"W-Why..."
I muttered as I found my hand stained red after I removed it from my stomach. I tried finding some sense of what this brat did to me, yet I was at a loss for words as I stared at him sneering with a sword in his hand and a blade stained in the same colored liquid as my hand.
"What? Do you expect me to save your ass and be a useless bum while I try leaving this hellhole? Hah! You are gullible as you looked!"
Gullible? Yeah, I have to admit, it's my fault for trusting a stranger from the get-go. But I didn't have any choice for that matter. Everyone was dying left and right and no matter where I go, those...things wouldn't stop until they ravaged everything in this camp! I was desperate to stay alive. But in the end, it killed me by trusting this young bastard.
"I told you before, gramps. I will do everything to stay alive. It doesn't matter if I leave you all dead. You guys are only stepping stones to my greatness! You read those webtoons and some manga, right? That there is a chance the weak will become the strongest. If my special skill evolves, I might become the untouchable Hero this world has never seen before! Consider this as a farewell gift for helping me get to what I will become in this unforgivable world."
Forget malice, this guy has lost his marbles! If he gets away scot-free, then he's no better with those soldiers!
Argh... I'm losing more blood than I thought. I'm glad he didn't strike me in the heart, but I realized that I'm on my last legs since there were demons still running amuck and that bastard would leave me here to die while he goes off to his delusional crusade.
So in the end, there was no way I could have my second chance in this new world. That bastard God was like my family and boss. He never cared about me at all!
I do.
I'm nothing at all. Nothing but fodder to these demons.
You are something.
I could never have my catharsis. I could never get away from my past.
You will.
If only those bastards get what they deserve... If only that asshole die...
IF YOU'RE LISTENING, GOD! THEN I HATE YOU FOR MAKING MY LIFE A LIVING HELL!
I told you. You are special.
And I assure you, judgment is coming to those who disrespect you anymore.
Before I know it, I heard a roar coming toward me and I felt a tremble from the ground. I looked up and my eyes widened to see a large black dragon standing right in front of me. Was it leading those demons from the other side of the border? Either way, it seemed to block the young man's path as I watched his horse neighing wildly while that bastard tried to control it.
"Dammit! A black dragon already?!" The young man said. "Still, beating a high-level dragon will net me enough EXP to get me to a high level. Very well!" Without having second thoughts or knowing that killing a high-level monster would do nothing but kill him and his ego, he took out his sword and aimed its blade at the dragon's head. "You'll be the second stepping stone for my road to glory! Now come and get me so I can have your head as my tr-"
How naive.
Huh? Did my ears deceive me? Did that dragon...talk? It didn't seem to move its mouth, was it talking from its mind?
"Oh? So you must be one of those intelligent dragons, huh? Then that means killing you might not be enough. How about you call off your demon friends and start working for me as my m-"
Do you expect a weak coward like you would start making demands because of your preconceived notions of this world?
"H-Huh?" The young man's eyes widened next. I guess this dragon got the same idea as me regarding this guy's twisted attempt to become the strongest. "What the hell are you talking about? For an intelligent dragon, you have a habit of saying nonsense. Don't you know who I am? I am an Otherworlder who will become the strongest Hero of all of this land! Do not underestimate me because once I level up, I will be the one who will defeat the Demon Lord and become the ruler o-"
SLASH!
It happened so fast. The dragon didn't move from where it landed, yet I saw the young man's arm holding the sword fell from his body, and before long, blood spewed out from it. Not at the level of a big geyser, but enough for me to realize how screwed he was. I couldn't describe what the hell did I witness as I watched him turn to where he used to be.
"Ah... Aah... AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!"
My eyes didn't deceive me at all. For some reason, that dragon managed to cut his right arm clean without lifting a claw. If he could do that without even a fire breath, then...
"What the hell did you do, you stupid dragon?! I'm supposed to be the strongest! I'm supposed to be the one who will become the most untouchable hero in this world!"
And who says you can become one? I doubt the god who gave you that weak blessing told you the true nature of it.
"As if they were going to tell me anything while dropping me off in this wasted dump! This blessing hides something great and I'm going to show them and those assholes that I'm going to become the strongest..."
Before he could finish, I saw his remaining arm cut down by the same invisible force from the dragon. This time, it didn't take long for the young man to scream again as he collapsed onto his knees, probably from the pain he felt from losing both of them.
And I thought some Heroes were more delusional than the abandoned. Either way, I've made my point. I don't care where you come up with that twisted mindset, but let me tell you this, human. You are never the protagonist of your insane story. If you step into the real world, I assure you that you will be nothing more than an antagonist against the people who were living in it.
"Don't tell me what's impossible!"
The young man's body started to glow blue. Are you kidding me?! He already lost his arms! Don't tell me he's going to keep fighting despite the ridiculous handicap against that dragon?!
"I told you I have a powerful skill that God overlooked! You can't stop me!"
It's true that on paper, your speed is impressive with that blessing. However, in the hands of an incompetent swordsman...
