Chapter 07- New Identity (Part 1)
Whether he liked it or not, being a handsome man in a story will either make the protagonist, the protagonist's side kick or a villain. The first choice can be eliminated since not only did Lili tell them that they will never be the main characters, the face that he is seeing now is way different than the protagonist's face.
So, the only two choices left are the sidekick and the villain, either could be the case but Rin was leaning toward the villain role because of the setting he was in. Usually, villains are rich and influential so they could act as stepping stones for the protagonist when they face each other.
'Being reborn as a villain is a very possible thing. Hmm, but, I can't just assume that without verifying my hypothesis. If I was truly the villain then it would be a huge disaster for me. Ugh, why can't I recall who I look like?' He thought to himself as he scratched his chin thoughtfully.
The next question is, where is Elise? They were sent to the same world so that should make it apparent that they should be in the same place, right?
Rin shook his head at such naive thought.
'Divine Sapphire is not only one of the vastest worlds out of the ten worlds, but it's also one of the rather harder to navigate ones, and for a good reason. Anyway, if I find Elise somehow, I will be able to get a clearer idea about this place.'
After collecting his thoughts, he looked at the door and he felt slightly nervous to get out. He could recall nothing worthy of note so he was basically no better than an amnesia patient.
'Acting like I have lost my memory should work somehow.' He thought to himself.
But, before he could even take one single step toward the door, something weird made him halt.
{Processing finished!}
{System boot initiated!}
{...}
{System booted successfully!}
{Welcome to the 'Shadow Monarch' system!}
{Please think of the word 'Open Menu' for more options and information.}
Rin was firstly startled but soon calmed down and took a couple of deep breaths. He should've predicted this since it was the biggest cliche of all reincarnation stories, the system. He would be lying if he said didn't dream of getting one of these before but he never thought that day will come when he will own one of these.
'What an edgy name! Lili sure loves bad isekai manga. But, I hope it will be helpful enough for me to become stronger easier.'
The system said that he should think of the two words 'Open Menu' so he did exactly that. Almost instantly, the interface changed completely.
{System Menu!}
{Profile}
{Inventory}
{Quests}
{Map}
'As generic as they could get. Could you at least do something original for once, Lili?' He looked up as if he was speaking with her.
Obviously, no answer came but he still didn't feel bad about it. He was sure she was watching him from there with a childish giggle.
'Hmm, ok. Let's first check my profile, I could get some really useful information from there. Open profile.'
The interface changed again and now, he was looking at a long panel that was at least double the size of the previous ones.
{System Profile}
{Name: Rin Silvereye.}
{Class: First Phase: Shadow Bringer.}
{Race: Human/ ???}
{Stats}
{Strength: G-}
{Agility: G-}
{Dexterity: G}
{Intelligence: G+}
{Charm: A-}
{Action Points: 0}
{Skills: Shadow manipulation, Appraisal, Plot Detector}
'What in the actual hell is this abomination?! Why are my stats so stupidly weak?!'
He knew that he will start as a weak character but still, isn't this too much? He was not strong or fast or smart. His only redeeming point is his looks and that was something that wasn't even his in the first place.
'Ok, the idea of me being a villain is now more probable. Villains are always weaker than the protagonist and their only power is their money and influence. Dammit, this is going to be a headache. Besides, what is that name? Really, Lili? Silvereye? Couldn't you find an edgier name than that?'
He tapped his forehead in disappointment before finally focusing on the two most important things out of them all.
'Action points and skills. What do action points mean though?'
{Action points are the host's only way of gaining strength. Since the host is more or less a foreign being from this world, you have to get as involved in the 'Divine Sapphire' as you could. That could be by whether by killing monsters, meeting new people, gaining friends or lovers, and even by changing the events of the story. It all will be converted into points that you could use to power up.}
'So, in a nutshell, the more I be proactive, the more power I gain?' He asked.
{Yes. Be mindful, however, any type of bad deed that is not accepted by the society you are in will not be counted. So, killing innocent people, assaulting others, and many more things are strictly prohibited.}
'I will never do such things but thanks for the caution sign anyway. Now, what about the skills? Shadow manipulation? can you show me its description or something?'
{Shadow Manipulation}
{Rank: ???}
{Level: 1}
{You are the ruler of the shadows and the sole successor of darkness. The night is your domain and the light is your ally. Where bright light exists, dark shadows are present.
*(First Phase: Shadow Bringer) You can control your shadow and the shadow of your enemy to some extent. It depends on your mana, strength, and dexterity.}
'I see, so my main power is controlling the shadows. Cool, it's not a bad power, truly. Hm, but, by controlling shadows, does that mean I can control the enemies' bodies too?' He asked the system.
{The answer to that is yes. But, as stated, it depends on your mana, strength, and dexterity to make that happen and to fully utilize your skill.}
'Sure, such an overpowered skill should have some restrictions or it will be broken. Well, show me the other skill descriptions too.'
But, before he could see them, the door to his room suddenly knocked, waking him up from his thoughts.
'Oh, shit! Did I make so much noise?' He asked himself.
The door got knocked again a few seconds later and a voice spoke from the other side.
"Rin, are you ok?" The voice belonged clearly to a woman.
"..."
"Rin? I'm entering the room."
He really didn't know what to say since he didn't know the woman at all. Should he act familiar with her, should he act as if he couldn't recall her face? He didn't know what to do.
But, unfortunately for him, there was no time for him to prepare a solid plan. Getting engrossed in the system made him forget about this problem.
Finally, the door opened, and a gorgeous woman came inside. She looked no more than 30 years of age with beautiful black hair that reached her waist, a perfect face with no blemishes or impurities, and a slender yet perfect body.
Her features looked eerily similar to Rin so he could already predict who she was.
"Oh, there you are. Are you ok, honey? I called for you multiple times but you didn't answer." She asked with a warm and loving tone.
Her voice alone made him relax considerably which further proved how close the owner of this body was to this lady.
"Mmm…"
"Is something wrong, Rin? You could always tell your mother about everything that troubles you." She tried to approach him but was halted by his next words.
"Who… are you?" He asked with a confused look.
'Perfect. The tone, the look, and everything were acted like a top-notch Hollywood actor. I really should think of pursuing acting as a career in the future.' He snickered to himself.
"What are you saying, honey?! It's not a funny joke." She said as she tried to keep her composure.
"I really don't know who… you are or what place… this is."
The woman's face turned pale instantly and she hurried up to him. The deep concern in her eyes made Rin feel slightly guilty and ashamed but this was his only way out of this. He can't just tell them that a Weeb goddess killed him and then sent him to this world which was a game in the first place.
She then started touching his face, her eyes closed and her hands started exuding a warm light that penetrated his face.
'Is this some kind of spell?' He thought.
After a few moments, the woman opened her eyes again.
"My god, you are not joking! Come on, quickly, lay down on the bed. I will get a doctor now!"
"Hey, wait for a se-"
"I said go to bed, now!" She ordered him with a warm yet stern tone.
"Yes, ma'am."
He replied quickly and went back to bed. He really didn't know where this will go but he will only have to ride the wave till the end now.
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