A Background Character's Fate

28. Golden Goose

Pitch dark void. That's all I see. Where am I?

"You are in your sea of consciousness," Morja says. A young boy with crimson hair and eyes appears from thin air and gazes at me. He seems to wear a luxurious leather coat and long pants, a casual outfit in his mansion.

Morja turns his attention to the darkness.

"Sea of consciousness. Or at least it should be a sea." Morja says. "The trauma, the impurities, the sins. All piled up into this massive empty land."

...

"You are lucky you met me. If it was anyone else, they would have taken over your body."

!

"My body?"

"Your soul is too weak."

...Is he really a villain?

"I am," Morja replies. "To explain everything, I am the innocence and kindness Morja buried deep in his heart."

That explains his child-like appearance.

"You speak as if you understand my pain."

Morja nods. "I do. You've inherited part of my knowledge and memories and the opposite applies as well. I know all about your powers and secrets."

"Wow...guess I've been pretty lucky to meet you."

"And hard work too. Both crafted the current you."

...

"Is there anything you want?" I ask.

Morja sighs and looks away. "The real me outside is blinded by revenge and you've taken his kindness, his last remaining humanity, away. Things will never end well for him. Kill him, that's all I request. In return, I will teach and impart as much as I can."

"...I will do so if our paths cross, saving my father is my top priority."

"To save your father, you need to kill Morja." He says. "He is mostly likely the assassin that killed your father in your first life."

!!

"Alright."

Morja dips his hand into the black void, it submerges into rippling waves, revealing the liquid present.
"For now, I will try to purify your sea of consciousness. My advice for you is to not use full extraction for the time being. In particular, only use full extraction after you cultivate your soul and don't use it on anyone too strong."

...

"You don't resent me? For just...kidnapping you into my soul."

Morja looks at me. "If I do, I would have killed you from within. Besides, the real Morja locked me in the deepest depth of his heart, not even he could bring me out. I was in great despair as Morja...slowly descends to insanity."

He smiles. "In fact, I'm grateful. I was lucky too."

"Haha...by the way, I saw a martial artist at the burning mansion-"

"Give up." Morja interrupts me. "You are too weak."

...I can't refute that.

"Rest for a bit, your performance was splendid indeed."

The last sentence throws me out of the void.

==============

"Ngh..." a comfortable surface, a bed.

"Loi..."

My name rings in my ear. I open my eyes to find my family huddled anxiously around me.

"Bastard!!" My mother pulls my ear.