The next thirteen days are nothing short of hell.
The Reaper doesn't allow me to rest, although I suppose resting would be pointless in a realm where I never become tired.
Every moment is spent fighting, strengthening my spiritual body, or practicing my control over death energy.
At first, I can barely keep the black flame stable for more than a few seconds. Whenever I try to increase its size, it either disappears or explodes in my face.
The explosions don't cause much damage, but the Reaper still seems to enjoy watching them happen.
"Again," he says.
I stare down at my smoking hand.
"That was my forty-third attempt."
"And it was almost as terrible as your first."
"Your encouragement is very helpful."
"I am not here to encourage you. I am here to make sure you survive."
The Reaper lifts his hand, and another wooden training dummy appears across the platform.
By now, I've destroyed hundreds of them.
Well, destroyed might be too generous of a word.
Most of the time, I leave a burn mark or break off a piece of wood. The Reaper is the one who normally turns them into ash after becoming disappointed with me.
I take a breath and focus on the pressure inside my chest.
The Mark of Dread feels like a cold object buried deep within my soul. Whenever I draw power from it, the cold spreads through my body and gathers inside my palm.
A black flame appears above my hand.
This time, it is slightly larger than before.
I imagine the energy compressing.
The flame shrinks until it becomes a small sphere.
"Better," the Reaper says.
I push my hand forward.
The sphere shoots across the platform and strikes the dummy in the center of its chest.
Instead of leaving a small mark, the death energy passes completely through it.
A round hole appears in the wood.
The area surrounding the hole slowly turns black before crumbling into dust.
I smile.
"That was actually decent."
"It was acceptable."
"That is probably the closest thing you have to a compliment."
"Do not become distracted."
The Reaper disappears.
I immediately summon my scythe and turn around.
His blade collides with mine.
The impact pushes me backward, but I manage to stay on my feet. Before he can attack again, I move to the side and swing toward his chest.
He leans back, narrowly avoiding the blade.
For the first time since our training began, I nearly hit him.
The Reaper looks down at the small cut in his robe.
I take a step back.
"Does that count?"
"No."
"I cut your robe."
"The robe is not part of me."
"It should still count."
"It does not."
The Reaper swings his scythe toward my legs.
I jump over the blade and release one hand from my weapon.
A sphere of death energy forms in my palm.
I launch it directly at his face.
He raises his hand and catches it.
The black sphere disappears between his fingers.
"That was dishonest," he says.
"You told me to stop hesitating."
"I did not tell you to fight without honor."
"I'm supposed to travel between worlds and spread fear. I don't think honor is going to be very useful."
The Reaper remains silent for a moment.
Then he lowers his weapon.
"You are beginning to understand."
The platform around us shifts.
The pillars disappear, followed by the blue flames and training dummies. The massive doorway leading to Elaris rises from the darkness once again.
I stare at it.
"Is it time?"
"Your two weeks are over."
It doesn't feel as though two weeks have passed.
Without hunger, exhaustion, or the need to sleep, time became difficult to follow. It felt as if our training would continue forever.
I dismiss my scythe and open my status.
World Raider
Name: Shin Sasaki
Race: Human Soul
Rank: Unawakened
Dread: 0
Worlds Raided: 0
Soul Weapon: Unnamed Scythe
Abilities:
Death Energy — Level 2
Soul Weapon Summoning — Level 2
World Translation — Locked
World Gate — Locked
My abilities have improved, but I'm still unawakened.
"Am I strong enough to survive there?" I ask.
"That depends on the enemies you choose to make."
"That isn't much of an answer."
"The average person in Elaris will not be a threat to you. However, the world possesses knights, monsters, and magic users far stronger than ordinary humans."
"How strong?"
"Some could kill you before you had the opportunity to defend yourself."
"That would have been useful to know earlier."
"You did not ask."
I look toward the dark doorway.
"What happens if I die in another world?"
"Your soul will be destroyed."
"So there won't be another meeting in the afterlife?"
"No."
I let out a quiet sigh.
It seems my second chance only comes with one life.
The Reaper approaches me and places one skeletal hand against my chest.
The Mark of Dread suddenly burns.
