As I sat alone in my makeshift quarters inside a dungeon, memories of my former corps flooded my mind. The days of the war, when I was known as Omega Mane Crown~10 Circle Archmage, flashed before me like a relentless storm.
I was the head of the interrogation team, and my methods were anything but conventional.
In those days, fear was my ally. My comrades were so fearful of me that they followed my every command, even if it meant risking their lives. It was both a testament to their loyalty and a burden I carried with me. They trusted me blindly, and I knew I could not betray that trust.
But it was not just blind obedience that lingered in their minds. As I sifted through my memories, I found that they were divided in their opinions of my methods against the alien invaders. While they respected my leadership and feared my capabilities, some officers under me and those from other corps deemed my tactics too violent and cruel.
I couldn't help but smile and nod approvingly at the thought of their fear. It meant that I had instilled in them the discipline and determination needed to survive in the harsh reality of war. It was a price I had paid with my own suffering, a path I had chosen willingly.
In the battlefield, there was no room for compassion. The enemy showed none, and so I reciprocated with the full force of my wrath. I used every technique I knew and even delved into the darkest arts to extract information from the enemy. My cruelty knew no bounds, and I reveled in the terror I inspired.
As the head of the interrogation team, I bore the burden of a thousand screams in my dreams. The faces of those I had tormented haunted my sleep, a constant reminder of the choices I had made. Yet, I knew it was necessary for the survival of our world, the only home we had left.
However, my methods had a cost beyond the battlefield. My cruelty against our enemies had made me a social outcast among some high-ranking officers. They deemed me unpredictable and too dangerous to be controlled, and they wouldn't want to deal with me or my "methods."
But their disdain didn't faze me. I would do anything for the mission, even if it meant becoming the cruel killing machine that the war demanded. The burden of war weighed heavily on my shoulders, and I carried it with unyielding determination.
I often questioned myself - was there any other way to win this war? Could I have achieved victory without resorting to such ruthless tactics? The questions lingered, but in the end, I knew the answer.
The enemy was merciless, and mercy had no place in war.
My past actions had earned me a reputation, and it was a reputation I couldn't escape. It followed me like a shadow, casting doubt on my every move. But deep down, I knew I had done what was necessary, what was required to protect our world from annihilation.
In the silence of my quarters, I made a silent vow to myself. I would carry the weight of war, the burden of my actions, and the memories of those I had tormented.
I would bear the cost of victory, no matter how heavy the price.
As I stood on the precipice of another battle~this time against dungeon monsters and Adventurer killers, the memories of my former corps and the choices I had made fueled my resolve. The fear they had for me was not a weakness; it was a strength that united us against a common enemy.
The fighting against mobs that I came here for raged on, and I found myself once again in the throes of battle. My past may have earned me the name Omega Mane Crown, but now I fought under a different name - Deth Jones. I was an enigmatic adventurer, but the scars of war would forever remain etched in my soul.
As I faced different new adversaries from the alien invaders I once fought, I embraced the darkness within me. It was a darkness born of necessity, a darkness that had protected me in the past and would continue to do so in the future.
The war back then demanded sacrifices, and I was willing to pay the price, even if it meant becoming the same kind of monster that I fought with because that's the kind of thing my former world needed.
For in the face of such a formidable foe, there was no room for mercy, only the unyielding determination to survive and protect what was left of my former world.
A couple of weeks later.....
As I stood in the dimly lit guild hall, the atmosphere was tense with anticipation. The request on the notice board had caught my eye immediately - a bounty for an adventurer killer named Osso Bear, the notorious enemy number 13 on the Adventurer Guild's list. This despicable murderer had taken the lives of over 79 people, stealing their loot and gears without a shred of remorse.
Osso Bear had become a legend, a ghost haunting the shadows of the Frontier City. His crimes had earned him a staggering bounty of 2.5 million Online Credits (O.C.), but no one had succeeded in bringing him in, dead or alive.
The mere mention of his name sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest adventurers.
As I gazed at the bounty poster, my determination surged within me. I knew I had to accept this request, not just for the bounty, but to put an end to the reign of terror that Osso Bear had inflicted upon innocent adventurers.
I also had a personal reason - vengeance for those whose lives he had callously stolen AND....punishing criminals gives me the excitement that I needed, just like in the Alien Wars in my past life.
