1,000,000 Karma: My Reward Is a Quiet Life-Chapter 38: Consumed By Darkness
By the time he processed what might’ve been a half second, he left a trail of fading shadows. At the speed he moved, attempting to stop resulting in his boots gliding over the bumpy footing as though it were sleek ice.
He turned himself around amidst his inhuman sprint, only managing to partially fill his now aching lungs. Of course, entering a world of nonsensical agility didn’t come with free passage; an intense strain was already setting in on his muscles. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
There was only one figure in the darkness remaining, illuminated by the stray flame left above; the true, unhidden form of the outlaw. At that very moment, Bonid stood between himself and the mage, though seemed unsure of who to keep his focus on.
Noah was confident he could reach the twisted man before he even took a single step towards Astrid, though he immediately realized there was no need to intercept him–Bonid was coming straight for him.
’Come on, then,’ Noah welcomed the head-on challenge.
In his right hand, he clenched the wooden handle, and in his other, he squeezed the grip formed of mana; it was cool to the touch, like a solidified breeze.
[Tintri]
He closed the distance with a single stride, filling his lungs while re-entering the world of speed. While he led his axe towards the disfigured man’s throat, by some miracle, Bonid avoided the swift decapitation. There was something different about the mole-faced man, a fundamental change–
In that spare moment as his blade missed and the bandit was leaning back, he saw it:
Empty sockets stared back at him, accompanied by a smile as if Bonid was experiencing an ecstasy unlike any other.
’His eyes–they’re gone?’ Noah realized.
Without letting the freakish development get to him, he spun around, leading the replicated axe towards the leaned-back man. The possibility of the sharp edge meeting the freak’s abdomen was stripped away as Bonid sank right into the ground.
He only caught a glimpse of that grin disappearing into a puddle of shadows, stomping on top of it, only to hit solid ground. Time and time again, it was shoved back into his face that he couldn’t so much as scratch the elusive man.
’He’s–’ His instincts kicked in a moment faster than his mind.
As he turned around to confront the figure emerging from the shadows, his body failed to listen. It was like he was ripped back into reality; every muscle recoiled as blood spat from his mouth.
’Tintri...Shit, it pushed me over the limit, didn’t it?’ He realized, gasping out.
In front of him, the scabbed lips twitched eagerly, plunging the daggers right for his chest–
"...Cast onto this suffocating darkness: O’Aether Grandspectrum!"
The invocation filled the chasm, followed by a warm mana that swelled through the cold, dank air. All at once, light surged through the lightless domain with such brightness it burned to look at. Noah shut his eyes, though it still had a singe to it, hearing what sounded like the hiss of a feline from the lurker before him.
’I get it...An absolute light! There’s not a single shadow left in this place–nowhere for this guy to worm his way into!’ The thought surfaced as he forced his eyes open.
While he struggled to adapt to the sheer brightness, he could make out the man just a couple strides in front of him. For Bonid, there was no adapting; it was as if the light itself burned his skin, like a magnifying glass brought over a helpless ant.
"It burns! It burns! It burns! It burns! It burns–!" The shadow dweller repeated with cries that tore his throat.
Noah raised both axes, crossing them while clenching the handles with a firm grip. In that moment, he didn’t let his own consciousness weigh him down, questioning if what he was doing was right or wrong. More so than the actual monsters he vanquished, he felt the being before him was more heinous.
[Mega-Chop]
Bringing both weapons down, a cross slash roared through the room of light. There was nothing restrained as even the rocks around them were cut by the resulting wind, leaving sweat splashing from his chin and onto the ground.
With an "X" shaped scar surely being left, the outlaw fell into the lake beyond the eroded stone with an echoing "dunk."
"Haah..." He breathed out.
Glancing back, he gave a thumbs-up to the learning mage, who returned the gesture while catching her own breath.
[EXP: +15,000]
[Level 10 Reached.] [Current Experience: [11,300/30,000]
[Body: 1300] [Spirit: 1300]
["Close-Quarters Combat" Proficiency Up +50] [130/999]
["Dueling" Proficiency Up +10] [10/100]
["Axe Mastery" Proficiency Up +10] [204/999]
[Skill(s) Acquired: "Download" | "Giga-Chop" | "Martial Master"]
While he caught his breath with the light finally fading, leaving trailing particles, one more notification presented itself:
[System Evolution]
["Of All Things"]
[--The ability to level and strengthen any and all objects with enough usage has been obtained.--]
While the flood of knowledge and power integrated itself into his very being, he felt the axe in his hand change form. It was more dense, yet lighter for him; the handle became black, of an enigmatic steel with a matching blade.
