Caleb groaned as he regained awareness. It felt like he had been hit by a truck. After a few moments to gather his wits, he gasped as he sat up. His head spun from the sudden movement, but it wasn't enough to stop him from checking his surroundings. The familiar walls of his bedroom greeted him. He nearly teared up at the sight as his hands ran through the sheets.In a daze, he sat up to touch the walls. It felt real. A part of him wondered if this was just a dream or an illusion, and he would wake back up among the demons. Looking around the room, it really set in that he was home. After years in the other world, he had finally made it back home. Falling back on his bed, he tried to process the emotions he was feeling.There was happiness, relief, and exhaustion among them, but they were the ones that he felt the most. Caleb was happy that he was home and relieved that he wouldn't have to go through any more danger. He also felt like he had lived several lifetimes and needed a break
As Caleb's mind raced for a solution, he knew he was running out of time. If he didn't come out soon, it would be suspicious. Then his family would wonder why he hadn't listened the first time and come to investigate. Of course, they wouldn't be doing it because they were worried about it. They would only check to make sure it wouldn't cause them any grief.Looking around for what he could use, he froze when his eyes spotted a pair of earmuffs. It was an ugly thing and had been given to him as a joke, but it would definitely be his lifesaver. The earmuffs had animal ears on them, so he could hide his rat ears. Quickly picking them off the table, he settled them on his head. Since he didn't have a mirror, he couldn't be sure he put them on right.Caleb fiddled with it until he felt confident going out with them. However, to be safe, he was going to head for the bathroom to check himself in the mirror. Hopefully, no one would stop him on the way to the bathroom. Steeling himself, he ope
Fortunately, nothing outrageous happened. Caleb didn't suddenly have to deal with police or scientists banging on his door. His relatives continued to treat him more or less the same. It was almost like he had never left. In fact, he almost believed that it was just a figment of his imagination if it weren't for his current looks. So far, he has had no luck contacting the system.Caleb scowled as he glared at his laptop. He was trying to work on his only lead since the system refused to respond to him. Since the other world was based on a game he played, he suspected that the developers had a connection to that place. If he could somehow find a way to speak with them, then he could solve his current body issue.Unfortunately, they were unresponsive. All his attempts to contact them ended in failure. Granted, he should have probably done a better job phrasing it the first time he tried to get in contact with them. He probably came off as crazy based on what he first sent. No, it wasn't
"I'm so glad we got to meet like this. I really have a good feeling about you," the man said as he nodded his head frantically.Caleb smiled stiffly as he said, "Me too."The man proceeded to talk more about the game, but Caleb couldn't focus on the words. Something felt off. He couldn't put his finger on it. It was on the tip of his tongue. However, it felt like a haze was clouding his mind. How did he get here? He remembered seeing the name of the meeting place and leaving the house to meet one of the developers.There was nothing unusual about that. The problem was that he couldn't recall anything else. He couldn't remember how he got there or what they had been talking about. The former could have been excused as he was moving automatically. Since the chosen location was a place he was familiar with, he could have easily traveled the same way he normally did and not think about it.The latter could also be excused as him being worried about his current situation. He didn't really
"You're joking," Caleb blurted out. "What's going to happen to me while that happens? Is my body even here?"It would explain why he didn't look like his original self. However, it mentioned that this was some kind of limbo. Wasn't limbo the place between life and death? There was no way he would be able to survive years in this place in one piece. Also, it never mentioned if time moved differently between here and the other two worlds. What if time moved quickly?Wouldn't that mean that by the time he returned home, his relatives would have already passed away, leaving him all alone? He would be homeless and stuck without any way to live. It wasn't like he could go around saying he was Caleb. His age wouldn't match, and people would think he's someone crazy. No, he absolutely couldn't accept the system's suggestions."There has to be a third option," he said as he slammed a hand on the table."There is no third option. We've clearly stated that there are only two choices," it said.C
Caleb frowned as he glared at his desk. It had been days since his confrontation with the system, and he still hadn't been able to come to a conclusion. Both choices were just so final. He feared that if he picked one, he would regret not choosing the other option. If only there was someone he could talk to about his choices, then maybe he could come to a decision.Unfortunately, there was no one he could turn to. Everything here was just a fake move, based only on his memories. No, even if it wasn't fake, he wouldn't be able to talk to anyone about his problem. His relatives would certainly be of no help. They would just put him through more stress if he tried asking them. He had no friends to speak of, so he would have been on his own.He sighed as he rested his head on the table. If those demons and Grace were here, they might have been able to help him out. As soon as he thought of them, he chuckled. Why was he thinking about them at all times? He guessed they were the closest he
Caleb took a step back. This was bad. He was in no position to protect himself. He didn't have any of his skills or the system with him. He was effectively defenseless against Lisa. If she decided to kill him, there was nothing he could do to stop her. Any attempts to protect himself would be laughable. However, he wasn't going to let it happen without a fight.Lisa lowered her hands as she said, "Lucky for you, I'm not going to do that."Highly suspicious of her, he asked, "Why?""Why what? Why am I not going to kill you to become the demon king?" she asked. "Obviously, it's because I'm not sure it counts if I kill you here. I don't know what this place is, but it's obviously not our world."That was actually a valid point. It was possible that she wouldn't be able to become the next demon king because she killed him in a place far from her world. The safest bet would be for her to bring him back with her. That just gave him more incentive to stay away from her so she wouldn't kidnap
Once Caleb stopped screaming, he immediately called out, "System."There was no response. Wasn't the system waiting to hear back from him? So why wasn't it responding to him now? If it didn't do something, he was going to fall to his death. Actually, was it possible for him to die? This place was just a temporary waiting spot for him until he chose to go back to the other world or was able to go home. If he could die, then it would defeat the purpose of this place.Well, he wasn't willing to try and see what happened when he hit the ground from such a height. Frantically calling for the system while flapping his hands in an awkward attempt to slow his fall, he could only watch as the ground grew closer and closer. Seeing that the system was no help, he turned to the only other being that could help him."Lisa, wake up," he snapped as he turned his attention to her.Unfortunately, she was unconscious and unresponsive. Reaching out to her, he grimaced when he was unable to get to her. S