Chapter 3: 3: Memories
Inside the wooden house, Caleb leaned on a small window and stared at the thick-white ground covered with white crystals and at the calm rain of snow. 'I'm really not in my world. Or am I? Did I get reincarnated in the North Pole or something? Am I still on Earth?'
Caleb turns around and looks at the three people with him. Then scanned the surroundings again, but this time more carefully. He took in every detail that he could see.
'Well, to think that I will be reincarnated with such a humble background. Doesn't matter...' A smirk formed from his mouth and he couldn't help but grin. 'With the knowledge of my past life, I will at least have a decent life this time!'
Then, Caleb froze and realized that his goal wasn't ambitious enough. 'No, I will become filthy rich this time! To hell with a decent life!'
Suddenly, Caleb felt a piercing pain in his temples, and then the surroundings in his vision doubled. The kitchen, the ceiling, and even the floor. Light-headed, Caleb immediately held the wood in the window to support himself. A massive headache followed, and a prickling sensation like thousands of needles assaulted his senses. 'W-what?'
Unfamiliar scenes and knowledge flooded his mind. He saw the little girl and the two middle-aged people in the memories. He received a flood of memories that came from the body he was in. Fortunately, the memories weren't rich enough to make him faint. After all, the body he was in was just a child and hadn't lived long enough yet.
Slowly, the pain receded, and Caleb felt a relaxing sensation afterward. 'So that is the legendary receiving memory that other reincarnators feel.'
The good thing is, he finally understood the situation he found himself in. The young boy or his current identity is Jacob. Caleb saw the young boy's whole childhood as a story in the form of memories. He only knew the summary, but not every detail. The child helps his parents with the daily chores in the house. From tending the chickens, and helping his father on the farm, to playing with his little sister. His father's name was Eduardo, his mother's Erica, and the little girl was Patricia.
Caleb didn't know why he replaced the consciousness of the child. No clue or anything about the strange event. He only knew that his name was Caleb, not Jacob. He died in a landslide, appeared in a lightless void, and got forcefully pulled from a terrifying sphere of light.
'What the? It actually reincarnated me to the body of a child?' Caleb scratched his head. 'Actually, this is more like a transmigration than reincarnation, right?'
After all, reincarnation and transmigration are two entirely different concepts. How does he know? Because he spends most of his free time reading web novels!
'If it's reincarnation, I should be born in a womb or as a baby!' Caleb sighed and looked at his two short hands. 'I won't get used to it anytime soon.' He didn't know what to feel. He can't even control his body properly because of unfamiliarity. Living most of his life as an adult, strong and burly, and suddenly becoming a child again doesn't make it better. 'So this is how Conan feels when his body shrunk to a child again,' Caleb lamented.
"Erica, take Patricia to the bed..." Eduardo's gruffy voice echoed in the wooden house as he instructed his wife.
Erica put down the water container in her hands and, with a final wipe on the rough walls made of wood, she walked beside Patricia and embraced her as carefully as she could. "She really knows how to sleep." Then Erica carried Patricia to the medium-sized bed crafted from Turkese woods.
Erica positioned the quilt on top of Patricia and stared at her peaceful face for a second, then sat beside her.
Seeing his wife chuckling, Eduardo smiled. Their daughter had been fragile since birth. She had an emaciated physique and an unhealthy complexion when she was a baby. Thankfully, it slowly got better growing up. That's why Patricia gets easily tired and sleeps frequently.
"Eduardo, you forgot to keep the ice pick and the knife from the children's reach." Erica pointed her fingers at the kitchen where a knife and short-pointed metal that gave a dangerous gleam were lying.
"Oh..." "I'm still using them. I'm not done breaking the ice on the outside just yet." Eduardo paused for a moment and looked at Jacob, who was staring dazedly outside. 'What's up with this kid? He's been staring at the snow straight for a minute now.'
"Hey son, what are you doing?"
"Nothing..." Jacob, no... Caleb answered with a smile and shook his head. Now, he has finally got himself together and arranged his thoughts in an orderly manner.
By now, he has a good understanding of how the original Jacob behaves. Just like other young boys... Jacob was pretty energetic and cheerful. However, he doesn't behave as troublesome as other brats, since he wasn't spoiled and has a good upbringing.
'I don't need to act as carefully now. Not saying anything might even make it even more abnormal.' Caleb mused.
"How much sashimi powder do we still have?" Seeing his son finally back to his usual self, Eduardo didn't pay attention to Jacob any longer and asked his wife.
'That's right. Don't talk to me...' Caleb breathes a sigh of relief. 'I don't know how to fucking treat you guys. Both of you are only seven years older than my original age.'
Caleb doesn't feel an attachment to Eduardo or Erica. He has a decent family, a loving mother, and a strict father in his past life. His mother died due to old age and his father followed. Still, they gave him all he needed, his father taught him how to stand by himself while his mother gave him the warmth of love. For Caleb, they are his only parents that cannot be replaced.
He wasn't about to suddenly act warmly with Eduardo and Erica, right? That would be strange. Still, he can give them time and if they treat him well, then all he can do is give them respect and reciprocate in his own way. But they won't be his mother and father anytime soon...
"There are still three packs on the table to last us for three months. Why?" Erica caressed Patricia's baby hair and answered.
"I'm about to fry fish and cook stew soap. It won't taste the same without the seasoning of sashimi powder." A chuckle escaped from Eduardo's mouth.
"Then be careful. As always, don't let your eyes get exposed to the powder." Erica stood up from the floor, went to the table, took one pack of powder from it, and gave it to Eduardo.
