“Welcome, Host, to the Western Fantasy Continent of Bane Perella. This is also an ABO world.”
Keith was a police detective who tragically lost his life during a mission. The next moment, he found himself in another world. A mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
He silently thought, What is going on? Did I transmigrate?
The system responded, “You are my second host. To continue living in this body, you must complete the assigned mission. If you fail to do so within the given time, you will be expelled from this body and die.”
When Keith opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a luxurious living room. He was sprawled on a couch, completely drunk, reeking of alcohol. His head throbbed painfully. He frowned, feeling dizzy and groggy.
He pushed against the armrest, trying to get up, and noticed a young man with green hair leaning against his leg. The young man wore noble attire and had delicate, handsome features. A beauty mark sat just beneath his eye.
The green-haired young man was also completely drunk. He held a wine bottle and looked up at Keith with hazy eyes.
“Governor, what could be troubling you so much that you invited me out to drink?”
Who is this? Who am I? Where am I?
Then, a stream of information appeared in Keith’s mind.
Host’s Name: Keith
Same name as his own. What a coincidence.
Keith: Current Governor of the Lanchi Region. Twenty-four years old. Native of the region. Controls half of Lanchi’s military power. Proficient in handguns, rifles, and sniper rifles. Male Alpha. SSS rank. One of the continent’s most powerful snipers. Lost his left eye during the war with Bane Perella.
Seriously? He’s even missing an eye? And only half the military power?
Lanchi: A colony under the rule of Bane Perella. The other half of the military is controlled by Bane Perella’s army, specifically the Lanchi Inspector, who monitors Governor Keith’s every move. Lanchi’s soldiers are limited to musketeers and warriors. They have no mages.
What about the green-haired guy?
The system explained, He is a mage from another region who arrived in Lanchi claiming to be just passing through. His name is Ghis. He said he wanted to find a way to heal Keith’s lost eye. That is how the two met. His ABO classification is unknown.
What kind of useless intel is this? How can something so important be listed as “unknown”?
Keith was clearly annoyed. He had no idea what had happened to the previous host. He only knew that before disappearing, the guy had been drinking here.
Ghis, still lying near his feet, had already fallen asleep from drinking too much.
Keith shook his foggy head and took the bottle from Ghis’s hand. Half-carrying and half-dragging him, he made his way to the bedroom. He was also too drunk to walk straight. Once inside, he dropped Ghis onto the bed and collapsed beside him, nearly falling asleep himself.
He was curious. Why had the previous host chosen to get drunk like this?
The system replied, “The original host died at age nineteen during the war. The first host then arrived and was tasked with fulfilling the original’s final wish: to marry his childhood sweetheart, Long Shi, within five years and avenge the Lanchi family by killing the Queen.”
Keith asked, “And then?”
The system continued, “The first host failed. The five years passed, but Long Shi still had not accepted his feelings. When time ran out, the first host vanished. You are here to carry on that mission.”
“The previous host spent four years fighting alongside Bane Perella’s army across various nations. He earned many military honors and was eventually appointed Governor, gaining the Queen’s trust. He served for one year. But the mission was still incomplete when his time ran out, and he disappeared.”
Keith finally understood. The previous host must have truly loved Long Shi. When time ran out and the mission remained unfinished, he could only drown his sorrow in alcohol.
It had taken him four years of effort to reach the Governor’s position. He likely believed he was finally close enough to take revenge on the Queen, but he ran out of time.
As for whether or not to pursue this difficult love interest, Keith decided to first see what kind of person Long Shi really was.
“Show me what Long Shi looks like,” he said.
Before the system could respond, Keith passed out.
Keith had a dream. He saw the original owner of the body at the age of seventeen, during the time when he first fell in love with Long Shi.
(From this point forward, “Keith” refers to the original host)
It was a cold and bleak autumn night. The sky was a deep shade of navy blue. Among the dark clouds, a crescent moon hung faintly in the air.
Two tall teenagers stood at the bottom of a building. The place was completely dark with no candlelight. It looked abandoned.
“Keith, let’s go back,” said Long Shi, who walked behind him. He looked hesitant and finally stopped in his tracks.
“Why?” Keith turned around to look at him.
