My soul was gripped by genuine panic. Maybe someone in my place would start jumping with joy, like, you know, being transported to another world, magic and other cool sorcery that you can do, but... what if I "remember" something else? Something that would just kick my current personality with iron boots somewhere into the deepest depths of subconsciousness? And why not? I woke up in the body of some, apparently, cool guy... unlikely that an ordinary guy can boast armor and sword that just scream out loud that they are first-rate, and therefore, incredibly expensive. And this, in turn, means that the guy wearing them isn't just anybody and understands something in this life. And he can also do magic. And that means there's a possibility that even just simply if all the memories of such a fellow "awaken," and... even in the best case, I would cease to be myself, and a more realistic forecast says that rather this "guy" will just get the memory of a not-so-stupid but nothing particularly outstanding resident of the twenty-first century and go on about his business. Not a great prospect, to put it mildly.
Only I couldn't do anything about it. And so, pulling myself together, I still forced my eyes to focus on the new window, and my brain to start comprehending what was written there:
[Calibration of nervous system, muscle memory, and information archives completed.]
[All basic skills successfully implanted.]
[Soul fusion with physical shell completed.]
[Would you like to receive more information?]
[Yes/No]
Frantically taking out the flask and taking a couple of sips of water, I clenched my teeth into one of the strips of jerky and began to think. Somewhere I read that a person can't panic and eat at the same time. Hell knows if this is true, but it seemed to actually help a little. However, bringing my hand with meat to my face, I realized that all this time, it turns out, I had been wearing a helmet. Just without a visor. Strange, I thought that walking with a bucket on your head would be quite uncomfortable, but here — until I paid attention, I didn't even feel this detail of the wardrobe.
Removing this element of armor turned out to be easy. There were no fasteners or attachments connecting the helmet to the rest of the armor, it just came off, turning out to be lined inside with some elastic, like foam or styrofoam, but visually and to the touch completely fabric lining, clearly having the task of cushioning blows. Its texture was closest to velvet, and the color was black. The helmet itself was... well, a helmet. The same blackened-scarlet as all the armor, and with a T-shaped cut on the facial part, only not quite "T", wider and more comfortable, it didn't narrow the view and didn't interfere with breathing, but it also didn't protect from gifts flying directly into the face. Probably, yeah.
While examining the head protection, I noticed another nuance. Hair. The hair reached the solar plexus, that is, essentially, the middle of the back. And it was silky, soft and... white even to look at. Well okay, it was already clear from the height and build that this wasn't my body. Thank goodness at least I remained a man... yes, something there, under the pants, was definitely present — I could feel it, and the physique was definitely not feminine, even with hair that half the girls I knew would envy.
A nervous chuckle escaped from my throat. Ye-e-ah, buddy, you woke up who knows where, as who knows what, there's hell knows what going on in your head, and you're discussing the epicness of the hair cover of this very "who knows what's" head. And also trembling, since it's already obvious that this is too much even for the most detailed and thought-out dream, and this means that you're in trouble. And in trouble, apparently, in fantasy. Moreover, judging by the body's gear, classic fantasy. With magic. And a level of technical development comparable to something like the thirteenth century, where the trebuchet is the pinnacle of engineering thought, and only the Chinese know about warm toilets with running sewerage, and even that's not for certain. Speaking of which... I found water and food in the luggage, but somehow I don't see any toilet paper. And even though I don't need it right now, but... and that's not even mentioning that for "that business" I'll have to somehow get out of the plate armor! Maybe it sounds stupid and petty, but I somehow don't find the strength in myself to rejoice, like an idiot, at the developing situation! Too many uncertainties and unknowns. I'm not even sure I haven't gone mad! About "where to go" and "what to do" I'm not even talking! Okay, calm, just stay calm! I'm alive, seemingly healthy, and even with limbs and magic. In theory, this is already not bad. Well, now inhale, exhale, and do what will have to be done anyway. Raise your hand and click the [Yes] button.
[You met all the necessary requirements for System installation. The System was successfully implanted in your soul. You are now in a symbiotic relationship with the System. The System's task is to help your development.]
[During System installation, the previous physical shell was lost. To ensure the continuation of your life activity, the System formed a new shell.]
"Eh?.. What do you mean, is that all?!" I protested with sincere, almost, offense at the "detail" and "extensiveness" of that "greater" information that was given to me.
And silence was my answer...
