At the end, I surrendered myself to destiny. I had no idea where 'nobody' brought me, what awaited me there, and what this system that ‘nobody’ meant actually was. I just simply dipped myself blindfolded into the deal. I guessed this was my destiny. Call me insane for I never believed in destiny, yet couldn't find a better word to describe THIS. What do people label someone like me? Isn't it a hypocrite?

Anyhow, 'nobody' was correct. I had lived countless life. It wasn't an exaggeration. Once someone died, they had to choose, either go to sleep for good or being miserable in life. I didn't say that every life was miserable, but wouldn't you agree that life was a survival for the fittest game? Even if you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth, at some point you may say 'Ah, this place is a mess.' or 'Wish I could just disappear.'

Of course, I didn't know this whole afterlife system before. I just figured it out recently. After that huge dumped of memories, I remembered. After every death, I got flown over here and there, crossing stars and galaxy before I came to a full stop. From here, everything was connected as if my soul and the system linked to an unbreakable spiritual connection. All I did was wishing for another life then boom! I opened my eyes as a living-breathing human without no recollection of my previous life whatsoever.

And yet, why did I agree to come back to live if I could just sleep soundly for every freaking damn time I died? That was the only think I couldn't remember. I tried to synchronize each and every memory but to no avail. Maybe, I wasn't allowed to do it. Something more powerful prevented me from doing so, as if the answer was there in the next room, but I couldn't reach the door.

That specific lost memory took a huge space in my soul. It weighed my heart to the point of painful. Thanks to that, my heart throbbed for an unknown reason.

I guessed this was a mystery for me to reveal. There must be a purpose to why I agreed with 'nobody' and then kept on going with that endless cycle of life. I was pretty much positive that both of them were connected.

Now, I had two objectives; destroy whatever system in my destination; and debunk my mystery.

While I thought about that, I came to realize something. I was death for X times and underwent the afterlife system for the same number. But, this time was a different afterlife system. I didn't just crossing places.

After being devour by the intents light, my consciousness was submerged into darkness. My body hovered around at nothing but air. The air didn't even felt like air. It was thick and dense yet subtle. It was like if you were underwater for long enough that you started to enjoy the density of the water and the subtle sensation of cold.

My eyes were shut close. It wasn't that I couldn't open them. It was just that my skeletal muscle was constantly in a state of relaxing. Other muscles did just fine. Hence, I could still feel my heart beating.

This place was bizarre. There was no noise. Yet, the silent was so loud that my mind thought I was hearing an endless ringing sound.

That felt like a really, really long sleep.

Then...

At some point in my slumber, I started to hear sounds of wind blowing through holes. That was when I knew, it was time to wake up.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I was presented with unnecessary familiar scenery. The window was wrecked. The ceiling was full of water seepage marks. The floor was cracked. The wall was, well, also cracked.

Somehow, those views weren't so much distance. Things I saw reminded me to some memories. In other words, I had been in this kind of place before, a place that screamed poverty, skinny kids with big belly, and famine.

The atmosphere was somewhat felt utterly like Earth. But it wasn't. I could feel it with my skin and nose. I was like 'Yup, this is not earth' after my first smell of the air.

Panning across the landscape outside the window, the first thing that occurred to me was how peaceful the scenery was. It looked like a forest of pines, spreading out in the distance. Nothing was out of the ordinary. However, the moon was super massive. It was early in the morning, but the moon was visibly looking bluish and magnificent. Just where the hell did nobody throw me into?

I wondered around looking stupid when a young girl, probably older than 15 years old, appeared holding a basket of potatoes.

"Ah!" She dropped her basket looking all shocked to see me.

"Father! The sister wakes up!" She run out and scream.

Wait. What? Did she just say sister? Must have been my ears doing tricks. I thought so.

But then,

"Young girl, you finally wake up." An older man rushed in. His hair was messy and wet with sweat.

HUH? I blurted inside. That can't be. There is no way, right?

He scanned me up and down. I could see a hint of worry in his eyes despite his smile.

He placed his hand on my shoulder, pushing me down to the bed. "No good. Sit down-"

But I stopped him. More importantly, "Sir, am I a girl?"

At this point, I was shaking. I was too stunned to realize that a feminine voice came out of my mouth.

