–Chapter 4–
Title>>> The Sanctum of Eternal Judgment
The Sanctum of Eternal Judgment felt wrong in every sense of the word.
The air inside felt like solid webs of darkness. Thick and suffocating... Pressing down on Takeshi’s skin like an invisible weight.
The dimness of the room soon vanished as glowing crystal veins that ran along the walls and floor flared to life.
They pulsed with a strange deep blue light. The men looked at each other with horror in their hearts and eyes.
Takeshi knew the end was near, even though the fools believed that it was actually a trial.
"So if we survive this. Can we become like Erling?" The man that was a gamer asked.
"You idiot," Takeshi said under his breath.
"I just want to go home to my wife," the other man croaked.
With nothing else to do. They began walking forward. The deeper they walked into the large chamber, the stronger the invisible pressure became.
They didn’t take up to twenty steps forward when one of the other men started breathing hard. "I... I do not feel good."
The third man fell to his knees. "My head... it hurts so much."
Takeshi felt it too. The pressure pushed against his body. However, something inside him started to react. A strange warmth grew in his chest. He kept walking forward while the others struggled.
Suddenly, the gamer screamed in pain and his body shook violently. Blood began pumping out of his nose and ears simultaneously.
Then he collapsed with a silent thud. His hands and legs went pale and lifeless immediately.
The married man’s face drained of blood completely as he tried to run back to the door. He only made it a few steps before he fell as well.
His skin began to crack like dry earth. Falling away in small pieces like chaff. He screamed in pain for a long moment until he stopped moving completely.
The third man looked at Takeshi with wide terrified eyes and a cracked voice. "W-what is this place? We are going to die here. We are going to die..."
’I have been saying that from the beginning you dimwit.’
But the third man did not finish his sentence when the growing pressure crushed him. His body folded and mangled in unnatural ways even as blood sprayed across the glowing floor
The last man standing was Takeshi. His heart was pounding like a drum against his ribs.
He stood alone now with three bodies laying around him. A small graveyard forming around him in real time.
Even with all the deaths, the pressure grew even stronger. It felt like a giant’s hand trying to squeeze him flat. A different level of pain filled every part of his body.
It was as if ants burrowed inside of his skin, biting and chewing at his body as well as his sanity.
’So this is it? This is how they dispose of me.’
’It wasn’t even a swift death.’ Takeshi sneered inwardly.
Crash!
He fell to one knee. His vision turned completely blurred. However, the warmth in his chest grew hotter. It fought back against the pressure without stopping.
Something deep inside him was churning, spiralling and waking up to his new reality.
Suddenly, a blue window appeared in front of him.
[Infinite Mana Core has awakened.]
[Temporary Mana Absorption Initiated.]
The pressure that was killing the others now felt different. Instead of crushing, it rushed into him. Takeshi gasped as power flooded his body from different directions.
While this happened, the glowing crystal veins around the chamber dimmed slightly. The mana from the ancient ley lines poured into him like an uncontrollable wave.
Takeshi’s body convulsed and every cell in his body felt nourished. Brimming with unrestricted power.
And the pain?
It changed into something else...
Potential!
The absorption became stronger and stronger and what was meant to end his life turned into something he didn’t yet understand.
Fwish!
A bright mismatched light appeared in the center of the chamber. Glowing and spreading as three ancient mausoleums cracked and broke. The seals on them shattered completely.
And from within the broken pillars, three women stepped out.
The first one was tall and voluptuous. With twisted horns rising from her temples framing deep, piercing, glowing infernal eyes.
Her skin flashed with perfection, seemingly flawless but Takeshi could feel heat pouring directly from her.
However, she stretched her body like someone who just woke up from a long sleep.
The second woman was completely different, she had long, straight silver hair and broken black wings.
Her appearance was elegant and graceful, but her dual colored eyes showed a deep conflict.
The final one looked different as well. She had long wavy crimson hair and porcelain pale skin. Sharp fangs peeked from her lips teasingly. She carried herself like
a queen.
Almost like a hive mind. All three looked at the dead bodies littered on the floor, then at Takeshi.
It became obvious that they sensed something in him. Their eyes narrowed and then widened ever so slightly.
The horned woman spoke first. Her voice was strong and fiery. "A human who survived the nexus’s pressure? Is that possible?"
The silver haired woman looked at him carefully then licked her pink lips. "Your mana... it f–feels endless."
The crimson haired woman smiled slowly. "You broke our seals without even trying. Are you even mortal?"
Takeshi stood up slowly. His mind was clouded with confusion but power still flowed into him.
He raised his head and looked at the three women. They were clearly dangerous and extremely powerful. However, for some reason, they did not attack him.
His ordained death had taken a weird turn and weirdly enough. He was slowly getting turned on by it. Or was it by them...
He took a deep breath and decided to speak honestly. After all, he didn’t have anything to lose.
"The kingdom threw me in here to die like trash. Same as those three." He pointed at the bodies of the other men.
He was about to plead for the women’s assistance then something shifted in his mind. He recalled how Isabella had smacked his balls.
’That damn bitch,’ he gritted. Standing up like a tower.
"If you want revenge on them too, maybe we can talk."
He paused and turned towards the sealed entrance of the Sanctum, his eyes burning with the essence of revenge.
"Other than that..you can fuck off--"
"--I would do it alone."
The three women looked at each other in shock. Something twisting in their chest. Then they looked back at him.
The horned woman grinned wildly. "I like this one."
And in that moment, Takeshi felt something click inside him and a new window appeared.
[Eternal Pact skill activated.]
He did not know what it meant yet. But he knew one thing for sure.
His life in this world had just begun.
–End of Chapter–
A/N: If you like the story... Add to Library and support with powerstones.