The sun's warm light stirred Millus from the depths of a long, drawn-out dream or perhaps it was a nightmare. Maybe it was a blend of both.
But either way, for the first time in what he felt like an eternity, he could truly feel the wind brushing against his skin again, the morning dew glittering like shards of glass scattered across the patches of grass on the rocks.
He lay there for a moment, simply breathing in the fresh air that filled his lungs, letting the sensations wash over him.
'This time… I'm finally awake, truly conscious and fully aware of everything that's happened to me.'
The thought came heavy, as if dragging his heart down with it.
'Regaining my memories, it's been one hell of a trip,' he mused at the thought while exhaling softly. 'It was terrifying, honestly, that move I pulled out at the last second, it was something out of a movie.'
Then he raised his hand into the sunlight and watched as it trembled faintly. The sight stirred something inside him, it was an odd mix of awe, disbelief, and a gnawing uncertainty of what will happen in the future.
"I still can't believe it," he muttered under his breath. "I died once… and I almost died again a few weeks later after being thrown here, and the first thing I did when I got here was… those horrific things to those people, it was easy to do those stuff when it was simply behind the screens, now this is reality, but I can't feel anything, losing my humanity this fast is simply absurd."
His fingers curled into a slow, and deliberate fist, then he relaxed, as if trying to grasp the reality of his continued existence starting now. His skin was soft, unnaturally smooth and untouched by the hardships he once knew in his old life.
'At first, it felt like I was dreaming, but now… I'm certain, I remember everything, except my name, but I remember my family, my friends, and the life I left behind.'
Memories flickered through his mind, the laughter of his siblings, the long nights spent working with his friends, and the sharp, cold fear of that final day when he was still alive.
'And then… the time I got thrown into this world, Kaela, that massive wolf who spoke like a person, and Lina… that young woman, she's afraid, but she's brave and full of curiosity, all at once, just what kind of world is this?'
A low chuckle slipped out of him, wry and disbelieving.
'They both spoke in a foreign language… and I somehow understood them. It's probably because of the system, but now that it's gone, how will I understand them? Just saying that out loud sounds ridiculous, but… stuff happens.'
Lowering his gaze, Millus stared at his open palms once more. The light caught on them strangely, as if they didn't quite belong to him.
'These hands… soft, untouched, no scars, no calluses. Yet they're capable of such brutality, but… they're mine.'
He clenched them tightly, feeling the faint tremor of unease stir beneath his skin.
'I just have to accept what has happened, but what worries me most… is Julie.'
A heavy weight settled on his chest like stone.
'I hope she made it, right before I blacked out, I remember the gate to the safe room closed just in time. The hunters should've arrived there shortly after. I even managed to send that distress signal to Jackson… so I know she survived, she has to.'
The thought offered little comfort, but it was something. A fragile thread of hope to hold onto, a coping mechanism of what Veda had said.
Millus sat up slowly, brushing off the dampness clinging to his clothes. His fingers dug lightly into the cool earth beneath him, stabilizing his position.
'The memories… his and mine… they're tangled together now, I don't know which is more of me.'
He sighed, the sound escaping him like the final breath of a dying man.
'Nineteen years of playing that game… and inside, twenty-four thousand eight hundred years had passed. That's just insane. I mean, should I be proud I even remember all of it. But… is this some kind of sick joke?'
A bitter laugh broke free, laced with disbelief.
'As if some god had been playing with me, forcing me to face everything he can throw at me. Just like how I played that accursed game, wasting all those years, I could've been more than satisfied to have died there on the spot.'
He shook his head slowly, trying to clear the confusion that clung to him like mist and the sudden anger at the unfairness he felt.
'And now… with Millus' memories mixed with mine… that so-called messenger who appeared, claiming to serve some god, was akin to one of those mini-boss from the early stages of the game. He… no, I fought him and got nearly squashed.'
His fingers pressed into his temples as he groaned, frustrated about the fact that something unknown is targeting him from the shadows.
"This isn't a game, come on, get yourself together. There are no checkpoints, no save slots. And if I die I'll die for real if I'm not careful. What the hell was I thinking? Collecting Divinitum and planning to challenge those people? And now I fought one of them, and he's just a messenger or what not, what's worse is the being he serves…"
"Forget it, I'll just live quietly and peacefully in this world and pass away peacefully, right, that's the best option that I can come up with."
He pushed himself to his feet and rolled his shoulders, adjusting to the unfamiliar ease and strength flowing through his body. It felt unnatural, yet exhilarating.
'But still… I've been given a second chance. It'd be a waste not to enjoy it.'
He stretched his arms toward the sky, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His body thrummed with energy, brimming with potential he'd never known before.
