Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Prologue
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"…It doesn't seem like it only has downsides."
To hold onto hope for surviving in this world, he had to find some merits to this guy somehow.
Stroking his gloomy emotions just from the single reason of being Judah Arshel, he checked the status window again.
──────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Judah Arshel]
[Title: None]
[Level: 1]
[Job: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)]
[Revivals: 0]
[Strength: 20 (D) / Potential A]
[Vitality: 15 (F) / Potential S]
[Agility: 15 (F) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 30 (D) / Potential B]
[Magic Resistance: 50 (C) / Potential S]
[Luck: 75 (B) / Potential A] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 0]
──────────────────────
「Ability Rank Chart」
0-19 F
20-39 D
40-59 C
60-79 B
80-89 A
90-99 S
100-109 SS
110 SSS
──────────────────────
The current stats were quite respectable, and the potentials were impressive. Good. Considering that an untrained adult's stats averaged around 15, these were remarkably high for his young age. The worrisome luck value was also different from what he remembered. Originally, Judah's luck potential was barely D, but here it had become a full A, likely due to Sian's meddling. With this, he could avoid a lot of misfortune—enough to let him hold some hope.
However, whether Sian had tampered with the original status window, the vitality and mana amounts weren't displaying properly. …Well, this wasn't a game but reality in all but name, so getting stabbed through the heart or decapitated would mean death, no questions asked. Unless he had some special skill, anyway. Once he finished checking the stats, he turned to the skill window.
──────────────────────
「Traits 3/10」
[Player] - Rank: S
[God of Battle] - Rank: S
[Blessing of the First Legion Lord] - Rank: C
「Skills 2/10」
[Shadow Heresy Arts/Sword Arts] - Rank: A
「Talents」
[None]
──────────────────────
[Player] - Rank: S / Workmanship: Master
A skill granted to participants qualified as Masters.
Resists fear in emergencies or combat, reduces dread, and prompts seeking solutions.
Provides absolute resistance to curse-based mental manipulation.
[God of Battle] - Rank: S / Workmanship: Master
Possesses innate talent in combat, instinctively seizing the optimal moments for attack and defense.
Increases dynamic vision and reaction speed, boosts strength and vitality stats by 10.
Resists fatigue easily; when the body reaches its limit, temporarily sustains combat capability.
[Blessing of the First Legion Lord (Growth)] - Rank: C
Received the blessing of the Demon World's First Legion Lord, the Ruler of Space, Sian.
However, lacking qualifications, most powers are sealed.
Increases acquisition rate of knowledge and experience.
[Shadow Heresy Arts/Sword Arts] - Rank: A / Workmanship: 3/10
A secret art of the Black Claw Knight Order from a long-forgotten ancient empire.
Increases agility and magic resistance by 5.
Shadow Heresy Arts
└Shadow Heresy 1st Form - Shadow Deployment
└Shadow Heresy 2nd Form - Demon Eye Open/Seal
└Shadow Heresy 3rd Form - Afterimage
└Shadow Heresy 4th Form - Lesser Black Artifact Creation
└Shadow Heresy 5th Form - Guardian Shadow Wall
Shadow Sword Arts
└Shadow Sword 1st Form - Potential Release
└Shadow Sword 2nd Form - Slash
└Shadow Sword 3rd Form - Single Point
└Shadow Sword 4th Form - Phantom Sword
└Shadow Sword 5th Form - Mimicry
──────────────────────
Thinking back now, while he had created the character Judah himself, he'd made the poor guy truly pitiful. Betrayed by comrades every time, thwarted by the protagonist in everything he did, even his unrequited love stolen away. For someone with such handsome looks, he'd lived an utterly unfair life.
'Why the hell did I do that?'
If he could go back, he'd make Judah an absolute beast. Of course, that wasn't just talk because he was stuck in this body now. If Sian was going to shove a fragment in someone to collect it, why not put it in the protagonist's body? Why Judah, of all people?
A sigh escaped naturally. Well, at least it was Judah and not one of the worse-off characters. Some he'd lazily killed off in the late game despite their potential because setting them up was too much hassle.
"...."
He shook his head vigorously. Useless thoughts could wait. He refocused on the skill window. The real silver lining was that, when setting Judah as the protagonist's rival, he'd given him cheat-level skills like God of Battle and Shadow Heresy/Sword Arts.
No regrets there. He'd added them because the game felt too easy, and now they were saving his skin. Without them, things would've been truly bleak. He'd found Judah's strengths, at least.
'Still, there are so many restrictions in various ways. Well, that's to be expected, but…'
God of Battle was reassuring just by existing, but the Blessing of the Legion Lord below it currently offered no real abilities. Just an experience bonus effect. Still, from memory, any legion lord's blessing held tremendous power.
