Chapter 232

After a good night’s sleep, I woke up.

Maurice remembers the place as an old, rundown house, but it’s actually a well-maintained, cozy home.

Victoria had been missing since dinner, but what can you do?

I might’ve been a bit harsh on her, right?

In the morning, I greeted four adults and left the house. Why only four?

Because Victoria didn’t want to meet me and threw a tantrum when Beatrice came to fetch her, refusing to come out.

So, I said my goodbyes to everyone except Victoria and headed toward the train station.

Surprisingly, there are people at the desolate station. Either they’re commuting or have some other business—I don’t know.

As I was about to enter, someone presumed to be a station attendant asked if I wanted to buy a ticket.

Oh yeah, that thing.

I handed over the business card I received yesterday and asked if I could contact this person. I was checking for a royal transportation pass, but unfortunately, the attendant shook their head no.

They said that while sending letters is possible, there’s no direct way to contact anyone from here.

Yeah. So, nothing can be done then.

Guess I’ll just walk.

I still remember the way.

Of course, I’m not planning to walk all the way to the capital. My plan is to go to a decent-sized city where I can contact soldiers to get to the capital.

After getting my business card back, I simply left the station and started walking toward the city.

It’s winter, so the time when the sun would already be up in summer is still pitch dark—early dawn.

During this hour, I entered the forest.

If I didn’t know the way, I’d probably follow the railway tracks, but considering the direction, the train doesn’t pass through the nearest city.

So, I decided to walk.

If I keep walking without stopping, I should reach the city by evening.

Civilization fades quickly after just a short walk, leaving behind only traces of vehicles passing by.

No paved roads here—just dirt, gravel, and weeds growing between them.

The forest remains dark even in the morning because tall trees block most of the light. As I venture deeper, lights occasionally flicker around me.

There’s more light here than in the city.

Though none as big as a human, warmth is scarce in this space.

If the city is a plain with torches scattered everywhere, the forest feels like a dark night sky. The lights are faint but countless.

While walking through the woods, something happened.

When the trees grew thick enough to match my height, someone called out to me.

At first, I thought it was coming from the forest itself.

But nope.

From much farther away.

Not another planet, not another galaxy, but beyond the universe entirely.

A completely different world calling me.

So, I grabbed onto that call and pulled myself toward it.

Unlike being underwater, this felt like being dragged sideways.

***

*Clang.*

Is that… chains?

Can’t see anything. No, wait—it’s not that I can’t see; there’s just darkness ahead.

My eyes seem intact, but given the faint glow around me, maybe I have a blindfold on.

Still, Bell continues walking through the forest since I’m monitoring all harvesting systems simultaneously. Entering another body doesn’t stop any of them.

Wait, though—this body feels weirdly heavy, and I feel like I lack arms and legs.

Judging by the emptiness in my head, did I enter another artificial body like Bell’s?

Then I heard an odd noise.

No, it’s language. Someone’s talking to me.

Unfortunately, I don’t understand it because none of the harvesters recognize this tongue. It sounds familiar due to the Mondegreen effect, but the content makes no sense—it must be unfamiliar speech.

I tried moving.

*Clink.*

Sharp pain radiates outward as metal collides.

Something seems hooked into my spine, judging by the sensation near my backbone. Long metallic needles pierce along my vertebrae.

Should I reconstruct a human body now?

No, let’s observe further.

Based on my condition, I might be some kind of lab rat. Acting rashly could ruin everything later.

Suddenly, intense pain stabs through my body, followed by pleasure overwhelming every nerve. This sensation surpasses normal biological limits, meaning there’s likely some specialized device involved.

Could these tubes embedded in my spine be responsible?

The body structure resembles a human’s despite missing limbs. There are implants in my head, spine, and throughout my torso.

Why would they modify a summoned vessel like this?

Given the alternating cycles of pain and pleasure, this appears to be an experiment. Every time the pain begins, I speak:

“I offer myself to you. In return, once you’ve completed your work, I will take everything you possess. How does that sound?”

Not in this world’s language, obviously, but continuing to talk will eventually elicit a response.

And I don’t speak randomly.

I deliberately speak during moments of pain.

This way, it sounds like I’m speaking out of desperation to escape the agony.

Afterward, the presumed torture continued.

