I’ve been reborn in Hardcore Mode. My mom, Lisa Riley, is a high school dropout obsessed with romance; she doesn’t even feed me because she’s busy posting online about her “man behind bars.” Then there’s my uncle, Kyle Riley, who acts all spiritual but bought a fake beaded bracelet from the dollar store to pass himself off as a “Social Media Circle guru.” The system gave me eight lives. I was thrilled, cheering like a mad baby, only to get tossed into the toilet the next second. What? No one told me survival would be this hard! 01 My name is Avery Wayne, and I’m a baby about to be born. The system told me I was a terrible person in my last life, so it reincarnated me in “Hardcore Mode.” This would force me to understand the cruelty of human life; if I managed to survive until 18, I’d be reborn with a cushy life as a rich, only child next time around. As a consolation, I was given nine lives. Overjoyed, I laughed out loud, only to choke on secondhand smoke as soon as I peeked out. “Get ready; he’s almost here!” A girl with cigarette dangling from her mouth and bangs covering her eyes grabbed me without hesitation. “Gosh, hurry up with the baby already! We’re all waiting for you to get out here and sing.” I glanced around to find myself in a Karaoke Lounge bathroom. Lisa Riley grabbed a napkin, wiped her thigh carelessly, and was about to head out when another girl stopped her. “You’re just gonna leave him here? What about the kid?” Lisa paused, just as someone yelled from outside, “Hey, who ordered the ‘Rose Funeral’ song?” Lisa’s eyes sparkled, and she immediately waved her hand. “I’m going to sing, so just toss him in the toilet.” “…?” Before I could process it, I was swamped by a foul odor and spun around, disoriented. The system chimed in, “Game Over.” One life gone, just like that. Excuse me? Nobody said surviving would be this hard! 02 I got another chance, and the system filled me in on my family situation. My mom, Lisa Riley, was a self-proclaimed “Rebel Queen.” She was in high school, spent her time chanting and dancing online, and went by the name “Street Queen Lisa Riley.” Wait, who cares about her online handle? I cut off the system and asked the real question: “What about my dad?” The system paused briefly, then spoke in a strangely poetic tone, “On the other side of a wall.” “?” “Huh? Like… did he move abroad?” “Actually, no… he went inside.” Turns out he and his friends had a scuffle over a bowl of chili because they didn’t have enough cash. They started fighting over who’d eaten more and ended up getting hauled away by the cops. Lisa took it hard, quit her online life, and wore his black-and-white photo as a necklace every day. It’s just a year for brawling, not like he died… why the theatrics? With that locked in my brain, I waited for my next reset. As I was about to get tossed down the toilet again, I grabbed onto Lisa’s necklace, clutching the locket hard. “What are you doing?!” she shouted, ready to get angry until she saw my tiny hand holding the photo against her chest. Suddenly, Lisa teared up. “Ray… Ray Wayne, did you want me to keep this baby?” “Would you really… want me to raise someone else’s kid?” “…?” What? Did I just hear her right? Despite the emotional confusion, Lisa actually chose to take me home over singing “Rose Funeral.” Sure, it was chaotic, but at least my grandparents might keep me safe. Or so I thought. But then we arrived in a dark, dingy basement. “Hey, Kyle! Can you watch the kid while I go to class?” she yelled from the door. After a long pause, the door creaked open, and I heard chanting inside. A skinny arm, strung with prayer beads, reached toward me. 03 At first, I thought I’d met a gentle soul, but then I got scared out of my mind. Standing in front of me was a lanky guy in a big, oversized suit, with one eye covered by his hair and thick eyeliner stretching almost to his temple. Most unsettling, he had a ghostly smirk permanently plastered on his face. I let out a wail, shivering from head to toe. My uncle, Kyle Riley, had another name online: “Prince of the Social Media Circle.” Seriously? “Prince” of what now? That name’s just awful. His main “job” was streaming online. Before each broadcast, he’d powder his entire face until he looked like a ghost with painted eyes. Creepy? Yes. But at least it meant safety for me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any sleep before a call came through. On the other end, a girl named Stacey Sweet was sobbing. “Prince, someone’s picking on me and calling himself the true big shot of the Circle! You have to come!” I had a bad feeling about this, but Kyle packed all his beads, looking like a vendor at a flea market, and bolted out the door with me in his arms. Before long, we pulled up to a spa downtown. I got plopped in the bike basket and watched Kyle march over to a girl in a frilly dress. “Stacey, who made you cry? I’ll make him pay!” Then some rich-looking guys with designer clothes swaggered over. “Yo, so you’re the Circle’s big shot?” Kyle