︿15. Conspiracy? [ I ] ︿

"My good karma's run out..." he laughed bitterly—even now.

His senses went numb, the pain far too great for his brain to process.

Then he was flung—thrown across the clearing like a ragdoll.

Blood sprayed from his open wound, adding crimson to the bluish-green grass before he even touched it.

Mid air, his life flashed before his eyes—all from his life before his transmigration: his childhood, his teenage years, his old age, even his time in prison, and the reason he was sent there.

And looking at it...

"I always give up too easily," he thought, remembering that whenever things seemed haywire.

Whenever things went south, he did the logical thing: gave up.

Never once hoping for a miracle.

He had always believed hope was for the delusional—for the lazy who didn't want to work for their keep, deluding themselves into thinking things would get better.

People who didn't want to accept reality as it is—wishing for a better tomorrow when their today showed no promise.

But now...

"I don't want to die... My life has just begun."

Tears fell from his eyes as he descended.

Wishing, hoping anyone might come to his aid, even though the situation seemed hopeless.

For the first time in his life, he was looking for hope.

Praying for it even.

Something his logical mind could never fathom.

An abstract idealogy.

"Please... Genie, God!... Buddha... Allah... anyone..." he wished,

His voice quivering, mirroring his mental age, his eyes full of regret.

" Am I truly going to die here "

He braced himself for the impact that would spell his doom.

Yet the impact never came.

His body suspended mid-air.

Hope seem to have finally been realized.

"Huh?!" He opened his eyes, which had unconsciously closed, finding himself in the arms of a translucent figure.

A figure he quickly recognized.

"Charles Aur..." Before he could finish, his eyes grew heavy, his body finally giving in to the mental fatigue and physical pain he was in.

It might have been because hope was finally realized, or just the strain and stress finally taking their toll.

But nevertheless, the brain seem to recognize safety, relaxing as he fell unconscious.

" Are you really my descendant "

A voice echoed in his mind, yet he was far gone to acknowledge it.

...

Beep!! Beep!! Beep!!

"Arggh!!" Richard opened his eyes drowsily, feeling heavy, and fatigued though he had been sleeping for days.

A week to be precise not that he was aware.

"What's going on?"

His eyes darted around the hospital room—not the same one he had first awoken in, but it was undeniably a hospital room.

" Hospital" he muttered.

"..." Memories flooded his mind—memories of a hell disguised as paradise.

His face grew pale, as the memories seemed too real, as if he were once again there.

Cold sweat soaked his hospital gown.

His body shook as he seemed to relapse—but just as it began, it halted.

A warm sensation enveloped him.

He knew not where it came from, but he was glad nevertheless.

"I guess I survived somehow," he relaxed, sinking further into the hospital bed.

"Hahaha... I can't believe I almost died after just one day of being here." He buried his face in his palm, noticing the numerous tubes across his arms.

Not only the IV drip, but larger tubes connected to his body.

"What's this?" He traced them, noticing they were connected to a rectangular device—a plasmapheresis machine for removing and filtering blood, though he wouldn't recognize it as such.

He looked around, noticing strange artifacts in the room—artifacts that resembled treasures from the Egyptian era, one of which had a mind-calming effect.

His gaze wandered down to his abdomen—more tubes sticking out of his gut.

"Wow, I was almost a goner there..."

The realization sank in deeper.

He really was in another world.

A world far more dangerous than his own—filled with creatures he knew nothing about, their abilities as dangerous as their presence.

Speaking of creatures, he remembered the snake bite that had escalated his entire horror scene.

His gaze hurriedly scrutinizing his leg.

His petrified skin was no more.

"I can feel my legs," he thought happily, wriggling his toes in excitement.

A blissful smile bloomed on his lips.

He was truly happy, truly relieved that the nightmare was over.

He had been saved.

"But who was that..." he mused. "Was that truly the old man from the painting?"

He remembered seeing Charles Auric, the only awakened member of the family, who, from what the butler Winston had said, was lost in the Gates.