The boy in front of him wore the same military uniform as Keith. This was his childhood friend, the one he had liked for a long time. Tonight, he had planned to confess his feelings.
They were both seventeen and had only recently begun to develop their secondary genders, much later than most of their peers. Keith was an Alpha, and Long Shi was a Beta.
In this world, there was also a third gender called Omega. All three types could receive higher education, but Omegas typically had weaker physical strength and were better suited to become mages.
Alphas experienced periods of heightened desire known as heat cycles. But at Keith’s age, these could easily be managed with suppressants provided by trained alchemists, allowing him to focus on his military academy training without disruption. Suppressants only lost their effectiveness when Alphas or Omegas reached their twenties.
Keith and Long Shi were not only students at the same military academy, but they had also once lived under the same roof. Although it had not been for long, Keith had always felt a deep affection for him.
Ever since Long Shi moved out, their one-on-one time became limited. Long Shi’s family had served the Keith family for generations as loyal guardians. Even though they saw each other less often, their bond remained strong.
Getting accepted into the same military academy had made Keith extremely happy. He had decided to pursue Long Shi romantically.
The academy was divided into two major disciplines: close combat and firearms. Each was further split into offensive and support roles. No one had ever studied both paths. Choosing one meant giving up the other.
Moreover, support skills were limited in application. Firearm supports could only assist firearm attackers, and the same went for warriors.
Both Keith and Long Shi chose the offensive path. As a noble, Keith already had personal support staff assigned to him.
The academy had a strict rule against dating. But Keith did not care. He thought Long Shi was too reserved and cautious.
Long Shi looked uneasy. He was clearly nervous about sneaking into the armory in the middle of the night. Without a supervising instructor, students were not allowed inside.
“It’s not a good idea to come here this late. What if an instructor finds us?” Long Shi looked worried as he glanced at the locked front door. “Besides, the door is locked. We can’t even get in.”
“I heard the academy got a new Shaque rifle. It’s said to be enhanced by a mage. I just want to take a look at it. Maybe even try it out. Come with me.” Keith took a few steps forward and grabbed Long Shi’s arm.
“Are you crazy?” Long Shi’s eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at Keith and didn’t know how to respond. “If a shot goes off, not only will it bring the patrolling instructors, it could wake everyone in the dormitory.”
At the time, weapons enhanced by mages were extremely valuable and certainly not something students were allowed to touch.
“I was just joking. Look at how scared you are. You’re fun to tease.” Keith laughed out loud. Just as Long Shi started to relax, Keith pulled a silver key from his pocket. “See? Who said I don’t have the key?”
“You?!” Long Shi’s heart jumped again. His eyes were fixed on the silver key, completely stunned. “How did you get that?”
“Don’t worry about that. Let me show you something interesting.” Keith turned around and inserted the key into the lock. With a gentle push, the door opened.
The armory had two floors. The ground level was pitch dark. The two of them crept inside quietly, navigating by the faint moonlight that filtered through the window, just enough to make out the general outlines of the room.
The sneaking felt oddly like a robbery. Long Shi was extremely nervous, his heart pounding as he followed behind. There were instructors patrolling at night, and if they were caught, they would be in serious trouble. Watching Keith walk ahead so confidently, he couldn’t understand how he could be so fearless.
“What are you so worried about?” Keith suddenly pulled Long Shi close and shut the door firmly. Then, without warning, he wrapped his arms around him.
“What are you doing?” Long Shi whispered, startled. Keith had lunged at him so suddenly that he instinctively stepped back. Keith followed, pressing him against the door.
Keith didn’t say a word. He simply held Long Shi in a tight embrace, their chests pressed together. He could feel Long Shi’s heartbeat thudding rapidly against his own.
“Your heart is beating so fast.”
“It’s your fault for always scaring me. You’re such a menace,” Long Shi mumbled, but he didn’t push him away. He stayed still in Keith’s arms, then added softly, “Troublemaker.”
Long Shi could hear his own heartbeat clearly. He wasn’t stupid. He suspected Keith had feelings for him. But Keith was an outstanding Alpha, with soft golden curls, fair skin, and a face more handsome than most nobles. Even his voice was the most pleasant he had ever heard from any boy.
