The Acknowledgment - Volume One

Welcome, [Player]

                Floating in the water, lifelessly, sinking further down into the fountain's murky waters. His lungs burnt from the absence of air. Winter's consciousness slowly faded. Accepting this fate, Winter's lifeless body hit the bottom, his blood seeping out and pooling on the bottom under his body. He Thought back to the choices he had made, and what more he could have done to change his fate. Even still, a disdainful attitude to his own life. He was too often hated by anyone and everyone he had once met. Through closed eyes, his fading consciousness saw a warm glow emanating below him. Illuminating the dark, murky depths of the fountain. He opened his eyes to see a hologram-like panel in front of his face, appearing with a loud bell-like ding. It rang through the dense water, for a moment as a womanly robotic voice took the place of silence left by the bell.

~>System<{" The [Qualified] Has Fulfilled All The [Conditions] of [Secret Quest: The Courage of The Weak]!"}>It rang with high praise <~

"W-what?" Winter asks, tripping over his own words.

~>System<{" The [Qualified] Has Obtained The Right to Become a [Player]. Does The [Qualified] Accept This Offer? [Y/N],"}>it asks, text appearing on the hologram panel before him, unlike the projections of the Android-like features Winter was given<~

"W-what? I-I don't understand," Winter explained.

~>System<{" The [Qualified] Does Not Have Much [Allowed Time] Remaining! In The Case That The [Right] is Refused, The [Qualified]'s Heart Will Stop in 0.02 Seconds. Does The [Qualified] Accept This Right? [Y/N],"}>it asks again, after a brief warning-like explanation<~

Considering his options, Think over what he could have done if he wasn't weak, if I was stronger. "I accept," Winter accepted weakly, with newfound hope to change his fate.

~>System<{" Welcome, [Player],"}>it replied<~

                The blood that had been spilled into the fountain began to return from which it came, receding into Winter's body. With newfound, unyielding willpower blazing in his eyes. Forced himself out of the depths of the fountain. This power seemed to flow from his eyes, growing into the surrounding flesh. Burning with a passion of hate, fury, and wrath. From that burnt flesh came white cursed energy that forming a mask over his face with a deep black aura surrounding his face. Glowing a deep blood-red tint from the iris, Winter's pupil shifted into a beastly shape, becoming a saucer-like slit. "W-what the fuck?!" Tyler asks, deeply disturbed and put on edge, making eye contact. Without a word, Winter continued to claw himself out of the fountain, breaking the small wall that held the water. It spilled out into the courtyard, soaking the stoned ground, and the nearby parched plants with a wave of water. "W-what are you doing s-standing there?! K-kill him!" She commanded quickly, stumbling over her words. In his hands was a black, strangely flowing substance. Looking down quickly, he saw two vanta black gauntlets on his hands. The substance of the gauntlets seemed to be made of shadows. An inky black. Dense, dark smoke flowed, if not oozed, off from his gauntlet-covered hands.

~>System<{" [Item: Darkest Armor — Gauntlets]. [Rank: ???]. [Type: Armor]. [Physical Damage] is [Reduced] by [10%]. [Effect: Injury Resistant] Prevents All [Injuries] From [Inflicting] The [Hand],"}>it displayed<~

                "F-fuck this!" Bruce ran off in terror. "Shit-" Tyler sighed, looking at Winter in terror. The pent-up, and bottled rage had been unleashed. Like an animal, Winter eyed down his prey, the source of the pain and suffering that was inflicted on him for a year straight. Approaching Tyler, His fists clenched around the gauntlets.