Julian saw Elias coughing blood, as he lost his life for every second passed, Julian could not come up with any idea that could heal his brother like friend, Elias. Elias, in half closed eyes said "Julian, enter the Treasure chamber and then leave without us. We don't know whether something dangerous would pop up again,here take my Walkman, I love you so much Julian"
Elias passed away as he ended his life with his words.
....
He saw the door opened after his friends died suddenly, it looks like it invites him. Julian limped to enter the treasure chamber.Unlike the cracked corridors he limped through, this place was calm, and gave a sense of almost sacredness. The ceiling rose into a high dome, shaped like the inside of a colossal hall. From it hung strands of pale-blue luminescence fungus, stalagmites in the tomb dripped the water slowly like liquid starlight and the sound vanished before they touched the ground somehow.
The walls curved in perfect symmetry, carved with symbols that whispered with motionTreasure filled the chamber, but nothing glittered with crude greed. Instead, everything radiated quiet power. At the right side, dozens of relics floated above stone stands fragmented crowns, broken blades, rings sealed inside swirling orbs of glass-like mist.On the left were chests sealed with runic locks, some cracked open just enough to reveal shimmering metals: coiled silver threads, black crystals with shifting reflections, and fragments of armor glowing with dormant heat.
At the center of the chamber, he saw the illuminating light that arose from a black obsidian orb. The orb had cracks that continuously emitted a blue aura from it emanating its surrounding with light.
Julian understood that this was the most powerful and unknown relic that they came for.
Julian touched the relic with his palm, the relic embraced Julian with black liquid and ..
Poof!
The obsidian orb suddenly looked like in broke in a fraction of second, engulfing Johan with many rays of blue light. Julian felt some liquid condensed along with his body like a small ball and disappeared without trace.
***
Ding!
[Congratualtions on becoming a Gocher]
[Congratutalions, you obtained the seed]
[Congratulations, you got a Divine Rank seed]
[You can gain access to your Domain once you contacted your seed in the main layer]
[You have entered the main layer of dimensions]
[Transmigration successful, you can contact your Guide once you passed the second trial]
[You got access to the body of an incarnation]
[You are now the possesor of the body]
Numerous messages popped like in gaming systems, Julian woke up finding himself in a different world. He immediately thought of one thing, "to acess the current condition!"
[The old name of your incarnation is Johan Anderson]
[Find the tomb for second trial!]
The wind slipped through the cracks in the window, carrying the smell of wet wood and smoke. A pale red light from the moon filled the small room where Johan is resting.The wooden like tiled floor and the old wooden walls made the atmosphere gloomy. The house had a average sized hall with a small dining table. Johan couldn't notice anything, his eyes reached the visual only upto a certain point.
On a narrow bed lay a man wrapped in bandages. His breath was slow, heavy, each movement sharp with pain. He opened his eyes, staring at the roof that seemed ready to fall apart. Everything around him felt strange, unfamiliar, and cold.
The air was still except for the faint creak of wood. Dust hung in the dim light. He tried to move his fingers; they were thin, scarred, and weak. A dull ache spread through his chest. He did not remember this place… or this body.
A soft voice came from the door.
"You shouldn't move yet."
A tall man stood there, his dark pupils steady and sharp under the faint moonlight. His jawline was strong, his expression was calm. The white skinned James said "just what happened at the tomb?". He wore a gray uniform with a faded silver badge on his shoulder, the cloth showing years of use. This was James Anderson, the elder brother of the man lying on the bed.
"How long was I here?" he asked weakly.
James stepped closer, his boots thudding softly on the wooden floor. His gaze stayed firm but carried a hint of worry.
"You just got here," he said. "They brought you by horse carriage not long ago. You were injured hard in your stomach, has your exploration from your internship
Company failed?
"..." He nodded slowly, trying to understand. His mind felt like it belonged to someone else.
James placed a small wooden cup beside the bed.
"Drink this. It'll help with the pain, I prepared this medicine it for you"
The liquid burned his throat, but it brought warmth to his tired body. For a while, neither of them spoke. The only sound came from the wind pushing the wooden windows.
James looked toward the window. The crimson moon was floating low in the sky, its light dull and heavy.
"The crimson moon appeared, isn't it more red this month?" he murmured.
"No astrologists found the reason for it's appearance for only one day in a month", James sighed.
Outside, the dirt road was empty. Old houses leaned against each other like weary men. Somewhere in the distance, a bell rang from a watchtower, echoing across the hills.
He turned his gaze back to the ceiling. His body was weak, but his thoughts were stronger than ever. The feeling of wrongness would not fade. He knew, deep inside, that he did not belong here.
The candle beside him flickered once, then went out. The room sank into silence under the red glow of the moon.
"Johan, are you fine, do you need anything" James asked without hesitation towards the young man in his teens lying on the bed.
Later with the help of gas pipes in the room, James went to the kitchen then took a white candle from the top second shelf and lit with his ordinary looking metal Lightner.
He sat besides Johan and placed the candle near the corner of the bed and said
"A light lamp would be nice, I will buy them with this month's income"
...
After James Anderson went to kitchen, Johan had no idea about the messages and he thought for a word, Profile!
