CHAPTER 26: ALIVE AGAIN

Gara remembered that the original owner often followed Wina to forage for forest products: mushrooms, berries, and other fruits on the mountain.

The area around the herb field was usually surrounded by wire to keep out wild animals. Villagers, including Wina and himself, typically foraged inside the wire for safety.

He didn’t know if the toxic herb would grow here, but he was prepared to head deeper into the mountain if he couldn’t find it.

An hour passed, and still, he found nothing. He did find a few berries and ate them immediately to sustain his stamina. But the only thing that truly invigorated him was his own water.

So it was true: his water could make him feel more energetic.

Up ahead was the wire barrier the villagers had installed. Without hesitation, he stepped over it.

Even though it was the same forest, he could feel a distinct difference. The trees were denser, casting deeper shadows. Small animals like squirrels and non-venomous snakes could be seen in the branches.

More and more unfamiliar plants and tiny creatures came into view.

Walking aimlessly, he felt no fear at all. Howls echoed from afar, and scratching and hissing sounds grew more frequent. Perhaps his druid blood made him more comfortable as he ventured deeper, and perhaps that was the same reason no wild beast attacked his frail body.

He rested under a banyan tree, drinking his own water and eating a red, strange-looking fruit named Grinta. It tasted like watermelon—sweet and succulent.

Above him, a white squirrel flew down and snatched the fruit from his hand. "Hmph! Bad squirrel!"

As he followed the squirrel to its nest in the tree, his eyes widened to see green-vined plants with yellow veins. The plant’s vines snaked around the tree, and on one side, a green cocoon hung from a vine.

I find it!

He quickly took all parts of the plant, unsure which contained the toxic substance, and placed them safely in his cloth pouch.

Before descending from the mountain, he thanked the white squirrel, who looked confused with its big black eyes.

Back at home, he first prepared a letter for his mother, explaining that he wanted to become a Liner and chose to leave home. He also assured her not to look for him, as he had no intention of staying in the village with her anymore.

After that, he gathered a few clothes and 5 white coins, to make his departure seem genuine.

With preparations complete, instead of heading towards town, Gara walked back to the mountain, proceeding carefully. He had to ensure no villagers saw him go.

He arrived back under the tree that housed the white squirrel’s nest and sat down, pulling out the toxic plant.

He would end his journey—a journey that felt like no journey at all—right this instant. He only hoped that the original owner would return to this body after his death so that Wina and Madha wouldn’t grieve.

In fact, he didn’t know where the original owner had gone, so it would be good if he came back.

After a long exhale, he ate the plant. As his tongue touched the vine, it went numb, but he forced it down and swallowed. He felt nothing but the numbing sensation on his tongue. He ate another part: a small leaf, then the cocoon with the seed inside.

Cough! Cough! His throat felt like it had been stabbed by tiny needles from the inside as the cocoon passed down.

Slowly, his body began to tremble. He chose to close his eyes. Quickly, his whole body grew hot, and his skin felt as though it were being pricked by thousands of tiny needles.

Why did I have to feel a second death in just about a week? he cried in his heart, yet he endured all the pain. Slowly, his body turned blue as he teetered on his last breath.

...

[WARNING! System detected The Chosen One attempting suicide. Reviving in 10 seconds...

9 seconds...

8 seconds...

.

.

.

1 second. Revival complete.]

[Detecting Goddess Freya’s wrath! The barrier has collapsed!]

...

"Woah!"

Dark red, thick liquid gushed from his mouth, splashing onto the ground amidst the fallen leaves. His eyes slowly opened, finding a small, white, furry creature right in front of his face.

"Hick!" Startled, he waved his hand in front of his face. The squirrel, which had been resting on top of his head, leaped back to the tree. Its big, curious eyes remained fixed on him.

However, Gara had no time to think about the little animal. He was alive again!

The system had revived him without his consent. That’s when he remembered: if you fail, your soul will remain trapped in that world forever.

Combined with the system penalty of ’none,’ it meant no penalty, but also no way to leave this world?! Gara ruffled his hair in frustration.

"What if I die accidentally, or at the hands of a druid?" A glimmer of hope emerged in his heart—

|You will start everything from the beginning, you MORON!!!|

A translucent panel appeared before Gara, but with a green color, not blue as usual. And this time, it clearly had a personality.

"Are you a new system?" he asked, dumbfounded.

|I’m the Go— I’m Freya. Anyway, don’t you dare try to kill yourself again. It’s a futile act. You will never leave this world, not until you finish the Challenge.|

"Freya, the Goddess? You’re my Bloodline, right? Are you the one who summoned me here? Send me back!"

|Don’t ask about my identity! And it wasn’t me who summoned you here. You chose this yourself. Don’t pretend to forget!|

Gara scoffed. Without a clear answer, he was sure that this new green panel served as Goddess Freya’s interface.

He felt a pang of regret. He had accepted the challenge, believing this was nothing more than a wild dream.

|What are you daydreaming about? Get back to the house this instant. Eat breakfast. A pregnant body should not be starved!|

Amidst Goddess Freya’s nagging, he didn’t move an inch. His head was a whirlwind of turmoil.

"What did you mean by ’start everything from the start’?" Gara looked seriously at the green panel, which showed an exclamation mark after he didn’t respond.

The exclamation mark vanished, replaced by:

|You will come back to the very first day you entered this body. The day you received the invitation for the awakening ceremony.|

...