《Try Again》 The Beginning (Prologue) Pain. A negative feeling that is employed to alert the mind that something is causing harm to one¡¯s body. Why is such a feeling coming from my stomach? Ah. There¡¯s also a feeling of cold, like that of a piece of smooth metal brushing against the skin. The combination of both tactile sensations can only mean one thing: I¡¯ve been stabbed. Time began to slow as I opened my eyes and observed my surroundings. Before me, there stands a stubby, dwarf-like man with a bushy beard that holds an artisanally crafted scimitar in his right hand, a shield in his left, and has thick leather armor cloaking the rest of his body. From the look in the man¡¯s eyes, I can most likely assume that the stabbing was intentional. In my left hand, I am holding a wooden crossbow that is loaded with a single metal-tipped bolt and ready to fire; however, the crossbow is rather heavy and would be hard to move at a moments notice. Protecting my body is a simple leather armor that barely covers my vitals and has openings in places such as where I had been stabbed in the stomach, around my hands are a pair of leather crossbow handling gloves, and covering the rest of my skin is a set of simple medieval-like peasant clothes made of some sort of crude cotton fabric. Next, surrounding me is a vast plain filled with a miasma seasoned with the scent of blood, ashes, and decay. Scattered distantly about to my left are combatting groups of more dwarf men fancy weaponry and humans, like myself, armed with crossbows. The crossbowmen all seem to be in a frenzied panic while running away whereas the dwarves are marching steadily onwards in an organized formation towards their fleeing prey. How the hell did I get here? If I were to recall what I was doing before I got here¡­The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Shit. I don¡¯t remember anything. I literally can¡¯t recall any memories whatsoever. How is this possible? Amnesia? No, people who undergo amnesia usually lose portions of their personality and the ability to logically deduce things. I know for a fact that neither of those things have occurred to me from the sheer fact that I am capable of reason and still have the twisted personality I recall from a past I cannot remember. Although, I probably shouldn¡¯t be trying to find the reason for my memory loss at this very moment. The dwarf man likely plans on stabbing me with his sword a second time if I don¡¯t do something and freezing time in my mind is starting to give me a headache. I need to come up with a plan now. First, I have a heavy crossbow in my hand and a scimitar stabbed into my stomach. I can likely assume that as soon as I let time resume normally, the sword will be extracted as ruthlessly and quickly as possible in order to continue stabbing or slashing. My only hope for fighting back will be shooting the dwarf man with the bolt - preferably in the head - before proceeding to run away. Second, seeing the way that I have it aimed right now, the closest thing I can shoot with this crossbow is the dwarf¡¯s foot. Although a bolt to the foot is surely not a pleasant experience, I should assume that the dwarf is a veteran warrior and his mental fortitude is close to my own. If I want certain results, I need to find a way to aim the crossbow closer to the upper chest or head to get the most effectiveness from one shot. Third and finally, we are rather far away from anyone else for some strange reason. It is highly likely that I - or whoever was in control of me before I got stabbed - was trying to escape from the enemy advance and got caught by this dwarf before I could escape. Trusting my intuition, there is likely something in this direction that should enable my safety or at least somewhere to escape to if I was headed this way. Now, my gameplan is ready. The world around is now accelerating back to normal flow and the stress on my mind is lessening. As I regain control over my limbs from frozen time, I begin to clasp the gloved fingers of my right hand around the blade pierced through my stomach. Mr. Dwarf Man, please be a good person and kick softly, won¡¯t y- *PAHCK!* Ahh¡­ damn. That really does hurt. Who knew that being kicked in the stomach would hurt so much? From a short man, more so. There isn¡¯t much time to focus on the pain; quickly now, body! Raise the crossbow! Fire! ¡­ Well, shit. I missed. What do I do now? Well, I suppose I don¡¯t have anything to regret since I don¡¯t have any memories in the first place. I suppose I can only hope that I go out swiftly. Ah, good. It looks like the dwarf man is aiming for my neck. Farewell, cruel world. I suppose that it is my time to leave. The Beginning (Chapter One) Pain. A negative feeling that is employed to¡­ ¡­wait a second. Quickly opening my eyes, I look directly at the dwarf man standing before me while freezing time for what I¡¯m fairly certain is for a second time. However, I am certain that I reacted to the sensation of pain and opened my eyes faster than last time as the blade is barely poked into my side - an advantage that allows me to possibly progress further than my last ¡°attempt¡± at escaping. Only two questions are in my mind at this moment: How? and Why? Successfully thwarting the dwarf man can become a secondary task if I am able to comprehend the true answer behind this phenomenon. The first few parts of How? that I need answered is as follows: How many times can I reverse time and start all over again with memories from the future? How far back in time can I return and can I set a checkpoint to return to? How do I use this new ability to my advantage and can I use it to actually defeat the dwarf man? Unfortunately, the answers to the questions of Why? are likely to be unattainable as the context of these occurrences are not available to me at the present moment. I should likely refocus my attention back on the dwarf man before he gets a chance to help me test my theories once more. Since the scimitar is approximately a centimeter into my flesh, I believe that I can jump backwards in order to prevent further laceration of skin, fat, and muscle fibers while also gaining a distance advantage from which I can use my crossbow more effectively. Although it may be a good concept in the mind, it is likely not to be so easy to coordinate when looking at the athletic prowess of this body. If I recall the maneuver I attempted to make during my last attempt, I missed with my crossbow because I didn¡¯t have enough arm strength to keep the bolt aligned properly and fired over the dwarf¡¯s shoulder instead of directly in the head. I have to take into consideration my strangely weak physique and adjust my actions accordingly. As for my next actions after leaping backwards, I¡¯ll leave that to the future me that successfully jumps away in the first place.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. As I unfreeze time, I put strength into my legs in preparation to make the short dash that would guarantee my lack of hole in the stomach. The dwarf stumbles forward out of surprise and accidentally drops his sword as a meter or so worth of distance is formed between the two of us. Jackpot. I wasn¡¯t expecting the dwarf to drop his sword, but now that he has, it is time to capitalize on it. Utilizing both of my arms and anchoring my feet one in front of the other, I lean back and aim the crossbow directly at the chest of the dwarf. I¡¯ve already missed one shot while aiming at the head and I¡¯m not about to miss a second one. *Click, whoosh!* Bullseye. Right in the heart. ¡°GRAHHHHHH!¡± Cries out the dwarf man as he falls to his knees and grabs hold of the bolt that struck him in his vital organ before collapsing face first on the ground - an act that impales the crossbow bolt even further through his body. After watching the dwarf man¡¯s blood gush out as if flowing from a freshwater spring, I¡¯m beginning to feel somewhat sorry for him. I mean, he did try to kill me, but at the very least he killed me in one clean swipe instead of letting me die the cold, painful death of bleeding out. Well, nothing I can do about it now. Even though the dwarf might be dead, I should probably continue to flee wherever I was going before some other dwarf man catches up with me and ends up attacking me. However, I¡¯m not going to just leave behind an easily lootable corpse and run away without reaping the benefits of my achievement. First picking up the strangely light scimitar, I start stripping the dwarf man of his armor while searching for secret pockets or pouches that might contain valuable loot. Slowly but surely, multiple goodies begin to reveal themselves to the dextrous movements of my fingers. A pouch filled with twenty-or-so silver coins, a silver flame-bladed dagger and its sheathe, and a small, gold-embroidered chest containing glowing blue rocks all came out from the inside of the dwarf¡¯s armor while a flask filled with a strange white powder came out of his inner garments. After stuffing the stolen goods into my own armor and clothes, I freeze time and begin scouting out the area around me in search for a place to run to. Off in the distance, the groups of humans and dwarves are still in a run and chase scenario and probably cannot be a good direction to run in order to maintain my safety. If I run into dwarves first, they¡¯ll probably try to kill me and if I run into the humans first, they wouldn¡¯t be able to