In the middle of the courtroom, Theo was tied with chains and on his knees, as he was watched by the leaders of the nations and his allied heroes, by how he kept silent through the entire trial it became a factor that decided his fate, little did they know that he was casted by Numbness and Paralyze a few hours prior to the trial.

“For your crimes against humanity, you shall be punished by being casted the [Chains of Despair] and your exile to the Axparixkus Dungeon.”

The judged sitting on his desk while hitting his gavel, shouted aloud inside the entire court room, 17 of the 19 heroes watched, as their comrade the Hero of Darkness, Theo Holland was sentenced, it was already the end of the trial.

_______________

What?... what is happening?... I lost Anja… I lost the men that entrusted theirs lives to me… they were killed by my own ‘comrades and allies’… it’s the same as earth! This isn’t a different world!

My thoughts had just recently returned and I was both unable to move or talk and my mind just recently came back to operation, I was shocked as I saw myself being trailed in a courtroom, tied up and heavily guarded, but as I heard the judge’s final decision, in my thoughts everything piled up prior to this day.

In my thoughts I yelled, anger, loathing, despair, everything, I felt it all again, it was the same as what I felt as I was surrounded by my own countrymen and ‘comrades’ now this time they made it more as if I was the only villain, a traitor!

Not only did I rely on my own skills and mercenaries, I endured 9 months of fighting without the [system’s skills], [stats], and that wretched [system] itself.

To think they’d used my previous background and past against me, I wasn’t the one that started the massacre! I didn’t betray them! Inside my mind was filled with anger and loathing, I was sure that it would eventually happen I just didn’t know when, now they got me when I lowered my guard down.

I looked at the gallery at the second story, from the right where nobles of the different kingdoms watched me, then at the left was the other 17 heroes they sat there high and mighty while watching, Simon, Hero of Justice and Truth, was the courtroom clerk that acted as the lie detector and the one that oversees this court, to see if everything goes smoothly.

I soon looked directly at the judge who was also looking directly at me, I could tell from his face that he was just acting strong, his face shows both fear and anxiety, as if even though I’m tied up they still think that I can cause an issue here.

The Axparixkus dungeon, the home and burial ground or tomb of the First demon king Axparixkus the great and his first Demonic Legion of hell, they have been buried there for the last 9000+ years with only 50 floors being identified and recorded, they don’t even know how many floors the dungeon has.

They’re going to throw me inside there whilst being under the effect of the [Chains of Despair] a magic spell that not only restricts the casted’s mobility and movement, but he is also unable to use his mana pool or storage, rendering self-defense useless.

With restricted movement and the inability to use magic, not like I can even use it to begin with, it will be just hell alone for me, I have to hide against the high-leveled monsters of the Axparixkus dungeon while being a low-leveled hero, that hasn’t even utilized his system or even materialize his weapons.

“Do we have any objections?!”

The Judge yelled for one last time, to which none of my 'allies', not even a single of my so-called “allied Heroes” came to my aid, but when they requested reinforcements, I always gave my men to their disposal.

“Then, Theo Holland, your punishment is to be immediately authorized! And be acted upon!”

He yelled before adding.

“Tomorrow, you will be escorted by Knight’s of the Royal guard and, or Heroes to both protect you from potential attackers and guard you from any potential escape.”

Exactly as the judge finished his announcement, a sudden voice from the gallery was heard throughout the entire courtroom.

“Judge, if you send him to his dungeon, he will eventually die am I right?”

By how the voice echoed It came from the left side, it was the other heroes, as I looked above, I saw a large and buff man wearing a red-colored heavy armor, I was unable to see his face, but by his physique and the way he dressed, it was no doubt.

“What do you mean, Sir Caz?”

Boryslav Caz, The hero of war and destruction, a greedy criminal in his past life, I heard he instigated a rebellion against a local lord a few months ago, he eventually took control of the said lord’s land.

It was just half a year, yet all the other heroes had already made a name for themselves, Simon, as I heard from gossips was nicknamed the [Inquisitor of the weak] and Aristotle, Hero of Wisdom and Knowledge was nicknamed [The Brains of Life], I could name all of them, their names had spread far and wide throughout this world.

Yet, I was the only that was unable to get such a heroic title, I did everything!... everything right…

“I mean, since he is going to die either way, why not let me kill him to help me get stronger… to be exact let’s not waist his title as a [Hero] since he still has his use.”

He requested to kill me to get the experience points I had been holding on to, it was true though, even though I didn’t have access to the system, I still had the experience points that ranked me as level 1, speaking of levels, they’ve already reached the level 30s, they’ve made such huge progress.

“I object with this, he may be a criminal, but why would his fellow heroes kill him? Caz, you were almost encircled and your army decimated yet who rescued you? Theo.”

Simon, Hero of Justice and Truth, retaliated against Caz’s request.

“I agree, though he has his ups and downs, he still did his duty both as a hero and a general.”

Bernard Martel, Hero of the Anvil and Blacksmith also objected.

“Are you that greedy Caz? You’re already at level 40 above and yet you’d want to kill somebody more low-leveled than you? a hero that kills the weak? Don’t you think?”

Klayton Raelis, Hero of Mischief also objected, I thought he was defending me yet It seemed he had another plan, afterall this man is a Manipulator.

