01. The Lord of Nothing

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Word Count: 2100 Words

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Location: Earth

Year: 2024

Far from the bustling city streets thrumming with vehicles, in a remote village untouched by the frenzy of urban life, a young man walked through the vibrant commotion of the local market. He stood out among the villagers, his demeanor and attire hinting at an outsider's presence.

He picked up a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery and stepped outside, the aroma of the freshly baked loaf wafting through the cool air. As he looked at the lively crowd, he sighed deeply.

"Life in a village feels like a world apart from the chaos of the city," he thought. "Shops are few, and their offerings, meager. Though this place is called a hill station, it's no different from a village in essence. The only contrast lies in its picturesque location."

With the warm bread tucked securely under his arm, he passed a signboard near the bakery and entered a narrow alley beside it. He stopped next to a parked motorcycle, its metallic frame glinting faintly in the diffused sunlight.

Mounting the bike, he turned the ignition, the engine purring to life. The young man rode out of the alley, weaving through the narrow market streets, a quiet calm settling over him as the noise of the market faded behind.

---

The motorcycle sped through the winding roads of the hill, cutting through a blanket of mist that shrouded the path. The empty curves ahead beckoned him to race forward, but he hesitated, tightening his grip on the handlebars.

"The fog is thick," he mused. "I should ease my pace. Who knows what might come hurtling from the opposite side?"

The road snaked through a verdant plantation, the lush greenery stretching endlessly on either side. The man rode on, the solitude of the hills broken only by the steady hum of his bike.

Soon, the road entered a dense woodland where towering trees loomed overhead, their sprawling branches casting shifting shadows across the path.

Shafts of sunlight pierced through the canopy, dappling the road with golden light. The air was crisp and earthy, and the man couldn't help but feel a quiet contentment as he passed through the tranquil forest.

---

Eventually, the road led him to a small mansion perched on a hill, far removed from the village. Hidden beyond the woods and at the end of a steep incline, the mansion stood as a silent sentinel against the sky. He pulled into the garage and parked his bike next to two vintage cars, their once-glorious frames now cloaked in a thin veil of dust.

Dismounting, he turned to inspect the vehicles. His fingers brushed gently over their hoods, a wistful smile tugging at his lips.

"A fine collection, indeed. But time has been cruel to these beauties," he murmured. "The first, a sleek two-seater sports car from the eighties. The second, a burly four-seater muscle car. They've been sitting here for over a decade now, untouched and forgotten."

His gaze shifted to the cruiser bike beside the cars. Its polished chrome and vintage design spoke of a bygone era. "Grandfather had a taste for timeless machines," he thought. "But they deserve more than this lonely corner of the garage. I should call a mechanic soon and bring them back to life."

Locking up his own bike—a modern café racer distinct from the cruiser—he turned toward the mansion.

---

Inside, the silence was interrupted by a familiar sound.

"Woof!"

A massive dog bounded toward him, its tail wagging furiously. The young man bent down, ruffling its thick fur as the dog pressed against him, its excitement palpable.

"Ah, SEVL, I'm home," he greeted warmly. The dog barked again, a mixture of joy and relief at his return.

"Oh, my dear Star-Eating Void Lord, there's no need for such dramatics," he teased, scratching the dog behind its ears. "I was merely out fetching bread. You think I've abandoned you, don't you?"

The dog whined softly, its gaze fixed on him with an almost human expression of concern.

"Look, SEVL," he continued, rising to his feet, "moving to this old mansion—my grandfather's legacy—wasn't a mistake. It's only for a short vacation. I needed an escape from the endless noise and chaos of our city home. This place offers a peace I've been longing for."

The dog followed him as he walked to the kitchen. Unpacking the loaf of bread, he glanced down at SEVL, who sat watching him intently.

"You've been unusually clingy these days," he remarked with a sigh. "Ever since we arrived, you've been acting strange. It's like you're afraid to let me out of your sight. I should've waited for you to wake up before leaving this morning. Maybe it's time I took you to the veterinary to figure out what's troubling you."

SEVL let out a soft bark, as if in agreement, and the young man chuckled, patting the dog affectionately. "Don't worry, my friend. This is just for a short time."

---

Walking out to the backyard of the mansion, the young man took a moment to savor the vast expanse of the woods stretching beyond the horizon.

The towering trees swayed gently in the breeze, their whispers barely audible amidst the serene silence. A small table sat on the porch, weathered yet sturdy, as though it had borne witness to countless tranquil afternoons.

He wandered through the backyard with an unhurried pace, finally stepping into the veranda of the mansion. His hand brushed the surface of the laptop resting on the table. Pressing the power button, he watched as the screen flickered to life.

"What should I write about?" he mused, leaning back in the chair. "A thesis and a research paper... if I want those credits, I can't put it off any longer."

Yet, his thoughts drifted, carried by the unseen currents of his imagination. Without realizing it, he had donned a pair of headphones, scrolling through a fanfiction story on his tablet while listening to music. His lips curled in amusement, and then frustration.