Black lines spread from the center of my chest and move across my entire body. The pain only lasts for a moment before the lines disappear.
A new message appears in front of me.
World Translation has been unlocked.
Dread Collection has been activated.
First Objective: Awaken the Mark of Dread.
Required Dread: 1,000
"World Translation will allow you to communicate with almost every intelligent race you encounter," the Reaper explains. "It will also help you understand written languages, although complicated symbols may require more time."
"Almost every intelligent race?"
"There are creatures whose minds are too different from your own. Translation will not work on them."
"Good to know."
The Reaper steps away.
The doorway begins to fill with a swirling darkness.
Cold wind rushes across the platform, pulling at my clothing.
"What exactly am I supposed to do when I arrive?"
"That is your decision."
"You're sending me into another world with no plan?"
"A World Raider must be capable of acting independently. I selected you because I believed you possessed that ability."
"What about the silver-haired girl you showed me?"
"She is near the location where you will arrive."
"Who is she?"
The Reaper's hood shifts slightly, and I get the feeling he's smiling beneath it.
"Your first opportunity."
He really seems determined not to explain that.
I stare into the doorway.
Beyond the swirling darkness, I can see flashes of a forest.
"I have one more question."
"Ask."
"What happens after I collect enough Dread?"
"The mark will awaken, and you will gain access to more of my power."
"And after that?"
"You will create more fear."
"Of course."
The Reaper extends his hand toward the gate.
"It is time, Shin Sasaki."
I take one last look around the realm.
Despite the training, pain, and constant threat of being crushed by giant rocks, this place has become strangely familiar.
The Reaper is also the closest thing I have to an ally.
That thought is somewhat depressing.
"Try not to die," he says.
"You sound worried."
"I would prefer not to spend another century searching for a suitable World Raider."
"So you are worried."
"I am concerned about the inconvenience."
"Sure."
I step toward the gate.
The darkness pulls me inside before I can change my mind.
For a moment, I feel as though my body is being stretched in every possible direction.
My vision disappears.
I can't breathe, move, or feel anything.
Then it suddenly stops.
I fall several feet and crash into the ground.
Leaves and dirt scatter around me.
I lie there for a moment, staring up at the sky.
It is night.
Two pale moons hang above the forest, one much larger than the other. Thousands of unfamiliar stars fill the space around them.
I slowly sit up.
"So this is Elaris."
The air feels different here.
It is heavier and filled with an energy I can't identify. Every breath causes a faint warmth to spread through my body.
Magic, perhaps.
I look down at myself.
My clothing has changed.
Instead of the clothes I wore during my execution, I'm dressed in black pants, boots, and a long dark coat. The material is light but feels far stronger than normal fabric.
The Reaper must have created it before sending me through.
A sudden scream echoes through the forest.
I turn toward the sound.
The silver-haired girl.
I stand and begin moving between the trees.
My body feels much faster here than it did in my old world. I can cross several feet with each step, easily avoiding roots and branches even in the darkness.
Another scream reaches me.
This one is closer.
I slow down as voices become audible ahead.
"Stop running!"
"You have nowhere left to go!"
I move behind a large tree and look toward a small clearing.
The girl from the Reaper's vision is standing near the edge of a cliff.
Her long silver hair is tangled and covered in dirt. Blood stains the side of her white shirt, and one of her arms hangs weakly at her side.
Six armored men surround her.
Their armor bears the image of a golden lion.
The same symbol that appeared on the banners outside the castle.
Soldiers from the Kingdom of Asteria.
One of the soldiers steps forward.
He is larger than the others and carries a sword with several glowing symbols along the blade.
"It's over, Lady Elara," he says. "Return with us quietly."
So her name is Elara.
The girl looks behind her.
The cliff drops far enough that I can't see the bottom.
"I would rather die," she says.
The soldier smiles.
"You were ordered to be brought back alive, but no one said you had to be unharmed."
He raises his sword.
The other soldiers move closer.
I remain hidden behind the tree.
This doesn't have anything to do with me.
I could leave and begin collecting Dread somewhere else. Getting involved with soldiers so soon after entering the world probably isn't the smartest decision.
Then again, the Reaper showed her to me for a reason.
She may know something useful.
