[Onver's Pov]
Onver found solace in his candy house. The interior of his abode resembled a small dormitory, with a white bed tucked away in the corner.
Beside the bed, a window allowed one to glimpse outside the hut showing a dark and gloomy atmosphere outside
The walls of Onver's candy house were adorned with intricate purple carvings, reminiscent of delicate circuits.
These carvings created a mesmerising pattern, there were nodes where circuits collided.
To further enhance the ambience, purple marbles were strategically placed, at the place of nodes casting a soft, ethereal glow throughout the space.
In the centre of the room, there stood a table, serving as a focal point. On this table, an array of weapons and flutes were meticulously arranged.
Onver was sitting on the bed thinking deeply About something!
I attempted to cast an illusion using my flute, but it did not last for very long.
Whenever the illusion remained active, I had to manually control the flow of mana through the flute.
I arranged the mana particles in a systematic order, shaping them into a desirable form.
Now, let's try again. I reach for my flute, which I had crafted from my bone during my previous battle with a giant knight.
Placing my fingers on the remaining holes, I blow air into the flute, manipulating the airflow to generate different sounds.
The air collides with the walls of the flute and vibrates, producing an enchanting and sweet melody that echoes throughout the candy house.
The sound resonates with the surrounding mana in the environment, causing the mana particles to transform into runic symbols.
Memories flood my mind as I recall my first encounter with these symbols and the incident involving Ailith, where I nearly killed her while trying to excel them.
Shaking off those remnants of memories, I focus on the vibrating runic symbols and manipulate them through the melody of my flute.
Gradually, the symbols arrange themselves in a systematic order, taking the shape of a skeleton.
As I change the tune of my flute, new symbols are generated, this time in shades of red, pink, and orange. These symbols align themselves on top of the skeleton, forming muscles.
Continuing to change the tune, more runic symbols appear, eventually forming a skin-like layer. These symbols travel and attach themselves to the red phantom dummy.
Finally, my illusion is ready. It resembles me in many ways: red eyes, black hair, modern attire, pale skin, and a muscular build. I move my hand through the phantom, demonstrating that it is simply a mirage.
I let out a sigh. If only I could make it real, I could have created a clone of myself.
Perhaps then, I could have released my psychotic thoughts and acted out my darkest desires without consequences.
I would have tortured my illusions without anyone questioning or interfering.
In that state, I would be free from society's rules and norms.
Yet, I realise that even now, I am bound by the fear of being discovered and judged for my thoughts. The remnants of Earth's justice system still linger within me.
Regardless, I press on. I know that shortly, I will succumb to my desire to kill. It will not be for selfish gain, but purely for the satisfaction of my twisted thoughts.
I resolve that I will not harm the innocent. It is as simple as that. If, by some chance, I end up taking an innocent life, I will find a way to frame them for a crime they did not commit to satisfy my twisted desires.
What?! Why am I even considering such thoughts?
A sudden sound echoed outside the Candy house, distinct from the skeletal illusion I had created. I was certain it was not the noise produced by the animated bones. Curious, I moved towards the window, gazing out at the surroundings.
A beautiful smile curled upon my lips. There, amidst the bushes, stood a human figure, approximately 20 metres away from my house. However, in an instant, the figure vanished into thin air.
My mind raced with questions. Who could this person be? Were they a living human, or perhaps an undead creature?
The thought of it being a zombie excited me, as it would provide a fitting excuse for me to eliminate it in the name of self-defence. I could satisfy my bloodlust and escape any consequences.
If indeed it were a zombie, then it would possess decaying flesh.
I gave little thought to the concept, focusing on the anticipation of witnessing the creature's agonized screams as I removed its skin and extracted its spinal cord.
A recollection of the ancient punishment I read about on Earth surfaced. In that particular method, the victim's back would be opened, and their ribs would be extracted to form wings.
The lungs were then affixed to the extracted ribs, creating a macabre sight. It was an eerie and magnificent splendour that captivated my imagination.
Placing such a figure in front of my house would serve as a gruelling welcome for any unsuspecting guests.
Unconsciously, I stepped forward, drawn by the sound. As if propelled by an unseen force, I gradually made my way outside the Candy house.
Step by step, I cautiously advanced, my senses sharpened, longing for a revelation. I couldn't help but wonder how I would react if I were faced with a living, breathing human.
The possibilities raced through my mind, each one presenting its own set of actions.
Finally, I stood before the figure. It leaned against the trunk of a leafless tree, its support melding with the pure blackness of the tree itself. And there, in front of me, stood a human-like creature
The figure possessed striking features, with purple hair adorned by a single red strand. Its eyes were a vibrant red, with purple pupils, while its skin appeared unnaturally pale as if the very life force had been drained from it.
Multiple injuries marred its body, evident by the purple blood seeping from the wounds. The purple blood indicates this being was not of a familiar human species, but rather an otherworldly creature that bore a resemblance to one.
