there a list?"
[Petty soul echo -> Lesser soul echo -> Common soul echo -> Greater soul echo -> Grand soul echo -> Black soul echo.]
[Gianing memories, skills, and instincts from a soul echo will depend on its quality and tier. Two common soul echoes will not be the same]
"That's interesting. What if I gave a grand soul echo for my evolution instead of 5 lesser soul echoes? Would there be a difference?" I asked curiously.
[Yes.]
"And the difference being?" I asked again, my eye twitching lightly
[Figure it out yourself.]
I waved the window away, slightly annoyed, and moved on to look through the skill window.
[Racial Skills]
[Essence Absorption (Passive): The ability to absorb the soul echoes of others, whether they be wizards, witches, inferi, or even other ghosts. Soul echoes may provide memories, instincts, and/or skill gain.
Passive absorption of the soul echoes of nearby dead.]
Alright, it's pretty straightforward, and the system explained how the tiers work. To get something useful out of the echoes, I'll have to aim for the big ones.
[Magic skills]
[Telekinesis (Novice) (Active): You are a Magical Ghost. Even though you are dead, you can slightly influence the world of the living with some effort]
[Physical skills]
[N/A]
[Magic and Physical Mastery tiers go, Novice -> Apprentice -> Adept -> Expert -> Master ]
[Note: All skills can be upgraded to higher skills with enough effort and dedication or by spending soul echoes!]
[Traits]
[Ghostly Presence (Passive): You are a ghost. You summon coldness where you pass. Living creatures will easily feel cold in your presence]
[Note: Some traits can be improved by evolution. Others can only be improved by spending soul echoes; since you are currently a ghost, you have a ghostly presence]
'At least I am not completely helpless and can defend myself, and minor telekinesis will help me a lot.'
Now, to get out of what I'm pretty sure is the shrieking shack, I need to find out the current date to figure out where I am in the timeline.
When I got my bearings, I willed myself to move around as I was already floating. Flying around under my own power was an interesting experience, and to say the least about going through objects, it felt natural as they were integrated into my new sense of being. Nothing was out of place now. As I continued to fly through the shack, I passed through the walls and found myself next to the hidden entrance next to the whomping willow, and beyond the tree was a magnificent sight that I thought I could only see through a TV screen.
Hogwarts Castle, with the moonlight illuminating it with all its magical splendor.
It really is a beautiful castle, but I can't go there right now or anytime soon until I'm strong enough to be in the big leagues because as soon as I attack another ghost, Dumbledore will drive me out of the castle. It isn't safe for me to be there. The better option is to go to the Forbidden Forest. It has many creatures for me to kill and absorb their essence so they won't be missed or noticed.
[Quest added Kill an Acromantula]
[Reward: A new spell]
'Neat, an incentive.' A smile formed on my face
although I have to wonder...
'what do soul echoes taste like?'
----
I made a couple of discoveries as I flew away from the castle and towards The Forbidden Forest as I neared the shore of the Black Lake. The first was the buzzing feeling I had when I woke up; that was my magic, and I do not have that much of it right now, as I learned when I experimented with my [Minor Telekineses] on a couple of rocks along the way. The first time I tried it, I willed my magic to bring forth a rock the size of a beach ball.
The feeling of my magic springing to life was exhilarating. I felt 'alive' in a not-so-literal sense... I tried to pull the rock towards me, and the result was that it shot straight through me -and wasn't that an experience!- also, my control sucks. I tried again to summon it and barely managed to stop it from going through me when I was suddenly overcome with a feeling of exhaustion that was already beginning to ebb away. After my magic had fully regenerated, I tried a few other things, such as banishing the rock towards the black lake, which was much easier than summoning it, and I gained a bit of proficiency with it for my troubles. I also figured out what I looked like when I was floating by the lake.
What greeted me was a translucent face with flaming blue eyes and shoulder-length black hair. My face was symmetrical, and I had a light, stubbled beard. Knowing you have been turned into a ghost and then seeing it with your own eyes puts things into perspective; at least I look good.
Continuing on my way after a few minutes, I reached the massive trees of the forest, and it was time to find some unwilling creatures to feed on.
As I ventured through the dense forest, soaring closer to the canopy to gain a clearer vantage point, my gaze fell upon three boomslangs snakes. I proceeded to crush them with a new application of [Telekinesis]. Nothing was left of them except blood stains on the ground.
'Novice or not, Telekinesis at any level is still strong.' I started awed at what I could accomplish even at this low level.
[A lesser soul echo has been absorbed]
[A lesser soul echo has been absorbed]
[A lesser soul echo has been absorbed]
Now that I have a few souls, how much do the upgrades cost? I know that I need five lesser soul echoes to evolve my race, but what about my skills and traits?
[Telekinesis (Novice) -> Telekinesis (Apprentice), Lesser Soul Echoes Required: 5]
[Ghostly Presence -> Deathly Presence, Lesser Soul Echoes Required: 3]
I had enough to upgrade Ghostly Presence. The real question was whether I should go for it or not. The new trait sounded great, too. I will not lie; anything related to death as a ghost would benefit me greatly.
"Screw it, System upgrade the Trait Ghostly Presence," I commanded
[Affirmative]
[New Trait gained Deathly Presence]
Before I could even look at its description, I felt the changes with Ghostly Presence. Everything around me felt slightly cold, but now? It is as if a chill is spiking all around me, kind of like a very weak Dementor.
[Deathly Presence (Passive): You touched upon a deeper part of death. It calls to you, granting you access to its terrible chill.]
[Cryomancy Magic unlocked]
[Congratulations, you have unlocked your first magic branch!]
[Cryomancy (Novice): Cryomancy is the art of manipulating and creating ice with magic]
'So it was a good investment after all.'
Smiling, I waved the notifications away. There was more to be done and more creatures to kill; I just had to find them.
Continuing on in the forest, I saw the edge of a spider's pincers at one of the large trees a bit away from me. Once I arrived near the area, I saw a 15-foot-tall Acromantula sleeping on one of the tree ledges.
'A lone Acromantula away from its colony? Ah, an outcast.'
Looking around, I saw a couple of decently sized, sharp-edged rocks. Pulling on my magic with [Telekinesis], I made them rotate at high speed, then banished them to the exact area where its eyes were located.
The spider's body fell lifeless nearly instantly from the puncture wounds that exploded its brain from the velocity of the rocks.
[Adult Acromantula spider has been slain]
[A Common Soul Echo has been absorbed]
[Quest complete: Kill an Adult Acromantula]
[New spell Gained]
[Cryomancy: Frostbite]
I left my prey on the ground, my hand twitching lightly.
'Gaining a new branch of magic and a spell for it right off the bat, things are looking up for me. Let's hope it stays that way.'
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Only magic and physical skills will have the tier list, Novice -> Apprentice -> Adept -> Expert -> Master ]
