Chapter 8

The one thing that comforted me the most upon my waking was that my sight has returned; my left eye, previously blinded by the darkness, saw clearly as if it had never gone through anything like that at all.

I brought my hand to my mouth and felt that my facial muscles were no longer locked in that cursed position. I wasn’t smiling…and ironically that almost brought a smile to my face. At least…not now, not when I lost a part of myself. That couldn’t have been a dream.

However, what was most notable was the feeling of emptiness…as if something that was fatal, crucial, was gone. I didn’t feel different but it was the knowledge of the lack of it which was causing a phantom pain on a spiritual level.

Was she fine? Is she gone…? Truly?

I shut down those thoughts. Without answers, without knowledge, those questions would not get me anywhere helpful. Better to push it aside until I had the means to answer them.

On top of my new bed, which was overly lush for my taste, I could tell that I was more or less back to normal. My sides were bandaged but I no longer felt the emptiness as when the shinsu blast blew a hole through me nor the numerous cuts which I was sure I had all over my body.

Strange…always strange.

It wasn’t my first time coming back from death’s edge as my instructor liked to show me the idea of desperation and pain. It was always a wonder to both him and myself how I always managed to heal so perfectly in a remarkable amount of time. Life-threatening wounds closing faster than father killing a ranker in frustration…which was to say quite fast. To make matters better(?) Was the fact that it left no trace at all. She had a suspicion what it was.

Blessing of Aphrodite (Incomplete): Perfect Beauty and Attraction

 Other blessings were silent, asleep, but her blessing had been working on her since the moment of (re)birth. Judging from her looks which were eerily similar in ways with her previous life and how people always seemed to just give her what she wanted…the blessing was active 24/7, or as some of her half brothers would say, a passive effect.

(AN: The level of technology is extremely high in the tower. Video Games are popular and widespread. The Arie Family is conservative but the younger members could find ways to get their hands on video game consoles. Especially those who were neglected from the Branch Families. Fun Fact: The Khun Family members are famous for their addiction to video games all over the tower. Ex: Blueberry)

Her sight had returned but that didn’t mean things weren’t different. She could see better…clearly…and faster as well. Even without anything to compare it to, she could tell that her thinking and processing was a league faster than it was before. Not only could she make out the dust particles of the other side of the wall, her eyes sought the little knots and patterns of the white carpet below.

Blessing of Athena (Incomplete): Pattern Recognition

So it’s a passive too? But how am I not overwhelmed by all of this? All of this visual overload?

The answer came immediately.

Blessing of Athena (Complete): Clear Thought & Pattern Recognition

“Well that will certainly make things easier…” It sounded strange to talk to myself. I shouldn’t do that again. Awkward…especially after meeting my own previous self.

I better check things in my mind realm as well…

Do I need to go back there? Am I ready?

… …

She finished wiping the blood off her blade using her fallen opponent’s clothes. Arie Atanasia, formerly ranked 2nd, now lay dead on the floor missing an arm, leg, and a noticeable stab wound right through her heart.

It had been easy…too easy compared to when she fought Victoria. There was obviously a level of difference between Atanasia and Victoria however what was most obvious was her growth in the short amount of time.

Her swordplay had grown leaps and bounds having learned through curiosity against Victoria. Her new blessing from Athena’s Calm Mind and Pattern Recognition seemed to be permanent, both of which gave her an overwhelming advantage over her opponent. Her sense for battle having been enhanced leagues beyond just a couple of days ago, Atanasia no longer stood a chance. No longer did any of the others.

She knew it would only be a matter of time before Atanasia challenged her after seeing just how close the match was between herself and Victoria. She wouldn’t have that…no, she brought her blade to her instead.

Even with only 2 weeks remaining for the first half of the test, she needed to face one opponent a week. A sacrifice, in a way, to keep the tension within the death-ridden ship strong.

As she removed the last of the red rust and crusted parts, she moved off stage where the crowd, the survivors of the exam, parted ways to avoid her…to not be chosen as the next sacrifice.

Killing Atanasia easily gave her the benefit of having no one else distract her. No one challenged her which left her all the time to reflect, think, and discover more about her newly found tenants within her.

She ordered a plate of her favorite meal ‘Carbonara’ before she leaned back against the headrest as she delved deeper and deeper within her mind, trying to find the endless sea once again.

