Sho inhaled gleefully.
*Ah, how long has it been since the last time I walked out of the house?*
Was it one month? Two?
From Sho's memory, he couldn't remember anymore. It had been too long. He rarely has reason to go out. Aside from that, he's born lazy to go out. He's just not that outgoing. Makes him wonder how Sho survived his highschool life which was full of socializing and bar hopping.
Before Sho shut himself alone, he used to socialize a lot. Highschool life was colorful as typical teen loves adventures and has rebellious souls. Although he wasn't talkative at all, many classmates wanted to hang out with him because of his inheritance. But then, something happened after his graduation that pushed him to isolate himself away from everyone else.
In this world, social status and connection is key to success. But then, Sho could be considered successful even when he locked himself inside his castle, away from socialization. His inheritance plus his perceptiveness made him an asset to his business and stock market.
He shook his head as he felt a strange connection with Sho. He, who has no memory at all, also felt like he'd been trapped somewhere alone before being able to be in Sho's body. It somehow puzzled him, giving him thoughts that maybe he was imprisoned before transmigrating or occupying Sho's body.
He shrugged.
*Who cares about the past? What I need to think about is to go to Antiquette.*
Even if he just got this body and memories, he felt like he clicked with Sho. He already envies the guy for his life of bumming around.
He chuckled while fixing his suit. Sho's work was watching the stock market and making sure he's making profit with his stocks. He calculates the risks, predicts the markets and is brave to trust his instinct. His father's business was also connected with the financial market, making him feel like a fish swimming through the ocean. He felt at home.
That's also why Sho has a lot of extra time in his hands to go after his hobbies. Sho loves to watch anime and dramas, read mangas and novels, and play any games he found interesting. He felt it's a damn good life if he gets to ask. But at the same time, he felt pity for the young guy. Sho doesn't have any family and rarely sees his best friend.
But on Sho's PoV he's one heck lucky guy because he could be laid back even at the age of eighteen.
Honestly, being unknown to the world, he really felt a lot of confusion within. He really felt he didn't belong here. But then, knowing about the transmigration, he felt that was a usual thing.
*I'm already confused enough with my lost memories and random memories injected in my head, but this world setup just doesn't match up with what I know. Call it instinct, but everything says that I don't really belong here. And I really need more information. Good thing I will meet Asahi today.*
He straightened his backpack as he walked to the train station. His trip would take around three hours of travel. The original Sho planned to make the most out of this self-proclaimed "day-off." After that, he wanted to visit his childhood best friend, Asahi. Last time they got together was a year ago. It was before his best friend got busy with his out of the country business trips.
He felt pity for Sho because he couldn't meet his best friend anymore. Asahi was the only person Sho trusted with his whole life. The guy was ten years older than Sho but treats Sho as a brother of the same age.
But to be honest, it was amazing to see an eighteen year old young man and twenty-eight year old adult become best friends. However, he couldn't deny the closeness of Sho and Asahi. Despite the age gap, the two click like cuffs.
Asahi was an amazing dude. Sho's father picked Asahi as Sho's guardian before Sho reached the right age for controlling his inheritance. Despite the control, the guy didn't even bat an eye and gave up Sho's inheritance back to him when he reached eighteen years old seven months ago.
His mind got cut-off as someone bumped his shoulder.
He silently moaned. Somehow, he felt agreeing with Sho, he didn't like going out. There's just too many people. It's just too much. He threw his complaint at the back of his head as he walked to the station and got to the train that goes to his destination. He could've driven to his destination, but he's too lazy for that.
A sarcastic smile appeared on his lips. *Are you sure you're not Sho? You and Sho almost think alike.* He teased himself as he remembered that Sho was the same.
He frowned as soon as he got inside the bullet train.
*Am I hallucinating? Why the hell is the train looking… weird?*
He's not sure how to describe what he saw. It felt like the train disappeared for a second. Like it was blinking. He thought at first that it was just him not going out for so long or him being new to this world. But it took a full 10 seconds before the weird happening disappeared.
