What's a movie?" Will asked, Bennett was curious too. Klein pointed behind himself, "The emperor will explain that," he turned back halfway and saw Roselle looking back at him. "What? You know what it means too, why should I be the only one answering?" He scrunched his face a little at Klein and said to the little angel Will, "It's like a play, but it's recorded in a camera in moving setting. You can watch it many times as well as repeat some of its scenes. Usually, people watch movies for entertainment purpose while eating popcorn.'
"It doesn't sound right to watch something while eating though. But this popcorn sure is tasty." The angel said as he munched on more popcorn. He knows that these snacks aren't real and are likely created by Klein's projection power, does that stop him from enjoying it? Obviously not.
Bennette has wanted to have some as well, but neither her dad nor her aunt touched it so she too can't eat it. Now hearing them talking about this fun sounding snack she couldn't help but crave it.
"I wanna eat it!" Bennett loudly whispered to her dad. He smiled warmly and thought it should be alright to let her have some. He was about to reach out only to be stopped by Klein. He looked like he got a devious plan in his mind. "Everyone is allowed to eat popcorn except for Bennett." He announced sort of plainly. Benson who was familiar with Klein's tactics could only sigh amusedly.
Amon, being bored decided to fill something in his mouth, he touched the snack and it vanished- Amon only smiled his usual fake smile, thinking he must be paying him back for what he did in the forsaken land of gods.
Bennett looked like she was about to cry, she looked at her father who tried hard to not laugh and her aunt who looked forward with a hand on her mouth. Reinette raised her hand to give her popcorn to the child but Klein interrupted her, "No one is allowed to share their snack with her," he announced a bit sternly, but his voice became gentle with his next words. "only I can do that." He raised his hand and there was a bigger cup of popcorn in his hands.
Under her father and aunt's encouraging gazes Bennett got down from her seat and walked in somewhat hopping manner around the couches. When she deliberately walked by keeping a safe distance from the hounds and reached Klein's spot. She saw even Will had a cup of popcorn and was eating it, she pouted and asked "Where's mine?" Klein could feel a guilty stab in his heart as he scoots a little towards Leonard, picks the girl up and settles her down beside him. He finally gives her the snacks. It resembled small cotton like flowers, so soft and white. She picked one and ate it. Her happy expression brought smiles on faces of every person who was watching their interaction.
Klein ruffled her hair, which resembled his own hair, 'My niece is so adorable~ Wait! She doesn't know that I'm her uncle. Isn't she too friendly with strangers! She wasn't even afraid of Miss messenger! I'll talk to Benson about this' he made a mental note.
The others were eating the popcorn too, it was really tasty. Roselle almost cried and regretted not inventing it.
They sat there, waiting, Bennett warmed up to the dogs and was running around with them, Susie being the mature one, unintentionally taught the Fulgrim hounds 'how to be a friendly dog'. The audience was quietly talking about 'normal' things, minding their own business.
The temperance faction demonstrating their ability to stay unaffected by the atmosphere and quietly eating. Reinette especially liked the popcorn, she would take turns feeding her each head. Reinette and Maric offered their own snack to their teacher but she refused.
Roselle couldn't take it anymore and asked "Xiao Zhou, when will the movie start?" His patience was really terrible, it's been only 5 minutes. "I don't know," Xiao Zhou shrugged "it's not like I will say 'start' and it would-" the screen lit up with a "bang" sound. "It really did start!" Klein was surprised himself, but his pleasant surprise soon turned into shocking surprise.
He saw himself, agonizing in pain.
Painful!
How painful!
My head hurts so badly!
They see a young man, they can even hear his thoughts. 'Starting off strong huh?' Roselle thought but didn't say it out loud. It was dark in the movie, but they could see it all clearly.
Danitz almost choked on his popcorn from this shock. While the Moretti siblings looked like they were struck by the lightening! It was their brother! What happened to him?
Klein one the screen tried to move around but couldn't. The pain was evident from his body language.
From the looks of it, I'm still not awake. I'm still in a dream… Who knows, perhaps the next scene will be of me thinking I'm already awake, but in fact, am actually still sleeping…
Zhou Mingrui, who was not unfamiliar with similar encounters, tried his best to focus in order to escape the shackles placed upon him by the darkness and confusion.
Roselle: "What do you mean by 'not unfamiliar' do you just transmigrate regularly?" He now knew this was the first day his junior transmigrated, but he could still behave so calmly and think rationally. It kind of made him annoyed. Compared to his own beginning days and his junior's there seemed to be huge difference. He won't say he was worried.
Klein: "You know, hangovers and sleep paralysis, I thought it was that." he said like it was a common thing, his eyes never leaving the screen.
Roselle: 'this guy was abnormal from the start!'
