*Ten years later*
The soft breeze of the wind and the melody of birdsong pulled Reagan back to consciousness. He slowly opened his eye to a lush greenery canopy, where sunlight filtered through leaves and branches in shimmering streaks. The sound of a water flowing nearby thrummed in his temples. He sat up from the bed of dried leaves holding his throbbing temples as the leaves made crunchy noise beneath him after being disturbed.
[Reincarnation Complete]
"This forest seems too real to be a dream." Reagan whispered to the empty air. "Did I really reincarnate. And if I did... then who revived me?" he asked no one in particular.
[You have unread messages] The system interrupted.
"System notification."
System windows appeared as he commanded.
[System and stats have been updated]
[You gave gained regeneration skill]
[Clothes have been put into your inventory]
[Quest: Grudge of the Betrayed -has been generated]
"Regeneration skill?" Reagan mused. "Is that how I got my body back?" He hesitated, a flash of worry crossing his mind. "My stats have been updated. I hope they have not reset back to when I was level 1. Status."
[STATUS]
NAME: REAGAN GREYWOODS | LEVEL: 1
RACE: HUMAN. | CLASS: NONE
TITLE: NONE
HP: 10010. | MP: 500
STRENGTH: 367. | STAMINA: 368
AGILITY: 368. | INTELLIGENCE: 347
DEFENSE: 367. | FATIGUE: 0
ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 0
[SKILLS]
[REGENERATION: uses stamina to heal any physical damage]
[ADAPTATION AND RESISTANCE: Adapt to any attack and gain resistance]
The metric numbers that were once displayed in steady emerald hue, now were displayed in crimson.
"My skills, title and class are all gone." He noted. "Is this what it meant by updated? As for the level, it's back to level one and my base stats are still there. If I start leveling up from scratch, that means I will be as twice as strong as when I was in the Tower by the time I reach level 100. No need to jinx it, but there might be no monsters and n this world." he said as he stood up, his mascular, ripped physique gleaming in the sunlight.
"First, I need to know where I am."
"Kyaaah!!"
A piercing loud scream erupted from behind him. Reagan froze.
'Who's that? I didn't even feel their presence until they were behind me.' he didn't linger onto that thought. Right now, he needs to take care of the enemy.
He tried to summon from his inventory, but there weren't any.
"Tch," he cursed.
He decided to confront them head on. He turned and sprinted towards the sound. What he saw made him stop dead in his tracks. He couldn't believe it. His sister who he thought he won't see her again was now standing in front of him. But she is different from the sister she knew. This one has elongated sharp pointed ears, clearly she is an elf and far more mature than the teenage sister he remembered. Even so, his mind ignored all of that.
"Laura." he muttered.
*****
The leporid, Malakor, from Reagan's world, walked through the cold castle hallway. As he neared a set of massive doors in front of him, the door pushed open. Two leporid came out. They are curators from other towers. Their face twisted in terror as they pinned their heads down, their eyes fixed on the tiled floor. Malakor glanced at them before entering the room.
Inside, a red carpet was laid on the pathway. It looks like a king's chamber but there is no throne seat on top of the raised platform.
He knelt down with one knee when he reached at the base of the stairs. A holographic screen displaying a shadowy figure appeared as soon as he knelt.
The chamber was filled by immense crushing pressure as the figure appeared.
"Y-your majesty..."
"Speak." The figure commanded.
"Y -yes. It's about the world you appointed me to manage. There were no irregulars found neither inside and outside the Tower." Malakor reported, his voice trembling under the overwhelming pressure. It was like being compressed by gravity.
The screen went shut as he finished his report.
Huff. Huff.
He exhaled sharply as he tried to stabilize his breaths.
"So scary. I thought I will die even though we are not in the same dimension." he said as he wiped the sweat that was trickling down his face.
****
"Laura," Reagan muttered, his voice soft.
"How do you know my name and why do you have my brother's face?" she demanded, her sword leveled at his throat.
"It's me, Reagan." he explained.
"How do you know that name? Are you a roamer?"
Reagan stared at her
'She looks like my sister except she is an elf. Is this what the system meant by a doppelganger. If so, then she must be the sister of one of my doppelgangers who were erased. No wonder she has so much hostility. And what's a roamer. For now let's clear the misunderstandings, she might come in handy when I need to know more about this place.'
"I asked you how you know that name."
"I am not your enemy. Please, put your weapon down. I can explain."
He begged but she didn't lower down her sword.
"Explain yourself."
"I don't know if you will believe me but I from another world."
"Don't lie to me! No human has ever come out of the gates. You are a roamer, aren't you?"
"I'm not a roamer." Reagan insisted "I don't even know what gates are. I'm not lying."
She hesitated, searching his eyes before finally sheathing her sword.
"Do you believe me?"
"Wait there. I'll bring you some clothes."
"Oh," he exclaimed as he looked at himself. He was naked all this time.
"No need." Reagan said. "I have my own. Inventory." he called out and withdrew the clothes and began to dress up