Drop. Drip and drop.
Rain streamed down within the crevices of the western continent's steepest cliffs, cloaking the region with darkness as dense clouds drifted in to dull the sunlight. The alleged cliff was known as the Dark Abyssal Cliff and was estimated to be fifteen thousand meters (or deeper).
It served as a natural border between three kingdoms: the Norbumin Kingdom, the Redredane Kingdom, and the Sangrail Kingdom, with the Norbumin Kingdom standing at the cliff lands' core. A valley sits somewhere in the midst of the southern cliffs, linking the Norbumin Kingdom to the prosperous Sangrail Kingdom.
The Dark Abyssal Cliff seems to have the ability to create its own weather because of its relative depth. Storms and rain may occur beneath the ground, generating a fog-like aftereffect that predominantly surrounds the highlands, creating a mystical fog-like result that gives the location appear a little enigmatic.
Although fascinating, this feature made transportation between these two locations arduous. The mist can sometimes cover the entire valley, making it tough for travelers to cross the few accessible passageways. Even in the daytime, the area is risky to walk through without a qualified guide. It is much less friendly at night when wild animals go out to hunt and bandit attacks are more likely to occur.
It is already five o'clock in the morning. The sun could be seen barely peering over the summits of the lofty mountains. The temperature is rather frigid, and it is especially prudent in the deepest levels of the abyss where no sunlight can reach. Despite this, life continues to flourish in these remote regions, where fawns and fauna have acclimated to the hostile environment.
It's just that the creatures in these places are either rare and highly sought after for their flesh or pharmaceutical applications, or astoundingly terrifying, capable of taking down a city in a single night. It is to be expected to encounter powerful beasts, since this is a place where there is a constant battle for resources.
It is the environment Chase Laurier had awoken to - interminable darkness that seemed to go on forever, making it impossible to distinguish between day and night. If not for the small fire emitted by the already faint glow of that expensive lamp, he probably wouldn't be able to see anything at all.
Chase moved his body, only to discover that it was aching all over. His body felt terribly heavy like lead as he struggled to hoist it, his bones began to shake from the pressure. His sore muscles were on fire as his entire body tried to curb his desire to get up, even though he knew he had to if he wanted to survive.
He had finally taken a proper seat after much effort. Chase glanced around after regaining control of his ragged breathing. It's not that he could see much more than a few feet away. There really is nothing except the appalling darkness.
"Where is this-"
Chase hissed as he opened his mouth, a hint of pain on his lips. Then there's the disagreeable flavor of salt and metal swirling inside his mouth. A hand came by, touching the corners of his lips, the sore nose, and looked at it. Streaks of dried blood and odd bits of dirt were recovered.
He seemed to have been severely beaten this time. Not a single part of his body feels good.
It's a miracle he survived.
Well, from the fall, that is.
Who knows if he could survive this, whatever place he had landed in? Just by seeing only darkness, he could deduce that it was a terrible place. He is not also in good condition with wounds and bruises littered in his body. It's already burdensome to lift his arms, so it is much more difficult to run around this unfamiliar place.
Will he really die just like that?
Suddenly, a familiar blue translucent screen blinked in front of him, displaying a blank interface with a series of recurrent glitches. It illuminated the area barely, supporting him to see where he was. It also enabled him to identify a section of the broken carriage, which acted as a roof against the intermittent rain. Nevertheless, he had been drenched by groundwater, so it didn't help cover all that much.
Before he could ask anything else, the screen made a buzzing sound, then a snap. Quite an information appeared, one word after another, as if it was getting written at that moment. Chase waited for the whole thing to finish before he read it.
「The host escaped an assassination attempt. Congratulations, because of the successful escape, Chase Laurier earned an increase in body stat.」
「Due to the effects of the Near-Death Experience buff, the host will feel a bout of tiredness, and body healing will slow down. It is advised to undergo medication to avoid severe injuries.」
「The danger level had decreased by ten percent. Total danger level: 90%.」
「Please exercise caution.」
Chase blinked his eyes as he reread the phrases many times. A progress bar with a [90%] description is the most conspicuous of all.
He wasn't surprised since he remembered this screen before, undoubtedly a system or cheat sent by the Old Lady Meng Po to support him in this world. However, he thought that the deity would only grant him with meager blessings like a puny magical power, a slight boost in strength, or nothing at all in consideration of his incredible run of bad luck.
It seems that he was given something more convenient.
The system re-introduced itself as a "Distress Progress Bar". There's not much it can do except assess the overall risk around its host. The danger level emphasizes Chase's likelihood of dying in the present situation or in the future if a particular action is performed. It is expressed by a progress bar with a numerical percentage shown.
As of now, he was in 90% danger.
Seems like he is really going to die if he stays here.
It's not like he has anywhere to go to with all the present conditions.
"Ah, wait a minute." Chase went back into reading the words and pinpointed a phrase. "Who is this Chase Laurier?"
The information on the screen was reorganized, downsizing the progress bar and relocating it to the upper left corner of the interface, akin to a battery bar but considerably larger. A resume-style document flashed, displaying the name, age, occupation, and two photographs, one of a close-up of the face and the other of the entire body.
The guy in the image is a handsome young man with shoulder-length, silvery-white hair and emerald green irises. He's dressed in some European nobility-inspired attire that looks awkward because of the sheer patches of vibrant colors. A devious smirk can be observed on the person's face, displaying a pompous, condescending, and juvenile disposition.
"Whoa, such a good-looking man," he praised.
The person may appear haughty (and he is), but nobody can deny that he has a pretty face. He scanned through the material and realized that the system was presenting information regarding Chase Laurier like his age, birthday, names of relatives, etc.
