Immediately, a wave of understanding rushed through Draven.
"So this is more like… a hunt for blood," he pondered.
[you would be transmigrated into other realms with set of missions to accomplish, after which you can return.But failure means death.]
Draven shrugged. Just a moment ago, he had wanted to die. But now, suddenly, his life felt important. He couldn't afford to die just yet, though the odds were stacked against him.
Draven stood up and began pacing around, trying to comfort himself with the thought that maybe… just maybe, he was strong enough now.
But that didn't help at all. In fact, it made him more anxious.
Firstly, he didn't know how dangerous the world he would be transmigrated into might be. Secondly, even someone at the second level of Qi Condensation would likely be too weak to be considered strong.
After a while of pacing back and forth, the harsh truth hit him. He was definitely going into the trial like this. There was nothing else he could possibly do.
At least he tried, he thought. With that, Draven finally went into his room to sleep.
It was a quiet night, as always. Draven laid out his bed and lay down. His thoughts kept wandering to the mission he was going to face the next day.
Gradually, he fell asleep.
---
[Countdown: 10, 9, 8… 3]
Draven opened his eyes immediately. How fast did time pass? he thought, staring at the system.
[3, 2, 1. Transmigration in progress.]
[0%… 30%… 65%… 70%… 100%.]
[Transmigration complete. Host's new body: Cao Tan, the Cursed Prince.]
Draven's eyes shot open in shock. He had closed them during the transmigration process, but now he was in another body.
He stood up slowly, only to realize that this person had been stabbed and left for dead. Blood had soaked the princely attire, and for some unknown reason, he felt severe pain in his body—aside from the intense pain from the stab wound on his side.
The system's voice echoed again:
[Missions:]
1. Take revenge on behalf of the prince.
2. Kill the ring-bearer.
3. Bring peace back to the kingdom.
[Countdown: 49 days, 58 hours, 43 minutes, 22 seconds.]
Draven scrambled to his feet as a wave of the host's memories flooded into his head.
So… he was cursed. He would have still died from the curse even without the stab wound, Draven realized as he staggered forward.
"System… if I die from this curse, or if I die randomly… will I be transmigrated back to the Realm of Elements?"
He asked as his breath grew weak, the pain from the stab already unbearable.
He didn't even know what realm he had been transmigrated into—all he knew was that he came from the Realm of Elements.
[If you die during a mission, you remain dead.]
Those words sent a chill down his spine. He didn't utter another word, but instead tried to make sense of where the palace could be, relying on the knowledge of his host.
Before long, his vision began to blur. Thankfully, he caught sight of a figure approaching… but just before he could reach them, everything went dark.
---
Draven slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on a bed in a small but well-furnished room.
A young lady with red hair was sitting nearby, knitting his clothes.
"Cao, you're awake already!" she exclaimed, rushing to the side of the bed.
She was stunning—her eyes were bright green, her dress a pure white. She looked nothing short of royalty.
Draven was shocked. Was this his sister? Or maybe a maid? Or possibly his mother?
He didn't quite know. The wave of memories had given him his sister's name, but not her face.
"Cao, you scared me. I thought you'd die any minute. The knife wound was so bad… the initial herbs from the palace physician were nothing short of useless."
Tia hugged Draven tightly as she spoke, tears spilling down her cheeks effortlessly.
From what Draven saw, he could tell this was his sister. But he wasn't entirely sure. To clear his doubt, he whispered softly, almost above a breath:
"…Sister?"
Tia raised her head, smiling warmly, and pulled back.
"I'm sorry—I forgot you weren't wearing a shirt. I was just too excited." She chuckled lightly before returning to her seat.
"By the way, I was stitching your shirt. I wanted to ask the maid to fetch a new one, but I know this is your favorite."
Draven watched in amazement, but then he suddenly remembered—he was on a mission.
Without warning, he tried to stand, but a sharp pain rocked his body, forcing a gasp from his lips.
"Cao, just relax for now. The physician said it will take at least three days to recover from the stab wound—because of the curse," Tia said quickly, rushing back to his side.
"But…" Draven tried to speak, but the words faltered.
Tia lowered her head, sadness flickering across her face.
"I know what you want to say. And no—the physician said there is no spell under his healing cultivation art that can reverse the curse."
She looked at him with sincerity.
Draven could feel her genuine care, but his mind was elsewhere. He must not die in this world, and he couldn't afford to be even a second late in completing his mission.
Well… since he would be stuck here for at least two days, he might as well learn about this world.
From the memories, he recalled that he also had a brother.
Draven decided to ask:
"What about my brother?"
Tia's face instantly turned pale at the question.