"Eh?" Both the man and the young girl said quietly, exchanging glances at each other. Then, they laughed lightly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Yeah! You're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Sister, something's wrong with your head? Look father! I said those grass were no good. You kept on putting them on sister's forehead." Now I knew what the dried substance on my forehead was.

Am I still drunk? Last time, I had chugged glasses of blue margarita to my throat. Yes. Yes. That sleep was probably only a couple of minutes. No wonder I was still drunk.

"Hahaha. I am drunk. Right?" I tried to laugh my worry instead, but it was useless.

When I took a look on my body, the hairs on the back of my neck stirred and bristled. Upon seeing a slender torso, fair and smooth skin, long and beautiful fingers, I let out a very high pitched voice, Ariana Grande’s type of pitch.

"Ahhh!"

I tripped, and hit the floor, occipital bone first.

"Sister!"

"Young girl!"

They screamed.

"No. No. No." I was losing my sanity.

I jumped to my foot. Running around the room, stumbling upon the old furnitures, I desperately searched for a mirror.

"Calm down a bit. You're going to hurt yourself!"

The man tried to hold me down but I pushed his hands away.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"Father, probably the sister's sick in the head."

"Of course she is. She cried and laughed at the same time. Now help me catch her."

"No wait. Should I called father Ben instead? She might be possessed."

"You're probably right. Hey! What devil are you, possessing this poor girl? She is still very young. She has her future ahead of her."

"I'm gonna go get a rope, father."

"Yeah, rope. Hurry."

Those exchanges took place when I was jumping around like a lunatic.

"Huh? This is a serious matter. I fucking turn into a girl!" I stopped for a moment, looking dumbfounded at them. Well, I actually didn't have any right to call them crazy at this point.

"Eh? You're not possessed? Or are you actually a demon?"

"Hahaha! Sister is very sober. I don't think she's possessed. I don't think she is a demon too."

The girl laughed wholeheartedly.

"She looks fine to me now. Stop laughing and help me."

After a hit in the head, the girl stopped laughing and jumped at me. She tackled me to the ground. Surprisingly, she was very strong. I, who was a healthy man before, couldn't even compete with her strength.

"You might be tall, but I am-"

Thud.

She was hit again. This time, her eyes started watering.

"Don't push her like that. Look at her noodles arms. You might break them."

"Father!"

"They're not noodles!"

"Hahaha. Have you calm down a bit?"

"Yes. So I really am a woman."

"Yes. Yes." The girl nodded and moved from on top of me.

"No doubt about it." The man added.

Is this how I am right now? A female?

That nobody really got on my nerve. She couldn't just be normal and sent me in a normal way. She probably stood there and shook her head, saying 'No. No. No. He should be a girl. Definitely.'

She did say I had been everything, and I did approve. I was a female countless time. But this time, I had my previous memories intact. It felt like a nightmare to be in a female body when just yesterday I was a 191 cm, buffed, and handsome male (self-proclaimed). If I could see her now, I didn't think I would have the power to hold the urge to choke her whitewash neck.

You're lucky you're not here, thinking she probably heard and saw me right now, laughing in the comfort of wherever she was. What a jerk.

***

We continued our conversation at the dinner table. While the young girl was busy preparing meal in the kitchen, the man sat down across me looking all relax. I actually took a peak. The meal was just a bunch of sad-looking potatoes. I didn't complain though. At this point, I'd eat whatever food I could eat.

"You're telling me that you're not a woman before? What kind of before are we talking about? Do you use magic or something?"

I raised my hands in the air, trying to flex my non-existent muscle. "I was a man. A big, buffed, and manly man before I died."

"Died???" His voiced was tight, almost screaming. He then glanced to the kitchen, hoping the girl didn't hear anything. His relax expression was no longer. Now, it was panic.

"What do you mean died?" He leaned closer and whisper. It was so fierce that I could smell his morning coffee.

"You hear that right. I was dead somewhere. Not here."

"You're joking right?"

I put a very serious face, giving a message that, sadly, I wasn't.

"Ah, so you're not joking." He then coughed to clear his throat before leaning his back to his chair.

