Chapter 3: The Other World (Part 2)

Although both groups had set out from the same entrance, they soon split off in opposite directions. Those who had undergone the mysterious "awakening" followed the path to the left, while those who had not, like Dawn, turned to the right.

Their group was led down a long, barren corridor. Many were barefoot, the cold floor beneath them adding to their discomfort.

Dawn refrained from making any sudden movements. He glanced at the shackles binding his wrists, noting their fragility. 

He was confident he could break free, but three factors held him back—the parasite, lack of information and the undeniable weakness of his new, unfamiliar body.

Even the simple act of walking was an ordeal, likely due to malnutrition and injuries based on the bruises around his body. 

Setting aside his physical limitations, Dawn focused on his surroundings instead. They appeared to be underground in an expansive cave lit only by sporadic glowing crystals—the sun's light was nowhere to be seen.

The group moved in near silence through the dark corridors. The quiet whispers and reassurances from earlier had been replaced by an oppressive quiet.

Rek, the man leading their group hadn't spoken a word, which somehow made him more intimidating. 

Yet, he seemed less fearsome compared to the menacing elderly man from before.

Their journey through the labyrinthine cave continued, leading them through various chambers. Dawn, keen on gathering as much information as possible, tried to memorize the cave's layout.

Simultaneously, he evaluated the tabs on the curious screen before him. He had established that only he could see the screens.

But what made him the exception? Why could only he see the interface? Dawn wasn't completely sure, but he was certain that the prototype that had merged with his body played a significant role in it.

[Mail] (1)

[Congratulations! You have successfully crossed the ripples in your space and been reincarnated. Welcome to the other world!]

Dawn frowned at the solitary message in his mailbox. It was the same one he'd heard upon waking up. He hardly needed a reminder that he was in another world, given everything he'd seen.

There was no known parasite on earth capable of causing such a gruesome death as the one he had witnessed.

'Another world, huh… What have I gotten myself into?' He sighed out loud.

With a mere thought, he switched to the quest tab.

[Quests] (1)

[Main Quest: Become an awakened.]

[Achieve the first stage of awakening and surpass physical limitations.]

[Current Core Rank: Undeveloped]

[Core Rank Required: Awakened.]

His frown deepened as he contemplated the meaning behind 'Core' and 'Awakening.' The lack of explanation irritated him. If he'd truly died and reincarnated into this new world, shouldn't he have received some sort of briefing?

Regardless, it seemed clear that his next course of action required learning more about these terms. Failure to do so would likely result in death.

'Let's look at the other tabs...'

[Shop]

[This section is locked.]

'...If it's locked, why include it at all?' His brow furrowed as he moved onto the next tab.

[Ability]

Opening the tab revealed a different screen—a skill or, more accurately, an ability tree reminiscent of those in games. At the base of the tree, he saw the name of his ability; Umbrakinesis.

Just above it was the first skill marked by a grey icon.

[Wraith Lv.1]

[Allows the user to teleport to any shadow in their line of sight. Direct sunlight inhibits teleportation.]

Immediately above that was the second skill, also denoted by a grey icon

[The Shadow Lv.1]

[Upon activation, the user sinks into the ground and becomes "invisible." Only the user's shadow remains visible, and the user is immobilized in this state.]

Further skills above the second one were obscured by a dense fog, making it impossible to discern any details. Dawn found this layout intriguing; it reminded him of a video game interface.

'It's like a game...'

Anxious to unlock the first skill and test it out, Dawn was met with disappointment.

[You do not have sufficient skill points to unlock this skill.]

Beneath the skill details, the costs were listed. The first skill required five skill points to unlock, while the second one demanded ten. And that's not all…

[You cannot unlock this skill as you have not awakened your core.]

'Seriously, what are this core and awakening thing...? And how many skill points do I even have?'

As if in response to his question, the final tab opened.

[Skills] (4)

[0 skill points available.]

[Weapon Mastery Lv. 1] (Passive)

[Mastery: 0.00%]

[Stealth Mastery Lv. 1] (Passive)

[Mastery: 0.00%]

[Inspect Lv. 1]

[Mastery: 0.00%]

[Disguise Lv. 1]

[Mastery: 0.00%]

[Would you like to see more details?]

Dawn's spirits sunk when he saw that he had zero skill points, barring him from exploring his new abilities. However, a glimmer of hope emerged as it was revealed that he had four non-ability skills already unlocked.

Was it a stroke of luck? Not entirely. He recognized that these were some of the skills he had mastered in his previous life as a spy. It seemed that these skills had carried over into this new life.

All of the skills were passive, except for "Inspect" and "Disguise", which piqued Dawn's interest.

'Disguising myself might be risky at this point... I don't know the extent of its effects... The other skill might be safer to try... But how do I use it?' Dawn pondered, glancing at the wooden shackles around his wrists.

'I wish this system came with a manual... How am I expected to know how to activate 'Inspect'—'

The instant he thought the word 'Inspect', a screen popped up in front of the cuffs.

[Inspect Lv. 1]

[Wooden Cuffs]

[A wooden contraption designed for restraining a person's limbs. It's used to keep captives or prisoners in check, and can also serve as an instrument of torture or punishment for criminals.]

[Durability: 62%]

Dawn's eyes widened. To his surprise, the skill not only analysed but also provided a detailed description of its target.

'Hmm... that's pretty useful. I wonder what would happen if I used it on a person...'

Dawn slowly looked up at the child walking ahead of him. The boy seemed to be about the same age as his new body, his thin frame crowned by a mess of black hair.

Without any hesitation, Dawn activated the Inspect skill on the boy, and a screen materialised before him.

[Eilian]

[Race: Human.]

[Core Rank: Undeveloped.]

[HP: 78%]

[Energy: 83%]

[Ability: ???]

To Dawn's surprise, the skill not only revealed the boy's name but also details about his health, energy, and core rank… whatever that meant. For a Level 1 skill, the amount of information it provided was impressive.

The boy seemed entirely unaware that Dawn had used the skill on him. Realizing this, Dawn shifted his gaze from the child to Rek who was leading the group.

Now familiar with how to activate the skill, Dawn focused on the man's back and mentally activated "Inspect."

[Inspect Lv. 1]

Instead of the familiar, transparent blue screen, a red one materialized next to Rek.

[The target's power is too high to measure.]

Much to his dismay, the man abruptly stopped in his tracks, spun around, and fixed a piercing stare directly at Dawn. The other children grew alarmed, fearing they might have inadvertently angered him.

In a blink, the man disappeared from his spot, zipping past the group at a superhuman speed to stand right in front of Dawn, his eyes boring into him. 

For the first time, he spoke. 

"You… What did you just do?" He demanded, his gaze never leaving Dawn.

Swallowing with difficulty, Dawn felt fear trembling in his bones.

'...Shit.' he cursed inwardly.