Ummm… what? Jin thought, his mind tripping over itself. The shock of everything left him frozen; his mouth moved but no sound came out. The marble beneath his knees felt cold and slick, almost wet, as if he were kneeling at the bottom of an ocean.
The room stayed unchanged, as if nothing of importance had happened. Chandeliers swayed without a breeze, armor stands shifted with no visible hand, and the red carpet pulsed in a slow, steady rhythm.
Then a voice with no mouth tore through the room, echoing off the endless golden walls.
A voice with no mouth tore through the room.
"Ha! The boy already has a plan—great! I knew this was the smartest decision. This boy may actually be able to beat that mongrel!"
Jin felt more confused than a man waking from a five-year coma, his memories out of order and full of holes. For a moment he actually wondered if he'd fainted at the hospital and was hallucinating.
It sounds like the man on the throne, but his mouth isn't moving. And what plan? Me? Beat this mongrel? I never had a plan for that! Jin's head swam.
He opened his mouth to speak. "Sir—wha—"
*Click*
"Don't worry about pleasantries, boy! Call me Ohner. You will be the one to save my world from ruin. I don't know how you found out about my situation, but enlighten me—what's your plan?"
The man's voice cut Jin off with a booming cheerfulness. His smile looked far too wide for a human face, all teeth and light, like a golden retriever about to be thrown a treat.
*Click*
"I have no plan," Jin said plainly. his words small in the vast hall.
As Jin said that—all the movement in the room stopped, the pulsing carpet now eerily quiet, the chandlers now dimmed with a haunting glow. And the swaying armor stands now sit firm, all staring at Jin
I messed up bigtime. Jin thought—remembering the time he watched an anime of a golden man shooting swords through portals at the poor souls sat Infront of him. I really hope that wasnt the wrong answer.
Ohner's toothy smile vanished. A distant BANG echoed, though the body on the throne nor anything in the throne room moved; only the voice shifted.
"I knew this would be a terrible idea. The child tricked me—pretended he had a plan! I should just kill him and take the loss."
Tricked? What I never tricked him! He caught me at a bad moment! Jin thought, ready to defend himself when all of a sudden a new voice appeared.
"Sir, first of all, this is our final chance at an illegal transmigration—you mustn't kill him," a female voice warned, sounding from everywhere at once. "And second, please double-check that your microphone is muted. The mongrel's last attack may have damaged equipment."
"The mic is perfectly fine, Melissa!" Ohner barked back, seemingly feeling betrayed that she thought he could ever make that sort of mistake. "That beast could never damage anything of mine. It's all very high quality! Made by the best Star forge in this galaxy!"
Jin's confusion multiplied.
Disembodied voices, Microphone, Illegal transmigration? Mongrels? Star forge? Is that a forge made from the sun? What the hell is happening?
"Ohner—" Jin said loosely tried to interject.
*Click*
"Call me Lord from now on, and let's get this over with. I'll tell you the gist, give you a skill, and send you off." Ohner spoke now losing all previous enthusiasm with now a uninterested tone and then a new gravity settled in the room; Jin felt it like a physical weight heavier than anything he has ever experienced.
It's hard to breathe. Is the pressure rising? Are we underwater? Release me—
His knees buckled. He clutched his chest with one hand and his throat with the other.
Ohner watched without interest and continued.
"Number one—"
*CLICK*
"Do you want a repeat of the beast? Reel in your influence now!" Melissa snapped, panic threading her words.
"He may have tricked you," Melissa cautioned, "but give him a chance. Don't ruin it." seemingly knowing how this situation occurred but unable to go against Ohner
"Melissa," Ohner's voice reappeared while the body on the throne slowly closed its eyes, "do not tell me what to do. I will reduce my influence, but this boy needs to learn his place. Even the neighboring white dwarf's dont dare trick me. The boy will see consequence's.
Heave-Wheeze... What the hell was that. Jin finally able to form a coherent thought, now catching his breath from the possibly near death experience.
No way a human could force that feeling, we rather moved very deep underwater... or I have deeply underestimated this person.
"Ugh, fine, Lord Ohner—just don't make him hate you. We can't intervene once he reaches your world
Ohner laughs like that was never even a possibility and speaks flamboyantly "dont worry my beautiful secretary, I will just tell him that where he gets dropped is random, in reality it will be I who places him in a precarious situation on his arrival!"
*Click*
God, these people are crazy, Jin thought. I never lied. It's their fault for bringing me here mid-sentence. Please just drop me somewhere and stop this charade. Jin didn't say it out loud—he dared not.
"Okay, boy!" Ohner's voice ballooned louder.
Jin flinched at the sudden increase in volume.
"First: my world has been thrashed, and I am losing money—fast. I need you to stop him."
Risking Ohner's anger, Jin asked the simplest question he could muster. He stared at the throne and spoke without ceremony.
"Why me, though? To be honest, Lord, this whole thing is coming at a bad time. I just gained my freedom on Earth…"
"Freedom?" Ohner laughed with his entire being. The chandeliers above rattled.
"My world is the definition of the freedom you wish so much for! Become a god! Kill the living incarnation of an ancient devil! Wander the world gathering the greatest harem!"
Then, quieter, the pressure rising again with a more serious tone:
"All it costs is power. Nothing comes free. If you want freedom, weakness will be the only thing holding you back."
"Oh? And why you?"
"Just because."
Ohner leaned forward a little, his golden eyes narrowing. "Though it seems I should have looked more deeply into you." He tilted his head, almost curious. "Your fragility might spell the end of you on the first day in my world." He chuckled, the sound like a door creaking in a tomb.
Jin's shoulders sank. Distrust edged his tone. "Do I get anything on entry? Like intel on this elusive mongrel—weaknesses? Or a weapon? A power?"
Ohner scoffed, blunt. "No."
The fuck?! Jin nearly broke his own posture, his hands clenching. He opened his mouth—
"How am I going to—"
"You will receive a lesson on energy absorption," Ohner finished, as if that settled everything.