Why was an element of his otherworldly dream appearing in reality? Or was this a dream instead? Was he still in the awakening ceremony? The more Elias thought about it, the more confused he became.
He even felt like he was starting to hallucinate as a semi-transparent screen materialized before him.
...
Awakening Mission: Kill the person who left the deepest trauma in your heart.
Mission Grade: Depends on the method of completion.
Mission Reward: A suitable awakening class, based on the method of completion and soul compatibility.
...
It took him a moment to focus on the screen that was seemingly issuing him an awakening mission.
He was reminded that he was taking part in the Awakening Ceremony, which had finally begun when he touched the crystal on top of the pillar.
Ever since he learned that his so-called brother was behind the destruction of Earth, he had been planning to kill him. He always thought his class would help him kill that bastard.
He never thought that he would need to kill him to even get a class in the first place. Moreover, this wasn't even reality. Even if he killed that bastard here, it wouldn't affect anything in the real world.
Unfortunately, his situation wasn't good for completing this mission. The mission just had to be in a situation where he was on the verge of death with a knife stabbed in his chest.
He couldn't even move a single finger, let alone be able to kill that bastard.
If he could move, he would have taken the knife from his chest and attacked the young man. But even then, he didn't think it was possible.
There were many people around the young man, belonging to the Ashborn Family. If he were to attack, they would definitely stop him.
He had already seen how strong even the servants of the Ashborn Family were, let alone the guards that came here to protect a descendant.
Even if he somehow managed to get past them, Dreke Ashborn was just as dangerous. He was strong. No, calling him strong was an understatement.
Elias wondered if this awakening mission was mocking his helplessness? At least that's what it felt like.
"Why is he still alive? Why didn't the virus take his life?" Dreke Ashborn asked out loud, finding it hard to believe that there was a person who could survive the virus created by a Virus Grandmaster.
"Is he immune to the virus?" A guard suggested. "Young Master, maybe you should try a different virus."
"Is there even a need to try a different virus? Why not just kill him directly?" Another guard chimed in, trying to catch the attention of the young master.
"He is a part of this world. That means he is a part of this test. I need to have him be killed through indirect means, using my abilities. That's the whole purpose of the practical."
He had to destroy this world using a virus to pass the test, so he brought a virus created by a grandmaster. But the young man was somehow immune to it.
If he killed that man directly, it was a failure for him. He couldn't afford failure. He had to kill the boy, using his abilities.
"Shift him to the temporary lab. I will create a new virus that will definitely kill him." Dreke told his men to drag Elias back and to make sure that he didn't die. "I will not let an insignificant insect make me fail!"
Elias, unable to lift even a finger, was at their mercy. He was dragged away by the guards of the Ashborn Family.
A spatial cube was used by Dreke to create a lab in this world, which carried all the toxins that he had managed to gather throughout the years. Some of them were so toxic that even giant beasts could be killed with a single dose.
Still, he didn't use those toxins directly. He had Elias tied to a patient table before drawing the knife out of his chest.
The excessive bleeding was also stopped, thanks to the initial treatment which was just enough to keep him alive, albeit suffering from pain.
From that moment onwards, began another nightmare for Elias. Every day, Dreke created a new virus that was injected into Elias' body.
Even if the virus wasn't as strong as the virus that had ravaged the earth, they were still the best that Dreke could create.
Throughout the day, viruses spread through Elias' body, taking control of all his bodily functions. He could only scream in pain as the virus destroyed his body from the inside.
Still, to Dreke's surprise, Elias survived every day. It made Dreke feel as if he had found a good research subject to create the greatest virus, one that was even stronger than the virus of the Grandmaster that he used on Earth.
Every day, he tested the virus, improving it even further. He was also extremely cautious to make sure that he wasn't infected in the process of creation. Even if he had some immunity to viruses, thanks to his class. But it wasn't absolute.
On the tenth day, the sun had started setting in the sky when Dreke came to check on Elias' condition, who was barely alive.
"It looks like the virus is reaching perfection. Just a little more modification and it might be the end." Dreke never looked as pleased as he did now, not even on the day when he was boasting about destroying Earth.
Having gone through so much torture, Elias had almost forgotten that this was a test. If it wasn't for the screen that was a constant reminder, he would have already gone crazy, confusing it with reality.
Unfortunately, even if it was not true reality, it was still extremely painful. It would have been much better to be dead by now than to suffer this constant torture at the hands of the person he wanted dead.
"Is this awakening ceremony or a punishment for me?" He couldn't help but wonder. The pain and confusion seemed to have no end.
And yet, deep down, he still held onto a glimmer of hope that this would all lead to something better in the end.
If he gave up now, then all this torture would be for nothing. He had to succeed in the trial, no matter the cost. But at the rate his body was being broken, he was certain that he wasn't going to last another day.
He had to do something before morning. He had to get out of here. But how? His hands were still tied to the table, and he didn't have the strength to move.
The virus had already destroyed most of his body, from the inside out. He could even see his flesh that had started to rot. He had no control over his facial muscles, and he was constantly drooling through no fault of his own.
"Mmmm!" He tried making a noise as he couldn't say a word anymore.
"Aaaaa!" He tried again. He needed something... anything! Just a little help was all he needed.
"Aaaaaaa!" With great effort, he roared even louder, hoping to catch the attention of anyone.
There was no human who was still alive on Earth. So the only people he could hope to catch the attention of were the guards outside this lab.
Albeit, his voice fell on deaf ears, and no one came inside the lab. Through the night, he was lying alone inside the lab, like a puppet of fate.
Eventually, the dreadful moment arrived. It was the morning of the day that was reserved for his death.
The door opened, and Dreke stepped inside the lab, carrying a fresh smile on his lips.