Excluding those, the 'Player' trait was something he'd never seen before. He didn't remember every trait, but this one was new—likely Sian's doing.
Even in this situation, staying mentally unshaken was probably thanks to it. Absolute resistance to mental manipulation? That was huge. No risk of getting charmed or anything unsavory.
'Traits are good, then.'
Next were the Shadow Heresy Arts and Sword Arts in the skill list—the last ones.
Originally, they went up to the 15th form, but with his current ability, he could only use up to the 5th. Still, the first five were plenty. Perfect for early game all the way to mid-to-late.
The real issue was how to use them, but reading the descriptions had forcibly imprinted the knowledge in his head. Whether Sian's courtesy or not, he at least grasped roughly when to use each.
"Shadow Heresy 2nd Form: Demon Eye Open."
Muttering the skill name brought a throbbing sensation, along with a full recap of its info etching into his mind. At the same time, a faint ache stung his eyes, and something felt different.
With no movement around, he couldn't test the Demon Eye's effect.
Wondering if thinking it silently would work, he tried canceling. It did.
Activating and canceling the skill was easy enough. The trick would be summoning the imagery quickly and adapting it to situations.
The moment he closed the status and skill windows, a new one popped up.
He flinched back in surprise, but the holographic window neither receded nor approached. The message inside was concise.
[Tutorial for Character.Judah begins.]
Come to think of it, Sian had said something like that—this was a game, but not a game.
'Hm, a tutorial. Wonder what a tutorial even means here.'
For an instant, he recalled the character Judah's settings, now synced with his soul.
His heart skipped anxiously.
'No way.'
The thought had barely formed when a thud echoed from beyond the door—someone collapsing. Reflexively leaping from the bed, the wooden door shattered as a rough-looking man with a bloodied axe stepped in.
Bulging muscles writhed menacingly beneath his leather armor.
"Hey, kid. Were you sleeping? Sorry if I woke you. Just grabbing something quick, so stay put nice and quiet."
Kid? He nearly yelled who he was calling a kid, but glimpsing his own spindly child's hand shut him up. The man stepped in slowly, scanning the room.
The room was already a mess from his earlier mirror hunt. The man shot him a "be good" glance and began rummaging.
Didn't seem like he was after money or valuables. And aside from that, there was nothing of worth here anyway. After a thorough search with no luck, the man's face flushed red.
Snorting in anger, he whipped his gaze around.
"Hmph. Damn it, not here either!"
Their eyes met, snapping him alert. Fortunately, not paralyzed by fear.
"You're giving me that look I don't like. Spitting image of your old man. Seems you haven't grasped the situation yet."
Helpfully, the man pointed beyond the door with a finger.
More precisely, at the man collapsed there.
"That's your dad. Just a corpse that can't talk now, though. How's that—situation clear?"
Grasp the situation?
Unfortunately, no such thoughts arose. Whether due to the trait or actual madness, he was already brainstorming escapes.
Still.
'…Sian's going too far.'
Not even adapted to this world yet, and it starts with parents he might grow attached to dying? Plus, one wrong move and he's dead. Strangely, though, his heart raced faster than usual without trembling in terror.
Not so hyped he couldn't think, tense just right.
Maybe the lack of realism made him feel like an idiot.
[Tip.]
[With your current physical abilities, killing the enemy before you is practically impossible.]
[But utilizing your skills makes it fully possible to kill him and claim victory.]
[If you want to live, use your skills to kill the enemy.]
He quickly read the floating message.
Yeah, figures. But easier said than done. Who could just kill someone on command? Swallowing hard, he averted his eyes and bowed his head to stare downward.
The axe-wielding man burst into laughter. As if triggered, a voice called from downstairs.
"Hey! Jack! Found it?"
The laughing man clamped his mouth shut and yelled back out the door.
"Nah, not yet! Wait. I'll grab it quick and come down!"
"No time!"
Shrugging, he turned back.
"Hear that? No time. Keeping you alive would just be trouble later. Gotta kill you too. Don't hate me too much, kid."
He advanced a slow step.
The wooden floor creaked under his weight. Slowly, he raised the bloodied axe.
Was this really reality?
His mind screamed to move, to flee—but if he died here, maybe he'd wake from this dreamlike mess.
With that thought, he shut his eyes, facing the descending axe.
Crunch—
"...."
Staring blankly into space, he snapped to. No pain. Nothing before him. The scene felt like an illusion. A message appeared.
[You have revived.]
* * *
──────────────────────
Tip 2. Talents may already be developed based on innate aptitudes or can be developed through effort. As a sub-concept of skills and traits, the number obtainable is unlimited.
──────────────────────
========== Afterword ==========
Ugh, my birthday's already over.
Yesterday was a truly stuffed day.
Ate so much delicious food. Hehe.
Hope you all had a great weekend!