[Re-materialization point reached. New host body ready. Initiating the transfer sequence. Soul transmission process complete. Objective one achieved. Linking the new ID with the old one. Linking successful. Objective two complete. Resurrection of the Creator ninety-eight percent complete. Tweaking the new ID to fit the Creator's needs. Objective three achieved. Resurrection of the Creator successful.]
Light pierced through the darkness, faint but growing stronger. For Rae, it felt like an eternity since she had last seen anything but void. Relief coursed through her as the familiar, soothing voice of Liza echoed in her mind.
Always saving me, huh, Liza?
Her vision wavered, blurry at first, then slowly sharpening. The bright surroundings burned her eyes, but the sensation was comforting in a strange way—it was a sign she was alive.
As her surroundings came into focus, realization dawned. She was still inside the labyrinth the overseer had dropped her into, and if memory served her right, this was the final level. A vague recollection emerged—an encounter with two Celestials.
"Did I faint from their attack?" she muttered, her voice raspy. Then the memory struck her like a lightning bolt. She had watched her own hands disintegrate, her body dissolving into nothingness. "No... I didn't just faint. I died."
The thought sent a chill through her. She glanced at her hands now, solid and pale, but something felt wrong—off. A sharp pain in her head interrupted her thoughts, clouding her focus.
[Liza]: Notice: Current status carries ill effects to the user. I advise the Creator to revert the host body to its original form and use the new ID with appropriate status effects.
"Wait, what? Liza? Is that you?"
[Yes. I also go by the title 'Voice of the World.']
"Voice of the—what? Since when?" Rae asked, trying to wrap her aching mind around this sudden development. "Liza"
[Yes, Creator?]
"You mentioned something about ill status effects and IDs. What does that mean?" Rae barely finished the sentence when searing pain rippled through her body. Her knees buckled, and she gasped.
[Warning: Current status cannot sustain the host body. Creator, I request that you revert the body to its original state.]
Through the haze of pain, Rae noticed a flickering icon at the corner of her vision. Squinting, she focused on it. An RPG-style status screen unfolded in front of her.
"So... this is what you mean by 'status,' Liza?" she murmured. "Let's see…"
Her gaze moved over the screen, her mind struggling to process the overwhelming information.
[STATUS SCREEN I]
Name: Rae Vermont (Wimberly)
Gender: Female
Race: Celestial Vampire
Level Information: Overall Level: -100 Racial Level: -250 Job Level: -3, -5 Class Level: 50, 100
Vital Statistics: HP: -20,000 / Error!!! MP: 50,000 / ???
Attributes: Strength (STR): N/A Intelligence (INT): N/A Vitality (VIT): N/A Dexterity (DEX): N/A Luck (LCK): N/A Agility (AGL): N/A
Combat Stats: Attack (ATK): N/A Defense (DEF): N/A Physical Attack (PHY ATK): N/A Magic Attack (MAG ATK): N/A Physical Defense (PHY DEF): N/A Magic Defense (MAG DEF): N/A
Resistances: Light Magic, Dark Magic, Fire Magic
Magic Attributes: Light, Fire*** Electric, Wind, Dark, Water, Earth
Traits: Demon Queen, Vampire Queen, Psychically Bonded to Kin, Multiple Jobs, Multiple Classes, Daywalker Vampire, Celestial Dhampir (Part Human), Previous Life Memories, 1st Class Vampire / Vampire of Royal Blood (Rank 1), Admin Privileges / Direct Connection to the System (Liza), Negative-Induced Effects
Skills: Swordsmanship (Lv. 7), Spearmanship (Lv. 5), Dagger Wielding (Lv. 8), Hand-to-Hand Combat (Lv. 6), Tracking (Lv. 4), Thought Acceleration (Lv. 3), Parallel Processing (Lv. 2), Hunting (Lv. 4), Evasion (Lv. 5), Vampiric Speed (Lv. 6), Vampire Enhancement (Lv. 7), Earth Knowledge and Application (Lv. 6), Electric Arc Projection (Lv. 2), Vampire Creation (Lv. 4), Silent Casting (Lv. 8) Magic Skills: Vampire Creation (Lv. 4), Kin Control (Lv. 3), Kin Bestowal (Lv. 1), Vampiric Compulsion (Lv. 1), Gravity and Flight Magic (Lv. 4), Mana Search (Lv. 5), Blood-to-Mana Conversion (Lv. 2), Barrier Magic (Lv. 2), Light Magic (Lv. 5), Dark Magic (Lv. 7), Earth Magic (Lv. 4), Water Magic (Lv. 2), Wind Magic (Lv. 4), Fire Magic (Lv. 5) [Unavailable], Aura Manipulation (Lv. 5), Silent Casting (Lv. 8)
Titles: The Vampire Queen, The Demon Lord of Calamity, The Devil Queen's Anchor, Reincarnator, 2nd Vampire Progenitor, Dungeon Conqueror, Dragon Tamer, The Creator (Liza)
Special Abilities: Temporal Possession (Lv. 2), Temporal and Dimensional Travel (Lv. 2), Location Swapping (Lv. 1), Dominion (Lv. 1), Magic Creation (Lv. 5), Mana Field (Lv. 2), Immortality (Lv. 2), Liza (Lv. 1), Limit Breaker (Lv. 1) Blood Meter: Error!!!
