I had forgotten the price of strength and immortality. Having died several tis, I knew the pain coming to was going to feel like an eternity.
("Here it cos!") [Solace]
I expected to feel the burning pain of incineration, but this was vastly different.
"Ack!" [Solace]
I dropped to the ground clawing at my neck.
"Alt?!" [Fina]
("I-I can't breathe!") [Solace]
Suffocation. That was a new kind of suffering. It was kind of strange because I don't need to breathe as a spirit.
"Alert: |Sanity| restoration at thirty percent." [Spirit Guide]
I wanted air so badly that I was going to tear out my throat.
"Wilharrow! Leon! Stop him!" [Fina]
Leon and Wilharrow grabbed my arms while Fina tried to identify what was happening to . I still struggled like a mad man, almost forcing my allies to take greater asures.
"|Physical Boost|!" [Wilharrow]
"|Four Ard Enlightennt|." [Leon]
Wilharrow strengthened himself while Leon grew another pair of arms. Even so, I raised hell.
"How is this guy so strong?!" [Wilharrow]
"Alert: |Sanity| restoration at forty percent." [Spirit Guide]
The pain was unbearable. Or rather, was it painful? Instead of just a burning pain in my lungs, it was nothing compared to the first ti I restored my |Sanity|. Instead of pain, it was more like... desire.
"Did you figure out what's wrong with him yet, Fina?!" [Wilharrow]
"He's not breathing!" [Fina]
"Alert: |Sanity| restoration at fifty percent." [Spirit Guide]
I grit my teeth as I teared up trying to bear it. I wanted to breathe so badly that I considered ripping out my lungs to manually pump them.
"Is he cursed with sothing?!" [Wilharrow]
"No, he should be in peak condition! The first hero should've completely healed him!" [Fina]
"Alert: |Sanity| restoration at sixty percent." [Spirit Guide]
I started slamming my head into the ground for absolutely no reason whatsoever. It was like I was trying to feel sothing other than suffocation.
"Stop it! Get a hold of yourself!" [Fina]
She grabbed my head in an attempt to stop , but it ended up with slamming her fingers into the floor along with my skull.
"Ngh!" [Fina]
"Alert: |Sanity| restoration at seventy percent." [Spirit Guide]
It felt worse whenever I opened my mouth to take in so air. Now that I think about it, it was like inhaling as deeply as I can, and then so more. Sohow, it just wasn't enough.
"Maybe this will work." [Leon]
She punched in the chest.
"Leon!" [Fina]
"Alert: |Sanity| restoration at eighty percent." [Spirit Guide]
By the way, it didn't work. It was at this point that I really couldn't bear it anymore. It changed from struggling to force myself to breathe, to throwing Leon and Wilharrow off .
"Woah- He's getting stronger!" [Wilharrow]
"Hold him down or else he'll injure himself!" [Fina]
"|Flux|." [Leon]
Spawning in three of her clones, they threw themselves on like a dogpile.
"Alert: |Sanity| restoration at ninety percent." [Spirit Guide]
Saliva ran down my chin as I could think of nothing other than freeing myself. I can only say that I was going feral.
"Alert: |Sanity| restoration at one hundred percent." [Spirit Guide]
Relief washed over as those words echoed in my head. The punishnt of suffocation vanished, and I stopped writhing in agony. I went limp as I appreciated being able to breathe normally.
"...Alt?" [Fina]
"Are you alive?" [Wilharrow]
I took a few more breaths before replying.
"Yep. Leon, can you call off your clones?" [Solace]
They were surprisingly heavy.
"Okay." [Leon]
Like that, they were gone. I sat up and casted |Cleanse| to clean myself up. It was also then that I noticed Fina's injured fingers from trying to stop .
"Fina, let see your hands." [Solace]
"Ah... You don't have to-" [Fina]
"Please." [Solace]
I felt terrible. I'm not sure why Fina would want to turn down my healing, but I wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"...Alright." [Fina]
She put out her hands, allowing to use |Small Cure| on them. I also healed the bleeding on my head and the scratches on my neck while I was at it. After that, Wilharrow questioned .
"You've got so explaining to do." [Wilharrow]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
To sum it up, he asked about how I kept coming back to life and if I knew anything about the pain I just went through. I just gave him a really simple explanation about how Hema gave immortality in exchange for suffering.
