Alaric's POV
30 minutes ago.
He hasn't had any sleep for a month now. How a regular human could survive that long without sleep without going insane, was a mystery to him.
Still here he was, awake for a month straight, without getting a single wink. The first few days were the hardest; it took his body time to adjust to his self-deprived sleep situation.
The standard of the human body in this world was insane. In his old world, he was sure he wouldn't survive these challenging conditions.
He would be dead the first day he was thrown into the pit if that were the case. Thankfully or not, the tenacity of humans in this strange new world was extreme.
During this month, his body has been forced to adapt to the lack of sleep and nutrients by utilizing more origin energy than it usually would to keep him alive.
As for how he was still sane, the will tempering technique had been godsent.
Ever since his encounter with the being that took his form to deceive him, he has been able to gain access to his mental world at will.
His mental world has gone through some changes. Its colours are more vibrant, and the surroundings are more solid, almost tangible, and the activities seem to elevate a notch.
This effect was due to the will technique. It doesn't just affect the will but also cultivates the mind, making it firmer and more tangible.
This has also reflected outwardly. His once lifeless eyes have gained some light, not as vibrant as it was before, but they were bright enough to signify he wouldn't be ending his life anytime soon.
His thoughts have become clearer than ever, and his thought process has accelerated.
His once easily triggered and fickle emotions, which had recently been awakened, had become easier to maintain.
His body doesn't look any better than before, though, in fact, it looks unhealthier than it did a month ago. He was sure that if he ever had the chance to escape, he wouldn't be able to use his limbs properly.
This past month, the only thing keeping him company was the constant pain and hunger, which he had now learnt to ignore as a result of the will technique he had been practicing.
He has been watching the other children during this period. Most were already dead, their corpses already decaying.
He watched them crying helplessly, screaming in pain, gritting their teeth in hopes that someone would save them, some even prayed to the gods of this world.
It changed nothing, though. The only ones still alive were he and two others. A young boy no older than 12 and a girl who looked to be 8 or 9 years of age.
The girl seems to be on her last leg; from the looks of it, she wouldn't survive till tomorrow. With the state her body was currently in, it would take some effort to preserve her life.
Her eyes were glazed over listlessly as she gazed upward. Looking at her, he didn't know whether to feel sad or feel happy that she would be eternally free from this prison.
Suddenly, she turned in the direction of his gaze and started to mutter something weakly under her breath.
This startled him immensely. This was the first time anyone had ever noticed his gaze.
'Is it a coincidence?' he thought while concentrating on what she was trying to say.
When he pieced together what she was repeating despite the difficulty her dry throat was going through, he couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness wash over him.
She muttered "I can't see anymore. I can't see anymore" on repeat.
"I am so…" his words trailed off as they were interrupted by a sudden loud and reverberating boom.
It was so intense that the vibration rattled his consciousness. He had to start reciting the will technique again to calm himself down.
'What the heck was that?'
|TLF|
Aina was having a terrible day today. First, she had to stop her experiment because of the news about a possible intruder learning of their secret base.
Then had to order their evacuation from this planet, possibly from this domain. Which only means a halt in her research.
Now, as she exited the meeting room looking for the source of the explosion, she came to find the corpses of her subordinates, all 5 of them, including her personal knight.
Their bodies were mangled all over like they were run through by a freight train.
*inhale*
She took in a deep breath before taking a good look at the culprit—the source of all her sorrows over the past few weeks.
It was surprisingly an older man. He had long white hair and a matching beard. He wore a beautiful white robe that remained unwrinkled and without stains. He looked like a harmless grandpa.
She could tell she was no match for him whatsoever. She couldn't ever feel his presence despite being in front of him. He was like a ghost.
In this world, it is unwise to look down on an older man. There was even a saying in some cultures of this world.
'What the elderly observe while seated, a young person cannot see even if they scale the highest peak.'
It was a wise saying that spoke of the experience and better judgment of older people, and one would be foolish to underestimate someone as old as this man standing before her.
She quickly composed herself, unaffected by the deaths of her subordinates, including her personal guard; she could get another.
She cupped her hands and bowed. "Greetings, great elder. We apologize if we have offended you in any way and are willing to compensate you in any way if you would spare our lives."
Deep down, she was very afraid and knew the probability of her making it alive was less than 3 percent.
The old man chuckled softly, "We? But I see only you. Are there others that I missed?"
Aina raised her head, looking perplexed. She was sure her subordinate was behind her as they left the room together.
Turning her head, she couldn't keep her composure any longer, as her face contorted into a look of fear.
The man she was with was now on the cold ground, with his head missing from his body. It lay a few meters away from the body, cleanly chopped off.
She suddenly felt a chill on her neck.
'When did he…?'
She quickly turned about to say something when she noticed her surroundings rotating. Then she caught a glimpse of her still-standing headless corpse.
'Damn it…'
That was her last thought before everything went completely dark.'
"My swordsmanship is really terrible. I can't believe that attack took so long to finish her off." The old man said before bringing his right hand down.
"Anyway, I should see what they have going here."