didn’t say a word. He just pressed his palms together and chuckled. “No, I… I’ve renounced it all, for Stacey’s sake.” “You sound like a broken record, man.” They burst into laughter and shoved him. Big mistake. The guy who pushed him yelped in pain, clutching his hand. Kyle’s arm was covered with dozens of bracelets, and his calm gaze looked almost monk-like. 04 I was dying inside. What’s he doing, acting all tough with those skinny arms? One punch, and he’d go down harder than a sack of flour. And sure enough, they all closed in on him, ready to fight. He wobbled on his feet from lack of food and promptly passed out. “Did this guy just fake a faint?” The rich kids were panicked. Meanwhile, Stacey threw herself to the ground, opened a nearby bottle of beer, and poured it over her head, screaming, “I swear on love, without you, I’ll die alone!” She made a finger-gun gesture, mimed shooting herself, and collapsed dramatically on top of him. I stood there, completely speechless, while onlookers burst out laughing. Did they think if they couldn’t beat him up, they’d just awkward him to death? The rich kids laughed it off and walked away, but not before hitting Kyle’s scooter and sending it crashing. I spun out as my vision blurred, and the system popped up again: [Game Over! Cause of Death: 360-degree spin with liftoff.] This survival game is a nightmare. Is making it out of this madness a requirement to be born here? I made a plan and braced myself for the next reset. When Stacey’s call came again, I threw myself off the stool, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Kyle, startled but still sane enough, took me to the local clinic, and by the time he called Stacey back, she’d already gone home. Not long after, Lisa came back. 05 This time, she brought home a woman in her forties. The system informed me this was Lisa’s stepmother, Janet Reed. With one look of disgust, Janet snatched me up to leave. As soon as I saw daylight, I realized Lisa had a fresh handprint on her cheek. After winding through a fancy neighborhood, someone greeted us from below: “Well, if it isn’t Lisa! Came home with your mom for dinner?” Lisa snapped, “She’s not my mom!” Embarrassed, Janet stomped into the house and gave her another slap as soon as they were inside. “If I’m not your mom, don’t come running to me for help with your kid!” Janet’s words only fueled Lisa’s anger, and she clenched her fists, hissing back, “Don’t mistake my patience for kindness. You try pushing me, and I’ll bring my crew to teach you a lesson.” Janet faltered, finally sitting down with a sigh. “Lisa, we’re only trying to help. Look at yourself—you’re young and pretty now, but who’ll want you later? Your dad already found you a man who’s giving a $10,000 dowry, and we’ve got it set aside for you.” “Forget about the kid; nobody needs to know. You can just get married and move on.” At that, Lisa burst into tears. “I’m not marrying! My guy’s getting out of prison soon!” “You keep the kid, fine, but there’ll be no wedding. Force me again, and I’ll die before I go through with it!” Janet rolled her eyes, groaning, before heading off to make dinner. 06 Janet Reed whipped up a whole spread of food in no time, even mixing up a bottle for me. That was the first full meal I’d had since… well, ever. For a second, I thought maybe life in this hellhole was finally looking up. Then, out of nowhere, the system chimed in my head: Game Over! Cause of Death: Poison. “…?” I didn’t even have a chance to react before I saw Lisa, gulping down her food, suddenly collapse. Janet stood over her with a sick grin, chuckling darkly. “You thought you’d get to call the shots here?” Wait—was she pulling a Breaking Bad on us? What the actual—?! I immediately reset, starting back at the moment I’d walked in. This time, right as Janet tried to feed me, I head-butted her hand, and burst into loud, wailing cries. “Why is this brat suddenly screaming?” Janet snapped, annoyed, and tried to pass me back to Lisa. Taking my chance, I flopped down onto the table and knocked everything I could reach onto the floor, plates shattering all around me. Lisa turned to grab a rag from the kitchen, but her eyes fell on an open bottle sitting on the table. “Isn’t this… poison?! Were you trying to kill us?” Janet’s face turned stony as she stood there, her fake kindness crumbling. “Oh, come on. Did you really think I’d raise your kid for you? I may have my standards, but they aren’t that low.” “When your dad comes home, the kid’s done for anyway. I was just making things easier.” I almost wet myself from fear, but thank goodness this time Lisa didn’t try to “fight it out.” She grabbed me and bolted, muttering darkly as we ran, “I don’t deal with monsters.” For once, Lisa made a smart move. That night, she packed us up and moved out, bringing Uncle Kyle along with us. As night fell, the system gave me a new notification: Congratulations! You’ve survived Day One. Reward: Fast-forward one year.
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