Gabriel slept far from the lady's futon, determined to avoid any awkwardness.
But when he woke—
"Ugh… what's this soft thing on me?" he muttered groggily. Then his eyes snapped open. "H-huh!?"
The armored stranger from last night—without her helmet—was curled up beside him, hugging him tightly in her sleep.
"H-hey, miss! Can you wake up? You're squeezing me so hard I can't breathe!" Gabriel yelped.
Instead of letting go, she shifted and hugged him even tighter.
"Ahhh! Stop—you're killing me!!"
After a few frantic moments, the two finally calmed down. Gabriel sat up, catching his breath. "Geez… you scared me. I never even got the chance to ask your name properly yesterday."
The woman stretched, crimson eyes glowing faintly in the morning light. "Oh? My name? Shizuoka Aurelisse. Though… this isn't my real body. It's a puppet. I made it so I could roam freely. My true self is… far away."
Gabriel blinked. "A puppet body? Another world? So you're not from here either?"
Shizuoka nodded with a calm smile. "That's right. I'm not from this world, nor yours. But I know what this place is. Monsters, demons, humans… constantly at war. There's a Demon King, a Hero fighting against him, and no matter who wins, suffering continues. When demons win, humans are enslaved and tortured. When humans win, demons only grow stronger and return again. It's a cycle."
Gabriel frowned. "So this world is just… endless war?"
"Exactly. But you," she pointed at him, "you're different. You don't belong here either. That makes you special. And that cloak of yours… it feels strange, almost alive."
Gabriel tugged at the cloak nervously. "Yeah, I still can't take it off."
She smiled mischievously. "If you're from another world, then you must have a cheat skill. Try saying… 'Status.'"
Gabriel raised an eyebrow but obeyed. "Status."
A glowing green screen appeared before him, numbers and words floating in the air. His jaw dropped.
---
[Status Window]
Name: Gabriel Satome
Age: 16
Title: Angel Face – charms any woman weaker than the user.
Subordinates: None
Killed: 4
Level: 1
Experience: 0/5
Health: 4002
Stamina: 5002
Magicules: 4002
Sanity: 100%
Stats
Defense: 2
Strength: 2
Speed: 3
Durability: 5
Intelligence: 10
Skills
Fire Strike
Teleportation
Fast Forward
Lightning Strike
Fireball
Water Wave
Wind Dragon
Shark Fin
Magma Dragon
Electric Dragon
Storm Blitz
Enhanced Skills
Wind Strike
Dark Ray
Fire Ray
Light Ray
!Portality!
!Dimension!
Passives
Portality – Open portals to any place you've already been.
Dimensions – Travel between dimensions without conscious effort.
Instant Response – Automatically dodges attacks.
Shadow Walker – Can breathe in the void and survive a black hole.
Regeneration – Fully regenerates when near a dragon, even from fatal wounds.
Heal – Restores 5 HP per minute when damaged.
---
Gabriel stared, wide-eyed. "Oh wow… I can see everything. But what's this 'Sanity: 100%'? What happens if that drops?" He frowned, suddenly uneasy.
Shizuoka leaned over, studying the floating window. "Unbelievable. You have almost every elemental magic in this world! Fire, lightning, water, even dragons… and those passives…" Her crimson eyes sparkled. "Gabriel, you're ridiculously overpowered."
Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, but I don't even know how to use half of this."
Shizuoka laughed softly and took his hand. "Then I'll teach you. But first—we need a town. You'll need money, equipment, and information if we're going to survive here. I know a place we can go."
Still dazed, Gabriel let her pull him along. Together, they stepped out of the forest and began their journey toward civilization.
---
(End of Chapter 3)