A wide yawn stretched across the young man's face as he blinked away the remnants of sleep.
In the reflection, a pair of brilliant blue eyes framed by lashes that felt unnecessarily long.
If this really was the world from that novel, then this was the exact point where a protagonist was supposed to start snowballing.
Unfortunately, William didn't feel like one. In his old life, a face like this would have been his ticket to the easy life.
Here? William was lucky if the neighbor's cat looked at him twice. He was a solid background character, easily out-glammed by at least a dozen guys between here and the elevator.
It was a bizarre world to wake up in, mostly because, until a week ago, it hadn't even been real.
"...Still I can't believe I'm here."
William muttered with a sigh. He'd spent the first few days praying he'd wake up back in his own world, but that desperate hope had finally withered away.
This was his life now.
He began buttoning his shirt, mentally reviewing his schedule for the day, though his long hair kept getting in the way of his clumsy fingers.
He swiped at a stray lock of hair that poked him in the eye. It was a nuisance, but he liked the style too much to cut it. He'd just have to suffer for fashion.
'But why didn't I read that novel more thoroughly?' William let out a frustrated sigh, lamenting his lack of foresight.
In his old life, he'd just skimmed the chapters for fun, never imagining those words would become his reality.
But then again, no one had told him he was going to be isekai'd. Still, he pushed down the guilt of the "body-snatching" that comes with his Transmigration.
"I didn't ask for your life. But I'm the one living it now." The original William was gone.
Whether that was an accident, a sacrifice, or something worse… he'd never know.
And what was he supposed to do after finding out? Was he supposed to just stop living his life? Or go looking for a way out that involved a sturdy hook in the ceiling?
He wasn't that type of character, and honestly, the effort alone sounded exhausting. He pushed aside the dark thoughts about the original owner of this body; there was no use dwelling on things he couldn't change.
"At least give me a memory buff," he grumbled to the empty room.
Unlike the protagonists of the novels he remembered where every other transmigrator got "Enhanced Memory" or a "Plot Wiki," he was stuck with his own fallible brain.
In a world filled with literal monsters, he was painfully ordinary, and his memory was proving to be a poor tool for survival. He couldn't even remember the name of the capital city, something the original William had written twice in his diary.
With empty pockets and no real understanding of how magic worked, he was completely reliant on the Temple's generosity just to keep a roof over his head.
Even then, he'd barely made the cut as a "Potential" student after his Awakening came late, but as he thought about the free food, he realized it was the only thing keeping him afloat.
'But that would only last around 6 months.' The Temple doesn't keep investments that don't grow, this six-month deadline felt like a ticking clock at the back of his mind; if he didn't show results by then, he'd be out on the street with nowhere to go.
Of all the things to get from a protagonist's checklist, 'Why did it have to be the "orphan" package?' He lamented the unfairness of it all, feeling a phantom tear prick at his eyes.
With a heavy sigh, he turned his attention back to the present. He'd been "Awakened" for a week now, and it was finally time to see if anything under the hood had actually changed.
"Status."
…Was this thing broken, or was he genuinely that bad?
×××××
[ Name ]: William Graham
[ Age ]: 17
[ Class ]: Warrior
[ Attributes ]
Physique Rank:F-
Mana Rank:F-
■ Statistics
Physical Power: 4.7
Endurance: 4.1
Speed: 4.6
Constitution: 4.6
Perception: 3.5
Magic Power: 3.6
•••
Charm: 9.1
Intelligence: 6.2
Luck: 8.8
■ Skill
[Weightless Grip]
Type: Passive Skill
Effect:
×××××
Tsk. He clicked his tongue, looking at his stats was like reading a disappointing report card. It was a bit of a joke.
At seventeen, his physical power was barely hitting mid-fours, he was objectively weaker and more sluggish than the average teenager.
'And 3.5 Perception? I'll probably smash into a wall before I ever see a monster coming,' He likely has poor situational awareness and might struggle to react to fast-moving projectiles or feints.
And looking at his Magic Power, With an F- Rank, magic isn't just an afterthought, it's nearly non-existent. He won't be casting spells or enchanting his blade anytime soon.
He let out a long breath.
'Thankfully luck is on my side, that's how I got into Temple…' With a Luck stat of 8.8 and Charm at 9.1, he knew exactly how he'd made it into the Temple. He had lucked his way in and smiled at the right people.
If it weren't for his luck, he'd be breaking his back in a labor camp right now instead of going for Temple. At least his high Charm meant people might actually listen to his excuses before they killed him.
And looking at his skill. He had a strange feeling this ability would matter someday, just not in any way that would make his life easier.
This is basically his true superpower.
'It's time to leave,' No point in stalling. If he was going to fail, he might as well fail moving forward. And he needed to move now; he wasn't about to starve just because he spent too much time looking at a face he still hadn't quite gotten used to yet.
"Is that everything?" he muttered, glancing around the small studio one last time.
Between the tiny kitchen and the modest bathroom, there wasn't much to see.
Since he had no real history with the place, leaving felt no different than checking out of a hotel. He slung his single bag over his shoulder, he didn't feel a thing and pulled the door open, only to startle.
"Landlady…"
He doesn't know the name, but the old woman was waiting for him right outside. He had told her he'd be leaving by seven, but he hadn't actually expected her to be there to see him off.
Watching the old woman, William wondered if his predecessor had been like a grandson to her.
Her face was a storm of conflicting emotions. When he had first brought up the academy, she'd been strangely prickly, as if she wanted to stop him but didn't know how.
"Is this really what you want?" she pressed, her hands fretting.
"The Temple is a place for the elite." She tried to pursue last time, "You'll be surrounded by noble children, and life won't be kind to someone without a background. You'll be bullied." He realized then that her obnoxious behavior was just a poorly hidden concern.
Despite her kindness he couldn't exactly tell her he was leaving because he was flat broke, so he just gave her a resolute nod.
"Yeah. I've decided to go through with it."
"I see. Good luck, then," she muttered, her gaze lingering on him as he headed for the stairs.
"The parlour will always have a place for you if things don't work out." He didn't look back, but he felt the weight of her stare.
She wasn't the only one watching, either. As he descended, he passed other tenants, each of them strikingly handsome, but their smiles felt forced, masking a strange, simmering anger.
One of them scoffed softly as William passed.
"Going to the Temple, huh?" One of them asked from his door.
"Yeah."
"…Don't come crawling back."
'I must have been a real jerk to these guys in the past,' William thought, picking up his pace. If this was what he was leaving behind, he couldn't get to the Temple fast enough.
In the last few days he hadn't left his room besides going to apply for Temple. The remaining days were spent reading William's diary, but it was just one more reason to get out while he still could.
The diary hadn't mentioned enemies.
Which meant either it was incomplete… or he'd avoided writing about them on purpose.
He tightened his grip on the strap of his bag. It felt light as a feather in his hand, despite being packed to the brim. If nothing else, he could carry his own weight.
Now he just had to see if he could carry his own life.
..,,