She sat still at the edge of the bed, while books were scattered across the desk and on the floor, remnants of her earlier outburst.
The soft light emanating from the lamp cascaded over her beautiful face, yet her gaze remained completely locked forward, despite the tension visible in her expression.
A sharp pinging echoed as if it should reverberate throughout the room, yet she was the only one who could hear it, and with both of her small hands, she clutched the sheets of the bed.
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You have gained a reward!
Title: [Transmigrator [EX]]
The authority of one who possesses a soul from another world.
The soul closest to fate, yet walks free from its bindings.
This being is incorruptible by any means.
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Her expression slightly shook at the display.
"I won't deny myself... I expected some kind of recognition of my existence as a transmigrator... but absolutely not in this manner." Nyx said, her voice tinged with wonder.
The extravagant display overwhelmed her, but the anxiety visible on her face was now gradually being replaced by relief, and a soft smile escaped her.
"Now, I could truly say that I was transmigrated."
Her gaze then focused back on the status window, specifically at the description.
"They sure do love the word fate, huh? Though, in most cases, stories that focus too much on fate usually don't end well..." she said with dry sarcasm. Regardless, she didn't care. Yet her expression turned slightly grim at her own words. Then she lightly shook her head from side to side, trying to shake off the discomfort, and added, "How ironic, truly."
She sighed once again, her ritual to regain composure, then gazed back at the floating window in front of her.
'Anyways, the fact that I'm incorruptible is such a... huge relief.' At the thought, she let out a dry laugh in silence. After all, she had a literal skill called Mental Corruption—
'If I were to live alongside something called mental corruption... hmm, I would rather not think about it.'
Then, her thoughts were cut off as the status window displayed new information. Yet this interruption was something she'd already anticipated... but still, a slight puzzlement lingered in her mind. Regardless, she focused her attention back, as questions could be answered later on.
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[Status Window]
The title Transmigrators[EX] is unlocking its trait!
Processing...
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In the game Echoes of the Fallen Sun, titles are not just for aesthetic purposes: they're one of the rarest and hardest things to acquire.
Just like how your typical game that grants you achievements for completing tasks, in Echoes of the Fallen Sun, achievements come in the form of Titles.
It's basically like traits, but while traits are innate to individuals, they could still be acquired. Titles, however, are much harder.
Yet unlike traits, where one could have multiple at the same time, a title could only be one.
In the game, titles are described as:
"A declaration of the authority of one's existence and the recognition of the world of one's achievements."
'And how do you declare authority?' She smirked slightly, and confidently added, 'Power...' But after a while... Her face contorted at the cringe-worthy line. Her cheeks flushed beet red with visible embarrassment.
She quickly dismissed the thought and let out a sigh, composing herself. Then, her brows furrowed, and her gaze lingered with puzzlement.
'Why is it processing? It's taking quite a while. That's the first time I've seen it done like that... but that doesn't say much.' She grumbled internally, but because of the last words she thought of, she was once again reminded of her situation, yet now it was different.
Acceptance began to settle.
Nyx's question was then answered as the status window finished processing.
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[Status Window]
You have gained the trait [Unbound[EX]!
Details: You are unbound by fate, corruption and the providence of this world!
You have unlocked the skill: Fate Log[EX]!
Type: Passive
Status: inactive (requirement not met)
Details: Guides the user towards fated events, characters, and items, and collects fate fragments collected by the user.
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Her gaze wandered with curiosity as it breezed through the display.
"...That's a pretty good trait. Amazing, even. Though it's kind of a repetition of the title, which is understandable, as it needs a proxy to function... at least, most of them do." She said, her tone carried mild amusement.
Then her mild amusement was instantly replaced with complete awe, as she gazed at the wondrous skill she had gained. She voiced her excitement:
"That is such a godsend, whoever created it... But, this sort of thing doesn't always bode well. Regardless, living here will undeniably cause me to get tangled with the main scenario and plot... I'll most definitely end up dead if I don't."
More importantly, she'd only ever watched streams. And while she did watch a lot, her attention wasn't always fully there—leaving far too many gaps in her knowledge. Because of that, her brows furrowed, confusion written across her expression.
"…What requirements is it looking for? Do I need to get close to the characters to collect fate fragments? What did it even process in the first place? I mean… the others were shown just fine."
And as if answering her question—
--------------------------------------
You have unlocked [Missions]!
Missions: N/A
The necessary requirement for the activation of Fated Log [EX] has been met.
--------------------------------------
Her question was answered by the appearance of something you'd only see in video games and fiction.
It was what guided the players throughout their journey.
Unlike earlier, when she had a bit of time to collect her thoughts, this time was the complete opposite. Without giving her time to breathe, she was mercilessly bombarded by information.
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FATED LOG [EX] ACTIVATED
TARGET IDENTIFIED: [Nyx]
FATE FRAGMENTS — DETECTED
Initiating Data Collection...
