Morning had already come.
I was sleeping deeply in the silence of the room. But the very next moment my eyes opened. The soft golden rays of the sun filtering through the window curtain were falling directly on my face, breaking my sleep. The room was quiet; the light breeze coming from outside and the distant sounds were making the atmosphere strangely still.
I got out of bed, but as soon as I stood up I felt a heaviness in my body. My head felt a little heavy and a prickling pain was running through my whole body, as if I had been carrying some burden all night.
"Light fever…" I said to myself.
Despite the tiredness of sickness I forced myself to stand. My eyes went to the big clock on the wall—ten in the morning had already passed. I went to the bathroom with sluggish steps, brushed my teeth, and immediately came back out. Because of the fever I decided that bathing today would not be right. THEN I came out of the bathroom and
I reached the window and slowly slid the curtains to both sides. Where earlier only a thin strip of light was coming in, now the whole room was filled with bright sunlight. Pulling the chair by the table near the window, I sat there and started enjoying the warmth of the sun.
Knock knock.
There was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"Master, may I come in?" Historia's soft and soothing voice came from outside.
I allowed her to come in. When Historia came inside, she had a tray in her hands, on which a brass glass was placed. The smell of turmeric and saffron milk was coming from it. She very neatly placed that glass on the table in front of me.
I picked up the glass and, looking at her, asked, "How did you know that I'm not well today?"
Historia said seriously, "Master, today everyone in the house who went to that party last night is unwell."
"Why is that?" I asked in surprise.
"I don't know exactly," she said, "but it could also be because of coming into contact with zombies. They are very dirty and full of diseases." THEN I asked why she didn't get a fever, she said she doesn't know, maybe it's because she is an AI and her body is perfect.
I silently drank the milk and placed the empty glass back on the tray. I gestured to Historia to go. She took the glass and went out, and gently closed the door.
While sitting in the sunlight, a thought suddenly came into my mind.
"I completely forgot to ask Historia whether Narco has come home since last night…"
Then I explained to myself that if something big had happened, Historia would have told me without being asked. Now only one thing was circling in my mind—that tonight I have to go to the basement. I thought to myself,
"I have to go to the basement at night… there's still some time now. Why not read the book of the body I am in now?"
If I understand that person's life better, then maybe I can make the right decisions for myself in this world.
I picked up that thick book kept inside the table drawer and opened it. As soon as I turned the pages, I found many important things.
That girl who was smiling at me at the party…
her name was Misty.
She wasn't smiling just because she saw me.
She used to play with me and Moon in childhood.
The three of us had known each other for years.
That's why she smiled so naturally and warmly when she saw me.
I read the next part.
And then another truth came out.
My stepmother Rose—
she was not given much respect in noble families and churches.
Because it was believed that her origin was connected to an Evil Clan.
That Clan was considered cursed and corrupted by people.
The original owner of this body—Jona—
had tried to learn this secret.
He wanted to understand why Rose was discriminated against like this.
But even he did not get any solid answer.
I kept reading.
Then another shock came.
Jona…
in the real world was studying plastic surgery.
And the day I came to this world—
on that very day he had gone to give a university entrance exam.
And at that very moment…
I transmigrated into his body. I thought in surprise that in this world the technique of plastic surgery has been developed and THEN
A sharp pain rose in my head.
Too much information at once…
it felt like my brain was boiling.
I closed the book, drank some water, and lay down on the bed.
"We'll see the rest at night…"
Thinking that, I went to sleep.
When I opened my eyes, the room was dark.
I looked at the clock—
it was already 11:00 at night.
"What…?"
I was shocked.
"It's so late and no one came to wake me?"
Then a faint smile came to my lips.
"Or maybe… this is the right time."
This was the time when my plan was supposed to begin.
Then my eyes went to a faint red light coming from inside my leather bag. I slowly went to the bag and gently opened it; inside was my same Holo.
Its red diamond
was shining unusually brightly.
Red light was coming out of it.
I suddenly realized—
tonight is the full moon.
Maybe that's why the Holo was so active.
I stood up and walked straight toward the basement corridor.
It was dark there.
I put that same Holo on my head.
It was shining exactly like the light on a construction worker's helmet.
The entire path was clearly visible.
After just a few steps,
I was standing in front of the basement door.
I looked at it.
This door…
was not like any other room in the house.
Very old.
Very heavy.
And strangely… different.
I took a deep breath.
And then—
I opened the door.
I slowly opened the basement door.
As soon as it opened completely—
my breath got stuck.
In front of me was the same world.
The same place.
Darkness.
Black mist spread on the ground.
That same terrifying, unknown emptiness…
which I had seen before coming to this world.
But this time something was different.
Inside that darkness
a woman was standing.
She was wearing an old-fashioned skirt.
Her hair was messy.
There were deep injury marks on her face and body.
Both of her hands—
were bound with iron chains.
Those chains
were connected to two thick stone pillars.
She was imprisoned.
A cold chill ran through my entire body.
Without making a sound
I closed the door again.
"This… what did I just see?"
I began walking back and forth in the corridor.
Only one question was going around in my mind—
who was that woman?
Had Narco captured her?
But if that were the case…
someone would have found out by now.
Finally I explained to myself—
"I have a fever… maybe I am hallucinating."
I stood again in front of the door.
Muttering in a low voice—
"Today I will go inside
and find out this world's hidden secret
no matter what."
I opened the door again.
This time…
inside was an ordinary basement.
Boxes everywhere, but there was no junk kept there like you would normally find in a basement, yes but it was still like a basement.
Everything was just as
it should be in a normal house's basement.
I went inside.
My heart was still beating fast.
"So… what did I see earlier?"
I held my forehead.
"Maybe it really was a hallucination because of the fever."
Then a faint smile came to my lips.
"That's good…
at least I didn't have to go back to that dark world."
Now the task was—
quickly search
and find some clue and get back out.
Then my eyes fell
on a box.
It was red.
There were golden lions on its edges and golden designs all over the box.
I went near it.
There was no lock.
I opened the lid.
Inside was a thick book.
I took it out.
I wiped the dust on the cover with my hand.
On it was written—
Paragon world Guide
My eyes lit up.
"Found it…"
I closed the box,
hugged the book to my chest,
and quickly ran out of the basement.
I closed the door
and quietly
went toward my room.
I entered my room and closed the door behind me.
The faint quiet of the room echoed in my ears.
I took the book straight to my study table and placed it there.
Then I pulled my chair back and sat down.
My heart was beating fast—excitement, fear, and curiosity all together.
I opened the Paragon world Guide.
Nothing happened.
I tried to turn the pages—
but the book was like it was frozen.
Not a single page moved.
"What kind of joke is this…"
I used force.
Then—
I felt a jolt
and the book opened by itself on page number 484.
I smiled.
But the very next moment my smile froze.
On that page
there wasn't a single word.
Only
a strange pattern was drawn—
curved lines, strange symbols, as if some living thing was trapped on the paper.
Without thinking
I placed my hand on that pattern.
My fingers slowly started moving over it.
And then—
that pattern
began to glow with a faint light.
The very next moment
from my hand
a white-colored snake came out.
Its eyes—
were blood-red.
It wrapped itself directly around my hand.
I jumped back in shock.
The chair flipped over and fell to the ground.
In panic I shook the snake off my hand.
It spun through the air, hit the wall,
and then fell onto the study table.
I pressed myself against the wall.
My heart was pounding loudly.
"How did this get here…?"
"Where did it come from…?"
The snake crawled a little on top of the book.
Then it raised its head.
And—
"Hello."
My world
at that moment
broke a little more.
A snake…
was talking.