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After a long journey, Kenji had finally returned to the Capital. He swiftly returned the sleeping guard's blade. The clock displayed 2:48 AM. With stealth and determination, Kenji made his way back to the castle, skillfully climbing up the walls before tumbling into his room with a loud thud. Fatigued and utterly drained, he compelled himself into the shower, hoping to wash off the lingering odors of blood, sweat, and decaying flesh, while also changing into clean clothes.
He carefully stowed away his armor, concealing it beneath his bed along with his sword.
Kenji then flopped onto his bed, surrendering to the embrace of sleep. As the weight of fatigue enveloped him, he was suddenly thrust into a dark, empty space. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself gazing down into a pool of water that was as black as night. Looking upwards, he encountered a sight that no mortal should ever behold and continue to live.
Before him lay a boat, upon which stood a figure draped in black. Its face appeared to be melded into a shroud of dark fabric, a hood obscuring its head. The figure's robe was as dark as the void itself. As it peered into Kenji's very soul, clutching a scythe, Kenji felt his mind begin to unravel at the figure's words.
"Mortal, you are quite the enigma. You have defied us," it intoned, sniffing the air. "Oh mortal, you have made a grave error. U have become an undead being. It has been thousands of years since I have encountered one of your kind passing through this realm, not to mention the Chosen Undead." As it leaned in closer, Kenji's sanity felt as though it was slipping away.
"Mortal, for your defiance against death itself, you cannot be granted passage to either the cycle of reincarnation or the afterlife. Upon your demise, you will be compelled to become a Reaper like myself for all eternity. Now, begone! I trust I won't have to see you again soon, foolish mortal." With a swift slash of its scythe, the dark space dissolved around him, and Kenji awoke in his room to the sight of a maid trying to rouse him. His mind was still hazy, yet thankfully not shattered. He strained to grasp what the maid was saying.
"Si—"
"THE DARKNESS SHALL DEVOUR ALL!"
Startled, Kenji leaped up in shock, recoiling as the maid gazed at him, equally shocked and embarrassed. "Sir, are you alright? I merely mentioned that the royal family is calling a meeting and that I should be at the training grounds in an hour."
Sitting upright in bed, Kenji held his head, contemplating how his mind began to unravel after encountering a Reaper. However, if he could withstand this ordeal, he would, at the very least, be granted a Death affinity.
He quickly dressed and tidied himself before making his way down the lengthy staircase, where he found Henry, Amy, Liz, and Mark waiting for him, looking rather bored. Zenith stood beside the guards and the King.
As Kenji approached Amy, he greeted her with a good morning kiss, which she returned with noticeable reluctance.
The King began to speak. "Last night, we witnessed someone leap from their room down the castle, fall, and then ride off on one of our horses, Jerry, who is still unaccounted for. Now, which one of you was it, and what was the reason behind this?"
The group of five fell silent, each one hesitant to speak until Amy finally broke the quiet. "Why would we want to sneak out? Isn't it extremely dangerous outside the city? I read in the library that most cities are safe havens from monsters."
The King nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, you are absolutely right, but the capital city of the West continent is known as an adventurer city. Most factions have already been completed, save for a few exceptionally difficult ones, and the majority of the monster population in this area has been eliminated. So, who among you was the one who snuck out?"
Mark raised his hand. "So, what will happen to the one who sneaked out if I find out who it is?"
King Lionheardt replied sternly, "They will face an additional six weeks of confinement and intensified training. Furthermore, their allowance will be suspended until further notice."
Zenith interjected, "Father, that seems excessive, considering everyone is still here, which means the individual who sneaked out didn't get too injured or die."
Kenji yawned, still feeling the weariness from the previous night. "So how will I find this person?"
The King explained, "Under normal circumstances, we would employ mind magic, but that could result in severe consequences for you. Instead, we will examine the bodies. Our informant reported seeing someone fall from the third story, so they should at least have some bruises, if not worse. Therefore, everyone, shirts off!"
Kenji removed his shirt, revealing a body that was once well-toned from rigorous training but now appeared thinner and more malnourished, a consequence of the challenges faced by the [Chosen Undead] class.
Amy gasped in disbelief. "Kenji, what has happened to your body?"
Kenji replied sheepishly, "I suppose I haven't been eating enough since I last saw myself."
Amy regarded him with suspicion before taking off her own shirt. Her physique was impressive, with well-defined muscles, larger breasts, sculpted abs, and enhanced biceps—all thanks to her [Divine Archer] class.
The same could be said for the rest of the group; everyone's body had been augmented by their respective classes, while Kenji seemed to have been debuffed.
The guards examined them and found nothing amiss.
The King, now visibly frustrated, declared, "FINE THEN! YOU ALL WILL BE TRAINING FOR SIX WEEKS LONGER! TRAINING STARTS LATER TODAY!"
Kenji began hearing voices beckoning him, urging him to seize the Knight's blade and eliminate them all. In a panic, he rushed to the nearest bathroom and held his head, splashing water on his face. When he looked up into the mirror, he was horrified to see a reflection of himself—burned all over, one eyeball hanging loosely, his rib cage exposed with insects crawling from it, his left arm missing, and numerous cuts marring his body.
Behind him in the mirror stood the Reaper. As Kenji spun around, he found himself back in the training ground, with everyone staring at him as if he had lost his mind.
