A bright light pierced Lyxander's eyes.
He had awakened from his unconsciousness. Reaching out and looking around, Lyxander found himself lying on a white bed.
Beside him hung a white curtain that reminded him of a hospital room.
Looking further, Lyxander saw a beautiful woman with white hair that matched her white lab coat, holding a cup of coffee.
"You're awake?" she asked.
"Wait!" Lyxander raised his hand.
"Don't you feel dejavu?"
"If you're going to answer 'try to guess, the hint is to use your eyes,' then of course I'd feel dejavu," Reina replied.
"I'll answer it next time."
Sreet!
The curtain slid aside. Lyxander turned his head and saw a blonde girl with a strange smile lying on the bed next to him.
"Oh, you're awake, Lie," Quartz said.
Lyxander put on a sarcastic smile.
"Try to guess, the hint is to use your eyes."
Quartz puffed out her cheeks. "I'll never ask you anything again."
"Kekeke," Lyxander chuckled.
"Come on, don't get mad. I was just joking."
"By the way, how did you survive?"
"Kekeke," Quartz smiled.
"Try to guess?"
"Thanks to the hat, right?"
"How did you know?"
"Kekeke, try to guess?"
The curtain slid back as Quartz pulled it shut.
"I won't ask you anymore."
"Come on, wasn't it obvious?"
Quartz peeked out slightly, curious about Lyxander's answer.
"You said you'd grab the hat and the suitcase, but you only came out carrying the suitcase. From that alone, I knew you'd put the hat in your pocket."
Bang!
The infirmary door burst open.
"Lyxandeeeeeer!"
"Ugh!" Lyxander immediately hid under the blanket.
But it was too late. Amethyst had already jumped onto the bed and hugged him without giving him a chance to refuse.
"My darling, I've heard the news," Amethyst said as she rubbed her cheek against Lyxander's.
Lyxander tried to push her away. "What kind of news did you hear?"
"You fainted after defeating two three-star Entities, right? You're amazing, darling. Come here, let me give you a kiss."
Lyxander frowned. "I don't need your kiss, so stop."
But as if she hadn't heard him, Amethyst continued leaning closer.
Thump!
A book landed squarely on her head. Vivi appeared and dragged Amethyst out of the infirmary.
"You're awake?" Vivi asked.
Lyxander smiled.
"I'm awake."
The two women in the room stared at Lyxander intensely.
'Come on, there's no way I'd embarrass my beloved seniors,' he thought, trying to ignore the pressure.
Kruuk—
"Oh, you're awake?" Reina glanced at another bed.
Sreet!
Another curtain opened, revealing a brown-haired woman with half-open blue eyes.
"Lyxander?" Natanael looked dazed.
"What are you doing here?"
"AH!" Quartz shouted.
"So this is where you've been skipping out."
"I'm not skipping, I'm resting," Natanael protested.
Creeak!
The door creaked open. Everyone turned to look at the man who had just entered.
"Lyxander, you're awake?"
The man was Simon Chrys.
Lyxander smiled sarcastically.
"Try to guess, the hint is to use your eyes."
"Hahahahaha!" Quartz burst out laughing, forgetting that everyone else in the room was quiet except her.
Everyone stared at her.
"S-sorry," Quartz said, bowing her head.
"Ahem." Simon cleared his throat.
"Alright, I'll continue."
"Congratulations, Lyxander. You've accumulated ten thousand contribution points."
"What?" Lyxander jolted.
"Does that mean I can request the requirements for a two-star identity?"
"Correct." Simon clapped his hands, followed by the others.
Clap, clap, clap.
"Congratulations."
"Congrats, Lie."
"You've worked hard."
Lyxander could only force a smile. At first, he'd planned to buy the requirements for a two-star identity from the group chat. Who would have thought that the goddess of luck would come to him instead?
"Your contribution points will be delivered after your report is complete. However, if you want to hear the requirements for a two-star identity now, I can tell you immediately."
"I want to hear it now," Lyxander answered without hesitation.
"Very well. Then please sign here." Simon took out a sheet of white paper.
Lyxander accepted it.
"By the way, where's the pen?"
"Ah." Simon smiled.
"I forgot."
"Reina, please lend him a pen."
Reina took a pen out of her pocket and handed it over.
"Here you go."
Lyxander signed the paper. The moment he finished, the paper emitted light and burned away, vanishing into the air.
"From now on, you cannot tell the requirements for a two-star identity to anyone who hasn't signed this contract," Simon explained.
"The appropriate requirement for a two-star identity is…"
Lyxander swallowed. His entire body tensed.
"An identity is determined by your defining trait."
"Huh?"
"My defining trait?"
"Yes, your defining trait."
"I don't understand. Could you explain it again, Captain?"
"Alright." Simon rested his chin on his hand.
"A one-star identity is formed from your role. When you began acting as a crow, that identity was born. So, what do you think you need to do to create a two-star identity?"
"I need to start having a defining trait?"
"Correct. You must have something that distinguishes you from others."
"Then what is my defining trait?"
Simon frowned.
"That's exactly why you're only told the requirement. If you already knew what defined you, there'd be no need to tell you."
"Come on, at least give me some useful information to help me form my identity."
"My two-star identity is Sniper," Vivi said.
"You're just telling him like that?" Simon asked.
"It's fine. Seniors helping juniors is normal."
Lyxander's eyes grew misty.
"Senior…"
"Hehe, my two-star identity is Psychopath," Quartz said, rubbing her nose.
"You have a two-star identity, yet you didn't use it when we fought the Entity." Lyxander pouted.
"Stop that. My identity isn't suitable for fighting Entities."
"I…" Natanael hesitated.
"My two-star identity is Reader."
"Natanael," Lyxander's voice trembled.
