"Blink and you'd gain wealth.
Blink again and you'd have nothing.
Blink a third time expecting something.
Blink a fourth and you'd have death."
I.
When people talk about what death looks like, a lot of interpretations come out. Some people talk of it like a horrid being, with claws and fangs that tear you apart in your sleep. Some people see it as an escape from this world, a chance to get away from the cruelty of life. Some people view it as an inspiration for art, with a lot of poems and painted canvasses filled with the notion of death. Yet here I am, a man who has died thrice, still unsure what I can make of death.
I have no idea how much time has passed since I died. This is nothing like Limbo, the realm I stayed at when Heidi - sama took me. This is emptier, hollower, like I have no destination. Floating endlessly in a vast darkness. Even my memories are starting to fade.
"What was I supoposed to do again?" I asked myself. There seems to be no driving force for me, all I want is to sleep. Yes that's right. Sleep…and never wake up.
As soon as I thought of this, the darkness felt like it slowly crept up on my body. Consuming every inch of my being. That is, until I heard her voice. Shaking, tired, and about to break down.
"I'm sorry."
"Mystica!" All my senses jolted back up.
"I need to save Mystica!" I told myself, suddenly realizing everything again.
A new skill I obtained by the name of "The Fool" has the effect of killing its owner. The effect comes nothing as a surprise since I've rolled three Jokers on the lottery machine. The most detrimental skill possible. Instantaneous death.
However, I was not transported to the underworld. If I was, Heidi - sama would have surely visited me already. I'm not an important person but I at least know that she would care that much for her own Entertainer.
"What exactly is happening here?" I asked. Then suddenly a faint light appeared out of the vast darkness.
I went to it's direction by floating. Apparently, whatever form I have, it is bodyless because I have no hands nor feet. What moves me is my will, so I willed to move to that light and I did.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's better than this void." I told myself. As soon as I reached it, the light grew. In an instant it took over the darkness; then…
I woke up.
My eyes adjusted to the light little by little. But I'm sure that this is a living, breathing body.
"Welcome back master."
"Sei, what's happening exactly?" I'm glad to hear a familiar voice again. This whole week has been a cruel rollercoaster ride so far.
"I need to save Mystica." I told myself as I tried to move, but I can't.
"Master, I'm still detoxifying your new body, please refrain from moving until I'm done."
"New body? Sei what's going on?"
"Detoxification complete, all impurities have been removed from this body. You are now able to move normally master."
I tried opening and closing my hands, moving my feet from one side to the other, then I got up little by little. This is a real body, and I'm alive.
"I'm alive!" I said again.
I looked in a mirror that is right next to the door and got surprised. My hair is dark grey and my eyes are crimson red. My skin is a tad bit brown and my overall stature and build is smaller.
"This is definitely me." I told myself as I touched my face."
*System Notice: You have obtained a skill in progress: The Immomrtal.*
*Current progress, 1 out of 20.*
Another system notice appeared before me. There's a lot of things going on right now but what I need to do remains the same. I need to find and rescue Mystica. I can worry about all this stuff later.
"Sei, how can I find Mystica right now?"
"Answer."
"Due to the fact that you have changed your body. I have no information as to where you were taken. We also have no leads." This is bad. If I have no clues then how can I figure out where she is? I can't simply go around town aimlessly because that consumes too much time. If I use this method and do end up finding her, it would be too late.
"Is there really no way?" I asked.
"There is a possibility." Sei responded.
"A sort of connection may have been formed from your original body to this one. It cannot be seen in the material world but, if you find a way to enter the realm of spirits, you may have a chance."
I quickly remembered how that pitch-black void from where I came had the same feeling as the skill Subconscious. If I'm correct, my mind must've linked with my soul and entered a halfway point between the Subconscious realm and the realm of Spirits. This is all I have to bet on.
"Subconscious."
