[Beep..]
[Beep... Beep... Beep...]
"Hmm.." I hummed while trying to moisturize my mouth and lips with my tongue, eyes still closed. I didn't wanted to open them all, not yet. This state of mine is too comfortable and peaceful to open my eyes and ruin this comfort. Alarm had not ringed yet, which meant I could enjoy this peace and tranquility little longer.
Suddenly, I felt that my mouth had no saliva, nothing at all but surprisingly my mouth was not dry either.
[Beep...]
I felt that is something very wrong in my current situation. I could not feel my bed and it did not feel like I was in my room either. I quickly opened my eyes with a jerk.
"Aaaaaaa" I screamed out of fear.
All I could see was white cosmos and nothing else. I felt an immense fear like no other. Then my eyes fell below. "Fuck," I said in surprise and fear, as there was no floor or surface. There was nothing. I was floating in a void.
My mind suddenly went completely blank with fear. Fear of falling has assaulted my mind. I curled myself subconsciously while laying, wrapped my hands around my chest, and closed my eyes, waiting this Nightmare to go away.
[Beep...]
My breaths were rough, but at the same time, i wasn't inhaling air at all, there was no air present at all. it was all just simple subconscious activity of my mind. yet my mind was too overwhelmed by fear to even care about this..
i have feeling like i have transitioned from sweet dream to horrifying nightmare.
[System Loading....]
[1%.....20%.....50%.....99%]
[Error....Error..... Reinitiating Loading.....]
....
[1%.....20%.....50%.....99%]
[Error....Error..... Reinitiating Loading.....]
As time went by, my mind started to overcome the fear, and I began to hear a voice. It was coming from nearby. My ears picked it up. I opened my eyes slowly and looked toward the place from where voice was coming. what I saw a blue screen, roughly the size of my Television, floating in front of me.
[1%.....20%.....50%.....99%]
Suddenly, Screen turned red due to Loading error, then turned blue again as the loading restarted.
[Error....Error..... Rebooting System.....]
[1%.....20%.....50%.....99%]
...
[1%.....20%.....50%.....99%]
[Error....Error..... Rebooting System.....]
Some time passed. fear started to fade. I am now trying to stand in void. I can feel something like a floor or surface beneath my legs, although i am still feeling like I am floating.
[Fault Detected...]
[Aura Signature Mismatched...]
The screen turned completely red. A message appeared on it with a sweet mechanical voice. It was not pleasant, but it was not unpleasant either, Better than most mechanical voices I had heard.
[Greetings, Traveler
We deeply regret to inform you of an unintended error that resulted in your arrival in this White Cosmos. While we are unable to correct this mistake or return you to your original world, As you are already Dead. we are committed to offering appropriate compensation for the inconvenience we have caused.
We understand the gravity of this situation and sincerely apologize for the disruption to your life.
If you wish, we can reincarnate you into another world with your memory intact after compensating you.
As a precaution, we will leave a security measure in your mind to protect you from unintended and unconscious leaks of knowledge about your previous world and transmigration. This will also offer slight protection from mind control skills, though its effectiveness will depend on your intelligence and awareness.
Any knowledge can still be shared if you intend to pass it on, including information about your transmigration.
However, be warned: if someone becomes aware of your transmigration, this minor resistance will not be effective against their mind control skills.]
My mind froze for a moment.
"...Dead? how could I? why don't i remember?"
'No. That couldn't be right. I was just sleeping in my bed. I remember lying in my bed. My body was fine, I wasn't sick, how could I die? I don't remember dying? is this screen lying about my death?'
My thoughts tangled into each other, fighting to make sense of something that simply didn't.
"How... how can I be dead?" I said, my voice trembling. "I didn't feel anything. I didn't...."
The white space felt colder suddenly, or maybe it was just me realizing there was nothing here. No warmth, no air, no heartbeat. Just the steady beep echoing from nowhere.
I looked at the blue screen again, anger slowly bubbling under the panic. "You made a mistake… right? You said it yourself.....an error! Then fix it! Send me back!"
The screen didn't respond. Only the quiet mechanical hum followed.
"Don't just stand there!" I shouted. My voice cracked halfway through. "You said you caused this! So fix it! You can't just kill someone by mistake and act like it's paperwork!"
My throat tightened. My eyes burned even though there were no tears. My mind screamed for air that didn't exist.
"I don't want another world," I muttered, my voice shaking. "I want my world. My body. My life."
Silence. Only that damned beeping sound.
[Traveler, the System does not gain anything from lying to you. You are truly dead. You died because your heart stopped working while you were asleep.
According to your world's time flow it has been 13 days since your death. All your last rites have been completed by your younger brother. Your body simply no longer exists. it is just ashes now. You were supposed to be reincarnated immediately after your memory was erased.
However, due to an error and your own luck, you ended up here instead. Unfortunately, I lack the ability to send you back because of safety mechanisms in place. The only path left for you... is forward.]
"But I was perfectly fine. How could my heart just stop?"