*What am I thinking? Based on Sho's memory, this is a realistic world. There's nothing magical here, it only happens in anime and dramas. This is reality. Too much anime and dramas are not good for Sho's physical health, though, I must say it's good for his mental health. Maybe, I should also visit the clinic. Yeah, Sho hasn't got out for too long, perhaps he's already anemic.*
*Your name might come true. Sho Chad. A really weird name. Someone who would soar high and warlike. Yeah, soar high in death and be a warrior in death!*
He shook his head as he walked to his designated chair in the train. He should really get used to referring to himself as Sho and not use third-person reference, he might make a slip of tongue that would confuse people.
Soon, the train departed. He silently closed his eyes. He wanted to have energy for the day. He still felt tired from assuming Sho Chad's identity. If he would describe it, it would be really close to feeling like having jet lag.
Sho soon dozed off, but woken up by the murmurs of people around him. He frowned. Wondering why everyone suddenly got noisy.
*Can't they just let people like me sleep in peace?* He tried to catch back his sleep. He was too tired. Too stressed with the unknown situation he was in. But the murmurs didn't die down.
Slightly irritated, he opened his eyes. Only to be amazed by the view.
The train continuously flickered, becoming transparent for a second, then going back to its original look. Now he could understand the murmurs.
*Is this some kind of special trip? For them to create such a magic show… maybe, Sho really have to go out more to cope with this world?* He inwardly joked.
But his amazement died as he noted the panicking crew. Well, they didn't try to show it. But being observant of the surroundings, he deduced that the crew were panicking despite the smiles on their faces as they whispered with their co-worker.
*What's this? This is certainly not my hallucination. The crews are clearly panicking, and some passengers even saw this and are now starting to feel nervous.*
He suddenly also felt nervous. They won't die like this, right? He instantly blamed the horror movie the original Sho just finished watching. How unlucky could he be if he gets transported here and then just dies without getting his answers? He calmed himself and tried to look around. But the more he looked around the more nervous he felt. He just can't help it. Though some people are recording with their phones, some of the people around him are starting to show fear.
He noticed the lady sitting next to him. Clutching her bag tightly, as if it's her life line. Another student from the next aisle was trying to stay calm while fear was showing in his face. There's also the old man who was breathing unevenly, he can't help but feel worried that the old man might die from a heart attack if left alone.
As soon as he thought of that, the lady sitting next to him stood up and walked over to the old man. She seemed to have made the effort to calm him, despite her trembling.
*Heroic. Wish there were more people like that. But unlike that lady, there's more people like Sho who don't really want to act heroic.*
His thoughts were pensive while Sho's thoughts blamed society for it. For the original Sho, if someone acts heroic, then he or she would get bullied in the end. For Sho, it wasn't really a good time to be heroic. It was better to survive. The only heroic guy Sho knew is Asahi. But for him, not everyone would be qualified to be a hero like Asahi.
He was still thinking about the memory of Sho and why he felt like that but he soon discovered he didn't have any leisure to do so.
~Shiiiiing~
The train abruptly stopped.
Almost everyone screamed at the sudden break. Some people got thrown out of balance, while others, those who were nervous that had been clinching to their armchairs, luckily, weren't thrown. Soon, as the train finally came to a final stop, darkness descended on the whole place. It was as if there's no sun outside. It caused more panic in the air.
"What's happening?!"
"Is this some kind of a joke? Please stop this nonsense!"
"Mommy… I-I'm scared."
"I-It's fine. W-we're fine."
"H-h-help… I-I c-can't breath…"
"Why there's no signal? We're not on a tunnel!"
Countless shouts and murmurs echoed in the air. Sho's lips twitch as he doesn't know what to say or how he should feel aside from being nervous. Everything felt unreal.
*Are we so screwed? Is this some terrorist attack? Is this how my life would end?* He decided that jokes are best to lift his nervousness and fear.
~Kii-iii-iiing~
"Kyaaa!"
"Ugh…"
Everyone suddenly had to cover their ears with the sudden tiny sound that felt like waves crashing through their eardrums. Even when Sho had his ears covered, he still felt like that was not enough. He wanted to dig his fingers deep into his ears just to fully cover that weird squeak of sound.
*How is this fair?! What the heck is happening? Is it the end of the world or something?*
He hairs raised thinking of that. He felt a sense of foreboding. But he quickly threw that away. That's impossible. There's no way there's an apocalypse or something. Maybe World War III.