"Maybe this is how young people and those transcended hunters feel, no lower back pain," he muttered. "Such amazing people, overflowing with energy and capable of things far beyond normal people, but it also comes with its burdens."
He flexed his hands, feeling the latent power ripple just beneath his skin.
"Well alright then," he said to himself, his voice steadier now. "I should probably go find the friends I made when I got here. They're probably waiting for me to come back."
Without another word, Millus turned toward the direction he remembered, the wind pushing gently at his back. And with quiet resolve, he began walking, one step at a time, towards the familiar presence he felt.
Now that the system was gone and Veda lay dormant in hibernation, everything felt strangely natural. The skills, maxed classes, gear, and items, everything his character had built-up, all of it now belonged wholly to him.
Even death, something once experienced countless times through his character's long journey, it no longer held the same weight.
But compared to those countless virtual deaths, his current perception of time, morality, and even empathy had begun to shift. With the unrestrained status fully active, the boundaries between character and self had blurred into one, himself.
He arrived at the camp that was set up, it wasn't that far from him, and the familiar presence he felt was unmistakable, it was Lina.
She knelt by a pile of wood, trying to start a fire. Her expression was one of determination.
'I might startle her if I just walk up to her… hmm?' he thought.
But as he watched her struggle, he discarded the thought and stepped forward, breaking the silence with a soft voice.
"Need some help?" he asked gently.
Lina flinched slightly when she heard a foreign language but the tone was familiar to her, and then turned around, her eyes widening in surprise. When she saw him, her expression lit up with relief and joy.
"M-Millus!" she exclaimed, rushing toward him. "You're really awake! It's been days since you left! The Great Guardian said you were fine but still!"
She spoke rapidly, her words were tumbling over one another with excitement, but Millus remained still, it was not because of shock, but confusion.
He couldn't understand a single word she said, but he got the gist of it.
'So… the system auto-translate feature is gone now that I've forcibly removed it… I can't understand her at all, this is a problem.'
His mind raced to find a solution to his predicament.
He remembered what Kaela had once told him about the language of the spirits. It wasn't spoken through words, but sincerity and purity. It resonated through mana, echoing meaning rather than grammar.
'If it's based on frequency and emotion… then it should be possible. Mana exists in all things, including in the air. If I adjust the output of my mana like tuning a frequency.'
His thoughts flowed faster and faster.
'And if I match the flow of my intention to that resonance, then… using past conversations as a baseline for assimilation between the sender and the receiver, the basic principles of communication, I'm smart as heck.'
The entire thought process completed in a split instant. Lina didn't even notice the brief pause before he spoke again, but this time in the language of the spirits.
"How have you been? I was gone for awhile, so I imagine Kaela's been craving seasoned meat again, right?"
His words rode the air like a wave, and the mana around them shimmered faintly, vibrating at just the right frequency.
"...Um, yes," she said, slightly flustered. "I was wor- I mean, curious of what you were doing. But it's good that Great Guardian Kaela knew where you were."
She spoke softly, fiddling with her hands, her cheeks were slightly pink.
"I see," Millus replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Thank you… for worrying, and for Kaela's protection."
A calm silence passed between them, it felt comfortable and familiar.
"Let's get the fire going and cook some meat," he said at last.
"Yes! Let's do that!" Lina answered, her voice sounding brighter now.
As they worked, Millus took another glance at her. She looked ragged in her clothes, there were even some charcoal streaks marking her cheek and her hair, and her animal-hide clothing was weathered and stiff. Clearly, she'd been enduring more than just hunger.
He closed his eyes and reached inward.
The system's neat interface was long gone now, its purpose was to simplify the actions and provide shortcuts while also limiting the power he can use, and now his inventory had reverted back into a timeless void pocket. The items inside remained unchanged and were immune to decay. Still, organizing it will be a nightmare for him.
'My level's maxed, so naturally, most of the gear's high-end… Leveling up was a must back then. And at that time I hoarded so many items that it's hard to sort through it all now. Heck, there's even a mountain of stone and dirt in here. I'll clean that up later…'
After sifting through his stash, he found it.
'Aha! Perfect. The Advance adventurer uniform, it has good stats, but more importantly, it's practical and comfortable. I remember keeping a few female variants for cosmetic sets back in the day… good thing I always played in my main account. Getting stuck in a girl's body would've been, yeah, no thanks.'
He pulled the folded attire from the void pocket and cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Uh, Lina, there's something I'd like to give you."
He held out a neatly folded set of clothes with a pair of boots. It was a dark, practical adventurer's outfit, designed for utility and comfort. The top featured a long sleeve made from breathable but reinforced fabric.
The loose, layered trousers and skirt overlay allowed for movement and flexibility, while the wide belt helped tie the outfit together. It was durable and surprisingly well-fitted, offering modest defense which is perfect for travel.
