i woke up. The place I was in was dark and felt significantly colder than the desert. There was a smell of burning wood and the floor was an old, rumpled mattress. I could smell another stench. It was the stench of the dung, apparently used primarily as building material for this small but adequate hut, covered with date-palm leaves for a roof.

At that point I didn't care who or what had saved me, I was grateful and relieved that my death could still be delayed. But wait a minute, I died a moment ago. See, my soul was transferred to this light novel character called ''Aramoto Kakumo''. I had all the memories of his entire past. Even his deep emotions like hate and sadness were mine now. I should probably continue the story. Was there a happy ending waiting for me? ''Thank you, whoever you may be! You saved me from certain death!'', I called out from the world of thoughts drifting back into reality through the hut.

A yawning silence reigned in the hut. There was nobody there. I looked around the hut and noticed a pitcher filled with water. Before I could even reach for the small rusty can and lose myself in it because my thirst was dominating me and I seemed to be dehydrated, the small wooden door a few meters to my right opened.

It showed a grizzled old figure dressed in tattered rags. She had probably heard my call and rushed over. The whole body of this old man was covered with scars and small wounds covered with a small layer of dirt. It seemed like a miracle that this human could easily stand on his feet without any signs of strain.

''Drink as much as you like, feel welcome here!'' the old man spoke in a confidential and cheerful voice.

''And when you're done drinking, you can come outside with me, there's some food for you. Just call me old man 'cause I don't have a name,'' he threw at me in a very kind voice, treating me like an old forgotten friend.

I didn't have time to feel more confused than I had over the past few minutes. I just did what the old man told me to do and first drank down the pitcher of extremely cold water. I felt alive, I forgot how precious and essential water could be for life. Waking from my reverie and enjoying the water, I put the jug on the floor and weaved through the dung hut and opened the wooden door.

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What I could see was night engulfing the desert, far fewer dunes than before, and a fire the old man had started to roast scorpions and snakes, which he must have hunted while I fainted. I wondered how far that old man had transported me and how this old man was doing it in his condition. He seemed very fragile to me and anything but strong. ''How did you transport me here and how far?'' I questioned this old man accusingly for answers.

''Here the scorpion is done. You know, these creatures taste much better cooked'', he laughed at me again in a good mood and gave me the fried scorpion in my hand. ''The High Council has been to your homeland and has everything and everyone on their conscience, hasn't it?'' the old man added in a pitying voice while I ate the well-cooked scorpion in small bites.

Later realizing the food was stuck in my throat and I started staring at the old man with a shocked expression. So the high council? They seem to be powerful beings in this world. So these beings have my family on their conscience in my new life. Heck, I even had a wife! I only have memories of it. I was amazed how this old man knew what was happening to my homeland in this world. My thirst for knowledge and thus also my hatred of this high council increased immeasurably.

''You said the High Council? That's what these fuckers call themselves? The ones who murdered my family in cold blood? Who made a bloody massacre? Why?! Just why?! Please explain it to me! How can I kill these assholes? They must have some weakness!!'' I yelled, snubbed and full of hate at the old man I owe my life to.

Hatred and revenge were the only emotions that accompanied me at that point. The old man stared at me and gasped and grunted laughing out of nowhere. ''They are scared because there is a power capable of killing these demons. That's why they kill. They want to intimidate and hide their fear of this grotesque power with cold-blooded events'',

and then showed me my necklace, which was no longer on my neck. That ordinary necklace? Is this supposed to be a weapon these mighty creatures fear? I carried it with me the whole time, the whole trip, and didn't know what use it was?