Chapter 2: Transmigration
Drops of dew slowly dripped across the countless plants, awakening creatures that lay motionless. As their activity began to grow, so did the praise of the birds.
Across the mountainous terrain to the luxurious villa, there was a man sleeping. The sun's rays slowly crept through the gaps in the curtain, slithering onto the man's face, making him uncomfortable. Eventually, he opened his heavy eyelids, glancing around the room, seemingly unfamiliar.
Squinting his eyes, the man looked around carefully, progressively becoming confused. The room was undeniably luxurious, with curtains seemingly made from the hide of some animal, a bed made from gold, and a chandelier made from various rare and expensive crystals.
Looking at the chandelier, the man thought he was in a magical world. But he soon dismissed that thought. Taking a deep glance in the room, a thought suddenly sprouted into his mind.
"Maybe this is a dream...?"
Perhaps the only reason that better fit that criteria is that maybe he was in a dream. Realizing that 'fact,' he was ecstatic.
"Is this what they call REM?" the man thought. Soon, excitement thrashed the man's heart. He was excited that he could do almost everything in this dream.
Concluding that fact, the man then conjured an image into his mind, a Flamboyant Lamborghini Aventador turning heads at every corner. A knightly beast that only left a shadow as a trail. Just touching it provoked a thrill of excitement in the clueless man.
Raising both of his arms to the limit, as if holding a massive boulder, he imagined that by the time he lowered his arm, the car of his dream would appear. Like a tension that has been broken, the man swiftly lowered his hand, waiting for the magical thing to happen.
5 seconds...
10 seconds...
2 minutes...
10 minutes...
The adrenaline that had been gushing through the man's body slowly subsided. It did not appear! Nor did anything happen. The man panicked, as embarrassment and terrible thoughts suddenly appeared.
"Is this really a dream?"
"It must be..."
"It has to be!"
The scene is too real for it to be a dream, the man thought. Touch... Smell... Even the chirp of the birds made it seem too vivid and real.
"Ouch."
The man pinched himself, receiving a clear feedback, making him sweat profusely. He repeated the same action, conjuring a different thought in his mind but to no avail.
As the man raised his hand one last time, slowing his breathing as he held his hand to the air, gently closing his eyes, focusing greatly as he conjured a last imagination to his mind.
"Abel!"
"Aaackk..!"
Suddenly hearing a sound, Abel stumbled greatly, tripping on a metal pipe and falling butt-first.
"Y-yes..?" Abel spoke in a husky tone.
"What are you doing?" a deep voice slowly permeated the room.
"Nothing," Abel replied.
"Do you know what day it is today?" the man then replied in a husk voice.
"I don't know? I think maybe it's 7 am now?" Abel sarcastically replied.
"..."
"Do you think I'm joking with you?!" The man raised his voice, as if offended by that little joke.
What's the deal with him? Although confused, Abel turned around facing the man.
"Wha....?" As Abel turned to face the man, he could not help but be shocked; he was facing a literal giant! Looking at the bulging muscles that were on the verge of exploding, with a massive silhouette that far towered over Abel, he needed to really raise his head to see the man's face.
A scary giant!
Looking at the face of the man who had a wide scar running over his right forehead till his cheek, with a sharp gaze and spiky hair, making his image scarier.
"N-no, sir..." Abel replied as he lowered his head.
Tap
Tap
With each step, the room seemed to tighten, slowly suffocating Abel.
Tap--
Hearing that continuous tap, sweat slowly dropped onto Abel's face. His hair stood on end, and his intuition told him to run as far away as possible. In response, Abel slowly walked back.
With every step he took, Abel was approaching a wall, desperate to escape this situation. He then began to think of a plan to escape.
"What should I do? He's approaching...! Stop.... Please.... Someone..." Abel desperately called for help, but no one answered.
The giant man was slowly coming near him, and Abel, having no place to back off to, was left in dread.
Yes... a dream!
This is a dream!
I am the god here!
Maybe forgetting his failed attempts or maybe having no solution to escape, it suddenly came to his mind.
Haha...
Hahaha...
HAHAHAHA!!
"This is a dream!! My dream!!"
Abel stopped in his tracks, slowly raising his hand to face the giant man's eyes. With a smirk, he could not help but laugh, his lips going ear to ear, standing high and mighty as if owning the world. Abel slowly crossed his arms.
Seeping a deep breath into his lungs, Abel released a roar akin to a devout believer chanting a mantra.
"DISAPPEAR!" he commanded, expecting a grand spectacle. However, to his dismay, nothing occurred.
A heavy silence lingered in the room.
