POV – Daniel:
I woke up to a stone ceiling. The air was stagnant, filled with a stuffy old smell like no one had opened the windows for a while. There was also a hint of something coppery in the air.
I couldn’t remember what I was doing last. My head was spinning, and I felt like I’d just been through the worst roller coaster ride of my life. Considering that Stowe didn’t have a single amusement park and that I’d never truly left the town to visit one, that wasn’t saying much, but it was the spirit of the argument that mattered.
Pressing my palms to my sides, I pushed off the ground and sat up, looking around blearily. I noticed that I was sleeping on a rectangular piece of stone.
As I was absent-mindedly dusting my hands off, something caught my vision, and I froze.
A few feet away, lying on the floor with a small mound of dirt and one-half of a perfectly cut log, was a body. If it was just a random body even if I assumed it was a dead body and not just someone who was unconscious I would still probably not have been as surprised to see it as this one. After all, anyone would go dead-still if they saw their own freakin’ body!
I looked down at my hands, finally noticing how small they were. Panicked, I ran over to the body and reached into its back pocket, pulling out my phone, I didn’t bother unlocking it, but the facial recognition failing gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. Instead, I clicked on the camera icon, switched to the front camera, and waited with bated breath.
What the selfie camera showed me was both familiar and not. The face I saw was young, maybe 10 years old? I was never good at approximating ages. Instead, I focused on the defining features of the face, the hair was mostly black, but like an infestation of a particularly bad case of fungus, a wave of blonde hair could be seen if one looked closely.
My skin was pale. The cheeks were round and perfect for pinching with just the right amount of baby fat. Between the cheeks was a small and delicate-looking nose. A small beauty mark could be seen right under the right eye, but it seemed to be almost fading away.
Looking over the rest of the body, I found that nothing quite looked like my own original body. It was like someone took a child and slightly mashed my own features over them.
But there was one feature that remained unchanged. Bringing the camera closer to my face, I stared into my eyes. Deep, dark ethereal purple. They were the only components of mine I considered truly unique about me.
It's said that the eyes are a window to the soul. Considering what I know about my soul, it doesn’t feel all that weird anymore.
It was at the thought of my soul that I recalled everything that had just happened.
Looking over at my body, I realized that the fat noble must have messed up the ritual circle somehow. Seeing my own dead body was a surreal experience. Just to be sure I checked its pulse and made sure that it was truly dead. Only once I was satisfied did I start observing my surroundings properly.
I was in a stone room of some sort. There were crystals lighting up the room until it was just moderately lit. A ritual circle had been etched into the floor of the room. The Passive effects of [Memorisation] kicked in and reminded me that while the symbols were of the same colour, the actual style was completely different. Something to remember. Why would it be so different?
It was a moment later that I realized the body I currently inhabited must have been some sort of sacrifice. The child was probably kept here so that they could use his soul right after they arrived. Of course, without their full story, any speculation was meaningless.
Somehow, after inhabiting this new body, it was changing to reflect my own appearance. I didn’t know if this was just going to be a slow gradual process, or if the changes had already stopped.
One after the other the implications of what happened hit me. I killed 4 people, then I possessed a 10-year-old’s body. I left my parents alone. I left Ann alone.
Sitting down next to my corpse, I let the familiar feeling of [Meditation] wash over me. I sat there thinking about all that happened, processing it. I don’t know how long I must have spent like that, but it was a significantly calmer self that emerged from my thoughts.
I don’t regret killing those people.
Thinking back, Ann did use the word ‘we’ when she talked about shooting them. While I did indeed pull the trigger, it was the two of us that were responsible. Not just for killing the cultists but also for saving the kids.
The new body…wasn’t something I could do anything about. But for my own peace of mind, I’m going to assume that the kid was dead before I came here and took over.
As for the part where I’d left everything I had behind…I wasn’t going to despair about something that could be fixed. The fact that I was capable of reaching here meant that I could go back as well. Pretty much every Isekai protagonist gives up on ever returning home, to me that didn’t make sense.
