Noctis stood in the dim lighted restroom, scrubbing off the dried blood from his hands under a trickle of cold water.
The mirror in the restroom reflected a stranger's face, short black hair streaked with blue, deep cerulean eyes and he was quite short for his age.
He wasn't in his room, not behind a screen. if he dies, he dies for real.
He died and woke up in this "Survival of an Extra" world—a brutal open world RPG, and in the body of a 12-year-old side character with no memories to guide him.
"This isn't just a game anymore, if i die here, i die for real.," he muttered, splashing water on his face, his voice trembling.
The reality of his situation weighed on him, Lamenting of the future events he would eventually face, and the absence of Noctis's memories doesn't make it easier.
He stepped back into the chaotic bedroom, taking in the wreckage of the previous Noctis's work.
The splintered furniture, torn books, and faint scorch marks on the walls, as if mana had lashed out in a frenzy.
The room screamed of an unstable mind.
"Just what were you going through, Noctis?", he whispered, brows furrowing as he sighed.
Moving to the closet, he pulled out a simple white shirt and black trousers, slipping them on, he looked at the cracked mirror, nodding to himself.
'I'm stuck here for sure, now I need to understand this world beyond the game's lore', he thought.
"Status," he commanded.
A familiar chime echoed in his mind, and a semi translucent blue window materialized in his eyes.
[Status Initializing Complete]
[Generating Character Status]
[Status]
▪ Name: Noctis Nightryn
▪ Rank: F (Initiate)
▪ Mana: 200/800
▪ Resonance Elements: Zephyr(B), Umbra (A)
▪ Unique Skills: Fate's Gambit(T)
▪ Skills: Basic Mana Manipulation (E), Zephyr Mastery(E), Umbra Mastery(E+)
▪ Corruption: 1%
'Nice, pretty good mana pool.'
'Hes got the resonance elements as in the game, but the game didn't mention anything about the ranks for elements though',he searched in mind for anything about it as he eyes fell on the bottom part of the window.
"Corruption? That wasn't in the game," Noctis said, his brow creasing.
He tapped the text, but the window didn't respond.
"Tch, I'll have to figure it out myself, then."
"The unique skill is gonna useful and at the same troublesome", noctis frowned as he thoughts the skill's effect back in the game.
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'd hoped this wasn't Abyss Mode, but that unique skill proves it. At least I can reach E-Rank soon. The skill ranks aren't bad… but I need to master this mana stuff first."
Closing his eyes, he focused on his core beside his heart.
A faint energy pulsed, flowing through his body like a gentle breeze.
"Hmm, quite the strange feeling this is… it feels as natural as breathing oxygen," he murmured.
Noctis held out his hand as he pointed a finger at the wall, recalling the beginner Zephyr-lightning spell, Spark Shot.
"Zephyr- Spark shot", he chanted as he remembered, the chants of the spells below C-rank were simple words of adding the corresponding element to the spell cast.
"Thought so, it won't be that easy!", He felt his mana as he chanted the spell and it didn't stir.
Frowning, he glanced at his fingers. "Perhaps it's different from the game," he muttered, shelving the thought for later.
'Without magic, it's gonna be hard.'
"Now, to the main point…" Noctis's gaze swept around the room.
"Please, let there be something you left behind, Noctis" he pleaded softly, adopting a respectful tone as if speaking to the boy's ghost.
He searched the desk near his bed, finding burned spell formulas, half-finished notes, and a family crest—a lightning-engulfed purple bird with green wind blades for wings.
Clearing the clutter, he noticed a locked drawer.
His curiosity piqued, but a knock at the door interrupted him.
"Young Master, dinner is ready. Please come out," a soft voice called.
Noctis froze, panic surging. 'I don't know anyone in this manor! If they find out I'm not the real
Noctis, I'm done for!' He took a deep breath, steadying himself.
"Yes, I'll be out in a minute" he replied, keeping his tone neutral.
"As you wish, Young Master" the voice responded.
'Good, I just need to act like the young Noctis… but how did he behave before the game? This wasn't in the game!' He exhaled sharply.
'Calm down, Noctis. Stay quiet for now,' he coached himself, channeling his fake self assurance inside him to calm down.
After ensuring he looked presentable, he opened the door and stepped into the grandeur of the Nightryn estate.
