Pain.
That was the last thing Alexander felt as he lay flat on the cold pavement, crimson pooling beneath him. The sirens wailed in the distance, but he knew they wouldn't make it in time. His breath came in ragged gasps, his body refusing to move. His vision blurred, the faces of the bystanders turning into shifting silhouettes.
How did it come to this?
One moment, he was going home after a boring day of classes. The next, a sharp blade pierced his side, wielded by a man he had never seen before. A mugging? A mistake? It didn't matter anymore. The world around him grew dimmer, the pain slowly fading, replaced by an eerie numbness.
'So this is how it ends...'
A strange calm settled over him. Regrets? Maybe a few. He had never done anything extraordinary. Never traveled the world. Never told her how he felt. He was just another nameless face lost in the crowd.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
---
He woke up gasping.
His first instinct was to clutch his side, where he had been stabbed. But the pain was gone. No wound. No cold pavement. Instead, a soft breeze brushed against his skin. He blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. The scent of earth and blooming flowers filled the air.
'Where... am I?'
He pushed himself up and finally took in his surroundings. Towering trees stretched toward an impossibly vast sky, their leaves shimmering in hues of gold and violet. A river, its waters crystal clear, meandered through a field of grass unlike any he had ever seen. Everything looked… surreal, almost dreamlike.
He walked to the river to wash his face. And that's when he finally noticed—
His face.
It was beautiful. Far more beautiful than his original one. His hair was black, darker than the night itself, and his blue eyes shimmered like gemstones, catching and reflecting light with an unnatural brilliance.
His heart pounded.
This wasn't Earth. And this wasn't his body.
"What the hell is going on?"
A sudden pulse of energy coursed through him, sending shivers down his spine. It was a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt—powerful, ancient, and... his own.
Then, as if responding to his confusion, a voice echoed in his mind. In front of him, glowing panels materialized, their blueish aura pulsating faintly.
[Reincarnation - Complete.]
[Transferred host to a new body - Complete.]
His breath hitched. Reincarnation? Was he dreaming?
Before he could question anything further, another panel appeared.
[Want to start the "Tutorial"?]
[Y/N]
He hesitated.
For five minutes, he just stood there, thinking. Then, finally, he tapped "Yes."
Another panel appeared.
[Name: Choose name]
He smirked. Without hesitation, he entered the name of a famous character.
[Name: Alexander Moonveil]
He chose it because, back on Earth, he had loved reading novels—especially this one, which he had read over 20 times.
[Say "Status" to open your status. You can also open it just by thinking. Only you can see it.]
"Status," Alexander said, and immediately, a glowing panel appeared.
---
[Name: Alexander Moonveil]
Age: 17
Race: Human
Rank: 1
Level: 0
Titles: [Reincarnated]
Stats:
Attack: 40
Defense: 20
Agility: 20
Stamina: 15
Intelligence: 80
Luck: 10
MP: 0
SP: 0
Skills: None (for now. Read your unique ability to see more.)
Unique Ability: Snatch
---
Alexander read over his status. At first, excitement bubbled within him. He had actually been reincarnated into a world like those he had read about in novels!
But then, his enthusiasm faded.
His stats were... disappointing. He wasn't sure how trash they were, but he knew they were trash. No skills either.
Then, another panel popped up.
[To read the description of any skill or unique ability, just think about its name, and the details will appear in your mind.]
"Okay, this will help a lot," Alexander muttered to himself. He turned his gaze back to his status screen, and his eyes locked onto his only ability.
'Snatch.'
He thought about its name, and instantly, another panel appeared with the description.
---
[Unique Ability: Snatch]
Description: With this ability, you can copy a skill or unique ability from any person. Right now, you can copy one time every two weeks. The cooldown will decrease as your level increases. To copy, just think about copying the skill or ability. Additionally, you can see others' status with Snatch.
---
A grin spread across Alexander's face.
"This... can be powerful!" he said, unable to hide his excitement.
But questions still flooded his mind.
"How do I level up? What is this world? And where do I find civilization?"
As if responding to his thoughts, several panels appeared before him.
---
[Map]
[You level up by killing monsters in the wild or in dungeons. To access dungeons, you need permission from the 'Adventurers Guild.']
[This is Mysthia. A fantasy world of magic and swords. Many races exist besides humans, such as elves, dark elves, dwarves, demons, and beastmen. They each have their own kingdoms.
The strongest is the Human Empire, 'The Celestia Empire,' followed by the Beastman Empire, 'The Moonclaw Empire,' ruled by the fox tribe. The Beastman Empire consists of multiple tribes, including the cat tribe, lion tribe, fox tribe, rabbit tribe, dog tribe, wolf tribe, and many others.
The third strongest is the Demon Empire, 'The Abyssal Empire.' Little is known about the other three empires, as they avoid contact with outsiders.
The world functions like a game, with ranks divided into realms. These are:
1. Beginner Realm: Rank 1-2 (Level 1-20)
2. Intermediate Realm: Rank 3-4 (Level 21-60)
3. Master Realm: Rank 5-6 (Level 61-120)
4. Grandmaster Realm: Rank 7-8 (Level 121-160)
5. Saint Realm: Rank 9-10 (Level 161-180)
6. Demi-God Realm: Rank 11 (Level 181-199)
7. Fake God Realm: Rank 12 (Level 200). ]
Three panels appeared.
The first displayed a map, with a red dot marking his location and various other markers for cities and villages.
The second explained how and where to level up.
The third outlined the world's structure and ranking system.
Alexander narrowed his eyes.
"So to level up, I need to kill monsters?"
[Yes.]
"Map," Alexander commanded, opening the map. He stared at it for a few moments before nodding to himself.
With newfound determination, he began his adventure in this mysterious world.