The young girl who was clad in armour suddenly spoke with her child like voice, "The people who weren't pick by us would have a letter in their pockets. Let's make haste as the Emperor was calling me already."

A random guy in the middle of the crowd raised his hand.

"What's the difference between being picked by the six of you and receiving the letter on my pocket?"

"Better resources and guidance. There will also be a daily 'boost'. Then, your own abode servants, privilege access to treasures, maps, information, and many more."

"Uhh. What's that for? Are you saying we can't go back home?"

"No."

After Marie flatly replied, some people broke down and sobbed.

When Jeemin thought that it was reasonable that they can't go home because they already died in the first place, he immediately changed his mind when he heard a woman spoke near him.

"I... I was just watering plants. How could I not return back... my little son is alone at home..." She was covering her mouth while crying.

Li Na, ignoring those who are sobbing, walked in front and said, "Those who received the letters, you can go out now. There's a two-story building there for you to take a bath, then the domed building for you to heal yourselves. After that, go back here and we'll depart."

*

When the people gradually left the theater room, Jeemin was still checking his pocket.

After finding that there was no letter in his pocket, Jeemin fell in thought.

So no one wants me?

At this moment, Jeemin was left alone in the area where the participants who weren't picked by the six people in front, stayed.

Zai Zen raised his eyebrows beside Claire.

"As expected."

"What's expected?" Claire asked hesitantly.

"He didn't get any recruitment letter."

"Why's that?"

"Because he killed the one who was eyed by the Church," Zai Zen coughed and while stroking his beard.

Claire was confused for a moment then something clicked.

Was that the reason why he was acting weird last night?

Zai Zen continued stroking his beard while he examined the youth who was blinking gloomily beside the door. If there was one thing he could tell from the youth, it was that, the youth was always shrouded in a gloomy aura.

"Azrail, also known as Liu Jeemin. Are you interested in being my disciple?" 

Nameless and the rest gave the old man a glance after turning their gazes at Liu Jeemin.

When Ling Tian was about to ask the old man what was he thinking, Jeemin replied.

"Thank you for your offer, but I decline."

At this moment, the six of them was stunned.

Zai Zen frowned and asked, "Seeing that you didn't leave yet, I'm sure you didn't receive any letter right?"

Jeemin nodded.

"So why are you not accepting my offer?"

Amidst the quietness, Jeemin let out a sigh of exhaustion.

"I did manage to pass every stages, but it wasn't through my own ability. I borrowed Claire's special items. I failed to save the life of one of my teammates. I left them when I can't take it anymore. I even had the idea of killing Claire when I was put in situation where my life is at stake."

Jeemin then lifted his gaze up and looked at Claire, "I don't think a human being like me deserved being recruited by the six of you."

There was a faint moist forming around his eyes when he said these words.

Jeemin neither apologized nor asked for her understanding, he just stared at Claire's eyes with his usual gloomy eyes.

"And I was staying here not because I didn't receive any letter, but because I had other agenda."

Zai Zen nodded while stroking his beard with complicated expressions.

"Young man, how did you climbed up the mountain?"

Jeemin stopped when he was about to walk forward. Since these people are already used to this world, it was highly improbable for them not to know that he has something inside his palm.

"Because of this," he raised his remaining hand.

"I think it absorbed whatever it was making the mountain harder to climb."

Zai Zen paused from stroking his beard and asked in suprise, "Is it still conscious? I'm suprised it didn't take over your mind yet."

"Heh, it did at first. It almost choke me to death," he replied half-jokingly.

However, Zai Zen and the rest suddenly had a change of expression.

"What did you say?"

"Uhmm, it almost choke me to death."

"Young man, tell me how you were transferred here."

"..."

Jeemin didn't respond. How could he tell these people he actually killed himself with the hope of being transported in another world? He might be immune to pity, but he wasn't immune being seen as a lost cause.

"That phenomenon only occurs when the user of the Origin has an intense desire to die. What I find difficult to understand is, why are you still ... alive?"

Old man Zai Zen found it a little amusing.

"I don't know myself."

Because of the interruption, instead of going with his agenda. He hesitated.

Jeemin only gave an apologetic light bow to Claire and the rest of the party before going out.

He gritted his teeth as he opened the door.

In the end, he wasn't able to talk to them like he planned to.

There are other people watching him. He just couldn't go around apologizing to each of them while being watched. At least he wasn't that shameless enough.

*

When he left the theater room, he saw people entering and leaving the simple two-story building connected to somewhere in the middle of the pavement floating in empty space.

Even from afar, he can see those who just left the building having fresh looks, like they just finished taking a bath.

It immediately made him self-conscious of his condition.

The foul odor and sticky sweat on his body became pronounced as soon as he caught a whiff of the fresh fragrant smell coming from the people coming out of the building.

As he walked towards that place, several people threw him a glance but eventually made their way towards the domed building.

Inside the two-story building, Jeemin saw its simple structure.

At his front was a decent size entrance of men's restroom.

There was a stairwell as well leading up  from his left, guarded by two men with cold expression on their faces.

What Jeemin found comical was that their simple silver plated vest had a pink female symbol on it.

After sweeping his gaze around the building, he went inside the men's restroom.

*

'Huff.'

After finding a toilet cubicle with a shower, he enjoyed the fresh and cold water as it washed away the dirt on his body.

The dirt and blood stains on his body pooled up beneath him as the shower continued to pour water on him.

The fresh water was just magical because he felt rejuvenated the longer he stood below the shower.

Brown, black, and deep red water that washed away the stains on his body pooled on the bathroom's ground as he closed his eyes and gurgled the cold water coming from the shower. 

Jeemin examined his body and found no scars, but his expression gradually turned ugly.

I guess I should have exercise more before I killed myself.

The absence of well-toned abs made him grimaced from disappointment.

At that moment he was stunned when his eyes swept around the bathroom. There was no soap nor a shampoo.

But when he sniffed the cold breeze around him, the smell of fragrance wafting through his nostrils, he realized that the water coming from the shower was enough.

He coughed and sneezed hard as he accidentally inhaled the water coming from the shower.

Jeemin grinned afterwards and enjoyed the shower for an hour before getting a towel prepared outside the cubicle.

*

His head was sneakily peeking out from the cubicle's door as he swept his gaze from left to right.

When he determined that there were no people left on the restroom, like a gust of wind, he quickly took the towel near his cubicle and ran back inside.

He nearly slipped on the bathroom's slippery tiles as he ran while his heart was pounding in nervousness.

Damn it, why can't they put the towels inside the cubicles? Are they not aware that some guys are not comfortable waving around their dragons in front of other men?!

He cursed nonstop as the sole of his feet got hurt from hitting the bottom of the toilet bowl when he nearly slipped on the wet tiles. Luckily, he was able to stop himself from completely slipping.

And why didn't I get the towel in the first place before I took a shower?

His hand reluctantly took his clothes hanging on the rack after he dried himself up.

When he caught a whiff of the stench coming from it, he nearly retched from the nauseating odour.

He made an ugly expression when he realized that he needed to wear those stinky clothes again unless he wanted to run around outside naked.

But when he caught sight of a simple box near the toilet bowl, his eyes widened in amazement.

[Put your clothes here, we'll fix it for you]

After putting his clothes -  his jackets, jeans, leather robe and other stuffs - inside the white box made from marbles, he waited with anticipation in his eyes.

The white box, inlaid with various inscriptions and runes, glowed in blue as the lights coming from the inscriptions lit up.

As the lid opened by itself...

His clothes were turned not only fresh and clean, but was also turned back to its original state. His smile was broad as he saw the clothes turned back into newly bought state.

The faded blacks of the jacket turned blacker, and the faded...

"..."

... intentionally-ripped jeans turned back to non ripped jeans.

He checked the condition of the Robe of Thalos.

[Durability: 100/100]

Jeemin nodded and wore his clothes before making sure to cover his face with his black face mask.

He then put his combat boots on the box and wore it after it was cleaned.

When he finished fixing himself, he went out of his cubicle.

But he froze when he saw Cipriani outside drying up his messy black hair with a towel.

Cipriani took a look at him. His lips quivered unnoticeably as if he was hesitating. In the end, he turned his averted his eyes from him and fixed his tiger's coat draped on his back.

They might still be watching. Honestly, I have nothing against this kid.

But Jeemin immediately tensed up and raised his alertness. He even instinctively put his hand on his pouch as if he was ready to draw a weapon in a blink of an eye.

"..."

Cipriani felt weird being stared at so he threw him a frown.

However, it seems like Jeemin couldn't take a hint as he warily eyed him from head to toe, calculating the best spot on where to stab him.

When several seconds has passed by, Cipriani tilted his head and asked.

"Do you need something?"

"No, not at all."

"So... Why are you staring at me like that? I don't sway that way by the way, you know."

"Huh?"

Cipriani shook his head and left Jeemin who was clueless inside the restroom.

*

Jeemin went outside the building clenching his teeth with boiling anger. 

How dare he think of me that way? I swear I'd beat him to pulp if I saw him again!

When he went back to the theater room, the rest were still outside, so there were few people sitting around the seats.

Claire and the rest of the party were sitting in different locations.

Jeemin didn't find the six big shots who was doing the recruiting earlier which made his plan feasible.

He breathed in and out.

'Huff, haa, huff, haa.'

*

Jeemin went towards Dmitri first and sat beside him.

The kid looked at him with confusion.

"Dmitri, I may not have fulfilled my role as the captain well, but you did well holding yourself up against the dangers we faced." Jeemin coughed and awkwardly patted Dmitri's shoulder.

"When we meet again, tell about the backstory why you're always looking at your left hand."

With that, Jeemin left immediately as he have no idea what to say anymore nor have the heart to continue the conversation.

He repeated in his head that he was doing this for future investment. So that in the future when he needs their help, if ever they meet again, there won't be any awkward tension between them.

Of course, that was far from the truth. Jeemin didn't want to end things hanging as he did in his previous world when he left his so-called friends like a ghost.

I'm just doing this for future investments. That's right, no need to be nervous.

He went beside Li Jing and patted her head. Jeemin spun the gears of his mind and managed to recall something.

That something was when Li Jing was muttering something in her sleep at the upside-down forest. It was when Li Jing was muttering about not being able to graduate or something.

Now that he thought of it, it was a brilliant idea to use it. And so, he spoke while sounding rather vague.

"Hmm, I didn't graduate too, so don't worry if you failed, okay? Just keep doing your best without minding the expectations of the people around you. I hope you could achieve a better life in this world."

For Jeemin, he felt guilty for spewing anything that comes to his mind, he even felt he was just spewing nonsense.

But to Li Jing, it was something else.

In fact, Jeemin had no idea how those words he considered nonsense would affect her life.

It was also at this moment that Li Jing felt his hand patting her head was ... familiar.

Her face suddenly reddened like a tomato when a piece of memory was jolted from his mind stimulated from the familiar warmth coming from his hand.

She remembered hugging Jeemin while she was naked! She also remembered how he didn't take advantage of her when she was affected by the strange pink gas.

H-he... h-he didn't take advantage of me.. Even if I did that?!

Jeemin who was clueless about what's going on inside her mind immediately left as soon as he said those words.

She didn't even had the chance to ask him about something as she hugged her chest and lowered her head in thought.

Jeemin then craned his neck to look around for Hyoon. When his eyes met her eyes, he took a gulp.

It took him time to reach her since he was deliberating on how to deal with her or what the right words he should use. 

"..."

But he ended up sitting one sit apart from her and was silent for several minutes.

It was then, Hyoon broke the silence.

"I'm sorry."

Jeemin was racking his brain on what he should say or reply, but he ended up replying with a simple response.

"It's okay."

Hyoon slowly sobbed at her seat. She inadvertently realized her mistake when Dmitri shouted at her at the Rest Zone.

Jeemin suddenly realised something and said with a stern voice, "Don't blame yourself for Seiji's death. You did what you had to do. Alright, I blew up at first. My mistake, I know..."

It was at this time Jeemin unconsciously talked to himself rather than Jin Hyoon.

"... You hate me, well, the feeling is mutual. I hate myself too. I mean very much. And I'm happy that you're expecting something for me. You wouldn't this be angry at me for no reason, right?"

It sounded more like Jeemin was asking himself rather than her.

Before leaving, he left her with the words, "I hope you don't hate me just because I was born."

With that, he left her without giving her any chance to reply.

At this moment, Jeemin thought it was tiring to talk to people rather running for your life. He sighed and looked towards Claire.

She was as beautiful as ever. Her blonde hair and bright blue eyes; her pale white skin and long eyelashes; her rosy red lips and cute button nose, would make Jeemin who was usually reserved in complimenting people, praise her beauty.

Surprisingly, she was waving her hand at him as soon as he looked at her.

Jeemin scratched his hair uncharacteristically and walked towards her.