[You are temporarily restricted to access the user's profile, please finish the trial to access the functions]
[Memories of the past possesor would return after the succession in trial]
"Trial?The only trial I passed I think is from earth sacrificing my friends, I must finish these quickly and return to earth, I can atleast then prevent others to fall into tragedy like us"
Johan grasped the essence of the information James just provided
I am injured and James included that "i was brought" which means this Johan guy undergone some trial like mine sacrificing himself to the so called system or something he don't know of in a exploration. Johan must have undergone the responsibility of working in the internship Company. That's how he must have ended up in the tomb. But where are others? I couldn't remember anything.
"Aaah, why my whole body feels like it was beaten for days"
Johan slept through the as his body felt tired and it literally asked him to sleep!
The first light of dawn slipped through the small gaps in the roof, touching the dust floating in the air like faint gold. The crimson hue of the night had faded, leaving behind a gray calm. A rooster cried somewhere beyond the fog, and the scent of damp earth crept into the room.
The man stirred in bed. His body felt heavy, as though it belonged to someone who had lived too long in pain. His eyes blinked open in half-closen state. The ache was still there, but softer now. The bandages on his chest itched; the skin beneath them pulsed with flowing blood.
At the doorway stood James, already dressed for work. His uniform, though neatly buttoned, had the dull look of a man's last good set of clothes. A satchel hung over his shoulder, its strap frayed at the edges. The metal badge of the Neravy City Government Service caught the pale morning light as he adjusted it.
"Don't push yourself too hard today," James said, his voice quiet but steady. "There's bread on the table. I'll be back by sundown."
He gave a small nod before stepping out. The door shut softly, leaving behind the faint echo of boots against the muddy road.
Silence filled the house once more. The man Johan Anderson, though he barely remembered that name sat up and looked around. The room was even smaller than it had seemed the night before. A chipped mirror leaned against the wall. A single chair stood beside a cracked window. The wood stove in the corner was rusted but still usable, and a faint pile of coal sat beside it.
He pressed his hands to his chest. The warmth there felt… alive. The body he had woken in responded differently now, as though it had accepted him. He stretched his fingers, flexed his arms, and felt the dull ache of muscle returning to life.
He rose slowly and walked toward the small kitchen space. The table was uneven, made from mismatched planks. On it lay a loaf of coarse brown bread wrapped in cloth, a small jug of goat's milk, and a few eggs resting in a chipped bowl. There was also a bunch of wilted herbs tied with thread.
He set a pan on the stove and coaxed a small flame to life. The firelight warmed the room with a faint crackle. The smell of burning coal mixed with the scent of bread and herbs. He cracked two eggs into the pan; the sound was soft but comforting. The yolks spread golden, and he sprinkled a bit of crushed salt from a wooden jar.
The edges hissed and turned crisp. He tore a slice of bread, warmed it over the flame until it browned slightly, and placed it beside the eggs. He poured a cup of milk, slightly sour but drinkable, and sat down to eat.
The meal was simple that consisted of warm bread, fried eggs, a hint of herbs,but to his tongue, it was rich. It filled the small house with a sense of calm he hadn't felt in what seemed like years.
After eating, he cleaned the plate, poured water from a clay jug, and wiped the table with the corner of his sleeve. The air outside grew brighter, carrying the distant chatter of merchants and the ring of a church bell.
He lay back on the bed for a while, letting his eyes close. The sounds of the world drifted around him,the neigh of horses, the crunch of cartwheels on gravel, the faint whistle of a passing train somewhere beyond the hills. Sleep took him again, gentle and deep.
When he woke, the sun was already leaning west. The air had grown cooler, and faint shadows stretched across the room. He sat up slowly, rubbing his neck, then looked toward the window.
His thoughts wandered to the river. James had said he was found there, barely alive. The image of cold water and moonlight flashed through his mind, but no memory followed it. The space in his head where answers should have been was silent.
Still, curiosity pushed him. He stepped outside, the wooden door creaking behind him. The world of Victorian era spread out,narrow stone streets, chimneys breathing pale smoke, houses are built like they are pressed together. Children played near puddles, their laughter thin but bright. Women hung clothes from ropes tied across narrow alleys. A carriage rolled past, wheels clattering against cobblestone. Horses dragged the carriage with some people in it. People walked randomly across the street and also along the pavement lied on either corners of the road
The air smelled of coal, bread, Johan was amazed by the beautiful at the same time aesthtic environment of this world.The old city, though looked worn, it's 'majestic'. Lanterns hung from iron posts, their glass cracked and fogged. A cathedral's bell tower rose, the cathedral had a large open door made of iron, its spire was long, enriching the scenery combined with the bright blue sky filled with white plushy clouds.
He followed the dirt path beyond the town's edge, down toward the river. The water was calm now, its surface was flowing with blue mixed with green in colour. A wooden bridge was constructed across the river. It was a small old bridge with supporting wooden handles along the path.
A ordinary face was reflected at the river's water. He saw a young man's face with beautiful black hair
Johan tried to remember some information regarding this world. The memories refused to return. Only the sound of the flowing river flashed to his mind. This might be an clue regarding my transmigration.
By the time he walked back, the light was fading. The humidity gathered as the evening approached, Johan immediately walked the same way he came from.The city lamps began to glow one by one, their faint gaslight spreading across the stones.
When he reached home, the door opened just as he approached. James stepped inside, a faint trail of fog following him. He held a small gas lamp in one hand and a folded envelope in the other.
"You're awake," he said, setting the lamp on the table. "Good. This month's income has arrived."
The warm light filled the room again, soft and flickering. Outside, the crimson moon was just beginning to rise.