"Now, let's talk seriously." He put on his serious face. Despite his goofy impression, he was an old man after all. Well, he was not very old. He definitely had experienced some long years, but his physic was one that women would praise. Everyone would agree that he was actually very handsome, if only those curly long black hair was tidier. When I saw those deep blue eyes of him, I could picture how elegant he was in his younger days.

"I am serious from the get go."

"I am not. My heart is not ready"

"Where did you find me?"

"Not me. It's Aria."

"That girl?"

"Yes. She's my daughter."

"When?"

"7 days ago."

"What?" Unconsciously, I hit the table.

"Hey! Quiet down will ya?"

"If I have been unconscious for 7 days, don't you have to bring me to a proper hospital?"

"Your majesty, where do you think this is? This is the 19th district. Hospital is only available far east to the capital."

"How far is that?"

"Ummm, very... far. Anyway, don't worry. Doctor granny had check on you. You're perfectly fine. I was shocked too actually." When I asked him, his eyes trembled. This man clearly was not the bright type. He didn't even know how far the nearest hospital was.

He then told me the story of how Aria had found me.

7 days ago, when Aria was searching for herbs in the forest nearby, she heard a loud sound of something fell straight to the ground. After that sound, a little but obvious earthquake took place. The ground and the pine trees were moving around.

Aria, who was vigilant in nature, tried to flee the forest straight away. Yet, a burst of strange energy enveloped the area. She passed out. She said the air was so dense with energy, it was hard to breathe.

When she woke up, she was no longer at the place where she passed out. It was directly below a cliff. As strange as that, I was right next to her, sleeping butt-naked like a baby. She thought I was dead because of how cold my skin felt. But I was snoring very loudly without a care in the world, very typical of me.

"We assumed you fell from the cliff. When granny said none of your bone was broken, I couldn't believe it." He explained. "The cliff is literally 50 something meters! That's how I know something strange must have taken place. I heard that the royal guards are looking for a former S class star hunter turning mad, escaping towards this side. I believe an S class star hunter can't die from falling 50 meters down. The timing is too intentional. So, no other villagers wanted to get involved with you. Don't get me wrong. I am fine but I worry for Aria. Fortunately for you, Aria is a kind girl. She insisted to bring you home."

An S class what?

Probably some kind of dangerous person. As much as I want to know what it was, I just had so many questions in my head that I couldn't afford to say. I needed to address this conversation first.

"I must thank her then."

I let out a deep sigh. What a mess, I thought.

"Yes. That's why. Please tell me properly."

"What is your name, sir?"

"Uh? Well, I am Pauli Singdom."

Singdom? What a strange name.

"Thank you, Mr. Singdom for you and your daughter's help."

"You don't need to. Just Pauli is fine." He rubbed his define nose and blushed. So, he was that type of people who were really fond of compliments. What a combination, not so bright and easy to drag.

"Before, I was Ichinose Haiga. I lived in a place called earth, then died. That's when I met... a women? A person? I don't know what it was exactly. Let's say I met a female entity. She's the one who told me that I was dead. Then, she brought me here."

I was too busy talking, I didn't realize the man had stop breathing. No, rather, he forgot to breath.

"You!!! Don't tell me." His face was white in an instant.

Without any explanation, he left the room in high speed. I guessed his buffed body wasn't only for display.

Not even a minute later, he appeared.

"Aria. You stay where you are, okay?" Pauli closed the kitchen door and locked it.

"Huh?" I could hear Aria's confusion from the other room.

Pauli snapped his fingers. Then, the only thing I could hear was Pauli's voice. No other sounds was detected by my ears.

"Hey, what just happen?"

"I isolate this room so nobody can't hear us. More importantly, here. Take a look."

“Isolate how? What is this place? Is this some kind of magic? Magic is just kid's dream, right?” No. That was stupid of me. I had seen more things that didn't make any sense. Meeting 'nobody' and turning into a female were some of them. So, why didn't I just go with the flow? Why was it so difficult to believe it?

Despite my clueless and fazed expression, Pauli handed me a mirror, waving it in the air. His face said to just take the damn mirror and left other matters aside.

A second later, I saw the reflection of what I assumed to be me in this life. I couldn't believe what I saw. Heaven forbid what I looked like. I leaped backwards and drop to the floor for the second time today. Internally, I screamed for 'nobody'. That bitch, I would kill her some day.

My view went black. I passed out.