The giant man, steadily advancing towards Abel, abruptly halted. His expression morphed from determination to incredulity as he observed the foolish figure before him, frozen in a smile. Smacking his lips, the giant couldn't help but find the scene ludicrous—a gullible man.
Raising his arm, the giant's fingers formed a grip. A swift swing landed a precise hit on the fool's tender face.
"Aaackk-!"
"What did I do!?" Abel exclaimed, bewildered and facing his assailant.
Unsatisfied, the giant delivered another punch, this time aiming for the gut.
"AAGHHH!"
Gasping for air, Abel, the impact leaving him breathless, pleaded, "Really... what did I do... p-please..."
Provoked by Abel's words, the giant seized Abel's collar, lifting him into the air.
"What... DAY IS IT TODAY!" the man roared, causing the chandelier to tremble.
"I really don't know... I really don't... p-please... please... I-I really don't..." Abel pleaded, unaware of the situation and the man's inquiries.
After a brief silence, the giant released Abel, throwing him aside before walking towards the door.
"Go to the royal chamber and make yourself presentable," the man muttered before closing the door.
Abel, still from the sudden turn of events, stared at the ceiling in bewilderment.
As time passed, tears trickled down Abel's cheeks. The realization that he truly lived in this new reality settled in. Silently accepting his fate, he reflected on his past experiences.
Gradually, his vision succumbed to a black void. Abel remained unresponsive, seemingly muddled, until an onslaught of unfamiliar memories flooded his mind. The abrupt influx caused the man to squirm as if his brain were squeezed tightly.
"AHHGGHH--!"
Time seemed to stretch endlessly, subjecting Abel to relentless suffering.
Finally liberated from the torment after what felt like an eternity, Abel gasped for air.
"I'm Abel Reysmith, the rightful heir to the Reysmith family, the Grand Duke of Thalassan Empire."
A shiver ran down the man's spine as he grappled with the weight of this revelation.
To confirm he wasn't dreaming, Abel slapped himself.
*Slap*
Fully awake and feeling the sting, Abel found himself thoroughly immersed in his world once more.
However, the fleeting joy gave way to the realization of his predicament.
His blood ran cold as Abel shivered at the truth.
Abel Reysmith, the rightful heir of the Reysmith family, standing above all. Yet, the supposedly powerful person, Abel Reysmith, was worse than a servant, if not more.
"Pathetic," he muttered, finding himself devoid of any true power.
As every tick of the clock consumed him, Abel gradually snapped back into reality.
"That's right... I have... I need to go to the royal chamber," Abel muttered, walking aimlessly towards the cabinet. Like a mindless automaton, he sifted through his luxurious clothing, selecting a suit made from the finest material.
Amazement overcame him. Who would have thought that such a seemingly ordinary piece of clothing emitted a mysterious energy? Abel marveled at the silky texture, the suit exuding an otherworldly glow even in the darkness.
After a brief admiration, he ventured into the expansive bathroom. While walking, he couldn't help but marvel at every intricate detail of the extravagant room.
"Truly splendid," Abel couldn't help but acknowledge.
Upon reaching his destination, a translucent door greeted him with a burst of vibrant lavender scent. Taking deep breaths, Abel entered the room, abruptly halting as he caught sight of his reflection.
Delicate, silky white skin, unblemished, sharp, defined jaws—a face so magnificent that it momentarily eased the pain.
"This guy is too good-looking... too much."
Despite the man's frail-looking body, he was undeniably handsome.
After changing and struggling for a bit, Abel stole a final glance at his increasingly gorgeous self before heading to the royal chamber.
As he walked, Abel traversed a spectrum of thoughts and emotions, leaving him rendered speechless by the extraordinary experiences.
Perhaps lost in admiration, Abel reached the Royal Chamber without realizing it. Still in awe, he stood before massive pillars of gold, facing a door that seemed to separate the mundane from the extraordinary.
*Step*
Abel ventured forth, each step resembling a thrown rock disturbing the calm water. Ripples cascaded into the unknown, and Abel stood shocked.
"This is not the place where I was standing before..."
That single step transported him to a different realm. Two giant pillars of gold and a massive bronze door remained, causing Abel to doubt the reality of the previous event, dismissing it as a hallucination induced by pain and confusion. Nonetheless, Abel now stood in front of a colossal bronze door.
Taking a series of breaths to quell his racing heart, Abel braced himself for the imminent future.
"This is it. This will be my future. Or a graveyard..."
Strangely calm, Abel muttered those words, acknowledging that this might be his last day.
With a final breath, Abel pushed the massive door, aware of its seemingly impossible weight. Something inside him—something raging, something burning—compelled him to press forward.
As the giant bronze door yielded to his determination, a radiant light blocked Abel's vision. When the light dissipated, Abel found himself astounded by what lay before him.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone