Chapter 16: Ethereal Star

Shay snapped back to reality.

"Wait! Is this Han..." She threw a look at him. "The Han I used to play with at the village?"

Memories flashed through her mind—the carefree days of their childhood, the endless games of knights they played, the laughter, the promises.

"So that's why he looked so familiar..." she thought, her heart pounding. "B-But why didn't he say anything then? Could it be that he also didn't recognize me—"

"Hey, Tess," Han suddenly spoke, his voice breaking through her thoughts. "Could you leave me and Shay alone?"

"Eh?" Tess's eyebrows shot up, a mischievous smirk appearing on her lips. "What are you two going to do all alone—"

"Just go. Jenna needs a partner to train," Han said coldly, shutting down her teasing.

"Tch, you and that stoicism of yours," Tess muttered, rolling her eyes before walking away. "Fine, fine, I'll go. Have fun, lovebirds."

As soon as she left, silence settled between Han and Shay.

Han sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. "Hey, Shay, why are you acting so strange lately?"

His voice carried genuine concern. It wasn't like he disliked seeing her more relaxed around them, but if this embarrassment got in the way when they climbed the next floor, it would be a problem.

Shay took a deep breath, pushing down her nervousness. "Ehm, Han..." Her embarrassment faded as she gathered the courage to ask him directly. "Don't you recognize me?"

Han frowned, confused. "Huh? What are you saying?"

Shay's heart clenched at his reaction. "Don't you really remember me?" she pressed. "I am the little girl you always used to play knights with back at the village!"

"Back at the village?" Han repeated, his expression shifting from confusion to something deeper, something more alarmed. Inside, his mind raced. Fuck!

His thoughts spiraled into panic. Did she know the original Han Islat? What the fuck should I invent now—

But before he could process a response, pain exploded in his skull.

"Ahhh!" Han screamed, clutching his head as if it were splitting apart.

"What's happening, Han?!" Shay rushed forward, grabbing his shoulders as he started to collapse, his legs buckling under the sheer intensity of the pain.

[Han (☆)'s Pain Tolerance has risen to level 5!]

"I don't kn—" he tried to answer, the pain seeming more bearable thanks to its skill leveling up, but immediately another wave of agony struck, sharper, rendering his skill's level up completely useless.

This time, it wasn't just pain—

It was memories.

A flood of them, overwhelming and relentless.

Visions of a life that wasn't his own flashed before his eyes—

A young boy playing by the riverside. A kind woman with dark hair brushing his hair lovingly. A little girl with golden eyes, pouting as she lost yet another game of knights. The village. The warmth. The past.

It wasn't his past.

It was Han Islat's.

And for the first time since arriving in this world, he felt like he was drowning in someone else's existence.

Han's soul began to burn.

The pain that had once only consumed his body now sank deeper, clawing into his very essence. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before—as if something was ripping him apart from within. He gasped, barely able to remain conscious as a suffocating force dragged him into an abyss. His mind screamed, his vision distorted, and in the overwhelming agony, a terrifying realization struck him—

Han Islat's soul had awakened.

"No…!" Han gritted his teeth, clutching at his chest as if that could ease the torment. But it was useless. Han Islat, the true owner of this body, was fighting back, trying to reclaim what was his.

The sensation was suffocating, like drowning in an ocean with no surface in sight. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. He was sinking deeper and deeper—

Then, everything turned black.

...

When Han opened his eyes, the world around him was gone.

No dungeon, no Shay, no pain—only emptiness. A vast, endless expanse of white stretched infinitely in every direction, devoid of sound, shadow, or warmth. It was as if existence itself had been stripped away.

And then, he saw him.

Standing a few feet away was a man identical to him. The same face. The same body. The same piercing gaze. It was like looking into a mirror, but there was no reflection—only another presence staring back at him with cold familiarity.

Han slowly pushed himself up from his laying position, his muscles tense as he faced the figure. "Who are you?"

The other Han smirked. "You already know who I am, don't you?"

A moment of silence passed before Han exhaled sharply. "Han Islat."

The other Han's smirk widened slightly. "Good. At least you haven't completely lost yourself."

Han's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"Nothing…" The original Han shrugged. "I just wanted to have a little chat with you."

Han frowned. "I don't have time for chatting—"

"Please." The other Han's voice lost its teasing edge, turning sincere. "I just need to say something to you. And then, I won't disturb you anymore."

Han studied him carefully. For the first time, the original Han didn't seem like an enemy. He wasn't fighting for control—he was simply… here. Asking for a moment.

"Fine," Han finally said, his voice still cold. "Say what you need to say."

The other Han smiled. "I was with you this entire time, watching, and I have to say... thanks a lot for saving Shay."

Han blinked. "Huh? You only called me here for that?"

"No, no..." The original Han let out a chuckle. "I also wanted to tell you that we're quite similar... I used to secretly lust after every female back at the village too."

"I-I…" Han stiffened, his face heating up. "I didn't lust after anyone, okay?!"

The other Han's smirk grew. "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

Han clicked his tongue. "Tch… Fuck!"

The original Han chuckled before stepping forward, placing a hand on Han's shoulder. His expression softened. "Please take care of my Shay for me."

Han frowned, his irritation giving way to something more serious. "Wait… are you just going to go away like this? I mean, you did say you only wanted to talk, but don't you want your body back? Don't you want to see Shay again?"

The original Han's smile faded slightly. "Yes, but…" His body started glowing, his form shifting into pure white energy. "You're stronger than me. In a place like Pick Me Up, you're the only one I trust to keep my Shay safe since you're the so called great Loki. And besides… it's not like I'm really going away."

Han's eyes widened. "Wait, what—"

Before he could react, the original Han fully dissolved into light. The energy surged forward, flowing through Han's eyes and into his very soul.

[Another soul is merging with the hero Han (☆)'s soul.]

Han clenched his fists as another wave of searing pain tore through him.

"That bastard..." He muttered through the agony, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "So he really was like me, huh?"

Time passed, the pain consuming him from within.

[Han (☆)'s Pain Tolerance skill has risen to Level 6!]

[Han (☆)'s Pain Tolerance skill has risen to Level 7!]

The torment gradually dulled, the overwhelming sensation subsiding until it finally disappeared.

[The merging of souls has been completed.] [Skill awakening!]

[The hero, Han (☆), has awakened the skill: Indomitable Soul.]

[Promotion!]

[The rank of the hero, Han (☆), has been enhanced to 1 Ethereal Star!]

Han exhaled sharply, still reeling from the experience. "1 Ethereal Star? I've never heard of something like this—"

But before he could dwell on it further, his vision blurred once again.

And darkness swallowed him whole.

To be continued...

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Double chapter today, what do you think? Also, do you like how this is going on? Or am I making Han too OP? Also, like the interaction with the original Han Islat? I'm asking because I had quite the trouble writing it.

And in the next chapters, the blacksmith will come, so I chose for her to be Romina from Shield Hero, thanks to the one who suggested me her.

Oh, and I think I am gonna start another fanfic. It will be a fanfic about solo leveling. It's called Solo Leveling: Lust Monarch. It's just a fic with Sung Jinwoo becoming the strongest in the world by making the deed, oh, and it will be a multiversal fic so if anybody wants to suggest some cool worlds (not mainstream ones, they will come much much later), you are welcome.