Chereads / talent of the doomed / Chapter 6 - fruits of oblivion

Chapter 6 - fruits of oblivion

Before he had time to dwell on what had happened, he suddenly felt something cold and sticky crawling across his body. Panicking, he jumped up and shook off the leeches, which fell to the ground with a sickening splat. He looked around and realized he was in a bleak area covered with dirty grass, where murky water trickled down. The entire world around him was shrouded in a thick, suffocating fog that obscured even the closest objects.

He had no idea where he was. The situation became even more terrifying when he noticed the unfamiliar clothing he was wearing, which seemed to be specifically designed for this environment. The feeling that everything here was hostile chilled him to the bone. Every tree hidden behind the fog seemed alien and dangerous, as if touching them would cause him to lose something important. He tried to avoid them, careful not to disturb this strange, oppressive world.

The stench of rot and decay filled his lungs, making him gag. It felt as though thousands of creatures had died here, leaving behind this vile legacy. The dead silence that surrounded him only heightened the sense of abandonment and danger. With each passing minute, the boy grew more doubtful about whether he was in reality or if this was yet another illusion created by his mind. To test it, he tried to create a simple stick in his hand, but nothing happened.

"It seems I've broken free of the illusion, though I intended to stay longer… But where the hell am I?" he muttered, feeling a growing unease. His thoughts returned to what the voice in his head had said about a trial before he was pulled into all of this. He immediately recognized the meaning of those words—a trial meant a test of strength and skill. This strange world seemed exactly like such a trial—cruel and merciless.

He understood that staying in one place would only expose him to greater danger. He took his first step forward, feeling the ground beneath his feet resist, as if nature itself wanted to keep him here forever. Every step was difficult, but staying put was even scarier.

As he trudged through this nightmare swamp, his thoughts returned to why he called himself Kain in the illusory world. The name belonged to the son of the chief guard, a boy whose life was full of sweets and carefree days. The memory of that alien yet somehow familiar life led him to believe that something important might be hidden here. But the memories interfered with his focus, and he pushed them aside, immersing himself once more in the surrounding reality.

The fog began to dissipate, revealing a small patch of dry land ahead. For a moment, he thought the danger had passed, but his hopes were shattered when a strange monster, resembling a mass of slime, leaped out from behind the trees. Panic rose within him, but the will to survive was stronger. He didn't fight; he ran, overcoming his fear and exhaustion. Soon, he escaped from that nightmarish place, and though he found himself once again in the terrifying fog, he felt a strange sense of relief—it was better to be lost in the fog than to face that creature.

Hours passed, and the boy continued to wander through the maze of mud and water, avoiding the monsters that were more numerous than he would have liked. He couldn't afford to relax; every minute was a fight for survival. But when his gaze caught a faint flicker in the distance, hope ignited in his heart once more. In the distance, a tree glowed, but just as he decided to head toward it, it vanished. However, in the next moment, another glowing tree appeared, and then another—as if guiding his way. The boy decided to follow the light, understanding that this might be his only chance of salvation.

When he noticed another boy wandering nearby, his heart clenched. The boy looked lost, exhausted, as if he had long since succumbed to temptation and was now doomed to wander this swamp forever. The boy felt a surge of compassion but decided not to get distracted—his own life was at stake. He focused on the glowing trees that led him deeper into the forest.

Finally, he reached a massive tree that seemed alive. Its roots and branches intertwined, creating a sinister yet alluring image. Next to the tree was a black, mirror-like pond with water that appeared bottomless and terrifying, like a portal to an abyss. But what caught his attention were not these eerie details, but the glowing fruits hanging from the tree's branches. They emitted a strange, mesmerizing light, promising power or knowledge that could change his life. But the boy instinctively felt that this might be a trap.

He began to approach the tree cautiously, not noticing the shadows that started to appear around it—manifestations of his deepest fears. With each step he took, they grew more active, as if trying to drag him into the darkness. When he stepped back, the shadows froze and disappeared.

The boy stopped, realizing that these shadows were dangerous. For some reason, memories of his harsh life flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed them, deciding to focus on solving the problem. After resting for a while, he resumed his approach to the glowing fruits, drawn by their mysterious power, but with each step, the shadows around the tree thickened. They became more tangible, almost touching him. It seemed they knew his fears better than he did. Silence reigned around him, broken only by a faint whisper that arose in his mind as the shadows drew near. The voices were barely audible, but their meaning was clear: "Don't come closer," "You can't handle it," "You're weak." This caused him to retreat again.

Hours passed. He sat on the ground, feeling despair grow within him. He experimented again and again, but the shadows continued to circle the tree. The boy began to listen to these voices. They reminded him of every bad choice he'd made, every mistake, every doubt he had suppressed for so long. The voices whispered about how he had abandoned his past life, how he had betrayed his ideals just to survive. Each phrase struck him with new force.

Over time, the boy noticed that when he simply went to experiment, the shadows were less active. He could think more, but he felt the swamp already draining all his strength.

Trusting his intuition, he set out for the tree once more. His steps were the same, but his mind was resolute, and the shadows began to disperse, as if understanding they could no longer hold him back. They disappeared entirely, along with his doubts, as he approached the tree. Looking at the incredibly tempting fruits, the boy turned away from them and headed toward the pond. He believed that plucking the fruit would be the most foolish thing he could do in his life.

As he reached the water, he didn't hesitate. He took a deep breath and resolutely jumped into the pond. The icy water instantly enveloped him, and darkness consumed his body. But there was no fear—he was ready for the consequences. In the moment when his consciousness began to fade, he suddenly realized that if he had plucked the fruit, he would have been trapped in this swamp forever, like the boy who endlessly wandered through the bog. The fruit was part of his essence, and by plucking it, he would have lost a part of his soul.

In the void where he found himself, there was nothing but endless darkness. A strange voice, the one he had heard before entering this world, echoed in his ears.

— [You chose the most unconventional path and passed the Trial of Essence], the voice announced.

"A trial? So I really did pass it? Or is this also part of some trial?" the boy wondered, when he heard the voice again:

— [The doomed slave has overcome his fears in the spectral bog and passed the unique Trial of Essence without a single kill. You have received no blessings.]

These words struck him, causing a mix of relief and disappointment. He didn't know whether it was good or bad—not receiving a blessing. When he felt a part of his essence, hidden since birth, break free, he knew that something had changed.

— [You have awakened your Essence. Essence Rank: Awakened. Essence Name: Doomed Ghost.]

When the boy opened his eyes, he realized he had returned to the real world. Pain shot through his body, but he felt a strange satisfaction. Lying on the ground, he contemplated the last words of the voice, which echoed in his mind, leaving a disturbing residue. Words that sounded like:

[Welcome back to hell...]