Far From Vanilla: Modded Game Reincarnation

“To think,” The Journal was outright laughing with pride. If he had arms, he would’ve been keeling over with stomach pains with how much he was laughing. “After millenia– no eons! –I finally can requisition someone else's being! I have done it!”

I could only look at him, wet as if I had dunked myself into a pool of ice-cold water. If I could see myself now, I would definitely be paler than porcelain.

Am I going to receive divine punishment?!

I could hear my eyes rolling backwards into my skull. This fucker used me as a test dummy. I can barely hold my own against gangsters while relying on petty tricks, and I might have to deal with Gods?!

“Demon child? Demon Child? Are you awake?” The Journal questioned. “Well, I suppose you should rest a little more. I will celebrate my victory in peace.” 

What happened again? What did I do before this?

I closed my eyes and thought deeply…

****

“Holy shit–” I struggled. I remember struggling.

I had my right arm holding down his left while my knee pinned his right onto the ground. It took all my body weight concentrated onto a single area for me to hold him down. Even with my dominant hand, his left arm was a struggle to secure.

Damn my strength! How strong is this guy!?

A chilling thought even colder than the weather ran through me. If this man wasn’t drunk, I would’ve been dead ages ago. Even if he’s concussed, half-conscious, he was still sighting against me even with a cracked skull and caved in throat.

All I had to do was to keep this up until he suffocates–

“Get—” Ben said weakly through white eyes. “Get off me–”

I looked at the arm I was holding down desperately and it slowly crept over to the knee pinning him in place.

“Damn it, Book!” I cursed. What a complete monster. “What do I do now?!”

The book then flew over his head, opening its pages to reveal a void of words slowly swirling around into a point. It was a blackhole on paper. “Repeat after me, Demon Child.”

I looked down at Ben, who was still trying to push me off his person. Unfamiliar words then began to flow into my ears before they fluidly came out of my mouth with perfect execution as if I’d said them before.

“May the void welcome you with her embrace,” I rasped. The words were difficult to say for some reason. It felt as if I was being drained as I continued to speak. “May you greet the nothingness with a perilous scream–”

The book began to convulse, the small spot of words turning into a darkened shadow that began to dance and grow.

 “--In that upon gracing her domain,” I spat blood. My vocal cords were being torn apart. “You shalt see that thy existence amounted to only as much, and thy labors equal that of dust in the expanse of reality.”

“But thou shan’t leave this plane without imparting nothing–” I looked down at the struggling adventurer, who’s eyes began to cloud with fear. He stopped flailing underneath me as he looked up at something horrifying.

What he saw, I wouldn’t know, but from the face of desperation, it isn’t something pleasant.

“--For your true life’s splendows, are now mine.” 

Whoosh!

Tentacles of shadows and words leapt out of the open book and latched onto the man. I looked in surprise as the seemingly weak digits pulled him into the pages, forcing his body impossibly into the small vortex within. 

Thud! 

The heavy journal closed with a deafening weight, and the raining day was filled with silence. I finished the ritual by announcing into the silence a string of words I wouldn’t have made myself.  “[True Soul Fate Acuision]”

It was followed by more silence, and the Journal turned its blue eye to me. “Well done.” 

Then, I fell backwards from exhaustion.

****

I woke up a little later than I intended, and by then, it was already the early morning of the next day. I took the opportunity to stretch my limbs, which had been sore from being bedridden for more than twenty-four hours.

Today was the thirty-fourth day I’ve spent in this world.

I was also approached by someone who was dressed appropriate to the location I was currently in. I was in the Ironhold Church, just north of the central clocktower, specifically in the medical wing.

I was brought here by someone, but before I could ask that question, the helper told me about my medical bill. “Your bill will be ten silver coins.”

“It could be worse.” The Journal unironically commented.

I looked at the church helper. She was about Cody’s age, but unlike the inn-hand, this one looked like she was part of a church Choir. 

“My money is not with me right now, can I send for someone to bring you my money?” I asked with an embarrassed smile. Something about how this small girl’s judging gaze made me mildly embarrassed of my lack of money at hand.

I was also dressed in a medical gown of sorts, not the same one from earth, but a simple one piece robe that spanned the length of my entire body. I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. 

“Fine.” She said simply with a small roll of her eye. “Your things will be given back when you’ve paid at the counter over there.”

“Alright then–”

“While you’re waiting, you can tour around the church.”

This little shit cut me off–

“Sure.” I said with a scoff. Even though she’s in a bad mood, that wasn’t an excuse for me to get angry at her. But believe me, it was difficult with her haughty attitude. 

