Chapter 03: The beginning?

Chapter 03: The beginning?

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Pov: A soul who discovered he had become a 'beggar'

*

Staring at the mystical entity in front of me with a blank stare, I realize how fucked I am in this situation.

Normally in situations like this, you get one wish - or more, depending on a few abstract factors -, reincarnate in another world, but with your memories intact.

But here I am, a shell with nothing, without the ability to remember my own name.

I feel that even the memories I told Axolotl are slowly 'draining' from my mind... and that's scary.

"... So that's it? I just have to accept that that bitch took everything from me and just disappear? Hahaha... that's a bit much to take."

Feeling the colossal creature's strangely cute gaze on me for what seemed like an eternity, she finally decides to 'speak'.

["Actually, there is an alternative, but it comes at a price."]

Hahaha, beggars can't be choosers, I guess.

"And what would that be?"

["Not now, you're not ready. You'll know what to do when the time is right."]

In other words, I'm going to have to do something extremely difficult when he needs it... sounds fair.

Or rather, what choice do I have?

"All right, I accept that agreement. But what now? Are we going to use a roulette wheel to decide which world I'll be reincarnated in, or will only the powers be decided this way?"

["Huh?"]

"Huh?"

**

Apparently there's no roulette wheel for Op powers or anything like that... I'm not disappointed, you are!

But come on! How am I supposed to solve something played by a creature like that with the power of an ordinary human? 

Fortunately, that's not what's going to happen.

["I think I understand the concept of these wishes, but I don't think an almost shattering soul like yours could stand to be altered like that."]

"...."

["Besides, why would one of your wishes be testicular torsion in your old body? Don't you think that would be a bit too cruel?"]

"...."

["... Child, forget the past or it will affect you negatively in your new life. Besides, I've already found a place where you'll be reborn with the help of an old friend."]

He's right, this will only make my situation worse if I keep thinking about it.

"Where?"

["That's not relevant, just know that I'll provide you with 3 things."]

Not wanting to interrupt, I just keep listening.

[A book, an axe and a hat.]

"Ah, so that's it. I understand." 

I don't fucking understand.

["The book will help you become what you want to be, like a manual."].

A strange book with an ancient appearance appears in front of me. Its leather cover has an image of a triangle that takes up almost the entire cover, with an axe in the center of the triangle.

On the left side of the axe, there is a demonic face and on the right side of the axe, the figure of a strange bat stands out.

At the top of the cover is the title.

"Enchiridion... Special Edition."

Ignoring my mind that had almost wandered, Axolotl continues.

["The axe will come in handy when you get to know yourself better and decide your own path."]

Materializing in front of me, a classic single-edged red axe floats mysteriously.

Without thinking, I ended up muttering.

"...It would be better if it were a guitar-"

Realizing my slip, I turn to Axolotl to see his reaction to my irrational words.

["Hm, I see. You've already made your choice."]

What is this giant salamander talking about? Brother, I don't even know what's going on here.

"Y-yes, that's right."

With his nod of approval, the floating axe begins to change, gaining six strings and the appearance of a guitar, but still remaining an axe. 

It's what I imagine the perfect fusion of an axe and a guitar would be like. It's so...

"Beautiful."

["Yes, that child also seems pleased with the result. Anyway, the last one is a hat..."]

"Right? What does it do?"

["Huh? It's a hat. It'll protect you from the sun."]

"...Oh." What a shitty present.

At what point is it going to come in handy?

["You look dissatisfied. Is there something wrong with the last one?"]

"N-not that, it's just that compared to the others, it seems a bit... boring." 

Argh, why am I still talking? That giant salamander is practically a god! Bloody mouth!

[Hahaha, yes. Seems a bit pointless. How about this then? It'll be your parting gift, since you won't have any memories of anything being born again."]

"W-what? W-Wait- Aa-AAaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!"

Before I could process the situation, a blinding light surrounded me, before I was thrown in a random direction.

