His senses were violently tugged, space seeming to crumple and reassemble under an invisible hand.
In the next moment, his heavy molten-rock body suddenly lightened, the charred stench of Rhine Life's ruins around him replaced by a familiar atmosphere of tranquility.
As his focus sharpened once more, what met his eyes was the unmistakable, all-too-familiar hall of Soul Knight.
Except for the familiar characters missing from their usual spots, everything else was exactly as they remembered from their gaming sessions.
"Boss, you're awake? You're a pretty girl now!" came a voice dripping with an insufferable tone.
Boss followed the sound and saw a figure standing before him, hands on hips.
The person wore hunter attire in dark red and black, a pale face bearing a playful grin, crimson pupils glowing faintly in the dimly lit hall, with an exaggeratedly large scythe slung over one shoulder—
It was exactly the appearance of the Vampire skin "Red Shadow Judge Vayne" from Soul Knight, but now housing the soul of the Fourth Brother.
Fourth Brother gently prodded Boss's hard molten-rock body with the handle of his scythe.
"Boss, that look of yours is quite unique. Can you still feel your ■■ existing?"
Boss instinctively wanted to curse him out, but what rumbled from his throat was only a low growl.
Fourth Brother paused. "This skin can't even speak human language?"
Just then, another voice chimed in from the side, carrying a hollow weariness.
"He might have spoken, we just can't understand him."
Boss turned to see the speaker. It was a tall, slender woman...
She wore a crop-top outfit paired with ripped black stockings, outlining a fiery, seductive figure, a cursed staff surrounded by ominous energy floating beside her.
—Exactly the Necromancer skin "Tangerine Flame Demon Eye Vera."
"You're... Second Brother!?"
Boss's shocked voice exploded through the mental link, bits of debris falling from his molten jaw.
"HAHAHAHA!" Fourth Brother's laughter grew even more boisterous, nearly dropping his scythe.
"I told you Boss would be shocked! Second Brother, that skin of yours... tsk tsk, a nerd's dream!"
"Shut up!"
Second Brother's voice was laced with clear embarrassment and annoyance. She subconsciously moved to push up non-existent glasses, lifting her hand halfway before awkwardly lowering it again.
"Is now the time to discuss this? Boss, how are your injuries?"
Reminded by her, Boss suddenly remembered the excruciating pain of being impaled by the calcified crystal spike.
He looked down at his waist and abdomen. The massive hole he'd dug out himself had vanished, the molten carapace completely intact.
"I'm fine... Probably my skill's effect..."
Boss stood up, surveying his surroundings. The materialized hall felt rather empty.
"Where's Third Brother? I don't see him."
"I'm here..."
A timid voice interjected.
Only then did Boss notice a massive figure standing in the darkness of the corner.
It was a monstrous being with the majestic head of a stag atop a towering frame, pitch-black all over, its withered, branch-like antlers covered in candle flames—
Exactly the Druid skin "Forest Envoy Guse."
Now, this enormous stag-headed monster seemed rather awkward and out of place.
"Third Brother, why are you standing so far away? Come over here," Boss called out in the link.
Third Brother hesitated, then stepped forward with heavy, deliberate strides.
As he fully entered the light, the four could finally get a clear look at each other's current appearances—
A fearsome Balrog, a seductive Necromancer, a flamboyant Vampire, and... an eerie Stag-headed Spirit.
The bizarre sight left the atmosphere momentarily frozen.
Abruptly, Second Brother's voice drifted up, faint and distant:
"So... we really did cross over..."
Hearing this, Third Brother instinctively lowered his head, gazing at his black-furred claws and hardened hoof-like nails, his voice tinged with unmistakable fear:
"And turned into monsters..."
Boss sighed, emitting a small cluster of sulfur-scented sparks.
Clang!
They all turned to Fourth Brother, who was trying to open the pixel-art fridge in the corner.
"What the heck, how come there's nothing in this fridge?"
He slammed the fridge door shut, tapping its exterior with the handle of his giant scythe, producing metallic clangs.
"..." x3
Second Brother sighed helplessly. "Of course there wouldn't be..."
With Fourth Brother's interruption, the initially heavy and oppressive atmosphere lightened considerably.
Second Brother took a deep breath, clapped her hands together sharply in front of her chest to regain everyone's attention.
"Alright, enough moping. What's done is done; complaining won't change anything." Her voice regained its composure.
"Now, we need to sort through the information we have."
She scanned the three, speaking methodically:
"First, we can confirm that we've become the characters we controlled in Soul Knight, with the corresponding skins bringing us their appearances, abilities... and likely their backstories."
She looked at Boss: "Boss, your fire abilities clearly come from the 'Hell's Axe Gregory' skin."
Boss nodded, opening his molten palm. A small cluster of blazing fire burned quietly in his hand, proving the point.
"I have a question!" Fourth Brother suddenly raised his hand, wearing an exaggeratedly serious expression.
Second Brother looked at him, a hint of exasperation in her gaze. "Go ahead."
Fourth Brother pointed at Second Brother's now sultry Necromancer form, his tone filled with academic curiosity:
"In your current state... uh, about that thing of yours... is it still there?"
