Let it be good for you

Prologue

People had been setting up entire tents just to wait for their turn. Everyone wanted to see with their own eyes what the mysterious beings who had arrived on Earth had to offer humanity.

They had introduced themselves as the Creators, and despite every warning issued by governments around the world, they offered people a chance to become someone else—someone they had always dreamed of becoming, if they had been given the choice themselves.

Strangely enough, all the Creators asked for in exchange—and their primary source of payment—were people’s memories.

The more memories a person sacrificed, the more power and abilities they would possess in the new world.

It did not take long for enthusiasts to treat the whole thing like some kind of dungeon-crawling game. They could descend into the new world, farm loot, and then sell it back in their own world for enormous sums as priceless artifacts.

Anyone could freely learn about the new world’s structure, its races, their customs, advantages, and disadvantages. People were already eagerly discussing which race and class they would choose for their avatars, happily arguing in advance over which one would turn out to be the strongest.

Some races were far more popular because of their physiology. Others attracted people because of their innate magic, while some stood out because of their technology.

Rich kids saw the whole thing as yet another source of entertainment—a way to indulge their fantasies with their parents’ money backing them up.

For others, it was simply exciting to be among the first to experience the new possibilities fate had placed before them.

And among this abundance of eager participants and seemingly endless possibilities stood a lone young man in a hood.

His gaze was fixed on nothing in particular, his hands buried in the pockets of his windbreaker. His thoughts jumped between his growing irritation at the endless line and memories, now reduced to something that could be traded.

What did he have to offer his new alien acquaintances? Would they even accept memories like his?

Unfulfilled expectations, endless failures, an unsuccessful career—in the overwhelming stream of such thoughts, it was difficult to find anything positive at all. And whatever small sparks of happiness there might have been were hopelessly swallowed by the darkness.

Only the arrival of his turn finally pulled him out of it.

His health problems had finished the job, piling one on top of another. Chronic conditions, minor ailments, all of them doing little more than making an already difficult life even harder.

The anticipation of finally getting the chance to start over was constantly overshadowed by one simple fact: he would have to pay an enormous price for it.

Every advertisement had repeated the same simple idea:

“The more memories you trade here, the more you will receive there.”

“Next… Ariana Stone, correct?”

The voice of the female alien calling the next participant reached Eric’s ears.

Sounds almost human, Eric thought as he discreetly looked over the unfamiliar being.

Her body was similar to that of an ordinary human, but her pale skin, otherworldly voice, and glowing lines branching across her entire body gave her an unmistakably alien appearance. The lines seemed to flow continuously, as though light itself were moving beneath her skin.

“We have received and processed your data. Please step over here for synchronization with your avatar. The procedure will take place in two stages: physical and mental. Given the minimal differences between you and your avatar, this should be quite simple for you.”

The girl stepped onto a pedestal resembling the teleportation platforms from science-fiction movies.

The friendly smile disappeared from her face. Her expression became emotionless.

Meanwhile, the Creatress performed the familiar synchronization between the creator and her avatar. The entire process lasted no more than a minute. When it was over, the girl’s previously dull expression returned to normal, accompanied by only a slight feeling of dizziness, and she was escorted somewhere farther inside.

The girl herself seemed to have already forgotten anything had happened. She was simply having fun with the whole experience.

More questions than answers… Eric noted to himself as he slowly moved forward in the line.

He watched as everyone ahead of him underwent the same procedure.

One person asked for a scar on his face, only for the synchronization machine to visualize the exact sensation of being stabbed, making him grimace.

With every step forward, Eric’s anxiety grew.

He had not expected to actually experience his character’s entire past firsthand.

And then his turn came.

The young man did not rush toward the pedestal, trying instead to imitate those who had gone before him. But his anxiety was beginning to overwhelm his reason—especially when he noticed concern in the eyes of the beautiful Creatress standing before him.

“I have to ask you one more time, Eric.”

The caring tone in her voice had disappeared.

“Are you truly certain you want to create… this… umm… avatar?”

“Yes. There will be no changes,” he said, taking a determined breath.

I just need to endure this for a minute. Then it’ll all be over. And this world will be over, too.

“But this may be extremely painful,” the Creatress continued anxiously, making sure her charge fully understood the risks. “And your memories… You do realize that this will literally mean mental death for the person in that world? You will be able to return from there once a month, if you wish.”

