Karnak, Monarch of Death

The cultists dragged Lloyd out of the stone chamber, leading him up through a corridor and into higher levels. Despite his precarious situation, Lloyd decided to test the waters by throwing out some questions.

“What’s your goal here?”

“What have you done to Alford?”

“Do you really think you can get away with this after kidnapping a prince of the realm?”

His captors, so verbose just moments ago, maintained a stony silence now. They refused to answer a single question. He was led onward like livestock, and a strange thought crossed Lloyd’s mind. A wry smile crept onto his face.

This is oddly... comfortable.

It made no sense. He was bound tightly with ropes and being dragged along. It couldn’t have been comfortable. But for some reason, it really was. He felt no pain at all. His body felt light, and his movements felt effortless.

Now that I think about it, I felt this way the moment I woke up.

He had gone to sleep wrapped in soft bedding and dressed in comfortable nightclothes. When he awoke, he had been bound and lying on a cold stone floor. Yet he woke up feeling better than ever—light, refreshed, and full of energy.

So... this is what Alford’s body feels like to live in?

For the first time, he truly realized how pitiful his original body had been. His entire life had been spent trapped in a vessel that barely functioned. Eventually, they led him to the second floor of the mansion, where a group of men was waiting. Among them, Lloyd recognized a familiar face, and he frowned.

“Sir Sebastian.”