บท 2: Transmigrated

It felt like he was falling down a bottomless pit.

Alex wondered whether Nyx played him.

Was Nyx the devil and the contract he signed a deal to sell his soul?

Did that mean he was on his way to hell?

Alex couldn't help but ponder the possibilities.

The fact he could keep coherent thought as he kept falling slowly turned into torture.

"Maybe I'm already in hell and this is my punishment?... To fall forever?" Hardly had Alex completed the statement when the darkness suddenly dissipated and he realized he was amidst clouds.

"This…"

Suddenly, he felt a force, like the world was trying to reject his entry but this didn't last for long before he realized he was falling again.

This time, however, he could barely make out his bearings after bypassing the clouds.

"Is that a city?"

At first glance, it seemed like he would be landing there but by the time he got closer, he realized that his landing spot was outside the city, in a dark forest.

Closing his eye, Alex prepared for what was to come… and then he fell onto the cold grass.

A second later and pain shot through his body, jolting him awake.

He opened his eyes and stared at the cloudy night sky.

Amidst the clouds which were more brown than white, he could barely make out a lavender moon with 4 rings in the sky and no stars to speak of.

Alex blinked a few times at the strange sight as it dawned on him that he was no longer on Earth.

He had transmigrated!...

Taking a moment to study himself, he realized he had entered this new world with his body from Earth.

Just then, a bloody smell assailed his senses causing him to glance to his side.

Narrowing his eye, the sight before him raised his danger senses to the extreme.

A man lay in the grass, dressed in a black suit.

Of course, if the man was alive, Alex wouldn't be so cautious.

However, the three gashes on his chest which exposed his innards, and the massive blood pool underneath the body signified the state of the body without the need for investigation.

"...Just what the hell happened to you?" Alex muttered as he inspected his surroundings.

He couldn't be sure that whatever had attacked the man was still present.

Just then, he heard a snap causing him to stiffen.

This time, his calm demeanor received a great hit as he watched in shock as the dead body was wrapped up by dark tendrils before it decomposed into nothingness.

Everything was gone.

Left in its place was a pool of darkness that caused Alex to pull back instinctively.

"Relax… It's me." A familiar voice was heard.

Alex turned wide-eyed. "Nyx?"

"Indeed."

"You said you wouldn't help me."

"And I won't… of course, since this is a new world, you'd need a starter pack."

Alex pursed his lips.

"You don't plan on staying?"

"... I can't."

"Hmm." Alex nodded. "So what's the starter pack?"

"The memories and identity of the poor bastard that just died as well as… would you look at that, he has something more." A weird smile formed at the center of the pool of darkness. "You may use it as you wish."

With that, the pool of darkness moved and slowly assimilated with Alex's shadow.

Just then, Alex heard footsteps.

"I have to go."

"Move now and the assimilation will be interrupted," Nyx warned.

"Darn it!" With no other option, Alex decided to play dead.

Hopefully whatever was coming would ignore him and leave.

Putting his skills to work, he took a deep breath before dropping to the ground.

At the same time, his heart rate dropped and his breathing ceased completely.

He was technically… dead.

A few seconds later and the owner of the footsteps arrived at Alex's position.

Soon enough, he heard a masculine voice.

"I've found him."

The language used sounded foreign at first but the more Nyx assimilated with his shadow, he realized he could understand the person without a problem.

'Is this the so-called starter pack?' Alex mused as he paid attention to the conversation a few meters away from him.

"What about the other one?" a reply quickly came.

Alex couldn't determine the gender based on the voice of the one that replied due to how fluid it sounded.

Out of curiosity, he peeked with one eye and spied on the speaker.

A muscular man without a shirt, wearing ripped khakis stood a few meters away, holding a glowing crystal orb in his right hand.

'What is that?' Alex wondered as he listened in.

The muscular man remarked. "My brothers will take care of them."

"Hmm, they should finish up quickly and leave.."

The muscular man quickly replied. "Don't worry."

"Get what I asked for, dispose of the body, and leave the area."

"As you command."

A second later and the crystal ball lost its light.

The muscular man looked around before forcibly throwing it to the ground and shattering it.

Taking the cue, Alex immediately shut his eyes and played dead again.

The muscular man sighed as he approached Alex's motionless body

He bent over him, his heavy breath washing over Alex's face. "Poor guy, you just got famous and now you are about to die. Tsk, tsk, it doesn't matter anyway, you're already dead, and if I'm being honest… you look quite tasty"

Forcibly repressing his urge to react to the latter part of the man's statement, Alex continued his act.

As he felt the man grab his arm, pulling it gently, Alex remained still as he wondered what was about to happen.

The tug slowly grew more forceful causing thoughts to appear in his mind.

'Is he planning on tearing me apart and stuffing my body in different places?'

Alex was familiar with such a technique, after all, it was a favorite for serial killers.

He couldn't imagine that he'd find himself in such a situation.

'I need to do something!' He made up his mind once the tug reached a point where it felt like his arm was about to be pulled out of its socket.

It was then he heard the muscular man speak again. "Mn, when it comes to such delicacies, it's good to savor the experience instead of rushing it."

Alarm bells rang in Alex's head.

He instinctively moved, using his other arm to punch the man while also forming a fist with the other as he attempted to pull away.

Unfortunately, his attempt at an escape was met with futility as he realized that not only could he not pull away, his punch barely moved the muscular man.

A second later and a grin formed at the corner of the lips of the muscular man as he muttered gently. "I…caught… you."