He made sure to sit one sit apart away from her and avoided staring at her.

"I'm sorry for what I did at the rest zone. I wasn't in the right mind at that time."

"I understand."

"I'm really sorry."

"I know."

At that moment, Jeemin thought it was better if Claire didn't reply at all because he had no idea what to say next.

"Uuhhmm you need the greatsword back?"

"No."

Jeemin felt some kind of gaze coming from her making him sat rooted on the chair.

"Why are you not looking at me when you're talking to me? Is there something wrong with my face captain?"

"No, not all. In fact your very beautifur— euhk." His words slurred at the end when he realized what he was about to say.

"What captain, can you repeat that again?"

"I mean there's nothing wrong with your face."

"That's not what you said." Claire sighed when he still didn't turn his head towards her. 

What's wrong with this guy, it's like talking to a completely different person. He was able to talk to me face to face with his icy cold attitude before we were sent here, without difficulty at that.

She even started doubting if she was talking to the same person right now.

Meanwhile, Jeemin was groaning inwardly.

Can I go now? I should leave now. Sigh, where's those six people? I hope I can leave soon.

He was feeling really anxious and his heart was pounding crazily as he found it strange why her stare made it impossible for him to leave.

Was this some sort of social communication I didn't know about?

"What are your plans?"

"Some.. Training I guess."

"That's all?"

"Probably. I need to get stronger."

"For what?"

"..."

It was at this moment the six people he was waiting for finally arrived at the front of the theater room.

Li Na spoke with her usual cold voice, "Stay on your seats. Those who were holding letters would be transported on their respective recruiter's organisation. While those who don't..."

She turned her eyes, with her bloody irises and white pupils, towards Jeemin.

"... Those who don't will be transferred to some random rank 1 city. And those we recruited will be naturally transported to our respective organisation."

"Empire." Marie coldly added as her bronze armour suddenly changed.

There were streams of lava flowing around the surface of her armour as she said, "Call our Empire organisation one more time and I'll hang your head on our Imperial Gate."

Li Na scoffed and was about to draw her weapon.

Dylan stepped between the two, his muscles swelled up as his white Dojo uniform looks like it cannot contain his muscles anymore.

"No fighting."

"We'll be transported any seconds now." He crossed his ripped arms that was a thicker than an adult human's body and looked around.

When a bright light was about to shroud them, Jeemin looked at Claire's face one more time. He didn't know why, he just want to etched her face in his mind.

But at the same moment, he saw Claire was looking at him too. She grinned and waved at him before his vision went blank.

"I hope we'll meet again," Jeemin muttered.

At the same time, Jeemin swore to himself to become stronger.

Strong enough so that he could be confident with himself more; strong enough to make his mind stable; strong enough to grasp his true nature; and strong enough to overcome his desire to die.

At least, he now had a slightly clear goal, that was to get stronger and stronger.

The result of not being able to tie his loose ends completely was just because he was weak, he thought.

If he was strong, he believe that he wouldn't need to apologize nor rack his brain to get people to like him.

The problem was, was his new approach in life would be the correct way?

He didn't know, and he doesn't want to doubt it at least now.

If he did, he'd end up having no goals and fall into the cycle of changing his personality again and again.

'This time, I'll definitely stick to one personality.'

But what personality should I use next?

As soon as he fell in thought, he regained his vision.

****

If you've read this far, I'm really, really thankful from the bottom of my heart.

I want to hear how and what direction are you expecting the story will head. Or how you see it.

As for me, well. It was really a roller coaster ride. I scraped off around 50k words just to increase the pacing, and I guess for me, it was still slow. I guess it's how I handled my timeline? Sigh. I'd definitely change the way I write for the next mini arc, it will be about 1-10 chaps tops.

And I also find it rather disconnecting whenever I see my MC change his personality.

Well, now that I could see it. I find my own self rather unlikable more. I really find it hard to understand how could a human being have a consistent personality.

Anyways, that's my opinion and how I view it.

From the perspective of the reader, I hope I could get a glimpse on how you see the MC.

*

I'll post the next chapter maybe two or three days from now, I'm still finalizing the outline.

The next mini arc will be focused on some scheming and world building. I hope the Heavens Dao would guide me.

Thank you very much making this far.

[Author jumps up and land while violently sweeping up dusts, as the dusts diffused, the author's face was against the floor - performing dogeza.]

Arigatou.