Klein: "Man, wasn't showing my life enough? Why does this even reveals my thoughts!? Ah so embarrassing!" he leaned back in his seat and covered his face with a hand, he was still watching from the gaps between his fingers.
Mentally sane audience: 'You're worried about that now!'
Why would I suddenly have such an excruciating headache in the middle of the night?
And it's really painful!
Could it be something like a cerebral hemorrhage?
Fuck, don't tell me I'm going to die young?
I need to wake up! Now!
Eh? Why doesn't it seem to hurt as much as before? But why does it still feel like a blunt knife is slicing through my brains…
From the looks of it, I won't be able to continue sleeping anymore. How am I to show up for work tomorrow?
Why am I still thinking about work? This is some authentic headache. Of course I have to take time off! I don't have to worry about my manager's grumblings!
Hey, putting it that way, it doesn't seem too bad. Hehe, I can end up getting some spare time for myself!
Zhou Mingrui seemed to have accumulated enough strength in his eyelids and slowly opened it. He took in the items in front of him, an old looking notebook with strange characters written on it, few more books, ink bottle, a pen and a gun. A gun!
Zhou Mingrui was completely taken aback. The things laid before him were alien to him. It looked nothing like his room!
While feeling shocked and confused, he discovered everything in front of him were covered in a layer of crimson 'veil,' a result of the light shining from the window.
Subconsciously, he looked up at the night sky, a crimson moon hung high above the backdrop of a 'black velvet curtain,' glowing in silence.
This… Zhou Mingrui felt inexplicably horrified as he stood up abruptly. However, before his feet fully straightened, his brain protested with throbbing pain. It made him temporarily lose his strength as he fell. His buttocks slammed heavily onto the burly wood chair.
Pa!
He stood up again by propping himself up. He turned around in a fluster as he began to size up the environment he was in. He noticed himself in the mirror—the present him.
Black hair, brown eyes, a linen shirt, thinly built, average-looking features and a rather deep outline…
This… Zhou Mingrui immediately drew a gasp as many helpless and confused guesses surfaced in his mind.
The revolver in ancient European style and the crimson moon that looked different from Earth's moon could only mean one thing!
C-could I have transmigrated? Zhou Mingrui widened his mouth slightly.
"What's wrong with the moon? And what's transmigration?" Emlyn finally couldn't resist opening his mouth and spoke out of curiosity. If this was modern world, the sanguine would definitely be a diehard fan of cinema.
Roselle answered the question, being understanding of his junior brother's embarrassment, "From the era Zhou Mingrui came from, the moon wasn't crimson, if you wake up and suddenly find the moon in any colour other than red, won't you be horrified too?" He paused a bit, letting the listeners imagine the scene and continued, "Transmigration means when the soul of a person travels into another person's body, it's often related to death of either party or both." Many nodded at the possibility and continued watching. The movie didn't stop afterall.
Calm down, calm down, calm down… After taking a few deep breaths, Zhou Mingrui worked hard to stop panicking.
At that moment, as his mind and body calmed down, memories began flooding him as they slowly appeared in his mind!
Klein Moretti, a citizen of the Northern Continent's Loen Kingdom, Awwa County, City of Tingen etcetera etcetera. His entire life flashed before his eyes. Zhou Mingrui experienced the entire life of Klein Moretti, as if both their memories and soul was merging together! His mind stirred even more at the extreme influx of languages, culture, and knowledge.
Zhou Mingrui reached out to rub his throbbing temples. He cast his gaze toward the table at the opened notebook, the text on the yellowed paper turned from alien to something familiar. It then turned into something readable.
It was text written in Hermes language!
The dark ink wrote the following:
"Everyone will die, including me."
Feeling inexplicably horrified, he instinctively leaned back in an attempt to widen the distance between him and the notebook, as well as the text on it.
Being very weak, he almost fell. He supported himself by putting a hand on the table, the surrounding air felt turbulent with faint murmurings resounding in it.
Outside the screen, the audience too experienced those murmurs. They covered their ears and grimaced, they felt the weight of the situation this Zhou Mingrui was in. Amanises flicked her fingers a bit and those voices vanished. They all thanked her in their hearts as they didn't dare look at her. 'Praise the Goddess!'
Zhou Mingrui shook his head, believing that everything was an illusion and found his balance. This time, his gaze landed on the shimmering brass revolver. He suddenly had a question arise in him.
With Klein's family situation, how can they have the money or means to buy a revolver?
Zhou Mingrui could not help but frown.
While in deep thought, he suddenly discovered a red handprint to the side of the table. Its color was deeper than the moonlight and much thicker than the 'veil.'
It was a bloody handprint!
He subconsciously flipped his right hand that had been holding the edge of the table. Looking down, he saw that his palm and fingers were covered in blood.
Did I smash my head open?
Zhou Mingrui guessed as he turned around and walked towards a cracked dressing mirror.
