'I lost my WILL!' It was his last thought in this world!
Yes! Before vanishing and losing his powers, memories, and his WILL inside the fictional book "The Developed Beings" that lay on an old table of a hidden chamber, he finished weaving the Relic—into which he poured his soul fragments, the crucial parts of his spirit where he had stored his WILL, powers, and memories.
A while ago…
Shon had a large case in his hands as he entered the basement of the cult.
There was no one there! It was empty.
'Huh? Is everyone on a mission?
I think I won't be able to bid a proper farewell. Oh well, I can write a letter. I don't have enough time.'
While walking to his chamber, he first took off his coat and properly put it in the cloth store.
After placing the case beside the chair, he grabbed the ink pen and wrote the farewell letter for his mates!
He was really emotional while writing, as he was too attached to them—he considered them his family.
Just after finishing the letter, he sighed—not out of relief, but out of a heavy weight of feelings.
His heart felt heavier, and his body was slowly freezing!
'I have to hurry! The signs of losing myself are increasing!'
He opened the case. It was a very mysterious and luxurious case. It shimmered as it opened, and there was a faintly glowing book inside it.
He grabbed the book. It was heavy—much, much heavier. It took a lot of his strength to lift it.
Although he was crying, it didn't look like he was crying of his own will; it was a deep part of him that was crying. The tears were visible in his eyes.
He then sealed fragments of himself into something greater, something that would remain even if he was gone.
A desperate anchor against the chaos growing inside him, he felt his body freezing at an increasing rate.
His mind went numb, his vision blurry.
He quickly gave a cut on his arm with a knife.
'I lost my will!'
He then dropped his blood on the book—on the starting pages—and then…
The darkness enveloped him, thick and suffocating. Voices clawed at his mind, shrieking in unbearable, twisted rhythms:
"You are Shon, of the Bunch of Clothed Monkeys. You are Human-01... You have lost your WILL… your POWERS… your MEMORIES… your PURPOSE… But not your humanity. Not your humanity. With it, you will find what you seek here. FIND… FIND… FIND… As the corruption fades… FADE… FADE… FADE…
Do not forget. You are HUMAN. HUMAN. HUMAN. You are human. Remember… Remember… Remember…
YOU ARE HUMAN!"
Just as the ravings vanished from his ears, he opened his eyes and…
He found himself on a chair. In front of him was a table scattered with books and pens.
'Finally!!'
Shon's mind automatically recalled the memories that had been saved permanently before entering "The Book of Future: Developed Beings."
But he had forgotten what had happened to him before entering the book. He was now completely normal compared to how he was back in his world.
…
"I am Human! Human-01 of Bunch of Clothed Monkeys."
He said in a deep voice—as if it came from the depths of his soul and subconscious—his voice carried a hint of determination.
Just at that critical juncture, a faint and translucent construct appeared before him.
[Relic Awakening Conditions Met]
…
[Loading Body Memories]
He came back to his senses 'Oh wait! In whose body did I enter?'
Before he could think further, a torrent of memories surged into his mind, burning through his thoughts until his skull felt like it would split apart.
His vision blurred, and faintness overtook him.
While reeling in the room, he pressed both hands to his head.
"It hurts! It hurts!"
'It hurts like hell.'
"My head… my head!!!"
Unfamiliar faces. Unfamiliar voices, places, names—all entered his mind continuously.
"Arghhh!"
The pain in his head didn't go away—his movements lagged, unstable.
His heart burned as if it would explode at any moment.
He staggered toward the mirror beside the bed in the room…
Although his vision was blurry, and he couldn't focus properly, he could still see his reflection in it.
Brown hair. Red eyes. Not the main character's or anyone he knew from the story.
He couldn't focus for more than a few seconds—he staggered continuously.
The pain was still there; even seconds felt like eternity. No—more eternal than eternity.
The headache and the unbearable heat in his heart didn't vanish—it was on the verge of exploding.
…
After a while, his vision dimmed slowly… slowly… and just as he was about to fall onto the bed—fortunately, the pain started to vanish.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
There were faint footsteps from outside the room, but they didn't catch his attention.
Now there was no headache left—he was as good as new. He tried to comprehend the situation.
His mind was now filled with unknown memories.
He again looked in the mirror—his red eyes were now normal. Everything was normal.
'Just whose body am I in this world? It doesn't look like the main character who was introduced in the book… nor anyone else I knew'
He pondered for a while and came to a final conclusion.
'So I'm not part of the story? The events that happened in the story—or will happen—have nothing to do with me.'
'That's great luck!'
He didn't want to enter the protagonist's body, because he knew what would happen—though it was obvious he would have all the girls around him, he'd also always be in danger, always the target of some dangerous organization.
Of course, who would want to constantly endure danger? So it was his great luck.
As he stared at the mirror in an awkward position, he saw the relic again.
[Relic fusion commencing...]
His heart thudded in rhythm with the numbers flashing before his eyes.
1%... 25%... 50%... 80%... 100%.
[Relic successfully bound.]
[Updating framework…]
Just at that moment, the door creaked open!
It was a girl with raven-black hair. Her expression seemed annoyed.
She wore a long cream-colored coat over a black sweater; her neck was wrapped in a red neckwear.
His heart pounded.