Chapter 26 - So Pure, So Bright
Suddenly, another item appeared in front of Bell.
"Again!?"
This time, the item turned into light and shot straight into Bell's brain.
A cool, refreshing sensation swept through his mind, calming the throbbing nerves caused by the agitation of his flesh and blood from earlier.
The pain that had been building inside him was completely suppressed, replaced by an extraordinary sense of tranquility.
All the surrounding sounds vanished.
In that silence, Bell slowly closed his eyes.
"So quiet..."
His tense body began to relax. His muscles loosened, and even his soul seemed to float out of his body.
[Meditation--a state of silence where humans can reconnect with the world.]
[It brings the intuition of being the first to act in battle.]
[It is the purest impulse within the human soul.]
[The perfect opportunity and the harvest of knowledge.]
[A focused mind that brings false to reality.]
[The road ahead may be unclear, but the power reveals the truth.]
[Eyes that awaken in this state, able to see everything clearly.]
[A deep hunger in the soul, always reminding their desires.]
[The kindness that remains even when betrayed, though it can sometimes lead us to abyss.]
[Endless knowledge symbolizing prosperity and the desire for life.]
[The notion of death constantly flowing, symbolizing the approaching end of oneself.]
Eighteen items with different symbolic meanings turned into points of light, entering Bell's body one by one.
Power, far beyond what his body could handle, surged into his being--vitality, strength, and flexibility all flooded in at once.
At the same time, Bell's body was on the verge of breaking down under the pressure of these forces.
But then, the prosperity emerged, like a drop of life-saving water, pulling him back from the brink.
His almost dead body was revived.
The notion of death, once at his door, slowly crept upward, symbolizing the rising power of end.
Black lines spread across Bell's body in an instant. But the prosperity suppressed the end, restoring life to him once more.
The hunger constantly craved more, feeding off the notion of death, making Bell's soul throb with hunger, yearning, and an urge to devour.
The black lines were slowly eaten away by his soul. A small light began to appear in his otherwise empty soul, flickering like the light after devouring the end.
But soon, a thick barrier formed around the soul, cutting it off from the outside world.
The power from these items were too overwhelming, causing Bell's body to collapse several times.
But thanks to the life force from prosperity, his body was revived each time it failed.
Through this cycle of collapse and rebirth, Bell's body was restructured, his organs strengthened, and his life force slowly increased.
Even though Bell was in a deep state of meditation, he was aware of the changes happening in his body.
Because he understood this change, Bell resisted the urge to break free from the state--especially after he realized that the changes were positive.
Only when everything subsided did Bell pull himself out of this state.
"!!!"
The pain coursing through every organ, every cell, was so severe that Bell couldn't even scream.
"I knew it... I knew it..."
"Thank God I didn't break out of meditation earlier, or I'd be completely screwed right now."
The pain in his body was one thing, but the pain in his soul was another.
The lines of the notion of death had crawled up from his ankles, like a parasitic force slowly spreading through him.
If the other items hadn't fought back against it, Bell's body would've been completely devoured.
And because his soul had devoured part of the end/the notion of death, the pain was unbearable, like it was being torn apart.
That thing was definitely not something Bell wanted to experience again.
He almost wiped himself out
Leaning back against the door, Bell felt the pain gradually subsiding. But he knew that this wasn't true relief--the pain hadn't really lessened. It was more like his body had gotten used to it.
Using the door for support, Bell staggered over to his bed.
Today, he was utterly helpless.
This kind of pain wasn't something he'd recover from in a day. The pain in his body was far from gone.
If he tried to go to the dungeon like this, he was pretty sure even goblins could take him out.
It hurts a lot!
"I've never heard of a item that takes half your life away."
Lucky for him, he didn't die this time, or Bell wouldn't even know where to begin crying.
He had no idea that one-star and two-star items would have such terrifying effects.
If he'd known it'd be this painful, he definitely wouldn't have opened them.
Lying down on the bed, he carefully pulled the quilt over himself. Honestly, Bell felt exhausted after all that pain.
Maybe it was his body's defense mechanism kicking in. He didn't fight it--he just let the drowsiness take over and fell asleep.
Even after falling asleep, though, Bell's body occasionally twitched.
The pain he'd just endured had been far too intense.
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Syr POV
The warm, lively atmosphere of the Hostess of Fertility surrounded me as I moved between tables, balancing trays like I had done a thousand times before.
I set a bowl in front of a group of adventurers, barely glancing at them.
Their souls weren't anything special—dull, worn out, just like so many I'd seen before.
They weren't what was on my mind. My thoughts kept going back to him.
That boy in the trench coat.
He'd only come in once, passing through the tavern like a shadow. His hood had covered most of his face, but his soul... I'd never seen anything like it.
Bright, pure, untouched by the world.
For a moment, I had nearly forgotten to breathe. My grip on the tray had tightened, and I had to remind myself to keep my smile in place.
So pure. So perfect.
Even now, thinking about him gave me a rush. He had a Falna—I was sure of that. That made him even more beautiful.
He could be mine, if I acted fast enough.
"Oi, Syr! Move it!" Anya's voice cut through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality. I blinked, realizing I'd been standing still, lost in my own world.
"Coming!" I called out, forcing a smile as I grabbed two mugs of ale from the counter.
As I walked to a table of adventurers already deep into their drinks, I couldn't help but compare them to him.
Their souls… dull, dirty, weighed down by ambition and the Dungeon's corruption.
I handed them their drinks, smiling as they cheered, but inside, I felt nothing but disgust.
Filthy.
These adventurers, with their Falna-marked bodies, were nothing compared to the purity I'd seen that day. Their souls were dark, stained by years of fighting and greed.
They made me sick, but I kept up my pleasant smile.
"More ale, Syr!" one of them called, waving his mug.
I nodded and turned away quickly, eager to leave. Every time I saw souls like theirs, it only made me want him more. It was driving me crazy.
Where was he?
Would he come back?
I needed to see him again. To feel that light. He wasn't like these adventurers. In all my time as a goddess, I'd never seen anything like it.
"Syr!" Anya's voice snapped me back again, and I sighed inwardly. She was glaring at me from across the bar, her ears twitching. "You gonna stand around all night or help with these orders?"
"Sorry!" I called, grabbing another tray of food. I needed to focus. Freya couldn't slip up while pretending to be Syr. The adventurers were watching, and I had to play my part.
But I couldn't stop thinking about him. It had been such a brief moment, but I couldn't forget the way his soul had glowed. So bright. So pure. I cursed myself for not acting faster, for not getting him into my familia.
Still, He would be mine. No one else deserved him. Only I could understand how precious his soul was. Only I could help him reach his true potential.
As I moved to another table, Chloe glanced at me. "You're acting weird tonight, Syr," she teased, suspicion in her voice.
"Am I?" I laughed lightly.
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Honestly I didn't know how to write first pov. Though, I tried....
Aww, expecting any yanderer?
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[IMG of my fav danmachi char]
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