A Shadow Reborn

Rachel felt her head throbbing as she sat up from the bed. What sort of sick twisted dream was that? Or was that 'trial' something more. 

"These Devs take the term creepozoids to the next level… ugh". 

Glancing around, she noticed the unmistakable change: a long, fur-covered tail had taken residence around her waist. 

With a mere thought, the unexpected appendage uncurled and unfurled to its full, four-foot length, its prehensile nature hinting at the possibility of an extra hand if she could master its use.

"This is next-level monkey business," she sighed, a blend of exasperation and disbelief lacing her tone. "Who am I kidding? I really hope I don't have to deal with this in reality."

As she attempted to shake off the tension with a few deep breaths, even the simplest act of self-soothing felt futile against the surreal weight of her new existence.

Welcome to Ascension of Souls Online. 

You have now entered the World of Melodia. 

You are currently in the Beginner Village (Beastkin). 

Please Confirm your Status and set your Character Name. 

To check your Status, Please say [Status] 

You have been marked as a [Defier of Fate]

You have been blessed by the God of Dusk: ՇฬเɭเﻮђՇ

Reward: Umbral Embrace, Staff Arts (F), 3200 EXP, Mental Fortitude (D)

Rachel instantly shot to Level 5, a warm sensation coursing through her body. Another notification appeared in front of her. 

Character Status

-Name: [Not Set]

-Race: Shadow Simian

-Title: Defier of Fate

-Class: Mage (Shadow) 

-Age: 20

-Level: 5 (100/3200 exp)

-Status: Healthy

-Health: 85/85

-Mana: 45/45

-Attack: 25

-Defence: 15

-Dodge: 40

-Strength: 6

-Endurance: 4

-Agility: 12

-Dexterity: 10

-Intelligence: 9

-Wisdom: 6

-Charisma: 11

-Luck: 10

Free Points: 0

Skills: Appraisal (Innate), Umbral Embrace (Unique), Staff Arts (F), Mental Fortitude (D), Shadow Meld (Racial), Medical Knowledge (C) , 

Equipment: Duskbane (Unique) 

Rachel stared at the screen floating in front of her, blinking in disbelief. 

Level 5? How am I already there?! This is too fast, too smooth… Must be another part of whatever weird system the developers have going on.'

"Uh... 'Defier of Fate'? Are they seriously calling me that? That's so cringe!" 

she muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm and disdain. She couldn't help it—this entire situation was too much, even for her.

The tail at her waist twitched again as if it had a mind of its own. She couldn't focus on it for long, not with the strange sensation still thrumming through her veins. The warm rush of energy had shot her up so quickly.

"Well, guess that explains the sudden 'level up' sensation." She let out a dry laugh. "Freakin' Devs."

She scrolled through the notification window again. The mention of the God of Dusk stood out like a sore thumb, and she had to pause for a moment, feeling that strange twinge in the back of her mind.

"So that Creepy Voice I spoke with is a 'god'? Does that mean I can go tell people I have met god?"

Rachel scoffed, shaking her head. 

"Yeah, because that would totally make me sound like I am completely sane."

 She stretched out her arms, still adjusting to the odd sensation of her new body.

Her tail twitched again. It was unsettling. Not in a bad way, but in the this-is-way-too-weird-for-comfort kind of way. 

She focused on it, willing it to move. It curled in response, swaying to the side before she tried to lift an empty cup from the small wooden nightstand beside her bed.

The tail managed to wrap around it, but the moment she tried to lift, she miscalculated the strength, sending the cup flying across the room. It hit the wall with a soft clunk before rolling onto the floor.

Rachel sighed.

"Welp. Guess there's a learning curve."

With a deep breath, she turned her attention back to the status window. She squinted at the 'Skills' section. Shadow Meld sounded promising, but it was the 'Umbral Embrace' that really caught her eye.

A new pop-up appeared.

Umbral Embrace (Unique Skill): Harness the power of shadows to enhance movement and attacks. Partial transformation possible.

Rachel tilted her head. "Partial transformation? The hell does that mean?"

Before she could experiment, another message popped up.

You have received the following items from the God of Dusk:

Duskbane (Unique) — A shadow-infused weapon, light yet durable. Feeds off the wearer's mana to enhance darkness-related skills.

Nocturnis Circlet (Unique) — A mystical circlet that sharpens perception in low light and enhances mana control.

Rachel blinked. A circlet instead of a cloak? She wasn't exactly complaining, but the last thing she expected was an accessory.

She picked it up from the small inventory menu, inspecting it. The thin silver metal shimmered with faint traces of deep violet energy. It was so light that she could forget that she was wearing it and as soon as she equipped it, a strange clarity settled over her senses.

It was like she was stepping into a dimly lit room and realizing she could see perfectly.

She let out a low whistle, impressed.

 "Okay, that's actually pretty cool."

The God of Dusk has defied Causality. Relevant Memories will be Sealed. 

A sense of foreboding overwhelmed Rachel. What did that even mean?

Her breath hitched as an unnatural chill ran down her spine, a phantom sensation creeping into the edges of her mind. It was like something had been there—some knowledge, some experience—only to be yanked away before she could grasp it.

Rachel clenched her fists. 

"Wait... Sealed? What exactly did I forget?"

No answer came. No notification, no hint, nothing. Just an eerie silence that made her stomach twist.

Her tail flicked restlessly, mirroring her unease. Was it something important? Something about the trial? Or worse—something about herself?

A part of her wanted to shake it off, chalk it up to the Devs being cryptic as usual. But deep down, she knew better.

This wasn't just some game mechanic.

Something was missing.

And she had no way of knowing what.

For now, there was only one thing she could do—move forward. She had to explore, find Leo and the others. Start growing stronger. If there were answers, she'd hunt them down herself.

Rachel exhaled slowly, then glanced back at the floating system prompt.

"Oh right. My name..." A small smirk tugged at her lips.

Let's go with [Nyx].