Changes [4]

-THUMP!

Heavily panting, I landed inside the room. The round trip consumed quite a bit of ether, not to mention….

HISS-

The cat was hissing at me dangerously.

The moment my feet touched the floor, it jumped from my hand and was now glaring at me.

"You aren't good with heights?"

I chuckled. Earlier when I was jumping down, I could almost hear it cry in panic.

"Let's eat. Ugh.."

My face contorted when I saw that there were only apples in my room. I hated apples with passion.

GROWL-

..But my stomach wasn't listening to me. It kept growling, demanding an immediate meal.

Unwillingly, I picked the peeled apple slices on the desk by the left side of my bed.

WOOSH-

"Huh?"

Where did the apple slice go?

Turning my head, I found the slice in the cat's mouth. I shook my head and picked another slice.

WOOSH-

My mouth twitched. The slice wasn't in my hand anymore.

"Can you leave some for me, my queen?"

I clapped my hands in front of the cat.

"Ah!"

I forget that my left arm wasn't working. With only my right arm raised, I stood in a weird posture.

WOOSH-

This time a slice went missing from the plate.

"Fine, I don't need them. You can have them yourself."

WOOSH-

I blinked. The cat kept stealing slices, not paying me any heed. The moment I picked a slice, it stole from my hand.

"Haah.."

Should I call someone and ask for food? Nah, one of those idiots will come if I requested something to eat.

That will only make me lose my appetite.

"Hmm?"

Stretching my arm, leaving the plate alone, I picked up the black book beside it.

"..How is this here?"

I was sure I dropped this book when the minion responsible for corrupting my left arm hit me.

At that time, I was tight on time, and the horde was already coming after me. I had no choice but to leave the book.

The book was important, but I would've died then and there if I had tried to find it in that upheaval.

"Can it be that this diary will always appear beside me?"

If so, what can be the conditions?

Willing to recall the book? No, I had tried it before, but it didn't work.

Distance between me and the book? This was possible. I hadn't tried this method. The dungeon was the only time I ever let the book away.

Or an entirely different reason?

Deciding that should check the most probable theory, I walked to the window. I pulled my arm back, holding the dairy, and aimed as far as I could.

'What am I even doing?'

I massaged my brows. There were other better methods to check than throwing the dairy like this.

"Am I getting too stressed?"

(Yes)

"You can speak too? Thanks for telling me to not throw the dairy."

(I won't interfere with what you do. It's your choice to make.)

Turning on my heel, I walked to the cat while talking to Eth in my mind.

'You can read my memories?'

From how Eth had been acting, it was clear he knew about the novel. This meant he read my memories.

(It's boring only watching you or staying here. So, I decided to see your world.)

HISSS-

The cat scratched my palm when I tried to pet it.

A frown naturally formed on my face.

(I had to say your world is pretty fascinating. Such poor technology, if I had to compare, your world is like our world but a thousand years in the past.)

Ignoring his nonsense, I asked a question that had been bugging me since earlier.

'Where were you since when I transmigrated here? And why did you suddenly pop up?'

(No, I wasn't here since the beginning. I only gained consciousness two weeks before.)

Wasn't that the time I got the diary? Was this a coincidence?

(Although I gained a consciousness that day, I had barely regained my sense of reasoning. I was improving day by day and I would've fully awakened after 2-3 months. But when you awakened your stigma, your soul strengthened. My soul used the extra energy released during that time and I awoke earlier than predicted.)

"I awakened my stigma!?"

(Yes, but you can check it later. The point I'm trying to say here is different.)

(...I can't remember what I had been doing for the past 10 years.)

My hand that was trying to pet the cat froze.

"What did you say?"

(Everything I had been doing for the past 10 years feels like a blur. I can only remember tidbits of information.)

'Wait. Wait. If you can't remember anything, then how are you behaving like an adult? Shouldn't your mental age be 5-6?'

Eth's behavior was a little childish, but it was in no way similar to a 5-6-year-old's.

(This was why I was watching your memory. No, should I say, living your memories? Because our souls are connected, I can feel your emotions. I am learning through you.)

"..You should stop. If you want to remain sane, that is."

I slumped into the bed and stared at the wall. Those memories weren't something someone can go through and remain sane, more so if he was feeling my emotions.

(As long as our souls don't resonate, I or you won't lose our sense of self, so it isn't dangerous. Also, I can feel your emotions, but the older the memories are, the lower the degree and intensity of the emotions.)

This was good. For both of us.

But there was one more thing I wanted to ask. It was going to decide the relationship between Eth and me.

