An Archon's gratitude couldn't be underestimated, it seems.

'They can just casually offer to reincarnate someone...?' Ken mused in wonder at the freedom Archons had. The number of things they could do, as long as the Planar Laws don't try to stop them, was truly vast. 'Well, there are various circumstances, like the requirement that I'm apparently, an 'Expelled Soul'. But let's not sweat the small stuff.'

"Yes, please." Ken answered. He naturally wouldn't refuse an offer like that. Anything was better than just floating around in who-knew-where.

"Haha. I like your decisiveness." Zell remarked, amused. "I'll let you choose which type of world you reincarnate in. Wait for a bit, I have to look for options..."

Zell then looked into the distance, with her eyes glowing. Ken just stayed quiet while watching her, mesmerized by her shining orbs. There was something about them that just pulled at him.

Eventually, Zell's eyes returned to normal, then she looked at Ken while smiling. "Unfortunately, it seems you only have two options. Certain conditions have to be fulfilled before I can help you reincarnate. First, I have to remove the unknown energy that was infused in you, that way, even after you reincarnate, the Laws won't have anything against you anymore. You won't get any more special abilities manifested, but you can still unlock latent ones. As for the fact that you have five special abilities, I just have to pick a Hall that looks like it'll barely allow that. Then, amongst those Halls, I have to pick one where a unique or never-before-seen existence has just been born. Even in the countless halls, these strict conditions narrow it down by a lot. Luckily I have found two. You must pick between these two."

"Right." Ken nodded seriously while focusing on Zell's words.

"The first world is a world with similar technological advancements as that of earth. Except that their world has just recently gained access to a source of infinite energy. So they're likely going to start making huge stuff with that soon enough. Somewhere in there, the first mutant human being has just been born." Zell recited nonchalantly.

"Oh? So this baby is going to have superpowers?" Ken asked eagerly.

"Yes. However, I don't know if you're going to like it..." Zell trailed off hesitantly.

"... What is it...?" Ken asked nervously.

"Well..." Zell hemmed and hawed on whether to say it, but still decided to open her mouth and say, "She has a head growing out of her back."

"A head growing out of her back...?" Ken parroted without thinking, then he exclaimed in realization, "SHE!?"

"Fufu... Yes, it's a female baby." Zell answered while giggling.

"The other option! What about the other option!?" Ken asked hurriedly. He liked being male. Even though he didn't really explore the various things that males could do in his past life, he really couldn't bear the idea that he imagine parting with his other half. He thought the guy between his legs was incredibly ugly, but he didn't want to be without it either. Plus he didn't want to be a wannabe sci-fi version of He-who-must-not-be-named. He desperately wished that the other option was better.

"Hm." Zell nodded then explained. "The other world is a fantasy-style Hall, with swords, magic, and all that. Due to a recent discovery, they are also starting on a path to technical advancement, except it's magical in nature. The first baby born of a human and a Warbeast, which you can just think of like the Hall's version of a beastman race with furry ears and a tail. Usually, when two people of different races have a child, the child has a seventy percent chance of having the mother's race, and a thirty percent chance that it has the father's. The fact that a baby with a hybrid race is born, is an abnormality. But it's a natural abnormality, so the Laws won't try to kill the baby or something, don't worry. Oh, and the baby is male."

"You had me at fantasy style, with swords and magic. Count me in!" Ken excitedly said. If it was in that kind of world, he would've been fine being female. He could just be a lesbian. It would be a pretty weird life, but that's just how much he liked fantasy worlds.

Naturally, he was very happy that it was male though.

"Then it's decided. I'll be making some preparations, so you stay here. It won't take long, maybe half an hour." Zell stood up, giving Ken a view of her ridiculous curves. "You can keep eating if you want, don't worry about getting fat or something, since you don't even have a body. Your current one is just a simulated version that I created temporarily so you don't freak out over not having one. Oh, and you can take the time to examine the rest of your abilities." After saying that, Zell disappeared. There weren't any fancy special effects, she just vanished. Ken just blinked then she was gone.