The young man screamed while he ran through its long neck as he got closer and closer to the dragon's head. But when he was about to reach it...
SLASH!
His body suddenly bisected through his stomach as I watched in horror and awe.
It is nothing more than a cheap sleight-of-hand trick.
I didn't know what to say about this. The man who used his speed to stab me before I react and killed those soldiers in a near-lightspeed attack...
Was now a corpse cut lying on the ground in pieces.
What the hell was this dragon? How in the world did he manage to kill him without moving an inch?!
This was bad. This was really bad. The dragon was now eyeing me and I couldn't run even if I wanted to. I already lost a lot of blood as fell on the ground, panting for what little oxygen I could get from this world. I'm almost losing my breath now and I felt like this was the end. There was no way I could survive this after all.
I see. So you must be the one that I sensed from the Goddess's prophecy.
...Huh? What the hell did that dragon say?
Ah and perfect timing. Have you dealt with those pests over there?
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
I'm too confused about what it said. Was he talking to somebody else? A minion, perhaps? My eyes were already heavy and I couldn't listen to whatever happening in the wreckage besides what seemed to be the dragon's voice in my head.
...h...hi...?
Someone who has the same scent as the Goddess's recent prophecy. But it seems he's already at death's door.
...a..ou...eal...m?
I'm afraid with all of my power, true resurrection, and healing aren't my specialties.
I don't know what was the full context, but it seemed like this dragon tried to help me for some reason. I felt like it has nefarious reasons to do so, but...
Dammit... I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. This was it, huh?
...see. ...h...r...k...d...
Only one way to find out.
So much for having a new life in another world...
T...f...w...
...
You are now Experiment #0.
----------------------------------------
I gasped as I blinked and panted. Was that...a memory from that day? But I don't understand. The details weren't exactly as I remembered and I decided to not follow that bastard's advice to become a fall guy. It's a...
"It's not a fake memory, me,"
The man who claimed to be me smirked as he stood up from his chair and leaned closer to stare at me. How the hell am I supposed to believe him?! I died and I got everything?! Dammit, just what kind of fucked-up logic was he running with?! This doesn't make any sense!
"Yeah. I get what you're feeling right now. You thought of everything you thought happened, only to be challenged by my appearance and the strange occurrences you've been dealing with right now. And just a clarification. I don't have Casia's telepathy, but I will soon. It's just you're a part of me and I can guess your thoughts a mile away. I'm still learning, though. So I can't read everything." Who the hell was this guy?! This guy couldn't be me. It couldn't!
"Stop fucking around, imposter!" I screamed right in front of his face. "Just who the hell are you?! Why do you have my face and voice?!"
"Ugh... This shit again? Do I have to spell it out to you again? Then again, you're still in denial, so I guess I can't easily persuade you with that memory, so I just have to spell it out to you then. What you've witnessed before were the events that you should have taken if you acted smartly and let karma get that bastard instead. It was made from your... I mean, my past regrets. Decisions I could have chosen if I wasn't desperate and blinded by your cynicism and nihilistic views of both worlds. Well, thanks to my rebirth, I managed to move on from them. But damn, the Goddess wasn't kidding that I have to deal with you before getting the skill that I wanted the most. I thought I would get it immediately, but I guess she thought I need to work to earn it. So it's my fault for being hasty."
I couldn't respond to that kind of claim. I couldn't understand it at all. I tried to wrap my brain around it, but it didn't make sense at all!
"What the hell are you saying, bastard?! Are you saying you're the one who manipulated my memories?!"
"I'm saying that those "memories" you've mentioned are nothing more than filler. I met Umbaria before my rebirth and while the details were hazy, I recalled she promised me some blessings if I died and has the resolution to survive even beyond my previous death. Thanks to me fulfilling those requirements, I was saved and I was reborn as a demon in exchange for my unlucky past life, whatever it was. I already paid the price for my rebirth, so they were only there just to fill in the gaps. As for your past life, you can forget to remember them. I already threw them away and I doubt you are bothered with your deadbeat past life anyway."
I quickly grabbed the imposter's collar before I let him walk away from me. "Dammit! If you could have said you're manipulating me, then say it to my face already! What do you want with me?! Why me?! I'm just a nobody!"
"You? You mean me, right? Just to set the record straight, I never manipulated your memories. I never brainwashed you. Well, a bit, but only because you're a pain in the ass trying to calm down. You are only the last remnant of my past self. The fragment of my past self's personality I managed to salvage with Umbaria's help. You are the key to what we want for this world."
"If you think you're going to use me for whatever plan you're cooking up, then you can just forget about it! I know you're a Demi-Fiend underneath my face, so I know you're nothing but a weak demon trying to copy me for the lulz!"
The man groaned and said, "Yeesh. Your denial is worse than I thought. Well, pop quiz time! What is the square root of 6?"
Huh? Why did he ask me that math question so suddenly?
"Hey, I asked it for a reason. Are you going to answer it or not?"
Dammit, it's not like he won't let me go unless I have to entertain him. "Well, it's... It's... It's... Uh..."
