...—so it was handed down.
The problem was that no one remembered how the Wizard of the Forest came to find them, how the deal was made, or what he looked like.
They could only cherish what was taken in the deal, and what was received in return.
The boy knew that fact as well. That was why it was regrettable.
The boy did not want to forget this beautiful wizard, the benefactor who would save his older brother.
#1. Prologue (Part 1)
When I opened my eyes, I was inside the novel I had read last.
—I had seen this kind of development a lot in recent years.
I'm talking about those novels where one possesses a character close to the protagonist, such as a villain, a friend, a sibling, the town scoundrel, or a sub-male lead.
There was an overflow of the Possession/Dimension Shift genre where one unintentionally gets engaging with the main story to save the world, tries to live kindly to avoid a destined death, or ends up becoming a legendary hero despite wanting to live quietly. I, too, had enjoyed reading them quite a bit.
Was it because I spent my hospital life reading these possession novels that poured out like bamboo shoots after rain following the trend...?
At some deep hour of dawn, slightly earlier than the expected date. While sleeping lightly, I suddenly felt my remaining breath run out.
Since I had already accepted the end and organized everything, I had no lingering attachments. If there was one regret, it was that I was alone at the last moment. I felt sorry that I had to leave like this on a day when my parents and younger sibling happened to be away.
And, funnily enough... even though I had organized everything, even though I thought I had no lingering attachments, I craved life.
It was shocking even to myself that while I pretended to be calm enough to deceive my own self, I actually wanted to live, even if it meant possessing a character in a book. Although I had prepared and settled many things, far more regrets of all kinds came rushing in.
I should have spoken more warmly.
I tried in my own way, but I should have said I loved them more.
I should have told them I was thankful more often.
I said "I'm okay now," and "I really don't have any lingering regrets" like a habit, but in the end, I was full of regret and attachment toward life.
I swallowed my last breath with difficulty.
And unable to exhale that breath, I closed my eyes.
If I die and disappear like this, what becomes of the existence that is 'me'?
Someone said that death is ultimately peaceful in the end, but I was too lonely and afraid.
Desperately.
Was it thanks to desperately wishing that I didn't want to die, that I wanted to live?
Or was it because I was overflowing with lingering attachments at the final moment? When I opened my eyes, I saw a blurry blue moon and a red moon in the distance.
'That is a moon, right? Two moons... a red moon and a blue moon... Then...!'
Although it wasn't clear, seeing those two moons floating in the night sky gave me certainty.
This was inside the novel [Wizard of the Forest], which I had read over and over again.
At the moment when everything was extinguishing, I had succeeded in a real possession just as I had wished!
Though my vision was blurry, thanks to the red and blue moons—the symbols of the Wizard of the Forest—I grasped the genre as soon as I opened my eyes, but...
'Uh...?'
Somehow... this damn body wouldn't move. It felt as if a heavy rock was pressing down on my entire body, making me unable to budge.
"Ugh... Eut..."
Groaning, I rolled my eyes with difficulty and saw a flat chest rising and falling in my blurry vision.
'Huh? Am I currently... Is my body a bit sick?'
Feeling a faint pain and a squelching sensation, I put strength into my eyes to focus, only to see that the chest was covered in blood.
It was soaked quite thoroughly. I couldn't determine the volume of blood loss, but it must have been significant because my whole body felt weak and dizzy.
My vision blurred again.
'W-What is this! I wished so humbly, just for a healthy body to live a long and thin life! Aaaagh! Daaamn it!'
It wasn't just a matter of the body hurting; perhaps because of the blood loss, I could hardly feel any sensation. The maddening point didn't end there.
"Ah... Uh... Woo...! Woo woo!"
By the looks of it....
"Woo! Awoo!! Ahhh!!!"
By the looks of it, let alone screaming, it seemed I had possessed a body that couldn't produce a voice freely. Furthermore, the second maddening point was that while I didn't even know who I was or where I was yet—
Key-rick!
Kyar-rr-ruk!
Kyu-rrup?
Monsters tilting their heads grotesquely were surrounding me. Small monsters, less than 1 meter tall, were holding crude axes and spears, shaking their bodies as if each was dancing.
'Uwaaack! Its head turned 360 degrees!'