ANYTHING I do against this perp, justice will be on my side....hehehehe.
I had no illusions; this would not be an easy hunt. Osso Bear was a Gold-Ranked desperado, skilled and cunning. However, I had faced formidable opponents in the past, and I knew my abilities as an adventurer could match his.
But killing the kind of criminal like him outright would be too merciful; I wanted him to suffer, to feel the weight of his sins.
With a determined nod, I took the bounty and set out on the trail of Osso Bear. The journey took me through treacherous forests and rugged mountain ranges, following the scattered clues left by his previous victims. Each life he had taken left a trail of grief and pain, and I vowed to bring justice to their memories with a side dish of torment and pain.
Days turned into weeks as I doggedly pursued Osso Bear, tracking him through his twisted path of destruction. Along the way, I encountered several other adventurers who had tried and failed to capture him. They warned me of his cunning and ruthlessness, but I remained undeterred.
As I delved deeper into the hunt, I came across survivors of Osso Bear's attacks. Their haunted eyes and trembling voices painted a vivid picture of the terror he had inflicted upon them. It only fueled my determination to bring him down and ensure he paid for his crimes....and more.
Finally, my relentless pursuit led me to a secluded cavern deep within the heart of the forest. The air felt heavy with malevolence, and I knew I had found the lair of the infamous desperado.
The time had come to confront Osso Bear and put an end to his reign of terror.
With my heart pounding in my chest, I stepped into the cavern, my senses alert for any sign of danger. The darkness seemed to whisper with every step, and I knew that the desperate killer was lurking somewhere within.
Suddenly, he appeared before me, a towering figure with eyes that glinted with malice. Osso Bear sneered at me, his voice dripping with arrogance. "So, you're the one they sent to bring me in?" he taunted, a cold smile playing on his lips.
I didn't waste any words; my actions would speak for themselves. With a swift movement, I unholstered my Magic Gun but it was a faint so that I can unleash an alternative attack....a powerful curse spell, one that would torment him for the rest of his life.
I wanted him to see the faces of every victim he had taken, to feel their fear and pain as he had inflicted upon them.
Osso Bear's expression turned from arrogance to shock as the curse took hold. His eyes widened in terror as he was forced to relive the final moments of his victims' lives. The weight of his sins crushed him, and I could see the torment in his eyes.
"You think you can break me?" he snarled, trying to mask his fear with false bravado. But I knew the curse would haunt him, leaving a hairball-sized burden on his conscience.
With a determined glare, I replied, "No, I don't need to break you. Your own guilt will consume you, and you will suffer for the lives you've taken. Ahh....another soul tormented using justice as a premise....I like it!"
As I left the cavern towing the asshole along with me, I knew that justice had been served, not through death, but through the torment of a guilty conscience. I had fulfilled my duty as an adventurer, bringing down the infamous Osso Bear and putting an end to his reign of terror.
As I made my way back to the guild hall to turn over this asswad to the guild and also claim "that extra icing to the cake" bounty, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The weight of vengeance had lifted from my shoulders, and I knew that justice had been served in a way that no amount of gold could ever buy....plus I get to punish someone wicked, so yeah that too.
The memory of Osso Bear's tormented expression would forever be etched in my mind, a reminder of the power I held as an adventurer and the ecstacy that came with it. The hunt for Osso Bear had been challenging, but it had also reaffirmed my purpose - to protect the innocent and bring justice to those who deserved it....and add my own layer of "justice" as well.
As I returned to the guild hall, I handed in the bounty and collected the reward.
But the true reward lay in knowing that I had made a difference, that I had brought closure to the families of his victims and put an end to the fear that had gripped the Frontier City....I mean c'mon, no one likes a gloomy environment, this Osso Bear just chose the wrong city, with me in it.
The adventure had been somewhat perilous, but it had also been a test of my Curse Spell, if its still as effective as it was in the past....and it was.
I had faced a ruthless killer and emerged victorious, not through violence, but through the power of justice and a magic tormenting spell.
And as I looked ahead to new horizons, I knew that my journey as an adventurer was far from over.
There were many more foes especially criminals to face in the future, and I am ready to embrace them all and give them a hug far worse than you can find in a BDSM (bondage domination sadism masochism) dungeon, for that is the path of an adventurer that is me - to stand against darkness and protect the light....using my very own "darkness"....and more.