Chapter 10: Gregory Vonhatten
"It seems that my champion is a rather active one, he had already started his preparation for creating an official religion for me…"
Nathaniel's voice was tinged with pride and joy as he was moved by the devotion of his first follower.
"Klein Whitecrow… he was a rather interesting existence but now it seems that you have disturbed the hands of fate, better keep your guards up."
The Will of the World interjected, she paused deliberately before continuing.
"Lest, you will be visited by a certain hunter in the future. I'd say a bounty of a God even a false one would fetch for something worthy."
Nathaniel turned his formless head towards her, his crescent-shaped mouth remained in its smug expression.
"Thanks for the advice, Lady Willow."
She noticed his expression and flashed him a warm smile.
"No need to thank me, Mister Lee."
She let out a soft chuckle that was followed by Nathaniel's, then they both paused for a moment.
"Mister Lee, isn't it strange how despite being the one that has been living as a human before, you're the one that mostly remained in your non-human form?"
Suddenly, the Will of the World proposed a casual question, but it seemed to have woken Nathaniel out from a daze.
"Yeah… why?"
He muttered to himself.
His gaze locked onto the fog that formed around him, within the fog pieces of his past played one by one.
"I guess, transmigration really does change a person."
He let out a faint laugh as he finished the recollection sequence, it wasn't like he would forget about them.
His current state wouldn't allow something as trivial as that.
"Let's see if I can replicate what I have lost."
The fog enveloped his translucent figure, reshaping him into a man he once was, crouched, messy-haired, restless and miserable, covered in cheap clothes he bought a long time ago. A human shape, not distant but quickly becoming unrecognizable.
His eyes were obscured by the fog, his faint weary smile etched on his face, his demeanor changed into a man tired of fate's ridicule and wished for a better life.
"It hasn't been that long since I was here yet the distance between me and my past life seemed greater than the truth."
He let out a chuckle, amused at his current predicament, his gaze drifted away and landed on the Will of the World's expression, his lips curled up into a smile.
Above his palm materialized a certain object, metallic and shiny, and objects that he used to have, a simple butterfly knife, the one gifted to him by an old acquaintance.
"Are you curious, Lady Willow?"
He asked, casual yet polite, his right hand began to spin and
His hand began to play with the butterfly knife with a great level of expertise.
"Back on Earth, my Earth, despite my financial difficulties I have one thing I always played around with, it was this butterfly knife." His gaze softened, reminiscing a distant memory.
"It was given by an acquaintance long ago, we never really talked much years after, I guess relationships don't always last."
He breathed out, and spun the butterfly knife around his finger, the light of the stars around him reflected on the metallic surface, the noise of clicking and spinning permeated the air.
"It was really fun and relaxing for me, I mean I do enjoy playing around with fidget toys."
He commented on the situation, his hand calmly spinning the butterfly knife around his right hand before launching it into the air.
It's quite amusing…
His past and his present overlapped in interest as the clicking and spinning of the butterfly knife continued as it fell under the weight of gravity.
I mean, isn't it great that the previous Gregory and I had something in common? How wonderful.
Gregory's mind concludes as he strolled through the memories of the previous owner as he caught the butterfly knife mid-spin.
The motion continued, the same pattern and rhythm, as the blade's silver edge flashing under his living room's dim light.
"Oh my goodness, Big Brother Gregory!?" A soft voice broke the silence. "What problem might you have gotten yourself into to return in such a beaten up state!?"
The soft spoken young girl before him was his own dear little sister, Naya Vonhatten.
"Nothing much, I had just encountered some strange things."
Gregory assured her, calm and casual, as if his current condition wasn't worth any worrying.
"Strange things?" She seemed to notice something.
Then, her tone changed into that of a frustrated voice, "Have you taken the shortcut through the Outskirts again!?"
With an unchanging expression, Gregory endured his little sister's relentless lecture while his mind drifted away from the topic at hand, he recalled the structure of the world he currently lives inside.
The domain he lived in can be considered to be a small State under the rule of the independent country of Solareus.
A State formed by 27 City, the capital for the State was the Central City, as its name implied it was a city positioned in the middle of everything, spiralling out from it as the center was the 26 Cities named in accordance to the alphabet.
The City he currently lived in was the 23rd City of City V, his residence was located around Zone V-089 which allowed him to use a shortcut that went through the Outskirts.
"Well, let's stop talking about me, how was your new job?" Gregory tried to change the topic.
Naya noticed her brother's attempt and decided to let the matter pass, "Well, at least you're still alive."
She thought for a moment before she started speaking again with a burst of enthusiasm.
"The job was fun, thanks for asking, ah, Big Brother."
She called out to him, and handed over a small wooden box.
"Your friend told me to give you this."
Gregory took the wooden box and stared at it.
Friend? Oh, was it Dorian?
He sat down on the couch and his sister followed suit, curious about the inside of the wooden box.
Inside the box were three eggs, a pack of cigarettes and a wrinkled letter.
He left the wooden box on the table and began to read the letter as his sister peeked over his shoulder.
***
Dear Gregory,
I write this letter for you to say that your sister has a nice ass.
Another point is that, I or more specifically my juniors had just found out about some farmers that had some non-mutated chickens. I had given you three of 'em, they said that two of them are going to hatch soon probably so take care of them alright?
Oh, another thing, the Zone V-002's research facility seems to be more active right now so better be careful unless you wanna be turned into one of those monsters.
Love from your most handsome brother-in-la- I mean, best friend, Dorian.
***
"This bastard…"
Seeing her brother getting worked up over the letter, Naya began to calm him down.
"Don't worry, Big Brother, he was probably just joking."
Gregory replied with renewed composure and vigilance.
"He better be…"
His gaze was locked onto somewhere outside the window.
There was a figure, far, far away, no normal eyes could've seen that far, that was the figure of a man. Not just one of them, multiple.
"This guy's definitely not normal, could he still notice us from this distance?"
"I mean, the guy returned from death, if he isn't special then that would be weird, so he's our next target huh?"
"Zone V-002 told us to get him there, he seems to have great potential to become one of us, an EGO user."
Back to Gregory, he had just finished his shower, his sister had taken care of the eggs and cooked one of them, as he sat down on the side of his bed, his gaze remained to stare on the nothingness before him as he muttered.
"Status."
——————————
Name: Gregory Vonhatten ( Nathaniel Lee )
True Name: Ezykiel — The Amalgamation
Race: Human
Status: Healthy, Soulless
Lifespan: 60 years
Tier: 1
Rank: E
Titles: False God, The Transmigrator
Bloodline: None
Physique: None
Symbolism: None
Spirit Beast: None
Attribute: Swift
Reactor: White
Affinity: Soul (EX-rank)
Talent: Origin of Mana (XXX-rank)
EGO: None
——————————
How do I acquire this world's power system?
He thought, puzzled as he calmly put on his clothes.
"Big Brother, dinner's ready!"
Hearing his sister's voice calmed him down as he walked out of his room and sat down on the table.
"Thanks for the food."
Both of them said before eating.
I think I could wait, after all, it seems that wish of mine would undoubtedly come true.
He thought as he closed his eyes, his sense noticed something, the figures tailing him had already begun to move closer.
To be continued…