'What the fuck... I don't feel so good about all this,' Eren thought, a sinking feeling settling in his gut as he tried to stand up again.
His legs wobbled, but he somehow managed to stay upright by leaning heavily against the rough bark of a tree behind him. His mind raced, replaying that deafening roar from a few seconds ago.
'This... doesn't feel like a hallucination anymore... Is this some kind of dream from the space weed?'
Space weed was known for two things: making people see some seriously wild hallucinations and giving them crazy, vivid dreams.
Sometimes, you could dream about your favorite things, like flying around in a jetpack made of pizza, and other times?
Well, it threw you into nightmares that made no sense. Eren wasn't sure which category this fell into, but one thing was for sure—it was starting to feel way too real for his liking.
He scanned the forest again, his mind racing. The weight of the air, the earthy smell of the forest floor, even the dull ache pulsing from the dagger still lodged in his leg—it all felt too real.
'This can't just be a hallucination... Right? Nah, no way. It's gotta be one of those weird space weed dreams.' He tried convincing himself, though his confidence was starting to waver.
But despite the nagging doubt, Eren's face kept that same unbothered expression.
'It's just a dream. Yeah, just a super-realistic, hyper-detailed dream.'
He chuckled nervously, his brow twitching slightly. 'It's not like I've transmigrated into some dangerous world or something... right? RIGHT?!'
There was no way something that insane could happen to him, right? Eren brushed the thought aside, unwilling to entertain the idea.
After all, this wasn't the first time he'd had a weird dream thanks to space weed. He once dreamt he was in the middle of World War II.
And what role did he play in that dream? Oh, let's just say his "friend" in that world was an Austrian painter.
A really passionate painter... who, unfortunately, flunked art school and ended up becoming a politician in Germany. And to top it off, the guy had the funniest-looking mustache Eren had ever seen.
"Ugh... it hurts," Eren groaned, his thoughts snapping back to the present as a sharp pain radiated from his leg. He shifted slightly, trying to move, but the dagger buried in his leg made even the smallest step a challenge.
Every time he shifted his weight, it felt like his leg was on fire. The pain was real. Too real. But taking the dagger out?
Nope. Eren knew better than that. Ripping it out would just make him bleed out faster, and he wasn't about to test that theory in a "dream."
"Yeah, better leave it in," he muttered to himself. 'For now, at least.' He gave the dagger a quick, side-eyed glance and sighed.
"Space weed's definitely not worth this much trouble."
.....
Suddenly, Eren heard a voice echoing through the dense forest, a mix of desperate yelling and heavy footsteps crunching through the underbrush. His head snapped up in confusion. Wait... was that someone crying?
"YOUNG MASTER! SOB SOB WHERE ARE YOU?! SOB SOB!"
Eren groaned, slumping back against the tree. 'Shit, I just want to wake up from this weird-ass dream already.' He was used to strange dreams, thanks to the space weed, but this one was taking the cake.
Now, he was hearing someone bawling their eyes out like a child lost in a supermarket. And why did he feel like the air around him was getting tighter, like the pressure was building up?
"YOUNG MASTER!"
Before Eren could process it, the trees around him swayed violently, like some huge force had just hit the forest. The branches trembled all the way from the canopy to the roots, and before he could even blink, a figure dropped down from the sky like a damn meteor.
Eren's jaw went slack. An old man, probably in his late 50s or early 60s, landed right in front of him. Despite his age, this guy looked like one of those old anime masters, the type who could punch a mountain in half.
He was bald, had a long flowing beard, and was dressed in pure white robes. The character "Sho" was written boldly on the back of his outfit in golden kanji. But the weirdest part?
The old man was crying. Like, full-on ugly crying, face scrunched up, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I FINALLY FOUND YOU, YOUNG MASTER! SOB SOB!" the old man bawled, running toward Eren like some heartbroken lover in a drama.
Eren barely had time to react. The guy moved so fast that Eren didn't even get a chance to process what was happening. "Wh—" he began to say, but in a flash, the old man was already right in front of him.
He moved like a blur, striking Eren's body in several places with a series of quick jabs. Eren felt a weird pressure hit his neck, and before he could finish his sentence, everything went black.
The old man let out a huge sigh of relief, wiping the tears from his face as he muttered, "Huff~ I almost lost my head today…"
The relief on his face was real. If Shin Sho—the body Eren was now inhabiting—had actually died, the old man would've been as good as dead himself.
Sure, the original Shin had already kicked the bucket, but as far as the old man knew, as long as the body was still breathing, he could keep his head attached to his neck. It was a win for him.
You see, Eren had just transmigrated into the body of a "young master." Yeah, you heard that right—he wasn't just in some random dude's body.
He was now Shin Sho, the only son of the Shonin Clan's patriarch, one of the wealthiest and most powerful clans in the Land of Tea.
And no, that's not a tea-making competition; the Shonin Clan was in charge of valuable herbs and rare goods, making them one of the top suppliers to the Land of Fire.
As for Shin Sho's original death? Well, let's just say it was far from heroic.
The guy had been leading a caravan, his first real mission outside the Land of Tea, and they were transporting a huge load of herbs to sell in the Land of Fire.
You know, because wartime makes people desperate for healing stuff. But things went south when a giant tiger decided to attack the caravan.
The beast wiped out most of the guards in minutes, and as for Shin? The dude slipped on a rock and accidentally stabbed himself in the leg before getting mauled. Not the best way to go.
The old man—who was supposed to protect Shin—was late to the party, and he knew damn well that if Shin had actually died, he would've been executed by the clan for failing his duty.
After all, Shin Sho was the patriarch's only child and favorite.
"Let's go," the old man muttered, lifting the now-unconscious Eren (or rather, Shin).
Without a second thought, he hoisted him onto his back and started running toward the Land of Tea at full speed. The kid needed medical treatment, and fast.
As for the rest of the caravan? Yeah, they were on their own. The old man didn't give two shits about them. They could rot for all he cared.
......
{The first mission assigned to Master has been completed}
{Rewards are being given}
{Heavenly Demon's Successor (Title) has been given...}
{Memories of the original Shin Sho have been given...}
{Hell's Divine Tree...}
As Shin lay unconscious, the template's panel, which had previously disappeared, reappeared in front of his unconscious face.
{A/N: May I dare ask for some comments, My noble sir?}