I open my status.
My Dread is still at zero.
Six armed soldiers might be a good place to start.
I step out from behind the tree.
"I don't think she wants to go with you."
Every head turns toward me.
The soldiers immediately raise their weapons.
Elara looks confused.
The larger soldier narrows his eyes.
"Who are you?"
I consider the question.
Giving them my real name probably doesn't matter, but a terrifying reputation usually needs something memorable.
I summon my scythe.
Black smoke flows from my palm and forms into the weapon.
The soldiers take several steps back.
Their confusion quickly becomes fear.
A faint cold sensation enters my chest.
A message appears in the corner of my vision.
Dread received: 3
Only three?
I suppose I'll have to try harder.
"I asked who you are," the soldier repeats.
His voice is less confident now.
I rest the scythe against my shoulder.
"I'm someone you should walk away from."
The soldier's expression hardens.
"Do you understand who you are threatening? We are knights of Asteria."
"Knights?"
I examine their armor.
"I expected knights to look more impressive."
One of the men charges toward me.
His sword glows with a faint yellow light.
The attack is much faster than I expected, but after two weeks of fighting the Reaper, the soldier seems almost slow.
I move to the side.
His sword passes my chest.
I strike him in the stomach with the end of my scythe.
The impact lifts him off the ground and sends him crashing into a tree.
The trunk cracks.
The soldier falls unconscious.
The remaining men stare at him.
Dread received: 8
That was better.
"Kill him!" the leader shouts.
The other four soldiers rush toward me.
Two attack from the front while the others move to my sides.
Their teamwork is decent.
Unfortunately for them, the Reaper attacked me from every direction at once for hours.
I block the first sword with the handle of my scythe and kick the soldier in the chest.
Before the second can reach me, I release a sphere of death energy.
The black energy strikes his shoulder.
His armor immediately begins to decay.
He screams and drops his weapon.
The other two soldiers freeze.
They stare at the blackened metal spreading across their companion's armor.
Dread received: 14
Dread received: 9
Dread received: 11
I can feel their fear flowing into me.
It is cold, but strangely satisfying.
The soldier affected by my death energy desperately pulls at his armor.
"Get it off! Get it off me!"
The blackness continues spreading.
I could probably stop it.
I'm just not sure how.
The Reaper never explained how to reverse death energy.
I walk toward the soldier and strike the damaged section of armor with my scythe.
The metal shatters and falls away from his body.
The skin underneath is pale and burned, but he'll probably survive.
He crawls backward.
"What are you?" he whispers.
I stop in front of him.
"I'm still deciding."
The leader shouts and swings his glowing sword toward my neck.
I turn and block it.
The moment our weapons collide, yellow energy explodes across the clearing.
The force pushes me back several feet.
The leader doesn't give me time to recover.
He rushes forward and attacks again.
His movements are faster now.
Each swing releases a wave of energy that slices through branches and leaves behind him.
I block two attacks before the third cuts through the sleeve of my coat.
A thin line of blood appears on my arm.
I stare at it.
This is the first time I've bled since entering the world.
The leader smiles.
"So you can be hurt."
I touch the cut.
The wound is shallow, but the pain is real.
This world is more dangerous than I thought.
"Of course I can be hurt," I say.
Black energy gathers around the blade of my scythe.
"That doesn't mean you can beat me."
I move forward.
The leader raises his sword to block, but I change direction at the last moment.
The blade of my scythe hooks around his weapon.
I pull it from his hands and send it spinning into the forest.
Before he can react, I place my free hand against his chest.
Death energy flows from my palm.
His golden armor turns black.
The metal begins cracking.
The leader's face becomes pale.
"Wait."
The other soldiers don't move.
They are watching me as though I'm some kind of monster.
Perhaps that's exactly what I need them to believe.
I increase the energy slightly.
The armor collapses into dust.
The leader falls to his knees.
Dread received: 21
Dread received: 17
Dread received: 18
Dread received: 15
My total rises above one hundred.
It isn't enough to awaken the mark, but it's a beginning.
I lower my hand.
"Go."
The leader looks up at me.
"What?"
"Leave before I change my mind."
The soldiers don't hesitate.