As soon as I activated the skill, the things around me came to a halt. Then, I noticed it. Almost invisible to the naked eye. There is a red string on my chest and it is connecting to somewhere inside town. But this is a problem, how can I move if time has stopped.
"Master I have a solution." Sei intruded.
"What is it?"
"In my current level, I can control your body if you allow me to. That way, you can stay in the Subconscious realm while I move your physical body." There are still tons of information to take in, but this is good! Right now, my chance to find Mystica is increasing.
"Okay Sei, do it."
"Commencing, body take over."
My body started moving while I stayed on the Subconscious.
"Lead the way master." Sei said and we started running, following the red thread.
"Wait for me Mystica, I'm, going to save you."
II.
The answer was so obvious that it became difficult to figure out.
"Of course this is where he'll keep me captive." I told myself as I stared at the front of Ptah's Inn. Sei forced the door open and immediately went to where the thread finally breaks. The thread is connected to a part of the wooden flooring.
I remember how he mentioned trap doors being abundant in his Inn. I'm sure this place is also rigged by a lot of traps.
"Sei, let's swap now."
"Understood Master. Please be careful. I advise you to activate your analysis skill just to be sure that no further danger awaits us."
"Thank you Sei."
"I will always be by your side master." She replied.
"Analyze" I covered my mouth as I looked at my surroundings. The air shows no sign of being manipulated or combined with any strange drug so I removed my hand from my mouth. The next thing I looked for is the switch to open the trap door. I found it under one of the chairs. I clicked the button and the door opened instantly.
There are stairs going down, I followed it cautiously, examining if there is anything harmful in my surroundings. Luckily there is none. Whatever it was that got me fainting over and over again, King has removed any trace of it.
I found my old body lying on the ground. The ropes have been removed, so are my clothes. King must have checked it after I didn't respond to him. Come to think of it, I used Subconscious
while he was talking with me so he must've gotten bothered when I didn't respond anymore.
"Who goes there!" A man said, shouting. The voice is not King's but if a person is here when the Inn is already closed then that only means one thing, he is an accomplice of that asshole.
"Sei how many bonus status points do I have right now?' I asked.
"You currently have a hundred undistributed points master."
"What will happen if I place half of that on speed and another half on strength?"
"You will get stronger than any normal warrior. ven an elite from this world will have a hard time fighting you."
"Okay then."
"Status."
III.
"Whoever you are, you're dead meat!" The man shouted.
I jumped out of the hole, amazed at how much amplification I gained by adding a few points. The man saw me and had an alarmed looked on his face.
"Intruder!" He shouted. A bunch of other finely built men suddenly came out from a single room, some of them half naked. It was only for a moment but I also saw the figure of a woman inside that room.
I grabbed on the huge chandelier hanging on the ceiling and pounced at their direction. In an instant, my foot reached the head of one of them. They didn't even have time to respond as I swirled my body, making another kick reach the top of another man's head.
"That's two down." I told myself as the ones I hit fell.
The other men have finally caught up with reality and started rushing to my direction, ready to fight. I planted my feet on the ground and pulled both my hands to my waist.
I then made a leap, meeting their dash head on. Again, I have caught them off guard with my speed and quickly delivered a solar plexus to both of them. Both my strength and speed are now beyond normal human capacity, to the point that it feels as if this fragile build of mine will tear apart any second. But I didn't stop.
As soon as the two men I punched went flying, I made a jump to the air. Reaching the ceiling, I quickly pushed myself down making my knee hit the fifth and last person from the group.
"I-is that a-all of t-them?" I said catching my breath.
"It appears so master."
I made my way to the room they were guarding.
"Oi what's all that noise out there!" A man said.
I kicked the door open and my eyes widened in terror from what I saw. Inside are three naked men and in the middle, is Mystica. Two men stood beside her, one at the left and another at the right, both have their genitals held by Mystica as she rubbed them back and forth. Another lies below her, as he rocked her body up and down.
"You're all dead."
III.