STATUS: FAILED ⚠️ FAILED ⚠️ FAILED ⚠️
SOUL ANALYSIS:
Target [Nyx]'s soul is fractured beyond repair due to trait [Mental Corruption].
Beginning Fragment Recovery Collection...
TRAIT RECOVERED: [Mana Sense – Tier B]
SKILL RECOVERED: [Intermediate Wind Magic – Tier B]
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[Unbound [EX] has detected the element [Corruption].
[Unbound [EX] is initiating destruction of [Mental Corruption].
Trait [Mental Corruption [SS] successfully destroyed!
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Her expression turned blank, her gaze dazed as she stared at the status window, countless questions swirling in her mind. Words tried to escape her lips, but nothing came out.
Her brain had short-circuited.
She lay back down on the soft bed, letting her delicate build rest in its soft embrace. Giving herself a few minutes of respite, she closed the status window as the immense headache she was feeling was overwhelming, like it was about to burst out of her skull. With her eyes shut, she fervently massaged her aching forehead and sighed as she muttered, "...Too many things are happening, one after another. Damn it, there's no need to rush."
She then began to slowly take off the dark cape that covered her figure, and as she did, it gradually revealed a delicate build. It stood in contrast to her previous appearance. Strangely, despite being wrapped in the cape, she didn't feel heat, nor was she sweating... and that just added more questions to her already fatigued mind.
Her eyes grew heavy, thoughts turning sluggish. She shifted onto her side, reaching for a pillow and pulling it close, pressing it tightly into a gentle embrace—as if seeking comfort in the solitary silence. Slowly, she closed her eyes, her vision slipping into darkness...
Stillness filled the room as the lamplight dimly cascaded across the space. The light it radiated was completely still, as if time itself had stopped—unmoving.
--------------------------------------
Nyx woke up, not knowing whether it was day or night. Thick curtains blocked the windows, leaving no trace of sunlight—as if the room was isolating someone from the rest of the world.
She lightly stood up from the bed, and her head felt refreshed. She did not give a single care at the stillness and isolation filling the space.
Her gaze shifted to the books scattered across the room. She headed toward the desk. Upon arriving, she grabbed and lightly skimmed its contents, one by one—yet none of them had anything, not a single line of ink aside from the already imprinted ones.
Nyx's eyebrows furrowed while she pondered '...What happened to the original Nyx?'
Lowering herself to the floor, she reached out for the books that were scattered... But she had once again found nothing related to the person in question.
As she was about to give up, she caught sight of a golden letter adorned with gold. It was the letter she had postponed reading earlier. She wondered, ' It seems to have fallen in here...' as she was about to reach out, her attention trailed off. Her curiosity lingered on what was beside it, "Hmm? A pouch?"
It was a small leather pouch, like the ones you'd see in video games, mostly for storing gold.
Her hands reached out and opened its contents. Inside were golden coins—shining. She picked one up and held it close to her eyes, squinting slightly.
"Wow... this is real gold. Imagine the things I could do with this. Ahem... I mean, even in the game, gold is the second-highest currency," she muttered to herself, reasoning away the sudden surge of temptation.
After a few solitary moments of analysis, she set the pouch aside and placed it on the table. Her gaze then redirected to the golden letter.
'...I already had some kind of idea of the contents of this letter... still, not everything.' Her expression turned weary at the thought, regardless, she opened the letter with her delicate hands and began to read its contents.
--------------------------------------
Dear Examinee, it is with great honor to let you know that you have passed the literary aptitude exam set by our esteemed professors.
However, the score you provided isn't enough to guarantee enrollment in our Academy.
In accordance, you are hereby required to undertake the forthcoming practical examination to test out your combat aptitude on the 17th sun in the 6th moon.
Please be mindful of your appearance when taking the test and maintain proper decorum.
Sincerely,
The Office Admission
Solarion Academy.
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She looked at it with knowing look, after all, she already known what it was in the first place.
"... This is the animation letter you get in the beginning the game as you write your name in the first place." She murmured. Then her gaze shifted toward the stockpile of books. With a slight hesitation, she thought, 'If the original Nyx couldn't guarantee enrollment even with all those books...' She shuddered.
She dismissed the thought, though that only made her mind wander.
"Practical exams, huh," she muttered, her tone flat.
Her gaze lingered on her slender left fingers as they formed a light fist. Her expression turned resolute as she added, 'That means I have to learn how to use magic in the first place.'
She then put down the letter.
For the second time, she massaged her forehead—not just because of that realization, but also because of a different one...
'Why does the calendar system have to be different... ' she grumbled inwardly. 'Well, actually, it's not even that different—"suns" are just days and "moons" are months. Still, I already had a hard enough time keeping track of days, weeks, and months back on Earth.' At the thought, she let out a tired sigh.
Which, all of that combined means...
