As I struggled to find my way through the depths of the Bloodwell, my mind was awash with a torrent of thoughts and emotions. Jasmine's words echoed in my ears, her final plea to let go of her, to forget her. But how could I? How could I simply erase her from my heart, from my mories, when she had beco such an integral part of my existence?
The pain, the sorrow, the overwhelming sense of loss threatened to consu . It felt as if I were drowning in an ocean of grief, unable to resurface for air.
But still I pushed forward, propelling myself upwards through the dark, viscous liquid, my arms flailing in a desperate attempt to break free.
Jasmine's revelation had shattered my illusions, revealing a world far more complex and treacherous than I had ever imagined. Beings watching over , seeking to harm , exploit , and dispose of . It was a chilling realization, a stark reminder that I was not simply a passive observer in this realm of magic. No, I was a player in a dangerous ga, one where the stakes were higher than I could have ever anticipated.
Her ntion of "him," the one who was listening and against whom she fought for control, only deepened the mystery. Who was this enigmatic figure, pulling the strings from the shadows? What did they want from , and why was I being drawn into their machinations? The questions swirled within , intertwining with the lingering threads of Jasmine's presence.
But amidst the confusion and uncertainty, one thing remained clear:'I couldn't let myself beco a pawn in their ga.' Jasmine's parting words echoed in my mind.
With each stroke, each kick of my legs, I propelled myself closer to the surface, my determination fueled by the love and mories I held for Jasmine. She had co herself to deliver a ssage, to warn of the perils that awaited. I couldn't let her effort be in vain.
As I broke through the surface of the Bloodwell, gasping for breath, I felt a renewed sense of purpose coursing through my veins.
...
I sat in the hidden Chamber, looking at my palm like I had found a new toy. Blaze was in front of , asking random questions about what happened in the Bloodwell, what I saw, and whom I t. But... haa, I can't tell him. I don't think it's even sothing I should be thinking about.
"She is no more," I continuously replayed her facial expressions and the way she said it... yeah, she crushed my expectations from the roots.
Because I don't know why, but I had the tiniest hope that she'd still be around. Why? Because this is a goddamn world full of fantasies. There is magic in here, and isn't magic supposed to make things happen when you least expect it? But... it's no go.
"Why do I feel fucking weak?" I asked and saw Blaze. Unlike the previous tis where, whenever I questioned him, he just went into awkward mode, he was calm this ti. Like he knew why and wasn't trying to hide anything. I felt a little assured that at least he wasn't panicking. That ans everything is alright.
"I'm sorry," Blaze apologized with a straight face.
Well, I take back my words. This son of a bitch!!!!!!
"What do you an, sorry?" I asked, my tone was low.
"Umm... y'know," Blaze fidgeted a little before saying, "You're back to the start now."
... Silence...
"Say what?" I think there was sothing wrong with my ears, maybe because of the water and all.
"In simple terms,of your world, we can say you've had a power reset or sothing close to that," Blaze explained.
"Oh, okay, I get it, I get it," I muttered to myself. Why? Why ? Why always ? Why not soone else? Why does it have to be fricking ? Just why?
"Hey, Princess! Don't die on ! It's nothing to worry about... not much... I an, we should worry a little, but..." Blaze was having a hard ti contradicting his own words.
"You know that Gorthan is still outside, right?" I sighed as I laid on my back.
When we entered this chamber, I'm sure that Gorthan broke out of Eldertree Pillar's bind. That ans he's still there. And if I've actually been pulled back to the starting point, then that ans I have no way of actually fighting that thing with my current strength. Damn it!
"Oh... that's... bad," Blaze agreed.
I lay there on the hard ground for a long ti, feeling tired, exhausted, and, worst of all, stuck.
Normally, there's a way to get out of situations like this if I think about it carefully, but currently, there's no way out of here.
The first problem is Gorthan being outside, ready to kill . The second problem is that I won't be able to fight him properly because my whole body has been rebuilt from every cell. But I don't feel too weak. It's not like I'm back to being a one-star mage, but...
