[System Initiated]
[Character Awakening in Progress...]
[1%... 10%... 30%... 50%... 80%... 100%... Complete.]
"Ugh… my whole body hurts."
Hastora stirred groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
As he stood, he noticed the world looked slightly different—his perspective was higher.
"Did I… grow taller overnight?'
He pulled off his shirt only to see his emaciated frame.
He looked around.
He found himself in an apartment.
But this place...
It felt unfamiliar—like he was trespassing in someone else's life.
Something was undeniably… off.
He rushed to the bathroom and stared at his reflection.
Black hair, red eyes, hollow cheeks, a sharp jawline—a strikingly handsome face.
"This face… it's mine, yet not quite. And these eyes… they're unreal."
What had happened?
Where was he?
Suddenly, memories flooded his mind.
Francis and Johnson turning into zombies, the zombie apocalypse, and his death by a zombie bite.
It was horrifying.
Hastora massaged his temples, his head throbbing.
"This can't be happening."
"Am I dreaming?"
He slapped his cheek hard.
"Ow… That actually hurt."
So it wasn't a dream.
This was real.
He walked to the window to look at the outside world.
The cityscape stretched far and wide—familiar, yet distant.
"No, this has to be a lie."
The reality was too hard to accept.
"This can't be real."
"Maybe I'm still asleep and haven't woken up yet."
"I'll wait a bit longer until I wake up."
Staggering, he walked to his bedroom.
The room was dark, devoid of any light.
But he didn't care.
He entered and sat on the edge of his bed.
"Maybe I'll wake up soon."
He sat silently, covering his face with a blanket.
Ultimately, it took him three days to accept the reality of his transmigration.
It was utterly bizarre.
How could this even happen?
He punched himself once, then went to the kitchen and grabbed a loaf of bread from the refrigerator.
Then, out of nowhere, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have transmigrated!]
[Transmigration Reward: •New Magic: Flamma Infernus]
[Note: You have transmigrated into "Echoes of an Unwritten Fate." Objective: Survive. Warning: Death is permanent.]
Hastora's eyes widened as a screen suddenly appeared before him.
He tried to touch it, but his hand passed right through.
He read the words on the screen.
"Echoes of an Unwritten Fate?"
He was slightly confused, then jolted with surprise.
"What?!"
"This… what is this?!"
"Did I transmigrate into my own novel?!"
It was utterly unbelievable.
Hastora stood, walked weakly, and sat on the living room sofa.
"This is insane... I'm screwed."
"Why the hell did I transmigrate into my own novel?!"
In high school, he remembered writing a novel.
It had earned him a decent amount of money.
After graduation, however, he'd stopped updating it, leaving readers furious with the cliffhanger ending.
His days were spent working, gambling, and hanging out with friends.
He barely remembered the novel.
But now…
"What a cruel joke the universe has played on me."
"How am I supposed to survive in this world?!"
"Had I known my own novel would become my grave, I'd have burned the manuscript."
The novel depicted a world constantly under attack by monsters, otherworldly creatures, and demons.
It focused on the main character, 'Auren von Valorheart,' the second son of 'Lucient von Valorheart,' the King of Heroes.
In the novel, Auren possessed incredibly powerful abilities in the future, destined to become the next king.
Beyond him, numerous other powerful characters and villains populated the story.
Survival in this world would be incredibly difficult for Hastora.
His power was far inferior to other strong characters.
But he couldn't just stand idly by and watch others grow stronger. He had to as well.
"I need to get stronger to survive in this world."
He stood up with resolve.
"First things first… I need to check my status."
He hesitated.
Checking his status might reveal something comforting—or something fatal.
A bad status would be disastrous; he could die from a monster attack just leaving the apartment.
But a good status would offer some peace of mind.
"Status"
[Name: Hastora Vallois]
[Race: Nonconformity]
[Level: Enlightenment]
[Title: ?]
[Magic: •Control Over Darkness •Flamma Infernus]
[Swordsmanship: •Dark Swordsmanship]
To be continued in the next chapter…
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A/N:
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Over and out, Zalario