Having annihilated the bandits, I proceeded through the trail.
"This body is too weak."
Each time I took a step, a pain rushed through the joints of my body.
It seems that I had a bone fracture in my arm after being sent to the ground by that one bandit.
Once I get to a town, perhaps I should go to a church and have a monk heal me.
[This is the influence of "Forbidden Arts 'Chains of Despair.'" Your physical ability is much worse than the average human.]
The voice of the "darkness" within me spoke.
"Is there no way to recover?"
[There's only one way. What you lost was caused by Forbidden Arts. Your stamina and magic have been entirely converted into 'light' to strengthen the hero. So, if you take back that 'light,' what was lost will be restored.]
"'Light'…?"
[It should be with the hero now.]
"Yuno?"
I frowned.
A surge of hatred relapsed.
[Haha, very good. Your damage value has risen to 8.]
"Though the value went up, it's not enough to set out and beat Yuno. Though imperfect, he's still a hero. Furthermore, each of his companions are top-notch people like a warrior, sage, or priest."
I sighed.
"It seems I have no choice but to live with this weak body for now."
[The power of 'darkness' also holds skills such as 'Flight' and 'Acceleration.' If those manifest, you can move at a speed several times faster than a normal human.]
The "darkness" explained as such.
"Can they compensate for my physical ability?"
I spoke my mind to the "darkness."
[However, due to the effects of the curse, you cannot use them. At present, you can only use the skill 'Fixed Damage.']
"…So in the end, there's no hope."
[Someday, if you have 'subordinates' to bestow skills to, perhaps they can compensate for what you lack.]
"Huh?"
[Actually, that will be explained later. Ah, the town is in sight.]
In response to what the "darkness" said, I looked forward.
Castle walls surrounded the town far ahead.
For the time being, I'll rest.
Then, I'll accumulate power.
No matter how many years it will take, I will definitely get my revenge on all of them.
I will cultivate my "darkness."
Two years have passed.
During that time, I faced many hardships and got involved in countless battles, but none of that matters now.
At last, I've obtained the overwhelming power to fulfill my goal.
"The only way is forward."
I walked alone on a mountain trail.
A colony of ogres was just a bit ahead.
It used to be a difficult place that I would avoid, even if I was in the hero party.
One ogre alone had a high amount of fighting power and stamina.
So if there were a swarm of them, they could become a brutal, out of control army.
Nobody would come near this place, I was the only one traversing.
A rustling noise came from the bushes.
Three gigantic figures approached from ahead.
"The ogres are already here to visit me?"
They had muscular, light-green bodies.
They only wore a loincloth.
Each carried a club made from a log in their hands.
"How far away are they?"
The moment I muttered as such, the number "20" appeared in the corner of my sight.
It seemed that it was exactly 20 meters.
This had to do with a secondary effect of my skill.
By thinking about it, I could see a display of the distance to my target.
Since the range of my skill is 10 meters, it won't show its effects until I get closer.
Of course, all I had to do was move forward.
The ogres were a little confused when I showed no fear at all.
I slowly walked.
In terms of physical ability, my leg strength is no different from that of the elderly.
I moved forward, little by little.
I reduced the distance by 3 meters.
I reduced the distance by 5 meters.
I reduced the distance by 7 meters.
I didn't stop walking until I shortened my distance with the ogres to ten meters.
Immediately after…
"Auooooooooooooon?!"
Shrieks and cries of pain.
The three ogres transformed into numerous particles of light and instantly vanished.
No doubt, an instant kill.
If their HP is 9999 or less, they will die the moment the skill's effect is activated.
[There are few monsters with over 9999 HP.]
The serene female voice spoke in my head.
'Darkness.'
It's the being that resided inside me after Yuno and his crew betrayed me and left me to die two years prior.
It's what has given me this EX Skill "Fixed Damage."
What in the world is this thing?
Perhaps it's an angel or devil, maybe a pseudo-personality caused by a skill.
I still don't understand its true nature.
Well, its true nature doesn't matter anyways.
All I want is power.
The "darkness" has given me that power.
I knew that as the darkness within me deepened, my damage value would increase, but that value has now reached the upper limit of 9999.
I had a fearsome skill that dealt 9999 damage every 3 seconds to enemies 10 meters around me.
It would deal 9999 damage in the next 3 seconds, then 9999 more damage after another 3 seconds…and would continue dealing damage every 3 seconds.
There are roughly two types of targets for damage-dealing.
Beings that I recognize as enemies and hold killing intent towards belong to the first type.
Beings that hold malicious intent towards me belong to the other type.
Those are the two.
Malicious intent is seen as a desire to inflict wounds on me past a certain degree.
This "certain degree" can't be quantified, so I don't exactly know what it is.
Well, at least it doesn't massacre innocent civilians.
If my ability had such indiscriminate killing, then I wouldn't be able to set foot into human habitat ever again.
I began to walk forward once more.
Some more ogres came out, but they all vanished the moment they appeared.
Or, some would enter my attack range and disappear before I could see them.
Thus, I crossed through the mountains while swarms of ogres disappeared as I walked.
There should be a town up ahead.
For the time being, I'll find an inn.
At last, I can begin my revenge.
I will restore my energy.
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