Chapter 63 - The First Fragment of the Inner God
Fuck! I want to scream! I just want to scream with happiness, but I can't. Wait! I'm too damn happy, I don't even know what this means. All I know is that it came from the black flower that the Inner God gave me when I defeated him. Fuck! He gave me the flower before being thrown into the empty abyss, but I had already defeated him when I mentioned those words. Damn! This makes perfect sense. That's why the fight isn't a battle to the death, but rather a counsel where you have to seek the answer within yourself. Fuck! I had the answer with me the whole time.
Luke was in his part of the cave. It was just him there. Him and his torch, the corridor was in a corner, and his section wasn't visible. But Luke made sure no one was spying on him anyway.
Time to figure out what the hell I just awakened… with all due respect, of course. I'm just too damn happy. Where did I see this fragment 1 thing? I saw it written somewhere… wait, it was in my status. Back then it said I had no information? No, it said something like information temporarily unavailable. I remember it was something like that, I didn't pay much attention back then thinking it was some systematic thing. But it's not a fucking system, the status is me… a part of me, that is. What that notice meant was that I didn't have the information on the fragment. So understanding the fragments… is understanding more about myself and my Inner God? There's only one way to find out. I'll look at the status and check what's written there.
[Name: Lucan
Age: 16
Familiar: (Not acquired)
Gem: Ember
Color: Orange
Segment: Dissident
Element: Void
Description: You are someone lonely inside and out, you are an empty being.
[Card Inventory]:
(Single Torch), (Common Broom), (Howling Battle Hammer), (Midnight Cloak),
(Ozymandias' Cursed Diary), (Holy Canteen)
Skills: [Intangibility], [Master of Puppets]
[Consumed Fragments of the Inner God 1 of 5]
Description: A gift was given to the one who deserved it
Fragment 1 [Scarf of the Void]: Do you wish to use the fragment? ]
There! It's there! Something really changed! Oh, no… what do you mean use the fragment? It's asking me a question… should I use it? What will happen if I do? The fragment's name is Scarf of the Void… is it a skill? What exactly is this? Should I? Should I really use this fragment? Evangeline knew! She knew about this thing the whole time, she told me I had only claimed a fragment of my Inner God. She told me this damn information right at the start! I had the answers all along! I… should thank Alice! No! I should give her a present or something! Forget that… at least for now. I have an important question right in front of me. I'm being asked if I want to use it, should I? Who am I kidding, of course I'm curious! But what will happen when I use this fragment? Should I do something like this here? If I were alone, I would… I don't know, maybe not.
I don't know what's going to happen, if shit hits the fan, I'll run to Alice and explain everything. But will I survive? What does it mean to use? Screw it, let's go. I'm stuck in the Oblique World in an unknown region, abandoned and completely screwed, and I've fallen into a Campaign Map with giant creatures inhabiting the ocean, and I need to find a way out of this place. I definitely should use this thing, what's the worst that could happen? Oh, no! I shouldn't say that near an important decision like this. It's decided, I'll use it! But how do I do that?
[You have successfully used]
What? How? Already? I didn't even say anything… I mean, I thought it, so does that count?
Luke waited for something to happen. He sat there, looking at his status screen, and the phrase 'Do you wish to use the fragment?' disappeared. He stared at it and waited. Sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, he waited.
Damn it! I got excited for nothing.
Then, a drop of black liquid fell on his face.
"What the fuck is this?"
Standing up, he was startled. On the wall was a hand, a white arm with black veins coming out of the wall. It was like the arm was just passing through the wall with intangibility.
"What is this? How is this possible?"
Suddenly, another arm came out of the wall, then another, and then another. Many arms emerged from the wall, and he backed away from that horror scene. The arms were pale, seemingly feminine, with something black like several black lightning bolts tattooed on them. They started moving and then tore the wall apart.
Crack!
A rift was made, and the entire wall cracked and opened, the opening completely black.
"A portal?"
Luke peered into the opening; it was a dark room with white floors.
What is happening?
The scene changed to black. It was a void… an endless darkness where nothing existed.
Staring at the hands, he asked, not expecting an answer: "What do you want to show me?"
The hands turned towards him and pointed to the black rift.
"You want me to go in there?"
No fucking way…
The hands gave a thumbs-up.
"Hahaha no fucking way."
They stopped giving the thumbs-up and drooped as if they were sad.
Luke peeked into the corridor and simultaneously at the bizarre scene of numerous arms in a wall with a black rift.
How am I going to explain this shit? If Alice comes here, I'm screwed.
"Al-alright."
Luke started walking towards the portal.
I'm not going, no way. I hear whispers in there…
Suddenly, Luke fell back.
"Fuck! You!?"
Falling to the ground in shock, he stared at the figure in front of him. The black ghost was there. Only part of its body emerged as if using intangibility to pass through the portal; only the top half was out of that black wall.
"Hey there, old friend…"
Luke said, staring at the black figure.
The black ghost stared back and then tilted its head to the side.
Shit! It still does that creepy thing…
The black ghost moved its arms.
I think I fucked up. I shouldn't have used it… I'm screwed.
The black ghost stared at him again, then claws extended from its fingers.
I'm screwed!
The black ghost plunged both hands into its chest and ripped it open in front of Luke.
Gods! What am I seeing? I don't know if I should run or keep watching this horror.
The black ghost was opening its own chest... and everything inside was black. It looked like an even darker darkness was within it. From that darkness, the black ghost pulled out a thread. It looked like a strand of hair, a long strand of hair. Then, it held the hair strand towards Luke.
"It's for me?"
The ghost nodded.
Luke trembled a bit and then took the black strand from the black monster that stared at him.
And now, what do I do? Don't tell me I have to open my chest and stick this shit inside?
The black ghost retreated into the darkness, and the black rift began to vanish as if it were a puddle drying up. Then the hands started entering the wall, one by one disappearing. Luke stood there staring at the wall, holding a long black thread in his hand.
[You have acquired the Talent: Scarf of the Void]
What?
Luke stared at the now normal wall, then at the black thread. He felt like a child holding the thread delicately between his fingers. He looked at the black thread and still didn't understand.
"Luke!" A voice came from the corridor.
"Are you alright?" Alice entered the room.
"Yes… ugh… did something happen? Is it my guard shift?"
"No… I just thought I heard something. Sorry, have a good rest."
"No problem, thanks."
Patiently waiting for her to disappear down the corridor, Luke stood still… and then remained in place for another 5 minutes just in case she returned.
When he was sure everything was fine, he took his hand from behind his back and looked at the black thread.
"What are you?"
He asked the thread.
The tip of the black thread moved like a snake, its end facing Luke's face.