High ceilings soared over marble floors, blending modern technology with medieval elegance.
Crystal lamps cast a soft glow, and a small garden of lush trees bloomed at the estate's heart.
Unlike the game's generic duke's mansion, this place felt alive, it really gave that fantasy feeling, Protective spells hummed faintly in the walls giving the air a magical weight.
Noctis's small frame felt out of place, his footsteps echoing as he gaped, dazzled.
"Young Master?" a female voice called, snapping him out of his dazzled state.
He turned around to see a young maid with long brown hair and hazel eyes, staring at him with confusion.
"L-let's go," Noctis stammered, then steadied himself with a casual tone.
'Sigh I didn't wanted to talk but I don't know my way around the manor'
The maid nodded quickly and led the way. After a few turns through the sprawling manor, they reached the dining hall.
Noctis took a seat beside the head chair, the maid pulling it out for him.
'I'll never get used to this,' he thought, scanning the room.
A middle-aged man approached, followed by maids carrying trays of food.
"Master Noctis?" The butler, Brad spoke with an aged, worried voice.
"How are you feeling now? Forgive my earlier rudeness."
Noctis hesitated, unsure how to respond. "It's fine," he said casually, keeping his words minimal.
Brad sighed in relief, signaling the maids to set the table.
As they placed the dishes, Noctis ate carefully, trying to mimic elegance.
'I shouldn't talk much, but I need to learn about this world. Books can cover the past, and the internet will cover the the on-going events, thank goodness the internet exists here, But I need to know about Noctis and his family.'
"What's going on recently?" Noctis asked formally, his tone measured.
"My lord?" Brad's brow furrowed, puzzled.
Noctis stared at him with a blank stare, waiting.
Brad averted his eyes. "My lord, forgive my rudeness, but please don't be upset. The Duchess must have her reasons for leaving so abruptly. She informed me you should contact Ericka, the boss of the Steamers Gang in our city. She'll look after you until her return."
Noctis's expression didn't change, but his mind raced.
'The Duchess? his mother—left him?, who the hell is that?, And she knows Ericka, the A-Rank adventurer? That's huge!'
'I need to use this information to my advantage later'
Lost in thought, he didn't notice Brad's growing anxiety.
The butler bowed hastily. "Young Master, ple—"
Noctis snapped back, cutting him off with a sharp command, "Contact her, now!" His voice echoed through the hall.
Brad blinked, confused but Noctis finished his meal and stood up from his seat.
"That's all for now, I'll rest now," he said coldly, turning to leave.
Brad stared at his retreating back, then nodded to the maids before walking away.
Noctis navigated the hallways, struggling to recall the way to his room.
'I need to check that locked drawer and search again,' he thought.
After a few wrong turns, he finally found his door and entered, exhaling heavily. "That was exhausting. I need to train this body, time to hit the gym" he muttered, glancing at his frail hands.
He approached the desk, searching for a key.
'It has to be here somewhere'. He checked under the bed, then paused, noticing a slight gap beneath the desk, his eyes flashed as he reached out to the gap and checked underneath the desk, he didn't find anything.
Pushing his arm further, he felt faint lines forming a square.
'Got it.' He pressed the edge, revealing a hidden compartment and retrieved a small key.
Unlocking the drawer, he found two items- a wristwatch and a black ring.
The watch resembled a smart watch from his old world but he knew this from the game, it was far more advanced, capable of features beyond any phone he'd known.
He wrapped the watch around his hand and smirked at it.
"Nice," he said, then examined the ring. "What's this? I've never seen it in the game."
"Hmm... will Status work?" He focused.
"Status."
The familiar window appeared and he focused on the ring this.
'Item appraisal?, item check?, appraisal item?'
Noctis signed as he gave up.
"This ring must be important if Noctis hid it here. Do I have an inventory?"
As if on cue, a new window with 100 boxes appeared.
He pressed the ring to one, and it vanished, reappearing as an icon in the box.
"Good. This'll help a lot," he said, a faint smirk crossing his lips.
He went around the room, hoping to find something else, all while trying out his inventory and its limits.
After few minutes, he walked back to the bed, Sitting on the edge of his bed, Noctis turned the wristwatch over in his hands, its sleek surface cool against his skin.
He wondered if it held any information about the original Noctis, perhaps a log of his last days or a message left behind by the Duchess also his mother.