Reincarnated With A System Of Different Genre

Chapter 100: Book Of Truth

–––

I looked into the bathroom mirror, and my breath caught in my throat.

The reflection staring back at me was mine, but its eyes were pitch black.

Then blood began to pour from them.

I stumbled backward in horror as the reflection twisted into a grotesque grin before vanishing entirely.

My trembling hand rose to touch my face, and something warm smeared across my fingers.

Blood.

"AHHHH!" I screamed.

How could this be happening? Everything had been normal until now.

Just like every other day, I had checked on my farming fields filled with blue and green slimes, chatted with the neighbors, and returned home expecting another quiet evening.

Instead, I was greeted by my own bloody reflection.

"Did a ghost finally decide to make my house its den?" I muttered shakily.

At this rate, I really might have to sleep at Uncle Han’s place tonight.

"Why are you so terrified, human?"

The sudden voice froze me in place.

Currently, nobody else should have been inside the house but me.

"HELP!" I shouted instantly.

Forget sleeping elsewhere, I needed an Exorcist.

But first, I needed to survive long enough to call one.

Maybe Uncle Han’s advice really would save me.

Stumbling twice, I rushed toward my bed and yanked open the drawer beside it, pulling out a small glass bottle.

"I-I have holy water!" I warned, raising it with trembling hands.

"Don’t come any closer!"

My voice cracked embarrassingly from fear.

Why hadn’t anyone come yet?!

Did nobody hear me screaming?

"Kuhuhu... Do you really believe that pitiful holy water can stop me?"

A violent headache slammed into my skull as my vision blurred.

My body refused to obey me as weakness spread through my limbs like poison.

"Damn it! I refuse to die!" I shouted desperately.

I was only fifteen, barely above the legal age, so why was this ghostly shit happening to me?!

WHY?!

I even prayed to Goddess of Earth and followed the Holy Sun Scripture of the Sun God!

What had I done wrong?!

"CONAN! What happened?!"

The last thing I heard was the sound of someone rushing toward me, maybe it was Uncle Han.

But another voice echoed far more clearly inside my head.

"Kuhuhu! You’ve finally ready after all this time, now, my plans can truly begin..."

Darkness swallowed my vision.

At the time, I didn’t realize that this single night would change my life forever.

And, there was no turning back.

–––

"I don’t like this premise..." a man muttered to himself.

He sat alone inside a dimly lit room where the only source of illumination was a softly glowing mana lamp hanging nearby.

A luxurious quill rested in his hand as he stared at the page before him.

Then he stopped writing.

At the top of the manuscript, a title had already been written in elegant script.

[Epic Tales of Ghosts and Demons]

Despite coming from a wealthy and influential family, the man was nothing more than a novice writer.

Or, according to his critics, a failed one.

For years he had struggled to complete a single proper book.

Frustration built within him.

BANG!

He slammed his hand against the desk, causing the furniture to shake violently.

"I should just start a new story instead..." he muttered.

Without hesitation, he tore out the page he had just written.

However, the moment it left the manuscript, the page dissolved into countless particles of light.

"Eh?" The man blinked.

"The previous pages usually turned into dust, is this some new phenomenon?"

His gaze shifted toward the book resting on the desk.

The manuscript itself was no ordinary object.

It was a relic.

A mysterious book rumored to contain an infinite number of pages.

He had purchased it years ago during an auction and had never fully understood all of its abilities.

"Hah! Maybe I’m just mentally exhausted." The man rubbed his temples.

"I should read something else for a while."

Closing the manuscript, he revealed its black cover.

Three words were engraved upon it in silver letters.

[Book of Truth]

The title sounded profound.

Unfortunately, the owner’s next action completely ruined the atmosphere.

After putting the relic aside, he reached beneath his desk and pulled out several highly questionable books.

Then, with a serious and scholarly expression, he began reading them as if conducting important academic research.

His concentration was absolute.

His posture was impeccable.

His dedication was admirable.

The contents of the books, however were definitely not suitable for children.

Definitely not.

***

"How is your headache?" Caelum asked first.

Earlier, he had sent Voomie away with Paul, giving himself a chance to speak with Anastasia properly.

"What headache?" Loreal asked immediately.

"I’m fine," Anastasia replied at almost the exact same moment.

An awkward silence followed.

Caelum glanced toward the sky and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Uh, So... how’s school?"

The question sounded strange even to his own ears.

Unfortunately, unlike the wise old masters from the stories he had read, standing with his hands behind his back did not magically make him look profound.

Instead, Loreal simply stared at him as he took a strange pose.

"That is a very strange question."

"Forget it!" Caelum declared suddenly.

"I’ll just ask the real question!"

He took a deep breath as the atmosphere immediately became tense.

Caelum looked directly at Anastasia.

"You, I have been noticing this for quite some time now."

His tone became more serious.

"Why do you keep pushing people away?"

The moment the question left his mouth, both girls froze.

Anastasia slowly turned toward him.

Then she looked at him for several long seconds before speaking.

"What does that have to do with you?" Her voice was colder than he had ever heard before.

"What?"

Caelum blinked in surprise.

He genuinely had not expected that response.

Even Loreal appeared slightly startled.

However, she chose not to intervene.

Unlike Caelum, she understood exactly why Anastasia had reacted that way.

And perhaps, Caelum had just thrown a fireball into a room filled with oil.

"I asked what that has to do with you," Anastasia repeated.

Her expression remained calm, but there was a sharp edge hidden beneath her words.

"Let’s go, Loreal, my mood has worsened."

Without waiting for a response, she turned around and began walking away.

Loreal hesitated briefly before following after her.

"Hey, wait..." Caelum called out.

Neither of them stopped.

Watching their retreating figures, Caelum could only shake his head.

’That expression really wasn’t good... maybe I should leave her alone for a while.’

He stood there quietly for a moment.

Then his thoughts drifted toward the news that had spread through the school yesterday.

Zoe and Matilda had officially been declared to be in Coma.

No one knew when, or even if they would ever wake up.

And considering Anastasia’s relationship with them.

She had taken the news far worse than she allowed others to see.

And she knew why that incident happened in the first place.

[100 Chapters Milestone! Read Creator’s Thoughts.]