Long Shi didn’t think he was worthy. He was just a plain, scentless Beta, and Alphas from noble families typically chose Omegas. They could easily produce children with superior genes to inherit their family legacy. Even magical talent was said to be passed down genetically. A Beta like him getting entangled with an Alpha was completely irrational.
Keith laughed when he heard him call him a troublemaker.
Long Shi wasn’t conventionally attractive. His features were a bit rough, his skin a warm bronze, with short black hair and striking red eyes. But none of that mattered to Keith.
To Keith, Long Shi’s bronzed skin looked like smooth chocolate.
Long Shi also had the best physique in the entire academy. Keith had never seen another boy with a better body. Broad shoulders, a slim waist, and firm hips. Just the sight of his back could stir anyone’s imagination.
“Can I touch your waist?” Keith whispered teasingly. He let go with one hand and gently placed it on Long Shi’s waist, feeling the shape through the thin fabric. “So slim.”
“You… that tickles.” Long Shi was deeply flustered. Keith’s calloused hand, hardened from years of holding guns, moved slowly over his clothes, making him squirm. He couldn’t take it anymore and lightly slapped the hand away.
Keith didn’t back off. Instead, he pressed in even closer, holding Long Shi firmly against the door. One hand gently cupped the back of Long Shi’s neck. He touched the skin there, searching for something, but found nothing.
“What are you doing?” Long Shi asked, his face flushing with embarrassment. As a Beta, he had no gland, and being touched like this by an Alpha felt awkward. He tried to push Keith away.
But Keith stayed close. A playful thought suddenly came to him, and he released a faint trace of his pheromones, letting it surround Long Shi.
“Can you smell my pheromones?”
“I don’t think so.” Long Shi sniffed the air curiously. The room felt calm, and the only scent he could detect was Keith’s natural one. There was no trace of pheromones at all.
“I can’t smell anything,” Long Shi admitted quietly, feeling a pang of disappointment. He thought bitterly to himself that if only he were an Omega. “I heard everyone has a unique scent. What’s yours?”
“Gunpowder.”
“What?” Long Shi looked surprised. He had never heard of such a strange scent before. His mind began to fill with images of what it might feel like to be surrounded by the smell of gunpowder.
Would it be sharp and suffocating?
“Why don’t you come a little closer and take another whiff?” Keith leaned in, his lips brushing against Long Shi’s ear.
Long Shi froze.
Keith continued softly, “I want to tell you something…”
He was about to confess his feelings for Long Shi.
“Don’t whisper in my ear. It tickles. Didn’t you say you wanted to see the Shaque rifle? Let’s go.” Long Shi spoke quickly, his voice tense. He awkwardly pushed Keith away.
Was he really that sensitive? Keith curved his lips into a playful smile but said nothing. If he teased Long Shi further, he might get punched.
Though honestly, Long Shi would never actually hit him.
Long Shi walked ahead, his face still flushed. Keith always liked to tease him, but he rarely pushed him away. In fact, sometimes it seemed like Long Shi even enjoyed it. Blushing, he quickened his pace.
“Wait for me! Slow down. You might trip,” Keith called after him, hurrying to catch up. “Long Shi! Hey, Long Shi!”
Maybe he would confess next time.
“Long Shi…” Keith mumbled as he slowly woke up. The blinding sunlight made him squint. He blinked a few times and saw someone leaning over him, blocking the light.
Keith had sobered up, though a dull headache from the hangover still lingered.
The dream had been a memory from the original host’s school days. He was now already a graduate. The main character in this world was a firearms expert, and in his previous life, Keith had been a police detective. He was also very skilled with guns.
Come to think of it, it was almost like fate. He felt a little more at ease, knowing he wasn’t completely lost in this new world.
Still, he was an Alpha, and even after chasing a Beta for years, he hadn’t succeeded. That was kind of ridiculous.
Ghis tilted his head and looked at him with those beautiful fox-like eyes that gleamed like green gems. He leaned in closer, his fluffy green hair giving off a soft fragrance.
“Governor Keith, who is Long Shi? Why are you still dreaming about him?”
Ghis guessed that Long Shi must be someone important. His voice carried a hint of jealousy.