Huh? Should I know this one? I know because I was... I was...
Something wasn't right. Where did I suppose to learn that? And what is the square root?
"Can't answer it, right? Then..." Before I could say anything, the man took out a card of some sort from the table. "What is the periodical element of water?"
Periodical? What was he talking about? Water was water, right? And what is the periodical element?
"So you can't answer that either then? Then what is the boiling point of lava?"
I... What were all these questions? Why couldn't I recall what they are?
"So you can't answer all of them. To be honest, I have no clue as well. I'm still learning those subjects from Casia and I'm still struggling even at my age."
His... "age"? Hold on, what was my age? Am I supposed to be in my 20's or something? So why couldn't I answer them?
"I should add one more detail I didn't mention. When Umbaria said she will erase my past life, she meant it. Thankfully, she and my master said they kept my knowledge of that world in special books from those shelves you see before you." I looked up when he pointed in the said direction and noticed the said books on the wall shelves. "However, I can only read them as long as I follow Casia's education regimen, whatever that means."
I was almost speechless at his words. Education, age... I couldn't keep up his nonsense any longer!
"Would you get to the point already?! Stop avoiding the main subject and tell me what the hell is happening to me!"
The man sighed again as I watch him nonchalantly scratch his back. "You don't understand at all, huh? Rather, you are too stubborn to accept what's happening to you right now." He then dragged a mirror right in front of me and said, "Then start staring at this while I'll get to the point."
At this point, I was almost at my limit. I was about to curl my fist and punch the mirror to threaten him to talk. But I stopped when I saw my own reflection.
Instead of seeing myself as a man with brown short hair wearing broken glasses, I saw a young boy staring right back at me with his black messy neck-length hair, purple eyes, pale skin, and the same black claws in our hands. I tried backing away from the mirror, but the boy in the reflection seemed to copy my movements. No, it wasn't just my movements. He was copying my shell-shocked face as well. But this was impossible. That boy...he couldn't be my reflection...
"I think it's time we stop lying to ourselves," the man said as his tone of voice changed dramatically. "This is who you... no, who we really are. After I died in the demon attack, Casia and my master temporarily revived me and granted me one of the Goddess of Darkness's sacred treasures. That treasure became my own and with it, I was reborn into the world as a demon child in the Demon Territory."
"A...demon child?" I muttered. This wasn't real. That boy wasn't me. It couldn't...
"You are wearing the same treasure, right? The ring that is currently stuck on your finger, right?"
My...ring? I looked down to see the said item on my finger.
"I also have the same one right here." The man removed the black glove on his left hand. When he did, I gasped to see what was on his ring finger. A silver ring inset with a purple gem similar to mine. "Though in reality, only one ring exists in the world. Try asking someone about it and there is a chance they will sell you a fake that might cast a sleeping spell to steal your goods. At least that's what Casia told me."
But this ring... Someone sent it to me and...
Don't tell me that's another fake memory?! If most of my memories here were fake, then what was the whole point of me being here?! Not only that, he kept claiming that I was him and he was me. This doesn't make any sense at all!
"I understand if you don't believe me, but that's fine. I'm still trying to reel you in so you wouldn't do something reckless like killing myself from provoking those panthers or worse, trying to kill Casia before I could take over."
Panthers and Casia? Wait, those were the very same fights I recalled! But I still don't understand all of this. None of my memories matched up! I still have gaps in my memories even from that battle with those demon wolves. It's like I wasn't there to witness it in the first place!
...Now that I think about it, I realized I overlooked one more detail about myself. Something that slipped my mind for so long until now.
"W-Who...am I? I couldn't recall my name anymore. I couldn't recall why I thought I was human in the first place. Just...who are you exactly?"
I don't know whether I need any more reassurance when there was nothing to deny his words anymore. I wanted to believe I'm still a human being and this was nothing more than a demon's attempt to turn me into their pawn or something. Was this my way of denying reality? Do I have a reason to refuse to believe that man's nonsense? I want to believe it was true, but...
"Who am I? Who am I? Why it's simple." The man bowed to me with a smile. "In my rebirth, I was known as Experiment #0. But after his passing, my master called me a fitting name before I inherit his home and research." He then looked up at me with his seemingly glowing purple eyes. "My name is Vander, the Demi-Fiend who inherited the House of Lavender. And you are nothing more than a facade of my personality."
Vander... I'm...the facade of his personality?
I felt like he was saying nonsense again, but I felt like he didn't. I wanted to deny it again, but something within me filled me with thoughts I never had before.
No, those weren't thoughts. There were memories. Memories of the man named Vander. No, memories of myself. True memories of everything that really happened. From my arrival to my death, the true events were all in my head. At this point, I couldn't deny the truth any longer. I couldn't avert my eyes away out of fear. One fact was clear to me.
I wasn't supposed to exist in the first place. I wasn't supposed to live longer than I could. I never suppose to remember myself.
In this world of fantasy and demons, I died and a demon was born in my place.
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