Chapter 3- City of Lesonia
"I'm such a bad husband." He facepalmed. "No point crying over spilled milk, now. I will apologize to Sherry properly when I see her again."
Closing the notebook, Rein stood up and stretched his limbs. It was still early in the morning, so he decided to start by cleaning this apartment. He cannot really work in such a disgusting environment.
So, he rolled his sleeves and walked out. Picking all the tools he could find, he started the process immediately. He first put all the trash in bags, clearing the path around the apartment. Then, he started scrubbing the floor, the walls, and all the furniture in the house.
It took two hours just to get done with all of that, and he already felt extremely exhausted and sweaty.
"This body isn't athletic whatsoever." He muttered. "So annoying."
Even his stats looked below average, which explained why he was this weak. It was clear that Rein needed to start working on this body to get into a remotely decent shape, enough for him to be able to move without dying several minutes later.
Either way, he managed to force himself through the process with occasional water breaks in between. Then, he headed to the kitchen, where he had to wash dishes that had been rotting in the sink for several months. That turned out to be somehow even more tedious than cleaning the entire house.
"This is miserable…" He muttered as he put the trash away and checked the fridge. Aside from packets of instant noodles, there was nothing else of substance in his apartment.
But, on the bright side, the entire apartment looked far better than before. After loading the dirty clothes in the washing machine, Rein dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. He was soaked in sweat from the marathon he had just done.
"Well, that was brutal… I can't even breathe. Hah, hah, hah. Damn you all." After taking a break for a few minutes, he finally stood up and walked to the shower again. He was feeling extremely sticky, so he had to take a second shower.
"That's the first step done. Now, time to do something far more important."
Exploring the city. Even though Rein knew how it looked from the memories vividly, it was completely different to actually see it with his own eyes now. Mainly because seeing this world through the lenses of a depressed teenager was not particularly an accurate depiction of the actual state of matters.
'Seeing it through the lenses of a depressed old man is certainly different.' He said sarcastically as he picked up his wallet. "I will buy some groceries while at it."
After that, Rein walked out of the apartment into the city, and the bright rays of the sun welcomed him warmly. He put his hand against his face, trying to adjust to the bright world.
'I forgot how dark this apartment is. I'm glad I opened the windows and aired it a bit. That air inside is probably ancient.' He muttered as he finally started walking down the stairs.
Rein was living in a small apartment complex in the heart of the city of Lesonia. This city was a rather small one in the northern parts of the Nation of Aserath, a nation situated far south.
This entire nation was situated within a large desert, surrounded by sand in every direction, so the weather was very hot and dry, with sandstorms and strong winds being a common occurrence.
This city was quite modern, not looking that much different from the cities Rein has visited on Earth. If anything, this world was far more magical for one sole reason… The existence of Life Essence.
Life Essence was the most important form of energy in the entire world. It existed within every individual; however, those who are capable of manipulating and controlling it are few and far between, and they're called Awakened.
They are seen as the epitome of every society. They're the strongest, most successful, and most popular. Their influence on society is deeply rooted, far more than any other entertainment industry.
That morning, the city was active as usual. Even for a particularly small city, it was quite bustling.
'This world seems to have at least triple the number of people compared to Earth; this city would easily be considered large back on Earth.' He mused as he passed through waves and waves of people.
Large billboards, active shops, cars moving back and forth, and large airships flying above his head, advertising all kinds of products.
"Nightfall has finally conquered the Temple of the Eyeless Saint. Awakened Seraphine and her team had entered the temple two months ago and had finally emerged from the gates triumphant."
Rein heard the sound of a news anchor, so he looked curiously to the side. There, he saw a group of individuals going on a large parade amongst countless humans who cheered for them. These individuals were incredibly good-looking and radiated endless confidence.
One particular woman amongst them stood out. She was beautiful beyond belief, but even more than that, she looked incredibly strong. Rein had never felt that way before… An individual who was truly threatening, even by just seeing them through a screen.
"Those are the awakened, huh? They look familiar for some reason." He stopped at the window to stare at them for a few seconds. "Nightfall she said… Aren't they the strongest clan in the world? Maybe the second strongest?"
Nightfall, a large clan full of awakened individuals. They were one of the most influential entities in the world. Since they held immense power, they controlled several large nations. Their role was to protect these countries from the danger that lurks outside.
'The danger…'
As Rein reached that thought, the image changed on the screen.
"They were also able to retrieve the carcass of an ancient being from within the temple. It hasn't been examined yet, but experts expect this carcass to be that of an Ancient Giant. A race that went extinct more than ten thousand years ago."
The image before him was utterly horrifying. It showed an incredibly gigantic skeleton, one that is at least a hundred meters tall, and it looked like that of a human… A giant, to be precise. It had large horns protruding from its skull.
That was the threat that this clan and many other clans protected the average citizens from. Monsters that infest the entire continent. They are incredibly dangerous and aggressive, hunting humans actively.
The only people capable of facing them are the awakened due to their immense physical strength that exceeds the normal human limit.
'So, we have a bunch of elite individuals with God-given talent who defend the rest of the masses? Hmmm, now why does that sound familiar?' Rein shook his head with a sarcastic smile on his face. 'I'm sure this world is quite fun to live in.'
Giving the awakened heroes one last look, Rein turned around and walked away.
'Seraphine, huh? She seems to be one of the protagonists of this world. Might be useful to keep her in mind.'
Rein had always seen the world in that light. Protagonists who are the center of everything, and other people, who are less important and usually disposable. The protagonists are the ones he has to keep an eye on. Perhaps they will lead him to an explanation as to why he was here to begin with.
Continuing on his way, he kept looking left and right, seeing new faces on every billboard and every wall. Many of them were awakened heroes, some were locals of that city who went on to make it big, and the rest were the faces of the Awakened. The strongest and most popular individuals in the world.
'It's funny how they advertise all these products for mundane humans. You don't really need all of that when you're a superhuman.'
Shaking his head, Rein eventually reached the supermarket, which was, as he expected, bustling with people. Walking in, he was welcomed with a large open hall, filled with aisles and aisles of goods of all kinds. It didn't look that much different than the supermarket he knew.
However, naturally, the products being sold were completely foreign to him… Without the memories, at least.
"This feels like an alternative world." He picked up a can of tomato sauce, examining it with his eyes. 'The brands look different, but still somewhat similar to what I know.'
As he started picking things he would need to make proper meals, he walked through the aisles, listening to the radio blasting through the entire supermarket.
"Tonight, it is expected that the Zerath Clan will celebrate the 18th birthday of their heir, Lady Fiona Zerath. She is said to be the greatest genius the clan has ever birthed, and she is on the path to be the youngest Master in the history of the world. Many important figures are said to be attending tonight."
As Rein was listening to the news, he walked to the butcher on the other side of the supermarket.
"Hey, can I get…" He started pointing at the cuts of meat he wanted. Randomly, he threw his eye at the TV on the wall, seeing that there was a new face on it.
That was it. A mere glance… One that happened briefly.
Yet, it changed everything for Rein. All his thoughts, all his plans, all his ideas… They all vanished like mist seeing that face.