Alternate Space
A blackout.
Young master Gaun didn't know what happened.
The smashing ritual of the trolls, then a smell of burning and a dark flame.
He couldn't even scream that his entire body melted just like that right before his eyes.
Where it came from, or what is that?
Young master Gaun had no idea.
"Where am I?"
He whispered gently.
His voice was so calm, like seeing a lake with trees at the side that flutters from the calm wind.
There are no waves in the body of water.
"What is this place?"
Young master Gaun cannot see, smell, or touch anything, but he can hear himself somehow.
Ding!
[ Charge: 71. ]
[ The host failed. ]
A system screen in front of him appeared.
'System?'
Young master Gaun thought and tried to recall.
The system continued amidst his confusion.
[ The host died. ]
[ All the courting death points received are converted into a pleasure-pain. ]
Hearing this while in the darkness.
The darkness of the void of feeling.
Young master Gaun suddenly woke up.
"What is this system?"
"Where am I?"
Ding!
[ The host is in the extra lives storage space. ]
If the young master Gaun had a face right now, he would've knitted his brow.
'Space?'
Ding!
[ An alternate universe space of all the possible Gaun Leyhart. ]
Young master Gaun doesn't understand, so he only stares at the system screen.
'Hmm?'
His emotions were in a void.
It doesn't have a shred of sadness or happiness.
Only pleasure.
A pleasure of death.
Like a feeling of inconceivable pleasure as he finally escaped from the cruel world.
Where he won't get tired, won't feel depressed, or feel joy.
'What is this?'
Young master, Gaun thought.
He suddenly became completely aware of his surroundings. It's like he is peacefully feeling the darkness.
'What is this feeling…'
Young master Gaun began to question himself.
Ding!
[ The current host must not become addicted to this stoic feeling of death or the current host might end up the same as the last original host. ]
Young master Gaun read the system screen.
He read at least twenty times just so he could make sure that he was not reading it wrong.
'The last original owner of this body?'
His mind clicked.
As if memories began pouring in.
Inside his mind, his memories and not the original owner of the body he remembered he occupied.
Young master Gaun unconsciously felt the memories, but he was more concerned about something else.
'The original died because of addiction to this feeling?'
Young master Gaun asked with a little curiosity.
Ding!
[ Yes. ]
'What is this feeling? The original chose to kill himself with this feeling.'
He inquired calmly to the system.
Ding!
[ Correct. ]
Young master Gaun did not poke his nose any further.
He only tried to feel what is currently experiencing.
'I feel like I'm not at peace but I'm alright with everything.'
'I feel like I'm prepared for everything this darkness would throw at me, whether it's good or bad.'
However, this feeling is affecting him so much.
He is also alright if the system did not answer his curiosity.
It's because of this special feeling.
Ding!
[ It is the system's way to help the current host to accept pain. ]
[ Stoicism, mind insertion. ]
[ Simply put, Stoicism was designed to help current host or future host's live their best possible lives. It's a philosophy of life that maximizes positive emotions, reduces negative emotions, and helps hosts to hone their virtues of character. ]
Young master Gaun did not understand, but he simply nodded.
However, instead of being scared that he would become too addicted to this feeling, he felt it was natural.
"Thank you system for summoning me from earth to this story that is purely created by imagination."
"If I came not from the earth, I would've chosen this feeling by death too, like the last host did. Am I right?"
Young master Gaun suddenly said.
Ding!
[ … ]
If the system was a person, he would feel like he was being choked by what young master Gaun is showing.
Ding!
[ The current host is right, his knowledge and desire to enjoy life unlike the last host is different. ]
Young master Gaun nodded.
However, his face soon became a little distorted.
'What?'
Only it was too late, as his vision changed again as the system released another notification.
Ding!
[ Daily extra life used. ]
Ding!
[ Current daily extra life: 0 ]
Ding!
[ Life left: 1. ]
Ding!
[ Automatic alternate universe replacement activated. ]
Ding!
[ It's better for the current host to not court this time or the current host will automatically die and be completely replaced by other alternate universe spirits. ]
...
Outside, everything was burning in place.
A grassland that became hell.
Flames can make anyone experience coldness and a burning sensation just by seeing them.
Like a storm that brought destruction to anything on its path and it left like it was a normal thing.
"My love?"
A resounding sour voice erupted amid flames.
A shadow of a woman afloat in the sky, looking down at the almost melted corpse of young master Gaun.
'I'm still not used to this feeling. It's my first time having a legendary beast in this body.'
'My flame is uncontrolled, and it erupted. What have I done?'
Leanne thought in worry.
She is trembling from thinking that Gaun recently awakened a basic gift.
There's an incredibly high chance he might not live because his gift is not mastered yet.
Seeing it with her own eyes, she is not wrong.
"My love... My love."
Leanne came down to the corpse of young master Gaun. Her whole body was trembling.
From the regret and incoming grief.
"No…"
"No…"
"What have I done?!"
Seeing the corpse of young master Gaun and feeling no breath coming out, her world started to crumble.
She waited and waited for him.
However, due to the desire to become stronger and protect herself, her loved ones, and her lover, Gaun Leyhart himself.
She awakens a legendary creature.
However, she didn't expect that she would be the one who would destroy him, too.
Leanne's eyes squandered thoughtlessly into despair.
"This is not real... This is not real..."
She mumbled as her lips and hips tightened.
Her hands also became groggy and her neck of hers became red.
"I only wanted to save him. I only wanted to save him."
Earlier, she thought that young master Gaun was being killed.
However, she didn't expect that the bursting output would be so strong that it created a destruction out of her expectation.
"How did it come to this?"
When the group of giant rampaging trolls was about to splatter young master Gaun, her instinct responded.
Leanne also didn't expect this to happen.
"I am the one who killed him."
Her hands were on her crying eyes, refusing to accept that instead of saving her husband.
She causes his death.
"I killed him."
Leanne's eyes began to darken.
The legendary spirit bird beside her began to panic.
"Wait…"
The legendary bird did not mention or will not mention that the trolls had taken her husband as their master.
However, she only messed it up.
"Don't panic…"
Seeing her fall into despair, the underworld raven promised not to mention it.
Or it would become worse.
"Wait…"
"You can do this. Control yourself."
However, Leanne's ears seem shut.
She looks like her entire being was turned into a living corpse.
Broken soul and broken body.
The legendary abyss raven was horror stricken.
"If you lose control again, both of us are going to die."
Panic flowed with the legendary bird's voice.
She and her contract master, Leanne, are connected by soul.
She can feel the restlessness of her master that is resonating with her.
"Please master, you mustn't do this..."
The legendary bird had taken everything on her whim as a legendary underworld raven.
It all changed when she met her master. She can feel the pain, the struggle of her soul despite being young.
The agony of a legendary bird is nothing compared to the agony of her master's soul.
Therefore, she was humbled.
The legendary bird promised to protect and support her master in whatever came into her life.
However, she didn't know what to do at this moment.
In this very moment.
When her master needed her the most.
At this moment, something moved.
Cough! Cough!