"Is this the afterlife or something?" I mutter under my breath. It feels like I was just having a terrible nightmare and just woke up. I rub my eyes and examine the surroundings, noticing a mirror in front of the bed.
I get up and look in the mirror. I can't believe my eyes. Standing before me is someone else. All the scars I had were gone and I looked younger and ungroomed long hair that reached my shoulder.
What in the actual fuck?!
I continue to gaze at my reflection, baffled.
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SYSTEM INITIALISING...
[SYSTEM LOG UPDATED]
INITIATING USER SYNCHRONISATION...
SEEING IT IS THE USER'S FIRST TIME, STATUS WINDOW SHALL OPEN AUTOMATICALLY
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STATUS WINDOW
NAME: Ryojin Yukimura (LVL-0)
AGE: 17 (23)
RACE: Human??
TITLE: (LOCKED)
AFFILIATION: Unaffiliated
Ki:
Mana:
____________________________________________________________________________________________
SKILLS (LOCKED)
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I didn't have time to process it; too much information was crashing into my head. I am not only alive but also in some random body that was void of all the scars I had, and the left arm I lost fighting against Zaratraz was back—not to mention this interface-type thing that was before me.
Just then, someone enters the room.
A woman in her mid-40s walks in and asks, "Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?"
Still disoriented, I ask this woman, "Who are you? And where am I?" while trying to calm myself down and assess the current situation.
The woman reassures me, "Calm down; the elders found you lying in the woods after hearing an explosion. They brought you here and treated you."
I sit on the bed, taking a deep breath to compose myself.
The woman introduced herself, saying her name was Haruka, and asked for my name. I wondered if I should tell her because the situation was so bizarre that I didn't know who to trust.
I decided to respond anyway, "My name is Ryojin Yukimura."
Curiosity piqued, she asks, "Do you know where your family is and why you were found in the woods?"
I replied coldly, "I don't have a family... and as for being in the woods, I also have no idea."
Haruka tried to pretend she didn't see me with pity.
It's obvious she's a kind-hearted woman, but I don't care because I'm still trying to grasp my surroundings.
It felt that, for some reason, this place felt familiar, even though it looked shabby and not in good condition.
I can't quite place my finger on it, but I know I've been here. The interior looks quite familiar to me, but at the same time, it looks different.
Noticing my confused look, Haruka provides some context: "You're at the Arcane Guild."
The Arcane Guild!?
The guild that I created became like this. You're telling me this shabby place is the Arcane Guild? I don't say it out loud, but it's obvious from my face that I'm shocked.
How was it reduced to this state? Was it because of the war? Wait, the war. Before finishing my thought, I asked the woman, "What date is it today?"
Haruka is a bit surprised by the question but answers anyway, "Today's date? It's June 22nd, 2122."
I am taken aback. I knew it was strange that I was in a different body, but as the information started to pile up, it kind of overwhelmed me. When Zaratraz waged war against us, it was 2022, so it's been 100 years since my battle with Zaratraz.
Concerned, Haruka asks, "Are you okay?"
I quickly reassure her, "No, nothing. I'm fine." While I think it would be best not to reveal anything to anyone because I'm skeptical.
With a hint of sadness, Haruka shares, "I know what it is. It's because we are the Arcane Guild, right?"
I inquired, "What do you mean?"
Haruka explains, "It's okay; I understand. We are the 'Fallen Nobles'. "
"A guild that rose a century ago from commoner status to noble status due to the Draconic Swordsman."
"We fell into great hardship due to the loss of our guild leader, the Draconic Swordsman, in the battle against Zaratraz. As our leader fell, along with most of the guild, the amount of loss we incurred caused the status our ancestors worked so hard to build to fall."
"We once again became commoners and were criticized and badmouthed about how weak we were, even more than the other commoner guilds.."
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have burdened you with all of this. Why don't you take some rest? I kept some clothes for you to wear since the dress you were wearing seems too big for you and is in tatters. Meanwhile, I will prepare some food for you."
Haruka leaves the room, leaving me lost in my thoughts.
