[Aww, are you gonna cry now? I was trying to earn some cash to pay the student loan… Why do you sound so angry in that message, it’s not my fault… Still a little boy whose daddy left him.]

All five of our faces darkened. No one moved for a whole minute, all four of them just stared at the screen with pure disgust in their eyes while my eyes stung a lot.

‘This? This is how fast someone can change? No, it was a mask from atleast the last 5-8 years, this was the… real her.’ I could still see the giant [I love you] sticker above that message.

“Want me to do something? I can catfish her, and make her fall in love with that account, then at video call, you can show your face…” Liam said with a glint in his eyes, fully prepared to unleash the plan. 

I felt some warmth in my heart as I knew he can’t let this level of disrespect towards me slide.

‘Wait…’

As if a bell rang in my mind, I turned to Liam and said with the most evil grin a man could make, barely holding back my laugh.

If she can reveal her true self now, why not me?

“Send me the link to ‘that’. I have her Dad’s number back from school days…”

No more words were needed as the message was immediately understood by everyone.

Liam’s hand itched with excitement as he instantly complied. 

William's disgusted angry face slowly brightened with a smile that seemed slightly envious? 

Maybe because he was the type who always accepted the pain inflicted on him, and blamed himself. He had never thought of getting back, only cursing them in his heart atmost.

‘Well maybe that will change now.’ I thought looking at his smile slowly turning into a devious grin.

I am definitely a bad influence on him. 

But, oh well, bad is better than good in this case. He shouldn’t tolerate anything like that ever again. 

I nodded approvingly at him.

My eyes turned to Pickle who looked proud like a father whose son had just banged a ten. 

I flashed an awkward smile at him. 

He does get emotional when drunk. I don’t want him to start screaming in the whole neighbourhood that I have become a real man. 

Giyo, without care, just drank another beer, taking a deep breath like he was an old man who can only sigh at the ugliness of the world. Can’t blame him. He was more happy than me about me having a crush on Clara, and was cheering me on for over four years to just do it.

With a deep breath I finally clicked the send button.

~Few minute later

All of us stared at my phone, and we didn’t have to wait too long before a new message from Clara appeared.

[W-Why did you do this to me!?

I thought we had something special… 

My life is ruined because of you! 

My father hates me now! He cut all connection with me, and froze my bank accounts. 

Are you happy now?]

“Haha!” I instantly burst out in laughter, others joining me after looking at the message too. 

I actually couldn’t be happier. Letting your true self out is really fun.

“Heh, let’s go to the strip club tonight, and in the morning you will join the gym with me!” Pickle said with an encouraging, bright smile, checking his account balance if he could afford everyone’s time there as he knew how poor we all were.

I grinned, “Sure…” gulping down another beer, which also made others look at me a bit worried as I had been drinking every second since afternoon. 

My liver was already on fire, but the pain of understanding that everything I wanted was just a fantasy, and unrealistic in the real world, was still not going away.

Slowly, the loud laughter quited down. 

All four of them got busy with the preparations to hit the club.

My thoughts became more and more loud, the same thought coming back to haunt me, but even strong this time.

‘Doing that to Clara was petty. 

I can imagine many people calling me immature, insecure, and all that bullshit. 

But… it felt really good… Power still feels good.’

I bit my lower lip, my face getting ugly internally, 

‘…But, is this all the power I get? Like, besides that revenge, in my life… even in the best of place I can only get power from money, fame, and materialistic wins. 

Now, a world war could happen at any moment, and get me drafted. Get shot, and it will be over. 

Or maybe, a nuke drops on me and my friends directly. We just sit here and die…

Even if I was rich, I would still die.

But

What if I could use magic?

What if I could actually get a harem of beautiful women with deep, intresting personalities, and not just fantasise about it? 

What if I could actually be ‘powerful’?

I wish I had an opportunity, just… one chance to get stronger. I don’t want strength on a silver spoon, I would work harder than everyone else… If I just knew the reward was worth it…

Just a chance… And I promise, I will actually live this time..’ 

I took a deep breath. 

Alcohol is getting to me.

I will forget it eventually when I wake up…

Thud! 

I smashed my hand hard on the wooden table, but the thoughts were just not stopping.

I need cold water. Yes, that will wake me up.

But, just as I was about to get down from the table, my pupils contracted.

*Ding!!

[Bloodborne Summoning system triggered.]

A sharp sound of hundreds of giant temple bells ringing at the same time, rang in his ears.

[You have met the requirements. Loading… 68%... 70%]

My eyes widened. I fanatically searched for the source of the robotic voice, but it felt like the speaker was deep inside my ear cannal, as if speaking directly in my brain.

The next second, a red golden screen manifested out of thin air in front of him, two notifications in red, bold font glowing.

[...Loading…99%]

[Soul transfer confirmed!]

[Good Luck Host :D]

Heat spread deep in my heart—At first as hot as a fever, but quickly like I was being fried alive. It spread. Fast. The warmth turned sharp, crawling up my chest, into my throat, behind my eyes. My bones felt soft, like they were melting from the inside, like candle wax.

I couldn’t breathe right. As if every rib in my chest was shattered. Both of my lungs were punctured as if blown from inside out due to too much hot air. My eyes were already pure white—The pupils were the first to be melted.

‘Wow, how convenient. I wish for another world and five seconds later, this happens... Totally not shady at all.’ I don’t know why this was the first thought after experiencing something like that.

Suddenly, before I could even process what was happening, I felt my vision blurring, and an intense pain surging in his heart. I could sense something burning in my head, as if my brain was melting too. 

Pickle instantly rushed towards my trembling body, trying to support me, probably thinking I was too drunk to stand, but… he was too late.

I could see my physical body separated from me. 

I was floating while thick white foam flowed out of my body’s mouth. 

To others it must seem like a cardiac issue through alcohol poisning or something.

But, after just one-two seconds, my eyes fully shut close. 

The next second, my mind went blank, as if my consciousness was pulled out of the world itself. 

I saw colors—billions of them. Lights stabbed into my eyes. Giant clouds churned like gas giants devouring each other. The clouds reminded me of the pictures I had seen of galaxies on the internet.

Hundreds of Black holes manifasted out of thin air—which made the galaxies vanish. But, then I felt like being stuck in a washing machine spinning at light speed. 

I realised that it had swallowed me. I should’ve been terrified. My brain felt like soup in a microwave. But... nothing. No fear. Not even nausea. That’s when I knew—this wasn’t natural. 

After what felt like an eternity a familiar site greeted me. Giant, majestic pure red, white, and black glass clouds all spining against each other.

It was like I had just smoked something cheap from a small gas station.

Then I saw some things that I couldn’t even comprehend, a lot of things were happening at once, stars appearing. Exploding. Galaxies expanding— clashing.

Then suddenly, only one thing was in my view, and it made me feel extreme dread. I genuinely wished I ‘died’ because I just couldn’t bear looking at it.

It was a monstrous mutation of flesh, darkness, and plants with a body shape that was incomprehendable to me. 

The only thing I could understand out of that body was dark red eyes curling upwards as if ‘it’ was amused which kinda ticked me off. 

Until, I felt it all go completely black—like I just closed my eyes under a heavy blanket.

Gah! Hah!

I greedily swallowed air filled with metallic burning smell, complete darkness surrounding me.

‘I am alive…’