Chapter 8 -8-I am the most handsome men!

Chapter 8: Chapter8-I am the most handsome men! Without hesitation, I selected it, hoping that the transition would bring relief from the relentless pain. (Processing... Please wait!) As the system began to process my request, a wave of dizziness washed over me, and my vision blurred. I clutched at the ground, feeling the world spin around me. What's happening? For a moment, I feared I might lose consciousness again, but I fought against the darkness, clinging to awareness with all my strength. Then, with a sudden jolt, the world seemed to shift. Colors swirled and twisted, and I felt as though I was being pulled through a vortex. Moments later, everything settled, and I found myself standing in the new exactly same as that handsome guy, free from the crippling pain that had plagued me moments before. Relief flooded through me as I took stock of my surroundings. The pain had disappeared, replaced by a sense of calm. The first thing I did after getting my new body was checking if I had hair on my head. Luckily, I had. "Fuuuu, finally, I have hair...' Then, I flexed my fingers experimentally, testing the newfound strength of my limbs. "Hehehe, I'm now the most handsome man in this world." I do sound narcissistic. But, who cares? My body is perfect, I bet every girl will swoon over me. But hold on, what if there are other guys just as good-looking as me? What if being handsome is common here? What if no girls pay attention to me? Will I stay single in this world too? "Ugh, why am I even thinking about this?" I muttered to myself. Even my voice sounds as good as my skin. With a deep breath, I pushed myself to my feet, ready to explore some more. I scanned my surroundings, feeling the cool air on my flawless skin. Then, something unexpected caught my eye. My previous body was still lying close to the snake's body. To my dismay, I noticed my left leg which was under snake's body was truly broken, twisted at an unnatural angle. "Thank God, I am saved," I muttered. Relief washed over me as I realized how close I had come to being trapped in that broken, painful body. I took one last look at my old self, then turned away to look at the snake. I looked down at the snake, its enormous length coiled up at the bottom of the well. It was so huge that there wasn't anywhere for me to stand except on the snake itself. The largest piece of broken masonry had crushed the snake's head against the bottom of the well. Either the heavy chunk or the snake could have killed me, but somehow, one danger took care of the other. Maybe my luck finally took pity on me and saved me. I glanced up at the blue circle of sky, unsure how long I had been unconscious. I had to choose between climbing back up the well or going back through the tunnel. Hmm, Let's think carefully for a few minutes. I don't know where I am. There's a monster roaming around inside the maze, so going out of the well is like suicide. But staying here without food and water is also suicide so, I basically fucked up from both sides. But, but, but... That dead guy's room had many books and other things, so there's a chance I might learn more about this world by reading them. So, the answer is simple. I'll check that place first, then decide when to get out. I put off making that choice and looked at the windows I had been ignoring. (Ding, congratulations! You've been given the Appraisal skill as a reward for escaping from the snake!) (Ding, congratulations host! You've met the conditions for the upgrades!) (Do you wish to advance to [Iron] Rank?) (Ding, congratulations host! You have completed the Bonus quest (Don't die)!) (Would you like to acquire the memories of the deceased?) For now, let's upgrade my rank first, then I'll check the memories later after the upgrade. I closed the bonus quest rewards and focused on the upgrade options. I selected the "yes" option without hesitation. Immediately, a bright white light descended from the sky to the well and enveloped my entire body. I couldn't understand what was happening. "What's going on? What is this white light?" I shouted, panic rising in my chest. I reached out to touch the light and discovered that my hand could easily pass through it. It felt warm and comforting, yet surreal. (Processing... Upgrade...) (Increasing Spirit... Successfull!) (Increasing Speed ... Successfull!) (Increasing Power... Successfull!) ... Various system messages began to appear in front of me, but I was too overwhelmed to read them all. The light intensified, making it hard to see anything else. My heart pounded as the sensation of power surged through my veins. The exhaustion in my body vanished, replaced by a feeling of strength and vitality. