Braxis felt as though he had unwittingly ventured into the maw of death itself. The room's eerie silence was suffocating, drowning him in a sea of unnerving quietude, akin to sinking in inescapable quicksand. The lush carpet beneath his feet seemed to ensnare him, dragging him further into the abyss, while the armed guards flanking him on either side, their weapons poised and ready, only served to amplify his mounting anxiety.
His gaze was inexorably drawn to the formidable figure seated upon the throne, and his stomach plummeted. Gravis loomed like an ominous specter, emanating a malevolent aura that was almost tangible. His eyes were cavernous and impenetrable, his skin appearing as if chiseled from unyielding stone. Braxis shuddered involuntarily at the mere sight of him.
A sudden realization struck him with the force of a sledgehammer: "This is one of the game's starting villains! Gravis The Forsaken! He goes mad and slaughters his entire family with his devastating gravitational magic!" The thought of confronting such a formidable opponent was utterly overwhelming.
A tsunami of panic surged within him, threatening to spew forth the contents of his stomach. "I'm marked for death! I need to act!" Braxis's voice trembled with terror. Time was slipping through his fingers, and he needed to act swiftly to emerge from this nightmarish encounter unscathed.
But how? His mind raced, seeking a solution, refusing to let fear gain the upper hand. He drew a deep breath, endeavoring to steady his nerves, but it felt akin to extinguishing an inferno with a meager droplet of water.
As Braxis's brother, Levant, yanked him mercilessly toward Gravis, he could sense his heart hammering in his chest like a frantic drumbeat. With an abrupt thrust, Braxis was propelled directly in front of the towering figure on the throne, forcing him onto his knees. As he raised his eyes, he found himself ensnared in Gravis's icy, unrelenting gaze.
Braxis's attention darted to the relationship status on Gravis, which displayed 100/300. 'Strange, why doesn't he hate me?' Braxis pondered, trying to decipher the situation.
"Why did you bring your brother Braxis here, Levant?" Gravis's voice was frigid and enigmatic, sending shivers skittering down Braxis's spine.
"This imbecile was indulging in his lechery yet again! I witnessed it myself," Levant sneered, his eyes ablaze with fury.
Gravis's piercing gaze zeroed in on Braxis, seemingly peering into his very soul. The intensity of his stare was suffocating, and Braxis felt his palms slick with sweat.
Suddenly, without any warning, the gravity around Braxis shifted, dragging him downwards. The abrupt change in pressure was staggering, and Braxis found himself crushed against the ground, utterly immobilized.
"I can't move!" Braxis shrieked inwardly, his thoughts consumed by terror and panic. He understood the mortal peril he was in and knew he needed to act swiftly to survive. But escape seemed impossible under the crushing force of Gravis's potent magic.
Gravis's voice was frosty and unyielding as he addressed Braxis. "You've always been a thorn in my side, Braxis. Even on the brink of war, you have the audacity to indulge in such debauchery?" His eyes flared with a deep purple radiance, and Braxis knew he was in dire straits.
"Explain yourself!" Gravis thundered, the command reverberating throughout the chamber.
As he spoke, the pressure on Braxis intensified, and he could feel his bones creaking under the immense force. He wailed in agony, frantically searching for a way out of this predicament.
"Father! I beg your forgiveness! Please!" Braxis managed to choke out, his voice filled with anguish.
But Gravis remained unsatisfied. He continued to amplify the pressure, hell-bent on teaching Braxis a brutal lesson. The room was engulfed in eerie silence, punctuated only by the ragged gasps of Braxis as he fought to remain conscious.
With each passing moment, Braxis's situation grew increasingly desperate. He could feel his strength dispersing, and his body began to succumb to numbness.
Gravis's face contorted in fury as he loomed over Braxis, who lay immobilized on the ground. "I demanded an explanation! Not an apology! Now!" Gravis's voice resounded throughout the room, making the very walls tremble.
"I...I lost control and tried to pick up a servant girl! It won't happen again, Father!" Braxis cried out, desperately seeking clemency from the man he now called his father.
Yet, contrary to his expectations, Gravis's wrath only intensified.
Gravis Impression Status: -100
Gravis Impression Progress: 0/300
"You imbecile, I've given you far too many chances. Now die." Gravis's eyes turned frigid, and the air in the room crackled with murderous intent.
"NO! PLEASE!" Braxis wailed, his voice laced with desperation as he sought help from his brother Levant, who merely smirked at the unfolding scene, evidently self-satisfied.
With a swift, decisive motion, Gravis clenched his fist, and Braxis was eviscerated by the immense gravitational power at his command. Blood spattered across the room, defiling the once-lush carpet.
"Someone clean up this mess!" Gravis snarled, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.
As Braxis's vision dimmed, a disembodied voice echoed in his ears: "Remaining revival points: 2."
The next thing he knew, he was jolted awake in his bed, his entire body slick with perspiration. He now understood that he needed to tread cautiously if he were to survive the treacherous world he had found himself in. This was his life.
As he rose, there came a knock at the door.
"Master Braxis, breakfast will be served shortly. Please join us when you are ready," chirped a young girl, her voice endearingly high-pitched. She scampered away, her footsteps light and nimble.
"I'm... alive? I'm alive! YES!" Braxis shouted, unable to contain his elation.
'Now, I've learned some crucial information. I know my identity and my circumstances, and that I will soon.. die.. I must prevent it! That bastard Levant needs to be dealt with too...' Braxis contemplated as he donned the same attire as before and opened the door.
As before, Braxis strolled down the corridor until he encountered the same girl he had inappropriately talked to earlier.
"Excuse me, miss, where's breakfast? I've been wandering so much, I've lost my bearings—even in my own home!" Braxis called out to the servant girl. He repeated his prior words to have her guide him as before, but this time he would keep himself in check.
"Master Braxis, you're such a tease! If you wanted a charming girl to escort you to breakfast, you should have just said so!" The servant girl laughed and clasped Braxis's hand, leading him with an enthusiastic spring in her step.
Relationship Status: +1
Relationship Progress: 1/300
Braxis grinned, feeling triumphant that he had managed to maintain the positive shift without instigating the dire consequences he'd faced earlier. As they proceeded hand-in-hand, Braxis once again detected the increasing number of hostile stares directed toward him.
"That degenerate is targeting another one of his servants," one observer whispered.
"Yeah, hopefully this time he has consent, at least," another sneered contemptuously.
Braxis overheard these remarks and dismissed them as before. 'Still, though, I can't believe I was sentenced to death for merely picking up a servant girl! What kind of messed-up world is this?' Braxis inwardly exclaimed, causing his facial expressions to contort oddly.
"Are you okay, Master Braxis? You're so quirky! I hope my tender hands are enough to please a dashing young man like yourself!" The servant girl teased playfully.
'Oh, come on! Why is she being like this, now!' Braxis cursed internally.
"I am quite alright. Thank you for your concern, miss," Braxis responded, endeavoring to act like a gentleman, which caused her to blush. Despite his notoriety, the body he inhabited was undeniably attractive.
Relationship Status: +1
Relationship Progress: 2/300
"We're almost there, Master Braxis. Perhaps later... I can attend to you in your chambers after you've finished eating," the servant girl suggested provocatively, her eyes filled with adoration.
'I don't understand this girl...' Braxis sighed as he allowed himself to be led on.
"I appreciate the offer, but regrettably, I will be preoccupied. Thank you, though," Braxis replied with a smile.
"Oh, okay," the servant girl pouted, gripping his hand more tightly.