After the men had gone far enough for Itsuki to be sure they hadn't seen him, he moved toward the side of a building and sat on a shallow stair—one of those worn stone steps people used as makeshift seats.
I don't need anyone to explain what I just saw. Even in a world like this, it's not a surprise that there's still rot.
~They deserve to die for doing shit like that. What if I cut every single finger from their corrupt hands. Then make them choke on their own blood and tears... What if..~
He inhaled, fingers running through his hair as he tipped his face to the sky. The air was clean; the blue above him serene in a way that felt obscene compared with the street. He blinked slowly, and then, as if someone had snapped a wire, the world felt it like it had added a new layer.
A faint chime threaded through the silence. Suspended above him, translucent and sharp as frost, text etched itself onto a floating dashboard:
[Transmigration Successful]
[Congratulations, you have received the First Light's blessing and now live again]
[You have been brought to a world much like the one you came from, steeped in corruption and slowly withering by the hands of those who do evil]
[The First Light has deemed you capable to enact his will and be this world's saviour]
Huh?...
Itsuki snapped his head around. People moved on with their errands — sellers hawking, a boy chasing a hoop — completely oblivious. He was the odd man out sitting with a ghostly HUD only he could see.
I guess I'm the only one seeing this.
I was right after all... This is transmigration.
Typical. The world needs a saviour. And here I am: some desperate soul clinging to life, picked to play the role of puppet to some divine being.
[To enact the First Light's will you must choose a path. This will allow the system to guide you and help you fulfil your new destiny.]
[Hero / Villain]
The two words floated there like a knife and a mirror.
Hero or Villain? A choice? And being the villain is actually an option?
What sort of sick, twisted game is this? To test me and strike me dead if I pick wrong?
He felt the decision press like a weight at his chest.
Everything he'd lost, every failure in his old life, crowded the edges of his mind.
Being a hero might be the only right option. I already died once trying to be one because of how useless I was. Maybe these choices and the system is this being giving me the second chance I never had. Maybe—just maybe—this time I can change something.
A voice cut through, sharp as a slate thrown. "Dégage de là, vaurien ! On ne traîne pas ici !" An officer in a black coat, baton tapping, pointed him along the curb.
Itsuki rose, hands in his pockets, and drifted with the tide of the crowd, blending in where he could.
The dashboard remained, patient and luminous. He let his mind go to the place it went when choices felt too big.
When he focused like that, clarity came to him, allowing him to make quick, cold decisions.
He pinched the thought that had done it before — the clear, impulsive instinct that had pressed the unseen "yes" — and the same chime answered. One dashboard dissolved and another slid into being.
[Congratulations. You have selected the Hero Pathway.]
[Pathway Description: A defender of the weak and a symbol of justice. Your duty is to protect those who cannot protect themselves and to fight against the corruption and evil influences in this world.]
[Memory Fragment Received: Language Barrier LVL 1]
Language barrier?
Must be some sort of reward for choosing a pathway. Maybe now I can understand what their saying?
He tuned in to the noise around him—the clatter of cars, heels on cobblestones, fragments of conversation carried by the wind. At first, it was still a blur of foreign syllables, dense and quick. Then, slowly, like ink spreading through water, meaning began to take form.
"Je vous le dis, il—" the voice faltered, mid-sentence, the rest still tangled in foreign tones.
"—definitely did it. I've already asked the people around; they claimed to have proof."
The words clicked together in his head, strange yet suddenly clear. Itsuki glanced sideways at the two men walking besides him—one gesturing sharply, the other listening with tight lips. He drifted past, pretending not to hear, but his mind hummed with the new comprehension.
Bit by bit, the street felt like it changed color.
The murmurs of passing strangers, the barked orders of a vendor, a woman scolding a child—each sound found its meaning, slotting neatly into place as though the world itself was being translated for him.
It works. I actually managed to understand.
This is good, I'm making progress.
He touched his temple lightly, half in disbelief, half in hope as he continued to walk forward.
Maybe if I keep unlocking these fragments, I'll earn a reward that lets me understand more about whose body I'm in.
Another chime slit the air. The previous dashboard dissolved and a new one settled in front of him.
[System Notice — Archetype Selection]
[Hero, you are required to choose one Archetype.
Your selection will determine your core skill path, combat behavior, and growth pattern.]
---
[Combatter]
[Description: Specializes in physical combat and endurance. Combines brute strength with refined technique to dominate in close-range engagements.
Traits: Enhanced stamina, physical damage boost, faster recovery during combat.
Recommended For: Frontline fighters, melee specialists.
Note: Best suited for individuals with high physical adaptability.]
---
[Armancer]
[Description: Masters of weapon manipulation and combat instinct. Can synchronize with weapons as extensions of intent.
Traits: Increased weapon proficiency, adaptive targeting, heightened precision under pressure.
Recommended For: Versatile combatants and weapon-focused fighters.
Note: Performance increases with familiarity and bond with chosen weapon.]
---
[Assassin]
[Description: Experts in stealth, precision, and critical strikes. Operates best when undetected or striking from shadows.
Traits: Increased agility, reduced sound output, enhanced lethality on weak points.
Recommended For: Covert operatives and silent eliminators.
Note: High risk, high reward — requires precision and timing.]
---
[Mage]
[Description: Manipulates magic through calculation and will, converting it into offensive or supportive abilities.
Traits: Access to ranged and elemental attacks, magic amplification, dynamic spell usage.
Recommended For: Tactical users with high spirituality and control.
Note: Power output is unstable without discipline or focus.]
---
[Skin-Walker]
[Description: Users capable of partial or full transformation. Can temporarily acquire physical and spiritual traits from other entities.
Traits: Enhanced regeneration, adaptive strength, temporary mutation-based buffs.
Recommended For: High-risk fighters seeking flexibility and survival.
Note: Transformation strain increases with prolonged use.]
[System Notice]
[Warning: Once confirmed, selection cannot be reversed.]
[Time remaining: 24:59:57]
Itsuki stopped as if the pavement itself had stilled. His eyes glimmered with something like appetite and calculation.
Archetypes? Is that how that officer did what he did?
He could feel the implications sliding around in his chest. These weren't just mere playstyles. They were anchors. Whatever he chose would set how the system and the world recognized him, how he would fit — or wouldn't — into this place.