“Ow, ow, ow...”

His whole body hurt like hell...

He finally managed to get up off the ground, only to hear his bones crackle. How long had he been unconscious this time...?

Where was Hortons?

He looked around. He was still in the same place, and everything seemed just as it had before he passed out. He felt over his body, then pulled open his pants to check. At least, nothing seemed to have changed. He let out a small sigh of relief. What had happened earlier had really scared Li, but from the looks of things, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong now.

At least his body hadn’t shrunk any further, and the pain was steadily fading. Another sensation slowly welled up in its place. Suddenly, he felt as though he’d been reborn—as if he’d shed his old skin. His body had never felt so fresh and light before. It was even more noticeable than when he’d just climbed out of the pool.

He clenched his fist. It really was a feeling he’d never experienced before.

What in the world was going on?

“Hm?”

On his hand...

Li turned his hand over. On the back of it was a white crow tattoo. Was this the mark Hortons had mentioned?

Hortons Crow...

That was what Hortons had called himself back then. Crow?

Crows weren’t unheard of on the Yalatika Continent. But in this world, they symbolized victory more than death. And there was something about this crow that felt different. Li studied the crow on the back of his hand closely.

“Hm?”

When he channeled Pal into the tattoo on his hand, it disappeared.

“Looks like it’s nothing special. Just a mark, then. But...”

A lot of new things had appeared in his mind—memories he’d never had before. They came as strings of text, recipes for various potions and the like. Hortons really had given him all his knowledge. This wasn’t knowledge from the books around them. It must have been things Hortons had thought of after his death, so this was the only way he could pass them on.

The books around him were still floating. Li got to his feet, walked over, and casually grabbed one.

“Come to think of it...”

Li suddenly remembered that Hortons had said the bones held his final gift to him, and that his treasure was hidden somewhere among them...

He turned around. The bones still lay there in silence. Since they were the remains of a bird, Li didn’t feel any fear looking at them. He walked straight over.

The bones were enormous. They’d been hidden behind the plants, which was why Li hadn’t seen them when he first arrived. Come to think of it, had Hortons disappeared completely? Back then, he’d used his soul power on Li. That white tadpole was what he’d become after using too much of his soul power.

So, was he gone for good now?

Looking around this place, it felt like he’d just woken from a very long dream.

“Ah! You old bastard! You never told me how to get my body back!”

The thought hit him all at once, and Li realized it—Hortons still hadn’t told him how to get his body back!

But... maybe it wasn’t that important anymore. He’d only gone back to looking seventeen. Still...

He’d worked so hard to grow into the handsome guy he’d always wanted to be... So what was this supposed to be now?

He crouched down and tidied up the bones a little.

“This is...”

Beneath the bones was a stone box.

Was this the final treasure Hortons had left for him?

【Hm... What a strange person.】

“Huh!?”

That familiar, emotionless mechanical voice rang out once again.