《Archive of the Otherworldly God Emperor》


 Second Chance

    For the first time in his life, he was able to take a comfortable breath.


    "Hah!" Liam jumped awake out of the bed.


    "I can breathe!" he screamed as he looked around, searching for the doctors that usually gathered around him.


    But there were no doctors.


    The plain white tile walls had been replaced with a larger wooden-paneled wall adorned with paintings.


    The smell of alcohol and medicine had disappeared. Instead, the room smelled like cheese.


    His face soured as he realized that the smell came from his own body.


    "Damn¡­" He covered his face with his hands, and upon closer inspection, his fingers looked like sausages.


    "This¡­"


    He looked down to take a good look at his own body, but all he could see was a belly folded one atop another.


    "Doctor!!"


    Why he was in a new room, he didn''t know, but right now, he didn''t care that much. He sat atop his large bed, his lips quivering and his eyes tearing up.


    Not tears of sadness¡ªtears of joy.


    He looked at his hands once more, touching his face.


    It was only a few minutes ago that his body had nearly no mass...


    He forced himself to remember something.


    ***


    The white room fit him quite well, as he watched the television, mimicking the moves of the Mixed Martial Artist.


    He knew every mixed martial artist to have entered the sport.


    Every move mastered with nearly perfect footwork.


    But only after thirty seconds of standing up, carefully mimicking the moves, he felt a hint of cramp creeping up his glutes.


    "Ah¡­" He carefully paced back and laid his crooked back onto the stiff white bed.


    He looked at the clock and smiled as he recorded the time in his notes¡ªhe had not been able to even stand up a few years ago, but now he was not only able to stand up, but replicate movements.


    His hunched back had also straightened itself.


    His muscular dystrophy had made it nearly impossible for him to have any muscle, impossible to stand up, to do anything, to even live.


    ***


    That was as much as he could remember.


    "What happened then¡­" he whispered as he tried recollecting his memory.


    Nothing.


    "Alright, it doesn''t matter. The doctor will figure it out¡­" He paced around the room as quickly as he could but quickly huffed and puffed as sweat collected on his forehead.


    He brushed all that away as steps approached the mahogany door. He quickly took his blanket to cover his nakedness.


    He struggled to cover his entire body, so instead, he laid on the bed where he could better cover himself.


    The door swung open, and what Liam expected to be his military doctor, Dr. Andrews, was instead a slender girl in a dark long dress pushing a cart.


    As she met Liam eye to eye, he could already tell that she was not fond of him.


    "Uhm, where is Dr. Andrews? And where am I?"


    She lifted her dark eyebrow before ignoring the questions and picking up a letter from the cart. She opened it with a blade hidden in her dress.


    "My Lord Liam Maddach, I will read the decision made by the Elders of the house."


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    ''Lord Liam Maddach?'' As he heard those words, his heart sank.


    This was no medical house.


    He revealed his hand that had been injected countless times, but he couldn''t find a single scar or any evidence of a needle.


    Before he could panic further, the girl continued:


    "We, The Elders of House Maddach, with careful consideration, have decided that Lord Liam Maddach, seventh son of the Baron Gorath Maddach, will in seven days be revoked of his nobility and all of his privileges and rights as a noble of House Maddach. Upon this decision, Lord Liam may receive a fair compensation decided by the House and may take his official possessions. This decision has been backed by Baron Gorath Maddach. The Young Lord may prepare for his departure upon being read this announcement."


    She folded the paper, leaving it on a table, before handing a plate of steak to him.


    "My Lord, your elk steak," she said in a lighter tone of voice.


    "Uh, thank you. Leave it there, please." He pointed towards the table.


    Pausing, she stared at Liam, confused, before leaving it on the table and bowing before leaving the room.


    ***


    His name was Liam, but it was not Liam Maddach, he was not a Lord, and this was not his own body.


    ''This is not my world¡­''


    He looked out the window. The world outside seemed more colorful, more alive.


    ''Surely, this is not my world.''


    His heart was beating three times faster than normal as he smiled.


    A few minutes ago, he had been on the verge of death, fantasizing about a miracle¡ªa cure for his illness.


    All so he could make his dream of being a Mixed Martial Artist a reality.


    Right now, all those wishes and prayers¡­ had been answered.


    His smile grew wider.


    I''m fine.


    A noble.


    In a body with no illnesses.


    Liam stood up, closing his eyes, imagining the television in front of him, mimicking the fighters.


    Sweat trickled down his back. His new body ached¡ªnot from weakness, but from exertion.


    He could finally feel his muscles sore, not cramping, but burning from use.


    Ten seconds passed.


    Twenty seconds¡­


    Thirty seconds¡­


    A whole minute.


    He stopped, dropping to his knees.


    Tears fell freely down his cheeks.


    A memory surfaced¡ªa prayer he made long ago.


    After listening to an old man complain about his wasted life, Liam whispered:


    ''If you give me a chance to live without pain, without sickness¡­ I will live like there''s no tomorrow. I will not waste it. I will pursue my dreams, no matter the cost. Whatever price I have to pay¡­ I promise, I will do it.''


    He remembered it like yesterday.


    His fingers clenched into a fist.


    His heart pounded as he took a deep breath, steadying himself.


    He closed his eyes.


    Thank you¡­


    Thank you¡­


    (Author''s Note: More chapters available on Webnovel on the same name!)

 Anger Still Lingers

    House Maddach''s Head Servant sat on a soft chair, arranging and sifting through the letters sent to the house.


