The floor-to-ceiling French windows of the room were wide open, and the breeze battered the sheer curtains in the process.
Lia suddenly opened her eyes and felt intense pain in her chest. She gingerly touched the painful area, and the metallic smell of blood hit her nose. When she lifted her fingers, they were wet and sticky.
She rubbed them together, trying to center her senses on the familiar feeling. This greatly reduced her disorientation.
It seems like she has been injured, stabbed, to be quite specific. Except for Lia, this was somewhat an impossibility. After all, a stab wound to the heart isn't enough to kill an SS-ranked Psychic.
Aside from the fact that she should have already met her end with that disgustingly difficult-to-kill insect. Zerg Queens were notorious for their tenacity and regeneration.
Ultimately, Lia was forced to commit self-implosion and perish along with it.
Thus, Lia wasn't supposed to be in a room like this, lying in a soft bed with a trivial injury that was already healing itself as she let her mind wander.
As her eyes adjusted to the dark, the situation finally presented itself clearly. Lia was in a dark and wide bedroom with elaborate furnishings. It was a strange room, starkly different from the aesthetic prevalent in the Federation.
In fact, it was more similar to the style of rooms described in antique story books originating from Old Earth.
But what dominated her attention was the man who stood frozen near the bed. His eyes looked almost comical with how wide they were. If it weren't for the black cloth mask hiding half his face, maybe it would even be funnier.
"Y..you... Why are you still alive?" The man holding a dagger in his hand trembled in horror.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out the current situation.
This was an obviously an assassination.
Unfortunately, Lia couldn't even feel proud of figuring this out since the target of the said assassination was none other than her.
"Sorry to disappoint you," she shrugged in response. Uncaring of the fresh blood flowing from the rapidly healing wound in her chest, seeping into the soft cotton sleeping gown she was wearing.
The man seemed to have gathered his wits after Lia's less-than-enthusiastic reply. He shook his head like a chicken in denial and poised his dagger above her head.
Lia's eye sharpened at this. It was quite a provocation. This man really dared to try and stab her again.
She instinctively swatted her hand in the man's direction, a gesture she has done millions of times and has taken millions of insects' lives.
Without even a chance to let out a single syllable of scream, the man collapsed with a large gash running from his forehead to his waist.
Lia frowned at the result of her actions.
"Hmm. That's disappointing. He was supposed to be cut in half." She grumbled, a little annoyed at her lackluster performance.
"Eve. Status report."
A glowing blue panel blinked out of thin air, illuminating Lia's bloodied face.
Texts appeared consecutively, yet this did not elicit any other reaction from the sole human left in the room.
[Zzz... Zzt. Zzzt. Restarting Eve...
Status scan activated.
15%... 35%... 59%... 80%... 93%... 100%
Status scans done.]
[Hello, Lia. You're alive.]
"I'm afraid so. Any idea how this came to be?"
[That cannot be determined as of now. However, three facts have been deduced regarding the current situation.]
"Tell me about it," Lia said as she looked around for something to clean herself up with.
[I think it will be more advantageous for you to remain as you are now.]
Eve's words halted Lia's actions. She pursed her lips, waiting for the former to continue.
[Fact No. 1. Lia is still alive. However, scans have determined that Lia's current genetics are 99.99% unrelated and a mismatch to her previous record. Differences in racial characteristics are also noted.
Fact No. 2. Lia retains her mental power and attributes; however, her psychic rank is at most D level and is undergoing adjustments. Full recovery will take an estimated time of 730 days, 15 hours, and nine minutes. This is due to the current weak bodily conditions, given that it is 100% Human. No traces of evolutionary modifications or alien DNA are detected.
Modifications are determined to be nonviable due to the absence of the necessary genetic materials. Hence, it is advised that Lia undergo rehabilitation to unlock the full potential of the human body to cater to the SS-rank mental power. A tailored exercise and rehabilitation plan shall be crafted accordingly.
Fact No. 3. I have briefly scanned the current location set under the maximum radius possible with Lia at the center. Cross-referencing the observations with my memory bank, it is confirmed that Lia's current location matches the setting of the Old Earth novel, I am the Savior, with a 92.045% accuracy. Accordingly, Lia's current features match the protagonist, Alicia Rosentine de Amaranth of about 99.98% with no margin of error.]
