Returning back to the void, I thought about my first ‘fight’.

‘It really wasn’t much of a fight but at least it’s better than getting instantly killed’ I chuckled depreciatingly.

Although, I could do without the getting ripped apart by wolves part...

‘Man, it’s honestly surprising that I’m still sane after all I’ve been through’

Actually, am I still sane?

I honestly can’t tell and THAT can’t be a good sign.

‘Eh, sanity is overrated anyway’ I chuckle to myself.

I was lost in thought when an unexpected change overcame the void.

Its deafening silence was disturbed by a voice other than my thoughts.

There is No Flux, There is Only Death

Through Victory, Your Chains Are Broken

Death Shall Set You Free

The words echoed through my consciousness with a sense of inevitability, finality and, weirdly enough, familiarity.

That voice...

I’m sure I’ve never heard it before and yet I feel such familiarity towards it.

It’s as if it was an old friend...

My trance was broken as I realized I was back in the forest.

What the hell was that?

“There is no Flux, only Death...Death shall set you free...” I mulled over the words.

The voice wasn’t the only thing that was familiar, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this before.

It’s on the tip of my tongue...

“Argh, I can’t remember!” Scratching my head in frustration, I give up.

I wonder who the voice belonged to...

I don’t really understand what it meant with ‘Flux’.

I think the second part means that I need to fight to get stronger but I kind of already knew that.

That’s usually how you get stronger in a fantasy or cultivation world.

The third part is surprisingly the one that I think I understand the most.

Death shall set you free.

Dying and transmigrating to this world has not been fun.

In fact, it’s been pretty much torture.

From getting to experience truck-kuns fatality to literally getting my balls stolen by a squirrel.

And yet, I still wouldn’t choose to give this up.

I’d rather deal with this shit than the monotony of daily life on Earth.

The chance to become stronger and maybe even something more is too precious.

There’s also the fact that Earth is basically just a giant clusterfuck of problems right now...

Not having to worry about taxes and other stupid shit is also a plus.

I just feel so much lighter compared to back on Earth.

Death has set me free.

Thinking about all this also reminded me of my family.

“I wonder how my parents are doing? What did they think of that freak show of an accident? I wonder how my funeral went...” I chuckle sadly.

So many questions but no answers.

Maybe I’ll find a way to visit Earth in the future...

Sighing, I put all these thoughts out of my mind and focus on the current situation.

“Well, here we go again” I laugh, pick a random direction and start walking.

—————

Deep in the void of space, a gentleman stood staring intently at a planet.

He wore a white old fashioned double breasted vest underneath an equally old fashioned brown suit jacket and matching dress pants and shoes.

A dark golden necktie completed the suit.

The gentleman’s face had a certain rugged maturity to it and his eyes.......his eyes were truly unusual.

Depending on where you stood, his eyes would appear to be a different color.

Sometimes black, sometimes blue and sometimes a kaleidoscope of all the colors at once.

He stood there in space, a cane in one hand, and looked the very definition of prim and proper.

He stared at the planet for a while before he finally spoke.

“The lad is doing a lot better than I expected. At the very least, he seems to have the madness required to succeed” he chuckled.

His voice had a slight British accent to it.

“Perhaps I will gain a brother after all. These past few centuries have been quite dull but it seems like all is proceeding as it should.”

Looking at a different part of space, the gentleman’s tranquil eyes suddenly had a touch of madness as he sneered in disdain.

“You won’t be able to stop us anymore. Prime might not be able to do anything to you now but when my brothers and sisters rise and your control starts to slip away, we’ll see who has the last laugh.” The gentleman laughed, his speech and tone suddenly becoming quite ungentlemanly.

In response, electricity crackled through space as if a thunderbolt was about to descend but in the end nothing happened.

Snorting, the gentleman turned back to the planet and tranquilly returned to his eyes as he smiled amiably.

“Perhaps a bit of guidance is in order....Wouldn’t want the lad to be stuck in his own Holy Ground forever, now would we?” Laughing uproariously, the gentleman stepped towards the planet and disappeared.