completely ensure my safety. On the other hand, in the direction that the ¡°me¡± was running before I took control are distant silhouettes of trees in the form of what appears to be a forest. Strategically, a forest is a very good place to hide as there is lots of cover as well as the potential to completely get away from the fight and figure out my bearings. However, it is unknown what kind of beasts might be roaming around in the forest and I don¡¯t feel like being mauled by a bear after escaping from death once. Although, comparing the two possible scenarios that could occur from going in either direction, running to the forest is far better than trying to group up with my fellow humans. At least bears might ignore me and mind their own business if I don¡¯t bother them. Let¡¯s start running towards the forest then. Cool Beauty (Chapter Two) Phew, this body really is out of shape. I¡¯ve been running for less than two minutes now and my legs burn, my back hurts, and my lungs are already gasping for air. Luckily for me, the forest was much closer than I had initially expected so I was able to catch my breath while leaning on one of the trees instead of standing out in the open like an archery target. I¡¯m not exactly out of the thicket yet, though. I should continue moving a bit deeper into the forest before taking a longer break. Hah¡­ the weakness I¡¯m feeling right now is no joke. I swear, a five-year-old could probably outclass me in both speed and stamina despite this body¡¯s age feeling to be in the late teens. Although I¡¯m fairly certain that I hated exercise in my past, at least I vaguely recall being able to run two kilometers in twelve minutes even when after I reached my early twenties. Not only that, my entire body is drenched in sweat and the feeling of stickiness underneath this sauna-like armor is starting to get to me. I would really love to take a shower right now, but there is an almost zero percent chance that I find a modern bathroom all of a sudden in the middle of this forest. On top of all of this, I¡¯m starting to get thirsty so finding water is reaching a top priority on my list of to-do things. One might ask, how do you find water in the middle of the forest? Well, it¡¯s rather simple, really. First, you have to listen for the water by putting your ear against the ground. Second, you listen for a low rumble or a rushing noise and try to follow the sound. Third, you find water and hopefully survive in whatever wilderness you¡¯re stuck in. However, in my case, all of the above steps are void as the sound of flowing water is already present without having to put my ear against the ground. It shouldn¡¯t be too far away as the sound is getting incrementally louder with each step I take.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Steppity, steppity, step. A walk a doodle-daddle-dingy do I go. Walking, walking, walki- AHHHHHH! *SPLASH~!* ¡­I guess accidentally falling off a cliff and into a lake is a relatively okay way of finding water. I think I would still prefer the traditional method of just walking up to the edge and noticing that the water is there; but hey, beggars can¡¯t be choosers, right? Shit. I think I may have also pissed my pants. The temperature below my waist is strangely warm for a lake. Or maybe this lake is a by product of a hot spring and this is just the natural temperature of the water? Nope. Definitely pissed my pants. The overall temperature of the water is refreshingly cool with the only warm spot being the place where I landed. Oh well, at least I am already in position to wash up an- ¡°Eeeeek! Pervert!¡± After turning my head to the side, the pale figure of a young lady standing not too far away from me catches my attention all the while she attempts to cover her nakedness with her hands in an spastic manner. If I were anybody else, I might¡¯ve stared; but as a true gentleman, I immediately peel my eyes away from the female and begin making my way towards the edge of the lake. ¡°My bad, I think I¡¯ve got the wrong lake. I¡¯ll just be on my way no-¡± Cold. I can only describe the feeling in my legs with that one word. It¡¯s almost as if my legs were frozen in ice. Actually, that¡¯s exactly what happened. In fact, the entire lake is now a frosty, glistening, and glassy ice with the epicenter being the lady standing behind me. Well, double shit. I¡¯d prefer bears any day over getting a lady with the powers to manipulate ice to be angry at me; I think being mauled to death is a far better way to go than being frozen into a block of ice. Ah, damn. The ice is already spreading to my thighs and stomach. I always wondered how athletes felt when they took ice baths to cool down their bodies after a warm up, but I never expected to experience a similar scenario first hand. I mean, I suppose this level of cold is tolerable with my level of willpower, but my brain is starting to¡­ ¡­is starting to freeze up. The cold is already getting to me and my consciousness is¡­ ¡­ slowly dimming in and out. What an annoying¡­ ¡­way to die. Everything is beginning¡­ ¡­to get kinda¡­ ¡­dark. The Beginning (Chapter Three) Pain, damn it! I¡¯m already back to square one! What kind of maniac freezes people to death for looking at her while bathing in the middle of a forest? Wouldn¡¯t it be her own fault for trying to take a bath in an open area without setting up any barriers or precautions to prevent being walked up on? Ah, that¡¯s right. Logic doesn¡¯t make sense here. I should have known that after seeing over thirty tiny, little dwarf men overrun a group of humans nearly twice their size. Sigh, I really do have nothing against you Mr. Dwarf. If only you didn¡¯t try to kill me so quickly, I might have tried to get to know you and give you a chance to not kill me. After all, it would be only natural if I were to accidentally lodge a crossbow bolt with deadly precision into your heart if you come towards me like that. Let¡¯s get this over with. One swift jump¡­ Whoa! What the hell?! Why did he change up his movements?! He¡¯s not supposed to follow up with a dash after I jump back! Time freeze! Okay, okay, calm down brain. Let¡¯s analyze this situation. The situation may be compromised because of that slight change in the dwarf¡¯s movements but there should still be a logical way to get out of this scenario. That scimitar of his is awfully close though. Given another second or two, it would likely slash straight through my upper chest to lower stomach without much resistance. Dodging in this scenario would be extremely difficult; it would be much more effective to block the attack with my crossbow. Argh, was it the time it took for me to jump backwards that changed the reaction of the dwarf? Maybe I jumped back too quickly before he had a chance to shift his weight into his extended leg and gave him an opportunity to lunge towards me instead of stumbling forwards. At the very least, I think I have an answer to some of my previous questions. How do I use this ability? By dying. Can I use it to defeat my enemies? Potentially, yes. How far back can I traverse? All the way back to fighting this dwarf man. Can I set checkpoints? It would appear that I cannot or at least do not know how to.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The final question of how many times I can die still remains a mystery. Although I probably shouldn¡¯t be testing out this theorem of mine and end up actually dying, there is no reason to fear death when making a risky maneuver that might take my life. Although, if I end up returning back here each time I die, does that mean I am immortal? Will I just continue to live like this for the rest of eternity? If I find friends and companions to aid me along the way, will I have to reforge friendships and build the foundations of my life from scratch? What happens if I live for another fifty years before dying? Will I have to relive another fifty years before being able to continue on with my life? Even if I die of natural causes after my hair turns white, my back becomes brittle, and my skin becomes wrinkled, will I come all the way back to this point in time and be forced to live through it all over again? ¡­I should probably stop theorizing about such things. The more I think about it, the more depressed I¡¯m starting to get. Focus. Focus back onto the task on hand. If I use my crossbow to block the dwarf¡¯s sword, there is a very small chance that the sword might be able to break through the heavy wood; overall, however, I believe this is where my best chance lies at survival even if it means I have to discard the crossbow. My crossbow holding arm is already raised at an optimal angle for quickly blocking the scimitar at a moment''s notice. If I were to unfreeze time now, I could swing the piece of wood around and let it receive the blow from the dwarf¡¯s sword without much effort. Before I do so, I need to contemplate my next moves. As experienced before, the strength of this body is nothing to be proud of. I think it¡¯s already a miracle that I¡¯m capable of holding the heavy crossbow in my hand without dropping it. If I were to receive the full force of that blade onto my arms, I would collapse without question. Instead of taking the blow entirely, perhaps it would be better to try and parry the sword towards the ground and hope that the blade gets caught in the dirt. Even if the sword doesn¡¯t hit the ground, as long as the crossbow doesn¡¯t break on first contact with the scimitar, I believe that I¡¯ll be able to shoot the dwarf with a bolt after he loses his balance. If the crossbow does break¡­ well, there¡¯s nothing else I can really do except running for my life into the forest and hoping the dwarf man doesn¡¯t chase me. Huuu¡­ am I ready? