[Do you feel that your life is worthless? Always failing, losing a lot of things, and losing the will to live? It's really sad! But don't worry, I can give you some opportunities to live like a strong person. I know you want it. Don't be afraid, just come to the Liveless building across from the abandoned apartment in the city park area. I'll be waiting for you!]
I sighed after reading this nonsensical text message. There were about 10 messages sent to my number since yesterday from a completely unknown number. I decided to call it, but only heard the operator say that the number was out of service.
Tonight was bright as usual for this dry season. The sky wasn't too dark, with a crescent moon hanging beautifully in the distant sky above, not to mention the presence of stars that would delight astronomers. Unfortunately, I wasn't interested in celestial objects.
Well, here I am on the roof of my friend's karaoke cafe, because he invited me to help him prepare an engagement event for his girlfriend, while at the same time making fun of me because out of all the invited guests, I was the only one without a partner.
But believe it or not, I didn't feel sad or anything; watching people pursue their life goals with enthusiasm made me happy, too.
"Joe? Are you still here?" A familiar female voice greeted me as she approached.
Katharina had been my friend since childhood; we had practically never been apart because we always happened to go to school together.
Tonight it seemed that Katharina's smile was more beautiful than the presence of stars. She was wearing a knee-length silk dress with long maroon lace sleeves and elegant heels in the same color.
Her face had light make-up on and her waist-length hair flowed freely down her back. She smiled at me as she showed me her ring finger, which was adorned with a sparkling sapphire ring, a sign of her engagement today.
"I'm getting married soon, you should start looking for a girlfriend too. You'll definitely be lonely when I get married," Katharina joked as she nudged me.
I looked at the night sky. "Don't worry, I won't be lonely. Maybe it's better if you start preparing for your new life after marriage," I said.
"I've talked to Calvin about it..." Katharina paused for a moment. "We are going to move abroad after the wedding. It's Calvin's job, as his wife I have to go wherever he goes."
I wasn't sure, but Katharina sounded hesitant. I wondered what it would be like for a woman who had become a wife; she would have to leave her home, her family, and start a new family for herself and Calvin.
I'm not good at cheering people up, so I spoke honestly. "Calvin is a good man. He helped you from college until you started working. He also gave me a job when I was out of work. You can definitely count on him. If not, just hit him."
Katharina chuckled. I met Calvin through Katharina 3 years ago, I usually don't pay attention to new people, but my instinct told me that Calvin was indeed a good man when he tried to approach me to help him get closer to Katharina, and also became the intermediary courier delivering food for Katharina during the approaching period.
"Is that so?"
I didn't feel that the question needed an answer because the answer was already clear, but Katharina looked me straight in the eye as if she was waiting for a definite answer for some unknown reason.
"Yes, that's it," I replied casually.
Whether it is or not, I couldn't help but think back to my first meeting with Katharina when we were both eight years old. I had just moved to a new apartment, and because I didn't like crowds, I always spent my days at home after school, until Katharina invited me to get to know her, and I was often forced to play cook with her and her other friends in their pretend cooking game when we were kids.
When I thought about it again, I couldn't remember exactly why I had become close to Katharina, even though I had already forgotten the names of the other friends. Even our backgrounds were very different.
Katharina was born into a wealthy family, and every school holiday she would always travel out of town or go on trips abroad. Since elementary school, Katharina has been popularly known as the 'Princess' thanks to her beautiful face and gracefulness, which are clear evidence of her noble upbringing.
However, she is the most humble person I have ever met; she socializes with everyone and is kind to everyone, including me who is completely different from her.
I only live with my mother who works as an office employee with a meager salary. My parents have divorced, and my mother often says that my father loves me and frequently asks about how I am doing, but I don't even remember what his face looks like or what his voice sounds like. Honestly, I don't care.
When I graduated from high school, my mother fell ill and it was up to me to take over her job. I didn't have time for college because of my busy schedule in collecting money for my mother's medical expenses; that's where Katharina helped me a lot. I always refused her help, but she insisted.
I thought I could take care of my mother alone with the money that I had saved up; besides, I didn't want anyone's pity. However, fate had other plans; after being sick for four years, my mother passed away. Once again it was Katharina who accompanied me and comforted me.
I felt indebted to Katharina for all her kindnesses towards me so far; therefore, I did everything in my power to repay her. She adamantly refused the money when I tried returning it after she paid for my mother's hospital bills; that's why all I could do was support her in achieving happiness.
When Calvin contacted me a week ago expressing his desire to marry Katharina, I was ecstatic. Calvin and Katharina are the perfect couple idolized by everyone, and on the other hand, I was happy because after they get married, I can finally be free of my debt of gratitude to Katharina. She would definitely be angry if I said this, so I kept it to myself.
"You're still the same as before. Can't you show a little bit of enthusiasm?" Katharina said while pouting her lips.
"I'm excited, you know. I'm happy." These words must have annoyed Katharina even more, because she immediately turned to me with a troubled expression.