It barely took me a couple of minutes and a single teleportation to reach here. A flight to Mexico would feel longer and further away.
Ann was strong, she was the one who gave me the strength to smile even as the ritual was taking me away. She would be fine; she would also reassure Mom and Dad. So instead of dwelling on useless things, I should move on and try to find a way home.
“But if I ever want to go home. I need to survive. This is real life for me. I can’t just rush out into this world and hope that everything will go well. There are literally so many things that can kill a 10-year-old. And that’s just in a mundane world, this one almost definitely has Magical things on top of that!”
Mauled by an animal. Killed by bandits. Poisoned by unknown vegetation. Tripping and falling on my head…The list was endless. Time itself could be against me.
There could be common things that I would have no knowledge of. Things that even children might know. Moreover, there’s the fact that the cultists were the only people I can safely say had access to interdimensional movement. Even if it was a hail mary for them, things not of this world could be considered taboo if they were associated with the cult, and I was an Otherworlder.
I had to take my lessons from all the Worm fanfiction I’d read. Information was both my greatest enemy and my greatest ally. Even if this world wasn’t being monitored by Eldritch Space Gods, it might still have people capable of Divination magic which is basically Information Gathering Magic. Seers and other people capable of seeing the future, even Clairvoyants who could be monitoring the planet for anomalies were things I had to plan for.
I had to make a promise to myself here and now. “I will do my best to minimize any harm that comes to this realm in my time here.” Hopefully, that will be enough to stave off the cliches about Otherworlders bringing about destruction to the world they are in. Also, if anyone was listening in then they’ll hopefully leave me alone.
Well, if there really are people out there who are powerful enough to become aware of me right after I came into the world they would have probably shown up by now.
“Know yourself, know the enemy and you have a decent chance at winning the war.” I think that’s how the quote went?
What do I know about my own capabilities? : I am capable of learning things at an advanced rate through the creation of Skills. However, I could feel myself getting ‘tired’ when I was creating skills. This ability should be used carefully, the consequences of Spiritual Exhaustion are unknown and need to be tested only in a safe environment with supervision by an individual who has knowledge of the subject and can provide aid in an emergency.
[Memorisation] can be used to quickly learn things in place of creating new skills. This skill might also result in Spiritual Exhaustion to a lesser extent and should be used sparingly.
As far as I can tell, I am a unique existence. My status as an Otherwolder and the nature of my Soul’s Gamer Powers must be kept secret to avoid danger.
What do I know about the enemy? : The enemy, in this case, the foreign environment and unfamiliar situation. I know this world has the concept of nobles from the events back on Earth. Expecting a medieval noble system of society is a fair assumption and must be given priority in future theories made with little to no information.
The morals of this world may be divergent from my own but should be close enough to be comfortable. The cultists were on the run, probably from the authorities there to catch them. This could be a religious body or the state government in other words the royal family.
I also have to acknowledge that I don’t know nearly enough about anything here.
How do I win the battle? : First I have to identify what victory even is for me. In this case, the goal of the War is to go home, but the goal of the first battle is to survive.
To survive immediately I need Water, Food and Shelter. Long-term survival needs information. My best chance at fulfilling both is to use my newfound youth to pose as a lost child suffering from amnesia. A simple self-inflicted head wound to the skin of the forehead should suffice.
I have to make my way to any kind of civilization and integrate myself with the local population. I should prioritize smaller settlements with tight-knit communities instead of bigger cities.
Orphanages might accept a clueless 10-year-old, but if it is a medieval society trying to find a simple job with a sympathetic individual might also work.
Deactivating [Meditation] I checked in on the skill.
…
[Meditation] has gained a level!
[Meditation] has gained a level!
…
~{Skills}~
[Meditation] {Active} (Lv. 18): The ancient art of meditation, used to cultivate focus, and observe the flow of thoughts and emotions without judgement.