"I have no idea of what the current date is," she said with total resignation. But she couldn't afford to stay idle, either.
"How inconvenient… but entering the academy is necessary," she said, her tone resolute, though her voice was tinged with frustration at her current situation.
Nyx would've started to go out, but that wasn't a logical thing to do. She had no idea of her current situation, left completely in the dark—both metaphorically and literally.
"…I don't know what will happen, but I need information," she muttered to herself, steeling her will.
So, with that, she sat down at the edge of the bed and steeled her resolve. Her gaze was firm as she murmured:
"Status."
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[Mission]
Watch the fragment of the original soul of the individual [Nyx]
Would you like to see it now? Y/S
Rewards: +10 stat points in all attributes
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"Yes."
In an instant, her vision turned dark. Nyx felt as though her body had been engulfed by the ocean's depths, dragged down by an overwhelming current. Yet there was no physical pain, only something deeper. She could feel it. She could only wonder. She couldn't move. She had no physical body, yet the emptiness clung to her. And after what felt like an eternity, she instinctively knew she had reached the bottom, the unfathomable depths of the fragment she had accepted.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[First Person PoV]
A scene unfolded before my eyes.
Before me stood a woman; she didn't look young, nor old—most likely middle-aged. I noticed that her clothes were filled with riches. I scoffed. After all, it fit her golden hair. Gold matched such filthiness, the smell of wealth.
The woman looked at me as if she felt fear… and maybe some guilt...
How could I know? I had no idea myself. Maybe, by some unknown instinct, I could. I don't know.
The woman before me spoke with a trembling voice,
"…No, I've already thrown you away… I abandoned you. Wh-why are you here?! Why did you come back, you monster?! You're not my child!"
For some reason, I felt my heart tighten. It was too much to bear. I tried to speak, yet it struggled.
Regardless, I wanted to retaliate against that filthy person whom I had once thought of as my "mother"...
How truly, disgustingly pitiful.
I thought, not knowing how to curse. I didn't want to. I didn't even know how.
So instead, small waters formed in my eyes.
What is this called again?
Ah… it's tears.
I held them back—why should I show such an unsightly display?
In the first place…
I'm the one who's so disgusting.
Why did I think of such things? Since when did I think I deserve happiness?
Her gaze lingered at me.
I realized I hadn't given her a response yet, and the way she looked at me… I didn't feel disgusted.
I wonder why?
I opened my mouth to retaliate,
"You are supposed to be someone who bore me into this world. Yet you called me a monster? Are you not the one who is a monster?"
I spoke with cold logic... At least, I tried to.
But… truly, I can't take it anymore...
Tears began to flow freely. They flowed endlessly.
"You threw me away and had the guts to call me a monster… How could you!" I shouted with my coarse voice. I didn't care, as long as I could retaliate.
"If I'm so disgusting that you can't even bear to look at me, then at least explain to me why I'm so disgusting!"
I wailed. My heart felt like it was being torn apart. I didn't have any strength left—not the energy to speak, not the will to open my mouth. But I can't stay silent.
Instead, I murmured,
"I've thought of so… many things… I can't understand at all. I can't understand anything…"
"…I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
Another voice echoed throughout the room, but I couldn't see nor hear. My hands covered my vision. My head was turned to the ground.
I tried to stop the tears, but no matter how hard I tried—
It wouldn't stop.
Tears fell like rain.
It was a pain I was familiar with.
Then, a soft hand gently caressed my head, full of gentleness and I felt reassurance in such helplessness.
"If I'd known that things would go this way… I'm very sorry. Always remember, no matter what anyone says, I will always love you... So, sleep for now… Nyx."
A voice so clear to me, unlike the other, belonged to a woman who was gentle, filled with affection and care.
And as if reciting some spell—
"Sleep."
She snapped back to reality at the sound of the word, her eyes filled with tears, her vision watery. A translucent screen flickered into view. It was crystal clear, despite the tears clouding her sight.
--------------------------------------
[Mission Complete]
You have successfully watched the fragment of the original soul [Nyx].
Reward: +10 stat points in all attributes have been granted!
Your MP has increased from 20,000 to 25,000.
--------------------------------------
Her gaze remained fixed as a second window overlapped the first. An indescribable rage stirred within her, and her obsidian eyes swirled, as if nestling the abyss itself.
--------------------------------------
[Passive Skill Activated]
[Impulsive Desires is active]
[Amplified Emotion: Sadness]
Your Mana Capacity has temporarily increased!
MP Capacity: 30,000 (+5,000 MP)
--------------------------------------
The display twisted her stomach. Darkness clung to her. To her, the numbers meant nothing.
"...What is this supposed to be?" she muttered. Her voice was coarse, yet her tone carried a dark chill.
Of all the things she loathed most… in both worlds, it was someone playing with her emotions.
But then...
Knock, knock, knock
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3 - The Hidden Heroine (2)