The air instantly froze.
Second Brother's body trembled faintly, the demonic eye glowing with dangerous red light.
"That... is not important at all!"
Fourth Brother, as if oblivious, nodded thoughtfully to himself.
"Oh, so it's gone."
"I'll smash yours right now!"
Second Brother roared, lifting the clearly heavy-looking cursed staff, threatening to charge at Fourth Brother.
Fourth Brother yelped in fright, hurriedly zipping his lips shut with his fingers, and ducked behind Boss's hulking molten form.
"Alright, enough fooling around."
Boss's low voice rumbled in the link, simultaneously using his shield to block Second Brother's symbolic swing of the staff.
Second Brother withdrew her staff, but her demonic eye still glared menacingly at Fourth Brother.
After this farce, the mood, though chaotic, had largely dispelled the initial heaviness and panic.
Second Brother forced herself to calm down, steering the conversation back on track:
"Back to the main point. Besides appearance and strength, we still have our skills from the game."
"Boss already used [Energy Shield], and Third Brother summoned... uh, a stag-headed monster?"
Third Brother quietly added, "It was [Summon Giant Bear], the Druid's third skill."
"Right." Second Brother nodded. "Fourth Brother and I haven't tested our skills yet, but theoretically, they should all exist. This is crucial for our survival in this world."
Hearing about skill testing, Fourth Brother immediately perked up.
"So, should we try now? We've got ready-made targets right here!"
"Don't rush." Second Brother sighed.
Boss reached out with his huge hand, clamping it onto Fourth Brother's shoulder, trying to pull him back.
"OW—!! HOT HOT HOT HOT!! Boss is on fire! Hand! Get your hand off!" Fourth Brother immediately let out a string of pitiful shrieks, frantically slapping at the shoulder of his cloak, now bearing a seared handprint with wisps of smoke.
Boss sheepishly withdrew his hand, looking at his steaming palm. He cleared his throat in the link:
[Sorry, didn't notice the temperature.]
Second Brother ignored the minor drama, continuing her cool analysis:
"According to Fourth Brother's information, that Saria's combat power in this world is already upper-tier."
"So, judging by Boss's ability to confront her directly... we likely have some capacity for self-defense in this world."
"But survival isn't just about fighting." Second Brother surveyed the three, her tone growing serious.
"Now we need to consider other, more basic but equally deadly issues."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, all four simultaneously voiced different answers, based on their personalities and circumstances—
Boss: "Language." (He'd just suffered from not understanding human speech.)
Second Brother: "Information." (Information asymmetry is the greatest danger.)
Third Brother: "Food..." (His Ursus Tundra experience made him acutely sensitive to survival supplies.)
Fourth Brother: "Chicks!"
"..." x3
Second Brother's demonic eye narrowed dangerously, locking onto the innocent-looking Fourth Brother.
"Uh," Fourth Brother quickly backtracked, "I mean... reliable local guides! Yeah, guides! Preferably pretty ones, to help us integrate into society faster..."
Second Brother slowly raised her staff, her voice terrifyingly calm:
"I think before discussing food, language, and information, we should first deal with the 'hazardous waste' within our team."
"Boss, save me!"
Fourth Brother yelped, once again ducking behind Boss's broad frame.
Boss sighed. "Alright, let's all get serious... The guide issue can wait."
"Current priorities: language, information, food."
He looked at Second Brother. "The language problem requires systematic study. Any ideas?"
Second Brother glanced at Fourth Brother, signaling him to explain.
Fourth Brother: "Ahem! Most countries in this world are based on real-world countries, including Cathay."
Third Brother: "So, we can just speak Chinese?"
Fourth Brother: "No, Victorian... or rather, English is the common language."
Boss nodded. At least they were college students; they should be able to manage normal English conversation, right?
He turned to Third Brother. "Food... Do our current bodies even need to eat? If so, what?"
Third Brother froze, instinctively touching his furry belly.
"Come to think of it, I don't feel hungry at all..."
Second Brother speculated, "Maybe it's related to us being game characters. After all, there's no hunger mechanic in the game."
Boss looked down at his own body. "Even if we could eat, I can't imagine what I'd eat. Lava?"
Shaking his head, Boss steered the conversation back on track.
"In short, we need to better understand this world—which means gathering intel. Fourth, you're our main source of information."
Fourth peeked out from behind First's back. "Ahem, about intel... I really only know what's in the game's storyline, and a lot of the details are fuzzy. But I remember the general outline..."
(Narration ongoing...)
The group fell silent. First spoke gravely, "This world is way too dangerous, isn't it?"
Fourth nodded. "You said it. After all, this land has never been short on suffering."
He then shifted the topic, pointing to the hall around them: "Now that we've got the intel... shouldn't we figure out what this safehouse actually does? Besides letting us shout 'Go home!' and hide inside, does it have any other functions? Like... can we travel directly from here to other places?"
"Or, like in the game, can we forge weapons, farm, and stuff?"
Fourth's words reminded everyone. This hall, which had saved them from danger, might hold more secrets related to their survival and future.