A woman…
Or rather, a woman in a painting. It was abstract, the kind of art he'd normally ignore, and would have again today if it weren't for his odd situation.
He seemed to be in a wooden room filled with countless drawers, a coldness creeping into his skin, though his body heat fought it off. Outside, loud music blared, the sound leaking into the room.
"Keep it up, let it flow… I know you want it, so don't stop going hard."
It wasn't what he had initially thought. Just music.
'In a different language? How can I understand it?'
But that wasn't the biggest problem. He couldn't move. His new body felt like it was fixed in place; he could only wiggle his feet and toes.
His throat was dry and painfully sore, and he felt something—or someone—gripping his arm.
Just as confusion reached its peak, a sharp pain surged through his head. Memories, not his own, began to flood his mind. The sensation was overwhelming, almost suffocating, like someone forcing water down his throat.
And then, a brief silence followed.
'I got scammed.'
Lucas wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry about his new state. After all, he had become a fantastical creature called miro. These creatures looked like human but with a monkey tail and red skin. They only ate fire objects or lava, which turned their bodies into ticking bombs.
If they got too worked up, they would explode, sending magma-like liquid everywhere. If they got angry, they would explode. If they did too much physical activity, they would explode.
They were lazy, floating around in lava pools, only moving to eat… and even then, they'd explode.
'Your mother explodes,' Lucas cursed silently. 'Now I know why he didn't give the growing power to his own brethren.'
As for why Lucas couldn't move…
His previous body owner was an anomaly in his kind, an adventurous and curious individual, but he still got their stupidity.
The miro was clearly different, no matter how he jumped or did whatever he wanted, he wouldn't explode unlike his brethren, but then he got lured by a middle aged man with just a lava candy.
'That man took the miro to an ice cave and I don't remember what happened after that. But right now, I am sure I am locked inside ice, with only my feet and toes free. Great.'
But then it clicked.
The hand touching his arm might be that middle aged man.
Now dead, or maybe still alive, and frozen alongside him.
A chill went down his spine.
His breathing turned rough, the limited oxygen in the small space getting consumed at a fast rate, the cold air irritating his nose somewhat.
'No, no, calm down, calm down. That guy who made me reincarnate in this body gave me some power, and I am alive; I can think, so calm down.'
He told himself that many times before calming down slightly.
Just then.
[Ding.]
'… Of course, my cheat is a system.'
[The system will aid you in answering your questions.]
[The system will provide you with a status window.]
[The system requires your permission to analyze your otherworldly soul and extract any imprinted skills on it.]
'I allow you.'
[Soul analysis has started...]
Lucas then immediately asked, 'How do I get out of this ice?'
No response. Lucas just had to wait and silently see the analysis percentage rise up.
[25% analysis complete...]
[You have acquired the ability "Origin Extraction".]
[Absorb the origin essence source of a target and extract one of their core abilities. The process is complex. Errors can damage your soul, so the system automates the process to prevent any mishaps.]
'Mmh, that's actually a nice ability.'
Soon after, he heard another mechanical 'ding'. The screen before him disappeared and got replaced by a new one.
[A quest has been issued.]
[Quest: 'Escape from the Ice.']
[Description: Due to unknown reasons, you are trapped inside a block of ice. Escape from it before it devours all your body heat and kills you.]
[Reward: Freedom]
[Time Limit: 5 years]
'Damn, 5 years... okay, so what can you guide me in?'
[Information regarding the magical flora and fauna, languages, legends of the Celestial Expanse, and the system functions. Do note that most of the said information was analyzed from a book that the miro had accidently obtained.]
'Great,' his racing heart calmed down a bit. This also explained how he can understand the unfamiliar language of the song—system automatically translated it to him.
'Let's take it slowly and understand my powers first.'
[Please look at the status window.]
'Alright, show me.'
Another translucent window appeared before him.
—
[Status]
[Name: Lucas | Species: Miro]
[Physical Age: 110 | Soul Age: 22]
[Health: 469/600]
[Mana: 45/100]
[Active Quests: 1]
—
[Attributes]
- Soul Power: 41
- Magic Power: 33
- Mana Control: 25
- Martial Power: 20
- Vitality: 269
—
[Abilities:]
- Fire Claw, Devouring Mark, Origin Extraction, Thermal Vision, Fire Punch, Torch Tail
—
Lucas was a bit speechless. The vitality was way too high.
But this explained the 5 years time. As well as why his predecessor didn't explode like his brethren.
Speaking of brethren...
[The man, I am assuming your creator, mentioned a name. Morgana. Who's that?]
[No data found.]
'Oh, well...'
The situation no longer felt that hopeless as before, so Lucas was a lot calmer. Next, he pondered over his abilities.
'My current powers won't really help... or will they? Can my torch tail or fire claw melt the ice?'
[No.]
Lucas didn't get an immediate solution, but he had a clearer idea of his next move. 'It's based on my luck, though.' He asked the system, 'The thing touching my arm... does it have a origin essence source?'
[Scanning...]
[Origin source found.]
A familiar ding sounded.