After staring at the spot Zell had previously occupied for a few seconds, Ken immediately used [Supreme Insight] on himself again. He didn't even give the delicious food on the table a glance. He had been really curious about his powers since a while ago, but he held himself back since there were better things to do. Ken just decided to forget about the time he accidentally found out about Zell's real sex.

Name: N/A Species: Expelled Soul (Past Species: Alpha Realm - Human) Sex: N/A Might: N/A Special Abilities:

[Supreme Insight]

[Essence of Falsehood]

[Indomitable Willpower]

[Drug Memorization]

[Glimpse of Eternity]

Ken really wanted to find out about what his powers did, but there was something he remembered to examine first. He used insight on his current species.

Species:

Expelled Soul The soul of a mortal who has been expelled from their place of origin, due to some reason or the other. Most likely because the mortal did not deserve obliteration, the mortal's soul has instead been modified to allow it to retain consciousness even after death, in a pseudo-afterlife. There has only been one Expelled soul in existence, and that soul's fate was to wander the Corridors for eternity.

'Okay. That pretty much confirms that I really am a unique existence. Everything else was just as Zell said.' Ken mused. Then he used insight on a word that he didn't really understand.

Location:

Corridors

The space between the Alpha Realm and the various Halls, where time is accelerated. The rate at which time is accelerated fluctuates chaotically, depending on various factors.

! You do not have sufficient Authority to view more information on this subject !

'Well, okay then. Guess I don't have the authority again.' Ken thought blankly. 'But the things that it did show me are pretty crazy already. Time is accelerated...? I definitely felt that. I can't even count the number of times I relived my life inside my head. If it fluctuates chaotically, Zell probably doesn't know the exact amount of time I spent in here either.'

Ken didn't really think thinking about these weird things, which he seemed to lack the authority to know more of, would be useful for a puny mortal like him, so he decided to just stop thinking about them altogether. He dispelled the blue boxes, which he realized he could do just by thinking, then used insight on himself again. Then he used [Supreme Insight] on [Supreme Insight].

Special Ability:

[Supreme Insight]

A special Insight-type ability.

! You do not have sufficient Authority to view more information on this subject !

"..." Ken just stared blankly at the screen in exasperation. He couldn't really decide whether to laugh or cry at the moment. He felt like the fact that he was weak was being repeatedly rubbed in his face.

But he could only sigh in acceptance. What else could he do? He was, indeed, extremely powerless. He could only accept this result for the moment, with the hope that he would be able to see it in the future.

'But still... isn't this going too far? I can understand if there are some locked features, but it's my own damn ability you know? Why the hell do I not have the authority to view my own ability's information!' Ken complained inwardly. He then went on to use insight on the next special ability, hoping that he could actually view it this time.

Special Ability:

[Essence of Falsehood]

Passive:

The likelihood of intelligent life forms believing in the [Lies] of this unit, be they in verbal or non-verbal form, is increased tremendously.

This effect does not apply to [Lies] that are too unbelievable.

(i.e. Saying that the sky is red, even though it can clearly be seen that it is blue.)

Sub-Skill #1 - [Lie Detection] Passive: Passively detects [Lies] from others in the vicinity of this unit, whether they be partial or full, verbal or non-verbal. Sub-Skill #2 - [The Truth buried in Lies] Passive: There is a small chance that this unit can gain knowledge of the [Truth] when a [Lie] is detected by [Lie Detection]. Sub-Skill #3 - [???] ! This Ability Has Not Been Unleashed Yet !

"Oh, good. It doesn't have any cockblocks." Ken remarked happily. He then proceeded to read the text and then nodded in understanding.

