As Amber’s footsteps disappeared in the distance, I wondered if that conversation had been a mistake. The truth was a direct contradiction to just about every belief she held. It had probably made her think less of me, and her knowing the truth did little to help me. I also gained little from her knowing the truth. Why, then, did I tell her the truth? With a grunt, I realized that I had revealed the truth of Earth because I didn’t want Amber’s faith in me to be built on lies. GM’s campaign to subvert my resistance was already paying dividends.

I continued to sit on the sectional for a few minutes. I leaned my head on the back of the sofa. How many of these quiet moments would I be afforded? Within a few days, the conflict with the players would start in earnest, and they would all be coming for the key in my chest. Thinking about the future, I closed my eyes and opened my Menu.

Character Sheet

Name EnzoTheBaker Level 100 Blood Points 250/250 Mana Points 633/633 Race Dark Apostle Fortitude 25 Strength 50 Agility 30 Wisdom 34

Attribute Modifier: Enhanced Mana Reserve (500)

Special Skills: Battle Aura, Shadow Magic

Talents Danger Sense Enhanced Hearing Enhanced Mana Regeneration Enhanced Vision Identify Rapid Healing

This time, I looked more closely at the various pop-ups visible on my Character Sheet. I had not noticed the entries marked Special Skills and Talents the last time I had looked. At that point, much of this was new to me. I had not looked at my Talents before I died. Of all the confusing entries before me, two words caught my attention specifically: Shadow Magic. Crow had mentioned Battle Aura, and I could comprehend that my senses had been enhanced based on my own experiences over the past few hours. Shadow Magic, however, was the only entry that I had no context for. I also wondered what the difference between Special Skills and Talents were.

Stolen novel; please report.

Whatever. I shrugged my shoulders as I opened my eyes and closed my Menu. I was sure that I would come to understand every entry on my Character Sheet over time. I briefly switched over to the Magic tab only to see that it was completely empty. What? How could I be level 100 and not be able to use any magic? It must have operated independently of the advantages granted by leveling up, I thought. A part of me was happy at that. It seemed that there was still some room for advancement, despite my high level.

I stood from the sofa and the boards within creaked dangerously, reminding me further of my unnatural body. The portal between the living room and the hallway was still unbarred, so I walked over to rectify the problem. I was fairly certain that no one in the Castle wanted me dead, but it would make me feel better if the threshold was barred.

Once I reached the threshold to my room, I saw that the stone slab marked with a XIII had thick metal handles on both sides. It made sense when I thought about it. You would have to use the handles on the inner side in order to close the door, anyway.

I lifted the stone slab once again and clumsily placed it back in the alcove where it originally sat. Moving the several-ton piece of stone was much easier the second time since I knew basically what to expect. As long as I kept the door close to my body, I wouldn’t lose my balance.

Unfortunately, the stone slab made a terrible crackling sound of stone against stone as I returned it to the doorway. At least no one would be able to enter my quarters without my knowledge.

I lifted the stone slab once again and clumsily placed it back in the alcove where it originally sat. Moving the several-ton piece of stone was much easier the second time since I knew basically what to expect. As long as I kept the door close to my body, I wouldn’t lose my balance.

Unfortunately, the stone slab made a terrible crackling sound of stone against stone as I returned it to the doorway. At least no one would be able to enter my quarters without my knowledge.

With the door now closed, I turned to look at my living quarters. It was much more comfortable than I would otherwise expect. I hadn’t realized it before that moment, but I would have furnished my home in exactly this manner in my old life if I had money.

I walked into the kitchen to take a closer look at it. Marble covered most of the counters in the kitchen, though the sink and stove top were made of stainless steel. Granted, I didn’t really know how to cook beyond pasta, pizza, and eggs, but I thought that every home should have a kitchen, nonetheless. A coffeemaker sat on one of the kitchen’s surfaces, new and ready for use. I opened the pantry door and saw that it was absolutely packed with various food supplies. Bread, canned beans, spices, cereals, pasta, snacks, and myriad other ingredients stocked the shelves of the pantry. Looking more closely, I saw that all the food present was a generic brand that I didn’t recognize. I supposed that all of the typical food brands didn’t exist here. I grabbed a large, plain donut and placed it in my mouth before stepping out of the pantry.

The donut tasted almost identical to how it would in the Old World. I was thankful that I didn’t have the Enhanced Taste Talent, if that was a thing, because I wouldn’t have been able to experience that taste that reminded me so much of home otherwise. Thinking back on it, “home” had never been a paradise for me. As a Revenant, I had been theoretically committed to taking out GM and returning to the Old World. I had never really put much thought into “why” I had wanted to go home. It’s not like there was anything waiting for me there. A normal man would probably have been saddened at the prospect of never being able to return home, but I didn’t particularly care.