The Author's POV

"Gasp...Gasp...Gasp"

With bloodshot eyes, I continued going down the rope.

I don't know how long I had been down here, but I presume at least two days had passed since I started going down.

My hands which were riddled with blisters started bleeding all over the rope leaving behind a red trail during my descent. My muscles spasmed every minute making me almost lose grip of the rope on a couple of occasions.

It felt as if I had gone back to the past where I would monotonously be typing on the keyboard with no sense of purpose.

I just kept going and going and going, until my sense of time and reason left my body. Even the pain slowly subsided making it seem as if I was a robot.

Sadly like any other powered object, robots tend to run out of batteries. And that's precisely what happened to me.

My vision grew blurry and my hands slowly lost grip of the rope.

...

It seems like I have died again huh?

Oddly enough it didn't feel the same as my first death, where I only felt endless coldness and loneliness.

This time a warm sensation enveloped my body making me feel extremely comfortable. It felt as if I was back in my mother's womb under the constant nourishment and protection of my mother. It didn't feel bad.....

-Dong! -Dong! -Dong!

Suddenly I heard the loud sound of a bell tolling, causing my mind to spin and my eyes to shoot wide open.

"What just happened!"

Abruptly sitting up straight, I found my body drenched in sweat. Touching my body in a daze I noticed I was on top of a small bed with the bedsheets damp from my sweat. Looking at my hands I couldn't see any trace of the previous gruesome scene from when I was climbing down the rope.

Glancing around, I finally took notice of my surroundings. I was inside a small room with what seemed to be a Japanese tatami-style floor. The room was rather empty, and aside from a small tea table and a large ancient clock that constantly tolled in the corner of the room, there was no other furniture.

"You up kid?"

"Huh?"

Snapping my head to the right, where the voice was coming from, a middle-aged man sat next to the tea table preparing some tea. His carefree movements and his calm demeanor when preparing the tea, blended with the tranquil surroundings.

The aroma coming from the tea filled the entire room prompting me to momentarily relax. But not for long as I immediately jumped out of the bed and warily look at the stranger before me.

Jet black hair, deep black eyes, and a stern but yet kind-looking face.

"Relax kid, I'm not gonna do anything to you"

"Who are you?"

I warily asked without letting my guard down.

If not for the fact that I was sure that he was not there when I was previously checking the room, I wouldn't have been as wary as I was now.

A master

He was definitely a master beyond my level.

Only someone who was leagues above my level could suddenly appear out of thin air without me noticing.

Smacking his fist in his hand, as if he was reminded of something the stern-looking middle-aged man looked at me and spoke "Ah! that's right! I haven't introduced myself yet have I?" Lightly smiling, he extended his right hand towards my direction "A pleasure to meet you kid my name is Toshimoto Keiki"

Instantly my pupils dilated, and my mouth went slack.

"Bu-t but b-ut how? Aren't you already dead!"

My speech stuttered and my body trembled as I looked at the man before me in shock.

"Hey, kid don't be like that."

Laughing bitterly at my reaction, Grandmaster Keiki calmly put down the teapot and blew on the teacup in his hand.

"fuuu...Yes technically I could be considered to be dead but...someone intruded my home waking up the remnant soul I left behind when I passed away"

"R-remnant soul!"

a certain rank, they could learn an ancient Chinese technique known as [Soul division]. Its main purpose was to split a soul and attach it to an object, allowing a person to for a short moment of time interact with the initiator of the

and apart from inheriting the

the two and two together

"Cough...Sorry about that"

said "Hahahaha no worries no

"Ren"

"Scuse me?"

Grandmaster Keiki raised his eyebrow and looked

is Ren.

me, I still had not asked for

at each other and shook

"Please sit down"

next to the tea table, Grandmaster Keiki took

"Green or black?"

"ehmm...let's go with green"

poured hot water inside of the vessel to let the

watching the water slowly darkening, Grandmaster Keiki let out a sad sigh and a nostalgic looked

once young and foolish like you...back in my time, I lived in a country known as Japan. It was one of the most beautiful places in the world. It had tall and beautiful mountains, pink-dyed springs which were due to the sakura blossoming, wonderful food, and mesmerizing

immediately sat up

his past, which I already knew, I

have been a fictional character that I had created, that was then and this was

the man before me was Grandmaster Keiki, a legendary warrior

as he was reminiscing his past, Grandmaster Keiki let out a sad

instructor and although I did not earn much, I was happy. It was a simple but yet

people were killed and homes were lost. The world that we once knew started to crumble. Fortunately at the time when this was happening my wife and daughter were traveling on a plane with me outside of Japan, and thus we were relatively

teacup he was holding tightly, as his face burned with

second

he tried to

sharp horns emerged from the mysterious gates that appeared all over the world. At first, they didn't do anything, they just stood in the air and calmly observed us like some kind of mice inside of a lab. To this day I still remember their arrogant

his hands trembling, Grandmaster Keiki looked directly at

see the sadness and anguish hidden deep within his

soon as they

expression which was previously still stoic completely crumbled as more tears started streaming down

wife and daughter

father and husband let the tears stream down his face as he mourned

patiently waited for him to calm down. A slight tinge of pain hit my chest, as a part of me felt responsible

stood up and calmly walked

had to see

"No, I understand"

my head and

at each other eye to eye for a couple of

that my

shoji (Japanese style door) and walked outside the room as he gestured me to

"Follow me."

An inexplicably beautiful garden stood before me. I felt a sudden loss of

-Tak! -Tak! -Tak!

green plants vibrantly covered the surroundings of the garden and in the middle of it appeared a large transparent pond where koi fish of multiple different sizes freely swam in it. Birds freely roamed and chirped around the cloudless blue sky, and occasionally you would hear the repetitive yet relaxing sound

the more I

the pond, I could see different colored koi fish which ranged from red and white slightly peeking the surface of the water almost

middle of the pond stood a small island

again my breath was taken

was neatly composed and surrounded by gravel which was

"A zen garden."

"It's nice isn't it?"

comfortably near the zen garden, grandmaster Keiki waved his hand urging me to sit down next to

I replied as I sat down on the ground

enveloped us as we both calmly stared at the zen garden before us.

know I was really surprised when I

first to disrupt the silence was grandmaster Keiki, who with a smile plastered on his face continued

as I made sure to hide this place from the

even if they did find this place out of pure luck, I made sure they wouldn't be able to enter. I'm sure you

on his face Grandmaster Keiki glanced at me, which made me recall the traumatizing experience

still being haunted by the rope to this day!' I

"Yes I remember"

so easy to