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever truly ready for what life throws at me. Time is beginning to thaw now, motion is returning to the world. Quickly, move the crossbow into position and par- *Twang~!* Ah, shit. I didn¡¯t consider turning the crossbow so that the dwarf¡¯s sword would avoid slicing the string. The bolt has probably flown off fifty or so meters away by now and is of no tactical use to me anymore. How the hell can I be so unlucky? That still doesn¡¯t change too much of my plan B, however. Now, body! Parry! Side-step here, twist your waist there, and put force into your legs before jumping away! Was I successful? I have no clue. All I know is that the dwarf¡¯s scimitar isn¡¯t going to hit me and now I have a clear escape route towards the forest. I¡¯m already out of breath from that small bout, but there¡¯s quite a distance of running that I¡¯m going to need to go if I want to escape from this battlefield. But who cares if I¡¯m tired? When presented with a good chance at escaping, there is no living creature alive that wouldn¡¯t take the chance if death was guaranteed otherwise. Now, my body, run! Cool Beauty (Chapter Four) La da diddly dee. That dwarf sure is persistent as hell. He¡¯s been close at my tail for a while now and I¡¯m already halfway through the forest. However, all this time while running, a magnificent plan began to formulate in my brain - a plan so grand and intellectual that I really want to call myself a genius right now. The first step? Why, that involves following the sound of water. Ohohoho, isn¡¯t my brain huge? Can¡¯t you see the pure strength of the muscle that my mind is? Aren¡¯t I quite simply the greatest mastermind to ever live on the face of this earth? No? Fair enough. To be honest, it¡¯s a plan that almost anyone could come up with if they were in my shoes. You have killy-killy man over here and killy-killy lady over there, wouldn¡¯t it be natural to let the two killy-killy people meet each other and end up killing either the former or the latter in the process? ¡­you know, instead of being a genius, I think I¡¯m starting to go insane. What the hell was that nonsense that just spewed into my head? La da diddly dee? Huge brain? Killy-killy? I sound like an actual five-year-old who¡¯s just binged an entire line of horror and fantasy movies in an alternating manner and is now spitting literal garbage out of his throat. The exhaustion, the gradually declining adrenaline rush, and the psychological torment of resurrecting from the dead twice within the span of two hours must be getting to my brain. Besides that, this plan of mine is rather decent as it takes care of two birds with¡­ well, each other. Instead of killing two birds with one stone, I¡¯m throwing a stone at one bird and getting the other to... No. I don¡¯t want to fall deeper into psychopathy as my brain cells die off one by one from entertaining this train of thought. I¡¯ve fallen deep enough into insanity and I don¡¯t feel like diving any deeper. Back to the task on hand, I didn¡¯t fall into the lake in my previous attempt at life because of lack of coordination or loss of balance. No, the cause of my fall was the sudden collapse of earth beneath my feet just as I was walking around a thicket of plant matter. Just a little further now, body. We¡¯re almost there. All you have to do is avoid the spot of earth where you fell and then you ca- AHHHHHHH! *Splash~!* DAMN IT! I¡¯ve made the same mistake over. This derails my plans quite a- ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± *Splash~!* Huh, it would appear that it¡¯s perfectly normal to fall off an edge of the cliff. Either that or Mr. Dwarf and I are both idiots. However, this time I didn¡¯t piss my pants. I think that¡¯s already a fantastic step up from¡­ Shut up, five-year-old me. I don¡¯t need any of your halfwit commentary in a time like this. I''ve got a murder-crazed dwarf that''s chasing after me and you accelerating the decay of my brain mass isn''t exactly helping. ¡°Ya can¡¯t keep runnin¡¯ any more ya cheeky lil¡¯ bastard! Stop bein¡¯ a coward and fight me lik¡¯ a real man!¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Hell no, dwarf man. I would fight you if I had a weapon, but you keep on chasing after me with that damn sword all over the place while I only have my bare hands. But also, unlike you, I have a secret weapon that you don¡¯t know about. Swim, my body, swim! Reach the edge of the pool before you hear the words: ¡°Eeeeek! Pervert!¡± Right on time, lady. Despite my fatigue and overt desire to hibernate like a bear for three months, I make it to the edge of the lake before ice begins to coat the surface of the water. ¡°Wat in da¡­ Ahck!¡± Sorry dwarf man, but perhaps don¡¯t try killing me in the next life and you could potentially not die a painful death each time I survive. No time to watch, though. I need to get out of here before the ice lady can get to¡­ ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going, human?¡± Uh-oh. Time freeze! The lady soon becomes motionless like a doll and I take a short moment to observe both her and my immediate surroundings. Standing there covered in a white dress decorated with daffodils and having a head full of long, silver hair still damp from the water of the lake, piercing eyes the color of sapphire, flawless pale skin that contained the essence of the moon, and pointed ears that matched the description of your typical fantasy elf, this lady was most certainly the dream girl of almost every man in existence. Except for me of course. Who the hell would be attracted to a lady, no matter how beautiful, that¡¯s trying to kill you? I realize that may be some sick fetish or kink that a degenerate might have, but I¡¯m still sane enough to know what¡¯s good for my own personal livelihood. But where did she get that dress? Wasn¡¯t she still naked just a few moments ago? I mean, it¡¯s only natural to ponder how something that didn¡¯t exist now appears out of thin air. It¡¯s not like I wanted to see her breasts or¡­ Get the hell out of my head, five-year-old me. I don¡¯t need any of your bullshit in a time like this when I should be thinking of my current options and how to get out of this mess. Now, back to the more important matters at hand. Unfortunately for me, It would appear that this lake is situated at the bottom of a valley - this means that the steep hills surrounding me on all sides make the possibility of running away from this ice witch zero. There are only two remaining options left: to talk or to fight. The chance of me winning a fight against the elf is also practically nil as she can control ice without putting too much effort or thought into it. I¡¯d end up block of frozen ice like the poor dwarf man in the frozen lake. That leaves talking as my only option left. Luckily enough for me, the ice lady had enough courtesy to initiate the conversation herself. The fact that she decided to talk to me before freezing me gives me a clear opportunity to try and convince her before she follows through with her human-flavored ice cube manufacturing process. Now¡­ what to say? I think I might have an idea. Time release! ¡°Thank you, Miss Elf, for rescuing me from that terrible dwarf!¡± At once I place my left knee against the ground, bow my head, and clasp my hands together above my head in a display of gratitude. Silence. Although I¡¯m not quite certain whether I¡¯ve convinced her or not, the fact that I haven¡¯t died yet means that my tactic is working. ¡°I was chased by the evil dwarf for quite some time now and it¡¯s only thanks to you that I was able to get out alive. If you were not there to stop him, I may have died to his blade in but a few short moments!¡± Continued silence. I truly do hope that my act is working. If I do not hear a response from the elf lady soon, that might not mean good things for me. Either she is contemplating the method in which I should be eliminated or whether my story is truly trustworthy. Whichever it may be, I need to make my acting even more convincing; I need to kick up my performance to the very next level. ¡°How can I ever repay your kindness? I am but a frail human; there isn¡¯t much that I am capable of on my own. But, if there is in anyway shape or form that I am able to pay, I am willing to act as long as it is within the limits of my ability!