4 The Life I Want II
Just like Alex- I mean Humphrey. Kate also has a label above her head. I'm not sure if she sees it too or it's just me.
The label [Freja Caison] popped up when she introduced herself to me. The same way Alex-- Humphrey did.
Geez, I can never get used to this.
I guess it disturbs me even more now that we are eating together at the dining room with a table so long, I don't think it's justified only the three of us uses it while the rest of the people of this house eats elsewhere.
Yes that's right.
Kate- I mean Freja told me that my name is Ivan.
My name is Nicholas Ivan Carson in the world I came from.
It's in my birth certificate, in my school records, in my license and company ID.
But everyone calls me Nicholas because it's the name I chose to go by.
In this entirely different world, I guess 'I' chose to go by Ivan. It's what everyone in this world calls me by.
And apparently, by some shocking turn of events, I am a rich man and I live in a mansion with servants serving me left and right.
Including those servants are Alex and Kate.
I'm glad that Kate is alive and that she and I are still close but... it doesn't seem like we are the best of friends anymore.
She is kind to me but it feels more because it's her 'job' to be kind to me.
As we ate, I begin to see more than just their names above their heads. I see levels.
[Humphrey Calixto Lvl. 40] with 6 small grayed stars below his name. Above it is also a small white font that says [Defender] and a small shield icon beside it.
I wanted to know what that means. Suddenly the small shield icon pulses as if I clicked on it and a small text box appears beside it.
[Role: Tank]
Huh... this sounds like something that straight up came from a video game Kate and I used to play.
This time I turn to check on Kate. [Freja Caison Lvl. 62] she has a higher level than Alex? Not that I'm surprised. She is such a hardworking girl.
One of her little stars is color yellow and the rest are gray and there's an [Assassin] label above her name and a knife icon beside it.
"Mr. Carson, do you not like the food?" Alex snapped me out of my thoughts.
"We can cook another meal set if you want." Kate had this worried look in her eyes. The kind of look I hated seeing because it means she's sad.
"No, no, it's fine." I answer and I force myself to take a mouthful of the beef steak and sip some soup.
My eyes still focused on the knife icon I wanted to 'click'.
I saw the icon pulsed and the text box appears finally! [Role: Ranger]. Huh. It really does sound like something from a video game.
"Ivan." Kate says to call my attention. It's like she knows I'm not focused on how expensive the ingredients were to cook such delicious meal.
I get that. Everything in this world is indicating that I am a rich person, I have all the money I have ever wanted.
But what in the world are all these labels and levels? Do I have one?
*Beep!*
This time a panel appears right in front of me and my eyes widen at the details I am reading. What is all this?
[Ivan Carson Lvl. 71] I have my own profile?!
I don't have any golden stars, just gray ones. I rub my eyes and stare at the label above my name. [Ardent] What in the world is that?
There's a 12-point star icon beside it and I mentally think to click it like I did before.
[Role: Fighter] I'm a fighter? So I fight a lot to level up faster?
There's just more questions springing up from all these pop-ups than an actual answer. Below my profile are my stats.
[HP: 50,953/60,000]
[Mana: 8,682/15,000]
My HP is rising 1 number every now and then while my Mana is just at a standstill. I see a timer icon beside it. I've already grown accustomed to how to click the icons now.
[Cooldown for HP: 30 seconds for 1 HP restoration]
[Cooldown for Mana: 10 minutes for 1 Mana restoration]
I knew it. The concept is very close to a game. I check the rest of the stats. I have Attributes and Elementals available but its all grayed out.
There is no way for me to click or see its contents for some reason. Why is it grayed? Am I under some sort of spell or magic?
The thought of that has highlighted a potion icon beside my name. Huh, I didn't notice that before. I focus on it so I can click it.
[[ User affected by [Restricting Effects]. ]]
[[ User is restricted to use any attributes or elementals until their HP and Mana has fully recovered. ]]
I drank a potion that locked everything out? What a strong potion... so dangerous. Or is this a version of anesthesia?
"Ivan can we talk in private?" I forgot Kate had her eyes on me the entire time.
Now she's probably thinking something is really off with me.
Then again, I'm not sure if I'm happy she doesn't go around calling me 'Mr. Carson' or that she's referring to me as a name I never went by.
"Sure."
She leads me back to my room as her definition of private. I don't mind.
Even if Alex really has changed in this world, I don't want him eavesdropping on our conversation.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"You've been awfully strange since you woke up. What's on your mind? Is something bothering you?"
Uhm well... I wanted to tell her all about the world I came from and the labels I keep seeing, hoping that she'd understand but my lips are sealed.
It wouldn't open even if I commanded it to. Like some strong invisible force is keeping my mouth shut.
Then a set of text boxes appeared between me and Kate.
[[ I've been wondering where Jensen is. ]]
[[ Earlier, why didn't you kiss me? Or did you want me to kiss you? ]]
[[ I still feel a little light-headed, I'm sorry. ]]
[[ What happened to the person who stabbed me? ]]
What is happening?! What are these choices!? I mean yeah the part about Jensen is something I'd want to ask.
But I am not thinking of anything like kissing her! She's my best friend! The only best friend I have in the world!
Huh, about that person who stabbed me? He could rot in jail for all I care. I want to ask Jensen but why won't my lips move?
Is it because I should be choosing from these choices then? My conversation with her is limited? Is that it?
Hmm. Then there's one way to find out. I need to pick one.