…
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“I still haven’t felt any of my inner energies. Maybe I’ll have better luck when it's at level 20? Or is it because I wasn’t really looking for them specifically yet? Well, at least it does help a lot when it comes to clearing my head and helping me think.”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Looking over myself, I realized I was wearing very simple peasant clothes made of coarse material. For some reason, I couldn’t really think of them as Western Medieval in style, rather they looked a little Asian instead. But peasants probably didn’t have a lot of choices so I guess shouldn’t look too deeply into it. “Why the heck don’t they have pockets? Could I get rich if I introduce them here?”
Stepping over to my former body I stripped it of its shirt to use as a makeshift bag. Next, I made my way over to the pile of dirt and half the log that made its way here with me. I placed as many stones and pebbles and as much dirt as I could into my new bag and kept it aside.
Going over to the log, I checked it for any loose pieces and tore them off. Going back to the bag, I wrapped it close and made sure to leave the sticks to poke out of it so that they could be easily removed.
Finally prepared, I lifted the sack and swung it over my shoulder. That is until I immediately noticed my problem when I started swaying with it.
“I can’t afford to lose my balance, right after I identified tripping as one of the ways most likely to kill me dammit!”
Putting away the bag, I sat down in [Meditation] and pulled my focus onto two things: [Gamer’s Soul] and my new body.
From there I started making slight movements all along the body while keeping my focus. Comparing the instructions my mind was giving the body to the actual movements I made. This continued for a while until—
~Ping~
[Body Control] Skill Learned!
~{Skills}~
…
[Body Control] {Passive} (Lv. 1): Ability to master and manipulate physical movements with precision, grace, and finesse. The Skill encompasses physical feats such as agility, balance, and coordination. Apart from performing athletic and acrobatic manoeuvres, social abilities like controlling reactions and body language are also included. The skill also shows proficiency in piloting new bodies or adapting to changes made to existing ones.
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I grinned. “This was better than expected! Of course, it’s still level 1, so I have to work on it, but even without stats, the basic human body is capable of doing crazy things. With this skill, I’ll eventually be able to perform all kinds of stunts!”
Picking up my bag I started walking around the room in circles. Then I experimented with running, jumping and other basic movements.
[Body Control] has gained a Level!
Around 15 mins in I stopped. “Only one. Ugh, this one is going to be hard to level, huh? Well for now I can just continue on normally, the skill will get better as I get used to moving in this new body.”
Eventually, with this, I would completely master normal movements, to the point where tripping or stumbling would be impossible for me if I didn’t do it on purpose. I already knew that Skills could Synergize with one another, so using [Body Control] with some Martial arts skills or other physical skills will probably work nicely.
I walked over to the only exit I found while walking around the room: a set of stone steps leading up.
Games had taught me to look for hidden exits and loot. They had also taught me that not checking for traps was a supremely stupid thing to do, which was why I made sure to prod everything even remotely suspicious with the sticks I’d taken from the log.
“*Huff-huff* Man these stairs were not made for children. With all the cardio I did back in my old body this trash stamina is going to get old fast.”
Crouched over the last step, I observed the hallway that led to a cave entrance. I could see the light of day clearly, but apart from making out the sounds of birds chirping and the winds blowing I couldn’t make anything else out.
The innocence of the hallway was what made it suspicious. “Really, just a sacrificial altar so easily accessible by anyone? This has to be trapped!”
Setting my makeshift bag down I untied it and got to work testing the entire hallway for traps, throwing dirt, stones and sticks at every stone brick I could see.
10 minutes in I was starting to feel desperate. I knew it in my guts, this place was trapped, but if it wasn’t activated by a pressure plate then I wasn’t going to be able to test it. But if I stay here too long I’ll starve to death! It doesn’t matter if humans can survive for long without food, any reduction in my already trashy physical ability will increase my chances of death!
“I have to risk it…I have no choice.” Before I could doubt myself or talk myself into stopping I picked up my bag, shouldered it and ran as fast as I could straight through the hallway and into the forest beyond.
…
[Gamer’s Soul] has Negated [???] {Unknown Mental Influence}
[Gamer’s Soul] has Negated [???] {Unknown Mental Influence}
…
I could feel something, brushing against my mind, trying to break through to it, but utterly incapable of doing so.