"The protagonist—what was that, anyway?" he ranted aloud, though there was no one to hear. "Nerfing the main character at every turn, and this ridiculous obsession with a harem! Whisking away every girl he encounters as if he's collecting badges in some alternate Pokémon tournament. Ahh! Gotta Catch em all! Is it. Except instead of Pokémon, it's women! And they come in all... forms, like evolutions." He scoffed, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "Not to mention his fixation on the real protagonist, comparing them both, at every turn of the story. What a mess."

His tirade continued until his throat ran dry. Taking a sip from the water bottle he had brought, he slumped back in his chair, stretching his arms toward the sun as if grasping for its warmth. With a snap of his fingers, a sudden vigor coursed through him. He turned back to his laptop, the blank screen waiting like an untouched canvas.

"I guess I'll do it," he said, nodding to himself. His fragmented thoughts coalesced, imperfect yet promising. "It'll be good practice for my writing skills before tackling the thesis."

Fingers poised over the keyboard, he opened a blank document. A spark of determination lit his eyes as he began to type, breathing life into the Worlds of his dreams. He aimed to pull readers into the depths of his imagination, crafting a journey they would not easily forget.

"My story," he murmured to himself, "is of a man who gets reincarnated into Lord of the Mysteries—a world as perilous as it is fascinating. Quite a cursed world to be reincarnated to. But here's the twist: he'll gather power and escape to another anime verse, all to defy the will of the original creator. The title... The Lord of Nothing."

Entering his thought, weaving together the story. He leaned back in his chair, imagining all the scenes, before he started on it.

Words flowed like a river, each sentence building on the last. Time melted away, and the sun climbed higher in the sky. Engrossed in his work, he didn't notice the hours slipping past until the sound of a bell shattered his focus.

The noise barely registered at first. Eyes still fixed on the glowing screen, he muttered absentmindedly, "That must be the mechanic. I shouldn't keep him waiting; it's a long journey from the city."

The bell rang again, jolting him out of his reverie. Stretching his arms above his head, he glanced at the time and blinked in surprise. "Midday already?" he murmured.

As he pushed his chair back, the world around him seemed to blur. The soft cushion beneath him shifted, and he felt weightless, as though caught between waking and dreaming.

Standing up, rubbing his eyes, he slowly opened them when he was hit by a sudden flash of light, blinding him, and he instinctively shut his eyes. When his vision returned, the blare of a truck horn filled his ears.

The truck barreled toward him with a deafening roar. He stood motionless, facing the truck, his arms spread wide, as if welcoming the inevitability of fate.

"Woof!"

The bark jolted him awake. He blinked groggily, his vision refocusing on the familiar sight of SEVL wagging his tail beside the chair.

"Good afternoon, SEVL," he said, rubbing the dog's head. "I must've fallen asleep." His gaze shifted to the laptop screen, where only the title remained:

The Lord of Nothing

---

Cradling SEVL in his arms, the man walked snuggled with him. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as a thought crossed his mind. "Truck-kun, was it?" he mused, recalling the infamous internet meme. "Except, unlike the meme, this truck has been haunting me for a long time now. Though it had stopped, bu it has reared it's horn again, since the day I arrived here."

His thoughts wandered to the peculiar events that had plagued him ever since he moved into the mansion—a place he hadn't set foot in since childhood. "Maybe performing the luck ritual from Lord of the Mysteries on my first night here wasn't the brightest idea. Even SEVL hasn't been the same since."

With SEVL trailing behind, he packed up his things and left the veranda. Smiling softly, he glanced down at his loyal companion. "Forget the truck. It was you, my Star-Eating Void Lord, who saved me that day, from the Truck-kun. That makes you far more powerful than the invincible Truck-kun."

---

Night fell, the moonlight spilling through the window of his bedroom on the first floor. The man slept soundly until SEVL's frantic barking roused him from his slumber.

He sat up reflexively, scanning the room for his dog. SEVL wasn't there. The barking grew louder, accompanied by the crash of breaking glass. Alarmed, he rushed to the window.

The mansion, with its labyrinthine layout, was a place he knew like the back of his hand. As a child, he had explored every hidden nook and cranny. Now, his gaze fell on the open gates below.

Reaching for his phone, he called the old helper who had assisted him in cleaning the house upon his arrival. The one who used to work in the mansion back in the day.

Climbing out the window, he gripped the drainage pipe attached to the building and carefully made his way to the balcony beside his room. He called the helper, informing him to call the police, his voice steady despite the pounding of his heart.

Bending down, his attention drawn to the front door, knocked down.

Wrapping his arms around the pillar. He tried sliding down to the ground floor.

As he neared the ground, his gaze turned to the window. His gaze caught something that made his blood run cold. The living room carpet was stained with blood. SEVL lay motionless in the center—unconscious, or worse, vase lay broken beside him. His hands trembled, his grip on the pillar faltering.

Regaining his footing, his eyes focused on the figures inside. Four men stood near the staircase, their pistols aimed upward. Their leader, his back turned to the young man, seemed to be issuing commands.

The man's expression hardened. Fear gripping, moreover the loss of his companion stung him. He couldn't unsee it, now. A knife prodding his SEVL.

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**The End**

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