"Seems like really that's all. Well, brilliant, clear, detailed and understandable. User-friendly interface, damn it. And what next? Or are you just a voice in my head, only with panels instead of words?" silence again. "Okay, calm, just stay calm! Don't curse out loud... I said — don't curse! And just shouting isn't necessary either. Inhale, exhale... Think. Think ideas. We need a plan. A good plan. Not necessarily reliable as Swiss watches, but at least one that can be smoked..." against the background of the storm rising in my head, at some point moments from once-read Korean novels on this topic surfaced to the forefront. "Status?..."
I don't know whether the keyword worked or just the mental request, but to the side of the already open message windows popped up a new window, where in the left part my body was shown in full height, dressed in the same armor that I'm wearing now, around which, meaning the body, along the frame edge hung two columns of squares, each containing a schematic image of one of the armor elements, while in the right part of the window was already a letter-numerical table:
──────────────
Name: N/A
Race: High Elf
Class: Paladin
Level: 1
Health: [100/100]
Mana: [99/100]
──────────────
Strength: 20
Agility: 15
Vitality: 10
Perception: 10
Magic: 10
──────────────
Damage Reduction: 40%
──────────────
Available characteristic points: 0
──────────────
Having carefully read everything three times and compared the image "in the photo" with an attempt to feel my ears, I made sure that indeed, I am an elf. Such an unexpected thing. The ear turned out to be not so much long, but exceeded a human one by one and a half to two times and was indeed pointed at the top. Perhaps in another situation this would have caused a much greater emotional reaction, as well as the clarification that I was even a "High" elf, but against the background of everything else that had become part of my life, this was no longer such an impressive fact. In any case, I was much more interested in the moment of absence of a name in the table... And the fact that, having paid attention to this, I... couldn't remember it.
I perfectly remembered my life, my family, studies at school, university, work, hobbies, first girlfriend... but I couldn't remember any names at all. No names of any people with whom I was personally connected.
What is this, an error during the transfer or intentional erasure from the System? But for what? What's the point? Someone, please answer me!
There was no answer. Only the crows continued to build their nests or share some shiny thing somewhere away from me, shaking the air with continuous cawing.
"So, okay. So... good. Everything is wonderful," I resumed walking in circles from tree to tree, nervously biting my lips, well, and returning the helmet to my head. The ears, surprisingly, didn't interfere with the latter, seemingly even reflexively pressing against the head and experiencing no discomfort after closing. It seems even my hearing didn't change from wearing the helmet. "At least I know how to use a sword... and magic... and ride horseback..."
And indeed, several attacking and defensive combinations surfaced in memory without the slightest effort, perceived in the smallest details and familiarity, like something that can be done without thinking at all. Regarding magic, it was the same, as soon as I thought about it — and I perfectly understood how to create a healing spell, how to infuse a weapon with Light that would burn the enemy even through armor, how to release a strengthening aura that would affect me and everyone within a hundred meters radius whom I wish to protect, and I also knew how to strengthen myself, and anyone else, but already individually, not en masse.
With the last thought, I closed my eyes, concentrating on my-foreign memories and sensations that I should experience. The right hand sharply clenches into a fist until the pleasant screech of plate gauntlet metal, and... I felt everything. Everything. The flow of magical energy in my body, how it exits through the skin as a shining haze, how the structure of the spell forms, how runic rings are built around me, after which they break up and spread in nodes throughout the body, maintaining threads of magical capillaries between themselves, through which a new flow of mana is already running, expanding the network and covering the whole body with a weightless shining film — I literally saw all the interweaving of energy threads, nodes and fasteners of the spell, each of its elements, each block, and I... I understood everything! What, why, how, by what principles and what it means! All the ins and outs of the ready spell down to its very basis, from which all subsequent patterns and principles were derived.
The right palm lies on the sword handle, removing it from the back, incidentally enriching me with new understanding that I was holding it there with mana and the blade was protected from rust by it too. New thought, intention... And a new runic ring, woven from light, runs through my aura from waist to crown, to break up again and settle on the blade's canvas, making the metal emit a golden glow. And I realize... feel... see... that with this light I can not only protect the blade from chips and pierce through someone else's armor, but also sink into foreign flesh with a burning curse that will equally torment both demon and human.
An indescribable sensation...
The knowledge of magic...
Not all of it, yes. I felt that my knowledge was at the level of "parish school," and literally at that, but already at this level I could create something additional myself, something that wasn't put into me, for example, a ball of light that would replace a lamp. It wasn't difficult. I understood how to do it...
And this was... just awesome compared to what I knew just yesterday... and criminally little if remembering those epic rages of energy that are often described in battles of mages from fantasy.