"I am the real Zhavrik Thalorein, the youngest of the Thaloreins… the Dragon Slayer blood inheritor."
Listening to the ghost's words, Max's mind went numb. He couldn't think about anything. He just stared at the figure, not knowing how to react.
"I know it's shocking and confusing. But hear me out. Even I don't know how I ended up in this situation. The last thing I remember was sleeping peacefully in my mansion after going through a rigorous training session with my father. Then, when I opened my eyes again, I was detached from my body, wandering around, trying to find it. And while doing that, I found you. As for how I can read your mind… I still have some connection to my body. Because of that, I can hear whatever you're thinking."
Listening to what the ghost—no, the real Zhavrik—said, Max couldn't help but roll his eyes. How can a soul just detach from its body without the owner feeling a thing? This definitely requires some high-rank magic, not something anyone can casually pull off.
Did those fanatics from the church do this? Or maybe people from the Devildom went after him? But why? Because of his bloodline? Are they trying to control the Thaloreins using Zhavrik? But if that's the case, how would they pull it off? They should know Zhavrik's father is a madman. Even without the bloodline, he stands at the pinnacle of humanity. He can easily sense changes in his son's body—especially something concerning his soul. Doing this kind of out-of-the-world soul-detaching magic will definitely leave traces behind. How are they planning to escape his notice?
Hmm… is that the reason they kept Zhavrik hidden for 10 years?
"Tsk. This is so messed up. Why am I entangled in all this?" Max cursed in his heart, continuing to ponder the situation.
Ghost Zhavrik looked at him and smiled faintly.
"Now that I've gone through your memories, I think I can understand some things. To begin with, I don't know exactly how my soul was removed from my body. But I do have some ideas. It might have been those people from the Temple of Curses. They visited our Dukedom a couple of months ago, claiming to cure some strange disease that was spreading. My father knew it was a ruse to spread their beliefs, so he kicked them out. But during their brief stay, they tried sneaking into our mansion. Later, they were slaughtered by our knights. Still… I'm not 100% sure if it was them. But I definitely don't believe they came just to cure a mild disease. I have a couple of other suspects, but for now, my guess is those weirdos from the Temple of Curses."
Listening to this, Max considered it possible. The Temple of Curses was shrouded in mystery. Their origin was unknown. They did not worship the angels, yet they still possessed divine energy. They had seemingly come out of nowhere and started spreading their teachings across many lands. Even the angels did not stop them, which made them even more mysterious. Now their influence rivaled that of the top divine cults in the world.
"As for my father," Zhavrik continued, "I think the same as you. The fact that I was kept hidden for almost 10 years must have something to do with him. My father is a strong man, very sensitive to changes. But I don't think that's the only reason. Seeing how I was portrayed in that book… I can say with 100% certainty—that person is not me. At least, not how I really behave. So there are two possibilities: first, someone was controlling me from the shadows. Second, the soul in that body wasn't mine at all. Maybe someone swapped my soul… or destroyed it."
Max thought about it carefully. Whatever Zhavrik said seemed possible. After all, his character was one of the most difficult to understand in the novel. The author himself had once clarified that Zhavrik's background was special—so special he could write an entire volume just about him. Nobody knew what had happened during those missing 10 years.
Those years had turned the once-loving, caring, and easygoing Zhavrik into a cunning, cocky, egomaniacal young master. Some readers even speculated that Zhavrik wasn't the real Zhavrik at all—that perhaps a ghost or a devil had possessed him. Others guessed that during those years he went through some kind of dark adventure that drove him insane. The author never confirmed anything, except once saying that after the main novel ended, he might write a side story focusing solely on Zhavrik.
Zhavrik's ghostly face grew brighter as he continued.
"And you don't have to worry about my father right now. I don't think he'll notice any changes in your body. You see… I had already awakened my bloodline when I was 8. During one training session with my dad, he beat me up so badly that I started crying. Because of that emotional upheaval, I awakened my bloodline. I don't remember much, but my father later told me I went crazy and started attacking him. He even showed me scars on his arms that he had deliberately left unhealed. He was so happy that day. He warned me not to tell anyone, but then he himself went and told the family elders. That night, we had a private banquet—only those with high authority in the family were informed."
Seeing the ghost's happy expression, Max couldn't hold back anymore.
"But what does this have to do with your father not noticing me? And what do you mean by your body? Aren't you the original owner of it? Won't you be taking it back?"
Max had asked the question that had been gnawing at his mind. He felt guilty seeing Zhavrik's boyish smile, filled with longing. Despite his constant cursing about the world, the novel, and whoever had dumped him here, Max was still curious. This was a magical world, filled with wonders. He had been an adventure-loving guy in his past life—how many people could ever get such a chance? Deep down, he wanted to explore and enjoy everything this world had to offer.
But then he looked at Zhavrik. This boy wasn't just a character in a novel anymore—he was real, right in front of him. Max realized that even if this world was once just fiction, he was now part of it. These characters were not words on paper anymore; they were people. If he didn't start treating them as such, he might eventually lose his sense of self.
Max wanted Zhavrik to live the life he deserved. From the book, he knew that Zhavrik didn't deserve the tragic end he was given. Max, on the other hand, was already dead. He wasn't tied to this world. So, at least for now, he was willing to step aside and let this boy have his life back—before Max grew too attached.
Max wasn't a saint, though. He knew that if he ended up loving this world too much, and Zhavrik came back later to reclaim his body, he would fight him to the death to keep it. But until that day came, he wanted to stay detached, to wash his hands of this world before it was too late.
Zhavrik, hearing his thoughts, gave him a sad smile.
"Well… the thing is… I don't have much time left in this world. At most, I can sustain myself for a couple of hours."