I had no idea how long it had been, but eventually, I opened my eyes to the same bleak surroundings. The cave room was just as I remembered it to be.
Dried blood marred its surface, along with bloody handprints and blood-soaked fabric —leaving one to wonder what kind of violence could have left the cave in such a ghastly state.
I straightened myself and sat in silence. For a few moments, my thoughts wandered toward the future, and I found myself wondering what fate had in store for me.
Would I succeed in my goals? Was what I sought even possible, given the might of the Roman Empire and my current dire straits? And if it was... what would it cost me?
I wondered why such thoughts had even crossed my mind. Did they really matter? Why should I care about the cost? I had already chosen my path, and I would see it through, whatever it demanded of me. But then again... would Mother and Father recognize the person I was becoming? Would they approve of the path I had chosen?
Deep down, I already knew the answer. However, I couldn’t bring myself to accept it.I didn’t want to.
And why should I?!
Tears streamed down my cheeks, dripping onto the bloodstained floor.
Drip. Drip.
They had taken everything from me. So I would take everything from them. What did it matter if I had to become the devil to do so?
Whatever doubts remained within me, I crushed them beneath the weight of my resolve. Yet even as hatred burned within me, another thought refused to leave my mind.
The young Terrisman’s warning.
It was highly likely that I would soon find myself in a dire situation. The young Terrisman hadn’t said when, but somehow, I had the sinking feeling that it was drawing near. Very near.
Close enough that I could almost sense death’s grip tightening around me.
It almost felt as though... my Soul Core was somehow connected to everything malignant and unholy in the world.
I shuddered.
Considering how sinister my awakening had felt, and the inexplicable sense of danger that had accompanied it, I wouldn’t have been surprised if that were the case. Knowing that, however, did little to make the thought any less disturbing.
I exhaled slowly, pushing the thought out of my mind. It was, after all, beyond my control. I was better off worrying about the things I could actually change. To some extent, at least.
That, in turn, brought the tribal factions to mind.
I had offended a number of them. Should they decide to bare their fangs, I doubted I would survive the ensuing hunt. Not as I was now, anyway.
Before that happened, I had to grow stronger. Strong enough to fight my way out of this precarious situation. But how was I supposed to gain such strength? There was no telling how long it would be before I received another Atium Shard, so how was I supposed to increase my chances of survival?
My gaze hardened.
"There has to be a way," I muttered under my breath, my mind racing.
I knew of several methods to get stronger, but none were viable within the pits. They all required rare resources or specific conditions — things that simply didn’t exist in this bleak landscape.
Yet... there was one.
A method that could be performed just about anywhere. The only problem was that the mere thought of using it terrified me. It was pure, undiluted insanity.
However, I gritted my teeth and hardened my resolve.
It wasn’t as though I had any other choice to begin with. Besides, although the mana in the atmosphere had become corrupted and unsafe to use, heralding the age of War and Chaos, everything I had witnessed so far suggested that my Soul Core should be able to withstand it.
At least... I hoped it could.
Taking in a deep breath, I sat cross-legged and closed my eyes, preparing myself to absorb the mana permeating the atmosphere.
There was still the question of how I was going to mask the fluctuations, but my photon absorption field should be able to help with that. To some extent, at least.
That would have to be enough.
Besides, this place was rather desolate to begin with, and the guards stationed outside shouldn’t be able to sense anything. Unless, of course, they possessed some unique ability that allowed them to perceive disturbances in their surroundings. But that seemed unlikely. If they did, they wouldn’t have been stationed here in the first place.
Even so, an unsettling doubt lingered in my mind. Would it be enough?
...Somehow, I doubted it.
A few moments later, amidst the fear and uncertainty, I sensed a sinister energy creeping toward me, its mere presence sending cold chills down my spine.
’Here goes nothing!’ A near-mad flame burned in my eyes as I drew the ambient mana toward me.
For a second or so, my world darkened. A searing pain erupted in my head, quickly spreading through my body as an unbearable pain overwhelmed me. An intense urge to scream rose within me, my eyes turning bloodshot from the sheer pain. Yet even in my muddled state, I knew I couldn’t afford to scream. All my plans would have been for naught otherwise.
I bit down on my lips, clenching my hands against the floor as the mana flowed through my veins, destroying everything in its path. At that moment, I could feel it more clearly than ever.
I was going to die.
Perhaps, somewhere within me, I regretted attempting such a crazy idea. But at the same time, I knew I had no choice. It was something I had to do. However, I didn’t want to die.
I wasn’t willing to.
I could feel tears welling in my eyes as every breath became a struggle. A-am I going to die? A sob escaped me. ’I don’t want to die...’
***
It was at that moment that my Soul Core finally reacted.
Boom—!
As though enraged by the affront of the mana, a violent surge of energy erupted from my Soul Core, slamming into the rampaging mana. For several moments, the two forces clashed in what seemed to be a battle for supremacy.
My organs trembled violently as blood poured from my eyes and mouth, even as my body desperately fought to heal itself. The struggle continued for what felt like an eternity.
Until, eventually, it came to a stop.
The battle had ended.
I directed my perception inward, a faint, weary smile gracing my lips.
...I had won.
That was the last thought that crossed my mind before everything faded into darkness.