["Woodcutting Axe"] [Lv. 95] [Designation: S-Rank Weapon]
’It’s different now? I guess it works retroactively–neat,’ he thought.
As he found his adrenaline settling down, he began to turn to the elf with the intent of "getting the hell out of there by any means", or so he had hoped: the underground lake behind him interrupted any such plans.
It erupted as if something with incredible mass was rising from the depths, and "something" did indeed.
"You have to be kidding me," Noah exhaled, clenching his axe readily.
From abyssal tentacles, the man-eater rose, writhing with pure madness spilling from his lips in a constant chatter. From the wounds suffered by the axes, the bandit’s arms hung loosely by torn shoulders, with burnt skin and pores that exuded light.
"Swallow the light! Swallow it! Swallow it! Swallow! Swallow! Swallow!" Bonid spewed out with a disregard for sanity.
In all directions, the enigmatic tentacles thrashed, kicking up the once tranquil lake and smashing into the cavern’s flesh. Noah brought himself to the elf’s side, unsure of what to make of the rapidly deteriorating mad man.
"We need to get out of here...!" Astrid hurriedly said.
While he agreed with the mage’s sentiment, they both paused before fleeing into the tunnel passage. All at once, the maddening chattering ceased; the thrashing stopped, and the half-dead outlaw tensed up.
"...No. No! Why me?! Why me?!" Bonid suddenly screamed, his raspy voice echoing through the chamber. "I was loyal! I served–I served...! I will not be food...!"
It was hard to make out as the man hovering upon tentacles was dozens of meters away, though as he squinted, he was certain of it: Bonid’s body began convulsing violently. From the way the corrupted figure’s flesh bulged, it was like worms swam beneath his skin.
"Please, don’t...!" The harrowing scream left the outlaw’s mouth.
–Then, it erupted.
Squelch.
The accursed cannibal’s stomach burst open, immediately drawing a shriek from the elf before she covered her mouth. From within the man’s now opened body, black hands emerged, grabbing at each part of Bonid’s now quivering form.
Noah couldn’t look away, as if his eyes were forcibly fixated on the grotesque phenomena: the anomalous hands folded Bonid’s body into itself, as if the gored stomach was a gateway into another realm.
’It’s...consuming him?’ Noah witnessed.
While it felt like an hour, the vile process lasted only moments before every part of the outlaw was consumed in on itself, leaving no remnants of "Bonid."
A solid minute passed standing there in silence before he finally eased, realizing the threat was gone as even the lake fell still once again. He turned around, finding the girl on her knees, huffing with tears running down her face.
"You alright?" Noah asked calmly, kneeling down to check on her.
"I...Just, seeing things like that..." Astrid struggled to find the words.
"Yeah, don’t think I’m going to get used to it either," he said, extending his hand.
It took a moment for the sniffling elf to accept it, being helped to her feet as they both now had a new memory burned into their minds.
He looked towards the silent lake, left glistening by the watchful minerals, "So, what was that about anyway, you think?"
"The spell I used on him...Grandspectrum...It burned him and left a glow on his body," Astrid put together as if realizing it at that moment. "He was a follower of shadows, so...I think having a body that produced light was an unforgivable sin to the god he served."
"Then that’s what it was that did that to him?" Noah listened before letting out a quiet sigh, scratching his head. "That’s a cruel path to follow."
Astrid stepped past him, along the narrowing bridge that overlooked the quiet lake, clasping her hands together.
He watched as she closed her eyes as if committing to a prayer. It was a familiar sight that invoked a certain warmness.
["...Even across worlds, all this way, some things remain the same. Through strife, we’re all connected."]
"Please guide his soul free of torment," Astrid whispered gently before opening her eyes.
Noah silently prayed for the same, watching tiny sprites fluttering above the lake into the wishful unknown. Of course, he loathed the criminal for what he’d done, though in death, there was no room for further spite.
["I was given a second chance at life because I lived in a way that didn’t bring anybody else down. I just wonder, if for people like Bonid that walked a selfish road, if there’s a chance for redemption–in another life, as another person."]