“I’ve read all the terms.”

He nodded firmly, though traces of regret remained on his face.

Inside, he was already saying goodbye to this world, mentally running through every memory he had ever made.

Perhaps this was what people meant when they said that life flashes before your eyes when someone is close to death.

“You’ve already seen my wish, my avatar… and my offer to give you everything.”

“Oh. Yes, then please step onto the pedestal.”

The Creatress gestured toward the magical apparatus.

“Give me a nod when you’re ready.”

Her voice was still filled with concern.

Has no one ever done this before me?

The puzzled thought flashed through Eric’s mind as quickly as it disappeared.

“No. As far as I know, you are the first member of your race to make such a decision. It will take considerable courage. That… is worthy of respect.”

Nothing in this hall could escape her notice—not even magic.

Eric swallowed nervously, stepped onto the platform, took a long breath, and closed his eyes.

May everything be well with you.

The very next second, Eric felt a sharp pain spread throughout his entire body. His face contorted, his breath catching in his throat.

Then another searing pain tore through his back and straight into his heart.

His head jerked backward, his eyes widening in shock.

Tears welled in his eyes as the feeling of inevitability took hold. There was no way to stop the process, and he could barely manage to breathe.

Another sharp pain struck his solar plexus, completely destroying any attempt to regain control of his breathing.

Then the final blow—a clawed paw—sent the exhausted young man crashing to the floor.

As if that were not enough, a horrifying sensation followed, as though he had been thrown into an enormous bonfire. His entire body felt as though it were burning and turning to ash.

Both the people waiting in line, who had been eagerly anticipating an exciting adventure, and the Creatress watched in horror. She stood with her hands anxiously clasped against her chest.

Eric had barely managed to get back on his feet when he suddenly clutched his head.

His avatar’s memories were flashing before him one after another, making the creator himself feel like a true sadist who had deliberately condemned his own creation to suffering.

The pain of betrayal.

The burden of decisions that had earned the character nothing but condemnation.

Loneliness and wandering.

The bitterness of losing those he loved.

All of it crashed into an ordinary man at once, layered on top of the pain wracking his body, forcing him to cry out in shock and horror.

Magical energy formed an aura around the young man, as though his body already possessed an enormous reserve of power in that other world.

Eric felt a rage unlike anything he had ever experienced in his own world.

His tears were now joined by another sensation—the feeling of saliva running from his mouth, driven by a thirst so intense that he could not even understand what his avatar was thirsting for.

And then, suddenly, it stopped.

Every physical and mental torment vanished in an instant.

There was nothing left but the crushing exhaustion of what he had endured.

Eric found enough strength to stand, wiping his mouth and forcing his way through his tear-reddened eyes.

This is horrible… Why did I do this?

“What the hell did he choose for himself?”

Whispers came from the other candidates around him.

“He’s completely insane. This won’t happen to us, will it?”

“Please, let’s proceed to the next room,” the Creatress said gently, trying to ease the tension in the hall.

Eric stumbled forward on legs weakened by the sudden loss of adrenaline.

Fortunately, there was something nearby he could lean on, and the door itself was only a few meters away.

“Why do you make them suffer like this?” the Creatress whispered as she closed the door behind him.

The room was narrow but extremely long.

Two more Creators stood before the exhausted young man.

Between them was the long-awaited capsule that promised every newcomer a new life in a new world.

They even helped him lie down inside.

“Why are you doing all this?” Eric asked weakly as the capsule began filling with gas, slowly carrying him into sleep.

“In time, you will understand.”

One of the aliens nodded as he answered.

That was all Eric managed to hear before he slipped into oblivion.

Chapter 1

The Wind in the Field

That evening, the capital’s tavern was unusually lively. Everyone who had come to this world to have a good time and make some money had returned from their week-long break. Anyone who cared about their reputation as an adventurer followed one important rule: three weeks here, one week at home.

For people like them, it was an important part of life. The longer you stayed here, the farther you could venture—and the more loot you could bring back.

And on the evening of the last day of their week off, most of them returned to their new place of work, ready to head out searching again the following morning.

At a table in the back sat three such adventurers. All three looked as if they had stepped straight out of a classic RPG party.

“It’s been a year and a half since all this started,” Amanda sighed. “And half a year since we started looking for him.”

She nervously shook her leg, making the wooden staff resting beside her sway like a pendulum.

