Second World Chapter 3 - 3. Second Soul Remnant

After sliding the monocle over his right eye, a variety of digital displays flickered to life. In the upper periphery of his sight, a red bar sat at two-thirds capacity, with a nearly depleted yellow bar positioned directly underneath. Based on the numerical data, he concluded these represented his HP and Stamina. A circular, radar-like map occupied the opposite corner, displaying several red icons that were steadily drifting toward the center of the display.

Before he could discern the meaning of these signals, a series of sounds caught his attention. Spinning around, he spotted several more zombies emerging. By comparing the movement of the red icons on his radar with the physical location of the undead, he confirmed that the dots tracked the monsters. Furthermore, the radar indicated a high concentration of hostiles approaching from deeper within the building.

"I can't take them all on!" Jack thought.

He pivoted to escape, but the newly equipped monocle emitted a series of sharp pings that gave him pause. Simultaneously, a vibrant purple glow highlighted an object resting on the floor—the spherical item dropped by the man who had died. A floating tooltip appeared above it.

Second Soul Remnant (Legendary Consumable)

Legendary! From the basic introductory guides he had read about Second World, he knew this was the peak tier for items and gear. If this reality operated under the same laws as Second World, he was looking at a god-tier treasure.

Snatching the orb while sprinting toward the exit, he attempted to stash it in his storage bag, only for a system notification to ring out.

"Object is unable to be stored."

"Huh?" Though startled, he didn't break his stride. Gripping the sphere tightly, he dashed through the courtyard and out onto the main road. The street remained desolate, yet his radar flickered with red dots. Sensing the nearest threat to his left, he glanced over and spotted a zombie wandering in the distance.

God, these things are everywhere!

The monocle beeped once more, projecting text above the distant creature.

Zombie (Basic monster, Undead) Level 1 HP: 150

The monocle possessed an identification function. Excellent! This would allow him to steer clear of high-level threats. Fortunately, the zombie hadn't noticed him yet. He suspected he needed to enter their detection radius before drawing aggro, consistent with the mechanics of a standard VR RPG. Keeping his distance, he used the radar to navigate until he reached a zone devoid of red signals. To ensure his safety, he ducked into a nearby bakery and bolted the door.

Finding a chair in a secluded corner, he sat down and took several ragged breaths to settle his nerves. Events were unfolding with such velocity that he hadn't had a moment to digest his situation. Now that he had a reprieve, he still couldn't make sense of the chaos.

He pulled out his smartphone to call for help, but the device was unresponsive. His monocle scanned the phone, generating a brief description.

Handphone (Junk item) Can sell to merchant for a small amount of coins

Junk?! Are you kidding me?

He tried several more times to operate the device, but it was futile. It had power, yet it acted as if its software had been wiped clean. No matter which app icon he tapped, nothing happened. It truly was nothing more than scrap metal.

Ah, forget it!

When he tried to pocket the phone, the holographic storage interface manifested, and the phone was deposited inside.

Did I somehow fall into a parallel dimension? Or did I pass out and get hooked into a VR simulation?

After a few more moments of fruitless speculation, he gave up on finding an answer.

Argh! No use. I will just have to go along for now.

His focus shifted back to the peculiar orb. Holding it directly in his line of sight, he waited for the monocle to finish its scan. A beep sounded as more detailed information materialized.

Second Soul Remnant (Legendary Consumable) Cannot be stored Grant user with a second class Grant user with innate ability: Immortal Soul Require 10 minutes activation time to use Disappear upon use

A second class? The Second World beta tester materials had explicitly stated that players were limited to a single class. There had been no mention of dual-classing. If this item functioned as described, it was a game-breaking advantage that would place him leagues ahead of everyone else.

He paused, scanning his surroundings. Other players? He hadn't seen a single living soul; the only person he had encountered had been devoured. For all he knew, he was the only one here. Despite the holographic interfaces and the system's voice, the world felt far too visceral to be a simulation. If this item could grant him power, he needed to use it. This was a matter of survival.

Ready to proceed, he touched the orb. A mechanical clink echoed as a voice issued from the object.

"Mental link detected. Do you wish to use Second Soul Remnant? It will take 10 minutes to activate. If you move or is attacked during usage, the activation will fail."

Now he understood why the previous owner hadn't used it—it required a secure location to activate.

"Use," Jack commanded.

"Affirmative. Activation starts. Soul linking."

A sharp pinch struck his chest, followed by a frigid chill that surged through his limbs before pooling in his head. This cold soon shifted into a burgeoning heat, accompanied by a relentless stinging sensation across his entire skin. The feeling persisted as a progress bar hovered over the orb. When the bar reached the midpoint, the sphere shattered into glowing shards. These fragments began to orbit a core of energy that slowly sank into his chest. As the light entered his body, a searing pain erupted. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to remain still, knowing any movement would ruin the process.

What kind of VR game was this? No one would play a game that forced this level of agony on the user. This only reinforced his belief that this wasn't a game at all.

He stared at the loading bar, desperate for the torture to end. Why is it moving so slowly? He cursed the crawling progress with every passing second. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of suffering, the pain faded. The light dimmed, and the floating shards fell to the floor, turning translucent before vanishing entirely.

"That was neat," Jack whispered.

He inhaled deeply, stretching his limbs to shake off the lingering numbness. He wasn't sure if his body felt dead because of the energy infusion or because he had been frozen in place for so long.

Suddenly, a black chest materialized out of thin air in front of him.

That looks familiar, he thought.

Approaching the chest, he opened it to find the three standard sets of class-starting equipment. It was time to claim his prize, but he hesitated. Should he select the Ranger or the Magician? What would happen if he tried to pick the Fighter class again? Driven by curiosity, he reached for the sword set, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier as a system voice spoke.

"You can't choose the same class. Please choose a different one. Or you can postpone the second class choosing when you have acquired the advance or elite class. Do you wish to postpone?"

Oh? I can do that? Jack considered the option, but quickly dismissed it. He needed immediate strength to navigate this dangerous environment, the true depths of which he still didn't understand.

"No," he answered.