Lia stared at the glowing blue screen, her pursed lips now in a wide gape.
Almost being murdered didn't faze her one bit, but Eve's successive revelations did quite a number on her.
"Let me get this straight, Eve, I am now in the body of a character in a novel?" Lia reiterated with an almost incredulous tone.
[That will be correct.]
"I am the protagonist?"
[That is also correct.]
"But whyyy? I don't want to be a protagonist. It's so much work. So much trouble. I thought I was done with all that after I blew the Zerg Queen up." Lia stomped her feet in frustration, with an undeniable pout on her lips.
Like a child throwing a tantrum.
[I think it is apparent that Lia has no say in this situation. After all, deductions conclude that this is a true reality. The novel you have read may seem similar, but it is ultimately a biased perspective of merely one aspect of this world. There is more to it than meets the eye.]
Lia furrowed her brows in palpable distaste at this statement. She ignored the latter part of Eve's statement for it was something she was already aware of.
Besides, who wants to be some kind of protagonist? From all the Old Earth books Lia has read in her spare time, protagonists go through a lot of trouble and inconveniences at every turn for the sake of the plot and character development.
Oftentimes, the circumstances are all unjust and could have been avoided. Now, being put in the situation dampened the bliss of a new life.
A resigned sigh escaped Lia's lips, "Where are we at in the story anyway? I still need to know. I forgot about this story already. Tell me about it."
[Unfortunately, only a short debrief is possible at this moment. As I have said a while ago, it would be more advantageous to remain as you are now.]
"Yeah, why is that anyway?" Lia tilted her head, confused.
[A group of armed individuals, along with a couple, has been detected en route to this room.
The estimated time of arrival is two minutes and 35 seconds.
Deductions predict that they are the Knights of the Amaranth Duchy, along with the Duke and Duchess.
It is advised that Lia take this time to make the room's current situation plausible.]
Lia looked around the room and realized Eve's point. It was a mess.
Even in the dark, the man sprawled on the floor, bleeding through the carpet, was eye-catching. Not to mention, her nightgown had splotches of drying blood and a noticeable tear, evidence of the murder weapon used.
Lia didn't mind all this. But she certainly knew how it would appear to others. And something tells her it would create a whole lot of complications. The blue panel blinked with letters rapidly forming as if trying to maximize the smallest unit of time.
[I suggest you take the stance of self-defense. It is said that the human body can perform miraculously during a state of high tension and danger. It would be the best explanation for your disposal of the intruder.
It is also best if you retain your injuries to strengthen your point.]
"Got it." Lia nodded and nonchalantly took the dagger from the man's hand. Without a single bit of hesitation, she plunged it into her already healed injury.
Crimson once again washed her nightgown as a soft grunt slipped from her mouth.
Lia frowned as she stared at the weapon. This kind of harmless metal usually just felt like a scratch to her. Ticklish to say the most. Yet, this time she actually felt pained. Human bodies are so fragile. She already missed her previous sturdy body.
Too bad genetic modification isn't possible in this place. If it were, she wouldn't have to worry about injuries, big or small, even if the circumstances require her to prevent them from healing.
No matter, Lia decided to take things as they go from here. First, she needs to get through this night.
Haaaah. So tiring.
[It is advised that Lia should refrain from doing such an action in the future. The people here would find it disconcerting.]
"Got it," Lia murmured absent-mindedly as she walked over the intruder's body, staring at the damage she had caused.
Now, how should she explain this logically?
Before she could even form a coherent flow of story, the doors to the room opened with a loud bang.
"Alicia! Alicia, where are you?" The worried voice of a woman signaled the arrival of the company that Eve had warned her about.
Following that was the immediate flood of light within the room, illuminating the grim state of the room.
Lia blinked her eyes, adjusting to the sudden change. Then, she was distracted by the glittering chandelier, wondering how they turned on the damn lights. She turned to the people flooding the door with a blank look in her eyes.
But it was this action that triggered a horrifying scream from the woman who called her Alicia, from the mother of the body Lia has occupied.
"Aaaaaaahhhh! A... Ali.. Aliciaaa!"