I didn't show any mercy to the people inside the room. As one of them lunged at me, I quickly evaded to his blind spot and held his head. With all the anger I've built up, I twisted it; dislocating his head ang making it permanently face his back. A quick thud and he now lay dead on the floor.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing to my woman?" I said in anger. The other guy who stood made his way to a sword that lay at the corner of the room. I quickly followed stepping on his hand. His fingers all bended at weird directions with some of his bones protruding out of the skin. The man screamed in terror so I grabbed his open mouth with my hands. I pushed it open, dislocating his jaws and plucking most of his teeth. I then punched his throat with enough force to halt his breathing. He dropped to the floor, holding his neck and twisting in pain.
"D-die!" The last one said as he punched my face. I took his hand and gripped it tight. He knelt to the floor, pleading for his life.
"Don't kill me please!" He screamed.
"Where's King?" I asked him. Gripping his hand tighter. I heard some of his bones cracking in the process.
"I-I don't know I s-swear! King just came to us yesterday saying that he'd give us a woman for free. AHHHH!" He screamed again in pain as I moved my hand, grinding his bones together.
"Please man I have a family!" He screamed.
"If you have a family, then you shouldn't have done this." I removed my grip and quickly unsheathed the sword that lay at arm's length.
He couldn't react anymore. The blade sliced off his head cleanly removing it from his body. After finishing all of them, I moved to where Mystica is now lying.
"Mystica!" I said as I held her body in my arms.
"Mystica." I said, gently slapping her face.
"I knew you'd come." She said, her eyes still closed. I looked at her closely and activated my analysis skill. She's covered in bruises and scars, and it's a little thinner than normal. Her hair is all tangled and she smells as if she was made to bathe in the sweat and filth of those men.
"It's okay now." I told her, holding back my tears as I wrapped my arms around her.
"I won't let anyone harm you again."
"You know what? They didn't allow me to eat anything. King and his men drugged me all day and all night making my memories all blurry." Tears started falling from her face and she started shivering.
"I kept on moaning even though it didn't feel good." She continued.
"Don't talk Mystica. Reserve your strength and just breathe." I told her.
"Wait here okay? I'll get you something to drink." I said as my own tears started running down my face.
"No, don't leave me alone. Stay here please." She said as she gently held my hand. Things looks dire, as if in another second she could pass away. So I activated Subconscious and asked Sei for advice.
"Master." Sei began.
"We can cure her right?" I told Sei. She didn't respond for a while so I repeated my question.
"Sei, we can cure her right?"
"I'm sorry master." She responded.
"What do you mean you're sorry! Aren't you supposed to be a better version now! Do something! Solve this!" I screamed.
There was silence for a while and then Sei finally spoke.
"She has been fed with nothing but drugs and sperm during these last few days. They worked her body day and night even when she is already unconscious as you saw from the scene earlier. They battered her body and tortured her. No wisdom in the world can cure a woman who's already dead."
"What did you say? She's not dead you hear me!"
"She's not dead!" I protested and protested but Sei didn't answer anymore. Deep down I know Sei is right but I don't want to accept it.
"They already destroyed both her mind and body. It's only her will keeping her alive right now." Sei continued.
"The only thing you can do is to be there for her until she breathes her last breath."
I deactivated the subconscious skill returning me to this final moment with Mystica.
"You sound and feel so different Jean." She said.
"But I know that it's you because, the moment you held me, my heart felt secured."
"It's me." I said as my tears started flowing. She held my head and felt the tears touching her fingers.
"When we go home….let's get married okay? I promise to wake up everyday from now on. I'll also learn to plant more carefully." She continued.
"Yeah let's do that. Let's get married right now." I told her.
"Silly." She said smiling faintly.
"Jean. I love you, 'till death do us part." With that final effort, her hand fell down. Her breathing stopped and the faint beating of her heart finally halted.
"Till death do us part." I repeated, allowing myself to be consumed by despair.