They were too terrible and grotesque beings. I tried to move my hands somehow, but since all strength had drained from my body, twitching was the best I could do.
My second life, which I somehow obtained...
'If it ends in one minute, isn't that really too much!?'
It was unfair. This was unfair, too unfair.
As I was spitting out silent curses with just my mouth shape that no one could hear, the largest one among them raised an axe bigger than its own torso. The flashing blade reflecting the moonlight entered my vision.
'Hyaaak! That's a real axe! Help me! Someone help me!'
Even through my blurry vision, it was a crude axe with a visibly dull edge. With a blunt blade like that, I definitely wouldn't die in one hit; I would clearly die after being painfully hacked apart.
'Help me! What is this! It's too unfair! Isn't this really going too far! Help me! Someone please save me, uhuhuhuhng!'
"Aueah! Aueeahhh!!!"
Since I could only spit out soundless curses into the air, tears burst out from fear and sorrow. The moment the axe blade slammed down above my weeping head, I squeezed my eyes shut.
At that moment.
Clang!
In an instant, a clear sound of collision rang out, and—
Kyararak!?
Kirararak!!!
Kuehyaak!
The death throes of the monsters that had been shrieking all around began to pour out.
Sswaaaek—
Seokeok—
Seu-sak—
Shhhhaa—
Chwat—
Thwack—
Chyaaaak—
Sounds of slicing, cutting, and cleaving the wind swept through the surroundings once, and in a short time, the grotesque cries ceased.
It seemed someone had come to save me from the jaws of death, but I couldn't open my eyes properly. My body trembled violently. I felt a firm arm lift my uncontrollably shaking body.
"Do not lose consciousness and endure just a little longer. I will surely save you."
It was a soft, low-pitched voice. Please save me. I wanted to say it out loud to him. I wanted to live. I really wanted to live.
Hoping that this man would please keep those words, I lifted my eyelids with difficulty. Since I was being held with my head helplessly tilted back, I had to roll my eyes downward to see him.
Vaguely, long straight hair as dark as the night sky entered my vision.
The moment my gaze met his clear blue eyes looking at me. Even before I could examine his face, I felt my consciousness fading away.
Terrified that I might never wake up again this time, I began to beg every god in the world to please save me.
Isn't this a bit too much? Since you're saving me, please save me properly just this once. In this life, I won't hurt others and I'll live kindly my whole life, so please save me... let me live an ordinary life just once....
'I'm begging you, I'll really live kindly... please save me... I want to live....'
While pleading with a mixture of complaining hope that I didn't know who would hear, I lost consciousness.
And very fortunately, I was able to open my eyes again.
I was dizzy, my vision wasn't clear, and I had no control. It felt just like the sensation right before waking up from anesthesia after surgery.
A dim space with faint light hovered into view, but because everything was blurry, I couldn't see properly.
I saw human figures moving in front of my eyes one by one, but even they were hazy.
'Where is this... Is it... a dream....'
One of those figures leaned toward me and reached out with something.
Although I couldn't see properly, I could vaguely feel that someone was sweeping my hair back.
It was a touch that felt somehow familiar. It was a cozy feeling that reminded me of a missed loved one who used to gently stroke my hair a long time ago.
'...That can't be possible....'
Just in case, I tried calling that name I missed so much, but no sound came out. My ears were ringing and my vision was still foggy.
I tried to put strength into my eyes because I wanted to see exactly who was beside me, but I couldn't feel any sensation. Then, someone's voice came from very far away.
"It's okay. Don't worry about anything. It will be okay."
'That voice is....'
Unfortunately, it wasn't the person I had thought of. But it was okay. I knew it wasn't them anyway.
"It's okay."
'Hmm... Is it a god...? Then is this heaven? Anyway, the voice is really killer. Ha... It seems I died again... Ah, I feel really weird. It really feels like before the anesthesia wears off....'
It was a truly unpleasant feeling of having to struggle to wake up.
Still, seeing that God was telling me it's okay with such a cool voice, it must really be an okay situation.
As I felt relieved, a soft light that felt holy once again wrapped around the surroundings, and my vision went dark.
Oh no... It seems I'm falling asleep again.
Once again...
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