— Frey Starlight's POV —
It was past midnight.
Darkness blanketed the city, and most sane people had already gone to sleep. Among them was Adam Smasher, who'd turned in early after preparing a high-calorie dinner packed with supplements—clearly designed to maintain that monstrous physique of his.
As for us, we barely managed to eat half of what he served.
Feeling full to the brim, we wandered around with the rest of the guys, exploring the upper floors of this massive tower.
"Another residential area…"
We were now on the 34th floor, which was an identical replica of the 27th.
So far, this skyscraper featured dozens of residential floors with rooms styled like luxury hotels. Some floors were fully equipped training halls or diverse combat arenas. Occasionally, we'd stumble upon game rooms, or even a massive pool at the very top.
The whole place felt more like a high-end resort than a home.
"Man… your place could fit the entire Temple inside," Dawn muttered, holding his head in disbelief. Just one floor of this place could probably eclipse his entire home.
"It's impressive, I'll give you that. As expected from the Silver Dragon Guild," said Ragna, who didn't seem that surprised. Understandable, considering his father led a guild as influential as Danzo's family's.
"The lives of the rich really are something else…"
The moment the word "rich" was uttered, most of them turned toward me.
"Speaking of rich, we've got the direct heir of House Starlight with us. I wonder what his place looks like."
Thinking back to the mansion I'd stayed in for a while ... it was definitely luxurious… but I barely lived there. The Shadow Sect and the Temple felt more like home than that place ever did.
"Don't get your hopes up. My house is pretty average compared to this."
Even though I said that, it didn't seem like they bought it.
"Bullshit. Did House Starlight go bankrupt and we just didn't hear about it?" Danzo asked as I shrugged with a smile.
"I wouldn't know. I've always been the unwanted child, so I never got the best of things."
The moment I said that, they all gathered around me, intrigued.
"What's up?"
"Frey… since you brought it up, I've heard a lot of rumors about you," Danzo said, stepping closer now that he no longer held back his curiosity.
"What kind of rumors?"
"Stuff like… torturing maids," Danzo started.
"Or raping underage girls," Ragna followed.
"I heard you raped a mother in front of her son…" Even Dawn? What kind of messed-up rumor was that?
The only ones who stayed quiet were Snow and Ghost, simply watching.
I facepalmed, wondering just how vile a reputation I had.
"Where the hell do these damn rumors come from?"
"Don't get us wrong, Frey. We know you're not actual trash, but as they say .. no smoke without fire," Dawn pointed out.
He wasn't completely wrong, considering I'd only taken control of this body recently.
"My story isn't as exciting as you think," I replied calmly.
"Like hell it isn't! You still haven't told us what really happened in the Nightmare Lands!" Danzo said, fired up.
"Or the truth behind your strength," added Ragna.
As they kept throwing in mention after mention of the feats I'd achieved, I realized how much I'd really done in just two years.
In the end, I gave in to their pressure and started telling them everything about my life.
Sitting at the top of the tower, I felt like some old man surrounded by kids, telling them a fantasy tale ... my tale. A story of survival.
And to be honest… my story could probably make a great movie. One I'd actually enjoy watching myself.
It took me four full hours to share everything. I omitted details about the system and the mechanics behind it, of course, but I told them about the Shadow Sect and the horrors I'd faced.
At first, I recounted it all with indifference. But as I went on, it felt like a heavy weight was slowly being lifted off my chest.
When I finally finished, there was no applause ... just a long, heavy silence.
"That's it, guys. No sequels. I'm barely eighteen. Come back in a few years, maybe I'll have more."
I joked, and Snow was the first to laugh.
"That was one hell of a story."
"Yeah… I feel bad for ever calling you a sissy," Ragna said.
"Same. I was hoping to impress you with my own story, but compared to yours, mine sounds like child's play," Dawn added.
"But where's the part about rape? I feel like you skipped some important bits, Frey."
Danzo slapped my back, trying to pry something out of me.
Not that I was hiding anything ... it's just that I didn't actually know what the original Frey did. The memories I inherited were incomplete.
"It's been four hours already, what more do you want? My throat's gone dry."
"That's suspicious..." Danzo muttered, though he let it slide.
Thinking about it... I really do wonder if this body is still a virgin. Who knows what the old Frey did with it?
"Speaking of girls… we're surrounded by beauty from every angle. I can't help but wonder if any of you have certain thoughts, if you know what I mean."
Danzo laughed slyly, but everyone immediately denied it.
"Come on, don't be like that. What are you, gay's? Or maybe someone here's actually into guys?"
He turned toward Snow, who simply shook his head.
"We're all born with a primal instinct toward the opposite sex. But the environment we live in doesn't allow us to act on it. There's too much at stake."
A textbook answer from the prophesied hero. Well done, Snow.
He really had dedicated himself to his mission, but Danzo didn't seem satisfied with the answer.
"Bullshit. You say that while Lara Croft's been glued to your ass this whole time?"
"That's true. I heard you get love confessions constantly, from both inside and outside the temple!" Ragna added.
With that face of his, the Church's hero was bound to gain too much attention.
"How about this ... we each name the girl we think is most attractive in the temple. Just to see where everyone stands."
Talking about women was bound to happen among men no matter the time or place.
"Are we seriously going to rate the girls like they're products on a shelf?" Dawn asked.
"What's wrong with that? I'm sure they do the same with us," Danzo replied.
"I wonder about that…"
"Anyway, let's start! You first, princess."
Danzo went straight for Snow.
It felt like we were about to do something stupid at four in the morning.
After a bit of pressure, Snow sighed and finally gave his answer.
"Seris."
"What!?"
"Seriously?"
Everyone was shocked.
Seris was a reasonable choice, sure. She was beautiful, but maybe they expected something more unique from the Church's golden boy.
"You're more normal than I thought..."
"I just answered your question," Snow muttered, clearly not interested in pushing the conversation further.
Maybe he picked her at random since she's the most well-known. Ironically, in the original draft I wrote, he does end up with her...
Then the others followed with their picks.
Dawn also said Seris.
"Her beauty's undeniable, but I'm more curious about what lies beneath that icy mask she wears all the time."
Ragna went with Clana Starlight, surprisingly enough, saying he found her attractive.
Danzo shocked us all by choosing Selena—the witch he always bickered with.
It's worth noting that Ghost had vanished ever since I finished telling my story. I assumed he went to bed, so we didn't get a word from the silent assassin tonight.
Now, all eyes were on me.