Hunger and poverty drove Ethan toward the military canteen, his stomach growling in harmony with his dwindling finances.
The soldier's pay was barely enough to survive on, especially for someone labelled "talentless" - they weren't expected to need long-term financial planning.
The canteen occupied the ground floor of a utilitarian concrete building, its high windows letting in streams of midday light that cast harsh shadows across the metal tables arranged in rows.
The day's lunch was some kind of meat stew, a basic but nutrient-rich fare designed to fuel soldiers rather than please palates.
The steam rising from the serving stations carried a blend of familiar spices - the military's attempt to make the synthetic meat somewhat palatable.
Ethan joined the queue, and before long a person called for him.
"Ethan!?"
Ethan turned to find Jack Chen standing behind him, dressed in the grey uniform of the city wall guards. The fabric was notably cleaner than the mud-stained attire of front-line scouts like himself.
At eighteen, they were the same age, but Jack's position as a wall guard meant he'd likely live to see nineteen - a luxury many "talentless" couldn't count on.
Although Jack had the same rank as the previous Ethan, which was Low-Iron. They were not on the same strength level. Since Jack was given more Iron Cores to absorb, which granted him more attribute points.
"I heard about your mission today," Jack said, genuine concern etched on his features as he patted Ethan's shoulder. "Scouting the surroundings... I'm glad you made it back alive."
"Thanks, I appreciate it," Ethan replied, studying his fellow expendable carefully. His predecessor's memories painted Jack as a classmate from the academy, both of them drafted into military service as cannon fodder.
But unlike Ethan, who had been cursed with no talent, Jack's F-Grade Danger Sense had saved him from front-line duty, relegating him to wall guard instead. A cushy position, relatively speaking. Furthermore, Ethan was given one iron core to reach the Low-Iron Core grade, meanwhile, Jack was given more.
The serving staff filled their trays, ladling out their portions. The stew landed in their bowls with a wet splat, chunks of meat floating in thick brown gravy.
"Mind if I join you?" Jack asked, following Ethan toward one of the corner tables. "My relief doesn't start for another hour, and I'd love to hear how you managed to survive out there. Might help me last longer if I ever get reassigned to the front."
Ethan nodded, choosing a table with good sightlines to both exits - old habits from his previous life dying hard. He sat with his back to the wall, a position that would have made Jack Thompson, his bully from his past life, mock him mercilessly. The irony wasn't lost on him.
As they ate, Jack leaned forward, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "So, tell me - how did you really survive out there? Everyone knows the survival rate for talentless scouts is..." he trailed off, realizing too late he was stepping into dangerous territory.
Ethan paused, spoon halfway to his mouth.
The memories of both lives intertwined in his mind - the terror of drowning, the rage of revenge, his transmigration. But those weren't stories he could share.
"My whole team died," he said finally, voice flat. "I survived by mere coincidence."
Jack's expression went blank for a second before horror crept across his features as he realized his massive social blunder. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered, pushing his food around his plate. "I shouldn't have..."
"It's fine," Ethan cut him off, "don't worry about it. But I really can't help - I don't know how I survived myself." The lie came easily to his lips.
The truth, after all, was far more complicated. The previous Ethan - the original owner of this body - had long since died in that forest.
As he watched Jack fumble through an awkward attempt to change the subject, Ethan couldn't help but wonder - how many talents would he need to devour before he could live normally without worrying about being bullied, or being a prey like the other Ethan was.