'Yeah~, this was why I was so good at lying. Well, I was good at lying before the whole thing with the rat, but I got even better because of this.' Ken mused, then he smiled sadly. 'This is also why I always knew that the people who came to visit me were lying when they tried to seem okay. Sub-skill #2 is also the reason why, for some reason, I find out about some weird stuff. Like Kyouka's web novel. Realistically speaking, it was a bit of a stretch that I found out about it just from the proof that I said. It was probably because of the second sub-skill.' Ken mused, realizing the truth behind his seemingly inhuman intuition. It was likely a combination of [Supreme Insight]'s passive skills and [Essence of Falsehood].

'Also, maybe it's to make up for the many times that it didn't show me information, but it even included an example for [Essence of Falsehood]'s passive.' Ken was a bit amused by the idea that [Supreme Insight] looked like it was trying to make it up to him by being extra helpful. He imagined it saying "I'm not useless okay? Look, I'm even going to add extra stuff to the explanation! You better be grateful!! Hmph!"

Ken chuckled to himself at how he had humanized his skill. It was surprisingly cute, or maybe he just had a bit of a thing for tsunderes. In any case, he just shook off the thought, there was no way his abilities had a consciousness, right?

Ken then proceeded to use insight on the next ability.

Special Ability:

[Indomitable Willpower]

Passive:

My Will shall not shatter.

It shall not waver.

It is Eternal.

All attacks to the mind will be endured without suffering damage.

Mind control abilities are nullified, at the cost of being more stubborn.

Upon death, can remain as a [Soul Form](This can only be used once.).

Sub Skill #1 - [???] ! This Ability Has Not Been Unleashed Yet ! Sub Skill #2 - [???] ! This Ability Has Not Been Unleashed Yet ! Sub Skill #3 - [???] ! This Ability Has Not Been Unleashed Yet !

"Wow, none of the sub-skills are unlocked." Ken remarked out loud, his eyes being immediately drawn towards, the 3 sets of question marks. Ken then began to read the parts that actually had something to read in them.

'What's with the mantra...?' Ken tilted his head in confusion, but then he thought in exasperation, 'Attacks to the mind will be endured, huh. That means that it'll still hurt, I just won't go nuts... Couldn't they have just made me immune?? Like the one directly below it?? Also, the third line...'

Ken thought of the weirdness of the third line. It was basically something that could only be used when he died. He likely hadn't been able to use it back on earth, since the Laws had immediately expelled him. So, even without the Laws doing anything special, he likely would have still become a Soul Form after death. Ken used insight on [Soul Form].

Species:

[Soul Form]

An incorporeal entity composed of pure energy, controlled by an incredibly strong will. The [Soul Form] dissipates when the energy is completely depleted, and the will that controls it is destroyed.

Does not have the capabilities of regenerating resources on its own.

Does not have a physical form, and as such cannot affect the world.

The [Soul Form] still retains the abilities to use the Special and Extra abilities it had when alive.

The [Soul Form] still retains the ability to cast Sorcery, if they are able.

The [Soul Form]s automatically have the Extra Skill: [Telepathy]

[Soul Form]s can inhabit bodies that have had their souls shatter, or otherwise damaged beyond repair.

[Soul Form]s cannot attempt to take control of a body with an intact soul.

"Oh! What the hell!" Ken exclaimed. 'This basically gives me a second life, doesn't it...? Although I have to find a body that doesn't have an intact soul in it. I don't really know how hard it is to do that, but it's something!'

Ken was quite satisfied by this ability's effects, despite the first part being a bit lacking. 'I wonder what the other three sub-skills do...?'

He was really curious. The special ability's passive was already this fraudulent, what of the other 3...?

He then looked at [Drug Memorization] and used insight on it. Even though he had already seen it, he wanted to see if the second sub-skill got unlocked for whatever reason. Even though he knew it probably hadn't.

Special Ability:

[Drug Memorization]

Passive:

This unit gradually memorizes Drugs that it uses or ingests, whether internally or externally.

Drugs that have been [Memorized] are affected by [Drug Memorization]'s Sub Skills.

Sub Skill #1 - [Effect Reproduction] Can reproduce the effect of any drug that this unit has [Memorized].