A few steps later, a black-haired figure of medium build and brown eyes appeared clearly in front of him. The person had a distinct scholarly air to him.
Is this the present me? Klein Moretti?
Zhou Mingrui was stunned momentarily. Since there was insufficient lighting at night, he failed to see something clearly. He continued forward until he was just a step short from colliding with the mirror. He turned his head and examined the corner of his forehead.
A clear reflection appeared in the mirror. His temple had a grotesque wound with burn marks along its periphery. Blood stained the wound's surroundings and there were grayish-white brain juices squirming slowly within.
He took a few steps back in horror, it was as if the person in the mirror wasn't himself but a dessicated corpse.
How could a person with such grievous wounds be still alive!?
Most of the audience was experienced in seeing even more grotesque exhibitions, but the weak hearted and normal people still felt horrified. Klein himself wasn't too shocked but hearing his sister gasp behind him, he immediately turned his head sideways. 'Bennett! Is she alright?' She was sleeping. Who knows when she had returned here and was peacefully sleeping, Will shot him a glance as if saying 'it's now that you notice!' Klein only laughed self-deprecatingly and looked forward with a cough.
"This…"
Zhou Mingrui drew a deep breath as he tried hard to calm himself.
He reached out to press his left chest and sensed his racing heart that exuded immense vitality.
The insufficient light for the moon wasn't useful for further inspection of the wound. A memory fragment was triggered in his mind as he with familiarity walked to the desk, turned the pipe's valve and began twisting the gas lamp's switch. However, the expected light didn't arrive. He twisted the switch a few more times, but it only resulted in failure.
He stood there, deep in thought, then started walking towards the door where a machine was installed. It was a gas meter. He took a coin from his trousers pocket, he knew this was the most basic currency of Loen kingdom, a copper penny.
After flipping the coin a few times, as if inspecting its shape and structure, he inserted into the meter's mouth. The sound of the machine working was let out and Zhou Mingrui returned to the gas lamp to twist the switch. It produced a sharp sound and a fire plume ignited and rapidly grew as the light from it blanketed the room with a warm glow.
Zhou Mingrui felt at ease for a baffling reason after the crimson veil receded and familiar warm light expanded. He seriously inspected his wound in front of the mirror. The bleeding was already stopped, and flesh was growing around the wound. It wouldn't take more than an hour for the wound to be restored completely. "The restorative effects that transmigration brings?" He curled his lips as he muttered silently.
People were speechless at the scene. Although there are many mysterious things in the beyonder world, they've never heard or saw anything this unbelievable!
Leonard: "You weren't even a beyonder back then, were you?" asked doubtfully. He knew his best friend was hiding a lot of things from him, he wouldn't be surprised if this was one of them.
Klein: "Of course I wasn't! I didn't even know about beyonders."
Roselle: "This is such a cheat skill... I can't tell if you're lucky or extremely unlucky..." Klein: "True protagonists don't depend on cheat skills to advance." The emperor didn't know whether it was a compliment or a jab.
'That smile... The flipping of the coin...' Danitz had goosebumps as he remembered a certain adventurer who did those things. 'He's not here, right, this Klein person did say people were randomly pulled here...' he thought and sighed in relief, 'it's a good thing he isn't here though' Just as he was about to relax, Danitz was reminded of where he sat and who was beside him. He straightened his back again and quietly scooted to his right, towards Derrick who he knew. Thinking that the goddess wouldn't notice. He didn't even dare take a glance at her.
Zhou Mingrui cleaned himself up and also clearing the room of any remnant blood stain from the floor. He found a bullet in a corner, "Releasing a round with a revolver pointed at the temple?" After mixing and matching the clues, he had a rough idea how Klein had died.
He diligently cleaned up the 'crime scene' and took up the bullet, returning to his desk. He emptied the revolver and looked at the empty shell in front of him, "Indeed..." his guess was right. He stuffed the bullets back and gazed at the notebook's words.
Where did the gun come from?
Was it suicide or a faked suicide?
What kind of trouble could a history graduate of humble origins get himself into?
Why would such a suicide method only leave behind so little blood? Was it because I transmigrated in a timely manner and it came with healing benefits? Many questions arose in his mind.
He changed into another shirt and sat on the chair to think. Klein's experience was still not something he needed to concern himself with. The true problem was to figure out the reason for his transmigration and if he could return!
His parents, relatives, best buddies, and friends. The fascinating world of the Internet and all sorts of delicious delicacies… These were reasons that prompted his desire to return!
Roselle: "Seriously that's your motivation?" he was ignored.
There were goosebumps on some people's body as they saw the guy on the screen playing with the revolver while casually thinking about solutions! (Fors and Danitz specifically)
Yea, I was just a little unlucky, but why would I transmigrate for no baffling reason?
Bad luck… Yes, I tried a luck enhancement ritual before dinner today!
Notes: