The frost had long since melted under the warm rays of the morning sun. The thick veil of mist had vanished amidst the gentle breeze.
The horizon slowly shed its crimson hues, fading into a pale blue that deepened over time, like the waters of the sea.
The chirping of birds perched on tree branches resembled nature's melody, capable of drifting one's thoughts away. Erasing reality and stealing consciousness into a long reverie.
Just like what was happening to the golden-eyed youth sitting beneath the shade of a lush willow tree.
His hand periodically tossed small pebbles into the pond before him, creating ripples on the water's surface that disturbed the tranquility of the fish swimming in the garden pond.
His restless mind wandered back to the day he stole that cursed painting, which led to his misfortune and eventual stranding in this unknown land.
The painting was a work by Vinson Bonaventura, a Renaissance-era painter whose artworks held immense artistic value. One of his most legendary paintings was titled Forget Me Not.
According to rumors among art observers and enthusiasts, it was said that when Vinson was a child, he often experienced strange, recurring dreams. He dreamt of a prince named Sirius de Archer Andromeda, who was afflicted by a peculiar curse.
The curse manifested when Sirius turned 17, causing him to become bloodthirsty and driven to kill anyone he encountered. The kingdom's inhabitants believed the prince possessed a 'devil's heart.'
The devil's heart residing within the prince's body was believed to have the power to destroy the world and bring misery to humanity. As a result, the king decided to exile the prince to an undisclosed location, and since then, no one had seen him again.
These dreams inspired Vinson to create the painting Forget Me Not. The artwork depicted a melancholic young man with golden hair and eyes, dressed in bloodstained royal attire, holding a sword adorned with a dragon serpent motif.
On his upper body, draped with a single cloth over one shoulder, was a large red mark resembling a tattoo, mirroring the dragon serpent motif on the sword. It was said that this red mark represented the curse dwelling within Sirius's body.
Some speculated that Prince Sirius was actually a manifestation of Vinson in a past life. They believed that the recurring dreams Vinson had as a child were fragments of memories from events that occurred in his previous existence.
However, even after centuries had passed, these theories remained mere speculation. The one who held the answers had long since passed away, leaving behind numerous puzzles that turned into mysteries.
The legendary tale that Xavier believed to be purely fictional seemed to have also inspired the author Purely Creating to write a trashy novel filled with massive plot holes, titled The Curse of the Wielder of Evil Powers. This novel also featured the story of Prince Sirius but developed it into a more tragic version.
In the novel, it was revealed that the curse was a relic from the element of darkness, implanted by Sirius's grandfather into his own grandson's body. He turned his grandson's body into a vessel for a powerful relic bestowed by the demon king.
In short, according to spoilers Xavier had read, there came a time when Sirius lost control due to the influence of the dark element. He ended up killing many people, including his own family, leading him into a sea of depression.
Despair consumed his heart, causing him to fall into the diction of surrender. He decided to end his own life, leaving the world, which was then destroyed by the demons.
"Huh! What a classic, nonsensical story!"
Xavier grumbled, ruffling his hair in frustration. A weary sigh slowly escaped his body as his mind returned to a puzzling thought that left him bewildered.
"Is my resemblance to Sirius merely a coincidence?" he murmured. "But there's no such thing as coincidence in this world, right? Isn't everything that happens in this world a predetermined fate?" Xavier questioned himself.
The young man slowly lay his weary body on the grass, beads of sweat dripping from his temples. His shimmering golden eyes gazed at the blue sky above, devoid of cotton-like clouds, partially obscured by the yellowing willow leaves scorched by the heat.
Even today, the sun shone brightly. And honestly, Xavier still struggled to adapt to the weather in this land.
He had previously lived in a four-season country, where he only liked winter and hated breathing in summer. But now he had to live in a tropical country with a dry season almost all year round?! What a cursed fate!
Regret always comes too late. If only he hadn't stolen that painting from the national museum that day and hadn't been involved in a police chase, he wouldn't have been hit by that damned truck and ended up stranded in this place.
The young man wiped his face in frustration and shouted, "Hey! Female Spongebob!"
Ping!
[System: Did you call me, Sir?]
Xavier immediately cast a sarcastic glance at the blue holographic screen that appeared before him. "No, I was calling the wind," he replied sarcastically.
[System: ...]
Ignoring the system's silence, Xavier immediately voiced a long-standing question that had been bothering him. "Why did you choose me? Why not someone else? Did you choose me just because I look like that cursed prince?"
"Listen carefully. You've probably heard the saying that everyone has seven look-alikes in the world, right? So you certainly had the option to choose someone else who looks like that cursed prince besides me. You could've chosen my doppelgänger!"
"Besides, why did you choose someone who has only read 12 chapters to change the damn plot?! Why didn't you choose the bookworms who are obsessed with this fairy tale?! Even though I've skimmed through some spoilers for the upcoming chapters, I still don't know the exact details of this novel!" he ranted, his face contorted with irritation.
[System: If I had a choice, I wouldn't have chosen you either.]
The young man squinted suspiciously. "What do you mean? Were you forced?"
[System: ...]
Seeing the system remain silent without answering his question only made Xavier more suspicious. "Is there someone else behind this, who deliberately made me transmigrate to this world?" he asked.
The system slowly floated back and forth, seemingly trying to change the topic by saying:
[System: Hmph... Anyway, you've already activated the activation code…]
The furrow on Xavier's forehead deepened. "Uh... When? Which code?!" he exclaimed.
[System: Cursed prince. Changing the story's ending...]
"You don't understand! I meant changing my story's ending! My life's fate!" the young man snapped angrily.
[System: Regardless, you've already activated it.]
Hearing the system's indifferent reply, Xavier immediately ruffled his hair in frustration. He growled irritably. "Argh!! Can't I go back to my world?!"
[ System: Feel free to... ]
A hopeful gleam suddenly lit up Xavier's face. The lantern of life that had once gone dim in his eyes flared up again. He instantly straightened his back. "Really?!"
[ System: Yes… ]
[ But let me remind you once again. In your original world, you're already dead. However, if you're willing to return to your grave, that's not a problem either. I'd be more than happy to escort you there. ]
Without thinking, the young man instantly yanked off one of his sandals and hurled it at the thing in anger.
Swosh…
Unfortunately! He'd forgotten that the system entity was like the wind—untouchable, visible only to him. As expected, the sandal simply passed through it.
"Why do you sound so happy knowing I'm already dead?!" he snapped in frustration, his breathing quick and uneven.
[ System: ... 乁( •_• )ㄏ ]
The young man closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling and exhaling deeply several times to calm the storm in his chest.
Only after the heat in the depths of his heart began to cool did he reopen his eyes and look wearily at the transparent entity. "Then what am I supposed to do now? I'm already stuck here anyway," he muttered with a hint of resignation in his voice.
[ System: You remember the main mission I explained before, right? You can start with the side missions to collect points before focusing on the main one. ]
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "And what do I get if I manage to complete the main mission?"
[ System: You don't want to die twice, do you? Think about it. Right now, you're playing as Sirius! If you fail to prevent Sirius's death, then you fail to prevent your own. Even if there's no reward, at least you'll be spared from dying again. ]
Xavier's brain felt like it was about to boil. Deep down, he was convinced this system had a personal vendetta against him—like it had been holding a grudge for years. If he could leave a review, he'd give it a massive negative rating!
But truth be told, in the deepest corner of his heart, the young man didn't really feel that burdened by the system's main mission. Preventing the suicide of the character he was playing? That was hardly a challenge for someone like Xavier.
He had already been silently contemplating. "Huft! Suicide? That's ridiculous…" he grumbled inwardly, staring at his reflection on the surface of the koi pond before him.
At the moment, he was wearing a pure white silk cloth draped over one shoulder, embroidered with golden thread, and a thick gold necklace with a dragon-head pendant.
"Right now, I am him. I control whether he lives or dies. So if I decide not to commit suicide, everything will turn out just fine, right?"
"That's an easy task. There's no way someone like me would even think about suicide…"
"Besides, my heart isn't nearly as fragile as this cursed prince's—even though I've had my share of bad luck. But not once has it ever crossed my mind to end my life…" he thought to himself.
Still, at his core, the young man always looked for the easiest way out of any situation. That same mindset stirred him up again. "In that case, let me choose a different character!" he declared to the system.
[ System: This isn't a traditional market. Bargaining is not allowed. ]
"Bastard!"