I had been walking for several hours, putting one foot in front of the other, trying not to look around. Meanwhile, Elyria acted as if we were out for a stroll. She had settled into my hair like a nest, wholeheartedly humming some stupid tune. Her heels periodically brushed against my forehead.
The silence of the forest made my thoughts drift back to the most important thing.
I remembered the moment I first ended up in this world. Although I knew engineering perfectly, I was definitely no genius when it came to physics, let alone having an understanding of how to fundamentally manipulate physics itself. Everything happened as if I had always known how to do it; it was just that in my past life, I never had a reason to apply it.
But from where? There was no magic in my past world. I was an engineer.
"Where did you come from?" I whispered involuntarily.
The spirit on my head went quiet for a second, ceasing her humming. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, looking down into my face from above.
"Are you talking to me, iron man?" she asked.
"No," I snapped.
[Direct user request detected. Synchronization: 42%. Neural network status: stable.]
My pupils dilated slightly in surprise. What on earth was that?
"Who are you?" I asked in my mind, trying to process what was happening.
[I am your personal skill known as "Will to Live."]
I froze for a second, digesting the answer.
"Can you speak normally?"
[I don't "speak" or "think" in the conventional sense, — the voice in my head responded instantly. — I interpret data and present it in a format you can understand. Previously, your brain was not ready for a two-way exchange due to a low integration level.]
"Hey, Iron Man, let's go already!" Elyria's bright voice rang out right by my ear. "What are you staring at over there?"
I ignored her, continuing to read through the system lines.
"Hey!" Elyria deftly slid a bit lower down my head and gave my eyelashes a sharp, noticeable tug.
"Ouch!" I flinched back slightly from the sudden sting.
"I get that I don't exist to you," Elyria pouted, putting her hands on her hips, "but at least keep moving your feet. Otherwise, we'll never make it to Dornheim."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming..." I let out a tired sigh and took a step forward.
Satisfied with the answer, Elyria settled back down comfortably on top of my head. I paused for a brief moment to gather my thoughts and addressed the system again:
"So, does that mean I'm ready now?"
[Your physical parameters and mental fortitude have increased, — the text flashed before my eyes. — The threshold has been crossed. Partial transmission of contextual data is now possible.]
"Right..." I muttered aloud. "It honestly feels like I've dropped right into some video game."
I thought for a moment, then called out:
"Hey, Elyria."
She immediately dangled upside down from my crown, peering into my face.
"What's up?"
"Do you have... a skill?"
"A skill?" She blinked in surprise, then broke into a wide grin. "Well... Yeah! Of course! My main skill is boosting the mood of everyone around me!"
"Right, got it..." I sighed.
'No, that's not it at all,' I thought to myself.
My head was pounding from the information overload. There was so much I wanted to ask, but why do all useful thoughts just vanish into thin air at the most critical moments?
Unable to come up with anything smarter, I asked the system a direct question:
"Do I have another skill?"
[No.] — the system answered flatly.
"Right," I recalled an important detail. "I'd like to rename you. After all, every millisecond counts in battle, and 'Will to Live' is just too long."
[Awaiting entry of a new identifier.]
I dove into deep thought. It needed to be something sharp.
Something that sounded short, like a combat command.
"Lumon. From now on, your name is Lumon."
[Identifier L.U.M.O.N. accepted. Data updated. Awaiting further instructions.]
I rubbed my temples, trying to catch a fleeting thought.
"What else did I want to ask you?... Damn it. I forgot."
"Iron man, have you completely lost your mind?" The spirit hung down over my forehead so low that her green hair tickled the bridge of my nose. "Talking to yourself."
I looked at her. So, she couldn't hear Lumon.
"None of your business," I replied, trying to put as much coldness into my voice as possible. "And get your feet away from my face."
"A minute ago everything was cool..." She scoffed and climbed back onto the crown of my head, but this time she went quiet.
We walked for about another kilometer.
The forest began to change. The trees grew sparser, and the undergrowth thicker.
I felt Lumon respond inside me with a barely noticeable vibration.
[Warning. Multiple acoustic and kinetic disturbances detected along the course of movement. Distance: 750 meters. Probability of combat engagement: 94%.]
The spirit on my head suddenly froze. Her wings stopped fluttering, and she tensed up.
"Do you hear that?" Her voice suddenly turned serious. "Up ahead. I feel a battle and bloodlust."
My fingers habitually gripped the cold leather wrapping.
"Shall we go look, iron man?" Elyria asked. "Or should we hide in the bushes?"
I simply quickened my pace, breaking into a run.
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