'Don't you want your body back?'

I felt sorry for him as how a stranger was controlling his body when he could only watch from the backseat. But I wasn't going to let myself be killed to give him control back.

Not until I find a way to help both of us.

Squinting my brows, I waited for his answer.

(No, I don't want my body back. You can live in it.)

'Wh-'

(In return, promise me one thing.)

"…"

(Protect my family and Isabell)

'You saw my memories, right? Do you think I can guarantee someone else safety when I can't even my own?'

(Just promise me that you will do everything in your power to protect them.)

'…I'm no hero. I can't promise that.'

(….)

(..Right)

'Do you want your body back now?'

'No'

He wasn't lying. Then why?

A deep sigh escaped my lips.

'If you want to protect them so much, then do it yourself. There should be some method to separate our souls and give both of us a body.'

I didn't know any method like that, but I was sure there was one. After all this was a universe where supernatural beyond common sense existed. Here, people destroy planets with a swing, reincarnate, and resurrect the dead.

Contrary to these things, our problem was much simpler.

That's one more thing I have to find.

"Tch..the mood got too heavy."

(Did it? I only remember you having mood swings worse than a kid whose crush rejected him.)

'Isn't it better than an edgy kid who jumped to fight terrorists only to get his ass whopped?'

(Oye, that's cheating! I don't remember doing that!)

"Where was it? Hm, here? Here? Oh, found it!"

Ignoring Eth, I picked up the bracelet that was also kept on the desk. But I was unable to wear it with only one arm.

Ultimately, I could only place it in front of me to use it.

Tapping my bracelet, I opened an article. This article was on something that happened two days before the surprise entrance exam of Ward. And this was also the reason why Leon and Lilith knew me and believed me to be a good person.

======

Erza Square Incident

On 02/07/0153 Black t-shirt Gang hijacked a mart. The terrorists quickly took control over the mart and mislead the heroes by hijacking the security system, buying themselves time to capture hostages.

After beating a person to the point of death, they were able to place the seed of fear inside hostages.

Fortunately for us and everyone present there, the incident was solved by a genius among the golden generation, Lilith Ashdown, daughter of the Archer of End, and another young unknown awakener.

With her marvelous abilities and combat skills, Miss Lilith subdued all the terrorists alive.

This incident was the 23rd hijacking case this year. The Central government believes this is the result of the gang wars happening Downtown.

To subdue these incidents and encourage young awakeners, the Central government and Aegis have issued several bounties and….

=======

This incident was the opening act of 'Hero has Returned' so I knew about it. This was the first and a very brief meeting between Leon and Lilith.

Because of this incident Lilith had a good impression of Leon and thus becomes friend with him after both of them again met inside Ward.

The photo, depicting the crime scene and the hostages, made me want to pull my hairs out.

It wasn't very clear, but if someone focused they will recognize my face in the photo. This photo was sent to me by Gwen Hunt, Eth's elder sister.

And for some reason, I felt she was angry, very angry.

She only sent me the photo, a smile emoji along with money (a lot) for the treatment.

'Eth…'

(Yes?)

'Go die.'

(Wait why!? I told you I don't even remember doing that.)

'So what if you don't remember? It's still you. Do you have to play the hero?'

The photo made it clear who I was.

…the person who was beaten to death.

I wasn't the young unknown awakener who helped Lilith, but the sacrifice that made Lilith fight against the terrorist.

(What do they mean, beaten to death? I swear the new reporters always over-hype things. Can't they see I am perfectly alive?)

"No, they can't."

(…)

In the novel, Lilith had been hesitating to fight because, unlike spears and swords, guns can kill easily. She didn't want to kill even the terrorist if possible.

Only after someone stands to protect people but is brutally beaten to death does Lilith stand up.

To clarify, the young unknown awakener was our exemplary and dumb protagonist, Leon.

Lilith's dream was to become an awakener who upholds justice like her father. Not only her father, but she also adored every hero in history.

But she couldn't even gather the courage when it was needed the most.

This was I, a weak person who stood to protect others, had a good impression on her.

This was why Lilith was friendly to me and Leon and me since the beginning in Ward.

Avoiding the main cast? It was already rigged even before I transmigrated!

As for Leon? This event played a role, but for sure, the fact that he had literally no friends before this was the reason he wasn't leaving me alone.

"That dumb loner"

(Huh? Aren't you the same? Rather right now, Leon has more friends than you.)

"…Shit!"

I covered my face in embarrassment. An idiot who had come into society after many years of isolation had more friends than me.

What has the world come to?