Chapter 8 - The One 2

In the past 24 hours, a lot of things have happened to me that if mentioned to someone who hasn't witnessed them will surely call me crazy.

These things are, but are not limited to,

My son poisoning me, me waking up in another world, possibly another universe, me acquiring supernatural powers that will make even the most fulfilled men back on earth drool, me failing miserably in my plans.

But if I were to say what would be my most eye-bulging experience then it would surely be what is happening in front of me now.

"Young man if you stare at me so intensely, you'll make me blush~"

An old…small old man, with averted gaze, said blushingly while seemingly trying to cover his body with his small arms.

"Old man, being small doesn't mean you will look cute if you try to act cute." With twitching eyebrows and a deadpan look I said, god it's my first meeting someone this comical, I am sure if not for [Gamer's Mind] I would be freaking out about his height right now.

Right, speaking about his height, he is as big as my hand. No threat at all, that was my impression of him until I realised I live in a magic world now.

"Hey! I was just trying to thin the ice you know!" The small ma- Old man said, crossing his arms, and letting out a small 'Humpf'

"Anyways, tell me where we are right now?" That's the million-dollar question, a few minutes ago when I woke up in the middle of this forest which is so dense that sunlight is barely entering, I found this old baby man singing, and enjoying himself, which is good but the problem is we are in the middle of a forest which although looks ethereal, isn't somewhere I wish to be, especially unguarded.

"Young man, it isn't nice to give people nicknames, even if you're just thinking in your mind! Tch, Tch, young kids these days…so disrespectful. You should just slam your head on a wall until you bleed, then draw a mouth in the wall with your blood and then get eaten by the wall with that mouth." He said while clicking his tongue, though I couldn't hear the last part because I got distracted by his initial sentence.

"What did you just say? Can you read my mind?" I said, with a serious expression, I should kill him, considering I can.

"Not really, but I can predict it~" He said in a very casual carefree tone, whistling.

"Just…who are you?"I asked with widened eyes, is this guy serious? Just how good does someone's prediction and calculation need to be to be able to predict thoughts of a total stranger? I can only imagine.

"Glad you asked!

I am the one! Before you ask, yeah my NAME is the one and I am not some secret organization's first test subject, as a matter of fact, what you're seeing right now is just your reflections, more like how you imagine yourself~" He said, as he laid down on the soft grass raising his hands and putting them at the back of his head, trying to imitate a pillow.

"What? I will never imagine myself like you, if I were to imagine myself I would…"

"You would imagine yourself like what?" He said with a knowing smile, which annoyed me for some reason.

"Whatever I imagine , it definitely won't be you!" Comebacks are important no matter how bad they are!

"Really? I feel hurt now, it's as if you just denied my very existence! Sniff, Sniff!" He said as he turned his face and started shivering this time he looked genuinely hurt, this made me slightly sad. I can relate to that before the cyclone I was very much in the same state…on the verge of crying.

"That…okay! Calm down firs-"

"Just kidding, teehee!" He said, as he turned around and softly punched his head with his fist all the while sticking out his tongue in a comical manner, much to my anger.

Snap!

"You..You old baby bastard!" I lifted my foot to crush him, here is the end of his journey.

But before I could do so, however my foot stopped, I noticed something, the [Gamer's Mind] isn't activating even though I am feeling extremely angry right now. Does that mean I am truly in my dream, and this isn't reality? But this shit way too realistic to be a dream..

Ahem!

"To answer your query, you see here in this world dreams are much more vivid mostly because of some magical influence, I don't know much yet mostly because of the fact that I have just been born when you fell asleep." He said as he cleared his throat, mostly to draw my attention.

"And seriously tell me why couldn't you imagine yourself when you were denying my existence? Better question, don't you find us similar?" What did he mean by that, there is nothing similar here.

"Oh really? But I am pretty sure you are just an old man who is generally veryy eccentric, always thinks of himself as a very small person in a very big world which is as dense as this forest, he likes music, and he also loves to explore~ and help passerbys." He said with a whistle from his flute, my eyes widened as realisation hit me.

That is true, so true that I am having a hard time believing it. Okay, calm down me.

