Gyeong swallowed, the movement thick and awkward. "Alright, System… you piece of shit! Let's talk about the elephant in the room, literary.
He gestured clumsily at his massive new frame.
"I asked for an explanation on the skill called Rebirth. And… I got… nothing. I get it, you're cryptic, but a little detail would be nice. Is it a second chance? Immortality? Am I considered a zombie, perhaps?"
A faint blue light flickered at the corner of his vision, and the text box materialized.
[The specifics are not available for review.]
Gyeong let out a short sigh. "Right… naturally."
He took a heavy step toward the door, his breath hitching slightly from the effort. His legs felt like pillars of lead.
"Fine. Forget the skill for a second. Let's talk about this body. I went from a skeleton to… this. How long was I out before I woke up?"
The box refreshed instantly.
[The transition was instantaneous. Your adaptability to a new physical form is… surprisingly rapid.]
Gyeong paused, hand hovering over the iron door handle. "Rapid?"
[Most biological consciousnesses require several hours, sometimes days, to reconcile the sensory dissonance of a new vessel. You achieved motor control within minutes.]
"Well, t-thanks… I guess, you weirdo."
Gyeong stared at the floating text, the silence stretching across the small, dusty room. He wiped a hand across his sweaty forehead.
"Okay," he muttered, turning his back to the mirror. "Let's talk mechanics. If this is a game-like environment, and you're my System, where are my stats? Show me the sheet."
The blue box wavered, then snapped into a new format. A list appeared, stark and humiliating.
STATS TRACKER
Strength (STR): 0
Dexterity (DEX): 0
Constitution (CON): 0
Intelligence (INT): 0
Gyeong blinked. He stared. He poked his soft stomach. "Zero?"
"Across the board? Zero? That feels… insulting. I was sick, not made of jelly. What about a total level?"
None.
"Why the hell not?"
[This is not a game. The display reflects your current biological hardware.]
"And the hardware," Gyeong gestured at his bulk, "is a piece of fat. So how do I fix that? How do I get points? Quests? Killing slimes… maybe… anything!?"
[Evolution requires pressure.]
"Get to the point."
[Pushups.]
Gyeong blinked. "Pushups?"
[It is an efficient starting vector. It utilizes the body to generate stress, forcing adaptation. Your current form has no baseline. You must create one.]
He looked down at his soft hands, then at the dusty floorboards. A grimace twisted his new, bloated features.
"So… I just do them?"
[Correct.]
"That's false fucking advertising! Why even bother with stats if they only show stuff I already know?!"
[Would you be able to know your exact current strength versus an opponent, or how much mana capacity you have without them?]
"I mean… that's cheating! I'm not even sure of the rules here yet! You can't just test me on my knowledge, maybe there's an easy way I can see the exact strength of my opponent."
[There isn't.]
"Oh."
[To unlock further functionality, the host must meet baseline criteria. The interface will remain limited until your biological fitness is deemed adequate.]
Gyeong stared at the words, his jaw dropping. "What? That's just being rude! You're shaming me for being fat!"
[Criteria: Inadequate.]
"You're a prick! That's what you are! A glorified calculator!" Gyeong shouted, tapping his finger against the air where the interface hovered.
[System Interface: Closed.]
The blue box vanished instantly. The room plunged back into gloom.
Gyeong stood frozen, blinking at the empty space. "Hey! Don't just close on me! Come back! We were having a moment!"
He waved his hand frantically. Nothing happened. He slapped his own face, trying to access a menu, or anything else. Silence.
Panic set in. He clapped his hands and shouted, "System! Status! For god's sake anything!"
A small, rectangular box came into existence, barely the size of his thumb. It displayed only four numbers, all glaring zeros. Below them, a single message pulsed: Criteria: Inadequate.
"That's it? Just a summary?" Gyeong groaned, running a hand through his greasy golden hair. "This is going to be a long life. If I manage to not end it a second time."
Gyeong sighed, the sound heavy in his throat. Acceptance settled like a stone in his gut. If the system wanted effort, he'd give it… Later. Right now, he needed to know where the hell he was.
He grabbed the tarnished handle and heaved the door open. It scraped against the wood, the sound echoing down a long, hallway lined with faded wallpaper.
"Mm..."
He took a heavy step out, his knees groaning in protest. The air smelled of old wood. It wasn't a palace, definitely not, but the high ceilings and portraits screamed old money in decline. A wealthy family, just a broke one.
The rhythmic swish of a broom drew his attention. Down the hall, a young woman in a drab grey dress was sweeping. She froze as his shadow fell over her.
She looked up, her eyes widening. Then, concern washed over her features.
"My lord! You're awake!" She dropped the broom and rushed forward, her hands hovering, unsure where to land. "Are you quite alright? You were asleep for so long, and your neck... it looks terribly swollen!"
Gyeong instinctively reached up, his fingers brushing against tender, bruised skin where the rope had burned him.
"It's... just a sore throat," he rasped out. "Don't worry about it."
The maid dipped into a frantic curtsy. "Mister Lucian, the Lord is returning from the capital this very hour. Please, you must wash. The bath water will cool soon."
Lucian.
The name settled in Gyeong's mind like a missing puzzle piece. He stared at the trembling girl, a strange relief washing over him. It was a strange feeling, to finally know the name of the vessel he wore like a coat.
He gave a clumsy nod. "Right. Lucian. Thank you for that."
She looked up, confusion clouding her eyes. "Thank me, my lord? For the bath?"
"No," Lucian murmured, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "I mean… yeah."