Discoveries and Questions
Leon sat back on the edge of the bed, his mind reeling from the strange events of the past hour. The faint warmth on his palm from healing Aria lingered, a vivid reminder of what had just transpired.
"What the hell is happening to me?" he muttered, his voice barely audible in the grand room's eerie silence.
He rubbed his temple, trying to process everything. First, he had woken up in a world that was supposed to be a game, then he had somehow healed Aria with a touch, and now… now he was stuck as Leon Alaric, the character everyone despised.
As his thoughts spiraled, a sudden idea struck him. In games like Eternal Reign, characters had status screens. Maybe… just maybe…
"Status," he said aloud, half-expecting nothing to happen.
To his surprise, a translucent window appeared before him, floating in midair. His eyes widened as he leaned forward, his gaze scanning the glowing text:
[STATUS WINDOW]
Host Name: Leon Alaric
Race: Half-Dragon
Age: 18 years
Strength: 25
Mana: 25
Luck: 35
Intelligence: 43
Skills:
Swordsmanship: C Rank
Magic Proficiency: D Rank
Condition:
Strength reduced due to lack of training and prolonged alcohol abuse.
Leon blinked at the screen, his heart pounding. It was just like the game—no, it was exactly like the game. But one detail immediately jumped out at him.
"Half-Dragon?" he whispered, frowning. That wasn't in the original story.
He tapped on the word, hoping for more information, but the system remained unresponsive. "What does this mean? Why am I listed as Half-Dragon?" he asked aloud, but the glowing screen didn't answer.
Frustration welled up inside him. "Fine, don't tell me," he muttered, turning his attention to the other stats.
The numbers weren't impressive, but they made sense. Leon's physical stats—Strength and Mana—were pitiful, a reflection of the character's neglect of training. Luck was above average, which was surprising, but Intelligence...
"Forty-three," he muttered, a small smirk forming on his lips. "That's higher than I expected."
He tapped on Intelligence, and this time, the system responded:
[INTELLIGENCE]: Reflects the host's knowledge and problem-solving ability. Includes information carried over from the host's previous world.
Leon's smirk grew into a grin. "So, my gaming knowledge gives me an edge here. Makes sense."
But then a thought struck him, and his grin faded. "Wait a second," he said, narrowing his eyes. "If this stat includes all my knowledge from my past life, shouldn't it be higher? Like, way higher? I mean, I know everything about this world! Shouldn't it be, I don't know, at least an 80 or 90?"
The system remained silent.
Leon groaned, slumping back against the bedframe. "Of course, no answer," he muttered. "Figures. The one time I need detailed explanations, and the system clams up."
Still, the revelation about his Intelligence stat was comforting. It meant his expertise as a gamer wasn't entirely wasted. But the "Half-Dragon" part nagged at him. It didn't fit. Leon Alaric, as he was known in the game, had been entirely human.
"What's the deal with that?" he mused, staring at the glowing screen. "Did I get some kind of hidden buff for transmigrating? Or is this something the game never revealed?"
He closed the status screen with a swipe of his hand, letting out a long sigh. For now, there were too many questions and not enough answers.
"Focus," he told himself. "One step at a time. If I'm going to survive as Leon Alaric, I need to play this smart."
His gaze drifted to the door where Aria had left moments ago. The memory of her scars, the haunted look in her eyes, and the warmth of the healing light lingered in his mind.
"Step one," he muttered. "Protect her. No matter what."
Because if there was one thing he could control in this chaotic new reality, it was how he treated the people around him. And Leon Alaric's legacy of cruelty was about to come to an end.
Leon leaned back in his chair, his eyes still fixed on the now-vanished status screen. The weight of confusion bore down on him like a heavy fog. He rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of his predicament.
"I need information," he muttered under his breath. "I can't just wander around blind. I need to know about this world, about… him."