Meanwhile, in Shun's Mind (A Few Minutes Earlier)
[Mission Completed! Sealed memories will now play!]
The voice, androgynous and cool, gave him no choice. His consciousness was yanked into a void, placed before a screen that flickered to life. A narrator began speaking.
"In a world where beastfolk, demons, and humans coexisted, a hideous thing was born to two regular humans. It looked human, but bore paws on its hands. Truly ugly!"
This narrator is brutal, Shun thought. Is this the System's real voice?
"His parents fought, the father suspecting the mother of infidelity with a beastman. They divorced, and the 'ugly thing' was sold cheaply to a noble house in the Asura Kingdom—the Grayrats, who had a particular fondness for beastfolk slaves."
Shun watched, a silent spectator to his own forgotten tragedy.
"The slave was lucky to be purchased by Sauros Boreas Grayrat. Sauros knew the boy wasn't a beastfolk, but kept him anyway. The slave's name was Shun."
The memories accelerated. The boy worked, cleaned, and endured. His paws were useless, a deformity that had ruined his life.
"At age fifteen, while cleaning, the broom in his hand suddenly flew away. Confused, he tried to pick it up, only for it to be repelled again. He realized it was his paw."
"That night, he experimented. He understood the power: to repel anything he touched. And with that understanding, a fool's dream of freedom was born. He escaped, and no one bothered to follow."
"He became an adventurer under a new name. The fool possessed a natural, deadly talent for combat. He never lost. He rose to become an S-rank adventurer, one of the World's Seven Great Powers—the Mage God."
"Life was good. But then, a god took notice. The 'Human-God' issued an oracle: 'The fool with paws will devour everything.' This god, who could not see Shun's future, sent countless apostles to kill him. But they were all repelled effortlessly."
The fool possessed an insane strength, and though every powerful warrior in the world hunted him, none could defeat him. This was a source of immense frustration for the Human God, who already had his hands full with that psychotic Dragon God.
The fool's greatest mistake, however, was sparing the apostles who came after him. He pitied them, the greatest fool showing mercy to lesser ones. But the ones he spared only grew stronger, and when they still couldn't win, they devised a plan.
They laid a trap for him—the oldest trap for a man: a honey trap. And the fool walked right into it.
He fell in love. Once they were certain he was ensnared, they took the woman hostage. She was a devout apostle, and they used her as leverage, handing the fool a blade with a single command: plunge it into your own heart.
He did it without hesitation. As he lay dying, they revealed the betrayal, laughing at his naivety. But instead of anger, he felt only a profound relief, believing she was safe. In that final moment, he earned his epithet: 'The Fool.'
With his last breath, he placed a paw upon his own chest and repelled himself. He intended to send himself far away, but he was inexperienced and dying. He repelled far more than he intended—his age, his memories, and even his immense strength.
The screen went dark.
Shun finally spoke, his mental voice flat. "Do you expect me to just accept this as my past because you showed me a movie? And why don't I remember my first past life?"
The "System" now swirled, taking the forms of the people who had betrayed him. "Do you think everyone remembers past lives? Your soul is uniquely strong to have managed it once. And why would I fabricate such a pathetic story? What would be the point?"
Shun had to concede the logic. This entity had no reason to lie. "What do you want from me?"
"Help, of course. Why else would I assist you? Nothing is free. If I hadn't contained the power and memories you repelled and returned them gradually, you'd have been a brain-dead wild man."
"How am I supposed to help you?"
"Did you know planets have wills? Think of me as one. My world is being invaded. Demons travel between worlds, spreading a corruption that prepares a planet to be consumed by their kings. I want you to save me."
"That sounds... far beyond my current strength."
"With your current strength, yes. But have you forgotten the oracle? Evolve. Devour more. Grow stronger, and kill the rotten bastards trying to eat me!" The planet's will had clearly learned to curse from his memories.
"Last question. Why wait until now to show me?"
"I waited for you to build connections. A guild. Friends. Hopefully, a lover. So when you remembered, you wouldn't fall into despair. When you wake up, Mavis should be there to comfort you. Goodbye."
The planet's voice faded, and Shun's consciousness was thrust back into reality. He awoke to find that a full, unconscious month had passed.