After the incident, I was unconscious for a while. "You're back already?" A familiar voice echoed in my ears, "That was fast."
As I slowly opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the ground, back in the plane of Revenant. I struggled to my feet and looked around, taking in my surroundings. I couldn't help but notice that my perspective had changed. I could now see more of him, even his feet, which before I couldn't even glance at them without feeling a wave of fear wash over me. I felt less fear. My body no longer trembled with terror as it had on my previous visit. I don't know why, but something had shifted within me, allowing me to face this daunting figure with more composure and resolve.
"I guess I'm here," I said, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and excitement as I avoided looking Revenant in the eyes.
He looked at me, his eyes studying me intently, before asking, "So... how was your first experience using the ability you received?"
"It felt amazing," I replied, my voice filled with a newfound confidence, as I tried to steady myself to meet his gaze. "As I was fighting, I could feel myself getting stronger. Not just physically, but even my mind sharpened. I could anticipate their movements and react with precision. I was able to trade blows and even kill them with ease."
"Good.. good... So by that experience, have you understood your ability?" Revenant asked, a hint of satisfaction in his voice, his intense eyes still fixed on mine.
"Kinda... I can adapt to any situation and overcome it. At least that's what my understanding of it is," I replied, my mind racing with the possibilities of this newfound power, and yet still unable to look at him directly.
"Not just that kid," Revenant said, his voice deep and commanding. "You will adapt to any situation and have the abilities necessary to win."
"It's not just mere adapting, it's more," I corrected, looking at my hands and clenched my fist with determination as I tried to look at Revenant directly.
Revenant nodded, "With this power that you have, you can do great things. But even immortality itself has its own downside."
I held his gaze for a moment, taking in the seriousness of his words. I understood what he meant. I had this power, a great power, a dangerous power. If I got too greedy, I might end up hurting a lot of people. The weight of this realization settled on me like a heavy burden, and I knew that I would have to tread carefully if I wanted to use this power for good.
"I know," I replied, determined to use my power for good. "I will be cautious of my actions and do good things for my new world."
Revenant looked at me with a smirk, "Let's not conclude a story without reading the whole book," He said, implying that things may not always go as planned.
"By the way Revenant, can you come down to my world?" I asked. "It feels like I have to experience near death just to meet you."
Revenant smirked again "I cannot, it would be a too big risk. If I go to your world, it would be the end of everything, The whole universe would be destroyed."
"W- what?" I stuttered, shock and confusion etched on my face as I tried to scratch my head to make sense of it all.
"If my true form were to go down to your Universe, the universe and its laws would shatter. For I am bigger than the entire infinite universe, or the multiverse. They couldn't perceive my true form" Revenant spoke with great pride.
"But why can I perceive you?" I asked, still trying to grasp the implications of what he was saying, even as i'm trying to scratch my head to make sense of it all.
"Because it isn't your physical form that's here. You are now a spirit, a concept if you will," He replied, his words carrying a sense of mystery and power. It was clear that he was something far beyond my comprehension, something that existed beyond the laws of the physical universe, even beyond multiple universes.
"Woah... So you're that powerful, huh?" I asked, my expression one of amazement and awe.
"That I am," Revenant replied, with a hint of pride in his voice.
"Your time is nearly up, kid," He said, "You're going to wake up soon. But fret not, we will meet again."
"Wait! I have a lot of questions-" I exclaimed as I suddenly woke up, sitting upright in bed.
I found myself in a bed with a beautiful young Claire Legalos sitting next to me on a chair, her head resting on the edge of my bed. She was asleep but as I reached out to touch her hair, her eyes fluttered open, her face showing a mix of happiness, surprise and relief.
"You're finally awake!" she exclaimed excitedly, her voice filled with relief and happiness.
I looked around confused, "What do you mean? I was only out for a few hours," I replied, my mind still trying to process the confusion of the recent revelation.
"You've been asleep for 3 days now, you idiot," She replied playfully, but her tone was filled with concern as she studied my expressions. "I thought you wouldn't wake up anymore. I thought I couldn't thank the person who saved me. I am indebted to you." She said with a hint of gratitude, Her eyes were filled with emotions, even though she try to make light of it.
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"So this is how it feels like when someone's worried for you," I said with a happy smile, looking at Claire.
"Thank you for worrying," I added. "In fact, you saved me first, so I guess we're even. No need to be indebted for anything."
"But still," Claire said, her voice filled with determination. "As a Knight of Asfalis, I must help you."
I could see the determination in her eyes and I knew that I couldn't just reject her if she wanted to pay me back. I let out a sigh, "If that's what you want, then you do as you wish," I said, resigned to the fact.
"Great!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy.
I couldn't help but smile at how happy she was.
"So, Aaron, after you're out of here let's go-" Claire began, but she was interrupted by a voice.
"Good day, Claire," A man who looked like he was of high standing in the country, spoke.
"F-father," Claire stammered, standing up quickly as if to show respect.
So this is Claire's father, I thought to myself, trying to process this new development.
Looking at him, I could easily tell that he was not here for a mere visit. I was the only person in the room, so it was clear that he was either looking for me or his daughter.
I tried to stand up to give my respect, but he immediately stopped me.
"No need for that, my child," He spoke.
"You have saved my daughter, and for that,"
The man slowly bowed in front of me.
"Sir, don't," I said, feeling uncomfortable.
"No, child," He said, still bowing. "I will do this. You have saved an important person in my kingdom and in my family." He spoke with a conviction.
His words left no room for argument, and I could tell that he was being sincere.
