I am the Only Son of Chapter 77: Main Path (2)

Chapter 77: Main Path (2)

Gaining a portal to the Furies’ domain, it was a reward.

One that he was entitled to after finishing the exploration quest.

Initially, he thought he would gain access to Nightborns, that holds fragnts of the Furies’ powers. Powers that he could make his own as long as he learned their nas. And seeing the cell confird his thought.

Tisiphone’s appearance made him doubtful, but the night assured him.

That he was going to be fine.

That this was his reward.

But he was wrong to assu that.

As soon as he set foot on the Furies’ domain, he could instantly feel the scorching heat—and the chillingness of suffering lingering in the air. The kind of sensations that could make one’s heart pound rapidly.

And then ca the splitting crack that rang sharply.

Crack—!

Kai’s eyes bulged in shock, and his body collapsed onto the hard stone floor.

A scream tore from his throat, raw and agonized. His back arched violently, folding backward as if escape were possible, while his hand clawed desperately toward the source. The pain was sharp and searing, like his back was burned.

Like a hot iron pressed to the bone.

Not too long ago, he had trained under Noxian’s guidance. It was brutal. His arms were torn, and the bones in them were broken too many tis. And Kai believed his pain tolerance had risen because of that.

But it was still not enough for this pain.

Veins rippled across the skin as tears drizzled down to his cheeks.

It took a good mont for Kai to recover from the excruciating pain. As he pushed himself up the ground, still trembling, his gaze slipped through the gap between his body and arm. And there he saw a pair of legs.

Soone stood directly behind him, draped in a blood-red robe.

And when he properly turned, he sucked in a cold breath.

Behind him lood a ten-foot entity draped in a red cloak.

It wasn’t made of fabric, but blood.

Crimson liquid with the scent of sharp copper dripped to the stone floor in a slow, rhythmic drizzle, pooling in a dark halo around its feet. The entity has no face, covered by the absolute darkness provided by the hood, and in one hand, it holds a blood-dripping whip.

Kai’s blood.

It wasn’t a normal whip either, but a snake with a rough, serrated skin that glead like steel.

Seeing such an entity, Kai’s mind went blank.

He didn’t care about the reward anymore. Did not care what he’d gained from coming to this domain. All he cared about was not to feel the excruciating pain again. To do that, he would need to leave this wretched place.

Screw this place!

Kai stood up and made a run for it, charging straight at the portal with everything he had.

Only a masochist would be able to go through this.

Until he beca one, he wouldn’t dare venture further.

"Perion!"

Kai shouted, calling out Perion, who was on the other side of the portal, also looking worried.

He stretched his hand to help Kai get out.

As his hand was about to reach the portal, a smile of relief crept to Kai’s face.

But that smile was wiped instantly when Perion’s hand folded inward.

It was t with a barrier.

Brak—!

Kai slamd into the barrier headfirst and fell down to the floor. He stared at the portal in utter horror, realizing that he was stuck in the Furies’ domain. And before he could even really grasp the situation, he was whipped again.

Crack—!

"Rarghkk!"

Angered that Kai would even attempt this, the entity didn’t stop there.

It rcilessly whipped Kai.

One vicious swing after another, leaving more and more deep red lines across Kai’s back.

So were even deep enough that the bones underneath could be seen.

Kai could only fold his body inward, drawn tight as a fist. Turning was impossible—the pain spiked to blinding if he so much as shifted. Not to ntion, getting his on his front side would be way worse than being hit on his back.

So, he stayed curled on the floor like a bug.

He endured thirteen strikes in total.

Along the way, he called the night to nd his back, and it greatly helped.

But the pain is still too much, and the world was swallowed by darkness.

Kai opened his eyes after an unknown amount of ti.

Did I pass out?

He focused back to reality and realized he had passed out from the pain and exhaustion. For a second, he was hoping that he would be back in Perion’s domain again. Back to safety. But that was hopeful thinking.

Just like earlier, he was still in the sa corridor. Sa cold floor. Sa wretched scent.

Kai remained on the floor, unmoving.

Since the whipping stopped, perhaps because he passed out, he didn’t want it to start again.

He lifted his gaze slowly, and only then did he notice the distortion ahead—a faint shimr in the air, like heat rising off stone. A barrier. It separated the corridor’s path from the front of the cell, marking the boundary of sothing.

A safety zone, he assud. Or the start of one.

Going back is not an option, so the only answer is to go forward.

Kai then turned his head ever so slightly to check the entity.

It was still there, but now it was cleaning the whip-snake—letting the blood seep into its deep red cloak with an almost casual reverence. Petty anger swelled inside Kai’s chest. Just you wait. Once I’m strong enough, I’ll be the one using that whip to whip you.

