Unable to even scream in pain as his nerve endings and connections mysteriously changed, Jash suffered for what felt neither long nor short.
New information seamlessly blended within his overly convoluted memories, making his brain mushy.
Still, he didn't release a single yelp despite the agonizing pain overwhelming his senses.
This was a stark contrast to when he fainted just a few hours earlier due to pain far less shocking than the current mind-numbing one.
While being alone in this situation came with the advantage of no one excessively worrying over him, it also had its disadvantages.
He was left alone to suffer for who knew how long, with no relief in sight at the end, and no one to comfort him after his relentless suffering.
Fortunately, Jash couldn't formulate any thoughts at the moment; his body instinctively continued to endure the nerve-wracking pain.
...
"Haa..."
"Haa..."
Panting for deep breaths, a layer of sweat enveloped his form as Jash finally regained his sense of self.
The forcefully imprinted information immediately overtook his mind, causing him to try and digest it.
It was about one of the novels Bhairav read and to which the world seemed to correspond.
If that were all, Jash would have ignored it.
But the information regarding mana and how to wield it with great expertise alongside the thorough experience were ingrained into his being.
Luckily, these memories were slow and took a few minutes to showcase their presence, allowing Jash the respite to form coherent thoughts.
'He fulfilled his words... in a rather peculiar manner,' mused Jash, recalling his conversation with Bhairav.
Realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. 'So that's why all this combat-related knowledge found its way here.'
All of those experiences felt like his own, making him think he could definitely fight much better than anyone he had observed.
If he couldn't even have such confidence, then the memories he gained were truly wasted upon him.
Yet a sigh escaped his lips as he mumbled to no one in particular, "I should awaken soon..."
Sadly, most of the fighting techniques utilized mana as their foundation, something he didn't have access to, unless he awakened to become a hunter.
The most he could do was replicate their forms, but it also led him to wonder about his choice last year.
"Maybe my decision to not awaken last year was a blessing in disguise?"
Recalling the feeling of awakening mana from his new memories, he recognised it to be completely different from how he had seen Caera use it.
Even the awakening was worlds apart.
He wasn't sure which was better. But having a solid foundation felt ninety-nine, if not one hundred, times better for sure.
At least, he knew what mana felt like and how to manipulate it with great mastery.
Despite his reluctance to accept the situation and everything as the absolute truth, a curiosity plagued his mind.
'Just how strong was the demon king? Maybe like mom or dad? Maybe grandpa...?'
He didn't know.
As thoughts of his family lingered, Jash's mind drifted to the mysteries of mana and its familiar yet unfamiliar touch.
"Damn! I should've focused on the difference in power levels!"
Jash knew that he barely scratched the surface regarding information on hunters, but it didn't really bother him in the slightest, as he would learn it soon enough.
"Phew..."
Heaving a resigned breath brought him back to the important part. Instead of wondering about the new memories or other complicated things, he started to wonder how to go about it.
'First and foremost, I have to awaken. I don't care about all the crap in place for the protagonist or villain, I'd rather leave it to them. I mean, it doesn't have anything to do with me, right?'
Not bothered by his self-centered line of thought, he continued thinking.
After all, he had already seen what happened with Bhairav, who literally sacrificed himself in order to save the world and help others.
'What use is being a hero? Also, if my world is actually that novel... Then, all I have to do is get stronger to finally live comfortably with my family as I wish.'
'Meanwhile the protagonist would save the world and the villain will impede it, only to give XP packets to the protagonist.'
Shrugging aside the long-term goals, Jash returned to relevant ones.
'Anyways, I have to awaken, train, get stronger before the academy arc... It's where I'm supposed to die...'
His contemplative expression changed to a wry smile as he mumbled, "Ziva stayed single till her death. I don't know how to feel about that..."
On one hand, he felt happy that she didn't go and be with someone else.
Yet he felt she had robbed herself of happiness because of his stupid decisions leading to his untimely demise.
Suddenly, the text from the novel resurfaced when he died, eliciting a dry chuckle from him, "Haha."
"To think Ziva's random words from that day would come true..."
"I would really regret not heeding her advice and awakening earlier when death approaches...?"
"Nope. Not really."
"If my guess is correct, I awakened around this time..."
"And even the curse or dark magic thing happened in the original one, pushing me to awaken in a moment of weakness..."
Trying his best to make sense of his guesses, yet it turned out futile as they were just guesses.
"Tsk. If only the author focused on male side characters instead of defining even the movement of an extra female's curves!"
"Why couldn't you see the shitty harem-centric writing of the author earlier!?"
Jash found himself on the verge of cursing as every single darned event in that novel led to the protagonist bagging a girl!
'Seriously now!? What the hell was wrong with you to even read it?'
Just having to recall the novel he couldn't even use except for finding females, which he felt was useless, the book had minimalistic useful information!
'The book should've been called something along the lines of Harem Collection in a Fantasy World instead of the original title Hero's Journey: Blessed by the Goddess.'
'Ugh... Even the original name is cringeworthy...'
Huffing and puffing in frustration at the book's idiocy, Jash felt the urge to punch someone, barely resisting the urge as he clenched his fists and teeth in anger.
'Why am I torturing myself with such thoughts?' he questioned his sanity, shaking his head in frustration.
Unable to figure out the answer, Jash gave up and focused on what was in front of him, literally.
"Damn! When did I enter the bathroom?" Jash shrieked, noticing his changed surroundings.
He hadn't even realized his actions while he busily mulled over the new pang of memories imprinted into his being.
'I really might have fallen, if not for regaining my bearings at the correct time!' Jash noticed before he distracts himself again.
He recoiled at the feeling of cold tiles underfoot. His clothes clung uncomfortably to his damp skin.
The slight height difference to the shower area nearly caused him to trip.
Still, that wasn't important; he had far more pressing matters to ponder.
Taking off his clothes to finally relax under a cold shower and maybe try to come up with a way to confirm if his world was actually inside the novel or just similar to it.