Two of them grab their unconscious companion while the others help the injured man stand.
They run into the forest without looking back.
The leader remains on his knees for a moment longer.
"You don't understand what you've done," he says. "The kingdom will hunt you."
"That sounds like their problem."
"You will regret interfering."
I raise my scythe.
He quickly stands and follows the others.
I watch until the sound of their footsteps disappears.
A notification appears in front of me.
Dread: 116/1,000
A rumor of your existence has begun.
Rumors can generate Dread, although the Reaper said it would be weaker.
Letting the soldiers live may have been more useful than killing them.
I dismiss my scythe and turn toward Elara.
She is still standing near the cliff, staring at me.
Her eyes are a strange violet color.
"You let them go," she says.
"They were more useful alive."
She looks toward the forest where the soldiers disappeared.
"They'll bring more."
"I assumed they would."
"You don't seem concerned."
"I've only been in this world for a few minutes. It would be disappointing if I were already concerned."
Elara's expression changes.
"In this world?"
I shouldn't have said that.
She takes a cautious step away from the cliff.
"Who are you?"
"Shin."
"What are you?"
"That question is becoming popular."
Her gaze moves toward the black mark left behind by my death energy.
"No magic I know can do that."
"I'm new to it."
"You're new to magic?"
"In a way."
Elara looks as though she has hundreds of questions, but her injured body finally gives out.
Her knees buckle.
I catch her before she hits the ground.
She immediately tries to pull away, but she doesn't have enough strength.
"Let go of me."
"I just saved you."
"I didn't ask you to."
"You were about to jump off a cliff."
"That was still my decision."
She has a point.
I release her carefully, but she immediately falls again.
I catch her a second time.
"This is getting repetitive."
"I can stand on my own."
"You clearly can't."
She glares at me but stops struggling.
Up close, I notice a strange symbol burned into the side of her neck. It resembles a circle surrounded by chains.
The symbol gives off a faint golden light.
"What is that?"
Elara quickly covers it with her hand.
"Nothing."
"It doesn't look like nothing."
Her expression becomes guarded.
"You should leave. If the royal knights find you with me, they'll consider you an enemy of the kingdom."
"They already watched me attack them. I think that decision has been made."
"You don't understand. They won't send ordinary knights next time."
"Good."
She stares at me.
"Good?"
"The stronger they are, the more afraid they'll be when they lose."
For the first time, Elara seems genuinely frightened of me.
The Mark of Dread responds.
Dread received: 6
I smile slightly.
Elara notices.
Her fear increases.
Dread received: 4
Interesting.
Even one person can continue producing Dread as their fear changes.
"Why did you help me?" she asks.
I think about the Reaper's words.
My first opportunity.
"I need information about this world."
"And you think I'll give it to you?"
"You can either help me willingly, or I can leave you here for the knights to find."
Her eyes narrow.
"That doesn't sound like much of a choice."
"It isn't."
She remains silent for several seconds.
Eventually, she looks away.
"There's an abandoned hunting cabin north of here. We can hide there until morning."
"Can you walk?"
"Yes."
I let go of her.
She takes one step and nearly collapses again.
I catch her by the arm.
She looks embarrassed.
"I lost a lot of blood."
"I noticed."
"I may need some assistance."
"You mean you can't walk."
"I can walk."
She attempts another step.
Her legs give out.
I sigh and lift her into my arms.
Elara immediately begins protesting.
"Put me down."
"You're slowing us down."
"I said I could walk."
"You have proven twice that you can't."
Her face becomes slightly red, but she stops arguing.
I begin moving north through the forest.
As we leave the clearing, I look at my status again.
One hundred and twenty-six Dread.
Eight hundred and seventy-four more until the mark awakens.
The kingdom now knows that someone attacked its soldiers using unknown magic. Soon, the survivors will tell others what happened.
Fear will spread.
More knights will come.
Perhaps even magic users.
I look down at the silver-haired woman in my arms.
She has already closed her eyes, although I can tell she isn't asleep.
The Reaper called her an opportunity.
I'm beginning to understand why.
I've been in Elaris for less than an hour, and I've already become an enemy of the kingdom.
My second life is off to a good start.
END OF CHAPTER 3