“Yeah... and now I really don’t feel like giving up the three-to-one schedule just to come back here,” Alex stretched while waiting for Shawn to bring over the mugs of ale they had been craving. “So where the hell is he? You’d have better luck sending him to fetch death than booze.”

“You’re already forgetting why we’re here?” Max said quietly. “Amanda isn’t nervous for no reason.”

“If I’d been nervous for six months straight, I’d have hung myself already. Don’t forget, I’m the one constantly on the front line. I’ve got enough nerves of my own to deal with.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have chosen a swordsman. Especially one without a shield,” Shawn grinned as he approached the table with the mugs and set one down in front of each of them. “I told you we needed a balanced party, but you’re always rushing into battle.”

“That’s why you should sometimes read the rules of the game more carefully. Especially when you’re the one who knows absolutely nothing about games,” Max muttered.

He, of all people, had spent plenty of time playing RPGs with Eric.

“Because we didn’t come here to play games. We came here to find Eric,” Alex said more calmly, taking several sips of the intoxicating drink.

Then she exhaled and added with regret in her voice:

“Other than the information about the Spatial Guardians, we don’t have a single lead. He never even discussed his plans with anyone.”

“Yeah. And the Guardians are a level we might not be able to reach even with five lives. If the rumors are true, anyway.”

The tavern doors suddenly swung open, and two people entered, both wearing hooded cloaks.

Normally, in places like this, making yourself known could actually be important. Potential clients were more likely to notice you that way.

But hiding your face, radiating a magical aura, and walking with that kind of confidence...

People like that didn’t just show up for no reason.

“First-rank?” Amanda whispered.

“They’ve got no business being here. This is basically a beer hall for people like us.”

Everyone’s tone immediately became conspiratorial. People of that caliber never came here.

The mysterious pair had just given the entire tavern a new source of gossip.

And judging by the looks of things, those two probably hadn’t seen sunlight in a year and a half.

The pair had already lowered their hoods and were talking to the innkeeper.

With the new mystery came a brief wave of interest, but soon almost everyone in the tavern went back to their usual conversations.

The two newcomers chatted casually for a while, after which one of them handed a wrapped package to the innkeeper.

The innkeeper refused at first, but eventually took it, grumbling something with a smile about young people before shaking both strangers’ hands.

As soon as they turned around, everyone could finally see their faces.

And Max’s expression immediately changed.

“They’re not first-rank. They’re Guardians. Go after them!” Max snapped, jumping to his feet and rushing after the pair. “I think I know one of them.”

The others immediately followed, grabbing their equipment on the way.

“You sure?” Shawn asked.

“No. But... what if...”

Outside, the crescent moon was already rising. Twilight had finally given way to night.

A well-worn path stretched away from the tavern in both directions, so heavily traveled that even passing wagons could no longer leave much of a mark on it.

Nearby, a quiet river reflected the cloudless sky, filled with constellations.

The four burst outside and hurried after what they hoped would be their first real lead in months.

Fortunately, the two hadn’t gone far.

They even turned at the sound of footsteps and stared at the four strangers behind them.

The shadow of a tree partially obscured their faces.

“Wait! Sorry, but... you’re from the Spatial Guardians, right? You’re Rowdy, aren’t you?”

Max was looking at them as though they were his salvation.

The two men exchanged glances.

One casually shrugged.

The other took two steps forward, watching the strange little squad with interest.

“Well, that depends on who’s asking,” Rowdy replied dryly.

Even beneath the cloak, it was obvious that he was adjusting the strap of his weapon.

“Did he kill your brother?” the other man asked casually.

“No, we’re looking for our friend,” Shawn quickly cut in.

Even without knowing which of the two was which, he wanted to learn as much as possible. His words came out almost hurriedly.

“He’s about my height. Kind of quiet, a little clumsy, coughs sometimes, dark-blond hair, one crooked tooth...”

“Gray-blue eyes. His name is Eric,” Alex added.

She hesitated slightly before continuing.

“So Eric killed your brother?” the stranger asked again, barely holding back his laughter, feigning exaggerated surprise.

“We’re his... friends.”

The fire in their eyes only seemed to encourage the carefree young man.

He stepped forward with an exaggeratedly thoughtful expression.

His eyes were strikingly vivid, and when he smiled, small fangs became visible. They were almost human, just slightly larger.

