I stared blankly at the screen floating in front of my eyes. On it were words that confirmed that I was no longer in my own world. That I had somehow ended up in a different world.
[Welcome to my world inferior pest. A world where I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. Since you have no sense of respect for your betters, I've allowed you to be part of something greater than yourself. Rebel. Struggle futilely. Do your best to resist your assigned fate and become the fertilizer to grow my chosen ones. I want to see you broken, on your knees, begging for your life. Do your best to survive as the villain as I'll be coming for you. And I would so hate to see you expire before your fated time.
- Author of Heroes Rise Again, Alpha and Omega, et al]
Once I finished reading the words, they disappeared in a flash of golden light.
"What a load of bullshit." I couldn't help but pick at my ears in irritation as I thought of that bastard Author. Even in text format, it still managed to convey that pompous attitude that made me want to grind it beneath my feet.
"Still, I better figure out what the hell is going on."
Sighing to myself, I quickly stood up from the shabby bed that I was on and made my way to the bathroom. Shocked I couldn't help but stare at the appearance in the small mirror.
An average-height slim boy with a handsome face stared back at me. Messy black curly hair that needed to be cut hung in my face, caramel-colored skin, and golden eyes that had a slight glow to them. The figure staring back at me looked young, around the age of 16 or 17.
"What the fuck?"
When I raised a hand to touch my face, the figure in the mirror did the same. Smile. Frown. Smile. Frown. No matter what face I pulled, the figure in the mirror did it. It moved as if it were really my body. I couldn't help but stare in disbelief.
[Heroes Rise Again]
The novel I frequently read during my downtime.
No matter how I looked at it, the person standing in the mirror was a direct manifestation of the character description of Asani Martin, a villain in the novel. From the golden eyes to the average height, the dark curls, and the handsome face that was frequently commented on by the female heroes. This was undoubtedly the Asani Martin described in the book.
"That bastard really tossed me in the novel? I've really become Asani Martin?" Hearing the voice that hadn't broken yet I couldn't help but frown.
That bitch of an author. After dragging me here, he put me in a body that's going to die?
As I thought about the dire future death that awaited me, I began processing my thoughts and everything I could recall about the novel.
[Heroes Rise Again]
It followed the lives of the children of the 9 great clans, who were striving to step out of the shadow of their parents to become the new heroes that would save the world from evil. It mainly followed Lionel Lionheart, the son, and heir of the strongest man and strongest clan in the world as he discovered himself and his power along with his allies.
From his academy days to creating his own guild, fighting against humans and monsters alike, he and his allies accomplished many things, spreading their names far and wide. He was the man who killed the body I was currently in.
The death of Asani Martin was described in two sentences.
Lionel Lionheart's sword which was cloaked in a golden aura shone before easily cleaving the neck of the annoyingly handsome boy the way a hot knife slices through butter. The aura then burned the body leaving nothing behind but ash which floated off in the wind.
That was it.
13 out of 26 books, thousands of words read, and that was how an antagonist like Asani Martin had died. A two-sentence description and a character who was somewhat pivotal to the plot disappeared just like that. It truly showed how much the author hated this character. That was the body that bastard Author had put me in.
"Am I going to die like this? Like a nobody? With a fucking sword slicing off my head and burning my body?"
The figure in the mirror stared at me at me, the golden eyes glowing with a subdued rage. I had finally gotten to rest in my old world and was killed and transferred here. Even in this life, it seemed as if I wouldn't be able to get any form of rest.
"What a crock of shit. Nothing has happened yet. I just need to think through the situation and plan my actions. Step one - figure out where in the story I am and prevent my death. Step two - rip off that bastard's head." I stared at my reflection in the mirror, taking deep breaths until my face regained its apathetic expression.
After throwing some cold water on my face to wake my thoughts up, I sat on the bed deep in thought.
No matter how hard I tried to remember, it seemed I wasn't blessed with memories of the original body. Thankfully I recalled everything I had read but I hadn't finished the series and most importantly, Asani Martin died mid-way.
I needed to figure out where in the storyline I was and more importantly the date. I recalled that the series began at the opening ceremony for First High Magic Academy. On May 2, every student from years 1-5 attended the opening ceremony. It was a memorable event because, for the first time, one of the 9 great family heads, Basil Lionheart who was considered the strongest swordsman and the strongest individual in the world had shown his face at the academy. He greeted each student personally while asking about their gifts and giving them a word of encouragement.
It had caused a huge commotion, but everyone knew the reason for his attendance, Basil Lionheart's only son, Lionel Lionheart was attending the academy starting this year. He was the Rank 1 student who had openly and confidently shared his gift with the world while stating that he was the strongest in his generation and nobody could compare to him.
When the students heard those words, it ignited a fierce competitive spirit which then caused several incidents at the academy.
I knew from the novel that Lionel Lionheart and Asani Martin were in the same year and age at the academy. Since I had the appearance of a 16 or 17-year-old, theoretically I should also be a student at the academy.
If I was a student at the magical academy, that meant that I had reached awakened and received gifts. It meant I could now interface with the system as an individual. It was simple enough to check. All I had to say was-
"Status"