13 Life but I became Cinderella?
Weird, I was already asleep. Or was I awake? Was it just a lucid dream?
Her voice was the only thing I could discern at that point, other than a sudden howling of what felt like the wind against my face. And when I came back, I was propped up against my bed. Kythaela was pacing by the foot of the bed, which probably meant that she was readying a fireball to hurl at my face.
I took a look at the mirror. Judging from it, she had already done that. I was wrapped in bandages for the second time in as many-
I can't anymore. I can't with this sh(redacted) reincarnation.
All that happened. Was-was it all a dream? No, wait, the bandages came from the wounds I got from there. Several parts of my body were wrapped by a long white cloth and..
It all f(redacted) hurt. All of it. I was happy to get my senses back, but I tasted blood.
I was used to the pain, but that taste unnerved me. It tasted more… metallic than pennies.
Yes, five-year-old me (back on Earth) used to put pennies in my mouth for the sole purpose of annoying my parents, five years old me now doesn't want to do that ever again.
A miracle happened. I tried to get up. My injuries faded as if they were never inflicted. I was healing quickly, and soon I was already in tiptop shape.
"H-how did that happen?" Her eyes glazed over, and her jaw dropped to the floor.
I nonchalantly ripped off bandages in certain areas and headed for the bathroom.
When you can't find the zipper, a man's gotta do what he's gotta do.
"Buzz off, need to go." I shooed her using my hand. "Could you go ask Garyn to make me a sandwich?"
"Hey, stop ignoring me."
In my defense, I hate kids. In her defense, she's smart enough to understand my insults, so as long as I don't say anything too emotionally scarring, she'll be fine.
Smart kids are scary and amusing that way. Awfully resilient bunch, those nasty ankle biters.
"Then stop throwing fireballs on my face." I paused for dramatic effect, trying not to pay attention to little Zophi hanging in the wind. "Not even a 'sorry'?"
"It wasn't my fault! You were beside me-" She pouted.
I remembered the old man I was about to face from back in the dungeon. Did he go at me?
"Then go away. You annoy me." I brushed her off. "Gary-"
[System updating please wait]
[94.57% (time before full update: about 7 hours)]
Update? What update?
[System is now updating and part of transfiguration is reset]
[Mana is required to continue. The system advises the player to move to a mana rich area]
[Alarm: New Skill: Translate]
Power Level: γ 3
Attack: πδ 84
Defense: ξθ 67→ ϙε 95
Agility: ρα 101
Vitality: ρλε → ρξ 160
Magic Power: κγ 23
Mana Capacity: λε 35
Magic Regen: νζ 57
Dexterity: πθ 89
Stamina: ϙβ 202
Senses: πγ 83
Condition: Slightly Unstable (Mentally), Sound (Physically)Overall Grade: οϛ 206
Grade Class: Bronze
Title: None
Job: None
Race: Half-Human, Half-Elf
Length: ρκ cm 120
Mass: κ kg 20
Eye color: Green
Hair Color: Black/White with Silver Highlights
Skills: {Show List}
"S(redacted)," I muttered under my breath, jumping to turn the bathroom door handle. "After all this time? This is how terrible I am?"
"What are you saying-"
I shut the door, locking it behind me. I slumped to the ground, running my hands over my eyes. Or the bandages wrapped around them
"WHAT'S WITH MY LAME-ASS STATS!?!"
[Large amounts of data are about to load. System update continuation requires moving to a safe location during the next 6 hours 50 minutes 18 seconds]
[System loaded 0%]
[Move to a safer area]
[Warning Due to speculations, system grants player: Skill Tree: God's View]
[Alarm: New Skill: Detect]
[Alarm: New Skill: Sensitivity]
[Alarm: New Skill: Heightened Senses]
[Alarm: New Skill: Spatial Knowledge]
[Alarm: New Skill: Mini Map]
A ton of skill… not to mention a skill tree? This means that a certain set is needed to ascend the skills further? Wait, my stats are lame.
How much do I need to work to buff-out my stats?
[Skill Default Passive Activated: God's View]
"A-are you alright?" Garyn knocked on the door. "Hey, kid. KID, OPEN UP!!"
He proceeded to knock on the door. By knock, I mean threaten to knock the whole thing down.
"Give me a second, I need to pee!" I yelled. " Be with you in a bit!"
"Open up right now-"
10 minutes later
I was dragged to the living room after dubious washroom escapades. I was seated in the center of some sort of loose semicircle, in the center of Garyn, Kythaela, and the old Geezer from chapter 5 or 6.
Wait, I've lost count. How many chapters have I written?
"Well? How's your trip?"
"What trip?"
"You were gone for a full month and I just want to say I'm disappointed." Garyn rolled his fingers across his knuckles, slowly cracking them. "Any words?"
"I was wronged? We were kidnapped by strangers and found ourselves inside an unexplored dungeo-"
"I know that much. It was a skill test. To see whether you're worthy for the sword or not."
"So why did he nearly die?" Kythaela asked.
The androgynous-looking old geezer patted her on the head.
"Things didn't go according to plan."
"Then, lady, or sir.." I stuttered. "Er-em-uh, why did you say that I shouldn't have held it back then?"
"He's a lost cause. He could've handled them perfectly fine but to see that he lost to two old men. I guess he's too full of himself and I was too blind to see that." Kythaela said.
"Geez, lay off me!"
[System overload of data. Please sleep within a few minutes to trigger system reboot to prevent minor to major dysfunction.]
"Um, guys?" I asked. "I'm tired, can I go to sleep?"
Garyn glanced at the clock, and then back at me.
"Go. We'll talk tomorrow. And- hey, kid?"
I was racing up the stairs.
"Thank you!" I called out.
"Don't tell your mother-"
[System Update Continues: 0.00154%]
[System says good night to player :)]
Goodnight I guess?… Since when did the system talk to me?
Ok, I decided, leave future things to the future me. I jumped on my bed and closed my eyes.
