Chapter 3 – Back to Averula

“Not a chance.” I shot her down instantly.

“What? Why?”

Halunar looked genuinely shocked, and frankly, I was shocked that she was shocked.

“Why? Didn’t you just say the chosen ones can’t be changed? So even if I go back, it’s not like I’m magically becoming a Hero, right?”

“You can just do what you did last time, be the sixth member!”

“And what? Spend another three years as their personal doormat? Look, lady, back then I was 16, the age where you actually believe that hard work leads to ‘recognition’ But I’m a grown-up now. I have much better plans for my life than being an errand boy in some backwards, primitive world.”

As I finished my rant, the last bit of Halunar’s friendliness evaporated. A chill ran down my spine. The blonde woman’s gaze shifted, taking on the cold, impatient ruthlessness of a superior.

“You don’t get a choice, Asher Griffin.” She used my Averula name. “You are my chosen one; now go prove you’re worth the trouble. If you refuse, I’ll leave you rotting in a time loop forever.”

Before I could even process that threat, she lunged forward, slammed her hand against my chest, and gave me a massive shove.

The world pulled a 180 again.

I woke up in a room that was both hauntingly familiar and deeply unwelcome.

Sunlight filtered through thin curtains, illuminating a pathetic excuse for a desk and a wardrobe with a basic-tier design. The rug looked like it hadn’t been washed in a century, and the blanket covering me felt like it was woven from potato sacks, especially compared to the silk sheets on my bed back on Earth.

This was Asher Griffin’s room.

My entire body felt like a block of ice, my limbs were useless, and every breath was a struggle, as if I’d just survived a near-fatal illness.

Actually, that’s exactly what happened. Asher Griffin’s body had gone through a deadly fever, and the original owner didn’t make it. Just like the first time, I had hijacked a corpse that had already checked out.

Asher’s father was a first cousin to Marquis Griffin, but since he’d married a commoner, his status in the family was basically “bottom-tier.” However, thanks to being around the same age and sharing some DNA, he became the personal lackey for the young master, Jullius – the legitimate heir to the Marquis title.

This body was fragile and scrawny, looking even more undersized than I remembered.

I buried my face in my hands, utterly depressed. This crap was happening all over again.

Wait… if I just die right now, do I get back to my world just as the old time?

Only one way to find out.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

I remembered this room was perched pretty high up since I had to be close to Jullius Griffin’s quarters to wait on him hand and foot. Sure enough, the drop from the window to the ground was a solid 20 meters.

Without a second thought, I jumped. When it comes to the whole “dying” thing, the longer you hesitate, the harder it gets.

Wind whipped past my face for a split second, but right before the impact hit, I felt my body being sucked into some invisible vortex again.

Goddess Halunar reappeared, and boy, was she livid.

“You really think you can escape that easily? Don’t forget, I can rewind time, and I’ll always be faster than the moment your heart stops beating.”

I was on my knees, gasping for air, still reeling from the shock of the jump.