“Woah! That feels all tingly and weird!” Most of my nervousness vanished when I realized that rather than a trap, there was probably some kind of Magical Ward placed here so no one would be able to find it in the first place.
Looking back, I could clearly see the entrance of the cave, however, if I focused I could also see what the illusion was meant to show. In my Mind’s Eye, I could see a natural-looking layer of rock covering up the entrance to the cave.
“Ha-ha! This is great! I don’t have to worry about Mind Control anymore!” That was one of my biggest worries. Not overt Mind Control, but subtle applications of Mental Magic that I might not even know about until it was too late. [Gamer’s Soul] was proving to be quite a powerful ability.
“Hmm? Maybe I can use this as a secret base? But I need to make sure that no one else knows about this place. If it was prepared by the cultists beforehand then it’s probably something no one knows about. But if the cultists told their friends about it, then they should have arrived here by now.” I would have to consider it a viable option for now.
“Now where the heck am I supposed to go?” All around me, I could see extremely tall, lush trees, with paradoxically short and sparse grass and bush presence. The only thing heavily abundant on the forest floor was a dense layer of compacted fallen leaves from the trees.
I need to get to a vantage point, to make sure I don’t miss anything obvious. One of the first things that came to mind when travelling in an unknown forest, was that it could be very easy for me to miss a sign of civilization close to me and end up waking in a completely wrong direction.
“Looks like I have to climb a tree and see how it goes huh?” Picking the tallest tree, I could find I climbed onto a boulder near it to gain access to its branches.
Already slightly tired, I looked up to see just how far I had to climb and couldn’t help but lament my fate. “*Haah-haah* This is insane I’m going to die of exhaustion long before anything else! Let’s hope I don’t take too long.” At the very least this will probably level up my [Body Control] Skill.
-<>-
[Body Control] has gained a Level!
From the highest point of the tree that I could reach, I looked down into the vast forest. As far as I could see, the forest was endless. There were hills that obfuscated my sight in some directions, but apart from that, my eyes literally couldn’t see anything other than the green trees.
That is until I looked closer and clearly spotted a road, that looked fairly well-used. Well, calling it a road was deceptive. It was just a line in the forest, where there was no grass, very few fallen leaves and no big rocks at all. A typical rural pathway.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. Stowe had its own share of greenery, but something about this place just made it feel so much more in tune with nature. It was refreshing.
Unbidden, my lips twitched upwards, and a wide smile bloomed on my face. “This really is an Isekai adventure huh? Even with all the possible danger I can’t help but get excited. I haven't even gotten to use any Magic but standing here, looking around this new world, I can only feel positive! Ann might not be here but knowing that she’s safe is enough for me. With Magic, anything should be possible! I don’t have to make getting back home my end goal! Living a good life, enjoying my journey, and experiencing the Great Adventure, that is the ultimate goal!”
Moving across the branches to get a better look at the road, I saw something that made the wide smile on my face stretch even wider.
3 people were moving through the forest road at a pace that I couldn’t quite tell was slow or fast. A tall muscular man in his 30s and a young man (boy?) at around 15 were walking on either side of an older man with long white hair.
Looking closer I could see that the clothes that they wore were distinctly Asian. The clothes were rugged and well-worn but did not seem dirty. The people themselves could also use the same description. They gave off the feeling of strength. Even the old man with white hair walked with a vigour that was impossible to see in old people, his frame still filled with muscles.
As I was observing them, I realized that what I was doing was too blatant, but I thought of that way too late.
While the muscular man and the young one didn’t seem to notice me at all, the old man’s eyes snapped in my direction almost instantly after I entered his line of sight despite the distance between us and the fact that I wasn’t making any noise or moving much at all.
Though I was surprised, it didn’t seem like I had much to be worried about. Possibly because he’d seen the wide, wonder-filled emotions that I still had on my face; the old man had returned the smile with one of his own.
I have to go down there and talk to them. It didn’t take long to come to that decision. They weren’t bandits and I didn’t have any reason to suspect them.
