63. K: Eternal Yearning’s Cruelty

I felt weakness spreading through my muscles, numbness clouding my mind, and... I also felt corrupted suffocation tightening its hold on my heart. Nevertheless, even with all of that, I couldn’t move... Instead, all I could do was...

To stand there, and with widely opened eyes stare... Stare at that vortex of corrupted curse, at that storm of black lightning, and also... at that thing’s crimson eyes glowing with despair amidst that whole scene... And like that... I... I j-just stood... and stared forward...

Even as the purple flesh tore itself apart and stretched, I just stared... Even, as the gray bones twisted and broke freely peeking at the world outside, I just stared... and then stared more... as that thing’s form... as that thing’s torment... and as Oblivion’s cruelty... presented itself whole.

And so... I just stood there and stared... even when veins burst and when black blood flowed in reverse... when faces filled with grief broke out of its back and arms seeking hope exploded out of its face... and even... when those dozens of hollow eyes with unknown emotions stared back at me and when tens of mouths with unclear words spoke to me, I just stared...

But was it a year? Maybe two?... Was it a decade or a century?... Maybe millennia? Or even an eon? I... I c-couldn’t tell... After all, what I just witnessed was an Eternity... in a moment of me standing there and staring, what I witnessed was a whole Eternity of torment, suffering, and... grief...

Nevertheless, that thing’s grief aside... my pity aside... and even Oblivion’s cruelty aside, this is not time for such hypocrisy, nor is it my place for such arrogance... as such, I ... I took a step forward.

-lv9-

Discarding all thoughts unnecessary and hiding all feelings shallow, I took a step forward, dryly gulped air, and then... I tightly held my sword and raised it above, planning to end not that thing’s grief or oblivion’s cruelty, but... to end my own fears. Truly, a delusional and idiotic person I was, and so... With a sword tightly held, I took another step forward, mustering that very limited strands of power I still could, when...

Ba-Thump.

When suddenly along with the sound of a beating heart, that vortex of black instantly subsided, only to then...

-lv8-

BOOOM.

Only to then explode and shack the world around it, as I then with the feeling of a sudden impact...

“!!!… Gha!!?”

... fell into the darkness and lost consciousness.

......

.........

Vrrr.

It’s annoying...

Vvrrrrrrrr.

When someone calls you in the middle of the night, it’s truly annoying... and depending on your ringtone, it can become even more annoying...

Vvvrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Especially if you were a light sleeper, it becomes super annoying, but... Even so, I can’t just turn my phone off... and that in case something truly urgent happened, as such... The only remaining solution I could come up with was...

“VIBRATION MOD-.... !! Ugh?”

Widely opening my eyes and screaming, I am suddenly awake, but then just as I jumped trying to stand up, instantly a sudden feeling of pain brought me back down to...

“The floor?”

Weakly muttering that word and looking at my surrounding, I-... Ugh, I suppress the excruciating pain I am feeling and then slowly pull myself toward a couch next to me, as I then slowly sit down and carefully feel it. My broken left leg, my burning back with something stabbing in it, and that tightly held sword in my right hand, trembling nonstop as if... Comforting and supporting me... Nevertheless, without a chance to either scream of pain or bask in that comfort, I quickly lowered my head and covered my ears, as they once again reverberated...

“AaAaAaaH....” “GEEEEAH...” “WuuuuuH...”

Those unclear sounds and meaningless shrieks rising from the bottom of hell, and also...

Ba-Thump.

... That horrifying echo of a beating heart ringing directly in my head. But...

“D-damn it... as if p-pain is not enough, my w-whole body is shuddering...”

Barely spitting those words out while tightly hugging my body, I close my eyes, and in an attempt to escape everything, inhale the dusty air... following that, I focus on the cold sensation of my sword and this time too with the same intent, I exhale air... And so for a few moments, all I did was close my eyes and breath while only focusing on that purple comforting light, until...

“Haaa... Fuuu... Now, I feel bett-...”

-Conditions have been met.

Extra Skill: Clear Mind has been acquired.-

-Conditions have been met.

Skill: Curse Tolerance Lv1 has become Lv2.-

“... Ha? Did I just acquire a skill?”

Feeling surprised and saying so, I check my status, and seriously... I really acquired a skill... Ah, but speaking of it now, I am sure I forgot something, hmm... Ah, right... Before I lost consciousness, there was something that I was notified of... and if I recalled correctly, it was called...

“ A Hidden Piece?”

Tilting my head to the side and questioning that name, I move my attention to the corner of my vision, and there... I finally see it. That red notification of the trial, and below it was...

“This, I guess.”

Taking a deep breath and saying so, I tap the other notification, and then staring at it, I...

-Hidden Piece: Eternal Denial of a Reject’s Death-

-Description: You, You... You have just slayed a Failure, and as such you have seen it. Oblivion’s limited mercy and its true cruelty to them, the failures who could not attain it, even with second chances. Them, the ones denied Insanity’s embrace, and them, the one now cursed with Eternal Yearning.-

... And staring at it, I just...

“Haaaa...”

... Sighed.