As silence took over, she found herself falling and falling as the light became dark before turning grey. A blink…and she saw herself standing on the shallow waves of the endless sea within her.

The murky fog travelled over the small currents covering and blinding most things from sight. She could make out the shadows of certain large or powerful beings circling her from the safety of the smoke.

She knew…she felt millions if not billions of all sorts of evil here. They were all somewhere inside this realm. Some so small and weak that they were essentially nonexistent while the select few…Kings and Rulers of the realm inside her.

Recalling her fight with Victoria, she called the ones she knew to her. She felt no control over them as Πανδώρα had promised but she knew instinctively that they would come…not to obey most likely.

“Come to me Lyssa. Thee who’s wrath shook the foundations of Olympus”

She called the other

“Come to me Adephagia. Thee who’s hunger shall devour the gods”

Two huge figures emerged from the shadows. Standing easily double her height, she felt dwarfed both from the physical size but also from the aura she felt from their presence. 

These were no mere evil

One figure stood slightly taller than the other. Lyssa, the king of Wrath and all evils associated with such. His features looked as if he had stepped right out of Tartarus after fighting all those within it. 

Burns, scars, and bruises lined his naked body and yet not a single wound was open or showed signs of weakness. His body had the build of a true fighter. Muscular and ripped all around and his stomach was full. Not of fat or muscle but rather literally full of something. Something she would rather not know.

The other figure stood slightly shorter; Adephagia, ruling over the Gluttonous and all those hungry and the sins around them. Contrary to her expectations, Adephagia was thin. 

The Lord of the gluttonous looked as if he had been starved and left to waste. His wrinkly dark skin sagged against his chest and arms while it was tightly held against where only bones remained; his face and stomach. Despite this, his physical appearance did not do him justice for the power she felt from him. His eyes, perfectly dark mixture radiating all the sicknesses in life was reflected right into her own. It was all she could do to hold her ground and not fall backwards.

“It seems our owner has finally come.” The rage-filled evil spoke. His words accenting ‘owner’ made it an obvious mockery.

“A powerless guard of an unbreakable prison” The hungry one replied. Its deep voice sending vibrations through her very bones. 

Her muscles shook but at the same time they froze her in place. Unable to move, she looked them both in the eye. Swallowing what fear she had, she chose to ignore her survival instincts as she questioned them.

“Tell me. Are you mine? Do you belong to me?”

Silenced followed as the demon lords processed her words. Words of arrogance and delusion from a powerless girl. Still, there was no laughter. No words of hate, mock, or belittling.

“Only after you have proven your worth” was the enraged one’s reply.

“Only after you have shown your worth” said the starved one.

“But you saved me. Both of you.” Wrath and Gluttony had saved her from death in her fight against Victoria. She knew that without either of their help, she would have died…for certain. 

So why did they help her then if they didn’t acknowledge her? Was it a test of sorts or…

“The destruction of the prison spells our end” “Your death shall end us all” So it was nothing more than self-preservation it seems. Not that I had expected anything different.

This wasn’t her creation anymore where she was adorned with gifts and blessings of all nature for simply existing. She had a lofty and most likely impossible goal…it only made sense that the powers and curses she wished to use would not be so easily given.

“How do I prove myself?”

The angry one stepped forward while the starved dissolved into the mist. The giant man slowly spread his arms as if welcoming a challenge…a fight.

“Fight and die until I acknowledge thee” 

My blade, which she was sure was not tied to her soul, somehow appeared in my hands as the last thing I saw was a shoulder from the body charge of the lord of wrath.

… …

I had died…multiple times. It seemed as if I could not stay dead in my mind as I found myself waking up unharmed to see the wrath lord ready for another challenge. I knew he could beat me…easily and forever and yet he chose not to rip me into tiny pieces upon my continued rebirth.

“As weak as you are now, it is inevitable that you will grow in strength one day…beyond even myself and the others” he stated right before shattering my blade and punching a hole straight through my chest. “I doubt you would have good memories of this one should you be torn to bits on our first encounter”

As I choked on my blood and looked up at my killer, his smile only told me this wasn’t going to end anytime soon.

“Don’t give up so soon Gifted One, you still have not proven anything.”

Over and over I challenged him and each time he killed me. Yet, as I continued to fight him, I found that he never truly attacked first. Not unless I raised my blade and signaled I was ready to attack.

