Solas was taken aback. He moved back a step, his eyes widening with fear.
"Scoundrel?" he repeated, confused.
The woman stepped into the room, her eyes still blazing with anger.
"Yes, you!" she replied. "Shouldn't you be on the farm working right now? Why are you here slacking off?"
Farm? Solas thought bitterly. I'm a farmboy?! Curse you, Eros… Couldn't you bring me back as a noble? It didn't even have to be a prince, just some count's son or something!
Just then, the memory of the previous inhabitant of the body he was in began to flash back to him. His name was Jae, and this was his mother.
Solas's beating heart calmed down a little. He had expected the worst when she used that tone with him, but apparently, she was just a little upset.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I was just feeling a little unwell," he said, hoping the excuse would let her leave him alone for the day.
"Unwell, my foot," his mother scoffed, turning to leave the room. As she went out, she called back, "I better not reach that farm before you, Jae, or else!"
Jae rolled his eyes and sighed. He picked up his shirt, a worn, ragged shirt that must have been white once upon a time, maybe five years ago when it was still new. Now it was brown enough to blend in with the wooden door of his room.
He sighed once more and put on the shirt before leaving the room.
***
Jae had done most of the work for the day and was just rounding up when he heard the most beautiful-sounding female voice he had ever heard.
His head immediately snapped up, and he saw a beautiful girl with black hair, which she had packed into two pigtails, staring down at him.
He instantly felt dirty and self-conscious and stood upright.
"My mom told me to return this to your mom," the girl said, stretching out the basket in her hand.
Jae's memories began to fill out the rest. She was his neighbor Clara and she lived with her mom in the building next door.
He took the basket from her. "Uhmm… thank you," he muttered.
Clara looked puzzled at his reaction. After all, it wasn't the first time he'd be seeing her, so why was he behaving this awkwardly?
Jae noticed she was weirded out, and so he tried to think of something to say to smooth things out.
But he didn't even get the chance to do so, the system came to life suddenly.
Jae's mouth dropped wide open.
"What?!" he exclaimed.
Clara was startled. "What?" she asked.
But Jae couldn't explain it to her. What would he say? That he had been killed, reincarnated here with a system, and now the system just told him to kiss her for a vial of refreshing elixir?
So, he just kept his mouth shut and gave her an apologetic look.
Clara was tired though. She said, "You're weird. And I've done what I was asked to do, so… bye."
With that, she turned and left.
Jae shook his head in disappointment. He had zero game. A beauty in front of him, and he couldn't even say anything worthwhile.
From behind, his mother was watching. and she shook her head with a wry smile on her face. She wondered why Jae was being so awkward with a girl that was practically his best friend. She reasoned they had maybe been in a fight and hoped they would resolve it soon.
xxxx
Jae slept that night peacefully, well, as peacefully as he could on his stony, hard mattress.
But then, as if some force was guiding him, he suddenly found himself awake. He rubbed his eyes, wondering why he had woken up so abruptly.
Then the system glowed.
He clicked on the notification and found that it was a new map. As Jae opened it, he realized there was a blinking red dot on the map. It was almost like the system was trying to tell him to go there.
Jae decided to check out the area. After all, a system that brought him back to life probably wouldn't take that life back, right?
He slipped on his clothes and opened the door silently, so as not to cause creaking sounds. Then he shut it behind him and snuck off the compound.
He followed the map, constantly glancing around to see if he was being followed.
Eventually, he arrived at the marked location, and before him stood a cave.
"Well…" Jae muttered. "It'd be a waste if I came all the way here and didn't enter."
He took a deep, calming breath and stepped inside.
It was not a very large cave. He had to bend to enter it. The first few steps were taken in utter darkness, but after the seventh step, he could see faint light glowing just ahead.
He moved forward, still wary of whatever could be inside the cave.
But when he reached the source of the light, he found a fairly well-lit expanse deep within. It was neat, and even the stones seemed arranged in a meticulous, almost artistic way.
And most of all… it was empty.
Jae let out a sigh of relief. At least it seemed slightly safe.
But his relief was cut short by a sudden thud behind him.
Jae didn't need to check to know, that was the entrance being sealed.
And if the entrance was sealed, that meant something was coming. Something he would be expected to face
Right on cue, the system came on.
A low roar echoed in the cave as Jae came face to face with a giant spider, its legs almost five feet long.
Jae remembered the mission. He had to defeat the monster.
Then he turned around, and ran.
"The system said I have to survive the monster," he rationalized. "Not necessarily defeat it… right?"