¡± Even more silence. Shit. Now that I think about it, my mini-monologue must have sounded really cheesy, huh? I¡¯m curious though, what¡¯s the expression on her face right now? How close was I to getting her sympathy? Well, if I¡¯m going to die anyways, I might as well take a look and see, right? ¡­ Huh? Why the hell is the elf lady blushing? Psycho Beauty (Chapter Five) Now what kind of dog-shit luck did I run into to get into this scenario? Of course an elf that decides to take a bath in the middle of a forest only a few hundred meters away from an active warzone without supervision would end up being a princess of the entire elf kingdom. Of course that same elf is the number one magic prodigy in the entire kingdom and as a result ends up isolated from the outside world due to her untouchable status. Of course this prodigy ends up being truly touched by my words because of the ¡°sincerity¡± behind them and the lack of figures in her life that ever complimented her for anything other than her superficial attributes. What kind of clich¨¦ world is this? It feels almost as if someone ripped a page straight out of a fantasy novel and just pasted it into my life. However, much unlike the traditional isolated princess trope, this elf lady is crazy. I don¡¯t mean crazy as in she acts wild or unrestrained, I mean crazy as in a psychotic mental ward patient that has been detained for the murder of three innocent children on the self-justified reason that the children were annoying for merely existing. Lovely. Absolutely lovely. One might ask, how did I figure out about this fact? Well, let¡¯s just say that I was assaulted in the middle of the night with a knife made of ice pressed against my throat and the elf lady leaning over me¡­ ¡­actually, I¡¯m still running from the elf right now. Damn it! I never asked for this! I¡¯ve finally survived for one entire day, is all my hard work going to end like this? All of this arose from my one fatal mistake: trying to get to know the elf lady a little bit better. I wasn¡¯t trying to dig too far into the story of her life; in fact, I was trying to figure out more about this world while pretending to be interested in her past. It all started when I began asking her questions about who she was and about her life in the kingdom. From a young age, the elf lady had been a tom-boy - always hanging out with the other young noble boys that were around the palace and romping about as boys usually do.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. However, as she began to reach her teenage years, the princess began to be discouraged by her maids and instructors to stop hanging out with boys and begin acting more like a lady while her male friends started to distance themselves from her for being a girl. From that point on, she began to distance herself from society as a whole while pursuing magic underneath the tutelage of her instructors and eventually becoming widely known as the number one genius in the entire kingdom. Eventually, her old friends tried to get close to her once again; but the feeling of being praised with comments about her beauty or her prodigious talent disgusted her and she ended up acting cold towards those who initially rejected her for her femininity. Despite all of this, the princess was still similar to most other women in the regards of love - desiring someone who would understand her and truly love her for who she was on the inside, not for her outside characteristics. Because of this, the elf lady was touched through my ¡°heartfelt¡± monologue and saw that I was a person not blinded by her beauty or aware of her talents. And, as a result, she ended up developing feelings for me which she thought was love at her first sight. An interesting backstory, no? I mean, I would accept her love if not for bat-shit psychotic nature. Nevertheless, she thought that I would reciprocate the feelings that she felt towards me and¡­ Well, here I am. Running away from a psychotic woman with the ability to control ice in the middle of a forest. *Sigh¡­* Is this what they call, ¡°Out of the frying pan and into the fire?¡± This is why you can never trust women, one moment they¡¯re all kind and sweet while in another moment they¡¯re the catalysts of demons, turning your life into a literal living hell. ¡°Come out, come out, come out wherever you are~!¡± Shit. Calm your breathing, body. Calm, calm, calm. I can¡¯t be discovered like this. I¡¯ve come so far, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to die here like this. Hurry up, body! I know you want oxygen, but I would rather suffocate to death than be caught by that elf! ¡°You can¡¯t hide forever from me, my love. I will find you and then we can be together, forever~!¡± What are you, a character from a horror game? Get the hell away from me already! I¡¯m not here, I¡¯m somewhere else far, far, far away! Why don¡¯t you check the other side of the forest? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find me there. *Rustle, rustle.* ¡°Is that you, my dear? Let¡¯s end this game soon so we can become one sooner~!¡± If you exist, thank you, god. I don¡¯t know what made that rustling noise, but it distracted h- ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s where you were hiding. People always lose their guard when they think that they are safe, dearest~!¡± ¡­ I¡¯m screwed, aren¡¯t I? I can already hear and feel her breath on my neck. ¡°I can¡¯t have you running off again, so bear with me while I freeze you, darling~!¡± A chilliness is rising up my legs. What¡¯s the possibility that it¡¯s ice and not just my nerves sending panicked messages to my brain? I think the answer to that question is¡­ ¡­clear from the fact that ¡­ ¡­everything is slowly¡­ ¡­going dark. Not The Beginning...? (Chapter Six) Hmm? Why don¡¯t I feel any pain? If it were like any other restart, I should be in combat with the dwarf right now, no? ¡­ Where the hell am I? This isn¡¯t the battlefield! I mean, I don¡¯t recall the battlefield being a large bedroom decorated in silver and gold. But isn¡¯t this quite a sight to see? The walls of the bedroom are decorated with a fanciful design of golden vines and silver flowers on a white background while a variety of furniture and artifacts line the sides of the room which gives off a feeling of regality. A large bed sits beneath me and is covered in a thick, luxurious comforter dyed in red and gold alongside silver-lined pillows that appear to be as soft and as cushy as little white clouds. On the wall to my left, there is an opening in the wall lined with two golden curtains that guard the entrance to a balcony beyond which is a bright, sunny sky with birds chirping off in the distance and what appears to be a tasteful garden below. How in the world did I get here? If only someone would come through the door to my right and give me an answ- *Knock, knock.* Huh, what impeccable timing. Through the door comes in a young, female elf dressed in a black-and-white maid costume who holds her hands together in front of her apron in a courteous manner. ¡°Good morning, sir. My name is Amelia, and I¡¯m here to assist you in dressing before your audience with the king.¡± Say what now? ¡°It would be¡­ improper to show yourself before the king in that attire so we must change out your clothes at once, sir.¡± Why do I feel like I¡¯m being judged by this maid? ¡°Now, if you would, sir, please stand up while I get your measurements.¡± Well this is an interesting scenario to say the least - beats being hunted down by a dwarf any day of the week. Without any further hesitation, I get off the bed and shuffle towards the maid whose hands are dancing around mid-air in fanciful shapes and patterns. *Ssss~* Whoa. I know I probably shouldn¡¯t be surprised that one can make a magical tape measure out of thin air after being frozen into a block of ice twice now, but damn is it impressive. I wonder if I can learn magic? ¡°Pardon me, sir.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Tape measure in hand, the elf maid stretches the ruler about whilst measuring me from head-to-toe, shoulder-to-shoulder, and neck-to-wrist. ¡°Sir, please lift your arms now.¡± Up they go, I suppose. Now this is getting a little awkward. The maid¡¯s face is awfully close to my chest since she¡¯s trying to pass the measuring tape around my back. I haven¡¯t really noticed until now, but the maid is kinda cute. Her hair is short, black, and styled in a bob-cut which accentuates the smoothness of her facial features while her eyes are a shade of deep violet that give off a feeling of exotic beauty. Her shoulders are slender and her frame is small which invokes the desire to protect her fragile stature. However, her small chest leaves something to be desir- Would you go to hell already, five-year-old me? Seriously, your existence in my life isn¡¯t contributing jack-shit and my ability to interact normally with others extremely difficult. I think it might be too late already, however. The maid seems to have noticed my long, examining gaze and is already distancing herself accordingly. ¡°Give me a moment while I synthesize your clothes.¡± Ah, damn it. She¡¯s already dropped the formalities in her way of speaking - a sure sign that she¡¯s lost all respect for me. *Sssss~* Layer by layer, my current attire slowly deteriorates and is replaced layer-by-layer with an elegant jet-black doublet, a poet shirt with long, frilly sleeves, a pair of cloth pants, and a dashing set of black boots. Have I already mentioned how cool magic is? ¡°I am finished. Let¡¯s hurry and make it to your audience with his majesty.¡± My reputation in front of this elf maid is likely irreparable, no? *Sigh~* Well, I guess I should follow after her; but damn, she isn¡¯t waiting for me at all. How the hell is she walking so fast while her legs are moving so slowly? ¡°Hey! Wait a second, wait for me!¡± *Huff, huff, huff¡­* ¡°We are here. Please do try to not sweat so much in front of his majesty¡¯s presence.¡± Damn it, you maid. Who the hell¡¯s fault is it that I¡¯m sweating so much right now? *Ssssss~* Eugh¡­ the feeling of all the moisture suddenly disappearing evaporating off your body is really weird. Besides that, though. I have more important questions to ask. ¡°Before I enter, can you tell me who his majesty is and where I am?