"What I'm trying to say is that you came here way too early." The blonde man said. "You're nowhere near ready yet. You still have strong karmic ties binding you to that world."
"I...don't get it." Ashton groaned. "The butler said that same thing, but it's not like I wanted to come here in the first place. I don't even know where this is, I just woke up in this world, thinking that I'm still dreaming but to my surprise, I'm not. I really don't know what's going on."
The guy with the crimson hair snorted and sighed, he tapped the blonde man's shoulders and said:
"Stop running around in circles with the kid. Use the time wisely, we both know he can't stay here for too long, or else his body will be harmed."
Well, that was news to him. Add that to the list of things he didn't know about.
"Right." The blonde man nodded, he then faced Ashton and said: "Kid, there is a reason why you arrived here, be it on purpose or not. Right now, I can't tell you anything because I don't want to add another burden to the Karma that we share."
"Had you come here at the right time, we could've had a long talk. I would like to explain everything to you since I owe you that much. But since that's not the case, then the situation is different from what I imagine it would be."
Yep, nothing's making sense to Ashton right now. All he knows is that this deliberate mystification of his situation was pissing him off.
"Basically...you're in grave danger." The blonde suddenly spat out.
"Huh!?" Ashton let out a scandalized sound.
The crimson-haired guy snorted and said: "Way to go, dumbass. You've been alive for pretty much millions of years yet you still don't know how to deliver a speech properly. Unbelievable."
"Shut the fuck up!" The blonde man glared at him before returning his attention to Ashton. "I told you there's a reason why you arrived here despite you not being ready yet, right? Well, that's the reason, you're in grave danger. And by extension, the people you care about are also in grave danger."
"That...doesn't make any sense. I'm fine! Not just me but my people as well. What kind of danger are you talking about?"
"The grave kind?" The blonde answered and the guy beside him snorted again due to his stupidity. Ashton on the other hand, felt like this man was just messing with him.
"Okay, let me try this again." The blonde guy adjusted his position and suddenly looked as if he just got a bright idea.
"You're um...ah, what do you call it again? Um...System? Yeah, System! The one that rewards you with things out of nothing in exchange for doing certain tasks and shit?"
"..." Ashton's eyes constricted.
"I'm the one who gave you that." The blonde man revealed. "I was also the one responsible for your transmigration to the world that you're living in right now."
And Ashton felt the world spinning violently around him.
'Holy shit!' He exclaimed inwardly. He absolutely cannot believe that this is happening, yet he also couldn't deny this reality either.
For the longest time, he wondered just who was responsible for the System's existence.
He absolutely did not believe that this just occurred out of nowhere and he just happened to be at the right place at the right time, like what happened with MCs of the novels he read in the previous world.
Ashton was convinced that there was a deeper explanation for what happened to him because it was all too coincidental if he were to be completely honest.
Yet even after receiving the answer, he still found himself shocked to his core.
This man before him, this very powerful yet also stupid-looking man right here, was the one who was responsible for giving him a second chance in a new world.
Honestly, Ashton doesn't know what to feel about this.
"That much, I can reveal at least. If you want to know more, you'll have it once the time is right. But I digress...let's return to the main problem."
"Basically, using your jargon, I've installed an 'Emergency Panic Button' on your System in case it senses a problem that the current you cannot solve. That button was triggered and that's why you ended up here. Does that finally make sense to you?"
"...yes." Ashton answered.
"Good. Now, the world I put you in had some problems in it. Yes, I'm aware of it and there's a good reason. Sadly, I can't reveal my intentions to you just yet because that will deepen the Karma that we share, and trust me, you are nowhere near ready to handle that."
"And yes, you can argue that I could've just solved the problem for you and allowed you to live a peaceful life, but honestly that won't work."
Ashton was about to subconsciously ask why when the crimson-haired man suddenly chimed in.
"We're too strong for your world, Kid." He says, "Even the faintest sliver of our aura could possibly destroy the world that you live in. In fact, we can't even look at it directly since that would put it in danger too. The only way this doofus can observe your world is through your eyes."
"He also can't interfere much because of Karma. If he got you tainted with his, that's enough to kill you. And that's not something we want to happen."
Ashton nodded faintly. Somehow, everything's making sense for him now.
"Be more aggressive, Kid." The blonde man suddenly said. "That's the only advice I could give you to help with your situation."
"Don't get me wrong, you're doing great. But it's not enough. You already realized it haven't you? Your enemies had a far richer history compared to you."
"Your progress is fast, but it's nowhere near fast enough to even out the deficiencies between you and your enemies. You need to be more proactive in your moves. Plan out for every single variable so that there will be no surprises for you and keep on moving forward."
"Don't be afraid of leaving people behind, it's not your responsibility to make them catch up with you. If they want to, then they will. That's out of your jurisdiction. All you need to do is to continue doing what you do with an even fiercer stride. That's how you'll ensure the safety and prosperity of those you care about."
"Trust me, I would know...because that's how that 'man' raised us, allowing us to reach this point in our lives." The blonde said, almost whispering the last part.
"Yep. That 'man' was one hell of a schemer." The crimson-haired guy chimed in again.
Ashton internalized their words.
So basically, the System brought him here to ask for help. He didn't know that something like this was possible but here he was. This blonde man in front of him was like his Patron or something because he was the one responsible for his transmigration and was also the one who gifted him the System.
This man then tells him that he's in grave danger because the System sensed something he couldn't, do and brought him here to receive some help.
And what he got was the advice that he needed to be more aggressive in his advances. Not to put too much attention on allowing the people around him to adjust because if they want to, they'll be able to do so without his help.
"I'm also giving you this..." the blonde man handed him a crystal which flew towards him and disappeared on his chest. "That crystal contains some goodies. You can open it once you return to your body. Hey you, give my kid something too."
The crimson-haired man rolled his eyes and took out a piece of paper which he flicked towards Ashton, similarly, this also disappeared on his chest.
"That paper contains a method on how you can properly refine the blood and spirits trapped on your Scythe. You'll receive it when you wake up."
"Oh, you're starting to fade. It seems that you're about to return." The blonde pointed out.
And indeed, when Ashton looked at his hands, he almost didn't see them because he was starting to fade away.
"Do you have any questions for me before you leave?" The blonde man asked.
"What's your name?"
The blonde man chuckled and said: "Refer to me as Beast God for now, and my buddy right here is the Death God."
The Death God groaned in discomfort upon hearing that.
"We can't reveal our true names to you because that will endanger you. Don't worry, you'll know us more when the time comes. Also, don't be afraid, you're a strong kid. Move forward and stay true to yourself. I'll be expecting great things from you."
Those were the last words Ashton heard before he felt a pull that took him away.
The two watch him fade and were silent for a bit. Then, the Death God said:
"You know, this 'Outsourcing' thing that you do? It's not a bad idea."
"I know right?" The Beast God said before resting his back on his chair.
