'Goddamnit!'
Young master Gaun cursed in his mind.
He saw the towering figure of the troll ready to club his head to the ground.
'I swear... I'm still not up to provoking extremely dangerous creatures like this...'
However, it didn't come as a dark flame surrounded him and blinded his vision.
It was an intense heat like he never felt before.
Gaun knew he would be in pain in this kind of heat.
However, instead, it feels so good like some pretty girl with a nice skill of blowing is playing his little dingles right now.
Addictive.
Ding!
[ The host failed. ]
[ The host died. ]
[ All the courting death points received are converted into a pleasure-pain. ]
Hearing this while in the void's darkness feeling the pleasure.
Young master Gaun had the face of someone who didn't know if he should be glad or not.
The pleasure is so good after dying.
it's like in the cruel world, he finally escaped.
'What is this?'
Young master, Gaun thought.
He is completely aware of his surroundings. It's like he is peacefully feeling the darkness.
Ding!
[ The current host must not become addicted to this stoic feeling of death or the current host might end up the same as the last original host. ]
Young master Gaun was surprised.
'The past original owner?'
His mind clicked.
'The original died because of addiction to this feeling?'
Young master Gaun asked with a little curiosity.
Ding!
[ Yes. ]
'What is this? I feel like I'm not at peace but I'm alright with everything.'
'I feel like I'm prepared for everything this darkness would throw at me, whether it's good or bad.'
However, this feeling is affecting him so much and he is alright if the system did not answer his curiosity.
Ding!
[ It is the system's way to help the current host to accept pain. ]
[ Stoicism, mind insertion. ]
[ Simply put, Stoicism helped hosts live their best possible lives. It's a philosophy of life that maximizes positive emotions, reduces negative emotions, and helps hosts to hone their virtues of character. ]
Young master Gaun understood and nodded.
However, instead of being scared that if he became too addicted to this feeling, he felt it was natural.
"Thank you system for summoning me from earth to this story that is purely created by imagination."
"If I came not from the earth, I would've chosen this feeling by death too, like the last host did. Am I right?"
Ding!
[ The host is right, his knowledge and desire to enjoy life unlike the last host is different. ]
Young master Gaun nodded.
However, his face soon became a little distorted.
'What?'
Only it was too late, as his vision changed again as the system released another notification.
Ding!
[ Daily extra life used. ]
Ding!
[ Current daily extra life: 0 ]
Ding!
[ Automatic alternate universe replacement activated. ]
Ding!
[ It's better for the current host to not court this time or he will automatically die and be completely replaced. ]
...
Outside, everything was burning.
The flame from the underworld swallowed the bunch of area.
"My love?"
A resounding sour voice erupted amid flames.
A shadow of a woman afloat in the sky, looking down at the burnt corpse of young master Gaun.
'I'm still not used to this feeling. It's my first time having a legendary beast in this body.'
'My flame is uncontrolled and erupted. What have I done?'
Leanne thought in worry.
She is trembling from thinking that Gaun only awakened a basic gift and there's an incredibly high chance he might not live.
"My love... My love, what have I done?!"
Seeing the corpse of the young master Gaun and feeling no breath coming out, her world crumbled.
She waited and waited for him.
However, due to the desire to become stronger and protect herself, her loved ones, and her lover, Gaun Leyhart.
She didn't expect that she would be the one who would destroy him, too.
Leanne's eyes squandered thoughtlessly into despair.
"This is not real... This is not real..."
She mumbled as her lips, and hips tightened.
Her hands also became groggy and her neck of hers became red.
"I only wanted to save him. I only wanted to save him."
"How did it come to this?"
When the giant rampaging troll was about to splatter young master Gaun, her instinct responded.
Leanne also didn't expect this to happen.
"I am the one who killed him."
Her hands were on her crying eyes, refusing to accept that instead of saving, she was the one who killed him instead.
"I killed him."
Leanne's eyes darkened.
The legendary spirit bird beside her panicked.