Can also increase or decrease the potency of its effects. Sub Skill #2 - [???] ! This Ability Has Not Been Unleashed Yet ! Sub Skill #3 - [Effect Immunity] Passive: Gains immunity to a [Memorized] drug's effect.

Active: Select which effects this unit becomes immune to, and which will still be in effect.

"Yeah, nothing changed." Ken shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't really expected anything new. He gave the third sub-skill a nasty glare though, since it had caused him so much pain in the past.

Ken then moved on to the last one, the one that he had apparently obtained while he was drifting around in the Corridors. He was surprised by how small the screen was. It was similar to [Supreme Insight]'s screen.

Special Ability:

[Glimpse of Eternity] ! This Special Ability is in the process of Manifestation !

"Oh. I thought it was gonna tell me I didn't have the authority again." Ken remarked. He didn't really mind this outcome. He just had to wait for it to finish someday. Hopefully, it wouldn't blue-ball him when that time came.

After he finished increasing his knowledge about his powers, Ken had nothing else to do. His eyes darted over to the enormous amount of food on the table, which he had already confirmed to taste incredible, and picked one up at random. It looked like a meatball.

"Well, I've got nothing better to do, so I'll just stay here and pig out while waiting." Ken popped the meatball in his mouth, and his eyes opened wide with how juicy it was.

'Yummy. It tastes like chicken, but better.'

*****

After about twenty minutes, of gorging himself, Ken suddenly had a thought. 'Where the hell am I, by the way.'

He knew that the place he was in while he was drifting along as just a consciousness was the Corridor, but he definitely wasn't there at the moment. He looked at the ground and used [Supreme Insight] on it.

Object:

Floor There isn't anything special to it.

It's just a floor with a nice carpet on top.

"I know it's a fucking floor!" Ken retorted in exasperation. Did his [Supreme Insight] have a consciousness after all? Since it was obviously messing with him right now. 'I meant that I wanted to know where I was!'

Calming himself, Ken used [Supreme Insight] on the floor again, while swearing that he would never use it again if it messed with him one more time. Perhaps the skill heard him? Because it showed something different this time.

Location:

Zellionias' Stomach

The Stomach of the World Devouring Serpent, Zellionias. A space that can contain entire worlds. She can control various things here, such as the flow of time, temperature, humidity, and the weather.

"..." Ken was speechless at first, but he couldn't help but retort in his head. 'No, why does someone's stomach even have weather...?'

"What are you staring at the ground for?" A woman's voice suddenly said.

"Wha!!" Ken, startled, raised his head to see that Zell had returned. 'Should I ask why she ate me...?' Ken thought, but then ultimately decided not to. It didn't really matter after all. Zell was helping him out, he knew that, and that's all that mattered. "Nothing. I just liked the carpet."

"Oh? Fufu. I'm glad you like it. I actually went through quite some trouble to have it made." Zell said, she had her chest, which was massive by the way, puffed out with pride. She was quite happy that something she took so much effort to get was getting praised. Especially since she didn't really have many opportunities to receive guests.

'Is it because of my skill? She believed that instantly.' Ken mused, but then he wondered, 'But why did she keep seeing through my lies earlier...? Was she reading my mind after all...?'

Ken was interrupted from his thoughts by Zell clapping her hands once. "Well, we don't have a big window of opportunity here. So we have to get you reincarnated soon. Are you ready?"

"Oh. Wait... just like that...?" Ken was surprised by the abruptness of it.

"Yes, just like that." Zell smiled. "Why, did you have something else to ask?"

"... Actually, yeah. I have a few." Ken hesitantly said. He felt bad about potentially causing trouble by delaying things.

"It's no trouble at all." Zell said, as if reading Ken's mind again. "Is it about your loved ones?"

Ken nodded immediately. He had wanted to ask Zell about them since a while ago. It's just that he didn't find the appropriate timing.

