"It's cold.”
The boy exhaled a short breath that spewed white vapor as his body lay face down in the middle of the snowy forest. His clothes were torn here and there with dried-up beast scratches. He had been running around in the dangerous forest for days and had almost been eaten by wild beasts. He had reached his limit.
Just as he thought that he would die soon, he awakened his memories from his previous life. The dead fish's gaze turned into shock. He clawed at the snowy ground with his bloody fingers to endure the pain of the awakening of the sealed memories.
'l am... Yoo Han. No, I wasn't. Now, I am Sein Arelis.'
The inside of his head felt like it was stabbed by a thousand needles before finally leaving behind a remnant of overwhelming confusion.
'Why is my memory only being resurrected?'
Sein recalled the deal he made with Jaehwan, then his memories in this world with his new family. True, he had a family that loved him in this world. However, he was unable to return home because he was banihed to the forbidden area by his family's traitor who wanted his dead.
'What should I do? I'll renege on the deal if I die here before meeting Rui.' The first thing he thought about was Rui, whether it was as a character in "Ways of Heroes", or the Rui who had saved him in the previous world. His contract with Jaehwan meant helping the protagonist Rui to find what he was looking for, which was why he had to meet him.
If the novel's time setting corresponded to reality, then Sein was currently in a plot hole field where there was no mention of the setting, two years before the protagonist Rui appeared.
'I reincarnated too early, maybe that's why my memories are late.'
'Sein Arelis' was never mentioned in the story "Ways of Heroes". However, his family, Marquis Exalted Arelis was an important figure who helped the protagonist. This was the good news he knew for now. He just had to return to his family and live with them until the protagonist appeared.
Unfortunately, the world was unlikely to be kind to him.
'It's almost impossible for me to survive this forest.'
Sein realized it clearly. He was weak. He was not one of those 'muckhin' characters who suddenly became super strong to overturn mountains. Raised as a young lord of Arelis in an overly doting family, he had never touched swords and weapons like other noble children on his age.
He was a fragile glass flower. The only thing he had as Sein Arelis was his pretty and cute face. That was why he was lying in wait for death. However, after his memories as 'Yoo Han' were resurrected, he had hope that although the chances of survival were slim, he needed to try.
While trying to lift his own heavy and helpless body, Sein used his remaining mental energy to activate his special ability. An ability he acquired in his previous life that he would not feel any physical pain no matter how severe the wound. However, the side effect was that his life force, which was also his lifespan, was reduced.
'[Release].'
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Instantly all the obstacles that kept him immobilized disappeared after Sein activated it. He was able to get up easily even though his wounds were re-opened and bleeding. Sein paid more attention to his surroundings to find out which side he was on within the restricted area.
'Southwest frontier.'
That meant he was in beast territory and he needed to get out before the dawn star set. Sein looked up at the sky, saw through the frozen branches and calculated how much time was left.
'Three more hours.’
If he didn't come out until then, then he would die. The forest that was part of this forbidden area was called Twilight. All life forms in Twilight would turn to dust when dusk descended upon the world.
Sein accurately knew where he was because of the characteristics of the snow forest. The only forest in the forbidden area that devoured half a continent. That was what was written and it was real in his life now.
He sensed the direction of the wind and stepped to the opposite side. High mountains appeared in his field of view. He headed there rather than to the frontier gate.
'Not enough time to get out, so ....'
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Sein chose to enter the forbidden area deeper, heading towards the center where Twillight's influence could not reach.
Khaaak!
Khaaak!
Khaaak!
The dark red blood splattered, spreading a nauseating yet intoxicating carnal odor for the animal species of death, the raven. On the way to the mountainous region closer than the border gate, Sein encountered several beasts.
A wolf roared and bit his arm, but without the slightest change in his face, he paid no heed to the deepening bite and grabbed a frozen twig, which he had picked up along the way earlier, and pierced the wolf's neck through.
Sein swung his arm, letting the dead wolf fall. There were two other wolves, but one of them seemed stronger than the other.
'Mutant wolf.’
Following the memories of the hellish training at the research institute, Sein thought of a new plan to deal with the mutant wolf. He stared at the bloody frozen twig stuck in the neck of the first wolf to die. Twillight tree branches were as hard as steel, but could not be taken directly from the tree, but rather from naturally falling branches.
He collected a total of three frozen Twillight twigs, one already used. Sein didn't want to delay any longer or else more wolves would appear. So, he advanced while using his left arm that had been damaged by the first wolf as bait for the mutant wolf, then in a similar manner, pierced the eye of the second wolf that appeared from behind.
Khaaak!
Khaaak!
The crows grew noisier and came in droves, stalking and perching on the frozen tree branches. Waiting for Sein's corpse for their feast.
'Looks like I need to sacrifice an arm.'
He was preparing to sacrifice his arm to the mutant wolf to kill the wolf behind him when a flash of light shot past him.
Sraaak!
Sein's violet eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the mutant wolf that bit him instantly scorched, followed by the wolf that lost an eye collapsing. He turned towards his attacker only to be shocked at his appearance.
"I've never seen you before, you really surprised me," said a white-haired man holding a cane and wearing fancy clothes.
An illustration of a certain character resembling that man appeared in Sein's mind. He had a bad feeling.
'Willbert de Castalia, Master of Alchemy and Archmage. A Demigod!'
The man approached him while reducing the surrounding carcasses to dust. Sein's pupils trembled strongly. He instinctively avoided him. Willbert de Castalia was the Master that Rui's protagonist's greatest enemy served.
'Why is he here?!'
Sein panicked at the first encounter with someone in this world who turned out to be Rui's enemy.
"Very interesting boy. You should be my disciple," the man said as he caught Sein's injured arm so he couldn't escape.
'Disciple?!'
Sein heard something that horrified him the most. Words that overlapped with the briefly described past of the protagonist Rui's greatest enemy, Cail de Castalia.
> ["My master said so when he adopted me who was abandoned in the darkness, 'I will give you a new life where you are detached from causality.'" Cail recalled the memory of his first meeting with his Master whom he respected].
That man grabbed him and said, "I will give you a new life where you are detached from causality."
Sein's light of hope collapsed in an instant.
The tension reached its peak, his mental strength could not maintain the [Release] status and excruciating pain began to plague Sein. He couldn't even scream and instantly lost consciousness.
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