Cloaked in ragged black robes that resembled those worn by magicians, the figure exuded an air of mystique.
Its clothing was tattered, riddled with various holes, allowing glimpses of purple beneath the fabric, evidence of the purple bloodstains it carried.
With closed eyes, the figure breathed heavily, victim to its severe injuries. From its condition, it was clear that it was not a zombie, and also not human.
Contemplating my next course of action, my mind raced with possibilities. Should I search the figure's clothing for valuable artefacts or ancient spells?
Perhaps it was a creature of immense power, like a dragon or phoenix, teetering on the edge of death. Could aiding it grant me access to its legacy, making me the rightful successor of its power?
The possibilities stirred within me, each one luring me towards a different path.
That was the moment when his eye met mine without any delay. He jumped at me like a hungry, horny wolf, devouring his mating partner in both ways.
" Wait, what the hell am I comparing? "I swiftly dodged his attack as he was injured and couldn't fight properly.
As he moved in the air, drool flowed from his mouth, as if his purple blood was surrounding him. Again, I swiftly dodged his attack. He is not human and I can kill him, there is no doubt.
But he looks human, with his circular face passing near mine, giving me a chance to look into his red eyes with purple pupils.
His trembling lips indicated that he was suffering from something. A cold breath collided with my face as it escaped his mouth
. His hand rested on my abdomen, I counter-attacked, finally making a decision. He is not a human.
With that, I snapped my fingers. A thin layer surrounded my hand, allowing me to activate the barrier with a powerful blow.
I punched his abdomen and my hand pierced through, causing him injury. I am powerful. Aha, so what if he was injured? He was the one who attacked me first.
To my surprise, he was still struggling.
His head moved closer to my ear and he had a smile on his face.
Instantly, memories from my dreaded nightmare resurfaced.
In this position, I struggled without any counter-attack. I couldn't think clearly, and the only thing that came to mind was to run.
I tried to flee from his grasp, but I couldn't free myself, perhaps due to my trauma.
He said something However, his comment reminded me of the entity from my dream.
Panic consumed me as I searched for anything to escape. I fought to free myself, but suddenly, I experienced an intense headache.
He said something in a strange language and His body suddenly blasted apart, and a purple-glowing core floated in the air. It entered my mouth, and I gulped it down.
The next moment, I experienced an intense headache, as if my head was about to split apart. The pain was similar to when my eyeball popped out in that shocking laboratory incident. I grabbed my head trying to soothe the pain and lost consciousness.
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-•{[Author's Pov ]}•-
Alen and his party members ventured into the cave, in search of anything suspicious.
The members split up, with Joseph accompanying the ship's captain, Rossna, with Naro and Alen exploring the cave alone.
After a handful of time had passed, they all regrouped to share their discoveries about the cave.
As they sat against the wall in front of a throne, a purple hue illuminated their surroundings.
Above them, there was a bone sculpture of a snake, complete with two purple marbles as eyes, and its forked tongue extended outward, divided.
The snake's shadow cast upon the entire party, breaking the silence.
Joseph cheerfully spoke up, saying, ''Believe me, this entire cave is intricately carved inside the mountain. It's as if someone meticulously sculpted it. There are multiple rooms, such as storage rooms, bedrooms, and even a shallower area.''
''The bones have been used to form these animal carvings on the wall,''
Joseph moves his hand pointing toward the statutes
. ''While some of them look strange, many of them appear familiar. I can imagine that the snake looming over us is a descendant of basilisks." he pointed toward the snake above them
"Furthermore, the throne covered by a giant mouth resembles that of a dragon. "
"The bird carvings seem to be descendants of rock and bacula species.''
Alen silently listened to Joseph, despite being 23 years old. Joseph always acted like a child when he encountered architectural wonders - it was his hobby.
Joseph continued to admire the view and explained that there was a room filled with countless weapons, another room entirely dedicated to flutes, and yet another with peculiar, unconventional furniture.
''In that room, there are chairs and beds, all made of a mysterious white material,'' Joseph's eyes narrowed as he continued. ''However, interestingly, none of them seem to be very durable. It appears that someone was practising different designs to strengthen them later, possibly carving magic runes on them.''
Before Joseph could finish his sentence, he was interrupted and silenced by Rossna and Alen.
Alen turned towards Rossna and Naro, asking, ''Naro, what do you think? Were any runes used? Are there any alchemy principles applied here?''
Naro faltered a little before responding, ''No, I believe someone was just bored and carved these things in the cave. I think we can remove them without any problem...''
Suddenly, as those words escaped from her mouth, the ground trembled. ''Kyaa!'' she screamed swiftly,
''I think we shouldn't dwell on that,'' Alen suggested.
The trembling ground quickly seized when Rossna also voiced her agreement.