"Fufu. I knew you were going to ask that, so I actually paid attention to them." Zell giggled a bit, then explained, "First off, Hanzo. Around 3 years after you died, he already had a restaurant established in France. It was actually quite famous for a while, and he even had a picture of you on the wall there. He ran it for a few more years, before he eventually couldn't handle work in the kitchen anymore, and had an apprentice inherit the restaurant. He then went back to retire in Japan, coming to visit Kyouka every once in a while. He eventually died in his sleep, at the age of eighty-five."

"Hm." Ken nodded while smiling warmly. He knew that old man could get it done if he wanted. Ken did not doubt that, had Hanzo started when he was younger, he would've been more famous than, say, Borbon Ramzay. He also felt good knowing that the old man had lived for so long before kicking the bucket.

"Next is Kyouka," Zell said, with an amused-looking grin. "That girl just went crazy after your death."

"...huh?" Ken's mouth was agape in shock. "W-what do you mean by that...?"

"Fufufu." Zell giggled with a mischievous grin at Ken's reaction. "I don't mean she literally went crazy. It's just that she was very different after your death."

"Oh..." Ken sighed in relief. Then he looked at Zell with an aggrieved expression. She had obviously said that in a way that Ken would misunderstand.

"Immediately after your death, she became despondent. After your funeral, which you may be surprised to know, was also attended by both of your parents, Kyouka then locked herself in an apartment that she secretly owned. Only Hanzo came to visit her every few days. This went on for about a month."

"I see..." Ken nodded slowly in understanding. He knew Kyouka would be depressed for a while after his death.

"After about a month, Hanzo had goaded her into watching the video message you sent. After that, she just changed drastically. She just went right up to your parents and slapped them on their cheeks repeatedly."

"Woah..." Ken remarked in admiration. He had not expected Kyouka to just go off like that.

"Then she told them about how she was a lesbian, and how she was not going to accept any marriage engagements that they tried to force on her. She then actively started getting involved in running the family businesses, while also finding time to write on the side. Unfortunately, unlike how well her take-over of the Kagami Family was going, her career as a writer didn't really take off. Later on, she lost all enthusiasm for writing, so she switched over to voice acting, which she found enormous success in." Zell explained.

"Hmmm... well, she did have a disgustingly pleasant voice..." Ken said. He had always called it that because it really was. Ken was used to her voice, but others who first heard it would just be stunned for a bit, wondering if their ears were really working properly. Then would just listen blankly to Kyouka as she talked. Her being successful as a voice actress was a bit unexpected for Ken, since Kyouka never really took an interest in it in the past, but not impossible. He also found it amazing that she could juggle running the family with voice acting.

"Kyouka then went on to become a politician." Zell said casually.

"Whu--." Ken spluttered in surprise.

"She eventually succeeded in getting Same-sex marriages legalized. And even had polygamy legalized."

"What the flying fuck...?" Ken said without thinking. He thought that same-sex marriages getting legalized in Japan was going to be difficult, and it was amazing that she succeeded. 'But polygamy!? What the hell happened while I was gone!?'

"After she had those two laws passed, she retired and focused on her voice acting and running the family business, together with her seventeen wives."

"Seventeen!?!?" Ken felt like his head was going to explode.

"She and her wives ended up adopting some kids, since they obviously couldn't have kids of their own. She and her wives raised around fifty girls lovingly. All cute little girls."

"Oh my god!"

"When she was about seventy years old, she retired from running the family businesses, then only did a few voice acting roles here and there. She was still quite popular despite her age."

"... Mm." Ken nodded. He tried to calm himself down from all the shocking facts that he heard. He took the bottle of water that refilled itself, then took a drink.

"Then she ended up living till the age of one hundred and forty-three, until she died from a heart attack, which was caused by an orgasm."

"Pfft." Ken did a spit take. Luckily, Zell had expected it, and the water evaporated before it reached twelve centimeters away from Ken.

