Chapter 2: Chapter 2 - The Consequence! (Edited)

As the ash began to fly into his mouth, Gon felt as if thousands of tiny needles were piercing his tongue.

The sensation intensified as it trickled down his throat. He felt like his throat was being scraped.

With a muddled mind amidst the agony, Gon pondered, 'Isn't there a point when the pain becomes unbearable, causing a person to blackout or even die?'

'Wait, scratch that, I don't want to die yet, but why can't I at least faint?'

The pain intensified when the ash moved to his throat, making him feel like he was burned from inside.

He wanted to scream, but no voice could come out; this added to his suffering.

A minute that feels like an eternity to Gon pass by.

Even after the pain faded, his body still convulsed violently, knocking over books from nearby shelves and scattering them all over the floor.

Nearly half an hour later, his senses began to return.

Looking at the surroundings, the library looks the same as before, without any ash flying around.

"Was it all a hallucination? Am I losing my mind?" Gon pondered; he then looked at his body, looking for any wounds.

His olive skin seemed untouched, and no external wounds were visible. However, he realizes something unusual on his skin. He has a tattoo on the back of his hand

He was sure he'd never gotten one, not just because he didn't like it. His mom would kill him if he got a tattoo.

The tattoo depicted a universal 'forbidden' sign - a circle intersected by a diagonal line. When he tried to touch it, the tattoo reacted, creating a holographic screen before him.

________________________________________________

Name: Gon Morerti

Age: 17

Book complete : 0

Ability: -

Physique: Weak, even stupid gorilla can one hit you

Int: questionable, cannot follow simple instruction

________________________________________________________

Staring at the unexpected screen before him, Gon felt a mix of surprise and disbelief. "Is this some kind of system? Am I still in a dream?" he mused.

He tried to remove his glasses, but everything became a blur except for the screen.

Trying on and off his glasses several times, he confirmed that the screen was unaffected by them.

But Gon still could not believe it; he pinched his cheek. Although the pain was bearable compared to what he had just felt, this confirm he's not dreaming.

Reading the screen's information, Gon frowned.

"Book completion at zero? That's impossible! I've read every title in this library!"

"Obviously, a gorilla can easily lift 450kg of weight. I bet even the current MMA champion will be defeated in one punch!"

Then, seeing the note about not following instructions, he immediately connected the dots to the forbidden book he had recklessly opened.

Slumping against a bookshelf, lost in thought, Gon pondered the meaning of the screen and the tattoo.

"Why no abilities? Usually, game systems or magical entities grant some kind of starting power." Another screen popped up as his tattooed hand brushed against one of the books on the floor.

The title "Legend of Excalibur" flashed, followed by a question:

[Do you wish to conquer the book?]

[Yes] [No]

Gon recognized the title. He was curious about the term 'conquer.' Taking a leap of faith, he pressed 'Yes'. The next instant, a force yanked him, and he found himself being pulled into the world of the book.

Gon found himself in an unfamiliar place. Before him lay a dilapidated medieval village, complete with ramshackle huts and trampled dirt roads, looking like a place of the ancient medieval era.

Scratchy, ill-fitting medieval garments draped his body. "It's so uncomfortable," he muttered, tugging at the tight collar.

He looked down to find himself in the center of a bloody magical circle, and around him, villagers knelt in deference. Gon could see they were in despair with lives filled with hardship from their ragged clothes and hollowed eyes.

They have cheekbones and frail limbs that seem to hold them up barely.

Gon's gaze shifted to the village leader. The man's body shows that he once was a formidable warrior, now worn down by time and suffering.

The leader's teary eyes locked onto Gon's. "The heavens have heard our prayers!" voice trembling with emotion. "They've sent us a warrior to liberate us from Arthur's oppression!"

'Warrior? Me? They'd have had better luck if they'd prayed for a pizza delivery guy.' He thought

Gon stared at the village chief, trying to process his words. "Arthur's tyranny? What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

With a look of desperation, the village chief responded, "Please, kind warrior, let me explain. My name is Mordred, and I oversee this humble village. In days past, life was simple but manageable; we had enough to sustain ourselves and pay our due taxes."

"However, ever since Arthur acquired Excalibur, he crowned himself emperor and introduced harsh reforms."

"Our taxes skyrocketed from a bearable 20% to a suffocating 90%. And the craziest law he passed: all brides-to-be must first present themselves to him, and he decides who takes their maidenhood before their marriage."

Mordred's voice cracked with emotion as he added, "My beloved, Merlin, was taken just hours ago for this very reason. We plead for your help."

Gon's face contorted in a mix of disbelief and confusion.

'Wait a minute, Isn't Mordred supposed to be the bad guy in the stories? And now Arthur's the tyrant? And, Merlin's is his wife?!'

He took a moment, trying to accept this twisted story with what he knew from the tales.

"You said Arthur took your newlywed wife. But didn't his law state that she must first surrender her virginity to the man of his choosing?"

"Why marry her openly in the first place? Couldn't you have kept the ceremony a secret to protect her?"

Mordred gazed solemnly at Gon, a mixture of sadness and bitterness evident in his eyes. "Of course, my lord,"

"I had initially kept my marriage a secret. We grew up together, Arthur and I. We were as close as brothers.

"I even helped him get Excalibur, believing in the legends and thinking he'd be a great leader." He sighed, his shoulders drooping.

"Given that we both come from Camelot Village, I had faith he'd show us some leniency. When the heavy taxes started, we pleaded with the authorities, reminding them that their new king was one of our own."

"Yet, instead of reprieve, Arthur himself arrived." Mordred's voice cracked,

"We thought he came to make our life better, but he took everything from us – our children, our food reserves, even our small savings."

Pointing to a massive boulder in the distance, tears shimmered in his eyes.

"See that? Our once-thriving well now is crushed beneath that rock. His knights made sure we lost our very means of survival. How can we possibly go on without even a drop of water?"