What? I Actually Reincarnated As Stepping Stone In Another World?



Arthur sat on the balcony of his room, gazing at the magnificent night sky adorned with twinkling stars.

It had been one day since his awakening, and tomorrow marked his appointment as the heir.

This event was bound to attract high-ranking individuals from across the Balka Empire, surpassing even the crowd that had gathered for his awakening ceremony.

"It all went by so fast," Arthur muttered as he lay back on the floor, continuing to gaze at the night sky.

He couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by everything he had learned the previous day about the awakening of the two cores, a phenomenon that should not have been possible.

The space core he had awakened and the high-level fire core given to him by the woman he assumed to be the goddess Mivas were the focus of his thoughts.

He had discovered information about her in the white book he had read, but that was merely his assumption, and nobody truly knew who she was.

"What is her purpose in helping me like this?" Arthur wondered inwardly, his gaze still fixed on the stars.

"I've never met that woman before, not even in my previous life as Zayn Welston."

"I have no recollection of her whatsoever."

He felt a sense of unease at the fact that she seemed to know about his life as Zayn Welston, which heightened his wariness.

"However, she didn't seem threatening to me at all," Arthur pondered quietly, his hand resting gently on his left chest.

"Somehow, I felt a deep sense of pain and longing in my heart when I saw her. Why is this?" He couldn't shake off the curiosity and confusion that filled his mind as he contemplated the mysterious connection he felt towards the woman who had bestowed upon him the high-level fire core.

He also couldn't shake the feeling that she must know the reason behind his reincarnation into this world, or perhaps she was the one who had brought him here to this novel world. The unpredictability of it all only deepened his sense of fear.

Yet, amidst the uncertainty, one thing remained clear to Arthur: She would never harm him. It was an instinctual certainty he held within himself.

"Also, her words before I left the white room subtly confused me," Arthur reflected, closing his eyes and replaying her words in his mind.

"Don't think of this world as a novel world because this is the real, true world."

"You're not the Arthur in the story because the real you is you, and the Arthur in the novel is just a replication of the real you who was created by it, huh?"

He pondered over those perplexing statements, attempting to decipher their implications and understand the true nature of this situation.

However, this made him even more anxious because he really didn't understand what she was saying.

"I am me, and the Arthur in the story is fictional."

Arthur realized there was a mix of confusion and frustration bubbling within him.

"What is all of this about?"

In a surge of anger and annoyance, he lashed out, punching the tiles below. It was the first time he felt like a pawn in someone else's game, and the realization only intensified his frustration.

"Was this related to Arthur's character being so violent in the story?"

"However, wasn't it all about setting up the villain in the novel?"

As Arthur started to calm his mind, he began to perceive the irregularities in the situation.

The pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place, leading him to a deeper understanding of the intricate web of circumstances surrounding his existence.

"This is becoming increasingly complicated." Arthur sighed, a tinge of weariness in his voice.

"Sometimes, knowing too much isn't a good thing, huh?" He couldn't help but reflect on how aptly that saying fit his current situation.

Nevertheless, he shook his head, determined to clear away the confusion that clouded his thoughts as quickly as possible.

He understood that things were becoming more unpredictable, but he had already made certain arrangements that couldn't easily be undone.

Everything he did was in pursuit of returning to his world and reuniting with his loved ones.

"Sigh," Arthur expressed with a longing tone, "I truly miss being in your arms, my dear Mother." As he reminisced, thoughts of Elizabeth flooded his mind.

She had always embraced him with love and provided solace whenever he needed to ease his troubled mind.

"Although you can be a bit possessive and creepy at times,"

Arthur mumbled, his words laced with a mix of affection and playfulness, "I know deep down that your love for me is unwavering."

"Only with you can I truly express my vulnerability and receive your nurturing, Mom."

Overwhelmed by sudden drowsiness, he felt as if a storm was sweeping over him, urging him to surrender to sleep.

"Mom, Elizabeth," Arthur whispered softly, his lips barely moving as he called out her name.

Unbeknownst to him, he gradually closed his eyes and drifted into a deep slumber on the balcony.

The starry night sky continued to cast its radiant glow upon his little peaceful face, as if all the starlight in the universe converged solely on him.

...

In the northern region of the human continent

Snow blankets the entire northern continent, a phenomenon known as the "eternal snow," which never ceases and has gained fame across the human continent.

According to legend, hundreds of thousands of years ago, the northern region did not experience such perpetual snowfall.

Instead, the snowfall cycle was supposed to occur every four years, simultaneously affecting all five regions of the human continent.

However, legends tell of a time when a stunningly beautiful girl with long white hair arrived in the northern region of the human continent. Her face bore the weight of deep anguish and pain.

She made her way to the scarcely inhabited northern center, where only a few humans resided at that time.

Hovering above the heart of the northern continent, the girl is said to have cried out with such intensity that her heart-wrenching sorrow resonated throughout the entire continent, reaching the ears of all its inhabitants.

The resounding cry echoed ceaselessly across the northern human continent for four days and nights.

Then, on the fifth day, snow began to descend upon the entire region. Since that fateful event, the snowfall has endured for hundreds of thousands of years, earning the moniker "eternal snow."

Nevertheless, the tale remains a renowned legend in the northern reaches of the human continent, shrouded in mystery and passed down through generations, recounting the enigmatic origins of this perpetual snowfall.

Based on the story, it is likely that the female figure represents the legendary existence of an Elemental Lord with a special core—the Ice Core!

This is all speculation by people on the northern continent who have heard the story, but it's merely a rumor, and the truth may not have been discovered until hundreds of thousands of years ago, right?

...

In the Aurora Empire, a palace crafted from enormous and exquisite ice carvings floated high in the sky, with snow perpetually descending upon it.

Within the resplendent Aurora imperial throne room, adorned with intricate ice sculptures, a woman of extraordinary beauty sat upon the throne.

The woman donned an ice-blue dress, and her lustrous blue hair cascaded down to her waist.

With an enchanting countenance, she fixed her gaze upon a portrait that depicted a tenderly smiling boy being embraced by a woman of exceptional beauty.

Upon closer examination, it becomes evident that the woman in the picture is identical to the woman seated on the throne, engrossed in the contemplation of the portrait.

"My dear~" the woman murmured in a soft and alluring tone.

"I have yearned for you deeply."

"Without your presence, I feel as though I am withering away."

"My dear~ I simply cannot exist without you."

Tenderly, the woman caressed the face of the boy captured in the image, while her eyes betrayed a glimmer of madness.

"Soon," she whispered, "we will undoubtedly reunite and dwell together undisturbed."

"Only the two of us, my dear Arthur~" the woman continued, her words carrying an intoxicating allure.

A smile of unparalleled seduction adorned her face, capable of ensnaring anyone with its irresistible charm.