He really hoped it was just a war.
He didn't want to think that anything fantastical would happen. Or anything apocalyptic. He even wanted to deny him being transmigrated. He didn't want to believe that after having to start something new, he would just end up dead with countless questions unanswered.
"Everybody hold on something!"
Sho opened his eyes, that he didn't even know he was forcefully closing, after someone shouted that. His mouth gaped as he saw the floor which should have been solid. But now it was flickering and showing things randomly. First he saw the trail, then the cement, then the earth… and then water?
*Ahh! Who cares, I just need to hold on to something! It felt like his instinct was telling him that. Instinct my ass!* He mocked himself but proceeded to grab tightly on his armchair.
~Whoosh~
As soon as he did, he felt the whole train fall down. He didn't even have the time to let out a scream as he felt the sudden halt of the train.
*Water?*
Sho got confused as he felt the water in his feet. But soon felt goosebumps rising all over his body.
*No way… how can this be fair? Am I just dreaming? Shit. I can't stay in this mindset. Remember, you're here in Sho's body and have his memory! You don't belong here! If this is real, those who think about it as a dream are going to die. I have to think of this as reality. I'll just think of the consequences after I get the hell out of this situation!*
He slapped himself with reality. With firmer thought he surveyed the surroundings. Everything still flickers. Every flicker of the train structure, water pours inside the train.
*So, that's where the water is coming from…*
He gulped. He needed to find a way out of here. Judging from the outside, if let alone, the train would get engulfed with the water. And everyone inside the train would die. He looked at the people around him. Hundreds of people would die. That was just counting the people in the passenger car he was in. If he counted the whole train, it would probably reach a thousand.
*Gruesome. I'm not a hero. He said in his mind, adapting Sho's memory. But heck. I don't want to see everyone's corpse around me.*
He stood up and walked unsteadily to the crew. "Open up the doors!" he firmly said, making it sound like an order when he really wanted to ask nicely.
The dazed crew looked at him for more than ten seconds before finally pulling himself. "W-what?"
Sho flinched.
*I know it won't be easy. But that is a common reaction. Really? For a situation like this…*
"Open the doors. We need to get out of here. Everything is glitching."
Sho was surprised by the sudden voice in his head. It was the familiar voice he thought he imagined when he entered Sho's body!
*What?*
"G-glitch?" He dazedly asked.
Soon, a window appeared in front of his eyes. A window that usually appears in those game-anime themed Sho often watched.
「 Character Information |
Name: Sho Chad [XXXXX XXXXX] |
Age: 18 |
RANK: Bronze |
CLASS: ERROR |
STATS: |
Strength: 7 |
Agility: 5 |
Intelligence: 13 |
Dexterity: 1 |
Accuracy: 3 |
Stamina: 5 |
Wisdom: 15 |
Luck: 37 |
Mana: 0 |
Critical Rate %: 0.45% |
Critical Damage %: 0.36% |
GLITCHES: |
Contract : [0%] |
Virus : [0%] |
Overview : [0%] 」
"What is this…? Stats? Glitches? Contract? Virus? Overview?"
He didn't have the time to worry about the crew that was looking at him as if he was crazy because the voice answered him one question after another, as if the voice doesn't need to breathe.
*Skills? Contract seems useless in this situation. Same with Virus. That sounds too scary.*
"I wanna use Overview." he gulped. He was unsure of what would happen. Though, it seems harmless. He could never be sure.
Sho gasped as information overloaded his brain within a second.
Countless information, useless and useful intertwined with each other, making it feel like he did something useless.
*No! I can't give up. Giving up means dying!*
He knew the moment the character window popped up in his face. That if he wanted to survive, he needed to follow his survival instinct. And his instinct is telling him to adapt quickly. He tried to focus on the "area" of the information. It looks like a gigantic sea of information as countless scenes, books and screens were surrounding him. He somehow saw a transparent wall separating most of the scenes and screens in the background, making everything there blurry. The area where he was mostly contained books, and in the air, countless words were floating and dancing around. It looked like countless useless information, but he knew that there is also countless useful information in between those.
Even if he wanted to read every single line there to be clear with what was going on, he couldn't. It felt like he was too weak to do so.
Instead, he grasped the things that he felt were useful at the moment.