"I'm really touched."
"Wait," Quartz raised her hand.
"Why is your reaction different when I told you mine?"
Lyxander didn't answer and instead pulled the curtain shut.
"So, what's the use of this knowledge?" Lyxander asked.
"Let me explain," Quartz said, peeking over the curtain.
"Our three identities are based on three different things: objects, professions, and traits."
"And?"
"You may not have seen identity powers yet, but identities based on these three things have different kinds of power."
"Different kinds?"
"Identities based on objects affect the user physically. Just look at Vivi's eye."
Lyxander looked at Vivi's eyepatch. 'So that's why Senior wears an eyepatch.'
"Identities based on professions grant supernatural abilities."
"What about traits?"
"Hahaha, traits are the strongest," Quartz said proudly, shaking the curtain.
"Traits give you both."
"What?!" Lyxander couldn't help complaining.
"Isn't that unfair?"
"Hahaha." Quartz laughed so hard that Simon kicked her bed, sending her tumbling down.
"It's powerful, but trait-based identities carry equally great risks," Simon explained.
"Risks?"
"Yes. Trait-based identities will affect your original personality. In the worst case, you may lose your sense of self."
Lyxander's pupils widened. He hadn't expected the power of an identity to affect one's identity itself.
After learning the requirements for a two-star identity, Simon soon left. Lyxander spent the rest of the time eating with Vivi and Quartz. Yet even as night fell, he kept thinking about his defining trait.
•••
Apartment Building.
Opening the apartment door, Lyxander saw his sister, Violet Xander, standing there wearing an apron and holding a ladle.
"Oh, Lyxander, you're home?" she greeted him.
"Yeah, I'm back," Lyxander replied.
"Where are Mom and Dad? I don't see them."
"You didn't know? Grandpa was hospitalized. They went to visit him."
"Eh?!"
"Then what are we eating tonight?"
"Don't worry, I cooked noodles." Violet proudly thumped her chest.
"Sit in front of the TV, I'll bring them over."
Violet went to the kitchen to get the food, while Lyxander turned on the TV.
The news reported the arrival of the second prince of the Jahanam Empire—Claudius Jahanam—who would be visiting the city of Faulust.
Lyxander wanted to watch longer, but Violet returned carrying two bowls of noodles.
He turned off the TV.
The siblings enjoyed warm noodles topped with sausage and eggs, with a little sweet soy sauce added.
Lyxander looked at his sister. His mouth opened, then paused before he finally asked,
"Sis, did I have a defining trait before I lost my memories?"
"A defining trait?" Violet tilted her head.
"Yeah."
"Maybe your defining trait was being annoying."
"Annoying?"
"Mm. You used to be extremely annoying." There was no hesitation on Violet's face.
Lyxander narrowed his eyes.
"Was I really that bad?"
'I could access Lyxander's memories, but there's too much information to sift through one by one.'
Stopping her eating, Violet thought for a moment.
"You were very honest, and you fought with almost everyone—except Pigeon."
"Wait, why didn't I fight with Pigeon?"
"Maybe because Pigeon was the only one who always loved you."
"What did I even do to be so disliked?" Lyxander asked.
"When you were little, you always fought with at least one classmate."
"Did I win?" As a former professional fighter, he clearly didn't care about the reason for the fight.
"Wait, that's your first question?"
"Come on, this is about pride."
Violet shook her head.
"You lost."
Lyxander dropped his spoon.
"Seriously?"
Instead of answering, Violet continued.
"You also once hit your teacher because you believed your argument was correct, but the teacher rejected it and hit you back."
"Did I win?"
"You got expelled."
Lyxander was stunned. He truly couldn't understand the original Lyxander's behavior.
"Also, every time you caused trouble, you'd call Pigeon, forcing him to kneel and apologize for you."
"Wait, why didn't I just call Mom and Dad?"
Violet lowered her head, her expression darkening.
"The last time you called Mom, you made her cry by saying that if you could choose what kind of mother to be born from, you wouldn't choose her."
Lyxander immediately prostrated himself, ashamed of the original Lyxander's actions.
"I'm sorry. I was truly a bastard."
But Violet's expression didn't change.
"You also once fought with Dad when he said choosing a history major was wasting your potential."
"Did I win?"
"You both ended up in the hospital."
"Ugh." Covering his eyes, Lyxander collapsed onto the floor.
Violet crawled closer and smiled softly. "Even if people didn't like you, I still liked you."
"Why?"
"Maybe because we were both raised by Pigeon."
"Wait," Lyxander raised his hand.
"Why were we raised by Pigeon?"
"It's just that Dad was too busy, and Mom was still working back then. You know, they once wanted to abort you because they didn't want a third child. Pigeon overheard it by accident, got angry, and said—"
"Don't you dare decide our life and death just because you gave birth to us!"
"If you don't want him, then give him to me. I'll work to raise and take care of him, so never lay a hand on my little brother again."
Lyxander's pupils widened as a memory flashed through his mind.
Evening, in the park.
Little Lyxander was crying beside Pigeon.
"Pigeon, I don't like people. They always hate someone different like me," young Lyxander sobbed.
"Lyxander," Pigeon said as he patted his head.
"Even if everyone hates you, remember this—I will always love you."
Lyxander lowered his head.
"Pigeon, if I could choose who I was born to, I wouldn't want to be born to Mom and Dad."
"Why?" tears soaked his pants.
"Why couldn't I be born as your child instead?"
"Haha," Pigeon laughed softly.
"You're so greedy. Aren't you already born as my beloved little brother?"
Lyxander returned to reality. He stared at the ceiling.
A question surfaced in his mind—not about identity, defining traits, or anything else about himself.
'Lyxander… do you also want to go home?'