Phy found him lying on the bed covered in blood. His body soaked wet and sticky combined with his pale skin, she couldn’t believe that he was not dead. But the reality was different. His eyes were opened and blinked at her.

“Len…?”

Len moved his hands and pulled the knife off his chest. He groaned in pain as blood poured out of his body. Phy stood dumbfounded.

“What the heck?”

Phy took a step back while rubbing her eyes. Could it be that Len became an undead? Phy threw away that thought after seeing him stood up and called her name.

“Phy. You are back.”

“W-what do you mean I’m back? Why are you-”

Len cut him her off while staring at his own blood.

“I’m no longer bounded by the rules of this world. In a way, I suppose I’m an immortal.”

Phy gulped.

‘Immortal? Did a screw came loose in your head’, was what Phy wanted to say but she couldn't. Not after witnessing how Len casually pulling a knife out of his chest like that.

“It’s a long story. Would you like to listen?”

Len oddly felt rejuvenated. His body felt really light and his mind crystal clear. Everything suddenly made sense to him. The color of the world returned into his views and without restrictions, he can search for the one answer.

‘Without fate chaining me to the ground, I can soar to the boundless sky. There is no restriction.’

Len became even more sure after seeing a series of notification windows popped out.

System Error. Rating ---- Commencing Analysis... Analyzing... Analyzing.......... Analysis Failed. Player Unknown Adaptation Failed ################## ERROR System Restarting... System Failure. System Restarting... System Failure

And it keeps restarting itself indefinitely.

‘How does this system works exactly? It tries to gain entries inside me?’

Despite having his wheel of fate broken, Len is not an omnipotent being. He simply stopped being a human, Len himself understand this. Human limitation does not bound him, and this world too cannot affect his will.

‘No more chances of meeting. Pattern no longer affects me. I can make my own decision and it will be truly because of my own will and no others. I believe what I want to believe and live however I pleases.’

A dark line of thought passed in Len’s mind. A line of thought that he fear and believe should not be tread on.

‘No, I cannot think like that. That was dangerous. If I truly thin like that then…’

Len would completely stop being a human. He will become something else that truly belongs nowhere. Not this world and not even his own.

And for that reason, Len thought.

‘Maybe it’s better to grant the system some access into me. Some…’

System Restarting... ... Booting Up... Status Confirmed.

He gave the system permission to access his basic information such as names and stat points. It showed his name alright, but his race and stat points were blank. Basic function such as equipments and inventory still exist together with his title and skill, but that was it.

His status cannot be measured anymore. Not because Len is extremely strong enough to pierce the heaven, but because he is no longer considered part of the world.

‘I remember she or Death said that… What was born of Ether, shall return to Ether. Since I’m no longer part of Ether, does that mean I’m my own entity?’

Len learned that the world is made of ether. The sofa he slept on, the floor he stood on, the air and water, everything is of ether. He is not one of them anymore. An outcast that lives very close to Ether.

Len felt an odd sense of lucidity. Almost like a stance of being in trance.

‘This blood that I spilled… it is part of me, right?’

It was then Len understand what he is. The blood followed his will and moved on its own, flowing upward on Len’s feet through his thigh and finally chest. The blood moved against gravity almost as if it were alive, and Phy witnessed all of this.

“I can explain.”

“...”

…

Phy nodded as she sipped her tea.

“So, you are telling me that you are no longer bounded by fate, so you cannot die and became an immortal?”

“Not exactly. I can die if I wish for it. I just don’t.”

“Hmm. Makes senses…. As if.”

Phy suddenly felt an urge to throw her tea cup at Len.

Len explained his situation very casually as if this is nothing more than auntie’s next door gossiping about her son-in-law.

“Yeah I met the personification of Death. Apparently he… or she, whatever it wants to be called, is a manifestation of collective consciousness of death. So he she it can be a woman, man or whatever your imagination wants it to be.”

“Also apparently there is thing called the bridge where it connects to the sea of souls where all those who died goes to for salvation.”

“...”

Phy felt like puking blood. How could such a person having experienced all of this can be this calm and collected? She would not believe a single thing he said if she didn’t personally witness what happened a few moments ago.

Len himself felt something peculiar about Phy.

‘She reacted oddly when I mentioned about the existence of other worlds. Did she know about it?’

Len didn’t mince his words.

“You know about the existence of other worlds?”

“...I do.”

“This is common knowledge isn’t it? Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“And why would I do that?”

Len rubbed his temple.

“I guess you don’t have a real reason to do so. Sigh, I guess this is it.”

“What is it?”

Phy sensed a premonition.

“I have to leave this place.”

“...?”

“I have to get back to my world. There’s someone I need to meet.”

“Hmph, it must a girl.”

Len’s face became odd.

“How did you know?”

“Isn’t it obvious? No way you are going back for some ‘friends’.”

For some reason, Len sensed something about her. A turbulent intuition, it made him somewhat more talkative than usual.

“You… have one, too? Someone very dear to you? Did he died?”

Phy stiffened. She stood up abruptly and grabbed the hem of Len’s shirt.

“Watch your mouth boy. Nobody like anybody who can’t read situations.”

“...Sorry.”

Len felt imminent threat coming from her. That she would not hesitate to attack him in a lethal kind of way. However, he wasn’t scared at all. Perhaps it was because he understand his position.

Phy took her hands back and went back to the kitchen.

“I guess you are leaving today?”

“Not today.”

“Tomorrow?”

Len followed her suit into the kitchen.

“No. There are preparation that I need to make.”

Phy didn’t respond and opened a can of beer.

‘Interesting. I’ve seen it everyday, but I never really noticed. They have canned drinks in this day and age, something that should’ve been invented far later in time.’

Len took a deep breath.

“For that preparation, I need your help.”

Phy ignored him and kept drinking.

“Teach me how to fight.”

“COUGH!!”

Phy choked herself in process. She thought she heard wrong.

“What did you said brat!?”

“Teach me how to fight. I can’t die, but that doesn’t mean I’m an omnipotent being. I need to protect myself out there.”

“That’s not what I meant!! Why me!? There are other who can help you with that!”

“You are strong.”

“There are many people who are stronger than me in this world.”

“I know. But there’s only you right now.”

“...”

Phy narrowed her eyes. No matter how she looked at the situation, it was absurd. To tell the truth, Phy herself haven’t finish processing what just happened to Len.

‘Fateless? Bound by no one? Live and die simply with pure will alone? Bunch of bullshits.’

It was what she truly felt. What Len just told her was just a tale and what happened previously was just a trick for the eyes.

But deep down, she believed Len. She wanted to believe. There’s something that pushing Phy down in the corner of her mind. Something that could change her life for the better or worse.

‘Bullshit, isn’t it the same for this world…? The world is bullshit. The Empyreans and apostles… they are all cursed…’

Len noticed the change happening simply by staring at her eyes.

‘She’s fighting inside her mind. It’s like debating to herself on choosing the lesser evil.’

Len didn’t mind at all. It is her life, her decision, she decide on her own… fate?

‘Hmm? Something’s not right here…’

Does that mean every single one of them has their fate predetermined from the start? Their birth and death is already determined? Does this mean that Phy’s time is running out as we speak?

A question that he could not figure out.

‘This isn’t the time. I have all the time in the world.’

Len thought that no matter what the question is, he can answer it later one way or another as long as his will stays ablaze.

“Fine. I will teach you what you want. But I want something in return.”

“What is it?”

“A favour.”

Len thought her answer was interesting.

“What sort of favour?”

“Kill the twelfth Empyrean, Bathara for me.”

It was at this moment Len can feel the fate of the world started turning.