    The number of letters addressed to House Maddach averaged around 200¡ªsome were personal, others statements from the Imperial Offices, and the rest concerned business affairs and land management.


    He carefully cut open the ones he had clearance to read, while the sealed ones¡ªmeant for the Baron¡ªwere set aside.


    A light knock on the door interrupted his work. He swiftly cleared the clutter from the table and wiped the paper dust from his glasses.


    "Come in," he said.


    Liam''s maid, Sera, entered, carrying a letter that immediately caught the old man''s attention.


    As she handed it over, he took it briskly, inspecting the seal to ensure it hadn''t been tampered with. Seeing that the seal wasn''t marked for the Baron''s eyes only, he knew that he, too, had clearance to read it.


    The blue-gold paper made his eyes widen. It wasn''t just an Imperial letter¡ªit was an order from the very top.


    From the God Emperor.


    His fingers ran over the fine parchment before he carefully set it aside, placing his expensive watch on top of it as a paperweight.


    Turning his attention back to Sera, he asked, "How did the young master take the news?"


    "Well," she replied.


    The Head Servant nodded, noting that she had no visible bruises. "Perhaps he thinks his wealth is enough to get by outside. The gifts from other houses do sell for a pretty price¡­ though he should have still been upset over the decision."


    "He didn''t seem like it," she said hesitantly. "He looked¡­ confused."


    The old man chuckled. "I don''t suppose that will last. He''ll come to his senses soon enough and, as usual, throw a child''s tantrum. Unfortunately, the only one around to suffer it will be¡­"


    "I know¡­" Sera looked down, swallowing hard.


    Liam Maddach was the Lord of Gluttony.


    A disgrace among noble heirs. While the other Young Lords and Ladies spent their wealth investing in businesses and propaganda, Liam funneled an absurd amount of his finances into food.


    His obsession with eating was near-manic.


    Sera could still remember the time a single strand of her hair landed on his volcano cake.


    The result? A black eye and nearly losing one of her lungs.


    But it wasn''t just food that triggered his outbursts. His anger was wild, uncontrollable, and petty.


    If he looked into a mirror and disliked what he saw, he would blame her.


    Even if it wasn''t her fault.


    ''Why did you let me grow this way?!'' The voice of her Young Lord screaming in rage still echoed in her mind, the memory of a chair being hurled at her still sharp in her thoughts.


    "I''m sorry," the old man said, noticing her distant gaze. "I shouldn''t have reminded you. Only a week more, Sera."


    She shook her head, regaining focus. "Would you like me to distribute the letters?"


    The Head Servant pressed them into her hands.


    She glanced at the blue-gold letter. "That one?"


    Without hesitation, he picked it up and tucked it into his breast pocket.


    "I''ll give it to the Baron myself."


    #


    Liam''s chambers had another door, one that led to his bathing room. Through that, a changing room and a resting chamber.


    He twisted the pipe valve, filling the bathing pool with warm water. The floor around it was bone-dry.


    "That explains the smell¡­"


    As the water rose, he scrubbed himself down quickly.


    It wasn''t just filth¡ªit was years of neglect.


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    For the first time, he understood why his own stench had nearly made him gag earlier.


    His fingers ran through his greasy, tangled hair, struggling to pass through the knots.


    "Ahh!" Frustration spiked as he stormed out of the bathing room, snatching the razor blade from the shelf.


    Without hesitation, he shaved his head bald.


    His heavy breaths fogged up the mirror as he stared at his reflection.


    His anger¡­ it had been automatic.


    The moment he felt the filth in his hair, his body reacted before he could think.


    His grip tightened around the razor as a sharp pain shot through his palm. He looked down¡ªhis fingernails had dug into his flesh.


    Another deep breath.


    This wasn''t right. He was never this angry.


    But he let it go.


    After drying off, he rummaged through the closet. Everything was custom-fitted to his large size¡ªcoats with wide structures, high-waisted pleated pants meant to conceal his bulk.


    When he finally dressed, he glanced back at the mirror.


    "¡­I look like the damn Kingpin."


    Before he could dwell on it, a knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts.


    Sera entered, pushing a cart.


    ''Again? But it had only been an hour!''


    "My Lord, your second breakfast."


    She lifted the silver lid, revealing a whole roasted elk surrounded by sausages.


    Her eyes flickered to the first breakfast, still untouched on the table.


    He followed her gaze.


    "¡­Oh, I guess I am pretty hungry."


    Picking up his fork, he pressed it into the steak, cutting off a small bite. He brought it to his mouth¡ª


    And suddenly, the plate was empty.


    His fork hung in the air.


    He blinked.


    ''I¡­ I only took one bite.''


    The food was gone.


    His stomach was full, yet he hadn''t tasted a thing.


    His hands trembled slightly as he set down the fork.


    Sera, sensing something off, took a cautious step back.


    She had expected a violent outburst.


    But instead¡­


    "Please, sit."


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    ''What is he planning?''


    Liam Maddach was not cunning, but he was spiteful. He would do anything to make sure someone felt his anger.


    She had been on the receiving end of it far too many times.


    Still, obeying, she slowly took a seat.


    Liam inhaled deeply.


    This next question¡­ it had to be perfect.


    If he made one wrong move, everything could fall apart.


    The last thing he wanted was for someone to suspect him.


    Finally, he spoke.


    "¡­The other members of House Maddach¡ª"


    He hesitated, choosing his words carefully.


    "And me. Can you¡­ tell me about them?"


    He closed his eyes.


    ''Damn it¡­ I messed that up. It''s over.''