Brushing aside the tangle of thoughts crowding my mind, I found myself slowly awakening, the weight of an unexpected realization settling over me—I now possessed something called a "system." It was as if I’d been thrust into one of the games or novels I used to indulge in during my school days. The idea seemed surreal, yet here it was, real and powerful in ways I never could have imagined.
Without hesitation, I visualized the familiar "status window," just like in those systems I’d come to know so well in stories, and summoned it aloud:
"Status window."
Ding
[Acknowledgment: the host’s consciousness has returned.]
A faint blue hologram materialized before me, shimmering at the edges as it came into sharper focus. The pounding ache that had clouded my mind now faded, replaced by clarity I hadn’t felt in hours.
"How long has it been since I...?"
Ding
[Three hours, fifteen minutes, and forty-six seconds have passed since reawakening.]
[Synchronization between host and Liam has been completed.]
"Synchronization..." I murmured, the memory of pain flooding back, sharp and visceral.
The agony they had inflicted had been no less than a brush with death itself. They had forcefully merged my consciousness with Liam’s, and in that act of forced fusion, I had felt something beyond ordinary pain—pain that struck deeper, laced with fragments of two lives.
This body belonged to Liam Evalon, sole heir of the Evalon family. In the kingdom of Elliot, his family name was both revered and feared, known for their service, bound by sword and blood to the crown. They had vanquished foes, carved their legacy through the marrow of battle.
Yet, despite his lineage, Liam was marked by an obsession, a gnawing hatred toward himself. And now, my own memories seeped into his—a bleak past , while im on earth only know the cycle of servitude, trained as an assassin, caught in the endless churn of bloodshed. Our fates had merged, creating a mental burden that felt insurmountable.
I took a steady breath, letting it center me as I sought to calm the whirlpool of emotions within.
Ding!
[Passive Skill: ‘Automatic Ammunition Recharge’ acquired. The user will gain 25 rounds of any ammunition type daily.]
An RPG-style skill? Like those found in games back on Earth?
I raised an eyebrow, frowning as I glanced at the blue screen hovering before me.
"Status window, can you elaborate on ‘Automatic Ammunition Recharge’?"
Ding!
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[Automatic Ammunition Recharge]
Category: Passive Skill
Rank: S
Level: 1/??
EXP: 0/100
Current Capacity: 25 rounds
Description: A passive skill that grants the user 25 rounds of any weapon type daily, with capacity increasing as the skill levels up.
"…Not bad," I murmured, intrigued. "But how do I increase its level?"
[You can earn skill EXP by eliminating monsters or humans. The stronger the target, the more EXP you gain.]
"Humans?"
I felt a flicker of surprise. In games, it was standard practice to earn experience from monsters, but fighting other players usually didn’t yield anything.
The thought lingered, yet as I reflected, I felt grateful for this system, however mysterious. At least it gave me a lifeline in this foreign world. In Liam’s memories, I could sense his weakness, his struggle to belong despite his fearsome family name and noble features. Perhaps this was what fueled his obsession with self-loathing. But I was not Liam, even if his memories clung to my mind as though I had lived them myself.
"But... I feel at peace," I whispered softly, surprised by the calmness that settled over me.
Was it thanks to the system, this new skill? My mind felt remarkably serene, a luxury compared to the tension I’d lived with before.
It was sudden, unexpected, yet something I could accept as a blessing.
This was a life far removed from the endless chain of killings.
"Liam... you must have borne so much."
His pain was different from mine, yet it held its own darkness. Unlike me, haunted by a brutal organization, Liam had destroyed the world he loved in a fit of self-hatred. He had no strength to match his title as the duke’s son.
In some ways, his helplessness struck me as foolish. Yet, as I considered my own path, I knew I was not so different from him.
"Hmm."
I was absorbed in thought when the girl beside me stirred, her head half-buried in the folds of the bed.
The soft sound she made signaled her awakening, and I turned, watching her slowly emerge from sleep.
A moment later, her eyes fluttered open, hazel depths meeting mine, framed by strands of light green hair. Her gaze was dazed, her lashes still heavy as she blinked and focused on me.
I shifted, propping myself against the bed.
"You're awake," I said, my voice gentle, unsure what expression to wear.
If the true Liam were here, how would he have reacted?
Contemplating that, I allowed a small smile to curve my lips.
"Good morning, Eralon," I greeted softly, a quiet warmth in my voice.