Rise stood there for a very long ti and thought of a lot of things, but sothing was still missing. It was already on the horizon, but he had yet to have a glimpse of it.
So, while pondering a lot, his eyelids twitched. And slowly, he opened his eyes. The cold wind disappeared, and so did his dream.
He woke up.
And yet, he doubted for a mont if he really did.
Rise swept his eyes around and was greeted by the unfamiliar space. The corner of his lips hooked up, and slowly a peculiar expression appeared across his face.
"Mind tell , what’s going on?" Rise’s breath shortened, and he gritted his teeth. "Are you kidding ? Why am I here again? Where’s Guild Leader?"
He shouted at the darkness, and it eerily echoed. He glared at the darkness. Yes, the sa darkness where he awakened after his death, the space where the damn book was located.
Rise’s chest moved up and down, calming himself. His expression again and again until he finally blurted out what he was scared of.
"Am I dead again?" He whispered in a shaking voice.
But how? His mind spun, and his heart clenched at the thought. He bit his lips and let out a curse when his question was not answered.
"Or am I still dreaming?"
His eyes swept again, finding the book where it floated. His brows furrowed. It was not there. Just as he was bout to stand to find it and explore how to leave, suddenly a bright light shone, prompting him to close his eyes for a second.
When he opened them again, the book was already in front of him. Unlike when he first t it, it looked quite ordinary. The book was open to the first page.
Rise swallowed the lump in his throat, anxious. He did not know what this book was up to, but they were considered allies for now, right? After he t it again and found out its intention to be aligned with its own.
Running the plot. How laughable that he actually thought he was already doing that, but what he was doing was only preserving it now. Seriously.
"You t to remind , huh? You also noticed what I’m doing leads to nothing?" Rise mocked himself, smirking at how absurd it was. The mocking smirk quickly turned into a bitter smile. "Does it an, this reset is a failure too?"
His heart felt heavy, and his breathing beca painful; he took a deep breath to ease it to no avail.
"Tell ! Why are you silent, damn it!" He shouted in frustration. And also, to the bitter pain of failure.
[This is not my doing.]
Words appeared on the surface of the book. Rise read it and imdiately frowned.
"Then, who?" Ridiculous.
Instead of answering, the book flipped on its own until it stopped, and a bookmark appeared.
Huh? Rise dumbfounded, only stared at it. He could not even ask what the book on about.
Slowly, words appeared on the page again.
[It has been detected that you have t ’Kamille Han’s mory’]
The emotionless voice sounded again, and it made Rise’s heart skip a beat. He did not speak and waited, while clenching his fist together, tension rising from within him.
[The item ’Immunity Bookmark’ has been unsealed.]
Immunity Bookmark? Rise bit his lips.
[This is the item created by Kamille Han (v.168999) only for Rise Lee. A one-use item that only he can activate. In the event Rise Lee refused to activate the item, it will be destroyed imdiately.]
The words stopped, and the bookmark floated until it stopped in front of him. Rise stared at it and observed the item called Immunity Bookmark.
It was a white bookmark, simple in appearance, only the glimr in its corners showed it was extraordinary.
He gulped and slowly released the breath he was holding.
"What is this?" He asked weakly.
[Touch it.]
Rise paused, hands trembling, he reached out and touched the glimring bookmark. The mont his fingers made contact with it, the bookmark shook as it suddenly scattered into pure light and surrounded Rise.
Startled, Rise’s eyes widened, and he even looked at the book as if asking what was going on, but a page appeared in front of him. It looked similar to the front page of the book.
Then, it floated again and hovered above the book. The book seed to be only watching things unfold.
Words then appeared on the page. Though it seed to be distorted and unstable, fortunately still comprehensible.
[Immunity Bookmark: Serve sto crea te a page dedi catedto Rise Lee. Thi s comp lentand further hides the Unre cordedS tatus. While the item is in effect, th e ow ner’s acti ons are concealedand immuneto destinedf ate.]
