2. Death(1)

"It's already my fifth day in this world, and due to a sudden flood of memories that washed over me last night, I can now piece together the situation I find myself in.

"But to think I would end up in the heart of 'Legends Heart' as my second life."

Overwhelmed by the deluge of memories from that fateful day, I collapsed while rushing to aid the man who had been calling this boy's name - the very same boy whose body I now inhabit. Yet, when I awoke the next day, those memories had seamlessly merged with my own identity, and I felt like both Ron and Ajai were a part of me.

However, the gravest concern was not this sudden fusion of identities. It was the harsh reality that I was in the worst possible scenario: trapped within 'Legends Heart,' an online game renowned for its S+ difficulty rating. It was as if the game's creators had designed it with the intention that no one could ever complete it. Many professional gamers had tried, and they all failed miserably. Complaints inundated the game's official website, but the company remained silent.

Like any other trend, the 'Legends Heart' craze eventually faded. As no one could conquer the game's storyline despite countless attempts, players abandoned the server en masse. The game's plot was fairly straightforward, like many other isekai games: a hero summoned from another world, tasked with defeating the Demon King at the request of the Empire Princess. Yet, the game was not solely about combat; it also delved into the intricate politics of the empire, with every wrong decision potentially leading to a game-over scenario.

I was intimately familiar with the story because this was both the last and the first game I had ever played when I was alive on Earth. Through some miraculous twist of fate, I had become the sole person to witness the game's ending, not the absolute end, but the moment right after defeating the Demon Lord when the screen faded to black.

"Even though I'm in this world, I had to inhabit the body of this countryside boy?"

I could have been a side character, akin to the ones in the novels I had read, but instead, I had become an unremarkable nobody, a mere extra without even a moment in the spotlight.

"And this boy has quite a dark backstory of his own."

Ron, this boy's name, had lost all his family members. His mother had perished giving birth to him, and his father met his end while hunting for the village. Were it not for my prior knowledge of this world, I might have mistaken Ron for a protagonist due to his tragic background. However, according to my memories, he was under the guardianship of the village chief, who had also been a close friend of my father. As being an ordinary hunter and also the protector of this village his dad lived on the outskirts of the village new the forest. 

"So much for a peaceful life."

As I attempted to ease the headache brought on by the overwhelming confusion I was experiencing, a creaking sound emanated from the door.

"Are you up already, Ron?"

The door creaked open, revealing a girl with flowing pink hair, bright blue eyes, and a gentle nose. She was beautiful by every standard, both in the real world and in this realm. She had been visiting me regularly since I collapsed. According to Ron's memories, she was Alice, the chief's daughter and my current guardian.

"Ron? Did Jin hit you so hard that you've been quiet for the past few days?"

I found myself gazing at her without offering a response. Initially, I was confounded by the rush of memories and my new circumstances. So, I had not felt compelled to respond to anyone who came to visit me during my recovery. In truth, only the chief and Alice had checked in on me.

"Ron? Dad was thinking about taking you to the church in Lin City. He also scolded Jin for his actions. Jin has been assigned to fetch water for the village for a week. I'm worried about you too, so if you need anything, just let me know."

"I'm fine."

Having already made the decision to accept my current reality, I felt it unnecessary to burden these individuals with concern. Besides, observing the worry on Alice's face, a feeling I couldn't truly call my own, was disconcerting. These weren't my emotions; they were Ron's.

"Ron, did you just speak?"

"Yes, I'm fine. You can stop worrying."

"Wait, let me fetch Dad!"

"Hey..."

She dashed out of the room like a bullet. I wanted to stop her but couldn't find the words, and she ran off without hearing me out. Nevertheless, I found her actions rather endearing. I sensed my heart warming, even though these feelings weren't truly my own. 

"How much of a crush did you have on her, Ron?"

I couldn't help but smile at Ron's evident affection for Alice. However, I needed time to adjust to my new situation and formulate plans for the future. I still pondered whether or not I should interfere with the game's plotline and potentially that could also lead to some butterfly effects as well.

There still some time until the hero is summoned to this world, and as much i know, as the Hero gets summoned to this world the plot will start at that very moment. But even with the help of the Ron's memory there is a very little which i know about the current scenario of this world. Information is something which i need the most right now.