My SSS-Rank Class Is Blood Monarch!-Chapter 339 - The World Of Eternal Torment (Part 8)

"Wait, really? What's this place?" Arthur looked up and felt a glimmer of hope appear in his eyes. He was on the verge of losing his mind at the horrible luck he was having. However, he was given another potential opportunity.

"Where is this place? I will go." He said.

"Calm yourself, child. I have told you that I do not even know if it is truly a way out of this place." Yonathan said with a calm tone. "On top of that, if you go there in your current state… You will perish."

"Perish?" Arthur frowned. "Is it that dangerous?"

"Dangerous is an understatement, Arthur. I have spent decades of my life trying to explore it, and yet I couldn't progress beyond a certain point. That place… It is a nightmare. My children have died trying to find a way out." The man said with a tired tone as he closed his eyes.

The entire place went silent as if everyone understood the gloomy nature of what the old man had said. Arthur stared at Yonathan, trying to pry into his words. However, everything he saw and felt was… grim.

'If this man of all people said that… Then it is no joke.' Arthur mused. Even in his weak, almost pathetic state, Arthur felt immense fear from this old man. All his instincts were telling him that he was no man to mess with, even as a fleeting thought.

Yet, that same man told him that this place was a nightmare and that he lost his children exploring it. It didn't look good at all.

But that was not enough of a reason for Arthur to give up. That was simply not an option. He must leave this place at all cost, even if he had to face the worst things a human mind can come up with.

"Still… I cannot afford to stay here, old man. Tell me, what is this place, and how can I reach it?" Arthur asked with a determined tone. His eyes didn't flicker, nor did they hesitate. A fire was burning in them, fueling his desire to leave more and more.

Yonathan stared at Arthur for a good few seconds, prying through his eyes. Nobody knew what he was thinking of at that moment.

'No fear… This boy… I'm starting to see why the shard had chosen him. Something about him is truly special.' He thought to himself before he exhaled a small breath. He hadn't expected to see someone of this boy's kind so soon and in such a place, no less.

"It's a small island… floating in the nothingness of the void around us. The island is linked to the world around it with chains… Large black chains of unknown material that I couldn't break nor analyze." Yonathan began speaking, explaining the place. "I do not know its origin or purpose. I do not know how the island is floating in the nothingness, and I… I don't know where it ends and where it starts."

"What? What do you mea-"

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

"You will understand once you see that place. Well, if you survive long enough." The old man replied.

"Thank you for the boost of confidence, old man. I really needed that." Arthur sighed. "Well, even if it's not possible to find the exit from there. I will still go. Can one of you lead me the-"

"No." The old man shook his head, cutting Arthur off without hesitation. "I cannot send anyone with you, Arthur. That place… I have forbidden them from going anywhere close to that island ever again."

"..." The boy's expression shifted slowly. "I need to leave this place, Yonathan. I'm not asking you to send them with me. All I ask is that they guide me to this place, and I will take care of the rest."

"You're a foolish child if you think you can roam that place alone. You do not possess neither the power nor the will to take it on." The old man said.

"I do not care. I have no other options left. I need to leave."

"You will die!" The old man roared, shaking the entire place with his voice. For a moment there, his aura was unleashed, spreading everywhere around him. Arthur felt an immense pressure slam his body down like a boulder. But, with sheer will, he was able to stay standing.

'What… the hell?! So much… pressure!' Arthur clenched his teeth.

"Don't… underestimate me… old man!" The boy spoke through the immense pain he was feeling. "I need to leave!!"

Glaring at the man, Arthur's eyes lit up with a red hue for a split second. He couldn't feel it, but the old man could see it. He squinted, looking confused, as if he didn't understand what had just happened.

"Please, Yonathan. I will get you out of here… You want that don't you? You want to see the outside world again. It's still as beautiful as you might remember." Arthur said in an almost crazed tone.

"..." Yonathan stared at the boy silently. He could see the desperation in every expression on his face. The desire to leave was plaguing his mind.

'It is not merely out of desire to leave… He has something else driving him. Something really strong.' The man mused to himself. For a moment there, he felt like smiling. There was nothing amusing to smile about, and yet he felt like smiling.

"Is it someone you care for?" A few seconds later, the old man asked with a calm tone.

"Huh?" The question snapped Arthur back to reality.

"Is it someone that you want to see again?" The man asked as he eyed Arthur with a cunning eye.

"..." The boy was speechless for a moment as he didn't expect to hear that question of all questions. But, for some reason, the answer popped in his head with ease. "It is."

The moment he uttered those words, Arthur felt a smile draw on his face. It wasn't a wide one, but it was still a smile filled with longing.

"I see."

"How did you know?" Arthur asked.

"It is all over your face, child. You aren't too good at hiding what you think." Yonathan replied.

"Am I really that bad?"

"Too bad. But…" The old man looked at the two men next to him, and they understood the assignment. "You said you're strong and determined enough to go there and find a way out, didn't you? I said I wouldn't risk my men going anywhere near that place. But, I shall grant you an opportunity."

"I'm hearing the 'However' coming from a long distance," Arthur replied. He knew that the old man had a condition to allow such a thing. There was no free breakfast in this world, after all.

"However, you have to show me that you are what you preach." The old man glared coldly at Arthur. "Beat two of my men in a battle… And I shall bring you where you want."

Saying that, the two men stepped forward. Their auras spread around them like a complex net of mana, so different from the normal shape a human would have.

"Do it…"

A//N: Thank you all for the gifts, golden tickets, and PS. Let's keep it up!