I'm Definitely Not Overpowered in Another World

"I think I understand now." 

Nangong Xiao's eyelids lowered slightly, as if he were squinting. 

"So this is basically a real-life RPG, huh? It even has a game interface. Interesting." 

With that, he casually raised his right hand, and a holographic personal system interface appeared before him. 

The interface had a black frame with a white background and featured various menu options such as Attributes, Equipment, Inventory, Pets, and Quests. The overall design closely resembled the system interface from Sword X Domain, an anime clearly inspired by SAO... 

SAO... 

Nangong Xiao glanced at Asuna, who was standing quietly nearby. 

The name matched. The appearance... well, close enough. Though she was a real-world, three-dimensional version, she still had recognizable traits from her anime counterpart—chestnut-colored long hair, amber eyes, and facial features that bore some resemblance. Even her body shape was fairly similar. 

The only noticeable difference was her slightly pointed ears. They weren't very prominent, but they were undeniably there. It was a subtle yet striking feature that immediately caught Nangong Xiao's attention—after all, details that deviated from the norm always stood out to someone as observant as him. 

"Something wrong?" 

Asuna didn't seem embarrassed under his scrutinizing gaze. Instead, she asked calmly and directly. 

Nangong Xiao adjusted the glasses perched on his nose with his index and middle fingers, then remarked, "Cosplay? The accuracy is impressive." 

"Huh?" 

Asuna's confused expression took Nangong Xiao by surprise. Her reaction was so genuine and unguarded that it seemed like she truly had no idea what he was talking about. 

Deeply in character? Extreme cosplay obsession? 

"...Never mind." 

In the end, he decided not to pry into someone else's hobbies. 

They were strangers who had just met. Keeping a respectful distance was essential—one wrong move could offend this seasoned player, and that would be troublesome. Even though his earlier probing suggested that Asuna had a relatively gentle personality, it wasn't an excuse to get careless. 

As for whether his subtle tests might have annoyed her and led to unforeseen consequences? Nangong Xiao figured that playing the "clueless newbie" card would be a good failsafe. 

If anything went wrong, he could always adopt a humble stance and sincerely apologize. That would probably be enough to avoid any life-threatening danger. 

Of course, testing boundaries always carried some risk. But the benefits of understanding a veteran player's temperament outweighed the dangers—so it was a calculated risk worth taking. 

Asuna blinked, momentarily puzzled, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she shifted the topic and asked, "Do you need me to explain anything? Feel free to ask—guiding newcomers is part of my assigned task." 

"I've grasped the general situation. But there's too little information on 'Them.' Asuna, do you have any intel on 'Them'?" 

She hesitated briefly before shaking her head. 

"I don't know much more than you do. Aside from the basic knowledge 'They' implanted in me when I first arrived in this world, I've been here for over a year and still only know that 'They' are the originators who brought all Adapted individuals into this world. Beyond that? Nothing." 

"I see." 

Nangong Xiao nodded, then turned his gaze toward the gelatinous monsters in the distance. 

"So basically, my goal now is just to grind levels by defeating monsters, and once I'm strong enough, I go fight the Demon King?" 

"You could put it that way," Asuna nodded. 

Nangong Xiao struck her as rather peculiar, but at least he adapted quickly. That was an improvement—far better than the troublesome girl she had to guide a month ago. 

"Got it," Nangong Xiao nodded again before asking, "But shouldn't I head to a beginner's village first? Maybe pick up some quests or something?" 

Asuna smiled slightly and shook her head. 

"About that—Nangong-kun, I hope you don't mistake this world for an actual game." 

She paused before explaining further. 

"We Adapted individuals have been digitized and receive system assistance, making it seem like we're in a game. But this is still just an ordinary fantasy world. The local inhabitants don't recognize our existence in any official capacity. In fact, to them, we're nothing more than undocumented outsiders. If we display unusual behavior in front of them, it could lead to unnecessary trouble." 

She took on a more serious tone. 

"Most importantly—if you die here, you die for real. There's no respawning like in a game. So please remember this—always proceed with caution." 

"For example, when using your personal system interface, find a secluded place first. To the people of this world, waving your hands in the air while interacting with an invisible screen looks very strange. 

And in the eyes of religious fanatics? It might even be seen as some kind of provocation. 

There have already been cases where Adapted individuals got labeled as heretics and executed. So far, three have died because of this." 

"...So the locals aren't weak," Nangong Xiao mused, nodding in understanding. 

"In other words, our status as Adapted individuals holds no special significance to the natives... That's quite a double dose of hardship." 

Asuna sighed. 

"Exactly. The natives are strong—some incredibly so. That's why the newcomer guidance task was introduced in the first place. 

From what I've heard from veterans, this task didn't exist before. Back then, a lot of Adapted individuals didn't survive long enough to grow stronger. Many died due to unnecessary conflicts with the locals. 

Apparently, 'They' decided this was too inefficient and implemented a guidance system to improve survival rates." 

Nangong Xiao raised his right hand and rubbed his chin, intrigued. 

"So 'They' actually care about our survival rate... Interesting." 

Asuna looked at him, puzzled. 

"Interesting? What's so strange about that? If the goal is to defeat the Demon King, then it makes sense to help Adapted individuals grow stronger, right?" 

"That's why it's strange," Nangong Xiao said, pausing before continuing. 

"A being powerful enough to summon people across worlds and digitize reality—why would such an entity care about trivial details like our safety?" 

He leaned slightly forward, his tone thoughtful. 

"The Earth isn't lacking in population. If 'They' really wanted to create the strongest warriors, a brutal elimination process would be far more effective. Only the fittest would survive, ensuring that only the most qualified Adapted individuals remained." 

"Too many safeguards actually weaken 'Their' perceived omnipotence. 

Of course, if 'They' are merciful beings, then forget what I said. 

But mercy? That's the most illogical variable of all." 

"..." 

Asuna found herself at a loss for words. 

She eyed Nangong Xiao up and down, a peculiar expression on her face. 

Something about his thought process was... off. 

And more than that—his adaptability was unnervingly high. 

There wasn't a trace of panic, hesitation, or unease. He had accepted his situation with a level of composure that was almost unnatural. 

It was as if... he was used to this. 

A training program for transmigrators...? 

...No way. 

Nangong Xiao, however, paid no attention to her scrutiny. 

Instead, he focused on his personal stats display. 

---

Adapted Individual: Nangong Xiao 

Bloodline: Human (1 Constitution, 1 Spirit, 1 Energy) (White-tier Quality) 

Class: None 

Age: 17 

Gender: Male 

Height: 178 cm 

Level: 0 (0%) 

Constitution: 4 

Spirit: 8 

Energy: 6 

Attack: 0-4 

Defense: 4 

Resistance: None 

HP: 40/40 

MP: 60/60 

Skill Points: 0 

Talents: None 

Skills: None 

Gold: 0G 1S 0C (Base-100 currency system) 

Inventory: 

Beginner's Shortsword x1 

Minor Healing Potion x5 

Minor Energy Potion x5