How could a desperate man possibly resist such a temptation?
And yet, deep in his heart, he couldn't help but feel a hint of doubt.
He had lived for twenty years and never once seen a god. Never once witnessed a miracle. All those things he had heard about—divine beings, magical wonders—were nothing more than lies and illusions.
But did he have a choice now? No. He was about to die. This was his one and only chance to gamble everything.
'I can't die here. I am Lucien Dreadmour. I wasn't born to be ordinary.'
Like a cornered beast gone mad, he lunged forward and devoured the strange black fruit in a single gulp.
A strange surge of energy ripped through his body, as though sothing was tearing him apart from the inside. He gritted his teeth in agony, writhing violently in the heart of the flas.
Black smoke began rising from his body, and soon it condensed into a dark cocoon, wrapping around him like a shield.
His body, monts ago on the verge of collapse, suddenly jerked upright with renewed strength. With explosive force, he ramd through the debris and burst out of the burning ruin.
The fire had scorched his body so severely that his face was nearly unrecognizable, burnt beyond recognition—he no longer looked human.
Only after fleeing far beyond the reach of the inferno did the black smoke around him begin to dissipate. And then, as if all the adrenaline had been sucked out of him at once, exhaustion slamd into him like a wave.
'I'm alive...'
He collapsed onto the ground, unconscious—but with a satisfied smirk still lingering on his lips.
...
anwhile, Dusk was running for his life, unwilling to let the police catch him in such a state.
Near the landfill stood a few hills covered in dense trees. It was a nature reserve, rarely visited, making it the perfect place to hide.
He sprinted all the way up the hillside, only stopping when his legs could no longer carry him. Gasping for breath, he dropped down at the base of a tree.
"Damn it... If the cops had been just a bit later, I'd already have my tenth heart."
Frustration boiled within him. He'd been so close to success—only to be interrupted at the last mont.
Then a sudden thought struck him—he'd left his knife at the scene. A sense of unease crept into his chest.
And worse... there had still been soone alive.
He was now too far away to know what had happened back there. But judging from common sense, soone unconscious in the middle of a blazing fire shouldn't have been able to survive.
Still, three hundred years of experience in a world full of the unexpected had taught him to trust his instincts more than logic.
He couldn't afford to make careless assumptions—success depended on caution.
"System, is that last person dead yet?" he asked, suddenly rembering he wasn't truly alone.
[System scanning... Ding! The target in question is currently still alive.]
Hearing the confirmation, Dusk's expression turned grim.
If that person had managed to survive the situation back there, there was only one possibility—soone had interfered.
'The police were nearby, sure—but not close enough to arrive in ti. Even if they were fast, they didn't have the equipnt to run into that kind of fire. That ans whoever saved him... wasn't human.'
With that thought, he furrowed his brow and looked up at the sky, as if staring at sothing hidden beyond the endless void.
"It seems more of those sealed beings from the Apocalypse have begun to awaken. I don't know the reason, but that bastard must've caught the attention of a powerful entity and received its help. Another troubleso enemy added to the list."
Dusk let out a sigh—but fear didn't show on his face.
Even if it was a powerful entity, let alone this period of ti, even 300 years later, they would not be able to use all their strength to deal with him. Soone who had rely been granted assistance might be a difficult opponent, but not an impossible one.
In his previous life, he had once overheard stories from the ancient past.
Over 800 million years ago, Earth had been vast beyond comprehension, teeming with powerful beings. Humanity had constantly struggled to survive against the demons that road the lands.
But one day, for reasons no one understood, a trendous pressure descended upon all living things—and the Earth itself.
The weak—whether humans or beasts—were wiped out without rcy. All the spirit fruits across the planet vanished without a trace.
The stronger beings, or those with special techniques, were sealed away—when, or if, they would ever return was unknown.
After the last of the ancient beings had been sealed, the Earth took on a new form. The first animals began to appear, and over ti, everything slowly evolved into the world people now knew as "normal."
But now, the Earth had shattered the seal placed upon itself. One after another, those mighty beings from ancient tis were awakening—but their power was severely restricted. Regaining their forr glory would be no easy task.
After a short rest, Dusk stood up and continued searching for a suitable place to sleep for the night.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha..."
A strange, eerie laugh echoed by his ears.
There was no joy in that laugh—only pure, soul-crushing despair.
He followed the sound toward its source. He wasn't particularly curious, but right now he was only one heart away from reaching Rank 1. He couldn't afford to waste any opportunity.
Under the faint moonlight, a disheveled old man ca into view—sitting beneath a tree, his hair tangled, his clothes torn.
Judging by the fabric and cut of his garnts, the man had once been wealthy.
Now, he looked utterly mad, as though he had suffered a terrible shock that shattered his mind.
There was a chessboard in front of him. However, the pieces were arranged strangely, unlike any actual ga.
A tangle of white chess pieces completely encircled the lone black chess piece in the middle of the board.
"Ha ha ha ha... Why? Why?! If the world is a chessboard, then why don't I even have the right to be a piece? What do I exist for?! Answer ! Tell ! Why?!"
The old man's eyes burned with a crazed light as he ranted to the sky—his voice trembling with rage and madness.
Dusk narrowed his eyes. In any other situation, he might've dismissed the man as insane.
But not this ti.
There was sothing off—sothing that didn't fit. The old man's words... were not just the ramblings of a broken mind.
Reviews
All reviews (0)