Chapter Thirty-Four: Sliver of Time (Bonus Chapter)
"Wrong." The voice echoed as the daggers fell.
Dusken's mind raced for a response, his expression hardening.
If marriage wasn't the answer, then what came after love? Perhaps there was only one other possibility. Scenes replayed in his mind, vivid and pressing.
After the marriage, he cried, holding the lifeless bodies of two people dear to him. His newly wedded wife stood beside him, her hand gripping his tightly.
Another scene emerged. Him, sobbing before a broken bridge, watching the final shadows of his people he cared for sink into the depths of the ocean.
These scenes replayed over and over in his mind, but he suppressed them all, albeit with great difficulty. His eyes were distant and unfocused as he muttered.
"Death. That's the only thing after love." His words were spoken softly, but the voice still heard them.
The daggers halted, mere inches from his head. Dusken paid them no attention as he watched the labyrinth slowly shift, creating a path forward.
The voice spoke again, its tone imbued with the wisdom of experience.
"Why?" It asked.
Dusken took a step forward, crossing into the new path that had opened before him, before answering.
"Simply because I was a fool. Marriage can't come after love, only death." His words were laced with a dark, resigned confidence as he continued.
"There is love between siblings. Do they marry? There is love between a child and his parents. Do you wed? There is love in a family. Do they also marry? The answer is no.
"Love is a tree with many branches, and what comes after it is death. Not only love, but everything in the world. All things end, no matter what. Devoured by death, embraced by death, and being pitiful within death. This is the cycle of life, and this is what comes after love."
As Dusken spoke, tears tears shone in his eyes, but he didn't let it fall.
Time passed in silence, with no response from the voice. Eventually, it spoke again.
"So, for your third question..." Before the voice could finish, Dusken interrupted, already anticipating what was coming.
"I've passed. You asked your last question already." He spoke calmly, his voice unwavering.
However, in the next instant, a fury-filled voice boomed throughout the area.
"I didn't declare that you passed, remember?" The words, thick with anger, reached Dusken's ears.
Even so, Dusken merely smiled.
"I'm already in the place opened up by the labyrinth after my second question. Why did you think I entered here before answering your question?" His words were cool and unbothered, in stark contrast to the voice's growing fury.
"You scheming bastard. I am the inheritance spirit of this place. Without me, you can't claim the inheritance. Go ahead, we'll meet soon enough, hehe." The voice's malicious laughter echoed, and a new path opened up before Dusken.
Without a second glance, Dusken walked through the path and found himself standing before a palace. He had no idea what this second stage involved, but he suspected that the answers lay within the castle.
Dusken knew he had to hurry; someone else could be completing the second phase even as he stood there.
However, before he could take a step, a cloud of black gas flew toward his location, slowly coalescing into the form of a young woman.
She had long, raven-black hair, deep onyx eyes, and flawless pale skin. In her hand, she held a small book, her clothing clung tightly to her body as the wind blew, and a long, pointed hat rested on her head.
Her hands were covered by opera gloves that extended over her elbows.
Dusken recognised her instantly - Witch Madonna. His heart merely skipped a bit as her piercing, dark eyes locked onto him with unhidden curiosity.
'A level nine expert, as expected. Her presence alone intimidates me,' Dusken thought inwardly, not in the mood for a confrontation.
Madonna sniffed the air, her eyes gleaming as though she had found an interesting new plaything.
"Young child, I smell the scent of the Abyss from you. How about you come with me, and I'll teach you the dark ways?" Her voice was calm and soothing, almost luring.
She took a step forward, her long legs moving with an ethereal grace.
"Tell me, are you an Abyssal Crest, an Abyssal Companion, an Abyssal Earth, or an Abyssal Star?" she asked, her tone curious.
Dusken's heart skipped a beat.
'Did she just ask whether I am an Abyssal Star?' He froze. He didn't even know what the other Abyssal terms she had mentioned meant.
'Abyssal Star is just my talent... Why is she asking about it?' Dusken thought warily as he spoke up, hoping to gather some information.
"I don't know what you mean. What is an Abyssal Star?" He asked, trying to probe.
However, to his surprise, Madonna didn't answer his question. Instead, she waved her hand dismissively.
"You don't need to know. Now follow me." Her voice had turned cold, and as she spoke, her right hand morphed into shadowy tentacles, shooting toward him.
Dusken immediately moved, but his strength was no match for a level nine expert. In an instant, the tendrils reached him, grabbing his arm.
Dusken gritted his teeth, trying to break free but couldn't. He felt the threat of death looming over him like a shadow, trying to suffocate his heart.
Witch Madonna took a step forward, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. She raised her left arm, preparing to knock him out.
Dusken stared at this, a strange calm rippling within him. Ever since his arrival in this world, he didn't care about others, just pursuing things that made him happy.
If killing a boar made him feel excitement, then why not? If burning a village could make his blood rush, then why not?
Dusken had no regrets, because in this life, he pursued what he wanted. He didn't let the world rule him, bind him with unnecessary emotions and dominated his fate, giving him a bad ending.
No, it was all him. He chased after what made him human and now, in the face of death, there were no regrets.
But before Madonna could land her blow, a force shot toward her, sending her reeling backward.
Dusken looked up, startled to see a young man with brown hair and blue eyes. Clad in red and black armour, he stood with a sword in hand.
Dusken instantly recognised him—Bryan, the man who Madonna had fought back in the plains outside the forest.
Bryan's gaze shifted to Dusken, his eyes filled with curiosity at why Madonna had attacked the child, but he didn't waste time on questions.
"Get going, kid, now!" Bryan shouted as he charged at the rising Madonna.
A battle soon erupted between the two. Dusken could barely keep track of their movements. Only blurs were visible to him as they clashed with a speed that defied his comprehension of swiftness.
A loud voice suddenly boomed across the entire inheritance ground.
"THREE HOURS LEFT TILL DEATH!"
Almost immediately, another announcement rang out.
"THE SECOND PHASE HAS BEEN CLEARED!!!"
Hearing these words, Dusken gritted his teeth and ran forward without a second thought, heading straight for the open door of the massive castle.
As soon as he entered, the voice that had guided him through the labyrinth spoke again, outlining the requirements for the second phase while laughing maliciously.