1 New Life

It was just another day in the kingdom of Freesia. The sounds of hustling in the busy commercial streets could be heard from the pavement and alleyways of the residential district, much like the chirps of the birds singing the morning anew. Laughter could be heard here and there as well as people moving around, readying themselves for another busy day.

Well, everyone was ready for the day, except for a certain individual.

"Mmm…"

In a certain household between the noble and commoner district, an old manor lies surrounded by nature as though it was trying to reclaim the building as its own. The walls had slight cracks with some vines growing around the building, showing off how old the property was to the glancing passerby.

It wasn't that the building was abandoned nor was it significantly old, but there were signs of lack of maintenance here and there as some parts of the outer wall was discoloured or mouldy. To the average commoner, a home like that wouldn't necessarily be their dream but would be highly sought after, however, to the average nobleman, such a household would be deemed as disgraceful.

This mansion just so happens to be the residence of a certain individual who just woke up in an unfamiliar room.

"The hell?!", A yell could be heard from one of the rooms of the old manor. Inside was a young man who had just woken up from a back sweating dream and was currently in a sitting pose on his bed. It was just a couple of hours after the sun rose and usually, such a time would've been ungodly for this man, but that didn't matter for the moment to him.

His body was covered in sweat and was panting as if he had woken up from an intense dream. Thanks to the position he was in, his brown hair was obscuring his grey eyes, forcing his line of sight to be focused towards his blanket and lower body as he tried making sense of what just happened.

"What the hell was that? A dream? That was way too lucid for my liking," He said as he placed a hand on his forehead, wiping away the sweat and rustling his hair, making his vision even more obscured. He recalled a giant figure but couldn't make out what it looked like as its form was cloaked by mosaic pixels. All he remembered was that thing was asking questions.

And he couldn't recall what those questions were nor his responses to them. He faintly recalls feeling a tremendous amount of pressure and stress while in that dream. It briefly reminded him of when he would train at his football club back at his secondary school.

'Was it something like being entrusted something? What was that?'

A mission? A conversation? Thoughts like those riddled his head as he tried shaking off the groggy feeling he was having. His body felt weirdly light yet fatigued but he didn't mind it that much. He took a deep breath to calm himself down from the dream before he started thinking about what he would do later today.

As a streamer with a decent following, his habit was to start his day out planning what kind of games he would play for his twitch streams.

'I guess I got a story to tell Chat today. Let's stream some Hardcore Minecraft then some Call of-'

Though he paused halfway through once he noticed the peculiarity of his situation. He was in an unknown room, wearing unfamiliar clothes, in who knows where. His heart started pounding as his thoughts started racing.

'Where the hell am I? This ain't my room. I went straight to bed after that 24-hour live stream, so what the hell could've happened?', He started sweating as the urge to panic started clouding his thoughts, but he forcefully suppressed his rough breathing and tried regaining clarity. It was only after about a minute did he calm down and thought about his situation better.

It wasn't like he was used to the situation he's in, but he has a habit of not making noises unless it's necessary.

'This room has curtains but let's not move them just yet. The room itself… Doesn't have much, huh. The walls look old, there's a bookshelf in this room full of thick books, the flooring has carpeting but it's mainly wood, there's a desk with some notes and a lamp. That's about it. This room barely has anything in it.'

The brown-haired youth thought to himself as he tried figuring out if the room he's in has any links to why he's here, but nothing came to his mind. He took a peek outside the curtains without moving them. What he saw was a garden outside leading to a forest, confusing him even further.

'Yup, I'm definitely not at my house or any of my mate's places. Did I get kidnapped or something? But why wouldn't they chain me and stuff?'

To him, it was a logical question to ask. You don't just kidnap someone and not put any restraints on them. Even if that person was crippled, It just wouldn't make sense for the average killer or kidnapper to do that.

Unless they were confident in their ability to keep him inside.

'I guess they don't need to be careful if their target can't even walk, let alone run. Was I that tired that I couldn't tell I was abducted?'

He sighed to himself as he started resigning himself to whatever fate he was given in this room, though he wouldn't give in without a fight. He was always the person that thrived on getting the last laugh, even if it hurt him more.

He used his arm to shift his body to the side of the bed before removing the covers. For him, who wasn't using his lower body at all, he found something underneath the covers that shocked him more than the whole 'kidnapped' situation.

"I have legs?"

The youth uttered those words with a silly voice as he felt even more confused. Legs. Including feet and toes. Each capable of moving.

He tried pinching them just in case this was all a dream, but to his surprise, he felt an unfamiliar yet familiar feeling of pain. A pain he hasn't felt in that area in a long time. The shock factor lasted for a little bit before it turned into excitement then soon turned into questioning.

'How the hell do I have my legs back? That car accident took them out completely and I had to use prosthetics for years.'

It wasn't unnatural for the boy to think that. He used to be a football genius when he was in his mid-teens until a car accident ended both his fathers' life and his football career.

To him, who struggled to get used to reality and had to deal with the phantom pains, this was a lot more mentally struggling than being in an unfamiliar room.