The intensity of pain changed sometimes, mixed with pleasure or solely pleasurable sensations.

But I repeat the same phrase each time. Even if I die, my corpse will regenerate. Besides, Bell’s body remains intact elsewhere.

This is my first time being experimented on.

Since they’re experimenting with me, I might as well conduct my own tests.

For quite some time, I endured their experiments, repeating the same words every time. When they spoke, I responded with the same message. If I consistently respond the same way, they’ll attempt different interactions.

What I’m waiting for is physical contact.

Once they touch me, I can bypass the language barrier and convey my intent directly. Then I’ll attempt a contract.

Just one chance is all I need.

Regeneration and enhancement are hardwired into living organisms.

Finally, after endless waiting, I felt the faint warmth of life.

The instant it touched my face, I recited the contract incantation.

Instead of responding, my captor fiddled with something on my head, and my vision cleared.

A dungeon-like room came into view—a dim chamber built with stacked bricks. Strange glowing patterns resembling magic circles illuminate the walls.

And deeper inside, I recognized a familiar shape.

Yasle’s technique.

Or… hmm?

There are significant differences compared to Yasle’s memories. Was it accidentally replicated, or did someone adapt Yasle’s method into their own style?

At least, it isn’t from the first world, which has already vanished. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.

Anyway, after scanning the surroundings, I raised my gaze slightly higher.

A man stood nearby, staring down at me. His face was swollen, his back hunched, looking like an evil wizard straight out of a fairy tale.

Is this guy the one who summoned me?

But he’s too far to have removed my blindfold.

Someone else must’ve done it. Turning my gaze, I saw an unnaturally pale woman holding my blindfold. She must’ve taken it off.

She whispered something to the man.

He paused briefly before replying. Then she stepped back.

I tried moving my limbs.

*Chink chink.*

The sound of chains echoed. As the man shouted something urgently, pain surged again. Ignoring my reflexive contractions, I assessed my current state.

My arms and legs were severed at the upper joints and bound with chains leading upward to the ceiling. Like a butchered pig hanging upside down. Strange symbols cover my skin.

Most peculiar is my abdomen.

Ah, there’s a life form inside—but without light or warmth. Left alone, it’ll likely rot soon.

Doesn’t matter since my departure isn’t tied to this body’s survival.

Soon, the pain ceased.

My body slumped, and droplets of blood and fluids streamed from my face due to reflexive reactions.

Nothing else happened.

Was it because I spoke to the woman, who then relayed it to the man?

While lying limp, I noticed several identical-looking women approaching. Between them carried a man whose limbs were twisted grotesquely.

Around his neck hung an enormous necklace covering his entire throat.

Let’s call him the prisoner.

The person conducting experiments on me is the wizard, correct? When the wizard gave an order, the identical women brought the prisoner closer to me.

One of the women lifted the prisoner’s arm and made him touch me.

Seizing the opportunity, I recited the contract incantation.

The man didn’t respond. The wizard shouted loudly from behind.

“KRAAAH!”

The prisoner immediately clutched the necklace and screamed in agony. Ah, this must be similar to what they did to me.

Like receiving electric shocks, the prisoner convulsed violently before collapsing limply.

On the wizard’s command, one of the women slapped the prisoner awake. She then lifted his arm again and forced him to touch me.

The moment our skins connected, I recited the contract incantation.

The prisoner accepted.

His body began swelling, his skin turning ceramic-like before cracking off to reveal pure white flesh beneath. His distorted limbs reset perfectly.

Although his previously darkened skin became pale, his hair turned purple.

The newly restored prisoner wasted no time, striking the nearest woman with a punch.

With a *thud*, her skull caved in, splattering brain matter everywhere. Instant death.

Without hesitation, the prisoner spun around and charged toward the wizard.

But he didn’t get far.

The necklace around his neck glowed brightly before exploding. It reminded me of those bomb necklaces from faded memories.

Blood and chunks of flesh sprayed everywhere, and his severed head bounced off the ceiling before landing on the ground.

The harvester died. But this wasn’t the first harvester.

The women standing beside me with identical faces—they’ve already completed contracts. Meaning, they’re descendants or clones of past harvesters.

Putting that aside for now, I looked at the wizard and asked in this world’s language,

“I offer myself to you. In return, once you’ve finished your task, I will claim everything you possess. What do you say?”

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