The first thing "Kai" felt was softness.
Something soft and damp was beneath his back. Not a bed, but something more natural. Then came the scent—the smell of wet earth and strange, sweet flowers he'd never smelled before. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a canopy of enormous, purple leaves above him, with golden sunlight filtering through, painting patches of light on the ground.
"Where... am I?"
The sound escaped his lips before he could think. But it wasn't his voice. "Kenji's" voice had been deeper, rougher, the voice of a man who'd spent his final years speaking in boring meetings. This voice was... softer, smoother, with an almost musical tone to it.
He sat up quickly, which sent blood rushing to his head, making him dizzy. He looked at his hands to support himself. They weren't his hands. The hands he saw were slender, with long, elegant fingers and perfectly manicured nails with a light pinkish tint.
"No way..."
He felt something tickling his face and neck. He raised a trembling hand to touch it, only to find locks of long, black hair, as soft as silk. His hair!
Panic drove him to his feet, but his new legs felt strange and unsteady. He looked down, and that's when his breath hitched in his chest.
He was wearing the same demonic-looking outfit from the character editor. A black and red garment that barely covered his body, revealing a flat, toned stomach and long, shapely legs. He saw the complex black sun-like tattoo on his chest. It was real. All of it was real.
He stumbled toward a nearby pool of clear water, rainwater that had collected in the roots of a massive tree. His heart was hammering. He dropped to his knees and stared at his reflection.
The face that looked back at him was not the face of Kenji Tanaka.
It was a face of chaotic beauty. Sharp red eyes stared back in shock, framed by flawless skin and slightly full lips. And two small, elegant red horns sprouted from his jet-black hair.
"Wow..." he whispered in his new voice. "...I'm infuriatingly hot."
Just as he was having an existential crisis while admiring himself, the familiar blue screen popped up right in front of him.
[ Welcome to the Whisperwood Forest in the world of Aethelgard, 'Kai'! Congratulations on the successful completion of your transformation! ]
"You!" Kai yelled at the screen. "Where the hell am I? And what am I supposed to do?"
[ So impatient. All in due time, ] the System replied coolly. [ You have a new tutorial quest! ]
[ Quest: Check Your Status and Equipment! ]
[ Description: Say "Status" out loud to open your personal user interface. It's helpful to know what you can do before something eats you. ]
Kai hesitated for a moment, then said, "...Status."
Immediately, a transparent screen filled with information appeared before him.
Name: Kai
Race: Demonkin
Level: 1
Title: Seductive Newbie
Skills:
Seduction (Beginner)
Charming Pout (Beginner)
[5 more skills locked]
"That's it?" Kai said, disappointed. "My skills are to be cute and hot?"
[ They are weapons of mass destruction in the right hands. Or, in your case, on the right lips. ]
Before he could retort, he heard a sound.
A rustle in the nearby bushes. And then... a low GRRROWL.
Kai froze. It was a deep, guttural growl, unlike any animal he knew. He slowly turned to see a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring at him from the shadows.
A flashing red message appeared on his screen.
[ Warning! Hostile monster approaching! 'Shadow Wolf' - Level 5! ]
[ System Suggestion: Try using your 'Seduction' skill. It might work and you'll get a new pet. Or it might see you as an attractive-looking dinner. It's a 50/50 chance. Good luck! 😉 ]