"Wait... Don't panic... Wait... You can do this. Control yourself."
However, Leanne's ears seem shut.
She never intended to listen. With this, the legendary abyss raven became stricken with horror.
"If you lose control again, both of us are going to die."
Panic flowed with the legendary bird's voice.
She and her contract master, Leanne, are connected by soul.
She can feel the restlessness of her master that is resonating with her.
"Please master, you mustn't do this..."
The legendary bird had taken everything on her whim as a legendary underworld raven.
It all changed when she met her master. She can feel the pain, the struggle of her soul despite being young.
The agony of a legendary bird is nothing compared to the agony of her master's soul.
Therefore, she was humbled.
The legendary bird promised to protect and support her master in whatever came into her life.
However, she didn't know what to do at this moment.
"The hell?! I'm back to life?"
Young master Gaun's face was contorted into deep pain.
Even though his body strength was doubled, he can feel it.
His body and mind still remembered the pain he received when his heart melted in that dark flame.
"Eh!?"
Instantly, the pain withers into a warm feeling.
Young master Gaun noticed the lady and was supposed to be queen, Leanne.
His courting death treasure, his current wife.
Sob! Sob! Sob!
A red face and hair become messy.
'She is crying?'
Young master, Gaun thought.
His mind was soon muddled into an endless loop.
Analyzing why she is this emotional.
'She must have wanted me, or the owner of this original body was so important to her she became this emotional.'
Soon, the young master Gaun put his hands on her head.
Patting her, treating her like a lovable kid.
''Don't worry, I'm still alive. However, I need you to control it properly next time."
Young master Gaun spoke.
'In the future, as long as I become stronger and you can control it to my whim.
'I can use it as a weapon to fish my courting death points.'
'Tomorrow, I can Gaun daily extra life but for today, I need you to control it.'
Suddenly, Leanne stopped crying.
She quickly raised her head and looked at the young master Gaun in disbelief.
"Yes?"
Young master Gaun asked as he was perplexed and impressed by her looks.
Leanne's little body suddenly leaped and hugged him tightly.
'You're not dead! You're not dead! I'm glad you're alive.'
Leanne was sure that young master Gaun's heart melted and his soul disappeared from her fire.
Her gift...
The flame decay ability.
It can make those who have healing abilities or gifts like those of young master Gaun nullified.
However, it can also make the souls of the targets turn into nothingness...
Forever.
"I'm glad..."
Sob! Sob!
"You didn't die!... Huhu... you didn't die."
Young master Gaun could only put on a fake smile, but inside he had a knowing smile.
'She is shameless, with a look as if she was crying against me from the bottom of her vixen's heart.'
'Do you think I can't read such easy signals?'
'But we'll, let me play with your game, see its path and end. When that time comes, I'll decide if I should dispose of you.'
Young master Gaun put his hands on her crying, shameless face and considered.
'For now, let me play... With your game, I treasure my troubles.'
Ding!
[ The current host body was replaced and strengthened twice. ]
[ The current host body adapted to the flame decay ability that killed him. ]
Young master Gaun trembled at that notification.
'Flame decay? What is that?'
Ding!
[ Flame decay: A strong underworld flame that can erupt when the user is emotional. ]
Ding!
[ It kills anyone who was close with the gifted over time and anyone who has regeneration or life-steal ability would deem useless at gifted presence as it can nullify them. ]
Ding!
[ Slows the target and makes their attack power, attack speed, and movement speed weaken whenever the user attacks directly the target. ]
Seeing this, young master Gaun's hair on his back stood up and his eyes widened a little.
'An awesome ability.'
He commented like an impressed company owner.
With pride that his miracle Valkyrie body ability is better because it can adapt to it.
Ding!
[ The host shouldn't be complacent. The miracle ability healing property won't work if he did not recognize this flame decay gift. ]
[ If the host did not die or wasted today's extra life, the miracle ability won't be able to adapt. ]
Young master Gaun suddenly froze upon hearing this.
Thud! Thud! Thud!