Besides, they seem fast and strong enough to catch me if they want to, it's better to leave a good first impression on the first inhabitants of the new world that I’ll meet peacefully.
Just as I was about to make my way down the tree to meet them, I noticed that the smile on the old man’s face had frozen, instead, it quickly melted into one of awe, fear and respect. But he wasn’t looking in my direction anymore, in fact, he was looking straight down at the ground.
He along with both the boy and the man next to him were bowing at almost 90 degrees in a direction beyond me.
Looking back, high up in the sky I could see a red blur. It was only with further inspection and focus that I could tell that it was a woman with flowing black hair and red clothes of some kind. She stood on a sword, looking into a scroll and surveying the land around her, like a tourist looking for the right location. Even then her actions radiated a kind of smoothness that made her feel supernatural. Even without truly being able to make out her features I could tell without a hint of doubt that the woman was beautiful. Despite knowing that I was protected against mental influences by [Gamer’s Soul] I couldn’t help but wonder if she affected me somehow.
Startled out of my thoughts I realized that I myself was not bowing, but before I could even move the woman looked in a certain direction, nodded to herself and then in a burst of speed her sword carried her away. Not once did she look in our direction, despite probably knowing we were there all along.
A Cultivator?! What the hell! Was this a Cultivation world?!
Quickly focusing on [Memorisation] I tried to go through all the information I’d recorded with the Skill.
“The cultists were definitely from a Western Fantasy setting! Even that unknown language they spoke sounded vaguely European. The clothes they wore under their cloaks confirmed these facts!”
Could it be?
Checking back on both my own clothes and the ones the 3 men on the road wore, and the men themselves, I realized they definitely looked Asian.
I realized now why the ritual circle back in the cave looked so different. Even if it was meant to do the same thing as what the cultists intended, it had clearly been made by someone else. Only a powerful cultivator could so casually create an illusion ward – or is it an Array in this world – and leave a body for their use in a cave.
Powerful cultivators were known to have souls that could possess bodies after their deaths. I think it was called Nascent Soul?
The Body in the cave could have been kept in stasis for who knows how long just as a spare meat puppet to pilot for a while.
If the lady was a Cultivator, then the 3 men below definitely aren’t. Even if they seem to be supernaturally strong themselves in this world they’re Mortals, they’re reaction said as much. They have to be Martial Artists, with the capital M and A. Warriors who don’t use the Qi of Heaven and Earth.
This almost definitely wasn’t the world the cultists came from. The fat cultist had messed with the ritual. My own soul was abnormal. There were many factors that might have caused it but in the end, I was still Isekai’ed to a world beyond my expectations.
“Getting back home probably isn’t going to be as easy as I thought. But I’m not going to let that ruin my good mood! Come what may, I’ll achieve all my goals and my Dreams! No matter how long it takes. But first! Let's talk to the locals!”
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~{Skills}~
[Meditation] {Active} (Lv. 18): The ancient art of meditation, used to cultivate focus, and observe the flow of thoughts and emotions without judgement.
[Memorisation] *{Active} *{Passive} (Lv. 7): Ability to store and recall information accurately and efficiently. *(Only information stored {Actively} while using the skill can be recalled {Passively} with it)
[Mathematics] {Passive} (Lv. 4): Analyze and solve problems using logical reasoning and precise calculations. Aids in understanding structures, patterns, and relationships.
[Replay Recall] {Active} (Lv. 4): Recall instances from your life in vivid detail.
[Firearms Mastery] {Passive} (Lv. 34): Skill in wielding firearms ranging from pistols and shotguns to rifles and heavy weaponry.
[Body Control] {Passive} (Lv. 3): Ability to master and manipulate physical movements with precision, grace, and finesse. The Skill encompasses physical feats such as agility, balance, and coordination. Apart from performing athletic and acrobatic manoeuvres, social abilities like controlling reactions and body language are also included. The skill also shows proficiency in piloting new bodies or adapting to changes made to existing ones.
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