I stared blankly at the endlessly embroidered horizon.
"What is this?"
I muttered in a dumbfounded voice, but my words were quickly swallowed up by the infinite space.
The dizzying sense of vast space scrambled my mind.
'Is this for real?'
It was enough to make me doubt.
With a faint hope, I crouched down and stroked a random blade of grass.
A soft, vibrant texture tingled at my fingertips.
"Heh."
A hollow laugh escaped me on its own.
Back when I read a possession web novel, I'd gotten annoyed thinking how the protagonist could fill an entire first chapter just with confusion.
To me back then, it seemed like nothing more than padding.
But now?
"Hmm... No. I still can't wrap my head around that."
I straightened up seriously.
Then, calmly, to grasp the situation, I closed my eyes and racked my brain.
'Given the circumstances, this must be inside the Anomalous Survival RPG game, right?'
If so, it was the game start point.
'The game's starting point? Isn't that random?'
Still, I remembered what line it began with.
Familiar information neatly organized itself in my mind.
In this game, one of four starting classes becomes the player's job at the outset.
Each has stat bonuses that alter early survival strategies.
First, Office Worker.
Luck bonus. Nothing flashy, but it saves you from unexpected variables often.
Soldier gets Physical bonus.
Strong in combat or physical-demanding situations.
Mage receives Mental bonus.
Naturally gains insight into supernatural elements or mechanisms, allowing flexible responses.
Finally, Actor.
Charm bonus makes persuading or gaining trust from others easier.
Bonuses are just starting points, but clear differences exist between classes.
Pure stats? Office Worker is most stable, followed closely by Soldier and Mage, with Actor lowest.
But overall ranking doesn't follow that.
Handling layer interactions matters more than raw stat totals.
By layer interactions, Actor and Mage have the edge, then Soldier, Office Worker last.
Differences arise from threats, negotiations, mechanism activations, and such.
I recalled all this in order, then quietly exhaled.
"Soldier would be easiest..."
Actor or Mage offered more options.
Persuade Anomalies, seduce with looks, analyze and exorcise with magic knowledge, etc.
Soldier? Brutishly simple.
Three choices only.
Kill. Run. Die.
Perfectly simple-minded.
Yet its floor is highest, ceiling no slouch either.
Plus, facing Anomalies leaves no worries, easy to mind details.
If I'd entered normally(?), I'd probably pick Soldier for a Munchkin exorcist (physical) run in Anomaly skin...
'But now it's ALL-IN mode, huh? With Charm, no less?'
Optimistically, maybe the mode didn't apply.
But no cliché would drop me in without it.
Assume ALL-IN activated.
"Haa..."
I sighed.
Job isn't my choice anyway.
And this situation? Inside an Anomaly.
Game starts trapped in one too.
Conveniently, a lake shimmered in the corner.
Like a mirror begging use.
Parting grass lightly, I approached, took a deep breath.
"Haa, whoo. Alright, ready."
I peered into the lake.
There, my reflection appeared.
✨ REFLECTION ✨There stood a black-haired figure who seemed to have devoured all the starlight of the night sky. His hair held the universe within, and the face beneath... was not of this world. His features achieved a harmony no human could possess. His dark eyes were profoundly blue, his skin glowed coldly, and each sharp feature formed an unreal harmony. Even "beautiful" fell short for him. No word or phrase could contain him. The very air beside him looked ugly. He too gazed at his reflection, enchanted. Then, that image grew larger. Soon, his nose touched the still surface.
"Ugh!"
I jolted back from the cold touch on my nose, tumbling over.
Nearly became Narcissus 2.0.
"I-is this an Anomaly?"
Near-Anomaly looks—no, too harsh to call it that.
Guilt welled in my chest...
-Slap!
"Hahk, hahk."
I clutched my stinging cheek.
'What was I just thinking?'
Guilt nearly drove me to suicide.
If the thought of wasting this face hadn't flashed, I'd have done it.
I pressed my eyes shut.
Then snapped them open.
Closing them summoned that beautiful—no!
My face anyway.
'Insane.'
Game protagonist never had this.
No matter stats, protagonist took no backlash.
Physical at 10 surpassing magic (physical) to divine power (physical)? Fine.
'Not protagonist?'
Others with extreme stats suffered.
Physical overload collapse, Mental too superior becoming world law, Luck so high painless evaporation...
Charm? No cases, max 4 anyway.
In-game.
'Doubt I'm not protagonist.'
I eyed the lake used as mirror.
Where my nose touched bubbled furiously.
Calm surface churned like earthquake.
Like dancing joyfully.
'Charm over Level 11 maybe?'
Fits best.
"Heavens preserve..."
So muttering, I shuddered.
"...!"
I looked skyward.
Something enormous watched me.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The deeply sleeping 'World' awoke.
Someone had called it.
The World was vast.
Universes looked smaller than atoms.
Thus it saw everywhere, went anywhere—but pinpointing someone? No.
All beings far tinier. Natural.
But it thought it'd find the caller quick.
And it did!
Wow!
The World marveled.
After eons beyond man, eon, jillion, kalpa—near infinity—it beheld a never-seen existence!
Soon, the World fell in love.
It firmly believed this tiny one was life's purpose, birth's reason.
The World asked.
"Beautiful one. Won't you tell me your name?"
The tiny one replied.
"Wh-who are you?"
The World sang in lovesick voice.
"Beautiful one. Beautiful one. I am the World~! Won't you tell me your name?"
The tiny one pondered.
Seemed confused by his own name.
The World gazed cutely, waited patiently.
Eons? Gladly. A blink was effortless.
This moment precious beyond all.
New universes birthing, exploding, vanishing? Less thrilling than lover's face.
Thus happy time passed, the beauty spoke.
"M-my name seems to be Han Saetbit."
Han Saetbit!
The World savored the name's echo!
Aaah!
Joyful cheers filled it!
Astronomic energy swept universes!
Aaaaaaaaaah!!
Loud cheers!!
Vibrations escaped voids beyond parallel universes!!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!
Tremendous cheers!!!
Power shook all timelines!!!
Universes rang noisy; horrors that saw the World hid terrified.
The World overjoyed!!!
"Urk..."
Yet Han Saetbit, its beloved... suffered...
...?