When Leo felt something soft beneath him, he opened his eyes instantly. He sat up abruptly while breathing heavily, his heart racing at a thousand beats per minute.
The first thing he saw once he calmed down a little was that he was in an extremely luxurious and spacious room.
"Huh?"
He looked down and noticed he was on an incredibly soft bed.
He was completely drenched in sweat from the scare. When he realized he was no longer in danger, he let himself fall back onto the bed with one hand over his forehead.
"That was way too close…" he murmured.
Slowly opening his eyes, he saw the system screen floating in front of him. Without further ado, he adjusted himself on the bed, leaning his back against the headboard.
'Let's see what happened now…'
[Supremacy System]
[Notice: The host is now out of danger]
[Ha ha! Sorry about that. But I couldn't identify the issue that caused you to appear in the 'Mountains of Oblivion']
Leo's expression turned to disbelief at the system's sense of humor. He had almost died, and it didn't seem to take it very seriously.
'What a shitty system I got stuck with…'
[Hey! I have feelings, you know? Besides, anyone can make a mistake, and… you're alive. Doesn't that count?]
Leo could only sigh. It had a point in some way, but this was supposed to be a system powerful enough to bring him to another world. How was it possible that it didn't know the reason behind its own failure?
But he let it slide for now. There were things that interested him even more.
"Fine… But tell me, where am I and whose body do I have now?" he asked as he got out of bed and approached a mirror he had noticed earlier.
When he got closer, he was stunned by his new appearance.
He was tall—much taller than in his previous life. Maybe just under six feet. And he was ridiculously handsome.
He had short dark hair and blood-red eyes that made him look imposing.
And his physique… he was shirtless, and his body was clearly trained—his muscles were somewhat defined and made him look incredibly good.
[Like what you see, huh? I took the time to pick out a body you'd like, and I nailed it]
The system praised itself. Leo had to admit it. He could almost forget the earlier error.
"Yeah. You outdid yourself, I'll give you that… Anyway—"
[Yeah, yeah, yeah… About your earlier questions: you're in the kingdom of Norheim, in a city near the royal capital. Specifically, in Shadowfen]
[To view your stats, say or think: 'Status']
Leo didn't pay much attention to the place names. Right now, he wanted to see his stats—the ones he had seen so many times in web novels.
"Status" he said.
[Supremacy System]
[Status:]
Name: Leo Shadowend
Age: 19 years old (turning 20 soon)
Status: Next heir of the Shadowend family
Strength: 33
Endurance: 31
Agility: 30
Intelligence: 40
Magic: 35
PT: 169 → Rank E
Unique Skill: Tamer
[Description: Allows the formation of contracts with any living being (beasts, magical creatures, and even people under certain conditions).]
[Upon forming a contract:] The user receives a significant boost to all base stats. The user acquires a characteristic skill from the contracted being. The bond is bidirectional: both the user and the contracted party benefit from the pact.
Secondary Skills: None (for now)
When Leo read that, he had a mix of reactions.
Excitement at being an heir, which meant he had to be rich. On the other hand, some disappointment at his stats. He was only Rank E.
But his unique skill… that one was broken.
'Can I tame anything? And also get their abilities?' he thought, excitement growing.
[Notice: The most powerful recorded mortal reached Rank S through contracts with high-level beasts]
[Without contracts, no mortal race has ever surpassed Rank A]
[Your skill allows you to form unlimited contracts without the usual restrictions. Most people can only maintain one or two contracts in their entire lifetime]
[With your unique skill 'Tamer,' you can not only form multiple contracts, but each one will grant you cumulative improvements]
Leo's eyes widened in surprise.
Not only could he get stronger on his own, but he could accelerate his growth through contracts. And unlike everyone else, he had no limits.
"This… this is insane" he murmured.
[Exactly. You're welcome, by the way…]
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks…" he replied.
But he was more focused on admiring his new body, almost indifferent to whatever had happened to the previous owner.
'I feel bad for the previous owner of this body, but…'
He froze, feeling guilty for even thinking that way.
[Don't feel bad. The previous owner suffered from a terminal illness and died in his sleep. Now you possess that body, completely healthy]
"Well…" That didn't make him feel entirely okay, but there was no going back now.
At that moment, the door to the room burst open.
Along with the sound of several objects crashing to the floor, it flooded the room.
"L… Leo?"
'Huh?'
Leo stayed in the same position, silent, staring at the girl.
She was a young woman dressed clearly as a maid. What caught his attention most was her short white hair and red eyes—exactly like his own.
If it weren't for her uniform, he would have thought she was his sister.
[Try to keep a low profile for now. The system will handle transferring the memories. That will take at least three minutes]
When he read the system's advice, he reacted quickly, dropping the embarrassing pose and approaching the girl who was still standing there, unmoving.
He glanced sideways toward the outside since the door was still open.
When he was close enough, he placed his hand on her shoulder, gently patting it a few times.
"Hey… Um, let me help you," he said, not really knowing what to say.
He unconsciously pulled her toward his chest as he reached to close the door. When he realized it, he quickly stepped back.
"Sorry for—"
But to his surprise, the girl suddenly hugged him, resting her head against his chest.
Leo's reaction was one of discomfort. He didn't know who she was or what kind of relationship she had with the old Leo.
He was about to speak, but he heard her soft sobs, which stopped him from responding.
All he could do was place his hand on her back and weakly return the embrace.
"M-my lord, i-is this real? Leo… Tell me it's real."
Between sobs, she said those words while Leo felt her hug growing tighter, as if she never wanted him to pull away for anything in the world.
For some reason, he felt a pressure on his chest that made him take several seconds to respond.
He was going to lie to her. The Leo she knew no longer existed. He had died, and now a stranger owned his body.
"Y-yeah, this is real…"
[Memory transfer completed successfully]
As soon as the message appeared, he felt a sharp pain in his head that made him let out a muffled groan.
He pulled away from the girl, whose reaction instantly changed to complete concern when she saw him like that.
"Leo! Wait, don't move," she said, holding him and guiding him toward the bed.
Once he was settled, Leo noticed genuine worry in her eyes. He could only give her a weak smile to reassure her.
"Please stay still. I'll go get the doctor and let your parents know. Okay?"
Her tone was forcibly calm, probably so she wouldn't worry him.
Leo could only nod at her effort, watching as she walked away.
When she reached the door, she gave him one last look and smiled.
Once she was gone, Leo let himself fall back onto the bed, staring up at the dark ceiling of the room.
"So that was Leo…"
The memories flooded his mind like a torrent.
He had to admit it. His life was something worth admiring.