Lina stared at it, dumbfounded. Her expression was somewhere between confusion and embarrassment. She didn't move because she was unsure of what to do with the gift.
Right then, Kaela returned, dragging along the carcass of an enormous, enchanted moose shed hunted down the mountainside. She dropped it with a thud and raised a brow. "Hmm? What's this? You should take it, Lina. Go wash up at the spring down the slope."
"B-but, it's-" Lina tried to object.
Kaela cut her off. "Just take it. It's clearly more comfortable than what you're wearing, It'll help you, and you wouldn't turn down a gift, specially from him right?"
Lina glanced once more at Millus, then gave in. "Alright… thank you, Millus! I'll be back!" She turned and ran, cheeks flushed, she was clearly flustered.
Kaela turned back to him with narrowed eyes. "So? How do you plan to explain this? You've been changing again and again, I mean drastically. And now, your speech… you're mimicking the spirit tongue, but it's not nearly as clean as before, so what happened?"
Millus didn't flinch. "It's my problem," he said plainly. "You don't need to concern yourself with it."
"Hmph. You're becoming more arrogant by the day."
He waved her off with a slight smirk. "I don't know what you're talking about. But hey, aren't we going to cook that thing you dragged over here?" He motioned his hand at the moose.
Kaela scoffed, arms crossed. "If it weren't for that weird stuff you put on the meat, I would've chased you off already."
Millus chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "Well, I don't know about that. Someone might get upset if they don't get their fix." He threw a sly glance her way.
She rolled her eyes. "Enough talking and more grilling."
With a flick of her finger, the massive moose carcass floated beside them.
Millus grinned. "Alright, alright I'm starving anyway."
Without delay, he got to work. Years of experience as a veteran monster dismantler kicked in. Back then, dismantling wasn't just about simply dismembering the body parts of the monster, it was about maximizing every part of the creature as it was to show that he had mastered the art. So knowing what to discard, and what to keep was what kept him in service with high pay despite being a non-combatant.
He moved with precision, his hands worked quickly, removing the unusable parts and separating edible cuts with clean, and practiced motions.
Then, with a gesture, he summoned his tools, a black iron pan, a butcher's razor sharp knife, stock pots, and a large foldable wooden table. Around them, he made three additional fire pits that sprang to life, one for a hearty stew broth, another for roasting, and a third for frying.
"I call this, uh, Moose steak, moose stew and uh, barbecue," Millus made up names on the fly.
Kaela was stunned, not by the magic, but by what he was doing.
Soon, Lina returned, wearing the new outfit. She looked different, more confident, though still bashful. She'd clearly taken her time.
But Millus was too deep in his task to notice at first. Cooking, for him, wasn't just a hobby. It was something that reminded him of before, the small, simple moments when he cooked for his siblings, before the weight of the world pulled him away from them.
He didn't know how to cook moose, but his instincts, smell, taste, and temperature that guided him like it was second nature.
The air grew rich with layers of flavor, more than just salt and pepper, herbs, spices, and the gentle sweetness of flame-charred meat, and how could he forget the dipping sauce made of soy sauce paired with lime, he didn't forget to make a separate bowl for Kaela.
When the final piece sizzled and popped in the pan, he finally turned and his eyes locked onto Lina.
She looked down shyly.
"Ahem… it looks good on you," Millus said, trying to recover from his pause as he got back to cooking.
"Um, yes… thank you," she murmured..
Kaela, unfazed by the two acting strange, stretched her arms. "Well, it was worth the wait, now let's eat!"
Millus quickly stepped in. "Wait, wait! Could you, uh, transform into human-like form, like down to our size first? I mean, you might eat everything otherwise…"
Kaela snapped her gaze at him as she felt offended. "What!? Do you think I'd devour all the food like some mindless beast?"
"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Millus tried to backpedal. "It's just… wouldn't it be nicer if we were all eating side by side?"
'Last time she ate it all in one bite in her wolf form…' he thought to himself.
Kaela narrowed her eyes. "Fine, but I want more portions, and for some reason I really want to bite you."
'Crap, she's really sensitive to that kind thing.'
He handed out deep wooden bowls to both of them. They were already used to the strange tools and items Millus conjured from thin air. The smell of the food made any lingering questions fade away.
While they ate, Millus glanced at the sky. 'It's weird… I haven't slept in weeks, but I'm not sleepy. Still, I should build a cabin or something tomorrow, I can't keep sleeping under trees forever, especially I can't keep letting her sleep in that animal hide tent of hers.'
The three of them ate to their hearts' content, the fire crackling softly, and for a brief moment, it felt like a home.
End of chapter