Lin Yuan felt a familiar dizzy spell. The world around him twisted suddenly, like it was made of broken mirrors. With the fluctuations of space, his body was dragged by an invisible force into an unknown world.
I don't know how much time had passed before his consciousness began to return.
A faint scent of sandalwood filled the air, mingling with the smell of the paper of ancient books. The warm fire crackled, adding a touch of the worldly atmosphere to this tranquil space. Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was a typical European-style study. The walls all around were lined with heavy wooden bookshelves, filled with exquisitely bound, yellowed and old ancient books. There were also golden carvings embedded among the bookshelves, which were delicate and imposing. Right in the heart of the room was a big desk. A quill pen, an open parchment notebook, and an oil lamp giving off a dim yellow light were placed on it.
Lin Yuan instinctively wanted to reach out and rub his eyes, but he found that his vision was blurred, as if everything around him was shrouded in a layer of mist. He was taken aback for a moment, and when he looked down, he saw that he was holding a pair of classic-style glasses in his hand. The frame was slender and delicate, exuding a retro and mysterious aura. He hesitated for a moment and put on the glasses. In an instant, the blurred world became clear again, and all the scenes in the study were vividly presented.
Just then, a soft knock came from outside. A deep, respectful voice said, "Master, here's your tea."
The door was pushed open, and an old man with a Western face and silver hair walked in. He was wearing a neatly pressed black suit and white gloves, and he was holding a delicate porcelain cup in his hand, from which the fragrance of black tea wafted. He walked steadily and moved gracefully and appropriately. He gently placed the tea cup on Lin Yuan's desk, and then bowed slightly.
Lin Yuan was a bit stunned for a moment, and there was only one thought left in his mind: Master?
He couldn't help but grumble in his heart. When did he become a master? Was he a landlord or a noble this time? Despite his inner doubts, he kept his cool. He simply gave a small nod, telling the other person to leave.
The old butler smiled faintly, then quietly backed out of the room and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
The room fell silent again. Lin Yuan frowned and looked at the tea cup on the desk, then asked in a low voice, "Jiuchong, what's my identity this time?"
The voice of the Jiuchong Ring sounded in his mind, with its usual mechanical tone: "The host's identity is that of an orphan."
"An orphan?" Lin Yuan frowned. "Don't tell me I grew up in a government orphanage again?"
Jiuchong Ring: "No. And not only are you an orphan, you have no father or mother, no partner or offspring. The only person accompanying you is the butler who just brought you the tea. He was an orphan you picked up from the slums when you were ninety-three years old. You raised him with your own hands and trained him to be your loyal servant."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan frowned even more tightly: "Wait a moment. Ninety-three years old? Then how old am I now?"
Jiuchong Ring replied calmly, "One hundred and thirty-five."
The word hit Lin Yuan like a thunderclap.
Lin Yuan jumped right up from the chair, his face full of disbelief: "My identity this time? How did I become a 135-year-old old man as soon as I opened my eyes?!"
Jiuchong Ring remained calm: "Your physical condition is normal. As for why you are so long-lived, it is related to your bloodline."
Lin Yuan pressed his temple, feeling that his perception had been impacted once again. He took a deep breath to calm down, then slumped back into the chair. "Fine, I'll take it. But why am I an orphan again?"
Jiuchong Ring replied flatly, "It's easier this way."
"...Fine." Lin Yuan rolled his eyes speechlessly.
Lin Yuan took a deep breath. Since he had already accepted the setting of being "135 years old," he had to learn about the situation of this world. He asked in a low voice, "What's this world like?"
After a slight pause, Jiuchong Ring gave the answer: "This world is a plane dominated by magic, with many races, mainly including mages, knights, vampires, demons, dragons, elves, dwarves, etc. Out of all these races, there are very few human-elf hybrids, and you happen to be one."
Lin Yuan lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "So I'm a half-elf?"
"To be precise, you are a hybrid of a night elf and a human."
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment. The term "night elf" didn't sound like ordinary elves that liked forests, sunlight, and nature. Instead, they seemed more like beings in the shadows. He couldn't help but ask, "What are night elves?"
Jiuchong Ring replied: "Night elves are a branch of the elf race. Different from ordinary shining elves, they live in the deep forests or underground ruins. They are proficient in stealth, assassination, illusions, and some forbidden magic. Many night elves were powerful magic users because of their special skills. But hundreds of years ago, a crackdown on forbidden magic nearly destroyed them, and their traditions were lost."
"So..." Lin Yuan tapped the table thoughtfully. "In fact, I have mastered some kind of lost magic?"
Jiuchong Ring: "The information shows that you are one of the very few people in the world who have mastered the 'Fading Magic'."
Lin Yuan squinted his eyes slightly: "Fading Magic?"
"It's a kind of magic that has been lost. The specific content is unknown, and you need to explore it by yourself."
Lin Yuan let out a sigh, feeling that his identity this time seemed a bit complicated.
"One more thing," Jiuchong Ring added. "According to the information, you're not the only 'special person' in this world. There are at least several others like you. They may possess abilities similar to yours, and they might even be connected to that massive purge of forbidden magic."
Lin Yuan squinted. "This world is trickier than I thought," he muttered.
==================
一阵熟悉的眩晕感袭来,林远眼前的光景瞬间扭曲,像是被无数碎裂的镜面包裹,随着空间的波动,他的身体被无形的力量拖拽着坠入未知的世界.