'This isn't real,'

After some more deep breaths, he carefully took a step forward. He still wasn't buying it but that all stopped when he stood up without feeling the discomfort he was used to. It was as if he was reborn with legs all over again.

'I can walk fine too.'

He walked around the room with a cheerful smile from the discovery. He wanted to run again. He missed the feeling of running with all his might. The pleasant feeling of kicking the floor with hopes of scoring a goal, all of it was rushing into him again.

After some more time of happiness, he lightly smacked both sides of his face when he remembered his unusual situation.

'Reality check, this is weird. Either I got kidnapped and got leg implants, this is still a lucid dream, or this isn't my body. It could be something crazier like an isekai,' He regained both his legs and is still in an unfamiliar room. He couldn't just ignore that all that easily, but first he began inspecting his body. Including his arms and belly, he was a lot skinnier than before.

With some form of anxiety-laced anticipation forming on his face, he tried deciphering his situation. He had to find a mirror or some kind of reflective surface. Anything to confirm what he was suspecting.

Once he finally found one, he was shocked.

"It's different too…" He muttered to himself when he finally found a mirror on the desk. Brown hair that wasn't that went just below the eyes, with those same eyes as grey and a body that wasn't anything like the body he had the previous night.

He was skinnier now with some muscles here and there, but it was a drastic change from his original obese body. Hell, even his hair was different.

'I had blonde hair before which I dyed blue, but now I have brown hair. Eyes ain't bad, close to my old blue eyes and the skins a bit darker than before,' He had fleeting thoughts as he lost focus once again. He gave himself a better look before noticing something.

'Why does this face look familiar though?' He said to himself as he leaned in closer to the mirror. For some reason, his face reminded him of someone. Someone way back in his mind. From a certain show.

After a couple of minutes of thinking up some anime he's watched in the past, he finally recalled who he was.

'I think I remember him… Wasn't he the mc in "The hidden dungeon only I can enter"? I can't remember his name though. Wait, does that mean I actually got Isekaid?!?'

There was a sparkle in his eyes when he thought that. Isekai. Another world. A fantasy world full of mystery and adventure. Thoughts like those immediately bombarded his head before he forcefully calmed himself down again.

'Alright, calm down man. Think for a sec. I still don't know a lot about my situation nor if it's even the same world. I gotta keep my eyes peeled just in case.'

It was a logically thought process. Once the initial excitement of having his body essentially reborn and now living in a presumably magical world was over. He looked around the room more. Particularly the bookshelf to see what it has. It was full of mathematical, language and fantasy books. All written in symbols he doesn't recognise yet is able to read.

'Seems like I can read normally too even though I've never seen them before. Is this the part where I get a headache and randomly remember all the previous mc's memories?'

Thoughts like that appeared in his head as he skimmed through the reading material. It was a common cliche in transmigration fanfics after all. He was prepared for one to come but it never did.

In the meantime, the book he was reading was secondary level maths but he was able to understand it all easier than usual, which gave him more reason to believe he'd experience the cliche headache after transmigrating but it didn't happen.

He would've continued checking the other books, but he was suddenly halted by a voice.

"Noir!" A man's voice could be heard calling someone's name, but when he heard it his body jolted as if he was being called. Well, mainly because he was being called.

'Now I remember his name. It was Noir in the anime but Noru in the novel and manga. Guess I have to get used to it quickly,' He thought to himself as he went downstairs. He was a little off-put from how he felt familiar with his environment without having the necessary memories of walking such paths.

The walls weren't in the best conditions with cracks around here and there. Some parts of the wall had portraits hung up, some of himself along with his "family". It was a weird feeling but he was able to get through it.

"Noir!"

Once he got downstairs, he was suddenly met with a short overweight man that went up to his shoulders. He had the same hair colour as Noir but styled in curtains instead of having a regular fringe. He also had small eyes that make it difficult to know if he was awake or not and a big moustache.

If you looked at the two, you wouldn't think of them as father and son. But there they were as he hugged his son in excitement.

"Congratulations, my son!"

Noir could feel his body get crushed when his father hugged him, showing him he had an impressive bear hug even though his stature would lead him to believe he was weak. While in that situation and confused about what he was getting congratulated for, he didn't know how to respond.

"Hmm? For what?" He questioned his father as he couldn't recall anything that's happened. He doesn't remember much of the series but he's pretty sure this wasn't how the first episode went. If he remembered right, the father begged his son for forgiveness instead of giving him a spine breaking hug.

'Why's he congratulating me for? Is this before Canon?' Another thought arrived in his head as he tried his best not to smirk. If this was before Canon, then he'd have more time to get stronger than the original Noir. Not only that but more efficiently too.

"It's for getting the librarian job, of course. Your father has been excited ever since receiving the message. Just look at him," Just when his father was about to tell him the good news, a female voice could be heard coming from the hallway to the backyard.

When Noir turned around, he discovered a voluptuous woman with long black hair with purple accents and dark blue eyes wearing a simple dress with red and white as its main themes. He recognised this person as his "mother" in this world.

'Damn, how did he score on someone like her? Guess he must've charmed her when they were young, huh,' Noir thought to himself as he didn't feel much parental attachment to the two of them for some reason. He didn't mind getting hugged by people so he didn't try escaping it but he wasn't happy about it either.

