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Arc I Chapter 4

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In the dimness, rectangular boxes materialized before me, intruding bewilderingly to capture my attention. Initially, I thought they were mere hallucinations, spawned by the obscurity around. However, their persistence forced me to acknowledge their presence.

Rectangular-shaped brown panels? They seemed oddly familiar, reminiscent of the litRPG light novels I once immersed myself in.

LitRPG—a fantasy game driven by stats and monsters.

"?"

A distant memory flickered in my mind, confirming my recollection. In my imagination, my subconscious guided my fingers, and from the dark shapes emerged... a book?

A book floated before me.

Regardless, I surveyed the enclosed room, simultaneously realizing I'm hallucinating as if I'm in a messy... chaotic library. A library?!

"Ugh…!"

As I tried to gather my thoughts and break free from this illusionary place, a rush of memories, both familiar and alien, flooded my mind, seamlessly intertwining with my train of thought. It was inexplicable, this book transcribing its contents into my mind through my line of thought. At the moment, these memories were playing out in rapid session.

My head throbbed! Excruciating pain!

"Ahh!" I let out a shout as loud as I could, abruptly severing my train of thought.

The pain pulsated, and I massaged my temples in an attempt to alleviate it. Luckily, I escaped from that eerie place, back to reality. However, these rectangular 2D planes continued to flicker, indifferent to my relief, persistently vying for my attention.

Nevertheless, I resolved to push those horrifying memories aside. Fortunately, I didn't seem to carry any apparent trauma... or so I believed.

Initially, they were jumbled gibberish symbols, but now they're the same as the alphabet I know!

I felt bombarded by bizarre events. Was I stuck in a dream or losing my mind?

Doubts about my sanity crept in, accompanied by an unexplained fear of the words before me. Desperately, I slapped both my cheeks, hoping to clear my head and avoid dangerous thoughts.

Slap!

In the midst of this, the information about [Minuscule Paranoia] disappeared and replaced by another.

This was becoming absurdly ridiculous—level 10? Thaumaturgic skill? Hybrid thaumaturgic dimensional temporal skill? No... everything had been absurd since I arrived here.

Was this a narrative convenience, an audacious plot device? I don't know! I chuckled.

I closed my eyes, attempting to reset my mind.

The revelation of the RPG elements left me speechless and... mentally numb.

[ Past Review ]? Let me think of possible causes instead of asking impossible questions, lets start with Past Review.

Could [ Past Review ] be a consequence of visiting the horned woman's memories, the library of horror-inducing memories or perhaps from my time in the void before I arrived here? My past life, scrutinized repeatedly while awaiting my next life—counterintuitive, yet it stirred conflicting emotions within me. Despite the skepticism and excitement intermingling, a level 10 skill might not wield as much influence in the grand scheme of things.

Ideas popped in my mind. Disregarding my rational side for a moment, replace by a gamer mindset.

[ Astral Projection ] Could I truly move my soul as I wished? It seemed intimidating. Perhaps I had transferred into her soul(?). On the other hand, was [ Soul Rift Projection  ] a result of accidentally drifting into that terrifying library? What about the nature of Conditions and Proficiencies? What prompts Evolution from Transition?

So many questions.

Regardless, these things continued to puzzle me, causing my head to ache once again.

Despite the heap of nonsensical information thrust upon me, it was time to start accepting it. To embrace the world I found myself in with its own rules, albeit with a rational dose of skepticism. I wasn't assuming like a protagonist of a light novel, ready to leap for joy, defeat a demon lord, or assemble a harem just because I happened to be a lucky soul.

"..."

The notification panels persisted, demanding my attention one by one. However, most of the late notifications weren't that impressive. Contemplating a reorganization of everything, I reset my mind once again. Inhale... phew... exhale... ahh.

Firstly, it felt as though I had been adrift in the void for an unknown duration, then suddenly inhabiting the divine form of a female vampire in a silent, eerie room with a fresh corpse beside me. When that notion seemed too absurd, the mirror expanded in size. Memories of the deceased played back in my mind, and now, 2D planes resembling achievement notifications hovered around me, informing me that I was in an RPG.

Secondly, what exactly am I? It's clear that this body isn't originally mine. I ponder whether I'm a wandering soul in the void or if everything I know is the original knowledge of the person who once owned this body. If the latter is true, then I'm somewhat of a leech. I hope I'm not responsible for what happened to the original owner, or perhaps I am the original, experiencing amnesia and replaced by someone else's memories. However, the unfamiliar body I possess makes this scenario unlikely. The presence of the horned woman's corpse adds another layer of mystery. If not, then this body was merely a vessel, and somehow my soul came to inhabit it. From top to bottom, with white tender skin, a curvy picturesque body, white hair, a lovely feminine voice, and blue crystalline eyes, I examine the naked body in the mirror once again. Any man would be captivated by her.

