Thick darkness… then a faint light, and a strange warmth on his face.
He opened his eyes slowly, but the view was unfamiliar: a wooden ceiling, cracked walls, and the smell of dust…
Min-su: "…Huh? Where… am I?"
He sat up slowly, his eyes scanning the place. The last thing he remembered was the sound of brakes, a metallic scream, then emptiness.
Then a smile spread across his face — the kind of smile someone wears when they discover a treasure:
> "Could it be? Is this what they call… reincarnating into another world?"
He suddenly stood and laughed like a madman:
> "Ha ha ha! Finally… no rules, no limits! I'll get everything I want! I'll become the strongest… and I'll build the biggest harem in this world!"
He raised his hand to the imaginary sky and spoke in a theatrical tone:
> "System! Appear!"
Within seconds a transparent window appeared before him:
---
Name: Sikth (Min-su)
Type: Hybrid (50% Dragon / 50% Original Human)
Age: ???? (31)
Constitution: Eternal Ice (Saint), Eye: ????
Affinity: Not yet awakened
Cultivation: Not yet awakened
Fatal warning:
The body suffers from a congenital disease — remaining time: 3 years and 5 months
His features relaxed as he read the first lines:
> "Real dragon blood?! Haha, great background then… but why am I living in this filthy place?"
He hesitated for a moment when he read the words "Original Human."
> "Hmm… odd, and the age is unknown too… I'll ask the system later."
He moved to a side mirror and saw the reflection of a child with silvery-white hair and dark sapphire-blue eyes; his forehead was wrapped in a bandage.
> "Wow… dangerously handsome — looks about 12. Hey girls… get ready."
He continued: "Alright, it looks like the original body's owner was hit on the head and died. Don't worry — in exchange for taking your body I'll avenge you."
He smiled at the end.
But when his eyes landed on the red line, his face went pale:
> "Damn… is that why I feel tired? I thought it was a symptom of reincarnation!"
— "System! Can you heal me?"
— [You can heal via a quest or buy it from the shop.]
— "Okay… and how do I get points?"
The system began explaining about collecting girls, influencing the story, and the name of this world: Thorlan, where the protagonist is named Arthur.
Sikth's eyes widened:
> "Thorlan… Arthur… Isn't that the novel The Star Who Returned?! I'm inside a story I already know?!"
System: [Note: You are not the main villain; you are a side character who hasn't appeared in the story.]
> "So… everything's open to me… even the main heroine, huh… haha — she'll be mine."
But as he requested a "gift pack," the system started to glitch:
[… the h— host… resists… the sou—]
His body trembled suddenly and he collapsed to the ground.
Then he heard an angry, sharp voice come out of his mouth involuntarily:
> "You filthy devil… how dare you take my body like it's yours?"
---
From the original soul's perspective (the child)
Moments before… I was sinking into sleep, listening to my calm breaths.
Suddenly… a strange lightning struck my head, a cold then a weight, as if something were pushing me out of my body. I tried to resist, but my sense of strength faded and I couldn't move… am I going to die like this?
A warm, sweet voice whispered in my ear:
> "As I expected…"
I opened my eyes onto a dark world where two figures stood:
A translucent white body with distorted features, surrounded by a yellow-blue barrier.
A ball of white light, glowing with a friendly warmth… resisting it.
I instinctively knew… the ball had saved me.
But my head was about to explode, and the white figure's voice grew uglier.
When I regained some of my consciousness, I found myself watching my body move on its own…
That stranger was screaming like a madman alone with a thing he called "the system."
Rage flooded my veins, and I shouted with all my strength:
> "You filthy devil! That is my body!"
He paused for a second, surprised, then muttered:
> "Wait… isn't the original soul supposed to die? That's what happens in the novels usually…"
But I didn't listen… I loosened my hold on control and tried to return to that dark place where the white orb was, but I failed.
I heard him laughing triumphantly, thinking I was gone.
> "Good job, System… hide him completely." Sikth shouted.
I screamed inside, but suddenly… the weariness fell upon me.
The last thing I heard were whispers of hallucinations.
> "Farewell, child — the memories of this filthy parasite will be your first and last gift. You will grow tired, but remember… we are with you. Live without regret."
Then… everything went out.