I asked, even though a quiet fear inside me already knew the truth. I'd always known my heart was weak, but still... I asked, hoping to be wrong.
[Traveler, you know your body better than anyone else. Can't you confirm this truth Yourself?]
"Yes..." I said softly. my worst fear came true.
[Very well. I will not answer questions regarding your previous life, as they are meaningless now. Shall we begin the compensation and reincarnation process?]
"I... I have one last question. W.....what will happen to my brother? After that, I won't ask anymore. We can start the process right now."
The system didn't respond.
"Please," I said, my voice trembling, almost pleading. "I just want to have peace of mind."
[I cannot discern the future. All I can say is that if nothing unexpected happens, your brother has a bright future. After all, you had already put some safety nets in place beforehand, as if you somehow expected this. Now, we should start the process, as too much time has already been wasted.]
'After my parents died in that accident, I always had this fear deep inside me. That's why I bought life insurance policies, invested in several properties, and kept some liquid money in the bank. I even wrote my will carefully, making sure it would help my brother if anything ever happened to me.'
"Very well... I'm ready. Please start," I said softly.
[Good... I have just received some good news. Due to fate or perhaps luck, you will be reincarnated alongside someone you once knew. Now, rejoice.]
"Who?" I asked quietly. This wasn't good news at all. It only meant that someone close to me had died too. I felt sorry for them.
Who would ever want to die, even if they got the chance to reincarnate?
[Steppe Chief]
I felt a deep guilt for him. That was his nickname, though I knew his real name. I always called him "Steppe Chief," just as he used to call me "Dark Lord." He was someone I used to talk to every single day throughout the year. I must say, he was one of my closest friends.
'We might not have been born on the same day, but we promised that we would die on the same day, at the same time.'
I suddenly remembered that oath we took just for fun. Neither of us ever expected it would actually come true. The thought made me feel even more guilty..... for him, and for his family. I knew this I would happen. i would never have taken this oath at all.
[Compensation Initiated...]
[Compensation: 1× Recovery Kit, 1× basic Language Support, 1000× Gold Coins]
[1× Recovery: A one-time use item that restores your body to its best condition. Note: It doesn't enhance your overall physical abilities. Applied right after Reincarnation]
[Language Support: A one-time consumable that directly imprints the language of this world onto your mind without any side effects. Note: It does not generate language out of thin air but copies it from another knowledgeable person within range. applied right after Reincarnation]
[1000× Gold Coins: Common currency of Doupo Continent]
"Doupo? Why do I feel like I've heard this name somewhere before?" I blurted out the moment I heard the word Doupo.
[Indeed, you have heard it before. It is the same Doupo Continent from the novel Battle Through the Heavens, where the main plot is set.]
"Isn't that... fiction?" I asked,
[The multiverse holds endless possibilities. You must understand that you cannot rule out the existence of worlds you consider 'fictional.' And no, you cannot travel between them freely. Reincarnation through me is the only safe and allowed method. You won't see me again after this. So, consider this your second and final chance to live.]
I exhaled slowly. 'I should understand the circumstances in which I'll be reborn,' I thought, finally calmer than before. The panic that once clouded my mind had faded away.
"When and where will I be born?" I asked.
[Both are random. You will be born a few years before or after the protagonist's birth. Your existence will not directly affect the original plot of Battle Through the Heavens, to maintain fairness.]
"So... I'll just be an extra," I murmured softly.
"Don't you think the compensation is a bit low, considering it's the Battle Through the Heavens world?" i asked again
[Traveler, my task is only to reincarnate you and ensure your beginning. I can't assist you beyond it. Considering you're already familiar with Doupo world, what I have gave to you is more than sufficient. Besides, remember that nothing is comparable to a help from friend. He is your biggest helper.]
I was at a loss for words, but I still continued as their is nothing called sufficient when you are going reincarnate in random world, "If I remember correctly, BTTH is a cultivation world. You didn't provide me with any cultivation technique. How am I supposed to cultivate without one?"
[Use the money I have provided to acquire cultivational knowledge.]
"what if someone get greedy and rob or kill me for money if i am going to purchase knowledge?" i asked.
[Not my problem, If you have nothing else to ask, I will begin your reincarnation right away.]
"One last question," I said hesitantly. "I don't remember the plot clearly after the three-year agreement. I stopped reading the novel after Xiao Yan returned to the Jia Ma Empire as a Dou Zun. Everything in between feels… hazy."
[There is nothing I can do about this. But you still remember most of the key details, at least up to DouZun levels, thanks to those fanfictions you read, Right?]
I nodded quietly.
[Do you remember the saying, "When butterfly flaps its wings in east, and a Storms comes in the west?"]
"Yes." i nodded.
[Then… think about it. Remember, your past life is your past, This life is your present]
For a brief moment, silence returned.
[Initiating Reincarnation Process...]
The white cosmos around me began to ripple, like disturbed water with waves. My body grew lighter, my senses started to become dull. I started losing my consciousness.