¡± Disdain. That is the aura I feel emanating off of the elf maid right now. I know that I may have upset her for observing her body features for quite some time, but what severe crime did I commit for asking a simple question? ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain you can figure that out on your own. Farewell now, sir.¡± *Whack! Thud!* Aiee! ¡°Hey! What was that for, you sassy little-¡± Oh shit. I¡¯m inside the audience hall now, aren¡¯t I? Within the doors of this massive hall, I can feel the eyes of hundreds of different people on me. The tension is tangible in the air and I¡¯m beginning to feel nervous. At the very front of the hall, upon a massive throne sits an old, male elf dressed regally in red and gold with a crown atop his head. The man - who I can only assume is his majesty - is staring directly at me in a laid-back manner with his left cheek resting upon the palm of his hand propped up on the armrest of his throne. The domineering look in his eyes is enough to make any man feel small and insignificant under his gaze and the amount of pride held in his furrowed brow would cause even the most extreme narcissist to worry and feel insecure about their looks before this man. To king¡¯s right, there sits an almost equally-aged female elf who shares the former¡¯s domineering nature. However, in contrast to the former¡¯s prideful appearance, one can only see pure magnanimity infused into the gaze of the queen. And finally, to the left of the king, there is¡­ ¡­no, what in the world is going on? I thought she killed me! The first time I was frozen into ice, I died almost instantly! How is it that I am still here to see her gaze? Why the hell is that psycho bitch trying to blow kisses into my face from tens of meters away? Audience With Insanity (Chapter Seven) ¡°Why, darling, are you certain that the human down there is the one you desire to marry?¡± Shivers went down my spine as that single line came delicately out of the queen¡¯s lips. What the hell? What kind of twisted logic is this? ¡°Why, of course, mother! He is the only one who truly understands me; he is the only one who I confide in; he is the only one I will pour my mind, body, and soul into loving!¡± ¡­what? ¡°Well, if you use such passionate language like that, who am I to argue? Marry that human if it is your earnest desire, darling!¡± ¡­I have no words. Should I just bite my tongue right now and commit suicide? ¡°Sweetheart, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re rushing things a little bit?¡± Oh?! King, are you going to talk some sense into your mentally handicapped family members and publicly chastise your daughter for being an idiot in choosing a partner in marriage that nobody knows? Maybe I won¡¯t have to commit suicide after a- ¡°You would be missing out on two of the most marvelous joys in life if you are to get married now; the dating and engagement phase of a relationship!¡± Nevermind, there is no hope. I might as well ready my mind for the strange feeling of having a detached tongue spazzing about in a bath of blood within my mouth. ¡°Ahem, your majesty, if I may interrupt.¡± Hmm? A skinny elf dressed in a dark green robe steps out of the shadows and stands next to the king¡¯s throne while leaning forward as if to whisper into his majesty¡¯s ear. Why didn¡¯t I notice that man before? Such a color as green would normally clash against white-gold color scheme of the hall and should have been easily recognizable to even the unobservant eye. ¡°Having her highness take on a human bride would make our kingdom appear to be in an alliance with the humans - a mistake that would draw us elves into their war with the dwarves.¡± Ohhhh!!! Finally, someone with common sense! Even though that green-robed elf looks so shady that you could probably buy drugs off of him in broad daylight, I think he might be the only mentally stable person amongst the four people before me. As if agreeing with my thoughts, the staring eyes pinned on me turn towards one another and began murmuring softly in tones of doubt, confusion, and fear of war. Hoh, it looks like this life isn¡¯t a lost cause yet! ¡°Why, we can simply hold of their marriage until the war is over! After all, one cannot truly enjoy the happiness that is a relationship without dating and being engaged.¡± What kind of man is this joker? Is he really a father and a king of an entire nation? *Sigh~*This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Interestingly enough, that sigh did not come out of my lips, but the green-robed elf instead. ¡°Your majesty, I do not believe that you are so na?ve to not realize that, even as we speak, there are spies from other nations within our midst. After this assembly is concluded, the spies will send letters to their respective countries and we will in turn receive both threats and alliance requests alike from the dwarven and human kingdoms.¡± Preach, shady elf, preach! Although, the room has been completely silent since the shady elf mentioned the existence of spies. Is it really alright for him to be so bold and upfront about a topic such as spies in the governing system? ¡°Is what you say true, Amir?¡± *Crackle, crack~* You can really tell someone is angry when ice spreads out from under their feet and coats everything within a five-meter radius. Shit¡¯s about to go down. ¡°If so, all we have to do is kill everyone in this room so that my daughter can enjoy her life freely, no?¡± ¡­I think I know where psycho bitch gets her psycho nature. The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree, now does it? ¡°Your majesty, your regrettably uncivil plan would only give the other nations an opportunity to plant even more agents within our country and start a rebellion that could potentially overthrow the current monarchy that has lasted for over twenty generations now. No, it would be best to return this human back to his kingdom and wait patiently until the war is over before making any other¡­ risky decisions.¡± Yes, yes, yes! You, shady elf, are officially my most favorite person in this world! Finally, an opportunity to be normal awaits! No more stabbing, no more freezing, no more marrying any longer! The king seems to be at a loss for words, the queen intrigued by the current situation, and the psycho bitch is currently on the brink of bawling her eyes out in an almost comedical manner. Seriously, why the hell are you so attached to me? What did I ever do for you other than sitting and listening to your story? ¡°Then, your majesty, if you have no other words, I believe it is time to adjourn this meeting and return this human male back to his own kingdom.¡± Huzzah! To normalcy I shall go! ¡°Wait just one moment.¡± ¡­ Queen. Please. No. ¡°Why don¡¯t we hear the human¡¯s opinion on the matter?¡± Well, la da diddly dee. Hey five-year-old me, wanna take over? If you have us killed, that¡¯s fine. If you make us look retarded, that¡¯s fine too. If you get us out of here, that¡¯s absolutely bloody fantastic. I don¡¯t really care at this point. Go wild. Go free. Go be the me I never want to be. Oki~! Huhuhuhuhu¡­ this power, this overflowing power! It bubbles, it boils, it fills me to the brim with determ- You don¡¯t have time for an internal monologue, you imbecile! Get back on track! Aww, I was about to get to the good part too. Anywhoozels, what kind of doo-dad have we gotten into here? ¡°Well, human? What are your thoughts on the princess?¡± Oooh! A question for me! Princess, princess, princess¡­ Are they asking about the naked lady who was at the lake? ¡°Uhhh, she¡¯s pretty! Her boobs are above average in size as well, so that¡¯s a plus!¡± Did I say that out loud? Wooops! Well, it¡¯s the truth though. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re big enough to milk though¡­ can you even milk human boobs?¡± Woopsies again! Why¡¯s it so hard to think but not talk at the same time? Still, at least I¡¯m saying the truth. ¡°But, don¡¯t even cows need to be pregnant to produce milk? Would the princess need a baby to make milk?¡± Oooooh¡­ why¡¯s it so cold all of a sudden? Ah, ice? Where¡¯d this stuff come from? It¡¯s making me¡­ ¡­lose my¡­ ¡­conci¡­ ¡­ous¡­ ¡­ness. Unwilling Companion (Chapter Eight) Pain. Not the kind of stabbing pain, but the feeling of a sore back and the more-or-less unpleasant prickling sensation of rough hay rubbing against the skin. That can only mean one thing¡­ Five-year-old me did it! Good? No. Great? No. Fantastic? No. One hell of a remarkable job, five-year-old me. Now, where am I? The air is heavy with the scent of domestic animals and plant matter. Beneath me is a load of hay stacked up in a messy pile whose particles are starting to crawl into my clothes and is making rather uncomfortable. Around me, there are old, decaying wooden planks nailed together in a tasteless manner that seem to make up the walls of this barn that I am in. Standing a little way off in the distance is an elf girl that I vaguely¡­ What¡¯s the maid from the elf palace doing over there? Also, why is she glaring at me so hard? Did I do something to offend her while I was unconscious? Uh-oh, she¡¯s walking this way. ¡°What did you do inside of the audience hall with the king?¡± Uhh¡­ what? I mean, before someone asks questions to a person that¡¯s recently awoken from slumber, it¡¯s usually polite to ask how they¡¯re feeling or if they slept w- *SLAP!