'Sashimi powder?' Caleb took note of this. For him, food is one of the joys life has to offer. He was curious about how it would make his foods in the future taste.
Chapter 4: 4: Haunt of the Past
Seeing Eduardo cook in the kitchen with a knife in his hand, cutting tofu and slicing vegetables. Caleb looks at his supposed little sister and mother humming beside her. 'Goddamn, she sleeps like a log.'
Caleb walks past the two of them and looks at Eduardo's broad shoulders. He knew that this kind of physique could exert terrifying strength. After all, Eduardo worked heavy labor type of jobs all his life, such as farming.
In front of Caleb, near a worn-out yet functioning chimney, there's a mirror etched on just on top of the mouth where one was supposed to place coals. As for why there's a chimney when the family didn't look well off to afford one, it can only be said a matter of priority. In this damned freezing place, he found himself in, the importance of the chimney in every house was evident.
Even the poor have their own ways to build one for themselves. It's not a matter of wants but of necessity.
Caleb shifted his gaze from the mirror to the fiery flame just below it. The warmth of the flame caressed his young face. Then Caleb curiously looked at his reflection in the mirror.
'Not bad. So this is the face that I will grow up with. Seems promising.' In the mirror, a young boy with thick eyelashes, brown eyes that faintly reflect the orange hue of flame, somewhat chubby cheeks, black hair, a small pointed nose, and good facial harmony.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
A sudden forceful knock at the door echoed three times, which made Caleb flinched a little. With a frown on his face, Caleb faced the direction of the thick door.
"Bastard! Open the fucking door!!"
"Eduardo, it's time to pay. The boss won't tolerate a deserter like you!" A second voice followed with a threatening intent behind the words. "We have scoured the entire kingdom for years just to search for you!"
"If you don't open it, I'll kill you and your family, slowly and painfully, hahaha!" The threat was followed by a weird laugh that would make any listeners cold.
"T-this..." A trace of hesitation appeared on Caleb's face. 'It doesn't seem to be something good. Did their past come to hunt them? Me and my damned luck!'
As someone who took the beating of society and read a lot of dramas, it didn't take a genius to guess that shit was about to go bad.
On the other hand, Eduardo stopped what he was doing and turned his head at the door with dread. Then he clenched the knife in his hand and a determined glint emerged in the depths of his eyes. 'I must protect Jacob and Patricia.'
"Was wong, mom?" Patricia rubbed her eyes and yawned.
"Open the damn door, Eduardo!!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The door shook continuously as it took the brunt of the powerful kicks from the invaders outside. Still, the door remained durable against the onslaught.
"It's fine, dear, but please, you have to listen to your brother Jacob this time... Can you promise me?"
"I pwomise." With a nod of her head, Patricia blinked with her big eyes and tilted her head in confusion.
"Jacob!" Eduardo hurriedly called out to his son to give him instructions, but he froze when he saw Caleb already on his side, struggling to carry the container of water with his short limbs. 'Since when did he appear? And what is he doing with water?'
Caleb trudged towards the kitchen, stopped for a moment near the table as he saw the sashimi powder, then walked past Eduardo and pulled the water container with his entire body weight. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he exerted all the strength that he could muster. 'If it was my previous body, I would have carried it in my one hand. Ouch!!'
'Sharp shit!' Something pricked his tummy, and the cold sensation of metal passed through his skin. Caleb carefully threaded the chimney towards the chimney. Then, under the astonished gaze of Eduardo and Erica, Caleb placed the bucket in front of the chimney.
"Haaa!" Under Caleb's push, the bucket fell, causing the water inside it to gush out toward the burning flames.
A few seconds later, the fire was extinguished.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Under the relentless assault of the men outside, the sturdy door has finally shown signs of a crack.
"Not good!" Erica immediately carried Patricia and went beside Caleb. "Take care of your sister."
'What am I supposed to do with my meager strength?' Caleb cursed.
"My boy, I didn't know you had it in you." Eduardo suddenly appeared behind Caleb. "You would certainly grow into a wise man in the future."
Eduardo's eyes were fixed on the chimney and the traces of ashes inside. "Now hide, don't come out, no matter what happens. No matter what sounds you hear. Take care of Patricia for me, okay?"
"I will..." Caleb eyed Eduardo, his eyes brimming with confidence. Yet inwardly, 'Fuck all this!'
Caleb pulled Patricia beside him. "Listen to me, okay?"
"Brotha, w- wh..."
"Don't ask questions!" Caleb gestured to his sister to follow him. His small body easily passed through the mouth of the chimney. The lingering smell of burnt wood assaulted his nose as his left foot stepped inside the chimney.
Behind Caleb, Patricia followed obediently, her hands trembling slightly. No matter how stupid a child is, one would still realize when something is wrong. Patricia turns around once more and looks hesitantly at her mother.
"Go, sweetie, everything is gonna be alright." Erica gave Patricia the last smile she could give to assure her. She tried her best to hold back the tears that threatened to burst out from her eyes.
Just like that, Patricia proceeded, her small body perfectly fitted inside, and took the space on her brother's left side. Caleb didn't say anything or even try to offer a word of assurance to Patricia. He was in his zone. He just wants to survive the whole ordeal, no matter how small it might seem.
After all, he had just experienced death. 'Damn! I don't want to die again! Who knew if I would be lucky enough to reincarnate again? Or at least I need to do one last good deed to increase my chances of getting a ticket to heaven.' Caleb glanced at Patricia as he thought of this.
With that, Caleb pulled the empty bucket to cover the mouth of the chimney.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
2 Power
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