Damn Hormones...

A few hours had passed.

The forest had now become more active.

Howls, growls, and movements in the bushes were more apparent.

Turns out, the thought about nocturnal animals was true.

In these hours, just thinking about my condition was challenging, would be an understatement.

The reason being, I feel like I have become someone new.

Memories are what makes a person who they are, forming their identity.

Having lived as Ron for 28 years, those memories are overwhelmingly dominant over the 13 years' worth of memories of this body... I still retain the majority of my identity as Ron.

But also, the hormones in the body play a significant role, hindering my decision-making.

But I have accepted my situation.

And thinking about it, I realized the place I am currently in is a setting from a webnovel I read when I was about 18 or 19—a fantasy novel.

Though I have thoughts that this could be a dream, but the cuts I got, sting, everything feels surreal yet too real... and even if this is a dream... well, fuck it. I don't care.

What feels shitty is that the bad news and the good news are the same.

Bad news: The place I am in is the Forest of Destruction.

Good news: I am in the outskirts of the forest.

The outskirts are somewhat safe but dangerous nonetheless.

So it's manageable.

I even thought of going out of the forest.

But should I?

I was never the type to shy away out of fear.

I had done so many crazy things that I could say I don't fear the majority of things.

And i have already died once... what's there to be afraid of?

The only thing I feared was my people getting hurt or something along those lines.

I didn't fear getting killed. I always knew I could die at any time. That was how it was to live a life like that.

And here, even if I worry about them, I can't really do anything, so there's no point in thinking about it.

And if this really is a second chance... well, it's gonna be quite a ride.

Free from any type of laws and restraints.

A place where power reigns.

"With my knowledge, I can surely survive! Get rich! Dominate! Get beauties and... hehe."

Suddenly, I felt my blood gather in my nether region, making a tent in my pants.

Fuck... these damn hormones...

Feeling a weird gaze on me, I turned to see the Soyul, which seemed to look at me in... disgust...?

Bro, what?

And then... it began to back away...

Shit...

Yeah... it's gonna take some time to get used to this body. 

*

"War of Realms" is the novel that I'm currently in.

It follows the story of a young orphan named Leo, who, although talented in magic and swordsmanship, couldn't get into an academy due to politics. Instead, the scholarship went to the untalented son of a mayor.

But Leo didn't resent anyone. He forgave and accepted his fate.

Far from his hometown, with nowhere else to go, he ventured into the forest to hunt and camp for the night, where he fell into a trap and underwent a trial, ultimately encountering the legacy of a legend. And that's where the story truly begins.

Leo's journey is filled with adventures, joining the academy, battling villains, and wooing girls and what not—a typical heroic tale.

But what Ron liked about it was the similarity to his own life. Both he and Leo were robbed of their rightful achievements but made different choices.

Leo remained righteous, while Ron chose not to give a damn about the world.

Ron always found the story interesting with its naive but clever protagonist, who constantly tried to do the right thing, to forgive, talk-no-jutsu to villains and whatever those shits were.

The story was about how the protagonist defeats demons and villains, aiming to bring peace to the world, eventually leading to a battle between realms.

However, the novel was dropped midway. The story only covered up until the protagonist fought a villain who had made a pact with a demon king and was about to destroy a city.

And that villain is me... or rather, the OG owner of this body.

Ah... so messed up... I don't even know if the author ever completed the novel since I joined the gang around that time and didn't have time to read.

Fuck...

*

Noah Val Aerwyn, the original owner of this body, was exiled—well, kicked out from his family for not possessing the family trait.

The Aerwyn family, a count family, was blessed with the air element, for generations.

At the age of 10, during the coming-of-age ceremony, it was revealed that Noah, the youngest child of Count Aerwyn, didn't have the air element. Instead, he had the thunder element, an old and forgotten power.

For three years, he was bullied and neglected by his family, with the only exception being his mother. But even she suffered the consequences, falling ill with stress and worry from the pressure. She passed away a few weeks ago.

The day she passed away, Noah was banished to this forest... essentially sentenced to die, far from his homeland.

But fate intervened, and he encountered a demon representing the demon king. With his bottled-up hatred, the demon made a pact with him, turning his anger toward humanity.

Six years from now, the protagonist and Noah will face each other... in the royal academy... how generic.

But you know, I won't make a deal with the demon, and I don't want to meet one anytime soon... Even the idea of going to the academy bores me.

I don't care about the storyline. I'll live how I want.

Ah... but I am truly sorry for him and his mother... He couldn't even attend her funeral... Suddenly, sorrowful thoughts about his mother surfaced, and tears began to fall...

These memories...

Ha... 'This boy has suffered... The least I can do is make a shrine for his mother and pay my respects.'