(POV Arthur)
The golden light that had been blinding and filling the ancient library suddenly dimmed, leaving behind the scent of ozone and ancient dust in the air.
At that moment, Arthur slowly opened his eyes, his head feeling heavy and dizzy as if he had just awakened from a hundred-year sleep filled with other people's dreams.
For a moment, he felt disoriented. This made him involuntarily furrow his brow before muttering, "I feel like I've experienced a very long life in the past." His voice was hoarse amid the library's silence.
Right in front of him, the thick leather-bound book closed with a soft 'click,' and its silver lock automatically relocked.
Through the bitter experiences of the Nameless King—his loneliness, his sacrifices, and his tragic fate—still swirled in his head, leaving him confused.
Should I take this book? Or just leave it?
After sighing, he finally decided to leave it in the same place.
For him, this was an act of respect toward the book's author.
The Nameless King.
Now, through the experiences from the book, he remembered something he possessed.
A sword!
The Excalibur sword!
Arthur pulled the sword from his inventory, manifesting it from the void.
Because he had gone through the past experiences, he was curious about what changes had occurred to this sword. This was the sword he had drawn, causing disaster to the world. If he had known this sword sealed the zombies to keep them inactive, he certainly wouldn't have done such a foolish act.
But what's done is done; he couldn't turn back time. This made him involuntarily let out a long sigh.
Shortly after, he refocused his gaze on the sword. Finally, not long after, he saw the change. Before him, the sword began to change shape into its true form.
At that moment, only in his mind, the sound of shattering glass echoed, and the world around him seemed to crack into thousands of pieces before vanishing, revealing the true reality of the sword's blade.
This was the effect of the Shattered Verity skill!
The effect shattered when someone knew the truth!
Arthur, through the past experiences, had learned the truth that Excalibur was merely an illusion. Its true form was The Warden's Dawnblade!
He felt satisfied yet sad knowing his sword had returned to its true form, which was a long sword that appeared simple yet majestic. Its blade was made of dull silver that strangely reflected no light. The hilt was wrapped in pristine white leather, and the guard was shaped like a pair of tightly folded angel wings. At the base of the hilt was a pale gem that appeared cloudy and lifeless.
Then, he returned the sword to his inventory. He already knew that truth; no need to do anything unnecessary.
He turned, stepping away from the table, leaving behind the scent of old books and eternal silence.
He would leave this library. There was nothing more to do in this place.
At the library's exit threshold, Arthur paused for a moment and turned back. His gaze was a mix of sadness and nostalgia. He felt he had become part of that book. Even now, he felt like going back and experiencing it again.
But he shook his head and pushed the thought from his mind.
"Rest well, Nameless King," he whispered to the silence, before finally stepping out.
***
(POV BILL)
In the dimly lit inn corridor, a man nervously held his hand at the door. He raised his mouth and was about to knock with his bent index finger. But even after several minutes passed, none of those actions succeeded.
His heart pounded hard, his mind blank. What should I say?
At that moment, a mocking voice suddenly whispered in his head, "Why are you so nervous?"
Bill growled inwardly, "Shut up, you wouldn't know how I feel, demon!"
Clearly, he hated someone who suddenly spoke bluntly to him when he was in an unfit state.
"Hehe, remember? We're one body, so of course, we're one mind and emotion!" Something in his head stopped speaking for a moment, as if thinking. "Listen, if you like someone, you have to be confident! Hurry in, or let me take your place."
Bill felt a cold shiver down his spine, outright rejecting that horrifying offer.
He imagined something inside him smiling!
Clearly, he would reject the offer. Only a fool would hand over their body to a demon that obviously had ill intentions!
At that moment, he suddenly widened his eyes.
"Bill?"
It was a soft voice. The source of the voice was from behind the door he wanted to knock on!
Bill swallowed, trying to put on a calm face. "Yes?"
Inside the room, a relieved sigh was heard. "Thank goodness it's you... Come in!"
Following her wish, Bill turned the doorknob and pushed it open, his eyes immediately fixed on Chloe sitting on the bed with a slightly forced smile.
"So this is your crush... heh, no wonder you're smitten, her face is as beautiful as an angel," the demon's voice whispered again.
Instantly, heat spread to Bill's face, making him blush like a tomato, which of course made Chloe tilt her head in confusion.
Of course, only Bill could hear that voice!
However, hearing that statement now made him involuntarily shudder and want to beat 'something inside him' to understand what timing to shut up is.
"Oh, you blush so easily! You're really head over heels!" the voice teased.
"SHUT UP!" Bill retorted inwardly, clenching his fists.
At that moment, as Bill looked at the charming girl's figure once more, something inside his body seemed to take form, looking the same as Bill. And using his face, he felt a horrifying sensation as if 'something' inside him moved his own tongue, licking his lips hungrily.
"I'm getting tempted to devour her!"
Instantly, Bill's face hardened in anger.
"I'll kill you!"
Chloe, seeing her friend's drastic and frightening change in expression, unconsciously scooted back on the bed.
"Come on, I was just kidding," the voice sounded again. "Look, your crush is uncomfortable now."
Bill snapped back to reality and immediately apologized stammeringly before rushing out of the room.
In front of the door, he narrowed his eyes. "I won't forgive you if you don't do your job according to the contract," he hissed.
"As you wish, Your Majesty," the voice replied, and somehow, Bill's lips curved on their own into a crooked smile that wasn't his.
***
(POV Charles)
Elsewhere, in a house not far from the one occupied by Bill and his friends, Charles stared boredly. After two hours of silent observation and finding nothing suspicious. This once again made him sigh.
