episode_0002

Passed out.

The first three characters that came to mind upon regaining consciousness.

A sluggish body as if broth were flowing, a chubby and greasy face.

It was the body of Sian Brace, the greatest villain in Ariel Game, even upon a second look.

“Why the hell did it have to be this guy…!”

Don’t people usually possess bodies in reverse?

I commented that I would educate Sian, so isn’t it proper to possess the protagonist Cain’s body?

“Now, how should I live…”

I looked around with a bewildered expression.

A spacious and luxurious room.

Even the bed I was lying on was large enough for three people to sleep comfortably, indicating the room’s vastness.

A fireplace for temperature control, a decorative flower vase.

And the curtains surrounding the bed gave off an aristocratic vibe at a glance.

“Haha, the house is nice.”

As I sarcastically pondered reality.

The door of the room suddenly creaked open.

“…Oh my!”

The person entering was a maid dressed in a maid uniform.

She held a basin and a towel in her hands. Perhaps she had come to nurse me.

“Lord Marquis! Sir, you’ve awakened!”

Upon seeing me awake, she briefly showed a surprised expression, then quickly began running down the corridor, calling someone.

By “Lord Marquis,” she must be referring to Pavlo, Sian’s father, whom I’ve possessed.

“Haha, I have no idea.”

Let it be as it will.

I lay on the bed, propping myself up with my upper body, just absentmindedly chuckling.

…

“You’ve woken up.”

After a while, Pavlo, who appeared to be the father, along with three maids, came to the room where I was.

With just one word from him, a serious and solemn atmosphere enveloped the room.

His expression seemed somewhat serious, hinting at his reputed cold-blooded nature, possessing a stern middle-aged handsome face that seemed like he had never joked in his life.

“So, what’s going on this time? Why did you faint?”

He said coldly.

Not a very pleasant tone. Does he not regard Sian, the original owner of the possessed body, favorably?

There was a chilling aloofness in his voice that made it hard to believe he was a father figure.

“I might collapse if I think of myself having such a useless son.”

“…Why so silent? What caused you to faint?”

Pavlo interrogated me with a frown.

Even if he asks why I fainted…

It’s not appropriate to say that I fainted because I was startled by possessing your son’s body.

But I can’t delay any longer. If I don’t answer now, I’ll surely get into an annoying situation.

Although I haven’t fully grasped the current situation, let’s put it off for now and give a vague response.

“It… I felt unwell.”

“Felt unwell?”

“Yes. I had some unknown abdominal pain since last night, which suddenly worsened, causing me to lose consciousness for a moment.”

“……”

It may sound absurd even to me, but there was no reason for me to suddenly collapse.

There were no external injuries on my body; the only excuse I could make was internal discomfort.

But even if that’s the case, what can I do if I fainted due to feeling so unwell?

“…Pathetic. You were eating so recklessly last night.”

Pavlo looked down at me with a contemptuous gaze.

“I will try to eat less from now on.”

“Your well-being won’t be solved just by eating less.”

“Yes. So, I plan to incorporate exercise as well in the future.”

“…What did you say?”

Pavlo seemed momentarily taken aback, then asked in surprise.

What’s wrong? Did I make a mistake in my words?

Pavlo stared intently at me all of a sudden, causing a brief silence.

Uncertain of what to say in this unfamiliar situation, I fell silent.

Then, Pavlo spoke to me strangely.

“…Strange.”

Pavlo tilted his head.

“You. Did you hit your head and get a concussion while fainting?”

“Yes?”

What? Is this a new provocation?

With a puzzled expression, I stared at Pablo, who gestured and spoke again.

“No. Stop resting. Keep your promise to exercise in the future.”

“Understood.”

Pablo nudged me and walked towards the door first.

Following him were three maids who also trailed behind Pablo.

As they followed him, the maids whispered among themselves.

“That eccentric lord… Doesn’t it feel like something changed after he fainted?”

“You’re right. His speech is more articulate, and his eyes seem wide open…”

“Did he hit his head while fainting for real?”

Although it seemed like they were talking about me, their voices were barely audible as they had moved too far away.

***

I sat up on the bed and looked out the window.

The blue flower garden spread out in the Duke’s estate garden. Beyond that, there was a familiar scenery of the village.

Beautiful backgrounds and buildings reminiscent of medieval Western Europe, along with the peaceful-looking village.

It dawned on me that these were the landscapes I had seen while playing as Ariel.

It finally hit me. I had truly transmigrated into the world of the game ‘Ariel.’

Curiosity struck me suddenly.

Unable to resist my curiosity, I reached out my hand and shouted into the air.

“Status window.”

“….”

Surprisingly, nothing happened.

‘Why isn’t it working?’

Could it be because the game had become reality? Does a game turned reality cease to be a game anymore?

Not being able to see the status window was slightly inconvenient.