"This is Chase Laurier," he said, gesturing to the photograph, "and how am I related to him?"
The blue screen generated a hand gesture emoticon atop the resume, a forefinger pointing in his face. He followed the hand gesture and pointed to himself.
"Me?" A bell sounded in his head. "I am him?"
On the screen, a hundred percent with a green check mark appeared. Chase scoffed, unable to fully believe what he was seeing. The person in the picture is too handsome. The perfectly shaped eyes, nose, flawless skin - he could never associate it with himself! Everything differs from what he used to look like.
「Would the host wanted to use a mirror?」
He did not hesitate and answered 'yes'. The system is efficient as it generated a mirror on the screen. Though, with not enough light, Chase could only see a portion of his face. But it is decent enough to prove that he was really the owner of such a good-looking face. He patted his cheeks, feeling the smooth skin he never thought he would gain after getting battle-hardened by the apocalypse.
So, it was really him?
"Unbelievable," he muttered, obviously fascinated. After scanning his body until his curiosity was fed enough, Chase reviewed the facts regarding his vessel. It wanted to know how this body lived its life under the premise of a peaceful world.
「 Name: Chase Augustus Laurier」
「 Nicknames: The Third Prince, Prince Chase, The Arrogant Prince, Albino Prince, Eccentric Prince」
「 Age: 18 Years Old」
「 Birthdate: February 22, XXXX」
「Sign: Pisces」
「Occupation: The Third Prince of the Sangrail Kingdom」
「 Description」
「Chase Laurier is a pampered prince who was renowned for just being arrogant, conceited, and keen on throwing money away. Some say that the prince likes to collect rare objects and is often seen in high-grade auctions. He is also a regular in casinos where he spends money on useless gambling and drinks.」
「The third prince owned an extravagant wardrobe brimming with flashy and lavish garments, stuff he collected from traveling around the world. Rumors had it he only uses his clothes once and burns them after using. He also likes to wear jewelry, trinkets - anything that contains diamonds and gems. On such occasions, nobody would question if some robbers would go flock around him and steal his stuff. 」
「Chase enjoys drawing attention by hosting or attending fancy banquets, harassing other nobles in his free time, and imposing pointless regulations when he is in a bad mood. It has been reported that he is attempting to attract the King's attention in order to usurp the role of crown prince from his older brother...」
"This... is this real?"
Chase was astounded by what he was reading. It struck him speechless. He never imagined that such a person existed! The more negative remarks he read, the more he determined that this Chase Laurier was a scumbag.
And he now possesses the body of this scumbag. It seems that the Old Lady Meng Po did indeed get him the proper fate. It is, certainly, the worst position he could be in.
"I'm not sure what to feel," he said, perplexed. "I'm simply reading and I'm already annoyed; how do other people feel about having to interact with someone like this?"
It's no surprise that the first thing he encountered upon waking up is an assassination. The entire world has the very reason to kill him! He doesn't even have to guess how many people will rejoice if he dies. It also reaffirms that no one will save him.
That 90% danger level has to be related to it.
But things were not that bad when he thought of it.
"Well, I could always change my name, appearance, or anything else and start a new life, because if I have this awful personality, nobody will look for me, or miss me."
He wasn't the former Chase. He has a distinct personality and different beliefs. He also did not know how to act like royalty since he had been living like a normal person in his previous life. It would pose a problem if ever somebody will notice his sudden change of attitude, so it is much better to avoid going back and welcome a new life.
It could only be the most perfect situation at all.
Besides, being despised by everyone is something he is quite familiar with, as he was in the same situation in his previous world, but much worse. He even considered that the people in this world were pretty cute for being able to restrain their hatred against such an individual. If he was in their place, he would have killed him for a long time.
"The next thing to do is to go out from here," Chase said, looking up at the dark oblivion. It had to be a delusion, but he swore he heard a beast roar and the sound of skidding steps from a hundred-legged insect. He chuckled nervously, swallowing the courage he assumed he possessed.
"Yeah, right? As if I could get out of here."
It's never a good idea to wander down a dark road, let alone in an unfamiliar environment like this, with no adequate footing. Although it wasn't completely black because he could still see the silhouettes of things around him if he focused hard enough, it was still risky to walk the path without a map. There are also hunting creatures who lurk in the shadows, looking for prey.
Chase had no desire to become one.
「Would the host want to receive the vessel's memories?」
"Hmmm?" Chase had been thinking about how he could use the system's ability to detect danger when the screen blinked in a flash to gather his attention. He stared at the screen that has now only one question.
"Memories?"
Now to think of it, he knows nothing at all about the life of the body he was residing. Chase didn't think it was strange because he wasn't the original soul of the body, so it was normal not to have it. The memories he was carrying were from his past incarnation as Julian Moore, memories that the Old Meng Po did not erase by not allowing him to drink the five-flavor tea of forgetfulness.
The screen flashed another message.
「Memories should have been granted to the host upon their arrival. It is the standard operating procedure. However, because of the very high danger level, the dissemination of memories was paused. The current danger level is deemed safe. Would the host like to receive the memories?」
Chase nodded.
[Operation continued. Note - the level of memories the host will receive will only contain twenty-five percent of the entire memory line. It is because of the low score upon tossing the die. Information will be released in three... two... one...]
Chase held his head when a subtle twinge of pain was introduced inside his head. Then, as if a placid stretch of water was disturbed by a tiny drop, his blank memories began to ripple, producing images and memories that were formerly hidden in Pandora's box. Everything flashed before his eyes like a record that played for a few minutes before stopping. Nonetheless, he passed out.
「Host successfully assimilated the twenty-five percent of memories. Congratulations!」