The temple, the altar, the lanterns, a realm of wild imagination, an endless starry sky, and a world drenched in blood.

Dilin felt his consciousness drifting in a void, suspended mid-air—unable to rise or fall.

*Argh!... Ow! Ow! Ow! This is killing me!* was his first coherent thought upon regaining awareness. *That pointy-eared Elf—no gentleness at all! Couldn’t she go easy on me?!*

Only then did he slowly process: *Am I dead?*

*...Definitely dead. Drained dry. Probably just skin and bones left.*

*Well, dead is dead. At least it wraps up my isekai adventure neatly.*

He never belonged here. No deep ties held him to this world. Leaving brought no regret—only relief.

In this alien place where he never fit, he’d long since given up.

He’d once wondered: if he died here, would he wake back in his original world?

Maybe this whole "other world" was just a pipe dream. Wake up, and everything resets.

Reality hammered him hard: dead is dead. No resurrection coins bought? Then lie still, damn it.

Fine. If he couldn’t return home... where would his soul go now?

...

*Something’s off.*

*Very off.*

After drifting in blank nothingness for who-knows-how-long, Dilin realized something critical.

*If I’m soul-shattered, what soul is left to wander?!*

His soul had been sacrificed. So why did he still have self-awareness?!

*Did it... work? No. This doesn’t feel like success.*

Confusion swallowed him. Instead of the silence of death, he faced this bizarre inverted suspension—making him even more uneasy.

*Did Bilodis lie? No. She’d gain nothing from lying about this.*

Before he could dwell further, a sudden drop jolted him. The rope holding him snapped. His bound consciousness tumbled out of the void.

*Plop!* He landed on an unknown emerald meadow. Verdant hues pooled at its edges like liquid jade.

Dilin sensed he had no physical form—only awareness. No touch. No smell. No voice.

This meadow echoed the Elf temple: mythical beasts roamed freely. Deep-purple unicorns with lightning coiled around their horns. Sky-whales gliding through clouds. Tiny fairies, glow-worm sized, flitting through trees.

None held his attention.

His gaze locked onto the breathtaking Elf maiden before him.

*What... is this?*

A golden-haired Elf stood inches away. Her eyes were shut tight. Chains of radiant golden arcane energy coiled around her like protective wards.

Her silvery-gold hair fluttered in the arcane currents, willow-like strands dancing above flawless, frost-kissed skin. Her face held no imperfection. Her noble golden hair and curvaceous figure embodied every human fantasy of Elves.

As if all beauty meant for maidens had gathered in this one being.

After the initial awe, Dilin noticed her face—eight-tenths identical to the Elven Empress Bilodis. Strip them bare, and even he couldn’t tell them apart.

Yet something felt deeply strange. Though she mirrored Bilodis, he *knew* this wasn’t her. As if...

He’d always known every inch of this Elf maiden’s body. Every detail.

*How? I’ve never seen either of them before...*

His eyes drifted downward—then snapped away.

*A-ahh... I didn’t even notice!*

*She’s completely unclothed...*

*And... wow. Seriously big. Plus...*

If Dilin had a body, his face would’ve burned as red as ripe watermelon flesh.

That accidental glance confirmed a textbook fact: pureblood male Elves lack beards. Similarly, pureblood Elf women are smooth as porcelain down there... *Ahem!*

*Just... one more peek to be sure?*

As he turned back, the Elf maiden’s eyes flew open.

Olive-green gems locked straight onto him.

*?!* Dilin jolted. Before embarrassment over being caught could rise, he saw her eyes held no life. No spark.

Like an empty shell. A body without a soul.

Their gazes met for a single heartbeat.

The next instant, color flooded her eyes. Life ignited within them.

But Dilin saw none of it. His vision shifted to where he’d originally floated.

Simultaneously, he found he could speak.

*"I...?"* But the voice wasn’t his. It was soft, melodic—a lark’s song.

Understanding crashed over him. He looked down.

Two unrestrained peaks blocked his view completely.

Darkness swallowed his consciousness just as realization struck:

The dead shell had awakened.

Because a brand-new soul now lived inside it.

*His* soul.