In the game, I used to check my stats like a hypochondriac, constantly opening the status window to assess my physical condition…

Strength, agility, vitality stats, and most importantly, the mana stat, were crucial in determining which profession to grow into.

But what if I didn’t know them…?

Until I find a way back to the real world, I must adapt to this world.

So, the first thing to do is to develop my abilities and grow.

‘Even if it’s the body of a useless lord, there must be some talent.’

Ariel is a game with excellent character balance.

Each character has their own given talents, and the initial stats are well balanced so that developing any character doesn’t make a huge difference.

…That might even include the villain NPC, the useless lord.

Given the meticulous and comprehensive nature of the game, even the role of a villain character meant only to obstruct the protagonist likely has their stats well distributed.

‘Should I try meditating?’

Meditation is usually used to recover energy or remove toxins from the body…

Since the status window didn’t appear, I couldn’t know how high the level of this transmigrated body was. So, I should at least try to sense the mana detection level through meditation.

“Hoo.”

I mimicked the act of meditating that the character would do in the game.

Closing my eyes in a lotus position, slowly inhaling and exhaling, trying to feel the mana within my body.

And then it happened.

-Whoosh.

‘Oh…!’

I felt something.

A sensation of something flowing from the core, as if something was streaming from the dantian.

‘Is this the feeling of mana?!’

The sensation was detailed, and eventually, it swirled at one point. It was the feeling of mana gathering from the dantian.

But it was short-lived.

‘Huh…? Why is this happening?’

I felt the flow of mana, which had been swirling, escaping as if a balloon was deflating.

The issue lay with none other than the dantian. There was a tiny hole in the dantian where the mana should be contained, causing the mana that should circulate to leak out.

It felt like pouring water into a leaking bucket.

Realizing that my meditation had completely unraveled, I opened my eyes.

‘There must be something wrong with this transmigrated body.’

Being unable to circulate mana in the dantian is critical.

If mana circulation is disrupted, mana energy cannot be converted into magical power. This means I cannot use magic.

‘With a body in disarray and an issue in the dantian!’

It was despairing.

The troublemaker Gongja Sian, who tormented the protagonist, couldn’t use magic, so was it inevitable for him to join the Swordsmanship Department?

Even if he entered the Swordsmanship Department, wouldn’t he need to be able to use magic to become an excellent swordsman?

What would happen if the Light Sword and the Death Blade clashed?

Silently, the Death Blade would cut through like a hot knife through butter.

The difference between someone who enhances physical abilities through mana manipulation and fights with mana enveloping their sword, and someone who simply wields a sword, is like night and day.

That’s why great sword masters, even if not wizards, had astonishing mastery in mana manipulation…

“He seems to harbor inferiority towards the protagonist…. The nobleman Gongja can’t even use magic, while the fallen viscount protagonist has innate talent in mana manipulation…”

It made sense. Sian, the original owner of the body he possessed… His life must have been hopeless.

Unable to dream of becoming a top swordsman, unable to become a wizard.

All he could boast was being a nobleman’s offspring. That’s why he probably indulged in pleasure, knowing he couldn’t grow anyway. So he must have just let things slide until it came to this point.

Heh heh.

A derisive laugh escaped me involuntarily.

“Yes. Your life must have been hopeless.”

But I am different.

I know the answer.

I am Arielle, the pinnacle among the scum characters.

A hole in my mastery? That’s no issue for me.

I feel like I already know what I should do first.

The possession may have gone awry, but since it’s come to this, I’ll enjoy playing games in reality.

I rose my heavy body and walked towards the outskirts of the noble district.

***

“Pant, pant, pant.”

I ran like a madman. It had been two hours since I started running.

It was my twentieth lap around the vast mansion yard.

My muscles were tingling all over. With each step I took, the heavy fat clinging to my sluggish body shook back and forth.

“Damn it… How much did I eat to end up like this…!”

But I won’t yield to such a body.

I’ll run until the fat melts away. Because I am Choi Jian. I’m a doer.

As I energetically sprinted around the Brace Mansion, the maids around me, seeing me, stared wide-eyed, astonished.

“What’s going on…? Is Lord Gongja exercising…?”

“Has he gained weight even in his brain…?”

…I can hear everything, you guys.

What kind of reputation did Sian have that they’re making a big deal out of me just running?

Seems like he was an unimaginable jerk.

Well, considering how these women were picking on the protagonist within the academy, I could roughly guess how they might behave at home.

“Pant, pant, pant….”

I soon abandoned those thoughts and focused on running.

Unused muscles suddenly in action screamed in protest.

But my mind was at ease.

Contrary to the painful body, my mind felt clearer in proportion.

With each stride, flesh rubbed against flesh, but there was nothing I could do about it.

“Damn it…. Pant, pant….”

As I relentlessly ran, gasping for air.

I saw a girl with the same hair color as mine, her hair split into two braids, approaching me.