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably just a minute, the white light suddenly disappeared. I blinked, trying to adjust to the normal light again. As my vision cleared, I saw the final system message: (Ding, congratulations host! You have advanced to [Iron] Rank!) I took a deep breath, feeling an incredible energy coursing through my body. I didn't know what happened, but suddenly I felt a lot of power in my body. I scanned my surroundings again, and the world seemed sharper and clearer. The dead snake, my old body, and the broken masonry all seemed like remnants of a nightmare I had just escaped. I also noticed something strange: now if I focus and strengthen my eyes while looking at the snake, I can see tiny holes in its body that weren't visible a few minutes ago. I suddenly remembered something, and quickly opened my character interface to check. Name: Michael Frostburne Race: Human Current rank: Iron. Progression to Gold rank: 21% (522/2500 essences). Attributes:- (0/1) [Power] (no essence): Iron. [Speed] (no essence): Iron. [Spirit] (no essence): Iron. [Recovery] (no essence): Iron. Human Racial Abilities: - Interface - Quest System - Inventory - Map - Adaptor (Special) - Skills I scratched my chin, muttering, "Hmm, so I'm in Iron rank now, got a new skill and..." Suddenly, I noticed something odd about my name, and confusion washed over me. "System, what's up with my name? It's not Frostburne. Is something wrong?" (Host, that name belonged to the person you killed.) "Why'd you give it to me?" I questioned. (Host, since you've acquired all the features of the victim, the name was transferred to you.) "Oh, I see... But wait! Was his name also Michael?" I asked. (Yes, host!) I kept looking at my character window and noticed that the number of essences needed for the next upgrade had increased significantly. "System, don't you think the essences needed for the next upgrade are too much? I mean, it asked for like 100 essences for the first one, but now it's asking for 25 times more," I commented. The system opened a list labeled "Ranks" with names of different ranks in brackets. ... Hunter Ranks:- (Lower To Higher) Normal Bronze Iron Gold Platinum Ace Master Dominator Conquerer Grandmaster ... (Host, these are the ranks in this world. When you first arrived here, your rank was normal, but now you've reached Iron rank.) The system explained. "So?" I asked. (Host, You didn't go through the bronze rank, which falls between normal and Iron. To balance the energy and power your body absorbed, you need that many essences for the next upgrade.) "System, can't you lower it a bit?" I asked. (No, host, that's not possible!) "Shitty bastard," I muttered under my breath, but the system ignored my curse. "System, are there any lists for ranks for monsters, items, and essences needed for each rank?" (Yes, host!) "Show me." (Sorry, host, that information is confidential until you complete a specific quest.) What? In the books and novels I've read, information is usually given freely by the system, but this guy is different. Ughh, too hard... Too hard to survive in this world without much knowledge. (Host, Any more questions?) "Let me think!" Now... Yeah, about that skill. After thinking for a while, I asked. "System, how do I use the Appraisal skill I got?" (Host, first, look at the object or being from which you want information, then use the same method you use to open the character interface.) Nodding, I turned my attention to the dead Caracas Monster Snake nearby. Focusing on it, I silently commanded, 'Appraise.' Instantly, a window appeared before me, filled with detailed information about the snake. **Caracas Monster Snake** Height: Approximately 25 feet Weight: Estimated at around 1000 pounds Strength: Exceptionally strong, capable of constricting prey with tremendous force Weakness: Fire Vital Body Parts: 1. **Head:** . 2. **Body:** 3. **Tail:** 4. **Internal Organs:** 5. **Venom Glands:** 6. **Heat-Sensing Organs:** The Caracas Monster Snake is one of the formidable (Common) rank apex predator, possessing a combination of size, strength, and deadly weaponry that makes it a force to be reckoned with in its natural habitat. "Fuck, that's a hefty amount of information!" Now, having this skill can not only make my life a bit easier but also more seamless. I didn't know that in the future I would soon come to regret those words.