Kanstiv’s face was a storm of rage and confusion. He couldn’t totally comprehend the situation, but thinking clearly about it, it could be true.
Because, after all, that would explain the changes in their king. The difference they’d been sensing from him.
An imposter.
"What did you say?" Kanstiv questioned. His tone was tight with sternness.
His hand gripped his sword, poised to unsheath it any mont.
But Koul wasn’t paying any mind to him. He was in a more dreadful position.
His eyes were stagnantly wide, staring into the distance.
All around him were glowing red screens blinking on and off. They signaled the prominent danger that had co.
All read: [You have acted out of line]
Koul was overco with fear. Never had the system announced his mistakes in such a flashy way.
[You have acted out of line. You shall be punished]
[Launching penalty ...10... 9... 8... 7]
Quickly, Koul summoned his status window and scrolled to points. He made to pay the penalty with his points, but—
[!! Insufficient balance. Cannot pay the penalty with points]
I’m so fucked.
His eyes remained wide with dread as he watched the countdown to his penalty. He was frozen.
The vice captain who was ready to wield his sword against Koul whom he deed an imposter, couldn’t bring himself to.
He could see the dread in his eyes. Although the reason eluded him, he could sense the fear oozing from Koul.
His thoughts were taken over by worry.
Could their king be getting controlled? Was he being threatened? Had his ntal health deteriorated so much it caused him to say that?
Kanstiv stepped forward, calling to Koul.
"Your majesty. Your majesty."
But as the countdown reached zero, a loud beeping sound pierced Koul’s ears. It was akin to the ones from a heart monitor, signaling the death of the patient.
And in the sa mont,
PLOP!
Koul plopped back on his bed. Stiff and still. Breathless.
With fear and desperation, Kanstiv surged forward, screaming, "Your majesty!!!"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Koul’s eyes fluttered open to a new surrounding. He was standing in the middle of an empty vast room.
His eyes imdiately swept around to take in the air and new environnt.
It’s still the palace...?
He was confused as his gaze scrutinized everywhere. Although he was still in the palace, he was in a secluded room.
It was vast with few furniture and swords here and there. He’d never been there before but he knew it was inside his palace due to the decor.
And how co? I definitely died.
He couldn’t mistake this. He knew for a fact that he had died the mont the count down turned zero.
But now he was in a place that wasn’t his chamber. How co?
He thought it to be ti rewinding but it hadn’t always been like this when ti rewound in the past, so he scratched that thought.
This is sothing else.
Before his confusion could mount any further, an all familiar screen appeared.
[Penalty has comnced]
Penalty: Continuous death until oblivion.
Price: A life for a life. Offer an equal amount of compensation to stop the penalty.
Reward: Reality blot from when you revealed the truth.
Ti Limit: 12 seconds.
Death Count: 4/10
Remaining deaths: 6
Continuous death ans expending all my death counts till zero. And then.. permanent death?
Goosebumps spiked from Koul’s body. The weight of the situation was heavy and pressing down on him.
But... an equal amount of compensation ans a life!
I have to kill soone to stop the penalty?
Just as he reeled from his situation and reality, the ti limit turned to zero.
And once again, he died.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Koul opened his eyes again to the sa surroundings and scenario.
Death Count: 5/10
Remaining Deaths: 5
His chest rose and fell with each pant. His body was precipitating furiously.
I need to... kill.
Even if he knew this, the act was too heavy for him. He might’ve been rough in his past life, but he’d never killed anyone.
Koul’s eyes fixated on the ti limit, watching it go down.
Why am I even hesitating? The mont I was thrown here, I should’ve known it wouldn’t be easy.
I should’ve long prepared my mind for it. And if I can’t do this, I can’t achieve my revenge goals.
He turned around swiftly, looking around for any present soul. But no one. He could find none.
The place was as quiet as a graveyard.
I need to find soone!
His eyes darted to the heavy door. He intended to run out to look for sobody, but he hadn’t even lifted a foot when the ti limit ran out.
Again, death!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Life. He opened his eyes again, panting.
Death count: 6/10
Remaining deaths: 4
Without wasting a second, Koul bolted to the door. He attempted to swing it open but it was heavier than he thought.
With great difficulty and bulging muscles, he succeeded in pulling open the hefty door.
He shot out, coming into a long corridor. It stretched long on both sides.
Koul’s gaze darted left and right, thinking which way to go. But the ti wasn’t waiting. For his liberty offered only little penance.
He snapped toward the right end. But he had only covered a minor distance when the ti ran out again, and he t death.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Death count: 7/10
Remaining deaths: 3
He awoke again. Not outside in the corridor. Back in the room, on the sa spot as the first.
Fuck! He cried inwardly as he snapped to the door.
Twelve seconds were too little. There was no single soul nearby. It would be impossible within such a ti fra to reach outside and even think of killing anyone.
And if he reached outside, could he even bring himself to kill a person? And that too, in front of people?
Koul, however, didn’t relent. He didn’t want to. He couldn’t afford to lose the chance of exerting revenge on the people who killed him.
’This is a punishnt. And if there’s a price to pay to stop it, then it’s definitely attainable,’ so he thought.
But yet again, before he could reach far, the ti was exhausted.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Death count: 8/10
Remaining deaths: 2
As Koul pulled open the door and stepped out into the corridor, his motivation diminished.
The ti limit was too short. He wasn’t fast enough to reach outside so quickly and kill soone that fast.
He was plunging into the abyss of hopelessness.
Maybe I should just give up.
But as he reeled in hopelessness, a low voice drifted into his ears. Soone was humming.
Koul’s gaze shot to the direction; the right side of the corridor.
He didn’t know if it was because of the situation that he was too stressed to notice, but there was another door at the right side of the corridor.
Not too far from the door he stepped out.
Without hesitation, Koul snapped forward, and t a guard strutting forward.
The guard halted the instant he saw Koul.
"Y-y-your majesty!" He scread in a stamr. His nerves shot up, and panic imdiately overtook him.
He wasn’t there to do anything shady. He was running an errand when he happened to co across Koul.
But after what Koul pulled in front of everyone the first day he left his seclusion, many had been traumatized from it.
While the guard reeled from Koul’s presence, distraught and in a panic, Koul took the chance.
With every strength in his body, every will, he surged forward, faster than he had ever gone.
In panic, the guard leaned back, confused. But Koul’s hand instantly reached toward the guard’s sword, unsheathed it and—
STRIKE!
He struck down at the guard. The cut started from his neck down to his chest, diagonally.
Blood sprayed on Koul’s face and his clothes.
The guard maintained consciousness for a mont before his lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
Blood also splashed onto the hem of Koul’s garnt and his feet when the body collapsed. And before and above the lifeless body that pooled blood on the floor, Koul stood gallant.
The ti limit that turned zero just in the mont Koul struck the guard, froze.
Then after a mont, the screen appeared.
[Host has paid the price]
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