Chapter 3 - Identity

Scanning the eye on the screen, the watch unlocked, and a holographic interface appeared before Adrian.

User: Alexander Blade#999

Full Name: Alexander Blade

Age: 19 years

Rank: Student #999

Marital Status: Single

Affiliation: Academy of Myths and Legends

Specialty: Weapons, null magic ability

Honor Points: 1000

Completed Missions: 0

Successful Missions: 0

Failed Missions: 0

Health: F

Mana: X

Strength: E

Agility: F

Intelligence: G

Charisma: F

Special Abilities:

Basic Fencing: Rank F

Recent Alerts:

Pending Mission: None - Status: Not started Message from: No one Upcoming Event: None scheduled - Date: Not scheduled Settings:

Language: Common of Nexia Display Mode: Holographic / Translucent Notifications: Enabled Security: Retina Recognition Activated

"Damn, I'm as weak as a rat, and the name 'Alexander Blade' doesn't ring any bells at all. If I don't know it, it means he hasn't appeared in the story and is an insignificant extra."

After going over a few more thoughts, he looked at his mobile phone and, upon checking his contacts, the only ones he found were the academy's support number and the hospital's. He had no family or friends; he was completely alone. Alexander was struck by the realization that, once again, as in his previous life, he was alone. But this time, he could do something about it; he had the ability to grab his destiny, and that's exactly what he was going to do.

"Well, let's review my abilities: I have a weapons specialty and zero magic ability. Great, now even if I get a weak god as an avatar, I won't have the ability to defend myself. In this world, magic is basic, and very few people can't use it; normally, people opt for either weapons or magic, but in this world, people can use both at the same time, and I've just been shut out of one opportunity. Just perfect."

"If I can only use weapons, I have no choice but to deepen my competence with them to the maximum. But of course, I've never used a weapon before. The only thing I can think of is to try to learn on my own or sign up for a dojo, but I don't have any money either."

"There are 1000 points there; with that, I should be able to buy some technique or something similar when I start the academy. Of course! I can 'borrow' some sword technique; there are supposed to be 10 different techniques scattered around the city waiting for a protagonist, but I think 9 will suffice for him. Besides, it's not stealing if it's not theirs."

Once his action plan was laid out, he got up and started walking through the city. The city was impressive, with fantastic touches alongside medieval and modern elements. It was such an imperfect accumulation that it was strangely harmonious with itself. Something that could be seen on many streets was religion; regardless of the god, at every moment some god was being revered.

Five streets later, he arrived at the place: an ancient library. Upon opening the door, an elderly woman was sitting at a counter, briefly lifting her gaze only to give him a brief nod of acknowledgment before diving back into her reading. Grateful for the silence, he entered deeper.

His vision was met with a somber sight: shelves filled with dust visible to the eye, the antiquity could be smelled with a slight breath, and the tones of the wood. Those dark and aged tones gave the dusty library a majestic feel.

Alex walked to a specific shelf where a sign read "Masters and Weapons." Searching a bit, he found what he wanted: an ancient, torn, and dusty book. Blowing off the cover a bit, the title of the tome was revealed: "Codex Trinitas Martialis."

"Perfect, this is what I wanted: a book about sacrificing mana to embrace aura and become a master of the three main weapons: the sword, the spear, and the bow."

"Originally, the protagonist would have found it, but he wouldn't learn it because this method involved abandoning mana completely, something he outright refused. But better this way, now it's mine. Apart from basic fencing manuals, this is the only thing I could learn from a high rank. Now, to learn the scroll to start training."

Taking the book in hand, he approached the elderly woman at the counter, who was still absorbed in her reading, and asked softly, "Excuse me, may I take this book?"

The elderly woman, apparently annoyed at being interrupted, gave it a quick glance and, in doing so, her eyes widened for a fraction of a second, something Alex clearly did not perceive.

Placing the book on the counter, she inspected it from top to bottom. The elderly woman's eyebrows rose in a sign of understanding something and quickly said, "You can keep it," with a tired and soft voice, but with an authoritative tone that left no room for questions.

Surprised, he thanked her and left with the book in his backpack. As he walked away, the elderly woman returned to her reading, seemingly uninterested in the boy. Once outside the shop, the elderly woman lifted her gaze, and a smile of complicity adorned her face.

Something had put the elderly woman in a good mood, some distant memory or thought could be the cause if it weren't for her gaze directed at a photo on the table, showing a man with a sword.

Slowly parting her lips, she projected a soft and gentle voice that contrasted starkly with her previous tone.

"It seems someone has taken your path, husband."

Walking down the street, I looked around with curiosity at everything surrounding me; from the outside, I appeared to be someone new in town or a country bumpkin who didn't even know what a car was. As I walked towards my home, lost in my world, I bumped into something. Or at least that's what I thought until I saw what it was, or rather, who it was.

Before my eyes, one could say beauty was reincarnated in a woman.

As I turned the corner with a haste that defied the elegance of the sunset unfolding over the city, I collided with a presence that felt as imposing as an ancient monument. For a moment, all my senses focused on the figure before me. It was as if time had stopped, allowing me to absorb every detail of the woman who had abruptly become the center of my universe.

Her hair was an ocean of deep violet, each wave a mystery, each curl a story waiting to be told. It was braided with a skill that spoke of a lineage of grace, adorned with jewels that captured the last rays of the sun and reflected them like tiny beacons in the growing evening shadow.

When our eyes met, I felt a pull in my chest. They were like two amber gems, with pure gold sparks embedded within, burning and alive, and I found myself imagining the vast landscapes they must have beheld, the battles they would have witnessed. In them, I saw not just beauty, but the promise of unbreakable strength.

The poise of her face was a poem of lines and curves sculpted, her skin a canvas of porcelain barely touched by struggle or distress. But it was her expression that told me this was not a lady to be underestimated; her lips, slightly curved, hinted at a reserve of cunning and conviction.

Her uniform spoke to me before she did. The dark blue of her jacket, the richness of the gold on the epaulets and buttons, all proclaimed her significance as if declarations made by invisible heralds.

Snapping out of my reverie, I realized who she was: the villainess Anastasia Blake.

Or should I say...

My villainess.