Will slowly opened his eyes.
Warm sunlight filtered through the large hospital window, bathing the room in a gentle golden glow. For several moments he simply stared at the ceiling above him, allowing his thoughts to settle.
Yesterday had been overwhelming.
No...
Overwhelming wasn't a strong enough word.
He had died.
Met a god.
Been thrown into another world.
Inherited another person's memories.
And somehow obtained a system.
Just thinking about it made him wonder if he was still dreaming.
After taking a deep breath, Will sat upright.
Yesterday he had spent most of his time organizing memories and trying mana cultivation. He hadn't really paid attention to his surroundings.
Now that he actually looked around, the room was surprisingly large.
Several beds were lined neatly against the walls.
All of them were empty.
He was the only patient.
Near some of the beds stood strange machines made of silver-colored metal and crystal. Thin streams of mana flowed through glowing runes engraved into their surfaces.
They reminded him of modern medical equipment.
Only magical.
"Probably for critical patients..."
Will muttered.
Then again...
He had nearly died.
Maybe that was why they kept him here instead of moving him into a normal ward.
The thought lingered briefly before he dismissed it.
There was something far more important.
The system.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Even now it felt unreal.
A fantasy world.
Magic.
A system.
The dream of countless readers, gamers and anime fans.
And now it belonged to him.
Will focused his thoughts.
"Status."
A translucent screen immediately appeared before him.
His heart sped up.
It was real.
Not a hallucination.
Not a dream.
The screen displayed:
Status
Name: Will Grey
Race: Human (?)
Star: 1-Star
Skills:
Eclipse Eye (One-Tomoe)
Chidori Lv.1
Flame Breath
Swordsmanship
Quest:
Empty
Will stared at the screen.
The first thing that caught his attention was the race section.
Human (?).
"...What kind of answer is that?"
Why was there a question mark?
Did the system not know?
Or was there something hidden?
He stared at it for a while before eventually giving up.
There wasn't enough information.
His eyes moved down.
Eclipse Eye.
Chidori.
Flame Breath.
Swordsmanship.
Just reading those names made his heart race.
Abilities from a famous ninja manga.
No matter how calm he tried to remain, excitement bubbled inside him.
Especially Eclipse Eye.
A combination of abilities similar to two famous eye powers from anime.
And Chidori...
Actual lightning.
The temptation to immediately test everything was overwhelming.
Fortunately common sense still existed.
He was inside a hospital.
Blowing up a wall probably wasn't a good idea.
Eventually his attention shifted toward the final section.
Quest.
The tab appeared completely empty.
"Huh?"
Will frowned.
After a moment of hesitation he mentally selected it.
The screen flickered.
A notification appeared.
New Quest Received
Will immediately opened it.
A single quest appeared.
Main Quest
Adapt To Your New Life
Reward:
Daily Missions Unlocked
"...The reward is another quest?"
For some reason that felt slightly disappointing.
Then again, he wasn't exactly in a position to complain.
He had a system.
That alone was more than most people could ever dream of.
As his excitement gradually faded, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Memories.
Will Grey's memories.
They were all there.
His childhood.
His academy life.
His friendships.
His failures.
His dreams.
Everything.
Yet despite remembering all of it...
Something felt wrong.
Like watching another person's life through a window.
He remembered everything.
But it didn't truly feel like his.
The hospital room door suddenly opened.
Two familiar figures entered.
Professor Kael Windrider.
And Professor Lilia Evergreen.
Kael carried his usual relaxed smile while Lilia held a clipboard filled with medical notes.
"Good morning, Will."
Kael pulled a chair closer.
"Looks like you're finally awake."
Will nodded.
"I'm feeling much better."
Lilia approached the bed and immediately began examining him.
Her sharp green eyes carefully observed every detail.
"Are you sure?"
Will blinked.
"What do you mean?"
Lilia glanced toward Kael.
The wind professor crossed his arms.
"You've been acting a little differently since yesterday."
"Different?"
Kael nodded.
"Your tone."
"Your mannerisms."
"They feel... slightly off."
Will wasn't surprised.
He had expected this.
In fact, he spent part of last night preparing an answer.
After all, suddenly behaving like a completely different person would naturally attract suspicion.
After a brief silence, he finally spoke.
"I remember everything."
Both professors listened carefully.
Will continued.
"But it feels distant."
Lilia frowned slightly.
"Distant?"
"Like those memories belong to me."
Will hesitated.
"...and at the same time they don't."
The room fell silent.
Lilia exchanged a glance with Kael.
A moment later she nodded.
"That isn't impossible."
Will raised an eyebrow.
"It isn't?"
"You almost died."
Her voice became unusually serious.
"Frankly speaking, it's a miracle you're alive."
Kael nodded.
"Trauma affects people differently."
"Give yourself time."
"Don't force anything."
Lilia finished her examination before stepping back.
"No mana instability."
"No internal damage."
"No physical issues."
She glanced down at her clipboard.
"Other than mental trauma, you're perfectly healthy."
Kael visibly relaxed.
"Then when can he be discharged?"
"Today."
Will blinked.
Lilia nodded.
"Keeping him here longer won't help."
"In fact, returning to normal life might speed up recovery."
Kael smiled.
"Then that's settled."
He stood up.
"Take care of yourself, Will."
"And try not to nearly die again."
Will laughed awkwardly.
"I'll do my best."
After prescribing several medicines, Lilia packed her notes.
Soon both professors left.
The door closed behind them.
Silence returned.
Will stared at the quest screen one last time.
Adapt To Your New Life.
A simple mission.
Yet somehow...
It felt like the hardest one he had ever received.
A few hours later, after completing the discharge process, Will finally stepped outside the medical ward.
The academy looked exactly as he remembered.
And yet...
Everything felt new.
Students walked through stone pathways connecting the various academy buildings.
Some chatted with friends.
Others hurried toward classes.
A few carried training weapons.
The world felt alive.
For the first time since arriving, Will truly felt like he was standing inside a fantasy world.
And somehow...
That realization made him smile.