Yet he was sure it was him who had saved him—his image in the painting one that left a lasting impression.

"Is he living inside the greenhouse?" his thoughts continued to run, his gaze unconsciously shifting to the door as he noticed a shadow looming from behind.

"Who..." Before he could finish that thought, the door opened—Kaida stepping through, behind her two men clad in medieval light armour, their faces devoid of any emotion.

"They look like toy soldiers," Richard remarked internally at the expressionless guards.

If they were trying to look intimidating, it wasn't working.

"Hey, Kaida," Richard called out happily, elated to see a familiar face.

"Master... Richard..." she responded weakly, unable to look back at Richard.

Weakly, she spoke, "I am sorry for being unable to protect you." Her voice cracking—clearly, she had been crying for a long time.

"Don't worry, I am still alive..." Richard smiled.

"She is blaming herself," he thought internally.

"I told you I wouldn't die," he tried to cheer her up, yet her reply was a weak smile.

Her gaze finally settled on him, eyes puffed, tears glistening at the sides.

"I am sorry, but I can no longer accompany you..." Kaida said, her gaze lingering on his form.

"He had almost died twice now under my watch... It's a given that they want me out of here," she thought, remembering the verdict of the family—the wives of the late Patriarch.

Failing to do her job twice now, they had decided to terminate the contract, seizing all the privileges she held, including taking more from her as compensation.

She felt a bit guilty about being unable to protect Richard, but this also meant the soul contract could be annulled—she would finally be free.

She was sad but somewhat happy

"They could have just ended with that..." she bit her lip, remembering the hurtful words they had directed at her.

"You are as useless as your dead family. They died yet protected no one. What is the significance of your life if it cannot be exchanged with a more fitting person?"

"Hey, what do you mean?" Richard's words cut through her thoughts, bringing her back to reality.

"It's as I said. The family has decided I need to go..." She pulled out the soul contract. "So I am here to annul the contract, as you are the only one who can." She extended her hand, her expression as professional as she could hold it.

"What is going on here?" Richard thought internally, eyebrows raised in confusion.

"What did she do wrong... Is it because of the condition I am in, but it's not her fault..." he thought, pausing as he remembered that she was simply weak—and the weak are always at fault.

"Wait, if someone is to be blamed, shouldn't it be me?" he exclaimed, clearly unwilling to let Kaida go.

Like most infant animals that imprint on the first creature they meet after birth, so had he on her—he had grown fond of her despite knowing her for less than a day.

"How could anyone blame you, young master? You have amnesia, you didn't know better..." Kaida replied, a resigned smile on her face.

" I know but I went there of my own accord" he tried to reason with her, but she could only smiled weakly at him, it wasn't her who wanted this, it was the family.

"I am sorry, but as your assistant, I should have warned you..."

"Warned?" Richard's pupils dilated.

"Wait—warned me? How would you have known this would happen?" he asked, sensing something was wrong.

How would she have known there was danger in the greenhouse?

This was their estate—it should be the safest place for him.

"The greenhouse is a C-rank gate. I should have warned you in advance."

"C-rank...? What does that mean..." Richard inquired.

He knew there was a gate there, but the butler didn't specify, and thus he came to the conclusion it would be safe, considering it was on the estate.

"It's a middle-ranked dimensional gate with a high concentration of mana and dangerous creatures..." she explained. "It's even dangerous for us Awakeners, making it deadly for Unawakeners.

C-rank gates radiated a blue hue due to the large concentration of mana contained within them, housing dangerous, untamed creatures—creatures that could easily overwhelm a normal person.

" It's a miracle you're even alive," she added, even surprised herself.

She had been so glad that he was alive that she had failed to realize the absurdity of his survival.

It was truly a miracle.

"If it's that dangerous, then why did Winston not warn me..." Richard unconsciously muttered, a thought crossing his mind.

"Did he want me dead?!..."

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Author here.

I am not sure of the title of the chapter, does it fit?