As Mortis patiently waited for his turn, his mind drifted back to everything he had experienced since awakening in this unknown world, trapped in the original Mortis's body.
Mortis smiled wryly and thought. 'So far, things seem… alright. At least for now. Even though I took over someone else's body, I somehow inherited his memories, so playing the role of original Mortis until we reach the test and until I join some Magus organization should be manageable.'
But there were two pressing concerns that he couldn't ignore.
'The first issue is the aptitude test. I have no idea what it actually involves, what's being tested, or if there are additional requirements beyond passing the test to join a Magi organization. The only thing I can do for now is ask around—though realistically, that means only Lethis. The others hate me, and questioning the mysterious man who made that announcement through magical way about carriage stopping would be too dangerous. Even the original Mortis never saw him, and his ability to project his voice like that, along with his overall mystery, tells me he's likely someone I shouldn't mess with.'
His fingers tapped absently against his arm as he considered the second, even more unsettling problem.
'When I looked through the original Mortis's memories, I saw everything—from his birth up until now. But when I tried to recall his most recent memories, the ones right before I took over his body… nothing. It was like there is a hole, a missing piece of memories. As if those memories were erased.'
The more he thought about it, the stranger the whole situation seemed.
'In most webnovels I read back on Earth, when a main character transmigrates and takes over someone's body, the original owner is already dead in that time. But in my case… there's no sign of the original Mortis being killed or dying suddenly.'
He frowned.
'When I first woke up in this body, I had no injuries, no signs of anything unusual. He could have died in his sleep, I suppose… but then there's the missing memories. I didn't retain any memories from today. Could it be that someone—or something—erased them? Or is there another reason why I didn't receive them after transmigration?'
Mortis let out a quiet sigh, frustrated by his own lack of answers.
'Once again… I have no way recall those lost memories or confirm any of my theories—just like with the existence of poker. So, for now… I have to set this matter aside.'
Still, the thought unsettled him.
'I could ask Lethis or even try and ask others if they know anything… but if I start acting strangely all of a sudden, I might expose that there is something wrong with me. It's unnecessary risk. I should at least wait until I'll join one of the present magus organizations and secure a fresh start'
Before he could dwell on it further, the line moved forward, and he finally reached the front of the queue.
Receiving his food rations, Mortis turned away from the window and made his way toward the campfire, where the other candidates had gathered in small groups, chatting over their meals.
|>>======|✦|======<<|
After reaching the campfire with his food, Mortis spotted someone familiar—it was none other than Lethis, waving him over. He was sitting alone, likely waiting for him.
Mortis sat down across from him so they could see each other.
Lethis smirked and said, "What took you so long? Most of the others got their food rations ages ago. Only the slow ones and the unlucky ones got theirs just now."
Mortis mirrored his smirk and replied, "Well, the scenery here is quite something—the contrast between the barren land, the starry sky, and that bloody moon. I got caught up just looking around and lost track of time."
Lethis raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Beautiful? Oh… You might be right. If you hadn't said that, I wouldn't have thought of it that way. We've been traveling for so long that it's all starting to feel monotonous… I'm already sick of it."
He sighed tiredly. "At this point, I would do almost anything for a hot bath, a real meal—not this garbage—and a soft bed where I can sleep as long as I want."
Mortis glanced at his food. 'Garbage? It's not great, but it's not terrible either. Just… mediocre. Decent enough for low-cost traveling.'
"Not gonna lie," he said, "I wouldn't mind enjoying those things either. But it will still take some time until we reach the testing grounds. And even if we pass and get into a Magus organization, there's no guarantee, I would even say very low probability that we'll get the kind of luxury treatment you're hoping for."
Lethis let out another sigh. "Yeah… You're probably right. But don't crush my humble dreams, alright? Even if the chances are low, I'll keep hoping."
Mortis chuckled. "Haha, alright, I won't do it again."
With their conversation finished and Mortis having eaten the last of his food, they left the campfire and returned to the carriage.
At the door to their respective rooms, they exchanged a simple "Good night" before parting ways.
The moment Mortis crossed the threshold of his room, he shut the door behind him and collapsed onto the bed.
In just one day, he had transmigrated, discovered a card game identical to the one from Earth, witnessed the most breathtaking scenery of his life, and realized he was missing all of the original Mortis's memories from that very same day—the day he transmigrated.
It was too much for one day. No wonder he felt exhausted.
As he wrapped himself in the rough blanket, he barely noticed how uncomfortable the sleeping conditions were. His body was already succumbing to fatigue.
|>>======|✦|======<<|
The next day after he woke up, he thought about another problem… The problem of his body. He already noticed yesterday, but as it wasn't that serious as other things he set the matter aside.
But now when he finished thinking of those serious problems, he could finally shift his attention to this problem. His current body was too damn weak. Even though the original Mortis was just a garbage of society who loved to drink and fuck. His body was still too damn weak even for someone like him. All Mortis had done yesterday was play poker, look around, eat, and sleep—yet right now, he felt like he was on the verge of death. The fatigue was unreal, especially considering how little he had actually exerted himself.
'This is ridiculous… I need to do something about it. But what? Should I start working out and training like I did on Earth? That's not a bad idea. Even with limited time, I should at least be able to improve my physique and stamina a little. I could also train my footwork and MMA skills—after all, I did some martial arts back on Earth…'
He paused, frowning.
'But it's been years… The last part of my life on Earth was spent in a hospital bed, completely immobile. My body had deteriorated so much back then…'
A sudden thought struck him.
'Speaking of my body… I still haven't seen what I actually look like. Is there a mirror somewhere?'
His gaze swept the room as he searched for one. Finally, he spotted a small, ornamented mirror in the corner, just beside his bed.
It had a black rim, carved from what seemed to be ebonized wood or aged onyx, its surface curled with intricate patterns that whispered of ancient craftsmanship. Delicate filigree of silver veins ran through the frame like the withered roots of an old tree, their twisted shapes forming eerie symbols.
At each corner, ornamental flourishes rose like frozen waves, their curling tendrils resembling the baroque embellishments of royal heirlooms—yet there was something unsettling in their design.
Embedded within the rim were tiny, dark gemstones, dull yet deep, like the lifeless eyes of statues. Under the dim light, they shimmered faintly, exuding an air of quiet mystery.
The mirror's surface itself was not pristine—no, time had left its mark upon it.
When Mortis looked at the mirror, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him, as if he had seen it before. Yet, when he searched through the original Mortis's memories, there was nothing—no recollection of this mirror ever existing.
'It must have been placed here yesterday… The same day I transmigrated. The same day from which I couldn't recall any memories.'
A creeping suspicion settled in his mind.
'Could this mirror have something to do with the original Mortis's death? Or even my transmigration? Or is this just another coincidence—one of the many in such a short time?'
His lips curled into a wry smirk as a quote surfaced in his mind:
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's someone else's doing."
'Better to stay cautious than regret it later.'
Bracing himself, he stepped forward and reached for the mirror.
The cold surface of the frame pressed against his fingers as he lifted it into his hands—But nothing happened.
No eerie whispers. No sudden visions. No ominous changes in the air.
Only silence.
A slow breath escaped him as his body relaxed. Though the mirror showed no immediate signs of danger, something still felt… off.
'No matter what, the original Mortis came into possession of this thing on the day he died and the same day I took over his body. That alone makes it suspicious.'
But no matter how unsettling it was, there was nothing he could do about it now, so he threw another problem to bottom of his mind.
Setting aside his unease, he finally turned his gaze toward the mirror and looked at himself for the first time.