Chapter 18: Gladiator Tournament [2]
"Cool equipment? For what joy?" Garry asked upon hearing Vaughn's question.
"Well, to ensure my victory, what else?" Vaughn added confidently.
"If you give me something to boost my strength, I will have a better chance to win," Vaughn continued, emphasizing the importance of having better gear for the upcoming challenge.
Upon hearing this, Garry tapped his chin, contemplating Vaughn's request. He knew that Vaughn was speaking the truth, and he began considering the idea of providing him with some formidable weapons and armor.
"I will let you know about that later," Garry finally responded.
"For now, let's head back to the room. I will have your name registered within 2 hours..." Garry assured Vaughn and the rest of the group.
With that, Vaughn and everyone else began to return to their quarters. Vaughn wasn't naïve enough to believe everything Garry said, but he sensed the sincerity in his promise this time. It was because Vaughn could read Garry's thoughts, knowing that the man was genuinely considering providing him with better equipment.
[Garry: I need to get him a good sword and armor.]
Vaughn, Genie, and Moon were now back in their room, but the journey had been far from easy. The guards they encountered along the way stared at them with intense hostility, as if their gazes could pierce right through them. Even after they entered the cage, the other slaves made sure to keep their distance from Vaughn. In the past, when Vaughn was weak and couldn't even lift a finger, he was constantly bullied by the other slaves. But now, after witnessing him kill someone, they didn't dare to provoke him, thinking that he had regained his previous strength and prowess. This sudden change in Vaughn's abilities left both Moon and Genie puzzled, and they had questions they couldn't help but ask.
"Brother, are you alright now? Has your disease been cured?" Moon inquired, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Vaughn took a moment to respond, his mind racing with the best way to explain his transformation to his friends. He wanted to be honest with them, but he also needed to be cautious about revealing too much.
He turned his gaze towards Genie who was also curious and before explaining anything, he asked them to take a seat.
After having seated, he then began explaining, of course, making up some lie.
"My disease… I think it is decreased.", Vaughn said.
"Eh? So you are not fully cured?", Moon and Genie asked simultaneously.
Vaughn shook his head.
He thought that he was lying and thought that this was a brilliant cover for the sudden change that had happened in him, unfortunately, what he spoke was facts.
[Just letting you know, what you said was the truth. You are still affected by the disease.]
The system revealed it to him.
'Huh?', utterly surprised, he stared at the screen in front of him.
As mentioned, Vaughn had gained the memories of the previous owner of the body. And in those memories, he was indeed affected by something incurable - something that would undoubtably lead to death. However, the affected individual won't die immediately. It would be a slow progressive disease.
But, when he reincarnated, he was no longer affected by the pain that was in the memories, so he thought that he was cured.
However, the system mentioned otherwise.
'Then why am I not feeling the pain or anything as such?', Vaughn asked.
[That's because you are still within 24 hours protection limit.]
'Huh?'
[Yes, you have only 5 more hours left. After that you will start experiencing all the previous pains and sufferings of the body.]
'Hell no.', Vaughn was utterly frightened now when he heard that.
'What disease is it exactly?', Vaughn asked.
[It's an Auto-Immune disorder in which the cells of your body destroy each other.]
[This makes one immensely weak and sensitive to other diseases. Also, your lifespan decreases.]
Upon hearing this, Vaughn was devastated. He asked, 'So, how long do I have left?'
[23 days.]
"…"
It was as if the entire world around him had turned black. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but remain shocked.
The system, further added something that made Vaughn have a change in emotions.
[Even with the disease, you should have been alive for at least 10 more years. But it's due a curse that your lifespan has decreased.]
'Curse?'
[Yes, a curse from the World God.]
[He has put a Death Curse. You will die, but your soul will never rest in peace and will go inside the next low creature, such as a goblin.]
[Then you will have another 24 days after which you will die again, and go to a much weaker creature, like a donkey.]
Vaughn clenched his fist upon hearing that. His anger surged, his eyes turning red momentarily.
Moon and Genie, who kept calling out to him, remain confused as he didn't reply to them. It was as if he was lost in something else, in his own world.
"Brother!"
"Vaughn!"
And after raising their voices sufficiently high and shaking him, he finally replied.
"Ah, yes?"
"What happened brother? You suddenly stopped talking…", Moon said.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about the upcoming tournament…"
'Tell me, is there a way to increase my lifespan? And probably, ways to cure the disease?', Vaughn asked immediately, after calming himself.
[Yes, there is.]
[There is a set of separate missions aimed at increasing your lifespan.]
[As for the disease, you just need to level up in order to gain a stronger immunity. But to cure it completely, you need to find some magical herbs.]
Upon hearing all this, Vaughn realized that he still had a chance and had no time to waste.
The Gladiator tournament, it was important and perhaps the first step in becoming stronger and gaining reputation and by no means would he live as a slave. Also, it was necessary to escape the death sentence.
'Alright, show me the missions to increase my lifespan.'
[LS increment missions:]
[#1 Reach Lv.10] [Rewards: increase lifespan by 10 days; 1 stat point.]
[#2 Win 3 battles in the Gladiator Tournament.] [Rewards: increase lifespan by 30 days; HP recovery pill x1]
[#3 Win 5 battles in the Gladiator Tournament.] [Rewards: increase lifespan by another 20 days; MP recovery pill x2]
[#4…]