[??? POV]
Void. Darkness.
"It time?"
"It is"
Oh, Eternal One,
When flame hurts the unworthy,
It embraces the chosen one.
Where another burns to heal,
You burn to be alive.
Let the world burn to bring you alive, my child.
I bless you.
*************
Where am I?
I thought, enveloped by darkness, my eyes heavy. Urggh! Why couldn't I open them?!
"Kah! Finally!"
My chest heaving, I gasped for air like a starving man. Slowly, I pushed myself up from the bed, noticing it was softer—much softer than usual.
"This is…?"
An unfamiliar ceiling stretched above me, and the bed beneath was undeniably luxurious. The room itself was a quiet, spacious contrast to my usual cramped quarters.
A window! Yes! A window.
I rushed to the nearest window in the room.
"Huh…?" I murmured as I reached it.
What greeted me outside the window was—what can I say—a sprawling, grand metropolis. White buildings gleamed beneath a brilliant blue sky, not the usual gray one I was accustomed to. I spotted a few birds flying freely, a touch of bitterness in my mouth for something I didn't quite possess. Then my eyes landed on the tallest tower, so high its tip was hidden in the clouds, stark black against the sky. 'Is that…?' A scene flashed in my mind, then I shifted my gaze to the surroundings: people, a vibrant, colorful market, hover cars, and technology that screamed in my face, 'This is not your world!'
But what struck me the most was the reflection on the glass, staring back at me.
I took a step back, unconsciously, looking around the room: gray walls, a wild bed, a table in the right corner, and a computer far more advanced than my usual one. But something I was looking for was missing—another person, the one this reflection belonged to.
My hand, trembling, rose to touch my face. The reflection mirrored my own action. My breath hitched. 'This is me…'
Vibrant, deep blue hair, long enough to brush my ears, framed a youthful face too defined to call himself a boy. Deep, pink, sharp eyes stared back at me, bewildered.
"Fuck."
I knew this face.
This guy.
And like fate decided it was time to slap me with the truth, a yellowish screen suddenly displayed in front of me, packed with ancient symbols. I didn't know their meaning, but as if by magic, their sense seemed to penetrate my brain, forcing me to understand.
" Etharie Record: Greet the Newly Awakened "
"Linking the Awakened to Etharie... "
" Scanning for suitable affinity... "
"BEEP! Blessing detected... "
I gasped, realities crushing into me.
"Part two, fuck."
I was transmitted.
"Link complete! "
Name: Dante Westler
Level: 1
Blessing: ?????(EX)
Strength: E
Agility: D
Intelligent: E
Endurance: F
Charisma: S
Affinity: Fire (E)
Skill: Healing (E)
Unique Skill: ????(?)
As an extra, Dante Westler.
A good-looking support character with the most useless skill in the game.
'Oh, my life.'
***************
800 years ago, or so.
The Rifts, massive tears in reality, suddenly appeared across the earth, spawning a countless number of monsters that invaded the planet and killed one out of four numbers of humanity.
'Classic, yum yum,' I thought, a bitter note to my inner monologue.
This forced humanity to abandon their land, homes, and pride, hiding like mice for hundreds of years. Until one day, humans mutated. As it turned out, the monsters weren't the only things the Rifts spawned; 'mana,' as we call it, was a mysterious energy no one believed to exist. Yet, it awakened an Earth system, the Etharie Record, granting humans power to adapt to this mysterious energy. We called them 'Awakened.' With renewed power, humanity began to fight back, led by seven renowned figures, 'The Seven Blades of Humanity.' They guided humanity in recovering 30% of their land. After a period of recovery and time for humanity to settle, they founded the Awakened Council to maintain law, order, and safety. With mana as a new energy source and monster ingredients, humanity rapidly advanced to this day.
"Lore accurate, yum~" I murmured to myself, stuffing the last meatball into my mouth.
"Ding!"
"Hm?"
I looked at my phone, noticing a new message from 'Dante's' parents.
'Sorry, darling. Your dad and I decided to continue our honeymoon a little longer. Here's your credit—50,000 Ð.'
My brow twitch.
'Yeah'
"Sigh~"
A breath escaped my lips before I truly noticed.
'Figures. Why else would this guy be able to enter the academy with that level of skill?'
I shook my head, standing up. I tossed the utensil in my hand with surprising accuracy into the trash bin. Then I put my ID, my phone, into my baggy black pant pocket, dusting myself off.
'Three days have passed since the day I was transmitted,' I mused, starting to walk toward the center of this city, where the Associated Awakener Council was located.
'I've figured out many things, but the most important are these: First, I am 16 years old, meaning I have one year before Lavish First Blade Academy—or La'first Academy—starts. One year before the main story begins.'
I clenched my jaw, looking up at the still unfamiliar blue sky of this world.
'Second, I am not the same Dante Westler. The Dante I knew doesn't have these blessings and unique skills.'
My steps measured, back straight, and face masked with blank indifference despite the turmoil inside me.
'Third, I am weak. No name, no backup, no allies… a blank slate.'
'And last, I am in an island city, where most of the story begins—a City of Wisdom, where the strongest academy is located. Whither City.'
"Hah. First, I have to identify these skill and blessing."
'If I want to find the truly happy ending…'
A grin threatened to break out of my blank face as I covered my mouth with my hand.
Not to save the world.
Not to be heroic.
Just curiosity.
"Might as well go all out, kekeke."
Right now, walking here wasn't Dante Westler, a useless supporter, or Marcus Flick, a mystery transmitter with a broken past.
Just a Gamer.
Inside and out.
"Kekekeke~"
"Mom, is that brother okay?" a cute little girl asked.
"Shhh! Erin! Let's go!" the mother said, scooping up her daughter before warily walking away.
"..."
'Fuck, part three edition.'