I was confused on why he called it "my kingdom" and I couldn't help but ask again," W-wait. So, you're?" I asked, still trying to make sense of what was happening.
"He's the king of Aurora and my father," Claire said, looking proud. "The king, Irwin Legalos."
I was awestruck. How could a king just bow in front of me? I couldn't help but think that a simple person like me shouldn't be receiving this kind of treatment. I was humbled and grateful.
Then I looked at Claire. "You should really be careful your Majesty. That was a dangerous act you did when you tried to protect me, a nobody," I said with a tone of gratefulness in my voice.
"W-what?? No need for formalities," she stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment. "I am here not as a princess but as a captain of the Knights Asfalis."
"No one really calls me that here, hehe," she said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
The king put his hand on Claire's shoulder. "Let's go, Claire. Let him rest up for a bit. He just woke up," he said kindly, before turning and leaving the room.
I lay back on my bed, still trying to take in everything that had just happened. I was grateful for all that had happened, my life was about to change forever. I slowly fall asleep.
The next few days were spent at the hospital, as I fully recovered. Claire would visit me every day, bringing me snacks and chatting with me to keep me company. She would tell me about her days as a knight and offer advice on how to navigate this new world. Despite being bedridden for a couple of weeks, her company made the time pass quickly and I didn't feel alone. In every visit she would wear a dress instead of her usual Knightly armor.
After 2 weeks, I finally recovered from my injuries. I walked the hallways of the hospital and finally saw the door that lead to my freedom. But still, what will happen to me after I go out?
As I walked, all the uncertainties came to mind. I'm not from here, I don't even know how things work around here and to top it all off there are supposedly orcs around. So it's safe to say that there are monsters as well.
The sun hit my face as I stepped out of the hospital doors, feeling a sense of excitement mixed with a bit of anxiety. It was like seeing the outside world for the first time. "Haaaah" I breathed deeply, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. "I'm finally out. Now where to?" I thought to myself.
As I looked around, my eyes caught a glimpse of a young Claire getting off her royal coach, surrounded by 8 to 10 guards. "Wow... so she visited me with all those guards huh?" I spoke in amazement. But my excitement was short-lived as I saw Claire hurriedly walk past me, as if she didn't see me.
I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment as I watched her disappear into the hospital. "Maybe she's visiting someone else. She probably just stops by my bed when she goes home after she visits that person," I thought to myself. "That's probably it,"
I walked down the steps, unsure of what my next move should be. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from behind me. I turned around to see Claire, her expression angry.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were discharged today?" she asked, her voice sharp.
I tried to explain that I didn't know myself, "Even I didn't know that. They suddenly told me that I'm fine and being in there was not needed anymore," I said, trying to calm her down.
"So... I'm probably gonna go now," I said, feeling a sense of disappointment at the thought of Claire leaving. "If you're in a hurry to visit someone, you should go."
But Claire simply shook her head and walked towards me. "What? you're the only one I'm visiting, you dummy," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"You should be honored to hear that the princess of Aurora visits you casually," she jokingly added.
I couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude wash over me. "Yeah, I'm quite honored," I replied, trying to control the emotion in my voice.
With a grin, I pretended to kneel, trying to tease her. "W-what are you doing?" Claire stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"I'm giving reverence and thanking this princess for worrying about me," I said, laughing.
She looks down with red cheeks, fidgeting nervously.
"Hey... Listen, I want to help you," she said, her voice soft and sincere.
"Help me? With what?" I replied, feeling a sense of confusion mixed with curiosity.
We slowly walked down the stairs, Claire taking small steps as if she was carefully choosing her words.
"You are a stranger here and don't have a place to stay or work right?" she nervously asked, her eyes meeting mine for a moment before looking away again.
"Yeah... you got that right," I replied, feeling a sense of anxiety starting to grow in my chest.
"Why don't you work with me, I mean, why don't you work with Asfalis as an Honorary knight? Then you can get a lodging to stay in and after that, you can buy a house," Claire said with her eyes glittering with excitement and determination, as she eagerly proposed her idea.
"Be a knight?" I asked, surprised by her proposal.
I considered the idea for a moment, my mind racing as I imagined what it would be like to take on the responsibilities of a knight. I imagined it being like being a police officer, but the idea of being tied down to such a role didn't sit well with me.
"I'm sorry Claire," I said, shaking my head firmly. "I can't be a knight."
I knew that I needed to explore this new world for myself, to understand the things that were new to me.
"Why?" She asked, her face falling with disappointment.
"I want to travel and go on an adventure. I want to be stronger so I can help more people," I answered, my voice filled with determination.
"Going for the path of a hero, huh?" Claire said, her eyes filled with understanding.
"Well, I can't stop you," She said, her voice filled with disappointment. "I thought I could've convinced you after telling you the work and its benefits. But if you want to travel, then you can join the adventurers Guild."
"Besides," She added. "You don't even have an identification card with you. Most likely you lost your memory."
I had not lost my memory, but the memories from my past life didn't matter here. I was just a person who woke up in a random place. So, you could say I had some type of amnesia.
"So the adventurer guild is perfect for you," Claire explained. "They'll issue you an identification card."
"They do that?" I asked, surprised. "I thought identification was an important thing."
"Wow, thank you so much for going through all this trouble for me, Claire," I said with gratitude as I looked at her.
She smiled and blushed, "It's nothing, really. I just want to help you in any way I can."
As we got into the coach, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. I was finally going to embark on my journey and explore this new world, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty and vulnerability. But with Claire's help, I felt a bit more at ease.
We headed off to the adventurers guild, and I couldn't wait to see what lay ahead.
END OF CHAPTER 3