Chapter 5: The Emblem

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"To the right, he is peaking through the ridge"

Sitting in the corner of the room, surrounded by beige walls and flooded with warm sunlight, was a boy with tousled blond hair. He sat at his computer desk, headphones on and microphone in front of him, chatting animatedly into the headset while his fingers flew across the keyboard.

Augustus, or 'August' as his friends and family endeared him, was playing computer games with his school friends online

"I tagged him with a K9, his level-3 helmet is almost a bust", spoke August as he maneuvered his mouse and typed on his keyboard. He was thoroughly entertained by the newly released First Person Shooter game that had become a sensation in the gaming market.

It was part of his daily routine. Come home from school, and then enjoy a two-hour sesh with his boys playing whatever game took their fancy.

'Augustus'

Through the headphones he was wearing, he heard a faint voice calling out to him from outside.

"Five minutes Mom!" Yelled August as he continued playing the game; after all he was in defending a rush by an enemy squad.

'Augustus'

Whispered the voice louder.

He chose not to respond. In his mind, it would only take a minute to defeat this squad of clearly inexperienced players. They were no match for his infamous 'FatherofDevils' ID, known in the regional gaming community as the Unkillable Demon King. He had proven time and time again just how skilled he was.

'Augustus'

His body involuntarily convoluted as a frigid hand wrapped around his neck, sending shivers of fear down his spine. The whispering voice echoed hauntingly in his ear, accompanied by the howling winds that teased and taunted him like icy fingers.

As a turned around to look at the source, the world around him spun.

The bright beige walls of his room disappeared before him, replaced with a thick, impenetrable grey fog. He turned to where his computer had been, but it too was shrouded in the same eerie mist.

The chair disappeared in an instant as if it were never there in the first place. In its place, he saw an endless expanse of grey fog that seemed to stretch on forever.

The world shifted and transformed before him, morphing from a thick grey fog to a swirling black chaos, emitting otherworldly energy that sent shivers down his spine. The entire atmosphere was alive with a psychedelic vibe, like a never-ending trip through a dark and twisted dimension.

The world flashed and suddenly August found himself submerged in a black river. Human faces floated around him, contorted in agony and terror, their eyes locked onto him with pleading gazes. Eyes were wide and desperate, their mouths open in silent screams that echoed through the darkness.

Before he had a chance to panic at the horrific sight, he was suddenly transported again. This time, he found himself in a modern metropolis that vaguely resembled Shanghai.

The world around him flashed, blinding him for a moment each time. When the chaos cleared, he found himself facing a gigantic tree, its gnarled branches reaching towards the sky. A massive brain was attached to the trunk, pulsating with eerie green light. Surrounding the tree were countless floating books, each one seeming to hold a mystery or secret within its pages. But before he could even take in the strange scene, the world flashed once more, and again, and again. It felt like he was stuck in a rapid slideshow of bizarre sights and images.

Augustus was left feeling nauseous as the world flashed before his eyes too many times in a short period.

As Augustus opened his eyes, he was greeted by a dark and eerie realm. The ground was covered in a thick layer of frost and snow, making every surface glisten in the dim light. The trees in the distance were nothing but shadowy figures, stripped of any life or leaves, their bare branches reaching towards the grey sky. In the center of it all stood a massive ice-castle, its dark and jagged walls glistening with frost and shadows. Floating around the top were eldritch creatures, their grotesque figures adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

'Augustus, here' 

The whisper was like a velvet serpent, slithering through the cold air. Augustus attempted to turn his head, but he was immobilized in place. Augustus could feel the chill of the icy hand around his neck, sending shivers down his spine. The other hand, though cold, was surprisingly gentle as it continued to caress his hair.

'You must wake up, my love'

The voice retreated, leaving Augustus with one final sweet yet maddening whisper, and his body returned to his control.

"Wait!! Who are y---" 

As he attempted to pivot, the world flashed before his eyes, and he had a sensation of plummeting downward.

**********************

[Third Person's Point of View]

The faint moonlight seeped through the window, casting a soft silvery glow over the interior of the room

A young man with jet-black hair stood before a table in the room, his gaze fixed intently on its contents as if deep in thought about something of great importance.

A strange yet intense bond formed between Augustus and the book resting on the table; with every step he took towards it, the connection grew stronger. It was almost as if the book was beckoning to him, tempting him to offer up what it desired: his blood.

Standing there, Augustus couldn't shake off the restlessness that had taken hold of him. His instincts were urging him to take the book and cover it with his blood, but his mind was filled with hesitation, and for good reason.

All others who have fulfilled the book's request have died a painful death, including the previous owner of this body. Did he want to take that gamble?

He knew that no one had survived after completing the book's task. However, he couldn't be considered the same person who died. Nevertheless, he saw this as a potential opportunity to uncover the book's secrets - the very reason for his transition into this new life.

And there was that recurring dream that he couldn't quite recall, no matter how much he wracked his brain. However, certain images would flash through his mind, which he found very---eerie.

Making up his mind, Augustus reached for the silver knife, which had been left there untouched for the whole time, and made a long cut across his left hand.

The wound, which had been on the mends, was cruelly ripped open once more. Bright crimson blood gushed forth, painting a stark contrast against the pale skin it flowed from.

He let droplets of blood fall onto the book's cover, then used his hand to spread them across the surface. As the fresh blood mixed with the dried blood already there, a brilliant white light burst forth from the book and entered his body.

Augustus closed his eyes quickly and balled up his fist in anticipation of the incoming pain, but it never came.

Peaking with one eye open, Augustus observed a strange image projected in the air.

An image-emblem, emblazoned with a majestic bird perched atop, reminiscent of a phoenix. The design is intricate, bare branches of trees and rolling hills in the background give it an ethereal quality. In the center, a castle stands tall, shrouded in shadows.

He couldn't shake the nagging sensation that he had just seen this emblem somewhere, not too long ago. It sparked a sense of familiarity within him.

Gradually, the light diminished and the book transformed into wispy shadows and vanished into the moonlit night.

He was truly shocked. The book classified as indestructible vanished just like that? Wasn't that too easy? And what was he supposed to make out of all these?

Augustus didn't have to wait too long before a beep sounded in his mind and lines of text appeared in front of him, suspended in mid-air.

[Creation request approved]

'What?' He was utterly perplexed by the strange text floating around him. Although he had an idea as to what it could be, he was too afraid to hope.

[Searching for most familiar module....found]

[Module loading.....10%...25%...60%...100%]

[Module loading complete]

[System initialized]

[Boot up complete]

[Considering most appropriate path...]

[Path chosen]

[Congratulations, You are now a Criminal!]

Augustus sat in stunned silence for what felt like an eternity. The possibility of finding anything to aid in his transmigration, which had slowly diminished over the past four months, suddenly surged back with full force. However, his eyes narrowed with indignation as he read the final sentence.

"Who the HELL ARE YOU CALLING CRIMINAL?!?!?!"

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Hello, Author-san here. 

The new chapter is up. Now it's starting to get more interesting hehehehehe.

As always, don't forget to vote, and leave a review behind.

See you guys tomorrow.

Thank You.