The "Draconic Swordsman"… I can't help but smirk in disappointment. It's not a name I chose for myself—I mean, who would name themselves something like that voluntarily? Just thinking about it makes me cringe. Perhaps that's another emotion I've unlocked.
But I still can't believe the guild I made would ever turn into this. Even if it got ruined due to the war, 100 years have passed, and it's still in this shabby state. The reason I felt the place was similar but different is that it was the same guild I had made; it was just reduced to this state because the guild deteriorated.
Suddenly, I think of my last moments—Kaiga, the last person who I thought would betray me did. I never cared about dying one day because I hadn't had much of a life. I was always burdened with getting strong to survive, the missions that always ended with my hands covered in blood, and the heavy responsibility of making sure everything was done properly.
There were people after my life, which I couldn't seem to care about, but I never thought I would meet my end at the hands of Kaiga.
As I was busy wandering in my thoughts, I forgot about the elephant in the room: this interface-type thing that was before me.
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STATUS WINDOW
NAME: Ryojin Yukimura (LVL-0)
AGE: 17 (23)
RACE: Human??
TITLE: (LOCKED)
AFFILIATION: Unaffiliated
Ki:
Mana:
____________________________________________________________________________________________
SKILLS (LOCKED)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
It has my details, like my name, age... Why is it written like that? I was 23 when I met my end; now, it seems I've been returned to the body of a 17-year-old.
The difference isn't drastic, yet I look almost unrecognizable. My scars are gone, erased as if they never existed, and all the ki I once held has vanished, leaving me in a lean, unfamiliar frame.
Human?? So what, am I not human?
I thought for a while, I guess it makes sense.
I go through the status window. It seems like my body has regressed to a 17-year-old body; I'm not sure if it's my body or not, but I can see some similarities to my old face. It's just devoid of any scars that I had previously.
While examining my new body in the mirror, I see a pendant around my neck—the same pendant I had since I was born in my previous life.
If I was reincarnated into a new body, why is this still here? I look at the side and see my tattered clothes from the fight against Zaratraz that the woman was talking about. I didn't pay attention to her at that time because I was somewhat shocked and mind-boggled about this whole situation. Well, can you blame me?
Perhaps it was my body.
As I continue examining this so-called status window, my eyes drift to the "TITLE: (LOCKED)" line. I stare at it, frustrated by my apparent lack of power.
"Locked, was there anything I can actually see?" I muttered, gripping the pendant around my neck tightly. There's an odd warmth to it.
I try focusing on the status window, willing it to reveal my "Skills" or anything that might give me a clue.
Nothing happens.
"Useless…" I release my grip from my pendant, and a faint smirk of disappointment crosses my face.
I mutter under my breath, "The least you could do is tell me something or give me something, you useless shit!" I go to punch the status window, but my hands go through it, and I somehow trip and fall flat on my face.
I stare at the ground in embarrassment, thinking to myself, Did I just fall that pathetically?
THERE WAS LITERALLY NOTHING TO TRIP ON!!
At that time, I hear the same voice coming from the status window. I turn upwards still laying on the ground trying to see what was new.
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CONGRATS ON OPENING STATUS WINDOW
REWARD:[SKILL: AUTHOURITY]
Temporal Insight[G RANK]
Description: Upon activation, Temporal Insight allows the user to perceive an individual's status. This skill reveals a comprehensive overview of another person's current abilities.
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I looked at the new skill from the ground. "Alright, finally something useful!" I lay back down, raising my arms to check through the system.
Suddenly, I heard something behind me. I turned to see Haruka standing there with a tray of food which she probably prepared for me. Her eyes widened, clearly taken aback by what she saw.
My face went blank. Since I didn't have ki, I couldn't sense her entering the room and I had no idea how long she had been standing there. She probably couldn't see the system, so I probably looked like a crazy person talking to thin air.
We stared at each other, her confusion obvious. A heavy silence filled the room, thick with unspoken questions. Time stretched as we shared a loaded glance, each lost in our thoughts.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the moment hung there, suspended in uncertainty.