Damn it, I should have stayed still!

*

After the soul leaves, Axolotl looks in a certain seemingly random direction, and mutters to the immensity of the emptiness around him.

["I hope you manage to find yourself or replace everything you've lost, ====. No, I guess your name's Marshall now, huh."]

With a small smile, he closes his eyes.

His last thought before falling asleep is.

'You need to grow up soon. The threats in the future will be giants in your path.'

###

In a small town at the foot of a mountain, you can hear a first-time mother moaning in pain.

The young woman, who appears to be no more than 20 years old, has beautiful golden hair and a face that invokes a sense of protection in those who see her.

Driven by the fear that the child in her womb would be used as she was used, the young woman convinced her only friend to flee from the organization they had been trained in since they were children, using all her manipulation and experience to create an escape plan and false identities. 

All for this moment.

*Waah* *Waah* *Waah*

The mother, relieved to hear her son crying, lets out a sigh of relief that her fears haven't come true. After all, her son was born healthy.

'Apparently my carelessness during pregnancy didn't take you away from me-'

Unfortunately, the midwife's voice decided to ruin her mood.

"Leah, are you sure this thing is a baby? Look at it, its skin is gray! Tell me the truth, who is this boy's father? The organization won't-"

"I know."

*Bang*

With a clear shot to the head, the midwife fell dead beside the cradle in which she had just placed the peacefully sleeping newborn. 

"Ouch! I never want to feel that pain again! One child is enough for me!" 

Ignoring the lifeless body on the floor, the blonde woman brought her hand up to her face, pulling at her skin without hesitation.

Surprisingly, what lay beneath the skin was not muscle, blood or bone, but a completely different face.

" *Phew* Finally, after 10 long years, this farce is over. Now there are no loose ends."

Yes, the once blonde and innocent-looking girl was just a disguise she had kept on since she was 10 years old.

In one of the tests to eliminate the project's 'weeds', Leah, or rather - Lilian Lee, died in that test as a defective product, since only one child was worthy of attention, due to her brutality in mutilating the faces of the other 12 children in the jungle test before burning them alive and, above all, her dissimulation skills in maintaining a facade of fear and innocence before that.

What the organization didn't realize was that the surviving girl who maintained an 'innocent and fearful' façade was killed by Lilian, and her scalp torn off to be used as a macabre wig after shaving her own head.

The rest was just a way of diverting attention from her fake death with acts of extreme violence against the other children who might be suspicious of her disguise. 

"Urgh, it's strange to have my face naked after so many years since I learned how to create this hyper-realistic face mask with the annoying Nagumo. But I can't raise my son with a fake face." 

With the help of an assassin named Nagumo Yoichi, who due to his experience, quickly realized the flaws in her "deception", and decided to train her to be a competent spy and assassin from his point of view.

"I hope that annoying guy is dead."

With no time to reminisce about the past, Lilian quickly disposes of the body of the midwife she had been 'friends' with for years without a shred of empathy.

"Thanks Alex, you've been a great friend. I'm going to buy a dog and name it after you." 

Putting her hands together in a small sign of respect for the dead that she saw Alex use so often, she leaves behind the hut with only expectations for the future and her beloved baby in her path.

Looking down at her sleeping son, oblivious to the world around him, a thought of something she had neglected pops into her mind.

"Ah! I forgot to choose his name!"

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Hello, kind people of the internet!

I think I have serious problems with beginnings... but don't worry! Next chapter the plot will move! ....I hope.

About the chapter, I don't know how to feel about it, since it's 10 minutes before my work and I haven't even made my own lunch yet... 

Anyway, a reference to Nagumo, from the manga Sakamoto Days (for those who don't know it, I recommend giving it a try), but that's all it is, a reference, since I don't intend to use the character.

Random trivia: The wig made from the real Leah's scalp was almost perfect, since the two women's physiques were almost identical. 

That's it~ Next chapter out in 2 days, or sooner depending on my time.

Arrivederci~