"It's because you're in the Ember Initiate state. It's the starting point as a phoenix chick. It's... um, if I rember correctly, equivalent to a three-star mage in human terms. aning, you've actually dropped two stars in power," Blaze explained.
"How many stages are there?" Since there's nothing else to talk about, I asked.
"Seven, until the Demi-God stage," Blaze answered.
Humans are the weakest of all major races, just slightly above dwarves and a few other remote races. They have to go through sixteen levels. Elves have twelve levels until they reach the Demi-God realm, while beastn have fourteen levels. And beings like dragons? Well, reaching the Demi-God realm is no biggie for a dragon.
*Sigh*
My stomach grumbled, reminding that I hadn't eaten for the past two or three consecutive days.
I got up and scanned the area for my bag that I had brought from the store. I had left it behind when I crawled inside the Bloodwell because, well, there were certain things I didn't want to get lost in the water, including my food.
"Ah, here it is," I said, relieved as I picked up the abandoned bag from the darkness.
The bag featured a spacious main compartnt with a secure buckle closure, along with various pockets and compartnts for organizing travel essentials. Its sturdy handle and adjustable shoulder strap ensured comfortable carrying during expeditions.
"It held up quite well even during the fights," I muttered, examining the torn areas of the bag.
I had set it aside when I was engaged in one-on-one combat, but I kept it with when I was on floors like the fourth and third, which were filled with mobs.
My hand delved into the depths of the bag, desperately searching for sothing edible. Ah! My fingers grasped onto sothing, and as I pulled it out, I was t with the sight of a Kobold's tail. It lay there, its scales glistening under the dim light. But wait, what was this? There was a black thread entangled in the intricate patterns of the scales.
"Hmm..." I tugged at the string, and to my surprise, it revealed a locket—the very sa locket that my mother had given . mories flooded my mind, bringing with them a mix of emotions—Ren's words, the warmth and love of his parents. I had vowed to protect them, and now, holding this locket, that resolve burned within .
I fastened the Winged Pardus's locket around my neck, feeling the weight of the tooth against my chest, and I let go of the bag. It fell to the ground, forgotten for the mont.
Turning my attention back to Blaze, I conjured a small fla in the palm of my hand. I took the Kobold's tail and began roasting it, the peculiar smoke and odor wafting into the air, assaulting my senses. "Gross," I muttered under my breath. It was far from an ideal al, but I had no other choice. It would have been much more convenient if the system provided food as well.
"Hey, Smokeball," I addressed Blaze, my voice tinged with suspicion. "Jasmine ntioned that soone is watching . The system has an owner, but it loses connection with them when we enter the hidden chamber, yet not when we enter the Nightshade Sanctum. Sothing doesn't add up."
"Jasmine asked about my whereabouts, even though I was right in front of her. It didn't make sense for her to ask about my physical location. That ans soone in the dark realm was keeping an eye on . It implies that they can observe even in this chamber, while my physical body remains in the physical realm," I explained, each word carrying weight as Blaze attentively listened.
"But then Jasmine signaled for to stop talking. If the one she ntioned, 'He,' had complete control over her, she wouldn't have been able to do that. It seems like their control is not absolute," I reflected, recalling how Jasmine had gestured to with her index finger, signaling to withhold information about my position in the physical realm.
"However, she had knowledge about Bloodwell. This place wasn't even part of the ga, and Jasmine never played it," I continued, pondering the significance. So, the entity that was eavesdropping on our conversation knew about Bloodwell, just like Blaze does.
"The only individuals who are aware of Bloodwell's existence, besides us, are the council mbers," Blaze exclaid, a glimr of realization in his eyes.
"Council mbers?" I tilted my head in confusion, unfamiliar with this concept.
"It's a council of gods, in essence," Blaze clarified.
"The person in the dark realm must be connected to the council," I deduced, checking off one possibility.
"But the council has nurous mbers. Why would they go through the trouble of monitoring and tracking you?" Blaze questioned, his voice filled with curiosity. "What could they possibly want from you?"
"How'd I know?" I was as clueless as Blaze was.
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[A/N: Mannnn!!!!why is so hard to find the identity of this so called "He"?]
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