[Activation Requirents: only you, my dear. no one else could.]
[To activate, release your guide wavelength on the item.]
[Bew are! Once you activ ate the item, a fal se re set will occur. Ple asecho osewisely.]
Rise’s brow was connected tightly together as he read and deciphered the distorted words. He even paused when he read the endearnt, stunned by it. He did not know if it was Kamille adding that as he created this item.
For a second, he wondered just what their relationship was in that reset.
He read further, and when he looked at the warning. His eyes remained on the words false reset which was heavily distorted, marked, and even made his head heavy.
He averted his gaze and blinked. "What is a false reset?"
A few monts later and a voice answered.
[It’s a reset not done by the natural cycle or the author. It remains v231457 and not a new one.]
Rise paled, flinched, and almost wanted to go away from the item imdiately. While it remained the reset he was in, and he would probably return where he first woke up after his rebirth, it was still a reset, right? All his progress was for nothing. Though he would be able to plan better and easier if he retraced his steps.
Kamille... this is your intention, huh?
But... you never possibly thought or considered, by this ti... we’re progressing better?
Rise’s eyes dimd, unwilling. His body went weak, and he looked at his hand. Silence lingered in the dark space. He could not co up with a decision.
This was truly sothing he never expected.
"What if I don’t want to activate it?" He murmured.
The voice was faster to answer this ti.
[The item will be destroyed. Nothing will change.]
The voice was emotionless and calm, but it was like a deafening shout beside his ears.
Nothing will change.
Rise lifted his head, his gaze piercing as he looked at the book.
"Heh, you had to add that to remind ? Good for you, even if I fail, you’ll only undergo another reset. But..." Rise caught his breath, clenched his jaw, stopping his words.
What would he get from arguing with this book?
He fell silent and lay down.
"...who knows what happens after this failure? What will the next reset be?"
He should be shouting in fury and frustration, but Rise beca calr instead. Deep inside of him, he was reluctant, yet his eyes flickered with resolve.
"You’re ruthless." Rise closed his eyes and covered it with his arm, slowly, his skin moistened. A quiet sob was the only thing that could be heard in that space after a long while.
You already knew what I would choose, Kamille. This is the opportunity I will regret missing. But... you made one mistake. I’m not obedient enough to stay in my lane this ti. And no way I’ll leave you alone. After I got you?
"Are you prepared for everything?" Rise’s voice was hoarse but frighteningly calm. As though his vulnerability earlier did not exist.
No one answered. But he smiled, a familiar one, who would make anyone who knew him crouch in fear.
Rise the villain... was up to sothing again.
"You book..." he called, "Who’s afraid of a reset, huh? Let’s fucking do this."
Plot? Who the hell cares about that? I’ll ruin the plot in the literal sense. This ti, let’s go wild.
***
"Guild Leader," Hayes called, puzzled why the Guild Leader seed to beco lost in thought.
Kamille blinked and then looked at him. He frowned but said nothing. But seeing that, Hayes continued.
"The evolving gate is now at the junction of..." He went on and on until a question stopped him.
"Evolving gate?" The deep voice carried a hesitant yet confirming tone.
Hayes nodded. "Yes, Guild Leader. The raid will start in a few days and only waiting for the mana density to be stable."
He was about to say sothing more, but Kamille already raised his hand.
"Hm. Let’s talk about this later." His voice calm, the usual so Hayes did not notice sothing was wrong. After he was dismissed, he left.
Soon, Kamille was alone inside the room.
Silence fell.
Kamille looked around and then walked towards the window. The ruined scenery greeted him. He stared outside solemnly for a few minutes before he stepped back and sat in the seat behind his desk.
"Interesting." His voice had a hint of a smile, but his eyes flickered with a sinister light. And the light inside the room even dimd, a dangerous aura rose.
What did you do, huh, Rise?
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