The place was a lot of fun. He made many friends and even forgot about the past mishaps of his life. But for what? Three years later, he was being hunted down by the very friends he cared for.
"It... wasn't supposed to... be like this..." Zhang Ying panted as he struggled to get away from his assailants.
The dark streets of the town he had spent his life in now gazed at him mockingly. His life has always been a failure, but Zhang Ying thought his life in Otherworld wouldn't be the same.
"Come... just a... few more... steps..."
But taking those few steps seemed a herculean task. The adrenaline that helped him escape from the assassin's clutches was now working against him as it contributed to increased blood loss. Eventually, his legs would give away, and he would be at the mercy of his friends.
"Those... damned... bastards!"
Zhang Ying's mind wandered to when the Minister gave him an important task. He was to deliver the information of the next target to his team.
However, as soon as he showed them the information, Zhang Ying realized something was wrong. The great friends of his immediately drew their weapons on him.
Only then did Zhang Ying see the name of the person marked for death. It was him. They struck him with many weapons. From daggers to swords, arrows to spears... it was a miracle he rushed out of there.
But things were looking grim. Over an hour, the entire town had changed their opinion of him. The Heroes chased him, but no one tried to help him. Zhang had been a priest, so he had helped hundreds of people, but now no one came to his aid.
"Fuck... Alicia must have... used a tracking spell..."
Zhang Ying had hoped the narrow twisting and turning pathways would be enough to buy him some time. But it seemed he had run out of his luck.
Upon hearing those footsteps behind him, his pulse quickened as he felt the sting of cold sweat on his forehead. The king's pets were closer than Zhang Ying had expected, but he could do nothing except run.
"Come on... just a bit... more!"
Zhang had hoped if he crossed the river and entered the enemy territory, he would get some time to breathe in relief. If things got worse, he could join the demon's army just for revenge. But that would only happen if he left the town alive.
With his goals in mind, Zhang Ying pushed his body to its limits, muscles burning with exertion. The adrenaline coursing through his veins granted him a temporary burst of speed, but his gasps for air revealed the toll it was taking.
"AARGH!!!"
Just when the exit was within his grasp, a sudden searing pain erupted in his right leg, and he stumbled forward, collapsing onto the concrete.
As he looked down, Zhang Ying saw an arrow embedded in his calf, the shaft protruding obscenely. Gritting his teeth, Zhang Ying fought through the agony and tried to crawl toward the exit.
"There he is! Don't let him escape this time!" a voice echoed in the dark.
Zhang Ying turned to see the faces of the ones chasing him. While it might not do him any good, at least he could die holding onto a grudge.
Anger was a strange emotion for Zhang Ying. He hadn't been angry once in his life before. Not when he was taken away from his home and forced to migrate to some other world.
But even then he had his friends with him and Liang Mei, the girl he picked the Priest class for. Now all of them were out for his blood, for a reason he didn't know.
However, his thoughts were interrupted by his friends turned enemies. They closed in, emerging from the shadows like wraiths. The leader, clad in dark attire and wearing an emotionless mask, loomed over Zhang Ying.
"I'm sorry about this Zhang Ying," a red-haired man murmured. "I know you hate us, but our hands are tied. The minister wants you dead, and dead you shall be."
The rest of them remained quiet. Some looked remorseful, but most, including Liang Mei, remained indifferent. Their eyes told Zhang Ying how much he meant to them.
Zhang Ying couldn't even utter a word before Liang Mei grabbed a sword and pushed it through his chest.
"...I'll pray for your safe journey to the afterlife," she mumbled before twisting the blade, killing him.
"You did well, Mei Mei," the red-haired man wrapped his arms around her. "Now we can live in peace without this deadweight holding us down."
Gao Rong, the red-haired man, turned to the other associates and continued, "Dump his corpse in the forest. Let him be useful in his death."
***
In the dead of the night, two men were dragging a corpse inside the forest. They looked around, not sensing anyone's presence. Finally, they stopped, panting, before dropping the ropes.
"Right here should be fine," one muttered. "Let's leave it here for the monsters to feast on."
The other man agreed, and they left, wasting no more time around Zhang's corpse. As their footsteps faded, glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.
Creatures of all shapes and sizes appeared from the shadow surrounding the corpse. But none of the monsters made a move to touch the body. Suddenly, a figure jumped down from the trees.
It was a woman, wrapped in a dark cloak, her face concealed by her hoodie. As she approached the corpse, the monsters backed away as if they all knew and trusted her.
The woman ignored the beasts and kneeled beside Zhang Ying's lifeless body. She let out a sigh after confirming it was him.
"You were brave… but so foolish," she murmured, taking a bright red feather from her pocket.
She held the feather close to her chest and mumbled something. As she did, the feather began glowing, and the woman released the feather, letting it settle on Zhang Ying's chest.
"I hope, when we meet again, you'll make the wiser choice, Zhang Ying."
A moment later, the feather sank into Zhang's body. The glowing feather became one with him as his body shone in the night. The light grew brighter, wrapping Zhang's body in a cocoon.
The woman stepped back as the flash revealed her sad smile. She said something, but the monster's howl made it incoherent to hear and then Zhang Ying's body vanished, leaving nothing but an empty patch of grass where he had been.
"Long live the Sovereign."