"Kenji, are you alright?" Amy asked, reaching out her hand to comfort him, but he instinctively slapped it away.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kenji shouted.
Amy recoiled in shock and sadness, retreating as Henry tried to console her.
The King, Zenith, and the guards had already departed from the training ground.
Kenji sank to his knees, clutching his head in agony as he heard breathing in front of him. "DAMMIT, I CAN'T DIE HERE! MY REVIVES STILL ON COOLDOWN! Oh god, am I truly going to die?"
Looking up, he found himself face to face with the Reaper. In a burst of instinct, Kenji punched the Reaper, sending it reeling. He stood up, prepared to fight, but was left in disbelief as he watched the other three help the Reaper to its feet, their voices drowned out by the screams of undead souls and the murderous thoughts echoing in his mind.
Rushing forward, Kenji attempted to kick the Reaper, but to his astonishment, Amy screamed at him, though her words were lost to him. She pushed him away and began to slap him repeatedly. After four slaps, the fifth connected.
In that moment, clarity returned. The voices ceased, his headache faded, and he could finally hear again. He heard Amy exclaim, "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? HENRY TRIES TO HELP YOU, AND YOU ATTACK HIM?!"
Kenji glanced at the now-weak Reaper, who was actually Henry, his nose broken and bloodied, and then back at Amy, who was furious. "I... I don't kno—"
Another slap reverberated through the air.
"WE'RE DONE!" Amy shouted, striding toward Henry to help him to the healer.
Kenji held his now-red cheeks, tears brimming in his eyes as he approached Henry and Amy, but was blocked by Liz. "What are you trying to do?"
"I'm trying to apolo—"
Liz interrupted him, "You have done enough for one day! You're lucky Henry won't report this to the King. Now, get lost!"
Feeling despondent, Kenji walked away to his room. He sat on the bed, reflecting on how quickly the situation had devolved into chaos. Well, it was too late to turn back now, wasn't it? He lifted his gaze to the mirror, only to see the Reaper lurking behind him. The Reaper finally spoke, "Mortal, you have endured this trial. For that, I shall grant you the Death affinity." Kenji watched as the Reaper faded into nothingness.
Lying back on his bed, Kenji quickly succumbed to sleep, but was stirred an hour later by maids calling him to the training grounds.
With a downcast expression, he made his way downstairs. Upon arriving at the training ground, he discovered that everyone was already present, with Henry's broken nose miraculously healed thanks to magic.
The instructor addressed them. "Welcome! It seems everyone is here. I am your Combat Teacher, Beru the Great. Now, everyone, please select a weapon." He gestured towards the various weapon barrels and crates. "Even though some of you may not possess combat classes, it is essential to learn how to fight for those moments when you find yourself cornered without help, or if your mana runs out, or if your bow breaks. Regardless of the reason, you are here to train in weapon combat."
Kenji selected a formidable great sword from the wall, one that was about 1.5 times his size, and effortlessly swung the massive blade over his shoulder. Liz chose a kopesh, while Amy picked up a dagger. Henry selected a longsword, and Mike opted for a tanto.
"Now, each of you five will face off against me, and by the end of the day, you should be able to last at least 30 seconds in combat with me."
Kenji stepped forward for his turn, and the battle commenced. Immediately, Kenji channeled his mana, enhancing his speed and strength. He charged forward, engaging in a clash of blades with Beru. However, despite the size and weight of Kenji's sword, he found himself overpowered, forced to retreat and rethink his strategy. Realizing that survival was his only objective, he aimed not to land a hit but merely to endure. With the clock ticking past 9 seconds, he initiated a slash, but it was merely a feint for his true attack. As he attempted to kick Beru, he quickly discovered that Beru had effortlessly blocked it, leading to Kenji being seized and slammed into the ground, rendering him unconscious after a mere 12 seconds.
When Kenji regained consciousness, he found himself back in his room, bandaged and healed. Rising from his bed, he made his way to Amy's room to apologize for his earlier actions. He knocked on the door, and after what felt like an eternity—about 40 seconds—Amy finally opened it, appearing in a revealing nightgown.
Looking surprised, she immediately attempted to shut the door.
"Wait!" Kenji interjected, placing his foot in the doorway. "Let me at least explain myself, please!" he pleaded.
With a voice laced with disdain, Amy responded, "Fine, what is it? We can talk like this."
"Thank you, Amy. Now, please listen carefully. U know the game I used to love."
"Yeah, what about it?" Amy replied, her tone dripping with annoyance.
"This world is strikingly similar to the game. I was on the verge of obtaining a hidden class, but it had a side effect—mental instability, essentially. It caused temporary insanity, which is why I wasn't in my right mind when I accidentally attacked Henry."
"STOP LYING! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! IT'S LIKE YOU'RE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSON!" she shouted, slamming the door in his face.
Dejected, Kenji returned to his room and sat on his bed, when suddenly a blue screen appeared before him.
**Hidden Quest: Find the blade where The Hatred God Malek has been sealed.**
**Reward: #######**
**Time limit: N/A**
"Shit, I get a status window?" Kenji exclaimed, but nothing happened. He spent the next 20 minutes trying various commands to access it, but none yielded results.
"Shit. I guess it's not a stats menu, but rather a quest system. That's still pretty decent. Who am I kidding? Finding the best sword in the game is supposed to be the first quest. This is nonsense. I know where it is, but I'd be killed if I went there."
Kenji closed his eyes and decided to rest for the night
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