'What the hell, you live that long and you're still doing that kind of stuff!? Ken retorted inwardly. Although he was quite happy to know that she had really just done as she pleased in her long life.

"I'm just putting it out there..." Zell snapped Ken out of his thoughts. "But I can't reunite you with her, okay? Her soul dissipated the moment she died. This is how it normally is for everyone. You're just special."

"Mm." Ken nodded somberly. He had actually thought to shamelessly ask Zell if she could do him that favor, but she had been one step ahead of him. He would just have to be happy at the fact that those two live long and happy lives. Although he couldn't help but think that Kyouka should've dialed it back by a bit...

"Well then, with that out of the way." Zell clapped her hands once, to get Ken's attention, then said, "There are a few things to note down before I send you off. First, do you recognize this?"

Zell took out what looked like a black Japanese charm, otherwise known as a talisman. It was mainly black, except for the golden snake forming a circle in the middle by biting its own tail. Ken immediately recognized it. It was the talisman that Zell gave him as Bertram before he died.

"Yeah. It's the charm you gave me." Ken said after nodding.

"Precisely." Zell smiled then explained, "This wasn't just any charm by the way. It contained a bit of my energy, which would latch onto your soul after the Laws chucked you out. Since it didn't really affect you in any way, I wasn't breaking any rules. Its purpose was for me to be able to find you, no matter where they sent you. And, as you can see, I did."

"I see..." Ken nodded in understanding.

"Here you go." Zell said, offering the charm to Ken.

"?" Ken took it without much thought, but the moment he held the charm in his hand, it suddenly turned into a cloud of thick black smoke. "Wah!"

Hearing Ken's surprised yelp, Zell couldn't help but giggle. "I added a bit more of my energy into it, then turned it into a familiar spirit. You'll eventually come to know what those are when you reincarnate, then you'll thank me profusely." Zell then smiled at the cloud of smoke in Ken's hand. "Don't be afraid, little one. This will be your new master."

"Hissss..." a distinct hissing sound invaded Ken's ears, then the cloud of black smoke formed the shape of a small snake, the size of a child's belt. It then solidified into an actual black snake, albeit one with thick black smoke wafting out of its body, which reminded Ken of the black rat a little, except the smoke that the snake was expelling didn't invoke a feeling of disgust in Ken. It floated its little head to stare directly into Ken's eyes then it flicked its tongue out. Ken didn't really understand why, since he never really liked snakes in particular, but he found the tiny snake to be quite adorable.

"Hey, little guy..." Ken cooed while extending his hand to pet the snake. The snake just let him do as it pleased, then coiled its body around Ken's arm gently. Ken thought about how strangely nice it felt, until the snake sunk into his flesh. "What the...?"

"Don't worry, it just finished soul-bonding with you. You can summon it again when you get there." Zell reassured the flustered Ken. "The little one has quite a few abilities that I have no doubt will be quite convenient for you. It will also grow as you do, so it can serve as a valuable companion."

"Wow. Thank you..." Ken bowed his head in gratitude. He didn't know what having a familiar spirit or something entailed, but he had a feeling that it wasn't something that just anyone could obtain. "But wouldn't this count as interfering with the mortal plane?"

"The spirit formed a contract with you before you reincarnated. So the Laws can't complain. It's a loophole." Zell grinned evilly. Then she asked Ken, "By the way, are you aware of what reincarnating you entails? What do you think will happen to the soul of the baby you are transferring to?"

"Oh. Well, I don't know what exactly happens to them, but I'll replace them, right?" Ken said, then shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't particularly feel good doing that to some unborn child, but I don't really have any options here either. I have to look out for number one now."

"Hehe..." Zell nodded, as if in approval of Ken's answer. "Good. The powerless don't have the right to pity others. But don't worry, I'll find some stillborn child in another world and then transfer the Warbeast baby's soul there. That way, he can still live."

"Wow, you're surprisingly nice," Ken remarked in admiration. "But won't that be against the Laws?"

