Dein opened his eyes wide, gasping for air as his hand reached for his chest. Clutching it tightly. A series of gasping escaped his mouth.
'I'm… I'm alive? I'm alive!'
He studied his body, looking for any wound or even a slight cut. He seems perfectly fine. Not a single scratch. The only thing different now is his looks.
He wasn't dark anymore, don't have a slit mouth and sharp teeth. Instead, his body is that of a normal human again. With short hair and normal fingers. He doesn't even have a tail!
Not like there's anything wrong with a tail of course…
Nevertheless, he seems to be back on his own body. Or soul? He doesn't know yet, more important right now is that Dein have half of his body attached to himself again.
For a moment there, he believed he had died after being swallowed whole by that Nightmare Creature. Fortunately, the Spell had saved him in time.
Speaking of the Spell. Dein finally stood up, looking around. He saw a vast sky where countless stars connected themselves with silver light, moving around as if to form constellations and nexuses in the black sky. Each movement of the silver light makes it seem like the world around Dein is breathing.
"This should be the the place between dreams and reality right?"
Is it? But what if it's the afterlife instead? He asked himself, growing anxious but in the next moment. His questions were answered by a beautiful voice. A soft sound that reverberated everywhere in this place. It said.
[Aspirant! Your trial is over!]
[Four souls in one body, a failed being descended upon his trial oblivious of the truth. Upon his arrival, the trial itself shook. Confused, the trial extended time and shoved the four souls in the body of the same failed being.
With that, a wasted gremlin thought to have no value once again awoke. He escaped prison after prison, defeated his executioner and unleashed his burning wrath upon the tribe. Undying, he fought the strongest of warriors, got chopped in different pieces, and was eaten alive. And yet… he survived]
[You have defeated a Dormant Human: Elder chosen of the Sacred Flame, Bon]
[You have defeated a Dormant Human: Clay]
[You have defeated an Awakened Human: Priestess of the Sun, Gi]
[You have Defeated a Dormant Human: Name Unknown]
[You have defeated a Dormant Human: Name Unknown]
[You have defeated a Dormant Human: Name Unknown]
[You have defeated a Dormant Human…]
[You have defeated…]
[You have defeated…]
[You have defeated…]
[You have defeated…]
The voice of the spell continued announcing his victory over and over again that Dein just covered his ears. Unable to hear it anymore. Each time he heard the Spell announce the person he killed, his mind would play back the memories of them burning to the ground.
He suddenly felt like vomitting but for some reason, he cannot vomit in this place. So Dein had no choice but to endure. Still, the fact that the Spell treated the massacre he committed as victory left a bad taste in Dein's mouth.
He gritted his teeth. The spell still wasn't over yet so Dein focused on the first things the spell mentioned.
About him having four souls in one body… being a failed being… being oblivious of it… as well as what happened to the spell after he–no, after 'they', arrived. And then everything that had transpired after that.
It was a lot to take in.
Dein sighed, wincing as he bit his lips. About him having four different soul… he had believed that it was the Gremlin at first who the other three was following but as it turns out, it was him instead.
He couldn't even fathom as to how or why it had come to be… did the other three knows why or how they're with him? It's likely that they don't. But to be sure, Dein glanced behind him.
There, he saw no one. And yet, he felt a presence watching him. As if looking over him. It was the trio, watching the situation from deep inside him. Furthermore, it seems that the Spell did not expect four beings in one body to challenge the first nightmare.
That'll probably explain what happened when Dein had just arrive. Where the Spell had seemingly bugged out and to fixed it, the spell sent Dein and the others inside the body of the Gremlin.
The same failed being it said.
Dein gulped at the thought.
'So I wasn't meant to be inside that monster's body?'
If not for the trio inside him, then who's role Dein would've taken over instead?He wondered who. But even then, he already has a pretty good idea who it could be. It's probably Clay.
The very person he killed. And instead of destroying the tribe, Dein's trial would've been much different. Maybe even the opposite. Saving the tribe from the Gremlin instead of being the Gremlin that destroyed it.
Dein sighed… the Spell had enough as it said the last peoples he defeated.
[You have defeated an Awakened Human: Chosen of the Sacred Flame, Clara]
[You have defeated an Awakened Human: Chosen of the Sacred Flame, Lei]
The Spell even mentioned the people who entered the fog, searching for the exit. It seems because Dein is the reason for their unfortunate ending, they counted as him defeating them.
…
…[You have defeated a Dormant Human: Klen]
[You have defeated an Awakened Human: The Chieftain of the Sacred Flame, Quin]
After that it went silent as Dein's expression sank even deeper. It seems… he really did wiped out the entire tribe with his own hands. As far as the Spell is concerned that is.
Again, Dein doesn't know if he should be happy or not. Killing someone for the first time wasn't a good feeling. And more so does killing close to three hundred people along with elderly, women and children.
Dein looked up, covering his face with his palm as he took a deep breath.
'…if I didn't do any of that, I will be the one who's dead right now'
He whispered to himself before giving a huge exhale.
He faced the runes again. Ready to hear what the spell will say next.
[You have survived an impossible trial.]
[You have been beaten, stabbed, chopped, sliced, shot at, cut in half and was eaten alive. In the end, you scoffed at death.]
[Final Appraisal: Good.]