"Have you ever tried to feel someone else's feelings other than your own?" she said quietly.
I was confused as to what I had said that had hurt her. I was really happy for her.
"I've been thinking about this for a long time, have you ever felt sad, happy or angry? You never tell me anything, let alone share your sadness with me. We've known each other for so long, and this time I want you to say that you're happy. Happy for yourself, not for me. Do you even have a purpose in life?"
It wasn't the first time Katharina was angry with me, but somehow her words echoed in my mind. Do I have a purpose in life?
Katharina wiped her eyes roughly; she wasn't crying, but sadness radiated from her brown irises. "Forget it. Before I get married, all I want is for you to find a girlfriend and attend my reception with her. Please don't make me regret this decision."
"Why would you regret it?" The question slipped out uncontrollably.
Katharina looked down, tears streaming down her face as she clenched her fists on both sides of her body. I wanted to call Calvin, but I held myself back because he might misunderstand the situation.
You made my future wife cry? I imagined patient Calvin saying as he whacked me with his coffee mug in his shop.
"You are so insensitive! Your indifference and apathy are unbearable!"
After saying that, Katharina ran downstairs. I ran after her, but she turned into the executive corridor, which surely contained rooms reserved for important people like Calvin, who received his guests there.
So, it was impossible for me to follow Katharina; besides being rude, chasing a crying, recently engaged woman would make me lose face. Worst of all, I might go viral on social media with the headline "Clueless Man vs. Famous Cafe Owner".
I decided to send a message to Katharina apologizing and asking her to meet me tomorrow morning while I sorted out this incident.
I was about to put my phone in my jacket pocket when a notification rang.
[I'm waiting for you. Come on, I'm bored].
The message from the number that had been harassing me since yesterday seemed relentless. If it was just a prank, I would have ignored it and blocked it. However, I felt uneasy and as if someone was watching me from somewhere.
I squinted into the distance, the darkness of the night greeted me at the end of the street. A new message came in again, this time definitely not from some idle prankster.
[Joe, I am worried about you. Come here if you want to make your life more meaningful. I guarantee you won't regret it].
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Chances to Another Life 3. First World
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Chances to Another Life 4. Forbidden Love
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Chances to Another Life 5. The King
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Chances to Another Life 6. Military Commander
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Chances to Another Life 8. I Took a Course with Princess
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Chances to Another Life 9. Who Knows Princess Loves Reading
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Latest Chapter
136. Lived the Life You Love
I gasped like a fish on land, truly, it felt like I would die on the spot as soon as I crossed paths with Solace. My knuckles were even colder, and my fingernails suddenly turned blue. Cold sweat poured down my back, and my chest was tight. This can't be a coincidence, there must be a purpose for Solace to appear like that, even though he never cared about me before. The grip on my shoulder reflexively made me jump. Leon was also surprised and released his hand on my shoulder with a worried expression. "Are you okay, Joe? You look sick all of a sudden," he said. I tried to neutralize my breathing and realized I was in an alert position, my hands clenched into fists as if ready to punch someone. Damn it, why is the effect of Solace's existence making me this anxious? "Oh, yeah, I'm just sleep-deprived," I boasted. Leon then gave me a bottle of mineral water and at that moment I realized that we had arrived at Mr. Jaden's residence, even the landlord had gotten off the carriage with
135. The Evidence
"From the report of the investigating team, it can be confirmed that there is no evidence whatsoever around the hut and the surrounding area. Even so, the charges will still be dropped because the defendant cannot defend his innocence."I immediately stood up with a fierce face surpassing Leon's lawyer who also showed an expression of shock. This old fart had really eaten bribe money! However, I then restrained myself after receiving a sharp glare from the judge. I wasn't afraid of him, but I kept my promise to Mr. Jaden who was now looking at me as if to imply to stay calm. Leon, on the other hand, just looked down and didn't answer any of the questions the magistrate threw at him, further corroborating the accusation. "That's not true, Your Honor Judge. Leon had a strong alibi at the time of the theft," argued the lawyer. Then, the head of the investigation team spoke up. "That still doesn't confirm anything. Who knows he may have destroyed evidence, because even Mr. Josse's res
134. The Investigation
By the authorities, the entire area from the cottage to the estate was heavily guarded by security guards in all black uniforms. No one was allowed in, except the investigation team who were carefully searching for evidence of the case. Mr. Jaden watched from his terrace with a hawk-like gaze. Mr. Josse and his henchmen had returned home after making a scene on the way here. This incident was more like a search of an accused smuggler or terrorist than a search for evidence of a missing diamond necklace. I let out a long sigh, remembering Leon who was still in temporary prison. He didn't deserve all this mistreatment. I kicked the scattered pebbles as I moved away from Mr. Jaden's employees who were whispering excitedly about this case. I was pessimistic about Leon's eventual fate at the hands of the judges who clearly favored Mr. Josse. I also didn't trust the authorities because they could have been bribed to fabricate evidence against Leon. I had to rely on my own two hands. I ce
