Past Life

"His name was Raul a man of ordinary backgrounds but with the madness of a veteran soldier and the determination of a hunting tigress." Linda started but then she saw the deadpan look on Randy's face and asked with a sigh

 "Too cliche."

 "Yeah. You look more beautiful when you're relaxed you know." Randy said, adding a compliment to his words

 "And you flatter a lot," Linda muttered as if in sudden realisation.

 "Yep, my mom says flattery will take me to a lot of places with women."

 "She's right but is she aware that she's raising a womaniser."

 "Yep, a handsome and awesome one."

 The last of Randy's words had Linda stunned and staring at Randy's grinning face silently.

 "Even without his memories, seems he won't be easy to control" Linda thought.

 Shaking her head at Randy Linda cleared her throat and then began speaking.

 "It was over 100 years ago, that I found Raul on death's door after his town was attacked.

 I offered to preserve his soul and help him reincarnate with all his memories and in return, all he had to do was serve me, help me fulfil my goals." That was the plan Linda said.

 "That's all" Randy asked in a surprised tone, disbelief on his face.

 "Yes, that's the whole story."

 "No, it isn't, you haven't said anything about what kind of a person Raul was and who exactly you are."

 "Because those things aren't necessary."

 "Yes, they are." Randy piqued.

 "No, they aren't"

 "Yes they are"

 "Fine," Linda said giving up.

 "Raul was a street urchin, he was a random commoner with big dreams whom I encountered in a moment of desperation, that's who Raul is, are you satisfied yet."

 "You still haven't said who you are" Randy asked his voice a little low especially since Linda had begun speaking with an edge to her tone.

 "I already told you I'm Linda. "Linda said the edge in her tone and her face serene and devoid of discontent.

 "What are you? where are you from? why am I here?" Randy asked.

 To Randy's persistence, Linda smiled at him and then lofted her right hand.

 Minutes ago I had you traumatized and scared of even being close to me, though it's admirable how quickly your mind recovered and how gutsy you are, I have no qualms reminding you of that fear.

 Randy looked at Linda silently for a few seconds he blinked and then suddenly shivered and then with a nod he looked away from the woman and spoke.

 "You really shouldn't be threatening someone whose help you need you know," Randy spoke with a lowered tone, a yawn leaving his mind while his eyes returned to Linda's chest.

 Though she had the option to speak after Randy had gone silent, Linda held her tongues and watched the boy chuckle perversely as he stared at her breast and this went on for close to 10 minutes before he looked back up at her with curious eyes.

 "I feel like a prey under your gaze" Randy offhandedly said getting to his feet.

 "You say that, but I don't see fear in your eyes," Linda said.

 A wide smile cracked on Randy's face after Linda spoke and then without hesitation, he made a deep bow.

 "I don't know what your plans are and how our relationship is going to turn out, but from the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you for giving me this dream world, it is the best thing that ever happened to me."

 Linda was taken aback by Randy's sudden actions, but by the time he stood back up straight, she had gotten back control of her emotions and was nodding at him approvingly.

 "That was cute, so I'll give things to you as they are.

 Randy you and Raul are one and the same person, and I am sure of that because hundreds of years ago, I sealed both myself and a devil into Raul's soul and then set the soul up for an impure reincarnation.

 Though the reincarnation took longer than I originally planned, here we are, with the only thing that has gone wrong being that you have for some reason lost your own memories of your first life."

 Linda gave the explanation quite simply and though Randy found himself easily understanding her, he couldn't help but begin looking around the temple his expression one of wariness and distress.

 "Ehhh, you mentioned a devil, did you mean like an evil all-powerful entity?"

"Yes"

"So ehh, Where is it"

 "Slumbering. Do you want to see him, he is quite scary I should warn" Linda said spookily. 

 Randy hesitated for a second but he in the end nodded his head.

 "That is quite brave of you, but you're meeting with the devil within you won't be today, there is no need to terrify you this early, instead we should be focusing on accomplishing our most immediate need.

 "Which is," Randy asked genuinely curious.

 "Which is to make you stronger, so that in that way you can become able to access the power of the devil within you and eventually absorb the devil."

 "Huh," Randy said gobsmacked, but Linda already expected such a reaction and knew that explaining it to Randy would be a true hassle.

 "For now just stick with what you know, you will understand more as time goes on."

 Hearing that Linda was not going to be expatiating on the very ridiculous words she had just spouted, Randy was about to protest, but before he could speak, his next blink had him opening his eyes to a clear field and then beside him a sword and several dozen weapons stuck to the ground.

 "For today's training, our aim will be to push your body to its limit and also to see if we can find a weapon to which you have an affinity.

 "Ehh, wait, you still haven't answered my questions, you haven't even told me how exactly doing all this in here will help me become powerful in the real world.

 I don't need to be some super strong person here in the dream world, I want to be strong in the real world, I want to be able to walk over there."

 "Yes Randy, I know, and I promise you it will be so," Linda said suddenly appearing in front of Randy and placing her finger on his lips, their face quite close to each other.

 "You will have the power and fame you want in the real world Randy, but for now trust me and train."

 After Linda spoke, her figure quickly fazed away and as Randy was busy debating the truthfulness of her words, zombies began fazing into existence all around him, their guttery sound louder than ever and their gazes focused on him.