It felt like they were just acquaintances to him instead of family members. It might be due to his previous father still being stuck in his mind.

'I don't see them as family but I could use them for Lp later on. I guess that's the most I'll feel about them all,' Those were his honest thoughts. If he at least possessed some of the affection the original Noir had for them then it would've been a different story but he doesn't see himself faking loving them.

Although there may be a chance in the future.

"Ahem, of course, everything would've worked out! You are a man of the Stargazia family after all," Father said as he lifted his chest out in pride, but all that did was emphasise his outrageously large belly as it bounced up and down. For a former adventurer who was known for his way with the sword, to fall to this state is a mystery indeed.

'I recall him being a lot more muscular in the past… What happened for him to fall from something like that?' Noir questioned it as he randomly recalled a scene of his father as a brawny man. It wasn't mentioned in the series how he fell to such a state. In fact, a lot of the family members seemed to have been glossed over for some reason.

For instance, you don't even know their names for crying out loud.

'Oh, I don't have any headaches, but I can see his memories a little. That's convenient,' He thought to himself before another voice of a female came from behind him followed by a hug.

"Big brother's skill was recognised by the noble. I think they're a good person to see he's worthy of a refined job like that," Unlike the bear hug his father gave earlier, the girl was gentle and felt comfortable like a pillow. He turned around to see her face and noticed her black hair that goes down to her mid-back, grey eyes, a charming smile and a bright complexion.

He remembered her as the sister of the protagonist, as well as a yandere of sorts with a brother complex.

'I can't really call them my stepfamily, but damn my mother and sister are hot,' He felt the urge to comment on that. The mother and sister duo in front of him just to happened to be his type. He had some memories of them from the original Noirs memories, but he can't see them as family with just that.

'I'm not like the original anyway so it's unfair to expect me not to see them as members of the opposite sex,' While being deluded with his fantasies and reasonings, Noir gently returned the hug.

"Haha, thank you, Alice. Thank you, everyone," Putting his arm around her waist, he said his thanks as he enjoyed the feeling of her beside him. She was warm and cosy, which was a pleasant feeling for him

"That's my boy. We shall have a feast tonight!", Father yelled out loud as his double chin was starting to show. He wanted to brag to everyone in the neighbourhood that his son got himself a job at the royal library but was ultimately shut down by Noir's mother.

"Dear, we still have to pay for that magic item you bought on a whim~," Noirs Mother suddenly chimed in when his father mentioned a feast, which made the happy old man suddenly turn pale. A few days prior there was a magic item. When taking mana from the user, it can instantly turn water into ice.

Although it seems to be useful for the family, who can't afford a magic refrigerating unit, it had its limation as the family has low mana. Essentially, it was a tool that mimics ice magic, but it's made for someone without an affinity for it.

'Father likes buying stuff without seeing for cheaper alternatives,' Noir sighed to himself when he recalled what his father is like. He didn't recall much of the memories, but he watched enough drama's to know he should just stay silent for the chaos ahead.

"I-I'll be able to pay them back! I was able to get them to lower the interest rates by 2%!", Fear started to appear on his fathers face as he started taking steps backwards. Noir's mother simply smiled at him with her eyes closed, but for some reason, he felt a little pressure coming from it.

"Oh? What was it originally?", The air felt a little cold as he recalled why he was feeling pressured. This was his mother's habit just before she gets angry at someone. Her smile would bring pressure onto someone and could make even a criminal break down to tears.

"Ora?! That man has a cabbage stacked on his head," Noirs father pointed outside the window in hopes to distract them so he could escape, but no one in the family turned their head to look. Even Noir, who doesn't have many memories of his host, didn't respond to it. It was another one of his father's antics.

"Oouu," Realising the situation he's in, his father runs outside the house to flee from his family's disappointing stares. His obnoxiously large belly bounced with the run as the rest of the family sighed at the sight.

"Fuu, that man has changed over the years."

"I'm surprised by what you see in him, mother."

"Well, when we were younger he was a fine and brave man. It's too bad once he gained a baronet rank things started going downwards to the point we got to this state."

The women of the family started complaining about the main man of the house. You really have to wonder how someone like him saved a village in the past with his swordsmanship and bravery. It nearly sounds like a myth that he was the reason for his family to attain nobility.

'I sense an unhappy wife. Makes sense considering he was once a brave man that's turned into a wimp. I wonder what's the reason for it. Wait, what were his stats? I don't think the original ever checked on him. Not even a skill was mentioned other than his sword skills…. Jesus, there was a lot of stuff missing in that series.'

It was only now did Noir realise that he didn't know much about either of his new parents. Even from reading the novel, he didn't know much about either.

"Now, enough of that. Let's eat some breakfast, shall we?", Mother said as she looked at her children. It was still morning and she was in the middle of making breakfast.

"Sounds good to me."

"Same here."

The two of them agreed to her proposal as they headed over to the kitchen. Their father was long gone and they were a bit peckish.

'It's gonna take some time to get used to this world. I better not waste it.'

As a gamer, he was excited to see what this world had to offer.

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