I got up from the bed and immediately began walking around to tour the place while Cody fetched my money from the red light district. Hopefully the squirt wouldn't get finagled by those women or get mugged.

It’s only a guess but this church was similar to those of Earth’s Romanesque Cathedrals because of the round arches, sturdy pillars and thick walls. The facades of the building were massive, grand and quite solid at first glance, and windows and other intricate carvings could be seen as I walked.

I left the main buildings, finding out that the church was unironically in the shape of a cross. I was in the medical wing, the left arm of said cross and had found my way over to the right wing.

From what I could remember, Cathedrals typically had one or two towers flanking the main entrance but this particular place of worship had many. But despite the number of towers, they all seemed to be designed to bring your attention to the center circular dome in the middle.

“That’s high…” I whistled in awe. Above me was a great arched dome with many stories in the air, whose ceilings were painted with saints administering to the helpless. 

“Please excuse me!” 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I said, stepping out of the way. Traffic was also quite steady with many people creating flows of movement efficient to that of their operations.

“M-Make way! We have injured!” I heard someone say in the distance. Without thinking, I reached over to the closest wall and stuck to it, letting a train of personnel carrying people in stretchers.

If my eyes weren’t deceiving me, I saw a man who’s pretty much the color blue. He was in bad shape too, so I doubt he’d last the night. Still, since I was in a church, I thought it would be respectful to hope for the best.

I followed the pictures with my eyes and noticed that they all were pointing in the same direction. “The north wing, huh?”

“That would be the Holy Place, the residence of artifacts blessed by Morn.” 

There’s artifacts in there? I’m intrigued but I doubt they're letting anyone through. 

“Security is quite tight over there.” Without thinking much of it, I shrugged and went for the south wing, the actual church itself.

By the time I finished my short tour of the place, my messenger boy arrived with the necessary funds.

“Here you go, one gold coin.” Cody said with a sheepish reply. I had sent for him through one of the other church helpers and instructed him about withdrawing one from my account. 

He followed instructions down to the letter, and brought one with him. It was addressed to me but it did not come from Frederick, but from a person whose name is ‘The Secretary.’

“To the first-time gambler named Hyun, You have piqued the interest of my superior. Not only did you best the renowned A-Rank adventurer on the money table, but in mortal combat as well. Please be mindful that a day, a month from now, another letter will be delivered to you through the boy named Cody. 

I trust that for his future, you don’t disappoint. - The Secretary.”

The letter caused me to think. Even when we left the church and headed for the inn, I couldn’t stop thinking.

“What a headache.” The Journal sighed. “Another mountain peak just after you climbed the previous one.” 

I agreed with the Journal’s sentiment, but it was what I signed up for. Well, not exactly.

But even if that was the case, I don’t have room to complain because despite getting injured numerous times in the span of my short stay in this world…

I’m having so much fun!

“But I will admit, it’s not exactly what I was expecting to see.”

“Huh?” Cody asked, confused.

I reached for his head and ruffled his hair, “Nevermind.”

I thought I was going to start from the ground up, leveling up from wood tools to stone, and then from there would be the metals.

Instead, I was met with my fragile mortality, lost in a world similar to that of what I remembered– but was so different.

If this was the regular game, I would be out there in the wild, cutting down trees and hammering stones into the ground to create a foundation for a cabin. If this was regular [Source&Create], I would be making my first house!

But here I am, fresh out of a hospital, littered with scars and injuries.

 All in all, I’m grateful I arrived in this world. 

It gave me a new perspective on how to view life, not from a player behind a screen, but as a person living on their own two feet. I understand now how easy I had it, and in the face of adversity and challenges.

I’m attached to things I never thought I’d be invested in, like this little guy for example. “Mister, you’re starting to look like my grandma for some reason.”

He’s the very first example to me of what it meant to be a citizen of this world.  It may not be the same as my memories, but it’s home nonetheless. He helped me understand that. 

Seeing how his grandmother cared for him, showed me that. “Thanks, kid. I owe you a lot, do you know that?”

“Then go buy me ice cream!” Cody replied without skipping a beat. I laughed at him almost immediately.

Even the Journal found his naivety amusing. “Cheeky runt.”

"But why though?" The boy titled his head in confusion, "I don't get it."

So I can’t let anything happen to him. No one is going to harm this kid if I could help it. So whoever this ‘Secretary’ is, they’re dead to me.

No one threatens Cody, not while I’m still alive.

Frederick can wait, Rudolf's task can wait, because right now...

"It's personal."

"Aww,you're no fun!"