“Well, he looks similar enough. But personality-wise? Not even close. And the name’s wrong too... almost.”

“Could you tell us about him? Please?” Alex continued pressing.

“Should I hand you his entire personnel file too, kids?”

The smile never left his face.

“You come running out of a watering hole... my favorite one, by the way... and immediately demand information from us. Didn’t they teach you to introduce yourselves first? Tell us about yourselves? Give us a reason to help? My name is Hwarang. Where are you from?”

With mild irritation, all four eventually introduced themselves and began telling him the story of their friend.

They had planned to enter this world together, but he had gone ahead separately, and no one had seen him since.

He never followed the three-to-one rule. In fact, he had never once returned home for his week of rest.

They couldn’t find him anywhere in this world, and their only lead was the rumor about the Spatial Guardians.

Rowdy looked at his partner.

Hwarang merely scratched the back of his head.

“Well, theoretically, we could arrange a meeting. But that would have to go through the leaders,” Hwarang answered thoughtfully.

“They won’t give a damn,” Rowdy cut in, then looked at Max. “And how do you know my name?”

“I’ve heard about you. You’re the sniper who’s never had a failed kill. After leaving the military, you joined the Guardians, and governments are so afraid of your guild that they didn’t even dare object when you...”

“Enough. You’ve convinced me.”

Without turning his head, Rowdy glanced at Hwarang.

“They know too much, Shat.”

“I also know that a lot of guilds recruit newcomers and train them to expand their ranks. We could expand yours, if... if someone we know is already among your members.”

“You can actually do anything?” Rowdy asked skeptically.

“You can find out for yourself.”

Alex’s hand was already resting on the hilt of the sword at her back.

“Are you completely out of your mind? They’re the Guardians, not rats in a dungeon,” Max reprimanded her.

“I like her!” Hwarang practically beamed.

“We’ll literally spend one second talking to our leaders.”

He looked impatiently at Rowdy.

“I’m not calling her again because of your damn requests, Shat. You started this, you call her.”

“Come on, it doesn’t interfere with our mission. We can have a little fun. Besides, we’ve never worked as couriers in pairs before.”

“Fine, fine. Just don’t start getting on my nerves...”

Rowdy took a couple of steps away before turning around one last time.

“I’m definitely going to shoot you someday... and your staff too.”

“And then Arsenal will smack you over the head—it’s her who has to repair my ‘folding staff’!”

Shat called after him.

Then he immediately turned toward the four, who were already preparing for battle.

“Don’t mind him. He’s always like this when he’s angry. Usually he just stays quiet, and then you can’t get a single word out of him. And somehow they still keep putting us together for certain missions.”

He shrugged.

“I’ve always said our personalities just don’t match...”

“Don’t let his talkative nature fool you. He could take all of us down with one finger if he felt like it,” Max whispered so only his teammates could hear.

“Come on, I’m not even that talkative yet. If we ever go to a tavern together, then you’ll see what talkative looks like.”

Hwarang said it despite the others’ surprise that he had actually heard Max.

By then, the sniper had already returned.

“They gave us permission, but on one condition: you have to land at least one hit. Otherwise, there’s no point wasting time on you.”

“Oh? Looks like this is your chance,” Shat said excitedly.

“Then how about all four of you against me, while this grumpy guy stands aside?”

Rowdy merely rolled his eyes and stepped away.

“As if I was going to...” he sighed, clearly unhappy with yet another one of his partner’s little adventures.

Meanwhile, Shat dropped his cloak.

He was dressed in an eastern style: a sleeveless vest, hakama-like trousers and sandals. A pair of folded nunchaku hung from his belt.

But the most noticeable feature was the monkey tail sticking out from beneath it.

“Then you should probably draw your weapons,” Amanda said, twirling her magical staff in one hand and gathering runes.

The runes dissolved into streams of magical energy, surrounding Alex and Max.

They were already drawing their blades, while Shawn nocked an arrow onto the string of the short combat bow mounted to his right forearm.

“Well, I told you this was your chance. Heh. And I don’t want to take that chance away from you. I actually like you guys.”

Hwarang grinned.

“Though, for now, you’re about as dangerous as animals in a zoo.”

“You’re laughing at us?”

Alex hissed through clenched teeth before charging straight at him.

Her bastard sword swept in from the side, aimed at the beastman’s neck.