When I walked up to him without my blade up, he simply looked at me without doing anything. No punching through my heart, no clawing my head off, no kicking my stomach inward to death.

It was only when I began to attack after so many deaths that I realized what was different or strange about his nature of attacks.

Every swing of my sword missed…or rather it was always off. I would swing straight but as it got near him it would completely change directions. Once, I killed myself as I did not expect the blade would come directly for my head. Twice, I was caught off guard as my defense was broken when suddenly the sharp end was facing the other way. Countless times I tried to read his form, pattern, only to be broken apart and made unintelligible by breaking my knowledge and logic of movement.

And even after all that…

“You’re holding back”

“You would be correct”

“Is this out of your power or are you simply that confident?”

“You do not need to be stronger than I. Only prove yourself worthy of my power. At least…for me to think you worthy”

In most cases he would be correct as the King’s horses and men would be stronger than the King himself however that was not the case for the Tower nor the Olympians. 

King Jahad, the original pioneer of the tower, was the strongest ranker excluding the two unknown (and unconfirmed) beings those existence were more mythical than real. In the tower, it wasn’t the King’s administrative abilities or his speeches that gave him the right to rule- it was his overwhelming strength.

Zeus, the rapist, did not become King through vote or the devotion of the people. As much of a cruel god as he was, he was also a fighter. Killing his own father and family, he usurped the throne for himself. The throne, the sky, the prayers and all mortal lives as well.

Yet on the other hand, I was only beginning my journey. I could argue that it had even yet to begin. The distance in the level of strength between myself and the Demon Lord in front of me was not a wall but a pathway.

I would become stronger. Stronger than him, father, and all the gods that have doomed mankind

So think Pandora…think

Lowering my blade, I watched as the Wrath Lord, Lyssa, relax his stance. For someone who ruled over the aspect of anger and rage he was quite the defensive fighter not to mention his easygoing attitude.

Recalling my fight with Victoria and what had happened when her blade already killed me. Lyssa had been the first to come out and stop? No…he had reflected the attack the same way he was doing now.

Blades that left straight went anywhere except where it was supposed to. There were no patterns (visible) that I could read, not even with her blessing.

In retrospect, it was quite simple.

“Reflection? Or is it Vector manipulation?”

Lyssa’s face split into a wide grin that reached his eyes as he laughed, laughed so hard that I thought my ears would need shinsu healing as surely my eardrums were damaged.

His sharp teeth was revealed in its full glory as he walked with his long strides until he stood towering above me. Then…he kneeled.

“You who hold me. You who know my name. You who know my power. Very well…I shall aid you whenever you call upon my strength.”

… …

That’s it?

All I have to do is guess their powers and abilities correctly?

As if reading my mind, Lyssa raised his head (or rather looked forward as his kneeling height was slightly taller than my standing height) and explained.

“Not all of us are as forgiving of the sinful as us. The others will require more from you than keen observation”

“An eternity spent mindless in the depths of Tartarus” he began “Then the Olympians force us all into a small pithos.”

He looked at me as he grinned with his sharp teeth yet again. Blood-like saliva dripping from the side only adding to his terrifying form.

“You have freed us into the world of mortals” His smile disappeared as he remembered an unpleasant memory. “Weakened and spread…our powers mostly gone as the Olympians cleansed humanity. Us along with the mortals”

He looked around as he gestured to the endless sea.

“Once again we find ourselves in this place. Our essence and core tied to this sea, we shall never be free…and yet this time we do not feel the need for freedom.”

His burnt hand grabbed mine as his bled out eyes focused.

“You are not the only one who wishes the downfall of the Olympians. Show us your worth and we shall provide you with the strength you require” The grip on his hands got tighter as he continued.

“We are the cause of the downfall of humanity but know that we were mindless. We belong to the depths below even that of Hades. We were never meant to be among your kind…not until the Sky Lord came” His voice got deeper as acid seeped into his tone. “As we gained sentience after arriving here, into you, we no longer wish for the depths or man. We shall stay with you.”

He began to dissolve quite like the gluttonous one had done prior.

“It seems you have stayed here far too long. But know that my ability is yours but not my strength. That is yours to train and grow. Farewell then Pandora.”

A blink, then darkness, and light once again as a knock on the door signaled the arrival of my long awaited Carbonara.