Chapter 2: Mutual Benefit
Mmm…where am I?
Derrick's consciousness had almost completely returned. He let out a large yawn and extended his arms upward to stretch. Something felt strange on the right side of his body.
The constitution of his right arm had changed into a rough, dry texture with an array of fractures that exposed a purple flowing aura. It resembled a burnt piece of bark from an old tree. The arm brought back the memories of his initial encounter with the mysterious wraith. He could remember the strange sensation all too well.
Damn, so that wasn't a dream...I am trapped in a different world.
Mom and Dad are probably terrified right now...
Derrick lay on his back with a feeling of dejection and hopelessness. The world he knew seemed almost impossibly far. The connections and memories he had made throughout his life had lost their significance. He's merely a stranger in a strange world of monsters.
Suddenly, the thin wooden door opened and a familiar face approached the bed. It was the wraith whose life he saved!
"You alright kid? It's been three days since you passed out. It was a pain in the ass carrying your body around." He held a cup of water in his right hand and a plate with a few slices of bread in the other. "The name's Ying, but you can just call me Gi if it's too hard to say."
"Thank you, Gi..." Derrick looked down at the wheat bread and immediately scarfed down the meal. It had been over three days since he last ate, so anything even remotely edible looked like a delicacy.
After finishing his short meal, he turned to Ying and asked in a weary tone. "What's happened to my body?"
Ying sipped on his cup of water before looking back at Derrick. "Your current body is the result of the rekindling. We wraiths are almost entirely composed of spirit flames. It's the purple energy that's coming out of our bodies. Under extremely special circumstances where our aura is weak, we can choose to use another body as a "vessel" for rekindling our auras, basically extending our lives at the cost of someone else."
"If that's the case, then how come only part of my body has transformed? Why am I still alive to begin with?"
"If I'm being honest, I felt a bit bad using an innocent kid to extend my life. Even if you offered your life to me, it wouldn't make it any less wrong. I used your body as fuel to sustain my aura, but I shared around 30% of my aura to sustain your life as well. Consider it a gift for your kindness."
Derrick let out a sigh of relief upon hearing the strange news. "Man...this is fucking insane." He got up from the small bed and looked at himself in the mirror. The effects of his transformation only corroded his right arm, but there's an incredibly high likelihood that the corruption will spread.
I'm no longer human. I'll never be human again, but this was my choice.
I already apologized to everyone for choosing to save Ying in exchange for my life, so I have no reason to complain. This is the punishment for my reckless behavior.
"Sheesh...Outworlders like you are so difficult to handle. It's not that big a deal, you know? You'll adjust as time passes."
"Outworlder?"
"They're quite rare, but there have been some cases of weird creatures coming from other worlds and landing here. Outworlders are considered a delicacy by some races and useful test subjects for others. If you aren't careful with your identity, you'll end up as street meat being sold on food stands."
Derrick's mind instinctively created a mental image of his body chopped up and cut into neat pieces before being thrown on a hot skewer. Drops of sweat ran down his terrified face. "O-Okay! I'll never divulge my identity again!"
After regaining his composure, he mustered up the courage to ask a question of Ying. "Look, I know this is a lot to ask for, but I need your help."
"With what? You saved my life, so it's obvious that I'll return the savor."
"I need you to help me find a way home. I know that what I'm doing is dangerous and reckless, but I don't have much of a choice. I can't just 'settle down' and 'adjust'. I want to live with my family, and I won't accept anything else."
Ying's eyes grew sharp and apprehensive upon hearing the proposal. "Do you seriously understand what you asked of me? You're asking for some of the most confidential information in the world. I'm a no-name mercenary with no money and no notable education. How could I possibly help you with that?"
"If your status is the issue, then we'll have a partnership."
"…"
"You said you're a mercenary, right? That means that you're affiliated with, or at least knowledgeable about the underworld. I've got the tenacity and utter recklessness to help you rise in the ranks. In exchange for my help, you'll teach me how to use this power you gave me and pry information out of anyone who seems knowledgeable about Outworlds."
Ying sighed upon looking at Derrick's determined eyes. It was obvious that he wasn't going to settle for a no. "You're a greedy bastard, aint'cha?"
"You could say that."