He paused for a second and felt his back.

Earlier, while he was being whipped, the night ca down and helped him heal.

But the entity didn’t seem to notice it.

Almost like the night was invisible. That only Kai could see it.

His back was still bleeding and crisscrossed with deep lacerations, but not as bad as earlier.

Kai reached for the night again, testing—and confird that the entity really could not see or even sense it. He let the darkness coil around him, using every stolen mont to heal his back as much as he could.

I can move now. And I certainly can make the dash!

Kai pushed himself up quickly and ran straight at the barrier.

It was so sudden that the entity was too late to react, but even so, it wasn’t slow.

As Kai was a few steps away from the barrier, the whip already lashed out. He was afraid of the pain, so he threw himself forward like an athlete. And he succeeded. He rolled across the floor as the whip was blocked by the barrier.

Kai was only a few steps away from the barrier when the whip lashed out.

Its splitting crack struck him with phantom pain before it even landed.

Fear of the pain seized him, so he threw himself forward like an athlete diving for the finish line. The whip cuts the air behind him, and he rolled across the floor, panting. The translucent barrier shimred as it blocked the whip.

For a second, Kai stayed on one knee

He looked back over his shoulder and saw the entity standing outside the barrier.

It couldn’t get in.

Exhilaration swelled inside him as he stood up and faced the entity with laughter.

"Can’t get

now, huh?!" Kai pointed at its face. "I’ll rember you. Expect

to return."

Slowly, the entity tilted its head, as if amused by Kai’s blatant threat. Then, it began to sink, its form dissolving downward until nothing remained but a glistening puddle of blood where it had stood.

Kai’s heart dropped to his stomach.

Panic flooded his veins before his mind could catch up.

He was afraid that the entity could sohow get in.

But the entity reappeared on the corridor path on the other side, after the cell.

It was only then that Kai realized sothing.

"Are there levels to this place?" He thought aloud with a frown.

Ahead, more cells waited—each one promising sothing more valuable than the last.

But the path to the next was guarded again by the sa entity. Only now that its snake-whip writhed with fire, flas licking along its length like a living torch. A hit from that would be more devastating than the ones earlier.

Kai couldn’t even imagine how painful it would be.

"I see how it is," He raised his hands in surrender. "I wasn’t on the right mind earlier. Don’t mind what I said."

The entity chuckles; its shoulders rose up and down.

Let’s worry about that later.

Kai turned and peered into the cell, hoping to find a Nightborn, but there was nothing like that in it. Instead, at its center stood a single wooden plinth, and atop it, a golden chalice glead in the dim light.

Curious, he stepped into the cell—the door wasn’t locked—and inspected the chalice.

A system panel appeared above it when he approached.

[Chalice of Orestes the First Victim: Pour the blood on any weapon to bestow the blessing of a king and the fatal curse that took the first victim’s life.]

"That’s it?" Kai clicked his tongue in displeasure. "All that pain for this? For a cup of blood?"

He sighed and massaged his shoulder.

Even though he knew this chalice was probably sothing magical that would be really useful, especially since he is going to get his first weapon soon, the agony he went through should give him more reward than this.

But then again, he couldn’t judge right now.

At least not until he tried it.

Once he got the chalice, Kai imdiately left the Furies’ domain without looking back.

Unexpectedly, the portal closes.

He was worried, but when he tried using the night, the portal appeared again.

No need for him to worry about that.

Kai went back to reality and stared at the ceiling.

He rembered using Deep Slumber while sitting, so waking up in a bed confused him. Then Talitha crossed his mind, and he shook his head. Right. He had a servant now. Groggily, Kai pushed himself upright and sat on the edge of the bed.

Being whipped and in pain made him tired even after waking up.

Just then, his forehead began throbbing.

Kai frowned and reached for it, thinking that it was the mark, and then was startled when a stream of energy shot out. It coiled around his hand—and then ford sothing. It ford the golden chalice.

"I can bring things from the House of Night? What about the opposite? I’ll have to test it out."

After hiding the chalice beside the mattress, he checked on Talitha.

She was asleep.

Kai nodded and made his way out, careful not to make loud noises.

He walked through the empty corridor and stopped before a room on the first floor.

Room thirteen.

Kai knocked on it gently, and the sound of muffled footsteps could be heard from the other side.

It didn’t take long for the door to swing open.

Matilda ca to view.

She was wearing black pajamas that looked comfortable, and seed half-asleep.

"Got an idea for a weapon." He said without beating around the bush.

"Alright," She stepped aside. "Co on in."