"It is, actually. But it's just a small price to pay. I gained a tremendous amount of power from eating that rat, and from the strange energy that was infused with you, which by the way, I have already extracted." Zell said matter-of-factly.

"I see," Ken answered, still smiling warmly at Zell. Despite it just being a small price to pay, the fact that she was willing to pay it at all, just to help Ken's conscience feel at peace, was something he was thankful for. Although he would never regret replacing that baby's soul, he would have still felt bad about essentially killing an innocent baby.

As for the fact that the strange energy had been extracted from him without his knowledge, Ken had no qualms about that. He also didn't really wonder how it was extracted.

'I'm in her stomach after all...' Ken mused.

"Well, that's all really..." Zell was about to say, until she suddenly reached for her left rib, as if she had suffered a blow to it. She muttered under her breath in a volume that even Ken couldn't hear, while glaring in a certain direction. "Geez, I'm sorry I forgot, You didn't have to hit me so hard..."

"...?" Ken couldn't hear what Zell said, but he was wondering why Zell suddenly grabbed at her left rib.

"I almost forgot. Once you get to the other side... think you can do me a favor...?" Zell asked in a pleading voice, even bending over and using her upper arms to emphasize her large breasts.

Ken was momentarily stunned by the scene. Ken felt his loins heat up at the sight, but he tried his best to remain composed. "Anything. You've done so much for me, naturally, I will try my best to do it."

Hearing Ken's answer Zell's eyes lit up with joy, she then said, "Oh, this is a separate thing from the previous talks. Didn't I say it already...? My help in clarifying the events that happened in your life, giving you a familiar spirit, and helping you reincarnate are all my way of showing gratitude for the money and the meal. There are no longer any debts between us after this." She smiled gratefully at Ken. "This favor is... a deal... yes, a deal! I'm going to give you some nice stuff as advanced payment."

"You don't really have to do that..." Ken tried to refuse but Zell was stubborn.

"No no. It would make me feel bad otherwise." Zell said, while still smiling. "Please take it, okay? It'll make me feel better."

"... well, alright..." Ken gave in. He felt a bit bad, but he really was quite thirsty for anything that would make him more powerful. If this was something an Archon would give him? It definitely wouldn't be worthless. Ken asked, "So, what's the favor...?"

"Mm." Zell nodded in satisfaction. "Well, if you see any of the Darkin, please treat them well."

"The Darkin...?" Ken parroted in confusion.

"You'll know when you see them. They're basically based off of evil creatures of darkness, like vampires, succubus, and devils." Zell explained tersely.

"I see... right. I'll make sure to act friendly." Ken nodded resolutely. He would definitely be on his best behavior with those people.

"Ahaha... you don't have to go too far okay? The Darkin aren't all good people, but they aren't all bad either. I'm just telling you to try to help out the good kind." Zell said while smiling wryly, then her eyes suddenly took on a cold glint as she spoke, "As for the others, you can just go and kill them if they mess with you, okay?"

"...Alright." Ken nodded after a bit of hesitation.

"Good. I like you, Ken, so you have to look out for yourself." Zell spoke kindly, concern for Ken showing in her eyes.

"I will." Ken nodded. "Thank you."

"Geez, I already said that I'm just paying you back, why do you keep thanking me?" Zell said as she shrugged in exasperation. "Well, that's it. I hope for your sake, that you never see me again." Zell grinned, then she reached out and touched Ken's forehead.

"Wha--..." Ken felt an impact that seemingly shook his very existence. It didn't really hurt or anything, he just felt incredibly dizzy.

"That's the advance payment for the favor. Also, you can't really be conscious during the transfer, so I'm sorry I was a bit heavy-handed." Zell smiled apologetically. "When you wake up, you'll be a newborn baby."

Ken felt his mind slipping away, but for some reason, he could still hear Zell's beautiful and melodic voice clearly.

"Goodbye, Ken. May you obtain Freedom."

Inside the stomach of an enormous serpent...

"Become strong."

Ken lost consciousness.