* ¡°I¡¯ll ask one more time you retarded piece of shit, what the fuck did you do in that audience hall?!¡± Owowowow! Why did you do that? And where did that crude language come from? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a mild-tongued palace maid? Normally when someone begins randomly cursing you for seemingly no reason, something terrible must have happened, no? But what the hell did I do to anger this girl? Let¡¯s recall the events¡­ I got kidnapped by psycho bitch, dressed up and presented to the psycho royal family, spouted some nonsense about milking elf boobs, ended up frozen in a block of ice a second time, and finally transferred to wherever this barn is located. All in all, none of the above events should have anything to do with the elf girl in front of me. Hmm¡­ ¡­wait a second. She¡¯s not in her maid uniform. Rather, she¡¯s dressed in adventuring garb complete with a brown cloak, a light-blue blouse, a pair of black tights, and grey fur-lined boots. Around her waist is a belt with various small pouches, some short, strange metal rods, and a simple dagger hidden within a leather sheath. Did I somehow get her fired from her job? ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re gonna act fucking dumb now, you son of a bitch?¡± *SLAP!* Hey! That hurts! I may have a high pain tolerance, but my pride as a man is injured heavily if I¡¯m slapped by a girl across the cheek. ¡°Do you know how many fucking years and how many damned sacrifices I had to make for that job? Do you know how much blood, sweat, and tears I poured into becoming a fucking maid in the royal palace? Do you know how more than thirty years worth of effort all flew out of the damned window the moment some shit-head waltzed into the palace and was claimed to be the lover of her royal highness?¡± ¡­ She¡¯s starting to break down emotionally. Tears are running down her face. I can only assume that she got into trouble after the incident caused by five-year-old me. But why would she be with me here afterwards? To kill me? ¡°Thirty years¡­ thirty fucking years wasted all because of a damned piece of shit who doesn¡¯t even know what he¡¯s done.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. No, she can¡¯t be here to kill me. If so, there would be no reason to explain everything or to cry in front of me either. If she got fired from her job and doesn¡¯t want to kill me, isn¡¯t only logical that she would resent me and avoid me like the plague? Then why? Why is she here? I should probably ask, but she¡¯s already collapsed lifelessly to her knees on the ground. What do I do, what do I do? Damn it, this is awkward. Maybe I should just ask the most important question and try to make some sense out of this situation. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to kill me then?¡± The elf maid looks up at me, eyes still stained with tears and all. ¡°If I ruined your life to this degree by my own mistakes, then why haven¡¯t you attacked me yet? Although I don¡¯t quite understand your situation and truly do apologize, but what currently does not make sense is the fact that you are here with me and have not attempted to rip my head off.¡± ¡°Hah, do you think I don¡¯t want to, you rhetorical motherfucker?¡± Standing back up and wiping her tears away, the girl stands up and locks her glare into my eyes. Although her violet-shade eyes try to intimidate me, I can tell from her body posture that she is weak and worn-out from emotional stress. ¡°Then, I ask, what is stopping you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bound by a damned magic seal. I can¡¯t do anything that would majorly injure you or cause your death while I¡¯m also forced to protect you from danger, to listen to all of your fucking commands, and to be incapable of even committing suicide.¡± What the hell? Scary magic like this also exists? To be unable to die unless told to, what a fear-inducing thought that is. ¡°¡­I apologize for whatever circumstances that I brought about that would force you to receive such a mark.¡± ¡°Like fucking hell you would apologize.¡± Ummm, what? ¡°You just obtained an elf that is practically forced to be your damned slave for free and without any repercussions. Why the fuck would you apologize for that? If anything, you should be dancing with joy because you¡¯ve achieved one of the deepest desires of a human male¡¯s heart - acquiring an elf fuck-toy to play around with.¡± Woah there, that¡¯s some next level messed up shit. Do human rights not¡­ well, I mean sentient creature rights not exist in this world? This world is way more insane than I initially imagined. ¡°Go ahead! Do whatever the fuck you¡¯d like with me. I¡¯ve already given up on living my life the moment I heard I was going to be kicked out of the palace.¡± *Wumph~* Falling backwards onto a pile of hay, the depressed girl sinks into the bed of golden needles with her arms stretched out perpendicular to her body. Damn, none of this makes any sense. Why the hell would the king or queen send this elf along with me after the scene that I raised in the audience hall? Does the princess still want to marry me after the war is over and the girl is being used as a living tracking device to bring me back at a later date? And most importantly, why is my current state of existence plagued with all of these questions? Why am I in this world? Why do I have a blessing or curse of returning to the beginning every time I die? Why must I endure all of this in the first place? Is there some sick god up there that¡¯s getting a kick out of all of this? Is there some lunatic deity that¡¯s watching my life as if it¡¯s some TV show? Is my life just the creation of an author who wishes to see me suffer day and night with all of these ridiculous situations I continuously go through? Why? Why? Why? All of these questions just make want to¡­ ¡°GRAHHHHH!¡± Huuuu¡­ Why the fuck should I care anymore? What the hell is there for me to care about? You know what? I should just try going outside and killing everyone I encounter from now on. It doesn¡¯t matter, right? Everything just resets when I die, right? So why don¡¯t I do whatever the fuck I¡­ Shit. Where the hell did this personality come from? Stress is starting to split my mind apart. I¡¯ve already got enough trouble from five-year-old me, but now I have a psychotic self that¡¯s interested in mass genocide? Not good. I¡¯ve got to start calming myself down and stop asking these questions. They¡¯re not very good for my sanity. Back to the task on hand, so now where was I? Oh right. The elf girl is staring at me as if I¡¯m afflicted with a mental illness. Well, she wouldn¡¯t be wrong with my current state of mind. ¡°Are you¡­ fucking alright in the head?¡± ¡°Probably not. I myself think that I¡¯m going insane.¡± ¡°Great. Just fucking great. Thank the heavens that I¡¯m not enslaved to a perverted guy, but a fucking insane one instead.¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not over the hill just yet, it¡¯s just that my own circumstances are causing me headaches after headaches.¡± ¡°What damned circumstances? From what I¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re living the fucking dream.¡± ¡°If my life were to have any semblance to a dream, it would have to be shitty nightmare. Tell me, do you think I wanted to be your princess¡¯ ¡®lover¡¯?¡± The elf girl tilted her head sideways as her eyebrows creased in alternating directions. ¡°Hell no! The damned bitch kidnapped me after I listened to her life story. I wouldn¡¯t have gone anywhere near your people if she hadn¡¯t succeeded and, if anything, your life wouldn¡¯t have been ruined in the first place.¡± With eyes widened and mouth agape, the elf maid sits up from her lying down position. It would appear that she achieved some sort of epiphany from my words. ¡°Fucking damn it all! No wonder I¡¯m out here with you instead of any of the other fucking maids.¡± ¡°And for what reason would that be?¡± ¡°I always knew she was fucking psycho, always trying to creep on all the males in the palace but failing to attract any of them. She put the most trust into me out of all the other damned palace maids.¡± ¡°And¡­ so?¡± ¡°She was always trying to get me to live her fucking relationships for her; forcing me to send godforsakened letters or stalking the every move of her current crush. No fucking wonder I¡¯m here with you; she¡¯s trying to get me to follow you around and serve you in order to make you feel gratitude towards her!¡± The elf girl paused for a short moment as her look of surprise crumpled into an appearance of rage tinted with a dash of devastation. *Sigh~* ¡°Fucking damn it all¡­ fucking damn it all.¡± Tears welled up once more in the girl¡¯s eyes before she slumped over into the pile of hay and buried herself underneath the golden strands. You and me both, elf girl. A Real Life (Chapter Nine) ¡°So the princess didn¡¯t isolate herself from men because she was disgusted by them?¡± ¡°Not even close. It¡¯s like this, the guys who knew what the deranged princess was really like all stayed as far away as possible while only giving her the most basic of pleasantries when forced to interact with her. The shit-heads who didn¡¯t know her personality would try to get close to the princess, but not even a love-crazed bitch like her could be attracted to those idiots.¡± I probably should have expected that much from a psycho. But putting elf princess matters aside, there is a far more important task to be accomplished: Extracting all the information possible from the brain of this elf girl. Now, how do I do it? It should be easier now since her mind has stabilized emotionally and is once again capable of rational conversations without saying fuck or its derivatives every other sentence. I guess I should just start talking. ¡°Hey, your name is Emily or something, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Amelia, but close enough.¡± ¡°Okay, Amelia. I¡¯m going to be rather frank and might end up sounding kind of strange in the process, but I know nothing about this world that we live in.¡± ¡°What the fuck does that mean? Do you not know about the kingdoms or the different regions of the world?¡± ¡°Not quite, I quite literally don¡¯t know anything. Practically speaking, I¡¯ve lived underneath a rock and didn¡¯t know that elves, dwarves, or magic existed until today.¡± There was a pause from Amelia. I wonder if I¡¯m being judged by her silent gaze. ¡°Okay¡­ so you want me to explain the beginning of the whole damn universe and how everything came to be?¡± ¡°Uh, not quite the direction I was thinking, but I suppose that would be useful.¡± ¡°Well too bad! No one knows how in hell the world came into existence. The influence of the deities departed centuries ago and they were the only ones who could come close to knowing how the universe began.¡± ¡°Then why even ask me if I wanted to know if you don¡¯t even know?¡± ¡°To figure out where I should start my explanation. Now shut the fuck up and let me talk.¡± *** In our world, there are six main domains and six ruling powers that define our world: The Domain of the Sky - The Kingdom of Dragons The Domain of the Ocean - The Kingdom of MerfolkEnsure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The Domain of the Plain - The Kingdom of Humans The Domain of the Forest - The Kingdom of Elves The Domain of the Mountain - The Kingdom of Dwarves The Domain of the Desert - The Barbaric Tribes of Lesser Beings Each domain usually remains separated and tries to avoid conflict with the other domains in order to maintain a general peace throughout the world. Although, every once in a while two domains might fight over territory or the like, a large scale war spanning over the course of more than three years has never been seen nor heard of. Now, as for magic¡­ Magic is a gift granted to us from the old deities before they departed. Every living creature is capable of harnessing this power if they so desire, although the amount of success one might find in using magic depends on the effort spent learning as well as the natural talent one has in their body. There are three key components to the casting of magic required of a magic user: A brain capable of complex thoughts, a body with open mana channels, and a soul compatible with magic. The more complex of thought one¡¯s brain can think, the greater the complexity of spells one can cast. The more open mana channels one¡¯s body contains, the larger amount of mana one can use in a single spell. The more magic compatible one¡¯s soul is, the lesser the strain upon the body and mind after expending mana. All three of these components are extremely important, but one¡¯s talent is usually set once they¡¯ve grown to adulthood. If one has not exercised their mind in their youth, one cannot expect to be able to think deeply. If one has not regulated their body while it was still impressionable, one cannot expect to have many cleared mana channels. If one has not been blessed with a compatible soul from birth, one cannot expect to use many spells without irreparable damage to the body, mind, or soul. Thus, it is extremely important to stay within one¡¯s limits when practicing magic. Unlike physical exercise or mental exercise, even slight over-exertion can lead to a fate far worse than death. *** *Rumble~!* ¡­ Really stomach? Right now? I know that I haven¡¯t eaten in a while, but I¡¯m busy learning about the world and I don¡¯t want to waste time eating at this very moment. *RUMBLE!* ¡­okay, fair enough. I suppose we¡¯ve been sitting in this barn for long enough anyways. ¡°Hahaha, damn is your stomach loud!¡± It¡¯s not my fault that I haven¡¯t had anything to eat since¡­ well, literally ever! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s probably some place to get food nearby.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± *Shuffle, shuffle~* ¡°Because we¡¯re in the middle of a human village, you idiot.¡± *Creeaaak~* Light. Bright light. ARAGHHHH MY EYES! IT BURNS! Why the hell is it so bright outside? Is the sun actively trying to kill me now? ¡°Calm down, you pussy. A little bit of sunlight won¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s a little bit of sun, then I¡¯m never going outside again.¡± ¡°Oh, just fucking hurry up and get out here!¡± ¡°Waargghhh! Don¡¯t drag me across the floor, you¡¯re getting dirt in my pants!¡± *Thump~* ¡°Alright, alright. At least walk on your own then.¡± Damn, I feel like a metric ton of dirt is stuck in my clothes now. But seriously, why does everything burn? It¡¯s almost as if I¡¯ve turned into a vampire. Is this a side effect of being encased in ice twice in a row? ¡°Hurry up you slow bastard! Do you want to eat food or not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming, just give me a second.¡± *Sigh~* Heh, being able to live life normally sure is nice, now isn''t it? Dreams and The Present (Chapter Ten) ¡°Janus, you cannot continue on like this any longer; your dreams are idiotic and can only lead to sufferring!¡± My eyes, flowing with streams of blood, looked towards the man to my right. What a pain. Can one not do as he pleases without the judgement of others? ¡°Worry not, Mars. I know what I am doing.¡± ¡°Know what you¡¯re doing? Impertinent fool, you may be one of the oldest amongst us, but you cannot see the consequences that are to follow your selfishness.¡± Hoh¡­ Everyone else believes that I am crazy, that I am insane, that I am incapable of seeing the results of my actions. They are the ones that are truly blind; for all that I desire is something simple: To have some more fun. Why are we all so stuck in our old ways? Why must we hole up and hide ourselves from the rest of the world? We are the greatest, we have reached the pinnacle of existence! Then why should we cover our greatness and cower in fear of repercussions from the universe? Can the others not see? I am bringing meaning back into our lives. I am bringing purpose back into our existence. I am bringing excitement back into our world. Why must we fear that which is fun? Hohoho¡­ Unfortunately for you, Mars, my dream is almost fulfilled. You cannot stop me now; I have already won. Hohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohoho! *** *Huff, huff, huff¡­* Damn, what a strange dream. My back is drenched in sweat and my palms are clammy. Also, why is there a scantily clad female lying beside me? Did I do something terrible unconsciously? Wait, no. I remember now, it¡¯s just Amelia and renting a single room was far cheaper than renting two. *Sigh~* Being able to live life like this is so strange. What has it been, one day now? I haven¡¯t died for an entire day. ¡­ Water, where is this water coming from? Ah, they¡¯re from my eyes. I¡¯m crying.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Are they tears of sadness? Are they tears of depression? No, these¡­ these are tears of joy. I want to shout, I want to yell, I want to exclaim: ¡®I HAVE MADE IT!¡¯ But, that would not be proper for it is early in the morning and most are not awake yet. Still these tears of mine flow in the place of my voice that wishes to proclaim to the world my success in survival. It would truly be a shame if I were to suddenly be struck dead at this mo- *Tumble, tumble~* Time freeze! I am not dying here. I refuse! What¡¯s attacking me? ¡­ Oh, thank the heavens that it was only Amelia rolling over and pulling the covers to her side of the bed. I should stop setting red flags for myself. Time release. My heart is beating out of my chest. Breathe, breathe normally, my body. Calm yourself, and clear your mind, me. Phew¡­ back to normal. I have been thinking lately, why is it that I am able to freeze time in my mind? The more I think about it, the less I believe it to be normal. It seems so natural to use and only causes minimal stress to my mind. Why is it that I am able to stop the movement of time and be capable of thought in a motionless universe? With every question that I ponder, my mind grows more confused and strays even farther away from a state of understanding. I don¡¯t want to give room for another personality of mine to grow in strength, so I believe I¡¯ll end my train of thought here. Besides, I think now is a good time to get up and begin a basic exercise routine. There¡¯s no greater time than the present to put in effort and strengthen the body, I say. Let¡¯s start with the basics¡­ I think I remember in my past that someone was capable of attaining a superhuman-like state from doing push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and running laps everyday. Push-ups, let¡¯s go! One! Two¡­! Thre¡­ Huu¡­ okay, I think that¡¯s my limit. Definitely have to work on arm strength some more. Next, sit-ups. ¡­ How the hell does anybody do these? Is it actually possible to lift your back and touch your knees with your hands behind your neck? Skip. Okay, so now let¡¯s try squats. These are kinda easy I guess¡­ but kinda boring at the same time. Am I doing this right? ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± Swiftly turning my head towards the awakening elf girl, I realize how ridiculous I must look from her perspective on the bed. ¡°You training to be a whore in a brothel or something?¡± ¡°What? No! I¡¯m just¡­ er, exercising.¡± Amelia just stares at me silently for a few seconds. ¡°Is choosing to exercise so strange? It¡¯s not like you can gain muscle while not doing anythi-¡± ¡°Yeah you can.¡± Huh? ¡°All you have to do is find a mage who can cast vibration or gravity magic and get them to apply it to your body.¡± Oh¡­ I guess I should have known that magic would be the answer. Question though, is it really simple to find a vibration or gravity mage? ¡°And where would I find someone like that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re staring right fucking at her.¡± Ah. ¡°¡­can I get you to do that then?¡± A devilish grin spreads across Amelia¡¯s face. Why do I feel like that I¡¯ve made a major mistake? ¡°With pleasure.¡± Amelia lightly steps out of the bed and begins walking towards me in her somewhat provocative attire. I can almost see her ti¡­ Hey, five-year-old me. I know I let you out once and you did some good shit to get us here, but really I don¡¯t think your comments are necessary right now. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m as ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡± Circling around to my back, Amelia aligns her palm to my spine and applies gentle pressure. *Vrrrrrr~* A set of vibrations are sending tingles down my spine. Eugh, does this sure feel weird. ¡°This is where the fun really begins. Are you sure you¡¯re prepared?¡± ¡°As I said, I¡¯m as ready as I¡¯ll ever-¡± *VRRRRRRR!* ¡°AARARRASGHVfvawhadsuarbo¡­¡± Everything¡­ is going black¡­ again. Revelation (Chapter Eleven) ¡°Hey Janus, why do you look so sad and gloomy all the time?¡± A familiar face drew near to me whilst I was resting underneath the branches of an old tree. The wind was refreshing and the sun was less harsh here, making this place a good spot to nap. ¡°Aren¡¯t you bored of this passive life, Ceres? Wouldn¡¯t you rather have some more excitement to entertain our never-ending lives?¡± Ceres sat down beside as she looked up to the sky pondering. ¡°We may have attained the highest we can achieve, but what is the point of it all if we cannot go any further? After all, even the freshest of waters grow stale if there is no movement.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been having some fun helping out the lesser beings that live down below. They¡¯re so¡­ idiotic in their ways; always fighting over little things and being greedy for more and more. Somehow, those lesser beings remind me of us before we ascended and it makes me want to help them grow, to help them develop and advance.¡± ¡°Hoh? It would seem that you have found purpose in your life.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that it¡¯s my purpose, but I do enjoy doing so. Although, it feels like my efforts are wasted most of the time as they are all too greedy and too petty to see the greater picture.¡± ¡°At least you aren¡¯t as bored as I am.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you find something to do, Janus? It would be better than just sitting underneath this tree all the time and pondering our existence.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ you know what, Ceres? That¡¯s not a half-bad idea.¡± I stand up and smooth out the wrinkles in my clothes before looking towards the city a way off in the distance. ¡°To have a hobby, no, to have a dream is what it truly means to live. I have been wondering whether I should pursue this dream of mine for quite some time now, but now you have convinced me that having a hobby is a good thing. Thank you, Ceres.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this what friends are for?¡± ¡°Hohoho, of course, of course! Just you wait, Ceres. I will show you what my dream is and perhaps even share it with you.¡± ¡°Well then, I shall await the day that your dream comes to fruition!¡± ¡­ Isn¡¯t that what you said in the past, Ceres? Why is it now that you too have come to stop me? I am merely pursuing my dream just as you have tried to pursue yours. Don¡¯t tell me you really trust in the words of Mars? Has he convinced your mind into believing those lies that he spouts left and right? It is no matter. You have no need to worry, Ceres. With my final act, we will all have a second chance. Perhaps, in the future, we will be able to meet again when your sanity is intact. ¡°Janus! Please, don¡¯t do this!¡± You may cry to me like so, but I refuse to listen to the callings of those that are insane. ¡°This isn¡¯t the Janus that I know! Please, stop what you are doing and we can all live peacefully!¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Hoh, peace? Peace, you say? Mars has really brainwashed you quite a bit. Ever since when did that deranged war maniac ever care about peace? If anything, he wants to eliminate all the peace that exists in this universe and have an eternal war raging day and night. That is where his strength comes from. You poor fool, to be won over by the adversary. ¡°It is too late, Ceres. I have already completed the circle; not even Jupiter can stop me now.¡± ¡°But it isn¡¯t too late to stop all of this, you can still deactivate the circle!¡± ¡°I refuse. Your blindness prevents you from seeing the future that I desire and the one that will bring the fun back into our lives!¡± ¡°Janus!¡± ¡°Hohoho, I hope to see you in the next life for perhaps we can be companions once more.¡± I wipe away the bloody tears that flow from my eyes and clap my hands together with great force. ¡°Farewell, Ceres.¡± Hohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohoho! *** Ugh, my head hurts and my body feels sore all over. What¡¯s with these strange dreams though? Where are they coming from? And that stupid laugh, what kind of person goes ¡®Hohoho¡¯? Is he a gift-giving father figure that comes to give presents to good children? ¡°See? I told you he would wake up. Your companion only passed out because of the unnatural amount of physical exertion forced upon his body within a short period of time.¡± Turning my attention towards the new voice, I see a man dressed in white robes standing next to the door of the room. ¡°But really, what in the world were you thinking? Applying Greater Tremor and Greater Gravity on the man at the same time? Look at his frame! Even a bear wouldn¡¯t be able to handle that much force without falling over!¡± ¡°Well, s-o-r-r-y for my ignorance; but he¡¯s the one who asked for it!¡± ¡°What matter does that make? The point is, you really shouldn¡¯t be trying to experimentally use vibration or gravity magic for developing muscles without a trained practitioner in the area. If you were to apply even a little more force than you already had, your poor companion over there would have been knocked out for days or even weeks!¡± Amelia turns away from the man in white whilst crossing her arms and putting her lips into a pout. The man only shakes his head before turning towards me and extending his palm out for a handshake. ¡°Good afternoon, good sir, my name is Nestor and I am the local healing expert for this small town. Now, what might your name be?¡± Receiving his hand and locking into a firm shake, I look over the man from head-to-toe. The man seems to be in his thirties, most likely single, and whose hair is a shade of dark brown. Underneath his nose rests a well-trimmed handlebar mustache paired along with an equally professionally-styled goatee that seems to accentuate his non-married status. Why does he seem to be unmarried? I don''t have a clue in the world, but every way that I look at this man, he seems to match the generalized stereotype of the handsome bachelor whose hobbies are greater than a relationship more and more. Oh, he asked me what my name was, didn¡¯t he? ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ What was my name again? Oh shit, uh¡­ Time freeze! Why haven¡¯t I realized this before? This question, a question that is even more important than ¡®How did I get here?¡¯ and far greater than ¡®Why am I here?¡¯, is one that I have never paused to ask myself: Who am I? I don¡¯t know my name nor do I know my past. Stop! I¡¯m not going to ask any further. I¡¯ve already made a decision to not ask too many questions in order to limit the stress on my mind. What matters right now is what I should have my name be. A name¡­ what name resonates with me? Argh! I can¡¯t even think of a name that fits me because I have no past experiences to compare names and types of people with! Think, myself, think¡­ ¡­what about that name from my dream? Janus. Sounds simple enough. I don¡¯t even know who or why this Janus guy is appearing in my dreams, but it seems like a name that I vaguely remember. To hell with it all. From now on, I am Janus. Time release. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Nestor was it? My name is Janus.¡± Both of Nestor¡¯s eyebrows rise before moving to a position where one is shifted above the other. Is there something strange about this name? ¡°Janus? Like the name of the God of Time, the God of Beginning and End, Janus?¡± ¡­huh?