Did he have to do this for another two hours, only to get nothing again?
How idle!
At that moment, Charles rose from his sitting position. He brushed off his dusty clothes before walking out of his hiding spot.
He decided to leave.
For him, waiting two hours was the same as dying of boredom!
He wasn't patient enough to wait for someone to act? Who did he think he was? A mother observing her child's development?
He was just an ordinary human!
Why wait when he could stalk and watch them up close?
But he had no intention of doing that.
He no longer cared about them.
After deep reflection while observing the house boredly, he came up with a reasonable thought.
From the beginning, if the house's occupants had information on how to go home, they would have left long ago.
The fact that they could sleep soundly while he shivered out here was proof that they knew nothing!
They had no information!
This made him question what justice was.
There is no justice in this world! he thought bitterly.
He stepped without direction, perhaps looking for his two friends who were who knows where.
Searching around the village was an option. But because there were so many residents resembling undead, he had to take detours usually unoccupied by locals.
This once again made him sigh.
***
(POV BILL)
Back in Chloe's room, Bill stood there, after being allowed in again.
"I want to go somewhere," he said, turning his face away for a moment. "Want to come?"
Chloe pondered in silence, then agreed.
"Taking a walk sounds like a good idea. It's also good for clearing the mind." Chloe stood and looked at the rumpled bed. "You know, staying cooped up here gives me too many thoughts."
"I understand what you mean."
Chloe then looked at him and smiled.
In front of the door, as the doorknob was turned and the door opened. Henri, with a surprised face, looked at them both. He looked at Chloe at first, then shifted his gaze to the man beside her.
Bill narrowed his eyes. But Henri, noticing the change, just stared at him silently.
He didn't understand why he was suddenly glared at.
Did I do something? Henri muttered and tried to think.
At that moment, in his head, he caught a clue that might relate to this change. He nodded and explained in a calm tone. "I just finished looking for clues to go home."
"And did you find any?" Bill asked, still narrowing his eyes.
"Unfortunately not." Henri shook his head.
After that, he went to his room, leaving them both in silence.
After Henri left, the voice in Bill's head sounded again. "So you're looking for a way out of this world?"
"Do you know how?" Bill asked. He had no expectation for the answer.
"If I knew, I wouldn't be here with you, idiot!" the voice replied, making a vein on Bill's forehead twitch.
"You want to die?!"
Shortly after, they went for a walk, only to find no clues at all.
This didn't disappoint them. From the start, they didn't expect to find the answer in this village.
On the other hand, during the trip, Bill also felt something wrong. He sometimes felt his body moving on its own. At first, he thought this was a side effect of inserting that creature into his body.
However, after being with it for this long, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
Bill accompanied her to the front of her room door. The two stared at each other for a moment before smiling. Then, Chloe entered her room.
Bill was about to turn, only to find he couldn't move.
Something was wrong....
At that moment, he felt something in his body suddenly smiling!
It wasn't that he didn't want to move. On the contrary, he felt his body moving on its own!
Bill, who wasn't himself, moved his hand, about to turn the doorknob. He tried with all his might to hold it back only to find himself rejected.
Yet this was his body!
But he couldn't control it!
"What are you trying to do?!" he asked inwardly.
At that moment, Bill, who wasn't himself, smiled. "Doing according to the contract," the voice answered.
He turned the doorknob. And the door opened forcefully, startling the girl inside.
Chloe froze for a moment and put on a wry smile. "What's wrong?"
At that moment, as she asked, her gaze fixed on the figure's face in front of her. She widened her eyes, finding her friend looking somewhat different.
Bill's face now looked different, colder and more predatory. Chloe unconsciously backed away, her face pale with fear.
Meanwhile, the figure in front of her approached quickly, gripping both her hands roughly.
Chloe felt very scared, her whole body trembling, her eyes, which widened, also trembled. She tried to resist hard only to find herself powerless against such strength.
Bill, inside his body, also tried to resist and push whatever was controlling him away from his body.
Because of the internal rejection, his hands gripping Chloe's weakened. Allowing her to easily release both hands.
With her remaining strength, Chloe, with a flushed face and nearly crying, managed to break free and slap the foreign face in front of her hard.
SLAP!
Bill's face reddened, he held his cheek, looking dazed for a moment.
At that moment, Chloe immediately stood. That moment was enough for Chloe to run out of her room!
Bill, or 'something' controlling him, immediately chased her.
Chloe, running in panic, suddenly tripped over her own foot, her head hitting the corridor floor, and she fainted.
Bill, staring at this incident, froze instantly. His eyes widened. Instantly, control returned to Bill. His eyes widened in horror staring at Chloe's figure lying on the corridor floor.
He understood. The creature inside him only let him back when the situation had worsened!
Now he was indeed back in control of his own body.
But what about the future?
Bill lamented the figure in front of him, who had fallen in silence, with a confused feeling. Shortly after, with a shattered heart, he lifted Chloe's unconscious body and carried her back into her room.
He felt guilty.
***
A/N: Finally, we're back to the story in the future! Yeah, this will be an over-the-top romance drama not suitable for kids to watch. So funny. Honestly, why did I write this? I don't know myself!
By the way, I'm still looking forward to your comments!
If you want to read the 7 advanced chapters with a faster update frequency than the webnovel, you can read it on my patreon whose link is below:
https://www.pâtreon.com/Junxt
Replace "â" with "a" and search for it in your browser.
By the way, don't forget to throw a power stone and leave a review to motivate me :)