"The power to avoid death, given by death." [Wilharrow]
"It's weird when you put it that way." [Solace]
"Well, it explains a lot." [Fina]
It was a good thing they were so accepting of it. After all that, I almost suggested leaving the tomb until I realized Raon was still trying to adapt to his new weapons.
"...Hey, how long do you think it's going to take?" [Solace]
"Not sure. Mixing |Divine| and |Demonic| energy is supposed to be an impossible feat. Normally it'd kill you." [Wilharrow]
"Hm." [Solace]
We waited for what seed like hours on end. Matter of fact, we had several als before Raon finished. The mont his synchronization or whatever was done, he fell to his knees.
"B-By the gods that was terrible...!" [Raon]
Raon was sweating from head to toe, his chest heaving as if he just ran a marathon. Seeing him in such a state led to approach him.
"Hey, are you- ugh..." [Solace]
I pinched my nose.
"What?" [Raon]
"Sorry, but you kinda sll like ass. |Cleanse|. |Remove Odor|." [Solace]
Among all my skills, |Cleanse| is in the top ten. It removed all his sweat and whatever dirt or gri on his clothing. |Remove Odor| may be in the top twenty though.
"...Thanks?" [Raon]
"No problem. It was more for than it was for you." [Solace]
I was going to help him get back to his feet, but Raon's stomach growled before I could do anything.
"Feeling hungry?" [Solace]
"Very." [Raon]
I pulled out so jerky and water from my |Item Box|.
"Here ya go." [Solace]
"Just what I needed." [Raon]
As Raon released his grip on the swords bestowed to him by the first hero, they vanished into thin air.
"Eh? Where did..." [Solace]
My voice trailed off as Raon took the jerky and water from my hands.
"Hm? Ah, my swords?" [Raon]
Raon took a bite out of his jerky before speaking.
"I can call them at will. Look." [Raon]
Opening his hand, one of the swords appeared.
"...That's cool. Wilharrow, why can't your divine sword do that?" [Solace]
Wilharrow scratched his head.
"Not sure... Maybe I need to get stronger first. Either that or I lack the divine energy to do so." [Wilharrow]
We allowed Raon to finish eating before thinking of our next plan.
"So, when are we leaving?" [Raon]
"Is everyone well rested?" [Wilharrow]
"I'm fine. How about you, Fina?" [Solace]
"I'm alright. I'll feel even better if you gave a positive answer." [Fina]
"What?" [Wilharrow]
I started coughing. I guess she wanted an answer for her confession.
"N-Nothing. Uh, Leon. Are you fine with leaving?" [Solace]
Leon nodded.
"Then it's settled. Let us depart." [Wilharrow]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
After a few twists and turns, we exited the first hero's tomb.
"Huh?" [Solace]
I expected to be greeted with desert heat, but I was embraced with winter's cold. What once was a field of sand, was now a field of snow.
"It's that ti of the year." [Wilharrow]
Back on Earth, I never got to experience snow very much. It was an amazing sight to see snowflakes floating down as far as the eye can see. As I stared into the horizon, I saw a small bird co towards us.
"Oh, I think that's mine." [Wilharrow]
Raising an arm, the small bird roosted on him. It kind of looked like a pure white fat pigeon. Emphasis on fat. It had a rolled up letter tied to its leg, which Wilharrow took and read.
"What's it say?" [Raon]
Wilharrow went silent for a bit.
"It's just the temple asking for a progress report. |Summon Fla|." [Wilharrow]
He burned the paper and let it mix into the falling snow.
"Alt, can you give a charcoal stick and paper?" [Wilharrow]
I forgot to ntion that sotis he used a stick of charcoal to write. I tried it once, but I really didn't like how the ash stuck to my fingers like chalk.
"|Item Box|." [Solace]
I handed him the materials. It didn't take long for Wilharrow to write sothing down before sending the fat pigeon on its way.
"Alt, can you contact your senior disciple when we get back to Lithik?" [Wilharrow]
"What for?" [Solace]
"He seed to have a large information network. I'd like to ask for advice." [Wilharrow]
There were two things that bothered with that. First of all, I didn't know "network" existed in Astral. Second, I don't know how to contact Nakros. He's always co to .
"Uh... sure." [Solace]
Was all I could say.
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