He inhaled deeply and started to search through his recently acquired memory.
Raydon, or at least the body with the same name as him, appears to be the noble Demugen family's 17-year-old crippled son.
Because of an unidentified congenital illness, he was mentally ill and incapable of thinking. As a result, he was only able to chew, breathe, and use a few other motor functions. At the end his family had long since kicked him out of the manor and thrown him into the slums so he wouldn't bring shame to their name.
''Since this body has been living like an empty shell until now, there is not enough information about this world in his memory, but...'' Raydon expressed his disappointment, but he had a strange smile on his face.
Because this body was a complete idiot, he hadn't learned anything, and the people around him hadn't bothered to teach him anything, still Raydon could recall some of the conversations of the people around him in the memory of this body.
Using some of the information he had discovered in his memory, he soon realized the exciting truth.
''I guess I'm really in a game-like world. '' The grin on his face widened.
With a thought, he called the status panel again and checked the remaining time.
[Time until awakening: 00:00:36]
Raydon started to feel pressure in his chest as the seconds went by. His body started to slightly tremble as his heartbeat became increasingly faster.
Raydon thought for a moment. When was the last time he had these reactions?
He had just committed suicide, taken someone else's life, and died. But, despite everything, he hadn't felt this way.
What this feeling was, Raydon understood perfectly. He recalled the time in one of the games he had played before, when he had to battle countless enemies in front of countless spectators.
It was the same feeling he felt at that moment.
Excitement.
The excitement of the oncoming challenge.
A smile he didn't even realize had appeared on Raydon's face. The smile Raydon was unaware of, but which earned him the nickname "smiling reaper" from his opponents.
Time until awakening: 00:00:03
Time until awakening: 00:00:02
Time until awakening: 00:00:01
Time until awakening: 00:00:00
Raydon's vision went completely dark once the countdown was over. He hadn't lost consciousness, but it appeared as though he had lost his hearing and vision. Raydon felt as though he hadn't moved at all from where he was.
He soon realized, however, that he had been teleported to another location, completely devoid of light and sound.
Looked around, hoping to find something, and indeed he found something. A pair of eyes, darker than the darkness and seemingly gigantic, was watching from the shadows.
When Raydon's eyes met with this being, he felt an incredible pressure. It was as if tons of weight were crushing his entire body.
At first, he gasped, as if he had forgotten how to breathe. He couldn't take it any longer and fell to his knees, putting his hands on the floor.
He clenched his teeth and tried with all his might to resist the pressure, but just as all the efforts were about to pay off, a different kind of pain struck his body hard. He began to feel as if his body was being pierced by millions of needles.
He closed his eyes tightly, trying to lessen the pain in his eyes.
He gave up the breath he was finally able to take after much effort because each one aggravated the stinging sensation in his throat.
He clenched his teeth so tightly that they were cracking. Every drop of the blood that was seeping from the corners of his mouth onto his hands stabbed his senses like a knife.
Raydon wanted to scream because of the pain and pressure in his body, but couldn't even groan.
If he could think logically right now, all he'd probably think is that the pain he's experiencing right now is far worse than any he's ever experienced.
Just as the pressure and pain he felt were pushing him to the limit, a voice echoed in his head.
'Submit to me. '
Raydon's mind reverberated so much as a result of the unknown creature's single sentence that a strong emotion began to surface deep within him.
Raydon resisted the pressure and straightened his back gradually. He didn't give a damn about the agonizing pain that accompanied every motion in his body. That emotion was all he cared about, and it dominated everything else.
Raydon rose slowly and with difficulty, not knowing how long it took, but soon he was standing again. The blood dripping from the corners of his mouth now formed a small puddle on the ground.
He ignored his trembling body and slowly raised his head, making eye contact with that being once more.
The pained expression on Raydon's face was not present this time. He had a calm face, but there was also an irritated look in his eyes.
He looked at the being with his disgusted gaze, as if looking at an insect, and his muffled tone echoed in this dark space that had no sound.
''Stop staring with those filthy eyes, you lowly creature. ''
These words weren't a man's last-ditch effort to maintain his pride; rather, they were a command from a higher being to a more inferior being.
Astonishment and fear could be seen in those soulless eyes, which had been emotionless before.
Unfortunately, Raydon must have run out of energy before noticing it because he collapsed to the ground and became unconscious.
***
The sound of happy birds chirping welcomed Raydon when he opened his eyes. Raydon's face was illuminated by the sun's soft, warm light as it passed through the countless leaves of the trees that covered the forest.
Raydon reluctantly rose from the soft grass on which he was lying.
The sound of birds chirping, the rustling of leaves caused by a light breeze, and the sun's enlivening light shining through the leaves and falling to the ground made everything appear to be perfect.
Raydon felt as if he had recently been a resident of hell and that all of his sins had been forgiven, allowing him to enter heaven.
He was about to take a break to enjoy the moment when he felt a presence behind him. When he turned around, he saw four people staring at him with disdain.