133. Suddenly I'm in Court
"Your Honor, allow the witness to give his statement regarding this case and the accused." The man in the smart blue suit spoke with a very convincing and confident gesture. He gave me a quick glance as if to indicate that it was my turn to speak. The lawyer was directly appointed by Mr. Jaden to handle Leon's indictment case. That's right, last night I couldn't resist those rich men from searching my and Leon's cottage. As a result, all the contents of the cottage were taken out and left in ruins. I was worried that they would find my gold coin and accuse me of stealing it, but as it turned out... guess what? That gold coin wasn't anywhere! It seemed like Solace didn't include it because this was the last world before I returned to my original place. But, what right does he have to do that? I could have used that coin to bribe the judge so that this case would be over quickly and I wouldn't be looked down upon by those rich people sitting across from me. "Brother Joe, please give
132. The Wealthy Neighborhood
House—I mean, Mr. Josse's mansion was only two houses away from Mr. Jaden's residence. My guess must be correct that the countryside here is filled with wealthy landlords who own mansions and thousands of acres of land. If the countryside is like this, I wonder how life is in the city? Or are there narrow slum alleys like where I used to live. I parked the brown stallion pulling Mr. Josse's cart of ordered goods. I then ducked in front of his towering fence, trying to find the bell because there was no way I could just yell 'package'. Besides being rude, I'd only get a sore throat from it. Soon the gate was opened by two men dressed as servants. "Please take it directly to the back kitchen," one of them said. I pulled the horse's reins and entered the enormous courtyard, filled with well-decorated weeds, not to mention bonsai that I'm sure would be worth hundreds of dollars if sold. However, those bonsai seemed to be just yard ornaments that had no value here. I shook my head in a
131. I'm Close to the Trouble Makers
Fertilizing the fields turned out to be very tiring, I thought with my previous experience I would suddenly become turbo-charged, but it was the same with the scorching sunlight in the morning. I then put down the sack of stinky fertilizer, and endured the nausea while drinking soothing water. I'd been working since early morning, but this vast field seemed endless. Maybe it's because there are only two of us working, so it feels like it's taking forever. By the way, I'm a farm worker for a rich merchant with a gothic mansion-like house. It's quite a distance from the fields and the cottage, but it's clearly visible from here. I haven't met the owner either because it seems like the workers are scheduled to work at certain hours. I just followed along when my colleague said that the fields were ready to be fertilized. Now I'm just watching the man tirelessly working, since I came, he hasn't even sat down or had a drink of water. He was tall and strong looking, though. "Leon, take
130. Start A New Role
I'm now like a spirit floating through the air, passing through a line of soldiers to a small cemetery at the edge of a village in the middle of nowhere. Time in a vacuum is indeed different from time in the ordinary world, then it seems that I have passed through a lot of things because now Adam's body and the civilians who were hit by the bomb have been buried. I stare at the tombstone bearing my friend's name, along with a picture of him smiling slightly in his military uniform. He's exactly the Adam I saw last time, I've only known him for a short time but the sadness is overwhelming. The soldiers saluted and carried out the military funeral procession as a last respect with great solemnity. Next to Adam's grave, the graves of his other family members were lined up and I couldn't hold back the tears I had been holding back. They were good people, but why did they have to suffer such a tragic fate? I'm leaving this world, and Adam will never return to the military. He's now sett
129. Solace
Even though my vision wasn't completely clear, my body felt like it was moving on its own to beat up the Solace in front of me. I was sure I had exerted all my strength to give him the greatest punch of my lifetime, but all I felt was like punching a very hard wall. Solace was flat-footed, and the look in his eyes clearly showed that he was bored. I felt even more compelled to turn him into a punching bag. I punched again, several times, but to no avail, instead my knuckles turned red and cracked. "Crazy bastard." I cursed as I kept my distance from the creature. "How could you show up without a single guilty look? I know you're not human, but you're even worse than that."It hurt so much when I thought of Adam who had suddenly died at a young age, along with Celine who was alone, and Adellia with her destiny for the kingdom. "You seem to only want to make me a patient of the mental hospital after this. What help is that? It looks like I'm making their lives even more miserable!" I
128. I Wish I Could Run Away
I never took dreams seriously, but this time I really wanted to wake up and escape from everything that had happened. This memory was very vivid because of the pain I was still suffering all over my body after being bounced around by the bomb blast. Particles of dirt were wafting through the air so my vision was limited, but I could faintly hear screams and bodies clad in army uniforms in the distance. It would undoubtedly be fine if I got hit by a bomb, after all, I wouldn't be able to die. However, what bothered me the most was the sergeant's remark that Greenish had been destroyed. That was impossible. How could that be? According to the information I knew, Greenish and other food supply areas had very strict guards and not just anyone could enter there. I even had to go naked to be checked to make sure that I wasn't carrying anything suspicious when I visited the village with Adam. Then, at the same time, my eyes closed because it was so hard to maintain consciousness. I was