The other heroes objected and countered Caz’s request, though it may seem like I was alone, they still protected me, but just that wasn’t enough, they didn’t know the truth and still believed that I did the massacre.

“I also Object! I may not be a Hero but the Hero of Darkness is an exemption to executions, we, the kings and nobles of this world have agreed to, instead of executing him, has agreed and permitted his exile to the Axparixkus Dungeon, a fitting death, don’t you assume?”

King Vestilio who was on the right side of the room also objected, at his sides were the other kings and rulers of the states and nations of this world, they all looked confident as ever, as if I’d accept a die like that.

Caz, unable to retaliate sat back down in humiliation and became silent, after that the court proceedings continued, I was sentenced, the guards of the kingdom escorted me to the Grand Sage’s tower, where I would be casted the [Chains of Despair].

Like I said earlier, I was about to be casted the [Chains of Despair] though I was unable to see it first hand, I heard a lot about it due to the mages and wizard’s conversations, it was an SS-class spell, that limits the movements of the casted’s body and his fatigue will increase making him prone to exhaustion and his mana pool is also diminished and weakened to the point of emptiness, if you cast even a weak spell, as long as your mana pool gets involved, a strong current of electricity will flow through your entire body, you will be injured and hurt, physically and mentally.

It appeared as if they are restraining a monster stronger than a demon general, for such a spell to be casted on me, though I was a Hero, nobody except one knew that I was unable to use the system, I acted professional and composed when fighting that it was unnoticeable to the normal eye.

I didn’t know if the system gave extra defensive attributes when it came to this type of situations, but I am just a normal human, not a hero, like I was even one to begin with.

They want me to suffer, my movements were limited and I was more prone to exhaustion which made running away a disadvantage, not to mention I can’t even cast simple and weak magic spells, like I even can in the first place.

I was unable to run away nor fight back in an appropriate way against a dungeon filled with the most high-level and high-tiered monsters, the entire dungeon itself houses Demon king Axparixkus’s personal guard, the Demonic Legion of Hell or what they said.

Not to mention, most of the monsters and demons that reside in that dungeon are so hard to kill since they are so high-leveled that even S-ranks adventurers or even some of the Heroes and unable to get past the 60^th floor level or so.

Well, I think an execution would be more fitting, why do I have to thrown in hell.

***

The Grand Sage of the Vestilio’s kingdom, Grand Sage's tower or might as well call it an estate.

Inside the stone and dull estate of the Grand Sage, I was sent into the basement of the estate where I was about to be casted the [chains of despair], the stone stairway was lit up with torches and I was escorted by both royal guards and mages.

I was still restrained using enchanted chains, that reduced my strength and agility, making escape impossible.

As we reached the deepest part of the stairs, we reached a wooden door, there was a small window that was on the door, by the lighting on the other side, it seemed like the Grand Sage was experimenting with something.

I heard from a few rumors, that a requirement for Grand Sages is that they needed to be classified as an SS-class Sage, basically equivalent to a level 1 or 5 Hero or a Demon Commander, but their magic and mana pool is equivalent to that of the Hero of Light and Life in their early levels, like level 10 or so.

Speaking of the Hero of Life, Addelyne actually became a Holy saint in the central theocratic states and held significant power in the center of the continent. Her healing magic exceeds those of the normal priests and her Area of Effect is large enough for an entire city.

In the middle of my thoughts I was pushed inside the room by the royal guards that escorted me, and there I saw a wide and massive room with a magic circle in the middle, it was comprised of 5 circles, the largest and widest being the first line and the smallest at the center or the last line, the magic circle was drawn using both black and violet blood with a few unidentified gemstones that were placed at the center circle.

“Ah, you’ve arrived, Hero of Darkness,”

He said in a raspy voice, from behind the grand sage looked like an enemy, he wore a grey cloak with the Vestilio’s and the State of Helia’s* emblem on it.

*¹The State of Helia is a Vassal of the Central Theocratic states.

“Don’t worry, this procedure will be quick and painless, though you will be rendered unconscious and you will feel numb for an entire day or so, but don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

He said before pointing his staff at the magic circle, signaling that the royal guards must immediately put me at the center, I was forcefully pushed on the circle and as soon as I passed the fifth and first circle, I felt like my body was being both stabbed in my inside and my insides being electrocuted and burnt, but that was just the fifth circle, who knew what the other four circles held in them.

In fear, for the first time in my life, I refused to continue any further, It felt like hell but the royal guards seemed unable to feel it, they forcefully pushed me on the fourth circle and I felt the pain of the fifth circle being multiplied, it was more powerful.

Mentally I felt like I was dying, but physically my body was still as strong as ever.

Is it a mental or phycological attack?

It was too much mental pressure for me, I felt myself weakening, I had a feeling that once I enter the last circle I might die before he can even cast the [Chains of Despair] on me.

Me and the guards had passed the third and second circle with the same exact result just multiplied and more powerful, I was unable to stand at that point, I was already reeking with my own sweat, from my head up to my torso it was like I bathe myself in my own sweat.

The guards seemed to notice my weakened state and went for a quick resolve, with a fast motion, they pushed my body on the fifth circle, to which my mind and thoughts suddenly gave up but then I heard something talk before losing my own consciousness, it was like a whisper and was also vague, I was unable to understand what it said or meant, but I knew someone or something talked to me during that time.

 

[... Death is always present...]