Breathe in, breathe out…

10..9..8..1

When you're having a hard time focusing, count from 1 to 10 in your mind. It gives your brain the necessary time to relax and process, expert advice.

"Okay, so why now? Why did you show up now? Pretty sure I wasn't tired when the cyclone was approaching, and if I were to be unconscious then I wouldn't be experiencing a lucid dream right now. Speaking of cyclones, were you responsible for that abrupt weather change? Also, are you somehow making me dream about this?" I asked, slightly overwhelmed by the seemingly unreal information.

"Well, right now because of the extreme emotions you were feeling, before you 'fell asleep' and am I responsible for making you fall asleep? Yes, I was partially responsible. How does it make sense? Well, 'magic bullshit'." He said, air quoting.

He never replied to me whether he is responsible for the weather change or not… anyways, what I am more concerned about is..

"What are you talking about? I was perfectly fine before you dragged me…here?"

"Are you sure about that? Last time I checked, you were having existential crisis, quite literally, I mean who the fuck decided whether you were 'suppose' to die or not?" Now he was suddenly angry, seemingly disgusted by me.

"What do you mean? You're not making any sense right now, I died and then I transmigrated and pretty sure that's not how it worked, I am someone who was supposed to die but didn't die, so I should die, right?" I said, with an agitated but matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh come on! Tell me when you get an opportunity do you leave it or do you grab it?" He said, as if saying this to a child.

"Of Course grab it, but that's not the point-!" Before I could continue my yelling he yelled in a louder volume which seemed comical coming from his small body, but looking at his expression

I couldn't laugh

"That's the fucking point! You take the opportunity, that's it, chapter close no excuses! Back in the days you are the one who used to throw around the words 'Age is just another number, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, you just have to be capable enough' so what happened to you just after crossing over a universe?!"

Nor could I refute…

"..I…that's illegal" I tried to defend my pride with whatever I could.

"You think? And who is deciding that?! Who are the authorities deciding that here!? For some reason I can't see them!" Then he positioned his hands in a way that it would amplify his voice and then he shouted "Authorities responsible for capturing multiversally transmigrating people please capture me! I have been transmigrated and you guys couldn't stop me! But me being the perfectly nice guy I am, will ethically surrender myself! Hah! Though I wonder where I should report myself in!"

"..."

"Hey? What happened? Did cat get your tongue?" He looked at me with a winning smile, then he shook his head and continued with a sigh "Listen you, let go of the past already, you don't have to redeem yourself for that lame joke of a family, nor do you have to die just because you're suppose to, think of it this way the real god gave the living God a chance to enjoy his life instead of worrying about other stuff?" He said with a warm smile on his face.

Tap, Tap

Then he started walking on the grass, with his back turned on me, then he said, "So what do you think? Wanna enjoy life this time around? If you don't wanna, then-"

"Do you have to ask that? Seriously, after all that lecture!" I shook my head but probably the smirk on my face gave it away, as he too started smiling.

Hohohohohoho…

Hahahahahaha…

"So now what?" I finally asked after both of us were done laughing, I didn't noticed it before because of all the laughing but a sudden wave fog was slowly but surely approaching us, and now it had almost covered us, if it had be in real life I would have probably thought of other things but right here right now, I knew what this meant.

With a grateful look I said "Thanks, The One, it was really nice knowing you."

"Well, I am you, so you don't need to thank yourself, don't want you to be a narcissist now do we?''

"..."

Ahem!

"You know, when you entered the magic world a lot of things changed, and when you felt such incredible negativity I rose, with the purpose of getting you back on track, but…what is the track, even if this is a magic world, I am pretty sure there are people all over the world who also feel extreme emotions and I refuse to believe something like me just pops into existence each time someone feels bad.

There is definitely something more going on here, so be careful."

With a serious face I nodded.

And with a satisfied smile he disappeared in the white mist.

______

______

I woke up with a bright smile on my face, only to see Agnes running around the room in panic with books in her hand but just as she saw me she blushed and fell… face first in the floor, if not for the fact that she is a superhuman that would have hurt, but seeing that she still prioritized covering her red face first, and then turning around and picking the books, my smile only widened.

Let's go all out now.