Right beside his throat, Hwarang caught the blade between two fingers.

Max rushed in under a veil of shadows, striking from the blind spot, but his opponent caught him by the wrist and twisted his arm away before the blade could reach him.

“I almost feel sorry for you,” Shat said, never losing his smile.

Max meanwhile struck with his second dagger toward Hwarang’s waist, but the attack was intercepted by his tail, which wrapped around Max’s arm and held it in place.

Shawn was already behind their opponent, firing three arrows at once.

With an utterly carefree expression, Hwarang grabbed Alex and threw her straight into the path of those same arrows.

Fortunately for the group, the arrows bounced harmlessly off her shield.

Max finally managed to wrench himself free and attempted to kick, but his opponent caught him by the ankle with his freed hand.

All of this happened while Alex was still trying to catch her breath after the fall.

As if nothing had happened, Shat hurled every limb he had managed to grab in one direction, twisting Max’s body around with the motion.

Then, with a spin, he struck him in the back.

Max went flying, his scream tearing across the ground before he crashed into a tree.

His daggers had already been knocked away, while streams of healing magic from Amanda were already flying toward him.

“You guys locked yourselves in your own cages,” Shat said, catching Shawn’s explosive arrows out of the air.

They detonated, leaving Shat engulfed in a cloud of smoke.

Shawn barely had time to breathe before the beastman appeared behind him as if from nowhere.

“Man, this hurts to watch.”

With a double palm strike to the torso, Shawn was sent flying as well.

Alex rushed over to him, but her strikes cut through nothing but air.

The monkey dodged every attack with masterful precision, forcing the girl to burn through her stamina at an alarming rate.

“He’s too fast,” Max whispered, watching his movements.

Amanda was already beside him, sending beams of restoration toward Shawn.

“Not only can’t we keep up with him, he’s got stamina to spare.”

“I have an idea, but I’ll need three of your buffs.”

The girl looked at her partner with confusion, and even a hint of surprise.

Max leaned closer and whispered the rest directly into her ear, making sure their opponent couldn’t hear.

Meanwhile, Shawn was already circling his opponent, trying to distract him with arrows while Alex continued her assault.

The moment she began to run out of breath, Hwarang immediately sent her off to catch her breath with a knee strike to the solar plexus.

Her shield crumbled away, as if it had been completely useless against the beastman’s hand-to-hand attacks.

“Alex!”

Shawn immediately rushed over to help his friend recover.

He didn’t even notice the spinning kick coming straight for his face.

For the first time, Max managed to block Shat’s attack.

His eyes flashed, revealing the enhancements Amanda had placed on him.

That block immediately sparked Shat’s interest.

The two of them began exchanging blows, and with Amanda’s buffs enhancing his body, Max’s movements had finally reached Shat’s own speed.

Amanda continued throwing healing spells around, desperately trying to keep enough energy in Max’s enhancements.

Max successfully parried Hwarang’s strike with one hand, then ducked low and swept his leg out.

The moment his opponent jumped, Max suddenly began radiating a blue haze from his entire body.

It was his speed aura.

He had decided to squeeze every last bit of speed out of it in that single instant.

He spun once more to avoid the next strike, then drove his leg upward straight into Hwarang’s jaw.

There it was.

The hit they had been waiting for.

Even Max himself froze for a moment, stunned by the success of the attack.

But then Shat dissolved into thin air like a mirage.

The real one had already struck Max in the stomach with an open palm.

“Enough!” Rowdy shouted, meeting Shat’s disappointed gaze.

“But we’ve only just started! Don’t ruin the fun,” Hwarang protested.

“The guys did great! They were this close to landing a hit!”

There was nothing serious about Shat’s outrage. He was still treating the whole thing like entertainment.

“Exactly. They’ve already done everything they could,” Rowdy said firmly.

“The leaders’ actual requirement was that they give it everything they had against you. And technically, they did land a hit when you used your mirage technique.”

He paused.

“Or are you going to tell me that if you used it more often, they’d have stood a chance?”

By now, all four of them were completely exhausted.

Only Amanda was still struggling to keep them conscious, using both healing and stamina restoration.

“So we’re training them either way?” Shat asked. “And then they’ll join our ranks?”

“If they show sufficient potential and dedication,” Rowdy concluded.

Then he turned to the recruits.

“Get yourselves together. You’re coming with us.”