Kael Voss's POV
"So… where am I now?"
I sat cross-legged in complete darkness, my voice echoing slightly in the empty space. The room — if it could even be called a room — was pitch black. No walls, no floor, no light. Just endless void.
It felt disturbingly familiar. This place reminded me of the dark emptiness I drifted through right after getting my head cut off, before that black swirling portal sucked me in.
I let out a long, tired sigh.
"How many ridiculous things have happened to me in such a short time?"
First, I died a brutal death after destroying an entire criminal empire. Second, I woke up in the body of a weak side character inside a game I used to play years ago. And third, instead of becoming the hero or even a relevant side character, I was stuck as Nyx Vale — a pathetic stepping stone whose only purpose in the story was to make the hero look stronger.
My previous life had been nothing but pain and blood. Now, even with a second chance, I was given the worst possible starting point.
After several long minutes, the silence grew heavier. Nothing happened. No system window appeared. No voice spoke.
I was getting impatient.
"HEY! IS ANYONE HERE?!" I shouted as loud as I could, my voice booming into the darkness.
Still nothing.
I took another deep breath, preparing to shout again, when something strange occurred.
Fush.
A small, cracked spectral skull suddenly materialized in front of me, floating gently in the air. Its hollow eye sockets glowed with faint, flickering blue flames. The jaw moved with a dry, rattling sound as it spoke.
"Hey, kid! Why the hell are you shouting like that?" the skull snapped, its voice raspy and echoing, as if coming from deep inside an ancient tomb. "Keep it down or I'll burn your damn throat shut."
I stared at the floating spectral skull, momentarily stunned.
A talking skull. It was weird. It was scary. And honestly… it was kind of awesome.
For a brief second, childish excitement bubbled up inside me. I always wanted to meet a ghost when I was younger. Looks like I got something even better.
I quickly pushed that thought down. I refused to look like an idiot in front of whatever this thing was.
'Don't panic. Stay cool.'
I cleared my throat and spoke politely at first.
"Uh… hello, Mr. Ghost. Sorry for shouting. Can you tell me where I am?"
The spectral skull paused, then burst into dry, rattling laughter. Its jaw clacked as the blue flames in its eye sockets flickered wildly.
"Mr. Ghost? Kid, you're hilarious!" it cackled. "Me? A ghost? That's the dumbest thing I've heard all day."
My expression instantly turned cold. The brief spark of excitement died.
"So you're not a ghost," I said flatly, my tone shifting from polite to indifferent in a heartbeat. "Then who the hell are you?"
The skull seemed surprised by my sudden change in attitude.
"Wow, you switched pretty fast. I like that attitude though," it said, sounding amused, its voice echoing slightly.
I narrowed my eyes. "Stop wasting my time. Answer the question."
The spectral skull let out an exaggerated sigh, the blue flames dimming for a moment.
"Fine, fine. I'm the System — or at least the guide interface for it."
I nodded slowly. "Okay."
The skull seemed taken aback by my calm reaction.
"…That's it? Just 'okay'? Most people freak out when they meet me."
"I've read enough isekai novels and watched enough anime to expect something like this," I replied coldly. "No need for drama."
The spectral skull floated a little closer, its cracked surface glowing faintly.
"Alright, smart guy. This dark space you're in right now is the preparation room for the Memory Transfer Process. It's where we—"
"Wait," I interrupted. "Before you continue with your boring explanation, can I ask you some questions?"
"Sure," the skull replied. "But I'll only answer three questions. Make them count."
"Why only three?" I asked, frowning.
"Because it's more fun that way," it answered cheerfully, the blue flames in its sockets dancing.
I felt irritation rising but forced it down. Getting angry at a floating skull wouldn't help.
"Fine. First question," I said. "Is this world actually the game I played, or is it a real parallel universe?"
The spectral skull answered without hesitation.
"It's a parallel universe based on the game The Quest of the Mythical World. We pulled your soul from your original world and placed it here."
I nodded. That made sense.
"Second question. Why was I brought here? And why put me in the body of a worthless side villain instead of the hero?"
The skull paused for a moment, as if choosing its words carefully. Its jaw clicked softly.
"It's not that complicated. The gods watch over different worlds. The god of your original world saw the miserable, traumatic life you lived — losing your family, your lover, everything. He took pity on you. The original owner of this body, Nyx Vale, was destined to die a pathetic death anyway. So we transferred you into his body right before his fate was sealed."
I stayed silent for a few seconds, processing the information.
"Last question," I said, my voice turning noticeably colder. "The girl who slapped me in the tavern… who is she?"
"Ah, her," the skull replied casually, the blue flames flickering. "Her name is Elyra. She's one of the main heroines of this world — the golden-blonde girl with emerald eyes. From what I can see, the original Nyx was quite obsessed with her. She already hates him."
'As I expected,' I thought.
The spectral skull floated higher, its cracked form casting eerie shadows.
"Now that you've used up your three questions, shall we begin the Memory Transfer?"
I didn't hesitate.
"Fine. But tell me one more thing — what's the real point of this memory transfer?"
"If we skip it, the two souls will clash, causing serious mental problems. After the merge, your soul — being much stronger — will become the dominant one. You'll control the body, while the original owner's emotions and fragmented memories will mix in. Basically, you stay you… mostly."
I gave a small nod.
"Let's get it over with."
"Good," the skull said, its jaw rattling. "Starting now."
Zzzzzppzz—
A small cluster of glowing white particles appeared in the air in front of me.
"These are the memories of the original Nyx Vale," the spectral skull explained. "Absorb them."
"How?" I asked, staring at the floating lights.
"Just eat it."
I raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. I reached out, grabbed the cluster of particles, and brought it to my mouth. The moment it touched my tongue, it melted instantly, sending a cold sensation down my throat.
A few seconds later, it hit me like a truck.
"Whoa—!"
Countless images and emotions flooded my mind all at once. Memories that weren't mine rushed through my head at blinding speed.
Most of them revolved around one person — Elyra.
From childhood playdates to awkward teenage years, Nyx had smiled only for her, cried only for her, and lived almost entirely for her.
After the flood of memories finally slowed down, I opened my eyes and muttered under my breath,
"…He was way too innocent to be called a villain."
The spectral skull chuckled softly, its blue flames flickering with amusement.
"Ready for the full integration?"
I clenched my jaw, steeling myself for whatever came next