Rae blinked. Her stats were an absolute mess, most of them either negative or outright errors.
"Am I… in an RPG? And why are my stats like this? Is this why I'm in so much pain?"
[Liza]: Correct. The negative status is a protective measure to delay the Celestials from detecting your resurrection. To stabilize, switch to Status II on your status page.
Switching was easier than Rae expected. With a single thought, the unbearable pain evaporated. Her body felt lighter, less constrained, but also weaker.
[STATUS SCREEN II]
Name: ???
Gender: Female
Race: Half Human, Half Angel
Level Information: Overall Level: 1 Racial Level: 1 Job Level: N/A Class Level: N/A
Vital Statistics: HP: 200 / 200 MP: 300 / 300
Attributes: Strength (STR): 80 Intelligence (INT): 15 Vitality (VIT): 50 Dexterity (DEX): 20 Luck (LCK): 5 Agility (AGL): 120
Combat Stats: Attack (ATK): 150 Defense (DEF): 100 Physical Attack (PHY ATK): 100 Magic Attack (MAG ATK): 50 Physical Defense (PHY DEF): 80 Magic Defense (MAG DEF): 20
Resistances: Dark Magic
Magic Attributes: Light Magic, Fire Magic, Water Magic, Wind Magic
Traits: Celestial Kin, Connected Status
Skills: None
Magic Skills: None
Titles: None
Special Abilities: Mimicry (Lv. 1), Reverse Counter (Lv. 1)
Agility: 120
Rae opened and closed her hands, frowning as she examined her body. Everything about it felt foreign—the way her limbs moved, the strength in her grip, even the rhythm of her breathing. "This body feels... different," she muttered to herself. Taller, weaker, and undeniably more mature than the one she remembered. It felt like she'd skipped ahead in her life by a decade.
"I wish I had a mirror…" Her voice trailed off as she sighed. This wasn't her first experience waking up in a body that didn't belong to her. "Looks like I'm doomed to live like this—constantly hopping bodies."
[Liza]:This ID can be named if you wish.
Rae paused, "Liza, can I ask—what exactly are IDs?"
[Liza]: IDs are object identification numbers that allow the system to distinguish you from all other entities within it. Everything in the system is assigned an ID at the moment of its creation.
"So, the ID is essentially what carries my status?"
Rae tilted her head. "Does that mean I have two IDs now?"
[Liza]: Correct. You have one from before the system adopted its RPG structure and another from after.
A faint smile crept onto Rae's lips as she mulled over the thought. "If I can name it... I think I'll call this one Raphael." She murmured. "Yeah, that has a nice ring to it."
[Liza]: "ID recognized. This body has been assigned the name Raphael."
Rae nodded, her expression settling into one of determination. "Raphael it is, then."
"Liza, I need an explanation. Why is this world suddenly acting like a giant RPG?"
The voice of her AI companion answered with its usual cadence. [Six months ago in Sub-labyrinth time—fifteen years in the material realm—I infiltrated the Quantum Computer of the Celestials. While analyzing its functions, I discovered a directive designed to measure and control the mana flow across all realms. The directive's coding was flawed, riddled with bugs that disrupted its purpose. The directive was also responsible for employing a sort of magic and skill allocation program but that to was riddled with errors. ]
Liza continued, her tone neutral. [I repaired the errors while simultaneously integrating an RPG-like system to stabilize mana flow. This allowed for structured magic allocation and mana quantification. However, the Celestials became aware of my actions. Though they failed to stop my takeover, they implemented a backdoor into the system for monitoring purposes. During this time, your body was disintegrated. To preserve your existence, I extracted your soul and linked it to your original ID, ensuring your memories and abilities were retained.]
Rae's heart skipped a beat. "Wait… are you saying I've been dead for fifteen years?"
[Correct. Your resurrection will trigger countermeasures from the Celestials. They are currently unaware of your resurrection, but once they find out, they will attempt to locate you.
The weight of her situation hit her all at once. Fifteen years. The people she knew—friends, enemies, everyone—had moved on. The world she knew was likely unrecognizable now.
"How do I leave this place?" Rae asked, forcing her focus back to the present.
[The portal nearby is one option, but using it will immediately alert the Celestials to your presence. The safer path is to conquer the Labyrinths in reverse—starting from the final floor and progressing to the first.]
Rae stared at the glowing portal, the gears in her mind turning. "You're telling me I need to clear this dungeon backward? With these stats?" She gestured to her status window, the corners of her mouth twitching with dry amusement.
[That is correct.]
Shaking her head, Rae let out a low chuckle. "Well, I will manage. Let's see what this body—Raphael—can really do."