Parallel Memory

I don't know what happened but my consciousness slowly faded away as I started to experience my life as The Emperor of Destruction, my other self from the world of Martial Art.

It was a life of a boy whose emotion was always in despair, only that much I could get from the memory.

Whether it was because the memory of my other self ( The Emperor of Destruction ) himself has not much memory except destruction, anger, and despair or because my skill is not working properly, the only thing I could feel was negative emotions.

He has already lost his mind, I concluded after seeing a little memory of him eradicating a town full of humans.

But he was also me, so I question myself,

( How can I be so cruel? )

He was technically not the same me but at the same time, he was also me. Was I capable of such destruction? Such cruelness?

I felt I was the one who did so when I experienced it but when I actually gained back my consciousness, I could not help but question whether it was truly me.

Maybe. If I had his strength. Even with the little memory that I had gotten, I could tell that he was several times stronger than me.

Since I don't get many memories from the Emperor of Destruction, I could not say why I had become like this.

Maybe, that is why I don't feel much anger and sadness after regaining my consciousness even after gaining his memory.

I don't feel much different than who I was before getting that memory. It might be because I don't know why he lost his mind because the memory was not complete.

But it was good because from little memory I can tell that his memory is full of sadness and loneliness. It might be because my other self doesn't want to remember anything, that is why the memories were all broken up.

Anyway, what happened to my body after I fainted. The last thing I remember is confronting two Rank-B Ice Bears.

( Don't tell me, I am dead!!! )

I thought as I started panicking.

Two Ice Bears must not have spared me even after finding out that I was unconscious. Rather they would have started chowing down on my flesh.

What bad timing for Parallel Memory to inherit memory when I was in the middle of a crisis. And most importantly, I inherited nothing except a broken or useless memory.

I don't know whether I will remember the full life of my other self or not. Though I would be happy to get the skill of my other-self.

There was nothing I could do even if I wanted the skill of my other-self. I could only wait for a day when I fully remember the life of my other-self.

( ARGH…)

I tried to move but then my body didn't obey me and I was greeted by an intense wave of pain. I could not even make a sound as my mouth would not move at all.

( At least, this confirms that I was not dead. I can still feel pain in my body. )

I was relieved to find that I was still alive.

But the pain was nothing to scoff at. The pain was similar to when I tried to first use Dual Art.

My body was weak at that time and could not handle the power of two different energies in my body.

Additionally, I had weak control over my Shadow and Ice energy. Using Dual Art has taken my body to its limit and the two energies fought with each other inside my body.

Muscles shattered and veins were on the verge of bursting. It was like a thousand needles directly poking my veins.

That same sensation was from my current body. I don't know what occurred when I fainted but one thing was for sure.

Nothing good had happened to my body.

My outer skin was also hurt as I could feel my skin burning. But rather than pain from the outside body parts, major pain came from inside the body.

I don't know the reason why I was this injured. It might have been the Ice Bears though I doubt they had kept me alive after injuring me.

Another was I had used a power that had exceeded what my current body can handle. However, I remember that even when I was fighting with White Foxes, I didn't use all my power.

However, something might have happened when I was inheriting that broken memory of the Emperor of Destruction.

The pain slowly went away bit by bit. Luckily, it seems like someone was helping me from outside. I could not tell because my ears were not working and it was difficult to even open my eyes.

I could only wait for my body to heal enough for me to see who was helping me. But since I was in the Gate if I correctly remember then there were only two possibilities.

One was obvious and more likely, that is Professor Mia had somehow found me and was helping me recover.

Another possibility was that the reinforcements from outside had arrived and found me. I didn't know how much time had passed, but there was a possibility of this happening. I might have been even transferred to hospital if they had conquered the Gate.

Those were the only two possibilities. Though, I could only wait to find out the real answer.

*****

"ARGH! Urgghhh…"

Waking up, I found myself in great pain.

Though compared to previous times when I first found out that I was injured, it was nothing. It seems that my body had recovered quite well and I could also control my body to a certain extent.

Opening my eyes slowly, I looked around the place that I was currently at. There was a fire in front of me and I could see that I was still inside the Gate.

Still, I could see no one around me. It was only me in this place for now.

( Whoever it was, they would come back. )

Currently, the one who helped me was not there. They might have gone somewhere for now but they should return shortly.

If not, some monster might kill me if they found me right now. I could not resist even if some Rank-E monster attacked me in my current state.

Though I could easily handle Rank-F monsters. If I release my mana aura, the Rank-OF monster would be afraid to even approach me.

Though I doubt I would encounter those monsters inside this Gate. I have only seen strong monsters from Rank-D + and above.

There were already many monsters in this Gate that could threaten my life even if I was at my peak condition, not to mention when I am this injured.

"Zero!"

Although my worries for nuts since someone called me. A voice that I was very familiar with.

"Professor Mia!"

I happily responded. In this dangerous Gate, the only one who could keep safe had finally been found. Of course, I was happy beyond words when I heard her voice.

Rather than being happy to find I was okay, Professor Mia had a complicated expression on her face. She even had many injuries on her beautiful face and other parts of her body.

I didn't know who she fought but looks like the Gate was really a scary one. Not many monsters are able to injure Professor Mia like this.

Professor Mia stood still and carefully examined me.

-GULP!

I don't know what happened but Professor Mia stared at me seriously, making me nervous.

"You remember me?"

Professor Mia asked in a serious tone.

"Huh?"

I didn't know how to respond to her question. Remember her? I didn't know whether she was joking or not.

I thought maybe she is asking me whether I remember her training because I was injured even after getting lessons from her.

Honestly, it is embarrassing to know that I was injured when I was found by Professor Mia.

I still don't know how I got injured but I got injured when she finally found me. I don't know whether to call it lucky or unlucky.

Lucky because I was saved when I was injured. Unlucky because if she found me faster, I might have avoided being injured.

"Why are you asking me? Do you think I won't remember you? "

Zero said jokingly. Who would forget the one who is known as the most beautiful woman? Every man who has seen her even once might remember her face for a lifetime.

However, Zero didn't know that he had forgotten about her albeit when he was unconscious and his other self overtook his body.

"..."

Professor Mia didn't answer him. She just stared at him.

Zero was getting more nervous from her silence.

( Did I do something when I was unconscious? )

From Professor Mia's strange actions and questions, Zero thought that maybe he might have done something to her.

"Did I do something?"

Zero asked nervously.

"Zero, can you answer me honestly?"

"YES!"

"Are you a Devil Contractor?"

"Huh?"