Returning to the corpse, I examine it thoroughly, finding nothing aside from her locket and tattered crimson dress.

From the minuscule memories I gained, I witnessed somebody in what seemed like full prismatic-shaded armor using a light-emitting sword to pierce through her chest. She was killed just a few hours ago, stabbed in the middle of a burning pasture under the night sky. I have no knowledge of what transpired afterward. But how did she end up inside this enclosed space with no apparent entrance?

In all honesty, these memories that aren't mine keep pestering me, trying to grab my line of thought. If only I could delete them at once, I would gladly do so. Unfortunately, I don't even know where to start or how to escape this place. These alien memories prove unhelpful.

I stand up and walk in circles to observe this enclosed space.

".."

After what feels like half an hour of walking around stark naked and finding nothing new, I run out of energy and sit down on the floor again, exhausted. My feet ache from walking around with no footwear, and the lack of clothing makes me cold. I'm still contemplating as before.

"..."

The laws of physics seem mostly unchanged, at least the ones I can immediately perceive, like gravity, light, the fire in the candles, and the smoke above. I can breathe, indicating the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere.

And then, the notification panels spring up in glowing letters again in front of my eyes.

"Increased Endurance..." I mused, my embarrassment twining with the too-feminine timbre of my voice, akin to the delicate tones of a violin. It felt surreal and dream-like, yet amidst the whims of my gamer instincts pushing me toward unspeakable actions, I refocused on practical matters for distraction before returning to the mirror.

The image of this body, fully reflected in the magic mirror, struck me as slightly unnatural. It was as if she embodied the epitome of my deepest desires, hidden within the recesses of my mind and heart—an utter contrast to my past self.

My former self was ugly, fat, stern-looking, untrustworthy, broke, short, with crooked teeth, visually impaired, and a dark-toned-skinned outcast. Despite my inclination towards fairness in my judgments of others, when it came to self-evaluation, I couldn't escape relentless self-criticism. Failures, no matter how minor, echoed endlessly in my mind. The opinions of others barely affected me emotionally; the harshest critic was always 'me.'

Children labeled me as ugly, which I couldn't deny. People avoided looking at my face, preferring not to associate with me unless it was beneficial for them. I became accustomed to being used and exploited, choosing to hide and let things flow without confrontation. The notions of romance and marriage seemed distant, given the belief that no genuine woman would desire someone like me. My parents were present but not in the warmth of a family; our connection was more of obligation. Despite financial struggles, they invested heavily in my education, desiring academic excellence without considering my passions. I succeeded academically without passion, never reaching the top of the class unless compelled to endure things I didn't desire.

"It hurts..." I whispered, touching my chest with my left hand. I couldn't quite figure out if it was physical pain or something else.

Each life event etched itself in my memory like a sieve drawing drops of water, with traumatic memories I preferred to keep locked away. I found myself replaying my life in the void countless times, wondering if the dull, painful existence back then led me to contemplate ending my own life by my own.

Feeling the discomfort linger, I diverted my attention from the mirror, deciding to explore this mysterious space further. The encased room seemed devoid of any apparent exits or entrances, and the notification panels persisted, dancing in front of my eyes like ethereal specters. Desperation set in as I sought clues, a way out, or any semblance of understanding.

As I paced around the confined space, a sense of weariness settled in, accentuated by the chill on my bare skin and the soreness in my feet. The laws of physics appeared to hold, offering some reassurance, yet the persistent notifications remained an enigma. Lost in contemplation, I yearned for an answer.

My gamer instincts kicks in, wanting to help by giving me ridiculous ideas such as calling the status screen, shouting the login menu and... huh?

At the words ‘status screen,’ three brown panels with white letters similar before appeared in front of my face again, this time they were different, glowing and larger, I can't help but read them starting from the top.

"So this is the status screen?" I murmured, a grin appearing at the thought. It was amusing to see my gamer side unexpectedly proving helpful.

Double-checking reality is a good habit, but ignoring hard evidence in front of you is unwise.

With all the weird stuff happening around me in this fantasy-like reality, I couldn't help but wonder, "Can a five-sided square even theoretically exist? What about a species of zebra with missiles on its shoulders?".
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