不知道过了多久,他的意识开始回归.
空气中弥漫着一股淡淡的檀木香,还有古老书籍的纸张气息,温暖的炉火噼啪作响,给这片静谧的空间增添了一丝人间烟火的气息.林远慢慢睁开眼睛,映入眼帘的,是一间典型的欧式书房,四周的墙壁上满是沉重的木制书架,上面摆满了装帧精美,泛黄发旧的古籍,书架间还嵌着金色的雕花,精致而厚重.房间中央是一张宽大的书桌,桌上摆放着一支羽毛笔,一本打开的羊皮纸笔记本,还有一盏散发着昏黄光芒的油灯.
林远本能地想伸手揉眼睛,却发现视线一片模糊,仿佛周围的一切都被罩上了一层薄雾.他愣了一下,低头一看,发现自己的手中正握着一副古典风格的眼镜,镜框纤细而精致,透着一股复古而神秘的气息.他犹豫了一下,把眼镜戴上,瞬间,模糊的世界恢复了清晰,书房内的所有景象都变得纤毫毕现.
就在这时,房门外传来一阵轻柔的敲门声,打破了书房内的宁静.
"老爷." 一个低沉而恭敬的声音响起,"请用茶."
房门被推开,一位满头银发的西方面孔老人走了进来.他穿着一身笔挺的黑色西装,戴着白色手套,手里端着一只精致的瓷杯,杯中飘散着红茶的清香.他步履沉稳,动作优雅得体,将茶杯轻轻放在林远的书桌上,随后微微弯腰行了一礼.
林远一时间有些错愕,脑子里只剩下一个念头,老爷?
他忍不住在心里吐槽,自己什么时候成了老爷了?他这次的身份不会是某个地主或者贵族吧?但他表面上仍旧维持着镇定,只是微微点头,示意对方退下.
管家老人微微一笑,随后安静地退出房间,并贴心地带上了房门.
房间里再次归于平静,林远皱着眉头看向桌上的茶杯,随后低声问道:"九重,这次我的身份是什么?"
九重戒的声音在他的脑海中响起,带着一如既往的机械音:"宿主的身份是一位孤儿."
"孤儿?" 林远眉头一跳,"别告诉我这次又是从小在什么政府机构的孤儿院,长大的那种设定?"
九重戒:"不是,而且不仅是位孤儿,你无父无母,无伴侣无子嗣,唯一陪伴你的人,就是那个刚才给你端茶的管家.他是你在九十三岁时从贫民窟捡回来的孤儿,由你一手抚养长大,并训练成了你的忠仆."
林远闻言,眉头皱得更紧了:"等会儿,九十三岁?那我现在几岁?"
九重戒平静地回答:"一百三十五岁."
轰...
林远直接从椅子上弹了起来,脸上写满了不可思议:"这次的身份?怎么一睁眼就成了一百三十五岁的老头了?!"
九重戒依旧冷静:"你的身体状况一切正常,至于为何如此长寿,与你的血统有关."
林远按了按额角,觉得自己的认知又一次受到了冲击.他深吸一口气,努力让自己冷静下来,随后无奈地坐回椅子上:"行吧,我接受了...那为什么又是孤儿?"
九重戒淡淡地回答:"这样比较省时省力."
"...好吧." 林远无语地翻了个白眼.
林远深吸一口气,既然已经接受了自己 "135 岁" 的设定,那就得了解一下这个世界的情况.他低声问道:"这次的世界是怎么样的?"
九重戒稍作停顿后,给出了答案:"这个世界是一个由魔法主导的位面,种族众多,主要包括魔法师,骑士,吸血鬼,恶魔族,龙族,精灵,矮人等.其中,人类与精灵混血者数量极少,而你正是其中之一."
林远挑了挑眉:"所以我是个半精灵?"
"准确来说,是暗夜精灵与人类的混血种."
林远沉思片刻,暗夜精灵这个词听起来就不像是普通精灵那样喜欢森林,阳光和自然,反而更像是阴影中的存在.他不禁问道:"暗夜精灵是什么?"
九重戒回答道:"暗夜精灵是精灵族的一个分支,他们不同于普通的光辉精灵,居住在深邃的森林或地下遗迹之中,精通隐匿,暗杀,幻术,以及某些禁忌魔法.由于他们的独特能力,许多暗夜精灵在历史上都曾是强大的施法者.但数百年前,一场针对禁忌魔法的清洗让暗夜精灵几乎灭族,他们的传承也随之失落."
"所以..." 林远若有所思地敲了敲桌子, "我其实掌握了某种已经失传的魔法?"
九重戒:"情报显示,你是这世上极少数掌握 '消逝魔法' 的人之一."
林远微微眯起眼睛:"消逝魔法?"
"魔法的一种,已失传.具体内容不明,需要你自己探索."
林远叹了口气,感觉自己这次的身份似乎有点复杂.
"还有一点." 九重戒补充道,"据情报,你并不是这个世界唯一的 '特别人士',至少还有几位与你一样的人物,他们或许与你拥有相似的能力,甚至与那场针对禁忌魔法的大清洗有关."
林远眼神微微一凝.
他低声喃喃道,"这次的世界,似乎比我想象中还要复杂啊."