"Is this truly me?"
Even though I was staring at my own reflection, I could not believe I was looking at myself.
It was true that I had tried to reshape my appearance, but the results were far better than I had intended.
"And the only thing I did was recall the faces of idols, Western singers, and what handsome manhwa characters would look like if they were human."
That vision had turned me into a walking temptation. Now my problem was not getting good looks again, but avoiding kidnapping and stalking.
"At least female villains will not kill me and will instead take me in…" Every bad thing had its good sides, after all.
I cracked open the bathroom door just enough to see Valentina sleeping peacefully on the bed.
She had helped me a lot, more than I had intended her to do. Should I call it my luck, or the world trying to make sure I got entangled with the protagonist? Whatever it was, it had saved me from certain death.
Plus…
I clenched my fist as faint reddish-gold energy, like burning flames, wrapped around my body. 'I have mana now.'
Additionally, I had Fog, or whatever Valentina had called it.
In the original story, there was nothing like Fog or anything similar, but it seemed some things had changed in this world too.
I stared at my reflection once more. I looked masculine, that was certain. Well-defined abs, a lean frame with muscles, chest, and all that gym stuff, yet I still somehow had a soft edge.
"I swear girls are going to eat me if I go out." It was good being good-looking.
"On a separate note." I opened my mouth wide, my white teeth glimmering under the light. I had fangs now. Even though they were not that large, they were still fangs. "Plus, I even have dimples now."
Letting out a sigh, I wore my white shirt without buttoning it up and left the bathroom.
Now that I had awakened to mana, I needed to finish my second awakening. Not only to awaken my system, but also to obtain a unique skill.
I sat at the edge of the bed and stretched lightly.
Since I had already gotten entangled with the plot and Valentina, it was best to complete the second awakening with the protagonist, Jake.
If I remembered correctly, the rift where one could awaken was a world of its own. Or rather, a projection of a once-existent world with people inside. The hunters who entered had to travel that world and find a rune tower. Only then could they return to Earth with everything they earned inside.
'It's a good thing my awakening did not trigger any unique skills.'
If I already had a unique skill or system, the rift would not let me enter. That meant while others were leveling up inside that world, which made leveling easier, I would be stuck finishing paperwork about how I awakened. Even if I finished before they returned, I would still be far weaker than them.
Plus, cliques would already be formed, making it very difficult to adapt in the academy.
But entering that world had its own disadvantages. You could get killed there and no one would know. You could get lost, or be trapped by some ancient skill or mind control, making it impossible to leave.
Although it lasted six months in reality, life inside that world would span three years. You would not age inside, but all injuries you suffered there would carry over to the real world.
'If I stick to Jake, life will be easier, and since I know the plot, we can avoid most dangers.'
Jake Kim was an innocent boy, irritatingly heroic. That meant controlling him and becoming his number one companion would not be too hard.
"The guy from ORV and RIM could do it, so can I." I had read enough reader-inside-a-novel stories to know how these things worked.
One, never run from the plot. The faster you run, the more danger comes after you.
Two, you are either a friend or an archnemesis of the protagonist. No in-betweens.
Three, use your brain more than your fists. Brute work is for the protagonist.
I fell onto the bed, my head tilting back just enough to see Valentina's face.
I had teased her about looking like a kid, but she did not look that much like one. She was not a loli, that was for sure, but her cute face made it hard to see her as mature.
However, seeing her now, asleep and no longer acting adorable and smug, she actually looked her age.
A small, involuntary smile formed on my face. 'She's a little different from her novel description.'
I shut my eyes, a yawn escaping my lips. 'Tomorrow I will meet Jake Kim, maybe train a little, and do a bit of face-slapping to that neighbor.'
Honestly, everything that had happened so far still felt like a dream.
Everyone talked about the light at the end of the tunnel. I saw that light, but it did not lead me to the afterlife. It led me to another world.
A world I had not touched or explored. Part of me was still skeptical, so much so that it made my heart strain.
What were the chances that I would transmigrate, and that the world I entered would be a novel I had read before?
Did someone give me a second chance, or was this just a silly coincidence?
No matter how much I thought about it, I could not find an answer. All I could do was sigh and let sleep take me.
If I woke up tomorrow in this world, good. If I found myself back in my world, good. If I ended up in hell, I would deal with it.
But wherever I found myself, I would do my best to survive and become the best.